Author Archives: Drema Drudge

Mr. Dalloway

If you haven’t heard of the novella Mr. Dalloway by Robin Lippincott and you’re a Woolf fan at all, do yourself a favor and order it. Now. Full disclosure: he was my writing mentor for two semesters in grad school. I begged the person in charge of assigning mentors to let me work with him.Continue reading “Mr. Dalloway”

Mrs. Dalloway Would Buy the WHAT Herself?

Okay, I promised to talk more about the opening line of Mrs. Dalloway: “Mrs. Dalloway said would buy the flowers herself.” Would you believe Woolf wrote a short story called “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street” with a similar but different first line? “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the gloves herself.” (It’s so similar IContinue reading “Mrs. Dalloway Would Buy the WHAT Herself?”

Mrs. Dalloway and the Pandemic

“Mrs. Dalloway said would buy the flowers herself.” If you know anything at all about the novel, you know its opening line. But have you ever paid attention to the early lines that reveal that Clarissa was sick with influenza and possible heart damage as a result? Just what “influenza” are we talking about? There’sContinue reading “Mrs. Dalloway and the Pandemic”

Let the Reading Begin! Mrs. Dalloway, Day 1

Welcome to my Autumn of Virginia Woolf! We will spend the ENTIRE MONTH on this slim novel, so feel free to take your time. I don’t have a particular reading schedule in mind — schedules were made to be broken, in my experience. Please add your thoughts or questions in the comments, or just readContinue reading “Let the Reading Begin! Mrs. Dalloway, Day 1”

You’re Invited to a Jane Austen Wedding (And Autumn of Woolf Reminder!)

Okay, so I confess: I am a HUGE guinea pig lover. So when I ran across this yesterday, I couldn’t resist sharing it everywhere. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s totally worth its running time of a minute or so. Just a reminder that our Autumn of Woolf begins next week. I’ll try toContinue reading “You’re Invited to a Jane Austen Wedding (And Autumn of Woolf Reminder!)”

An Autumn of Woolf Schedule

I’m so excited to be committing to an autumn of Virginia Woolf! I can’t wait to share this time with all who care to join in. We will study a book a month for four months. Read and chime in any time throughout the month. Your comments, observations, photos, article links, and the like areContinue reading “An Autumn of Woolf Schedule”

L’Origine, a Review

When Lilianne Milgrom contacted me about reviewing her novel, L’Origine, I was astonished at the perfect fit of subject matter and time period with my sensibilities. A mutual acquaintance steered her my way, and I couldn’t wait to receive and read Milgrom’s book. I was right to anticipate it. In 1866, Gustave Courbet painted oneContinue reading “L’Origine, a Review”

My Autumn of Woolf

Many of you know that I am borderline obsessed with Virginia Woolf’s writing. To me, nobody, and I mean nobody, writes like her. Before COVID-19 hit, author Gretchen Rubin had announced that she was going to have a summer of Woolf, which she subsequently postponed until fall. Having just (I think) finished a tight draftContinue reading “My Autumn of Woolf”

Growing Up “Laura”

Over on Grace Augustine’s blog today I talk about what it was like growing up in West Virginia with parents who were Little House fans. It was fun to take a slow stroll back through the years to hillsides of trilliums and blackberries. Thanks, Grace! So, it’s a holiday weekend that many celebrate, but mostContinue reading “Growing Up “Laura””