In the Shadow of Green Gables: L.M. Montgomery’s Life and Legacy - Canadian Time Machine Podcast

Today, a podcast was released titled, "In the Shadow of Green Gables: L.M. Montgomery’s Life and Legacy" as part of Season 3 of Canadian Time Machine, a series produced by The Walrus Lab. The episode was created to honor the 150th anniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birth. In the 15-minute-long podcast, Angela Misri speaks with Kate Macdonald Butler, who is L.M. Montgomery's granddaughter.

They talk about L.M. Montgomery's legacy and how people see themselves in Anne of Green Gables. They mention how immigrants to Canada and ADHD and neurodivergent communities have found kinship with Anne Shirley. Kate Macdonald Butler talks about how she learned about her grandmother through conversations with her father. She feels that her grandmother is closer in terms of personality to Emily Starr from the Emily of New Moon series than she is to Anne Shirley. Kate Macdonald Butler also discusses how both L.M. Montgomery and her husband struggled with depression. Lastly, she talks about the new commemorative coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in celebration of Montgomery's birthday and legacy.

Give the podcast a listen through the links below.

Websites:
In the Shadow of Green Gables: L.M. Montgomery’s Life and Legacy - Canadian Time Machine podcast and English transcript at The Walrus
In the Shadow of Green Gables: L.M. Montgomery’s Life and Legacy - Canadian Time Machine podcast at Apple Podcasts

Image credit:
Image from The Walrus.

Created November 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables (Handwritten Classics)

Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Novel, Featuring the Characters' Letters and Mementos, Written and Folded by Hand by L.M. Montgomery and curated by Barbara Heller was published by Chronicle Books in September 2024. The collectible book provides readers with an interactive literary experience. There are parchment envelopes inserted between the pages that contain special treasures related to the novel. For example, you can read the letters between Diana Barry and her kindred spirit Anne Shirley and see Marilla Cuthbert's handwritten recipes.

The book sounds like great fun. It is the fourth book in Barbara Heller's "Handwritten Classics" series, which also includes Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Little Women.

In a great interview with CTV News Atlantic Anchor Crystal Garrett, Barbara Heller discusses the book and the research that went into producing it.

Here is the description of the book from Chronicle Books:

The must-have volume for Anne of Green Gables fans: This special edition invites readers inside the beloved story with gorgeous replicas of the characters' letters and mementos.

Anne of Green Gables has been treasured by generations of dreamers and free spirits. For those who love to indulge in flights of fancy, Anne’s world offers escape and inspiration. Now, your imagination can take tangible form with this deluxe edition of L. M. Montgomery’s classic novel, the latest volume in the swoon-worthy Handwritten Classics series curated by Barbara Heller.

Throughout these pages, you will find pockets containing replicas of thirteen items from the story recreated with charming handwriting and loving attention to historical detail. Discover the notes passed between Anne and her bosom friend Diana in the Avonlea schoolhouse; the official program of the Debating Club, where Gilbert Blythe memorably recited “Bingen on the Rhine”; and of course, Marilla’s recipes for both raspberry cordial and currant wine. Each piece of ephemera transports you to idyllic Prince Edward Island.

For anyone who loves Anne of Green Gables and for anyone who still cherishes the joy of paper mementos, this collector's edition will illuminate a classic story in a whole new way.

ISBN: 9781797227689

Image credit:
Book cover of Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Novel, Featuring the Characters' Letters and Mementos, Written and Folded by Hand.

Reference:
Garrett, Crystal and Hull, Jeremy. (November 17, 2024). Prince Edward Island classic 'Anne of Green Gables' gets an interactive update. CTV News Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/prince-edward-island-classic-anne-of-green-gables-gets-an-interactive-update-1.7113384.

Purchase and read Anne of Green Gables: The Complete Novel, Featuring the Characters' Letters and Mementos, Written and Folded by Hand:


Created November 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

It was November...

"It was November—the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines."
-L.M. Montgomery
Anne of the Island

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read Anne of the Island and the Anne of Green Gables series:



Created November 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Xenis Anne of Green Gables Doll

I came across these beautiful handcrafted Anne of Green Gables dolls by Xenis. Made in Canada, each doll is carved from wood and delicately hand painted. The dolls can be posed and feature movable joints. Each is unique and made to order for $1450.00 USD. These Anne Shirley dolls look like such treasures for doll collectors and fans of Anne Shirley.

Here is the description of the Anne of Green Gables doll from the Xenis website:

Anne of Green Gables remains a testament to the powers of hope, friendship and imagination.

Anne stands 12” in height with 13 moveable joints.

Anne is made under license from the Anne of Green Gables Licensing Authority. She has a hand painted face, mohair wig and is dressed in natural fiber fabrics. She comes with a straw hat, wooden schoolbooks and a carpetbag. She comes with a 36 note Swiss movement music box that plays the song “Anne of Green Gables” from the musical production.

$1450.00 USD

Official Website:
Anne of Green Gables at Xenis: Gallery of Wooden Wonders

Image credit:
Photograph of the Anne of Green Gables doll from Xenis: Gallery of Wooden Wonders


Created November 17, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Behind the Veil: A Lucy Maud Concert Experience

Behind the Veil: A Lucy Maud Concert Experience is a new show produced in celebration of L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday. The show was created by Alicia Toner and Mike Ross as a "song cycle," a collection of songs performed in sequence. Behind the Veil is made up of songs that blend Lucy Maud Montgomery's journal entries, letters, and poetry with original songwriting. Produced by Harmony House, the concert aims to pull back the veil to reveal L.M. Montgomery's true spirit and to celebrate her life and love of Prince Edward Island.

The show premieres today on November 15, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. The ensemble cast features Julain Molnar, Brielle Ansems, Carlie Howell, Alicia Toner, Mike Ross, and Garrett Sherwood. Five additional performances will take place on November 16th at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., on November 22nd at 8:00 p.m., and on November 23rd at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Tickets for the 2-hour concert cost $40.00. Harmony House is located at 19814 Route 2, Hunter River, PE C0A 1N0.

You can listen to Alicia Toner and Mike Ross discuss the show in an interview by Matt Rainnie on CBC Mainstreet. It sounds like such a special event!

Official Website
Harmony House

Image Credit:
Image advertising Behind the Veil: A Lucy Maud Concert Experience from Harmony House.

Created November 15, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

#Maud150 Events at Acadia University

Later this month, two #Maud150 events will take place at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada to commemorate L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday.

The first is a speech by Dr. Brenton Dickieson of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). He will present a talk titled, "Friends, Lovers, and Revivalist Shudders: L.M. Montgomery and Baptists" in the Reading Room of the Vaughan Memorial Library on November 18, 2024 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The speech is free and open to the public.

Here is the description of the talk from the Acadia University website:

Acadia celebrates L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday with a free talk titled "Friends, Lovers, and Revivalist Shudders: L.M. Montgomery and Baptists" by Dr. Brenton Dickieson (UPEI) in the Reading Room of Vaughan Memorial Library from 7-8 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

One of L.M. Montgomery’s more vividly drawn characters had “a holy horror of Methodists.” The main characters in the Anne series are thoroughly Presbyterian, but Montgomery has some fun playing with the cultural differences between the various Protestant denominations. The Cavendish Baptist church was part of Montgomery’s everyday life growing up, and she found herself frequenting the Baptists during her latter years in Toronto. Despite these connections, there were times when Montgomery’s journals reveal something like “a holy horror of Baptists.” From broken engagements to a threat of police action, a peek at Montgomery’s imagination of “Baptists” invites us to think about particular cultural moments in Eastern Canadian history and to enjoy her peculiar sense of religious humour that shapes our religious social imagination.

As a theologian of literature, Dr. Dickieson (UPEI) writes the popular website, A Pilgrim in Narnia, which explores the intersections of faith, fantasy, and fiction. With more than 2,000,000 views and fostering significant networks within the scholarly and readerly worlds of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings, Brenton has created a powerful platform for considering the literary, spiritual, and theological interest of some of our most famous world-builders, including C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, and others. Brenton also is the host of Maudcast: the official podcast of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at University of Prince Edward Island.

The second #Maud150 event is a mini-conference that will be held at the university. On November 25th and 27th, the honours and master's students enrolled in the course on "Adapting L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables" will host a mini-conference and present their research on L.M. Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables to the community. The conference will take place from 4:00-5:20 p.m. on November 25th and 27th in BAC203. This event is open to the public according to Acadia University's calendar of events.

Image Credit:
Poster advertising Brenton Dickieson's speech from Acadia University.

Created November 15, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables Book-Shaped Ceramic Vase

If you're looking for a gift for a fan of Anne of Green Gables, then this ceramic vase by Steel Mill and Co. might be the perfect gift. The vase is shaped like a book, and you can place flowers in it. You can also use it in the kitchen to store utensils.

Last year, my mother gave me The Secret Garden book vase as a Christmas gift, and I love it. I have it displayed on my bookshelf as a bookend with some artificial flowers in it.

The Secret Garden vase is a smaller size than the Anne of Green Gables vase. Steel Mill and Co. offers several vases featuring different books, including Pride & Prejudice, The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Dracula, and The Great Gatsby.

Image credit:
Photograph of the Anne of Green Gables book-shaped ceramic vase by Steel Mill and Co.

Purchase an Anne of Green Gables book-shaped ceramic vase:


Created November 14, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

One must face things—even ghosts

"One must face things—even ghosts."
-L.M. Montgomery
Emily's Quest

Read more quotes by L.M. Montgomery.

Image credit:
Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase and read the Emily of New Moon series:



Created October 31, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com