She Took to the Woods by Alice Arlen (2000)

 

This book contains a biography of and selected writings by Louise Dickinson Rich (1903 - 1991), who is best known for her memoir We Took to the Woods (1942). 

Alice Arlen was able to talk to Louise's children Rufus and Dinah. She also had access to various scrapbooks, diaries and letters . The book includes some very pale and badly printed photo's (or was that just my copy?), which we spruced up a bit after scanning to show them here,

Louise grew up in Bridgewater, Maine, where her parents, intellectuals, Democrats and Christians, owned the local weekly newspaper. I suppose her upbringing can be described as spartan (by today's standards anyway) and happy. At 17, she entered a teachers college, where she began to write. Shortly after starting her first job she met and married John Bacon. The marriage was short-lived and they divorced in 1931, Louise returning to teaching. During a canoe trip in 1933 she met Ralph Rich and she soon joined him at Forest Lodge. This is the periode she described in We Took to the Woods. As this is one of my favourite books I was very interested to read about this time from another point of view. One thing that becomes clear is how very little money Louise and Ralph had in those early years. Writing stories and entering in competitions was done out of sheer necessity: 'Why did I write my first story? ' Louise answered in an interview. 'Desperation, I guess'. This first story (1936) brings in $50. In 1938 they were doing OK, but in September a hurricane struck, partly destroying the house. To quote Alice Arlen: 'They were desperate again'. From Louise's 1938 diary (it is one of those 5-year ones with very little space, hence the short entries) : 'October 24: Snow squalls. Ground white. Food situation acute. Started Gerrish sweater. 25: Warm and lovely. Worked on story. We are practically starving. Don't know what the outcome will be. They kept afloat, but only just, by selling stories. 

 

Ralph and Louise in the 1930's.

 

 

Louise's luck turned in 1939 when she came to an agreement with New York agent Willis Wing who provided her with a monthly check in exchange for a monthly story. An additional element was the plan for Louise to prepare sample chapters and an outline for a book on her wilderness experiences. After this book, We Took to the Woods, was published things took a turn for the better, with serial rights being picked up, and selection for the Book of the Month Club.

 

 

In 1944 things were still going well for Louise and Ralph, with Louise selling stories and earning royalties. But then, on December 18, Ralph suddenly died of a cerebral hemorrhage. In addition to dealing with the loss of her husband, Louise faced debts run up by him. She slowly picked herself up, once again turning to story writing to earn money. Happy the Land (sequel to We Took to the Woods), was published in 1946, My Neck of the Woods in 1950. In total she published 24 books. She always remained in Maine, in Bridgewater where she grew up, and later in several towns on the coast, a region she also grew to love. She spent her final years with her daughter Dinah and died in 1991, aged 88. Her ashes were scattered at Forest Lodge.