Emerson's grave is the least appealing of the bunch: a big, honking chunk of quartz, bearing an unreadable plaque, and almost literally overshadowing the smaller stones around it. The effect is not a happy one. I counted only 3 writing instruments, a few stones, and a piece of paper with a somewhat ugly design. It's … Continue reading Offerings for Emerson at Sleepy Hollow →

I have to admit that I was surprised to find Hawthorne here. He did live at the Old Manse for a time (which was also once home to Emerson), as well as The Wayside (which was also home to Emerson and the Alcotts) but he's more properly associated with Salem, both geographically and thematically. He … Continue reading Offerings for Hawthorne at Sleepy Hollow →

Here's more on my March visit to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, "Where Concord's Legends Lie." Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) According to Alcott's obituary in the New York Times, March 7, 1888: For a long time Miss Olcott [sic] had been ill, suffering from nervous prostration. Last Autumn she appeared to be improving and went to the … Continue reading Offerings for Alcott at Sleepy Hollow →

On March 13, I visited Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, MA. The weather was fair and mild; the snow was melting into rivulets; the mud was copious. As Emily Dickinson wrote: Dear March - Come in - How glad I am - I hoped for you before - Put down your Hat - You must … Continue reading Offerings for Thoreau at Sleepy Hollow →