Notes (Selected Correspondence)
The one at the bottom, 5/25/2002, is especially dear to me.
9/12/06
Ms. Vreeland,
I'm writing because I opted to use GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE in a freshman seminar course
I'm teaching this semester entitled "Knowledge and the Art of Creative Writing". The main
text is John Gardner's THE ART OF FICTION. I believed of course, that your book would work
well in illustrating both good writing and "the main thrust of the course" every ambitious
author's obligation to acquire a broad base of knowledge, and then to adopt the attitude of
a lifelong learner. I just wanted to tell you that, now that I am working my way carefully
through your book with the students, it exceeds my most optimistic expectations. Again and
again you provide beautifully clear examples of so many of the points in Gardner's book, his
insights into what makes good fiction. You are a master of it. Thank you for many hours of
reading pleasure, those past and those yet to come.
Kurt Corriher, Ph.D.
Director, Ketner Center for International Studies
Catawba College, Salisbury, NC
6/6/06
I just finished reading (savouring) your novel on Emily Carr. I was so moved and inspired by this book. I live in Victoria, have known about Emily Carr for years and even seen some of her paintings. But until I read your book I was not particularly interested in her or her life. Now I am reading about her in The Art of Emily Carr, and plan to read some of her books too. I realize that, as you wrote in the afterword, this is a novel not a biography, and that some of the people are composites of various people, etc. Nonetheless, I want what you wrote to be true and so I choose to hold it in my heart as at least an emotional truth about her life. I wept when Billy died, I wept for Sophie, I wept for Harold. Thank you so much for your inspiration, for the tenderness with which you told of Emily's life. What a wonderful gift you have given with this story.
Sincerely, Deb Thiessen, Park Interpreter,
Regional Parks of British Columbia
4/20/06
Dear Ms. Vreeland,
I'm an Italian girl of 15 years old, Vittoria. I live in Lerici, a little village by the sea near Cinque Terre and Genova , at the border with Toscana. It's 17.47, but we're in April, so here in my room there's still a lot of light.
I've already finished "The Passion of Artemisia". It' s a book that opened my eyes. During these days, while I was reading it, I felt very free and different. Through Artemisia I felt alive. Now, if I lean out of the window and I observe the sea, I feel gratified. Yesterday afternoon I wished to eat an apple and to ride the bike. I know that all the things I'm writing haven't sense, but however I feel that are all connected whith this book. I need to tell all my feelings.
You know, this is a time in my life during that I think a lot about the type of woman I want to be. I'd like to be independent, and work. But at the same time my first dream is to have a family and love.
Even if Artemisia lived centuries ago, I feel her story near, and still current.
I'd like to know your objective opinion about Artemisia's choices (especially about the marriage and love).
Finally, I would be very pleased if you could tell me where nowdays I can find some Artemisia's paintings.
Grazie
Vittoria
P.S. I apologize for my bad English!
2/14/06
Dear Ms. Vreeland,
I am so full of awe and praise for your talents that I hope I don't sound like a blunderhead. Yesterday I finished reading "The Forest Lover". I become part of that book as I read. Parts of it actually brought me to tears. Parts made me laugh out loud. I certainly related to the feeling of being closer to God in His wondrous landscapes. I've gushed to everyone who would listen to me this past week about how great your book is, and how they must read it. Now...because of "The Forest Lover" and Emily Carr, I must go back to the Pacific Northwest and take it all in through different eyes.
MaryAnn Stokes, Michigan
2/7/06
Dear Susan,
I have just finished reading two of your books, "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" and "The Passion of Artemesia." I was fascinated by "Girl in Hyacinth Blue." Both books I stayed up late to read and got up early to begin again, thoroughly upsetting my calendar for the day. Marvelous. When I picked up "The Passion of Artemesia" I was thunderstruck it was in a different country than the first book. I'm in awe and amazement at your research of countries and cultures and their effect on the individuals. But most of all, I was transported by the spirituality of Artemesia. I started marking the places that spoke to me, and then I quit. It was too hard to keep up. On page 148, I loved the statement, "Regardless of Galileo's logic, the highest of arts is to uplift the spirit, whatever means one uses," at the end of a long paragraph on faith and trust of God. Others I loved: "See yourself as God made you." (p.20); "My soul, even my little soul, makes the Lord more magnificent by something I had to offer" (p. 21); "As long as you hold onto your pain, you will live a mean, bitter life." (p.37). It was a wonderful experience to imagine the life behind the artists and the paintings. I loved your sentence structure and the way you kept me reading. Thank you.
Shirley Valley, La Mesa, CA
12/15/05
I have just finished The Forest Lover. I had to write while the feelings were still in my heart. Thank you. It was one of the most engaging books I have ever read. To you my dear wonderful woman, I cannot say enough about your writing style, always filled with little surprises along the way. Easy to follow. I cried, I laughed, I recreated facial expressions and gestures and sounds from your descriptions as I read. It was almost like watching a movie, and being in it at the same time! And of course you know you have made a new recruit to the Emily Carr fan club... My connection with Emily Carr has become almost spiritual vicariously through you. Your sensitivity to writing about a life that well deserved the attention is admirable. Even the Author's Afterword speaks to the integrity of your work.
Thank you again, for taking the time to share your creativity. This work has left an indelible impression on my soul. A cherished memory to remember and hold as an example whenever I think I have already expended enough energy towards my art.
Blessings,
Rosalind Nzinga Nichol, New Jersey
1/5/06
Dear Susan,
I just finished the book, The Forest Lover. Your portrayal of Emily Carr and the inner struggles that she must have dealt with have given me courage and made sense of many things in my life.
Emily's love of the forest and indigenous culture are things that I relate to with all of my heart. I deal with the paradox of my romantic leanings toward Native American culture and the grim realities of what it means to be indigenous in the present time. I am of Cherokee heritage and these issues have woven their ways through my psyche and my dreams and therefore my art. I know that there is no easy answer, no simple way to sum up what it is to be American or Native American. No simple way to describe our relationship to the earth and the spirits and power that nature holds. Reading your book has done what good art does: it let me look at myself and possibly understand my own reactions, dreams, and life views a bit better. Oh, and it also challenges my viewpoints; that's an important thing.
The ideas in your story that were powerful to me, besides the struggle to paint what Emily felt, were those of the disconnection that a person can feel in his or her own family, the injustice of how people who are "misfits" are treated in society as in the case of Harold Cook. That whole portion of the story ripped at my heart. I think that the voice you gave to his autobiography was worthy and true in getting across his yearnings. I read that Harold Cook's writings were never found and that is a tragedy. Your writings have made his voice speak. In a very universal sense, you have honored these people in a way that they never could have received in their own lifves. Sophie's friendship with Emily was another poignant account in how we can feel so close to someone and yet not know them at all. It also underscores the truth that although we think we can understand another culture truly, there is no absolute way to do that without being born to the culture.
Your portrayal about the ways in which European society tried to change indigenous ways brutally and inhumanely were perhaps the biggest strength of this book. Emily's outrage over these things was one of the central themes in her life and painting, from what I understand. It's good for people to look at these issues because they really are present still today.
Anyhow, thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this story. It is such a worthy tale and your writing was sensitive and filled with the visual beauty that only a real art lover can craft.
-- Lisa Gatz, Visalia, CA
12/15/05
I have just finished The Forest Lover. I had to write while the feelings were still in my heart. Thank you. It was one of the most engaging books I have ever read. To you my dear wonderful woman, I cannot say enough about your writing style, always filled with little surprises along the way. Easy to follow. I cried, I laughed, I recreated facial expressions and gestures and sounds from your descriptions as I read. It was almost like watching a movie, and being in it at the same time! And of course you know you have made a new recruit to the Emily Carr fan club... My connection with Emily Carr has become almost spiritual vicariously through you. Your sensitivity to writing about a life that well deserved the attention is admirable. Even the Author's Afterword speaks to the integrity of your work.
Thank you again, for taking the time to share your creativity. This work has left an indelible impression on my soul. A cherished memory to remember and hold as an example whenever I think I have already expended enough energy towards my art.
Blessings,
-- Rosalind Nzinga Nichol, New Jersey
6/20/05
I'm pleased to inform you that your book The Forest Lover has been selected for Outstanding Achievement recognition by the Wisconsin Library Association's Literary Awards Committee. We reviewed more than 250 books and selected ten for Outstanding Achievement.
-- Sandy Sechrest, Chair Literary Awards Committee
5/12/05
Dear Susan,
I am reading Life Studies and have just finished "At Least Five Hundred Words, with Sincerity and Honesty". It would interest you to know that the copy of Life Studies I am reading was checked out from the library here in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It is bound in a plain blue cover with a black and white photocopy of the title and author portion of your original cover laminated to it. The cover artwork would have had the book censored I guess. I am awfully glad to have found it in the new book section.
--a reader from Saudi Arabia
4/5/04
FROM MAPLE RIDGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA
A long time ago when I was young I had the opportunity to see some of Emily Carr's work. Heard stories about her life and always has a special interest when people were discussing her. Over the last several years I have begun a collection of her books and have also picked up most books that were written about her by her friends and acquaintances. I have just completed reading your book and found it to be the best. Your insight into life and the perspective of the time is wonderful. I understand it took you seventeen years to write this book. I'm so glad you stuck with it as it truly has a wonderful insight. The spirit of EMC comes through in your book. Your knowledge of the struggles of the west coast native is remarkable, your insight into the Canadian establishment, and your neglect of a group who tried to ride her shirt tails, and your connection with her love for critters all make the book the best. Your book catches part of Canadian history which no one around here has been able to capture. Emilys spirit in native art and forest, trees and life, you have captured them all.
Thanks from all of us up here, Fred ELDER
2/27/04
Dear Ms. Vreeland,
I applaud your fantastic presentation at Warwick's tonight about The Forest Lover. I so thoroughly loved your dramatic reading/recitations with creative gestures, I wondered if you have considered reading The Forest Lover on audio tapes. You interrelated so well with the audience answering questions and demonstrating the progression of Carr's evolution of portraying trees with her pictures. Your presentation was very informative, instructional about how to write historical novels, culturally enlightening with a growth of appreciation, and spiritually and philosophically inspiring. Your conclusion cannot be surpassed. Thank you so much for all the lives you have touched and will touch. I thought how lucky your students were to have had you as their teacher.
Sincerely,
Mary F. Templer
9/18/03
Dear Ms. Vreeland,
I have just finished listening to "The Passion of Artemisia".Thank you for writing such a beautiful book. My daughter Elisabeth is 23 and a newly married artist. Although I have been very supportive of all her decisions, it wasn't until listening to your book that I began to truly understand her need to pursue painting. Elisabeth paints for hours at a time and often refers to her feeling content. She has tried to explain the difference between contentment and happiness, now I think I understand. If we are concerned only with being happy, we deny ourselves a large part of the realm of human emotions. Contentment comes when we do what we know we must, regardless of the consequences and resulting emotions we are faced to deal with. With this new understanding my pride in my daughter has grown even stronger. Thank you again.
Respectfully, Kevin M. Doherty, Chicago, Illinois
8/12/03
The reason I am writing is that as I read the end of the chapter "Lucrezia" I developed a lump in my throat and then tears came to, and fell from, my eyes. I don't think that has ever happened to me in over 40 years of reading for pleasure. As I write this I am surprised to feel the same thing again. That is the highest compliment I can think of to pay you for your talent. I hope that I have an opportunity to shake your hand one day.
Kindest regards, Kate Engler
2/8/03
After "The Passion of Artemisia," Florence and Rome are, for me, more beautiful. Thank you and thank to Neri Pozza for publish this.
Luciano Ramella
Pavia, Italy
9/22/2002
How often do you wish a movie would just go on and on or a book would never end? I've been reading an historical fiction called "The Passion of Artemisia" by Susan Vreeland. Susan writes gently and delicately, yet directly about a life of harshness, hardship, betrayel, courage, dignity and great beauty. It is an interesting insight and comparison between the seventeenth and the twenty-first centuries. So much has changed. So little has changed.
And at the end Artemisia is able to say to her brilliant but disreputable father, "We've been lucky. We've been able to live by what we love. And to live (in italics) painting, as we have, wherever we have, is to live passion and imagination and connection and adoration, all the best of life -- to be more alive than the rest."
"Than who? More alive than who?"
"Than my own daughter, for one. I feel life more intensely than she does. I take its bite as fully as its beauties. I hope that means I'll come to die contented that I have really lived."
"You don't have any regrets?"
And I will leave it there. Obviously I cannot command the talent of either
Gentileschi nor Vreeland. But I can say that this book challenged me to
think about my own life and my own work. And maybe I can consider those two
things in a broader way, thanks to the work that Susan Vreeland does.
Thelma Smith
5/25/2002
After hearing you speak at the Concord Bookshop in Concord, MA., my friend and I read The Girl in Hyacinth Blue. In fact, I've read it several times now. We suggested it to our book group for a reading selection. Needless to say, it was loved by all and inspired lots of wonderful conversation. My friend and I were able to share some of your story about your illness and the saving affect art had on your recovery. I felt a strong compulsion to see Vermeer's work in NYC. I tried to get there but was too intimidated to drive to NYC. Depending on someone else to make it happen meant it never happened. So I missed the show and have only a lovely Vermeer poster hanging in my living room to bring a little of his art to my life.
When we heard you were coming back to Concord, MA and had written The Passion of Artemisia ,we suggested that our book group meeting be at the book store. Several of us made it there and listened again as you so beautifully read from the book and shared about the art and history of that time. I was hooked. Then and there!! This time I HAD to see the Artemisia and Orazio Gentileschi show at the MET. How lucky to be living in a place where these works of art are available. I was not going to let my insecurities get in the way again. So, three of us from our book group, determined to get ourselves to NYC, got in the car on a Sat morning and drove to NYC all by ourselves!! Yes, we drove in, found a place to park, even visited one woman's daughter that lives in the city, had lunch and went to the show. I cried when I saw her paintings. It was incredible to see in person the art that I felt like I had watched her paint. I cried because we were THERE, I cried for Artemisia, I cried for me, I cried for you, and I cried for the friendship that a three hour trip car ride nourishes.
I continue to cry as I write this thinking about her story, her art, our lives, our fears, our possibilities. The sense of satisfaction and the excitement of conquering a fear to witness such beauty was more than I could take. I knew I needed to thank you for the inspiration and the story telling that made this all possible.
So, this e-mail is a thank you. It is my clumsy effort to let you know that your writing has changed a life. My life. We have since driven to NYC again for the day with me at the wheel. There is a new confidence in my way of living. Small life changes compared to most, but major for me. Thank you for inspiring me to reach a little deeper to find ways to experience the world around me. Thank you for sharing the story of your illness and strength. Your writing and your life have truly inspired me in so many ways. Thank you.
Thais Savage
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