The other day as I was jotting down writing progress notes, I found myself using the expression movements for the essays that make up the preface and chapters of Nature’s people: The Hog Island story from Mabel Loomis Todd to Audubon.
I surely like the rhythm and musical action such an expression implies. I don’t know that I can reach those melodic heights, but the flow-through of musical and project energy permeates my writing process.
So thinking in those terms today, I can report that I have three movements in decent early draft shape with another about to begin.
The preface has been written at least once before. This newest version came late in week one down here as a writing rant to just get me started. I just rambled on for a few pages about my Hog Island story, and before too long I felt ready to jump to chapter 1. So the preface is pretty rough, but before I head back to Dayton I’ll be refining it, maybe even combining some ideas from the first one.
Chapter 1: Introducing Mrs. Todd
Early draft put to bed a couple weeks ago. Again, maybe things to add, things to consider, things to talk about with mentors, maybe some things to delete and/or reassign, but overall, an early draft I can be proud of. I was thinking of telling folks during talks I’ll make, if you don’t read any more of the book, read chapter 1. Overall synopsis of the whole story.
Chapter 2: Transcendental activist
Rebuilt and augmented this week; D1 completed yesterday. Phew.
Argument made that Mabel Loomis Todd’s legacy deserves to include her belief and action taken for the preservation and appreciation Nature as well as the energy spent in bringing Emily Dickinson’s writings forward.
Thanks to Julie Dobrow from Tufts for both her essay ‘Saving the land’ and her tip on reserving Mrs. Todd’s journals and diaries on microfilm from Yale’s Sterling Library.
Now it’s on the movement 4: Of astronomy & Dickinsons
Major interest in Mabel Loomis Todd is due her impact on the Dickinson family. This chapter endeavors to describe the major players and the Emily Dickinson narrative as objectively as possible. Dickinson publication issues will be covered, through the trial, into the 30 year hiatus.
Subsections: Mabel Loomis Todd early bio to 1881/Amherst; David Peck Todd early bio to 1881; Susan and William Austin Dickinson in earliest Todd Amherst years; Emily Dickinson, publication drama, affair, subsequent court, case and the Emily sequester years; Millicent Todd Bingham as family rear guard and Emily Dickinson contributor in her own right.
Movement 5 (this spring): Vacationland
Discussion of Maine’s development into vacationland: boarders, summer villagers, then cottage builders progression. Focus on 1908: what was America like when Mrs. Todd signed the papers in Wiscassett? Retelling the story of Hog Is origins and summers at the Point Breeze. This section will follow the Todds through summer 1913 when Mabel has a debilitating stroke as she prepares to travel to Maine.
Movement 6 (summer 2014): ‘God’s own heaven’
The story of summers at Camp Mavooshen beginning in 1915. David soon leaves the summer picture when he is hospitalized for a progressing brain disease brought about by syphilis. But summers go on. Lots of stories from Mrs. Todd’s daily diaries and a half dozen or more essays from her unpublished Epic of Hog collection.
The Plan calls for working on this movement on Hog Island this summer while I serve as writer-in-residence and actually live — I kid you not — in Mrs. Bingham’s former cottage that hasn’t been occupied for decades. Goodness.
Movement 7 (fall 2014): Mavooshen’s men
At a time when women were beginning to feel their political and social clout, the guys deserve mention for services contributed to the camp’s successful operation. To include:
David Todd: his father wrote books about efficient home building. David was significant in construction of camp buildings and maintaining water transportation. Further/final description of his profession accomplishments & his giving Mabel great topics to write and lecture about through family travel around the world.
Frank Lailer: the local retired smack captain who became the handyman who kept the camp running. Ran Romany Girl in assistance to Todds in many ways. Family came to dinner now and then. Not much on Frank, but he was key.
Howard Hilder: The camp artist who both created a studio in a summer dwelling he build just down the shore from the family camp (known as the Osprey cabin) and also painted the osprey and great blue heron murals in Mavooshen’s ‘living room.’ Great family friend and help to Mrs. Todd at camp.
Walter vanDyke Bingham: Millicent’s psychologist husband who made medical history by helping write the first aptitude tests for the US Army c. World War I. Famous on island for his humous essay Homo sapiens auduboniesis which seeks to describe the peculiar island visitor, the Audubon birder.
Then on to movement 8 (fall 2014): The advent of Audubon
Pretty much the story of Audubon’s presence on the island from 1936 to Project Puffin today. More later.
At this point on the calendar I have 2.5 weeks left at this amazing winter writing sabbatical. It’s been a cloudy, grey Kentucky winter week prior to now. The sun is out, the day is warming a bit, and the birds are working very hard at finishing the sunflower seeds left in the feeder, while I talk to you all before plotting out how this next movement comes together and what sources I need to tell the narrative True.
It’s a good job if you can get it.
Today’s elder idea: Now what we have to do is cultivate the love of the beautiful.
Mabel Loomis Todd
‘The Village Beautiful’
Explaining what it will take to get folks to want to save forests.
image: The author’s photograph of the camp ‘living room’ as it stood in 1981, having been unoccupied for about twenty years. Recent restoration efforts have improved the structure.
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