The Brattleboro Words Project to host Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Notable 19th century Brattleboro author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, best known for her stories and novels of life in New England villages, will be featured at the monthly Brattleboro Words Project Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, September 19, 7 PM, in the Main Room at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro, Vermont. Freeman was a prolific writer who in her 50-year writing career published 22 volumes of short stories, 14 novels, over 50 uncollected short stories and prose essays, three plays, and one motion picture play. Both Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling greatly admired her work.

A short film based on and titled after Freeman’s short story, “The Revolt of Mother,” (1988, 47 minutes), will be screened at Brooks Memorial Library, beginning at 7 PM, followed by a  discussion of the themes found in the short story and the film.

“The Revolt of Mother” is one of Freeman’s best-known story, of the 250+ she wrote. It was included in her 1891 collection, A New England Nun and Other Stories. Set in mid-19th century rural New England, the story’s central character, Sarah Penn (played by Academy Award-nominated Amy Madigan), has long-endured their inadequate farmhouse. The story begins as Sarah discovers that the men working for her husband in the dooryard are putting in a foundation, not for her new house, but for a fancy new barn.

The Brattleboro Words Project is a multi-year collaboration of Marlboro College, Brattleboro Historical Society, Brattleboro Literary Festival, Write Action and Brooks Memorial Library backed by a National Endowment for the Humanities matching grant with support from The Windham Foundation, Edward Jones, Brattleboro Savings & Loan and other local businesses and individuals.