Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women Artwork

Let Genius Burn

Louisa May Alcott may be best known for the beloved book Little Women, but her story doesn’t begin or end with her famous novel. On Let Genius Burn, a new podcast series coming July 12, we’re separating the layers of Louisa’s life to learn more about who she really was--and all the ways her legacy continues to resonate today.We’ll explore the traumatic year of her childhood spent in an experimental utopian community, her service as a Civil War nurse, her final years of wealth and celebrity as a children’s author--and more intimate details and little-known stories of Louisa’s life.Instead of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s biography, each episode in the 8-part series examines Louisa's life through a different lens--Louisa as a celebrity, writer, activist, daughter, and more-- highlighting her complexity as a person, woman, and historical figure. Ahead of her time, Louisa railed against the limitations of her gender and fought for women’s suffrage. She craved literary greatness, but was weighed down by the financial needs of her family. Through writing scandalous Gothic thrillers, she found a way to voice her own inner turmoil. In the end, she achieved extraordinary financial success, but creative fulfillment remained elusive.We’ll examine all of this and more on Let Genius Burn. Find more on Instagram and Facebook @letgeniusburn or at letgeniusburn.com.

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Let Genius Burn

Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women

June 06, 2022 • Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller • Season 2 • Episode 6

If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched the Little Women film adaptations looking for the props and pieces that really bring the book to life–the vivid renderings of your own thoughtfully-imagined ephemera.

Barbara Heller worked on movie set designs for feature films for many years, bringing all kinds of stories to life through location scouting and other roles. Then, she was rereading Pride and Prejudice when she had a sudden and visceral desire to hold characters' letters to each other in her own hands. She set out to find the right artists, paper, and materials to make that dream come true.

After the success of her edition of Pride and Prejudice, Barbara turned her focus to Little Women, another novel that uses letters within the story. Again, she worked with artists to bring these pieces of writing into removable replicas that are tucked into the book itself. The reader feels the thrill of unfolding a letter as if they are from real, dear friends.

In this episode, Barbara discusses the research, process, and design behind these familiar letters, now turned into beloved works of art.

Barbara Heller's career in film and television encompasses finding furnishings and props for many shows including The Americans and When They See Us; location managing films for Francis Coppola, Nancy Meyers, and Barbet Schroeder; and directing award-winning short films that have played at festivals around the world (Cannes, Berlin, Sundance). To satisfy her curiosity, she reported on why hotels fold the end of the toilet paper into a point for NPR. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in English Literature and lives with her son in New York City.

See the book and purchase your own copy at https://www.barbaraheller.org/little-women or at your local bookstore.