Omg, the rushing memories! You have opened a flood gate. You have always..literally always (since I’ve known you) been so attuned to the world and the idiocy that surrounds us every day. Putting words to paper was the spark that drove your creative passions. I wish I had found a love of reading much earlier than I did, but I think I depended a lot on your cliff notes.
I only ask one thing of you…if you ever stand to speak about me upon my death, and call upon your journals to inspire you, don’t mention any of those miserable boys (ugh) and grant me grace for any of the silly little things missteps I made by not telling you how great I thought and still think you are. 💙
Ha, on literally the next page of that journal I call you bossy! Also, I transcribed a note from another "friend" who was trying to steal me from you. I should send you that page for posterity.
A couple of years ago, I got a Harriet tattoo (she's practicing being an onion!) because that book was everything to me when I was a kid. I've since been consistently APPALLED at how many people have never read it, epecially women my age.
This redeems my faith in humanity just a bit, thanks for sharing.
On your journals: At the risk of sounding pretentious, I want to give you two of my favorite quotes. The first from Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky is "Everything starts with a dot”. These journals are your DOT. And the second is from the designer and architect Charles Eames: "Eventually everything connects." Maybe you are at that moment. Miss you. XO
Harriet the Spy was my absolute favorite. I still have my 1971 orange Yearling paperback (95 cents!) that I likely got at a yard sale, and I'd put a tick mark in the front cover every time I re-read it.
As soon as I read, “In a 1964 children’s novel by Louise..." I yelled out loud, HARRIET!
YES! This is the good stuff. Ms. Barfield!! I'll never forget her name. So much messed up stuff happened in that school. Seriously dark times in middle school. They made us square dance!
This was the book that kicked off my fascination with New York City. It was about as fas you could get from semi-rural Ohio life in the 70s. I felt keenly for Harriet, but also found her story to be an object lesson - be careful what you put in writing! Possibly why I didn't keep a journal until I was in college.
I love this so much. I can't decide which part I like best -- how prescient you are about how little people care about things (still) or the "not like dried leathery apples" part. I also can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse that I don't have any of mine. LOL
I loved Harriet the Spy as a kid, but the setting is so Upper East Side in the 60s! She attends a private school! She has a nanny! And then in The Long Secret, she goes to the Hamptons!
Okay, but Harriet, despite having wealthy parents, was still a weird kid, probably on the spectrum before that was a known thing, and had a fairly dysfunctional family life. Fitzhugh also came from a (wildly) dysfunctional wealthy family and she was anything but conventional as an adult. It's possible to relate to a character even if you don't also live on the Upper East Side.
All of that is true, but I still find the setting kind of weird and privileged. It's just not a universal situation and I remember being very puzzled by it, and by The Long Secret! It just wasn't part of my experience. My remembrance of how weird and puzzling I found it is a lot stronger than anything else I remember about the book. But a lot of what happens in Harriet became more widespread after my childhood.
Honestly, at 12 years old, I had no idea was the Upper East Side even signified but I loved the city feel of the book. Obviously I knew her family was wealthy, but part of her story is learning that not everyone lives like she does.
Omg, the rushing memories! You have opened a flood gate. You have always..literally always (since I’ve known you) been so attuned to the world and the idiocy that surrounds us every day. Putting words to paper was the spark that drove your creative passions. I wish I had found a love of reading much earlier than I did, but I think I depended a lot on your cliff notes.
I only ask one thing of you…if you ever stand to speak about me upon my death, and call upon your journals to inspire you, don’t mention any of those miserable boys (ugh) and grant me grace for any of the silly little things missteps I made by not telling you how great I thought and still think you are. 💙
Ha, on literally the next page of that journal I call you bossy! Also, I transcribed a note from another "friend" who was trying to steal me from you. I should send you that page for posterity.
I love this so much.
A couple of years ago, I got a Harriet tattoo (she's practicing being an onion!) because that book was everything to me when I was a kid. I've since been consistently APPALLED at how many people have never read it, epecially women my age.
This redeems my faith in humanity just a bit, thanks for sharing.
Well! NOW I NEED TO SEE THIS TATTOO. I'm also a little bummed by how many people know Harriet from the movie, not the book.
I can't figure out how to add a photo here--I tagged you in a post of it on Instagram.
On your journals: At the risk of sounding pretentious, I want to give you two of my favorite quotes. The first from Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky is "Everything starts with a dot”. These journals are your DOT. And the second is from the designer and architect Charles Eames: "Eventually everything connects." Maybe you are at that moment. Miss you. XO
I love this, thank you!
Harriet the Spy was my absolute favorite. I still have my 1971 orange Yearling paperback (95 cents!) that I likely got at a yard sale, and I'd put a tick mark in the front cover every time I re-read it.
As soon as I read, “In a 1964 children’s novel by Louise..." I yelled out loud, HARRIET!
YES! This is the good stuff. Ms. Barfield!! I'll never forget her name. So much messed up stuff happened in that school. Seriously dark times in middle school. They made us square dance!
OMG the SQUARE DANCING. WHY.
It was a whole thing, there's a good Radiolab episode about why it was being pushed back then: https://radiolab.org/podcast/birdie-cage
Oh wow, thank you!
This was the book that kicked off my fascination with New York City. It was about as fas you could get from semi-rural Ohio life in the 70s. I felt keenly for Harriet, but also found her story to be an object lesson - be careful what you put in writing! Possibly why I didn't keep a journal until I was in college.
I still have all the journals I wrote in too!! Oof they get ANGSTY.... They're all in a shoe box w t lid ductaped shut 🤣🤣
You were already an interesting writer! Love your adorable fawn! I hesitate to admit I’ve never read Harriet the Spy - will fix that.
I love this so much. I can't decide which part I like best -- how prescient you are about how little people care about things (still) or the "not like dried leathery apples" part. I also can't decide if it's a blessing or a curse that I don't have any of mine. LOL
I loved Harriet the Spy as a kid, but the setting is so Upper East Side in the 60s! She attends a private school! She has a nanny! And then in The Long Secret, she goes to the Hamptons!
Okay, but Harriet, despite having wealthy parents, was still a weird kid, probably on the spectrum before that was a known thing, and had a fairly dysfunctional family life. Fitzhugh also came from a (wildly) dysfunctional wealthy family and she was anything but conventional as an adult. It's possible to relate to a character even if you don't also live on the Upper East Side.
All of that is true, but I still find the setting kind of weird and privileged. It's just not a universal situation and I remember being very puzzled by it, and by The Long Secret! It just wasn't part of my experience. My remembrance of how weird and puzzling I found it is a lot stronger than anything else I remember about the book. But a lot of what happens in Harriet became more widespread after my childhood.
Honestly, at 12 years old, I had no idea was the Upper East Side even signified but I loved the city feel of the book. Obviously I knew her family was wealthy, but part of her story is learning that not everyone lives like she does.
Reeeeeally need to know what Gardner looks like.