A few years after the divorce. Emily Price Post, American writer and authority on etiquette. Marceau, New York]. ca. 1912. Photograph. Library of Congress
Emily Price Post is most known as an expert on etiquette, but she didn’t even publish her first book on the subject until she was 50-years-old. (Listen up! You’re never too old!) Before that book she was a novelist, journalist, decorator, and architectural consultant. Before those, she was a doted on only child of progressive parents, debutante, heiress, society wife and mother. A very busy life for a woman that COULD have lived a life of leisure.
But where is the fun in that?
Emily Bruce Price was born on October 27, 1872 (according to her gravestone) in Baltimore MD, to Bruce and Josephine Price. Bruce was an upcoming, then quite famous, architect from a wealthy family; Josephine also came from wealth and could trace her lineage straight back to the Mayflower.
Price cottage in Tuxedo Park built for Josephine
Emily was doted on as a child, she spent as little time as possible in school and as much time as possible with her father who showed her how buildings are designed and built and thought it a shame that Emily wasn’t a boy so he could become an architect, too (“progressive” is relative.) The base of the Statue of Liberty and the hills lakes and rustic opulence of Tuxedo Park, NY were her playground.
She did what was expected of her in the 1800s as New York society flipped their calendars to the 1900s: She went to finishing school, had her debut into society, met a man with good breeding and married him. The Edwin Posts had two boys, Edwin worked (hard? lucky? you pick) as a stock broker, and, other than a few years on Staten Island, lived in Manhattan and Tuxedo Park.
Another cottage designed by Bruce
Yup, on(and in) the papers they had it all…but no. They couple had nothing in common, Bruce’s financial luck was about to run out and, oh yeah, he had a thing for chorus girls, duck hunting and boating.
After a blackmailing scandal Emily had had enough. Done. Finished. She divorced Edwin and set off to make a name for herself.
Her most popular fiction novel. Monied American Girl contemplates marriage to European Aristocracy. (Hey, they say to write what you know and Emily KNEW all about upper crust society, Dollar Princesses and, of course, marriage.)
We cover her career ups and downs in the podcast, but basically while raising the boys (then sending them to boarding school) she started to write novels, freelance pieces for magazines, and started to work as an architectural and home designer…not too shabby for a woman who probably didn’t have to work for an income in the first place, huh?
After Etiquette was first published in 1922 Emily’s legacy began to solidify. The huge best seller made her name and etiquette synonymous.
She was on tour promoting her book, started regular radio shows, wrote a syndicated advice column but she did have other interests that she continued to pursue (and we talk about them in the show) including this very well received non-fiction book about home design…
Personality of a House by Emily Post
…and her new favorite home on Martha’s Vineyard.
This is a postcard, hopefully Susan will replace it with a selfie (or not) when she strolls by this summer.
Etiquette has been revised over the years to keep up with how people REALLY live and is currently in it’s 19th edition. There is a whole library of other advice and etiquette books written either by her or her descendants.
Dear Emily, If there is an opportunity for you to share something that is quite messy but you think may be well received, should you?
Part of Susan’s recording notes: Something in Etiquette that made her think of Beckett.
Emily Post died on September 25, 1960 of natural causes (polite nod to Post family), her ashes are buried at the Tuxedo Park Cemetery.
Obviously, you should go pick up a copy (lift with your legs) of Etiquette, but also give her fiction a whirl.
The non-fiction book that isn’t online but if you can find a copy, grab it if only to flip through and appreciate the mountain of knowledge Emily possessed had.
Personality of a House by Emily Post
Emily Post books you can read online (if you can’t find them at your library):
This is newest edition, link will take you to 1st edition. Maaaaany updates since 1922
Anne and Jerry’s Excellent Adventure (except for the mugging part.)
This is the final episode of Season One. We cover this episode, as we have for the past six weeks, and pinpoint the cliffhangers and stories Moira Walley-Beckett and team have to work with for (the biggest cliffhanger) Season Two. (pleasebeaseasontwopleasebeaseasontwo)
There was a little confusion about the direction of OUR show, The History Chicks, and thank you to all who realized that we did NOT alter our regularly scheduled coverage of historical women at all with this bonus series. This was an example of The History Chicks accessories. It was fun to do and if Anne comes back, so will we. (Well, we’ll be back next week with the life story of a remarkable woman whose identity will remain secret until then.)
“So, like, how’s the gap year going?” Gilbert and Anne meet (oh so coincidentally, Susan-eyeroll) and have a nice talk as well as possible eye flirting.
The absolutely spot on Family Road Trip song that Jerry sang, Il éait une bergère’s lyrics (WITH translation into English that will reveal a dark side to this children’s song) on Mama Lisa’s World, International Music and Culture.
Easter Egg Hunt, anyone? (post recording thought: maybe Green Gables was perfect because it wasn’t IN Charlottetown?)
Anne and Gilbert have an impromptu spelling bee in the streets of Charlottetown. T-R-U-C-E
History for kids of PEI- A fun resource for kids to learn about the long history of Prince Edward Island
Au revoir, see you next season, Jerry! (pleasebeaseason2pleasebeaseason2)
From the Anne of Green Gables Cookbook, Chocolate Goblin’s Food Cake and Caramel Pudding Sauce fail turned Ice Cream Cake success.
This episode starts on a high note when Anne saves Minnie May’s life, meets her Designated Mentor, and has her Diana ban lifted… but the bad stuff is coming. (Ken Warner, CBC)
What Premier didn’t get the job because of his good looks? How about Sir John Alexander Macdonald?
Marilla sharing the John she knew with his son, Gilbert who shares the dad he knew. Both are mourning, but Marilla is dealing with some heavy regret.
Billy and the Billyettes…Bud.
“We’ll put that in the shownotes.”
Every week cook a snack from this book, this week’s recipe was Saucy Chicken
Or: Love. You use that word but let me show you what it means
Directed by Patricia Rozema
This episode steps us past the halfway point of the series…but it does it in such an outstanding way we can’t help but celebrate. Does it follow along the story of the book? Nope, but we talk about the deviations- Anne’s first period, Matthew’s former crush, a peek into the home life and struggles of Gibert Blythe- and how they were beautifully worked into iconic scenes like Anne’s first tea party and the gift of a grown-up dress with puffy sleeves.
“We’ll put that on the shownotes”
Anne with a Martini: Gritty and Pretty
Recipe:
Marinate one can of Royal Anne Cherries (of course) in two jars, one with chocolate vodka and the other with Amaretto or Triple Sec (a slight different taste), and reserve syrup in a third. Let sit in fridge for at least a few days.
Put as many marinated cherries into glass (for a snack, of course) and shake below with ice
Gritty:
Chocolate’d cherries
2 parts chocolate vodka
1 part marinating liquid
1 part juice from can
Pretty:
Amaretto’d cherries
1 park plain vodka
1 part marinating liquid
1 part syrup
This episode had so much going on! More creepiness from Mr. Phillips, more adorableness from Gilbert, and love was, actually, everywhere.
Love was even here in a roundabout way josch13 pixabay
BECKETT WAS RIGHT about the Cuthbert kids timeline. Michael was oldest, Matthew was baby.
1833- Michael born
1844- Matthew born
plus 11 (aprox age when Matthew had to leave school)
Michael was about 21 when he mysteriously died.
It feels as though we’ve sent you to the Museum of Menstruation once a month…for years! (It’s not the prettiest of websites but really, that’s fitting, isn’t it?)
To add to the Anne of Green Gables reading list (entire list on last episode)
“How on earth do you manage to read so many books so quickly?”
“Do your kids complain about the podcast?”
“How much time do you spend on research and prep a week?”
“What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?”
(And more…a LOT more.)
For the third time since we began the show in 2011 we put out a call for questions and from that delightful barrage we answered as many as possible in this episode. We talk about a variety of subjects from how we met and The History Chick origin story, to several abstract “what if…,”, details about how we organize and research each episode and give you a little peek into the list where we pick our subjects from. Below you’ll find “We’ll put this on our shownotes” items!
How do I become a podcaster? Beckett broke it down to four things: Technical Aspects, Content, Persistence, Luck. While you’re pretty much on your own with the last three, for the first one, go to Helen Zaltzman’s website and check off her five points in her Adventures in Podcasting. Do NOT let people trick you into courses about the technical aspects of podcasting–there are plenty of successful, veteran podcasters willing to help you for free via posts like Helen’s (another must read is on Jamie Jeffers of The British History Podcast–amazing advice.)
The whole quote that the title came from goes: I have an inward treasure born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights should be withheld, or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give.
Every title is a Jane Eyre quote that Anne must have memorized before she turned to fire safety manuals for reading.
Right from the get go we have to put our thinking caps on! We both agreed that this quote is about doing what you think is right but we disagreed about what it meant specifically in this episode.
Today’s snack: Susan (‘s daughter) made shortbread and Beckett made Poetical Egg Salad Sandwiches with an “E” because the recipe was only an inspiration for the final product.
