Historian: What was daily life like for Ida Wells Barnett and how did it shape her writing?

Ida Wells Barnett was born in 1862 and lived part of her life as a slave, then later became a journalist. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]During Well’s lifetime, she faced many challenges because of her skin color. However, this led her to become actively involved in civil rights and post many articles about the subject.

[http://pr-diva.com/2011/02/celebrating-black-history-month-ida-b-wells-barnett/]

Ida Wells Barnett was born into slavery, and even after the end of the Civil War, her parents remained at their original jobs. However, they had great expectations of their children getting quality educations. This is what led Ida to become a teacher at the age of 18, and then furthered her education at Fisk University. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]

Life was not always easy for Wells. In her daily life she still faced many struggles with racial issues. One particular instance even lead to her suing the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad company when she was told she would have to move to a segregated car. [http://www.idabwells.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=64] These situations caused Wells to begin her journalism career by writing articles under the name “Lola” in  black publications. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]

This was just the start for Wells in her new career path. She then purchased partial interest in the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight and became its editor. Wells then became very interested in writing controversal articles about things such as separate but not equal schools. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]

Wells writing lead during her time period however soon became an issue for her daily life. Angered by some of her articles, a mob attacked and destroyed her newspapers offices and threatened Wells’ life. However, this did not stop Wells, she later went on to write an anti-lynching pamphlet called “A Red Record”. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_B._Wells]

Wells went on in life to achieve many great successes in the movement for equal rights. Wells participated in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, helped with movements to give blacks the right to vote, and gave many inspirational speeches. [http://www.cbn.com/special/blackhistory/bio_idabwells.aspx]Wells daily life truly became devoted to helping with racial issues and equality.

In my opinion, Wells life was greatly influenced by issues of her time period. Wells gave her time and dedication to help in the support for equal rights. This affected how she was treated, and made life difficult for her by receiving death threats. However, Wells continued to write, inspired by her want for racial equality. To me, Wells is a great inspiration in standing up for what you believe in.

Why did Samuel Clemens pick the name Mark Twain?

Samuel Clemens is a very well known writer. However, many people do not know him as Samuel Clemens, but rather they know him as Mark Twain. But just how did this alias delevop? Mark Twain is a name in American history, that’s purpose should have a defined meaning.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens had a variety of jobs long before he ever became a writer. One of his many jobs included being a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/twain/aa_twain_name_2.html] This job helped with the delevopment of his pen name, Mark Twain.

It was in 1863, when a shipmate shouted out “mark twain!” This phrase was often used to test the depth of the water. His shipmate was trying to say the depth was 12 feet, which is barely deep enough for a boat to travel safely. From that moment, Clemens decided to write a travel story and for the first time, use Mark Twain as his pen name. [http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/twain/aa_twain_name_2.html]

[http://www.twainquotes.com/RiverWater.html]

Clemens also used other pseudonyms such as Sieur Louis de Conte for “Joan of Arc” and Thomas Jefferson Snod for pieces he did for the “Keokuk Post”. [http://classiclit.about.com/od/marktwainfaqs/f/faq_mtwainpen.htm] However, once Clemens settled on Twain, it was a name that just stuck. Even Clemens gravestone reads of both names. [http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2011/1130/Mark-Twain-and-29-other-great-pseudonyms/Author-pseudonyms]

[http://en.paperblog.com/how-8-famous-writers-chose-their-pen-names-561190/]

In my opinion, Clemens changed his name just like most other writers of the time, because they were afraid their works weren’t good enough. However, i feel Clemens picked the name Twain because it fit closely with his own lifestyle. Also, it could relate back to some of his stories. The name “Twain” to Clemens, represented a simpler life.

How did Walt Whitman get into journalism?

Walt Whitman is known as one of one of America’s greatest poets. However, he did not always start out writing poetry. Whitman was had many careers before he got involved in the journalism field. Whitman was truly a hard worker and self-made.

[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whitman_at_about_fifty.jpg]

Walt Whitman finished his formal education at the age of eleven. From then began his life working as a laborer, working as an office boy for lawyers (this helped with his self-taught education). Through this job Whitman obtained knowledge from many museums and disputes held within in-depth conversations.  [http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/bio.htm] Whitman then became an apprentice for a newspaper where he learned the printing trade and how to expose writing to numerous readers simultaneously. This is when Whitman first began to get hands-on experience writing short articles. [http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/bio.htm]

By the age of sixteen Whitman was a full journalism printer and compositor in New York City. By this time in his life, Whitman was ready for a career change. Whitman then became a teacher. This was a job more so forced upon him because of the economic struggles of the times. However, Whitman could not stay away from journalism for long. [http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/whitman/bio.htm]

Whitman was an artisan publisher all through his teacher career, up until he left it in 1841. He then began working as a newspaper man, followed by being an editor in 1848. Whitman’s true love, however, was always poetry. In the early 50’s is when Whitman began his journal of poetry for which we all know him famous for today. [http://history1800s.about.com/od/authors/ss/Walt-Whitmans-Journalism-Career.htm] Below is a picture of some of his original manuscripts.

[http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20969]

In my opinion Whitman taught himself a lot about writing and poetry, but he was also taught a lot by the world around him. He was constantly influenced by the experiences he encountered. I feel that having worked so closely to the journalism field all of his life definitely influenced his great love and passion for the field.

Link

Emily Dickinson is known as one of the most profound poets to have ever lived. However, her popularity never grew until after her death. Dickinson, herself, was a painfully shy person who felt uncomfortable around most people. [http://jaymarley0727.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/the-secluded-life-of-emily-dickinson/] It can be often questioned that since Dickinson had little contact with the outside world, how did she have the proper knowledge for her writings?

[https://sites.google.com/site/eaglepoetry/emily-dickinson]

The above photo shows the room where Dickinson spent the majority of her life in seclusion. However, just because Dickinson kept herself out of the public eye, does not mean she kept herself from public knowledge. She still had a great love for music, literature, and children. So much, to the point where she would sneak around corners to hear musicians, and lower baskets of sweets from her window to the children in her area. [http://jaymarley0727.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/the-secluded-life-of-emily-dickinson/] Dickinson was also said to have had various significant relationships with men, who were her mentors and friends. Perhaps this too is what helped keep Dickinson updated on daily issues. Dickinson also drew knowledge from her upbringing, having referenced the Bible, classical myths, and Shakespeare in some of her poetry. [http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/ED303/emilybio.html]

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=395790227479

[https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=395790227479]

The video above shows clips of an author talking about Emily Dickinson’s life. He tells about Dickinson’s natural intellect, and how she wrote to soothe herself. A lot of Dickinson’s writings came from her inner knowledge – her imagination. Living reclusively brought Dickinson’s thoughts into a sharp focus. She often wrote about things that dreamed of in her mind, such as faith, love, and heaven. [http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/ED303/emilybio.html]

In my opinion, Dickinson was a very intelligent woman. Living reclusively may have kept her from knowing what was going on in the outside world at times, but it in no way hindered her works. Dickinson found ways to let her mind grow and still live her private life. She also drew upon her own creativity, and for that, today she is one of the most remembered poets.