I’m new to the Lesley M. M. Blume fan club, and I have Emily and Ellen to thank for it.  In December, knowing of my love for all things relating to magic and fairy kingdoms, Emily placed a copy of Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins & Other Nasties in my hands and shortly after Ellen introduced me to Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters. I was delighted and intrigued by both of these whimsical, well-written books and wanted to find out more about what Blume was all about, and here’s what I found:

In addition to being an author of four children’s books (Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters, The Rising Star of Rusty Nail, Tennyson, and Modern Fairies, Goblins & Other Nasties), Lesley M.M. Blume is a journalist whose work has been published in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Big Money and on CNN.com.  She is also the contributing style editor for The Huffington Post. Her column “Let’s Bring Back” was adapted into a full-fledged cultural encyclopedia on nostalgia in 2010.  And if you love nostalgia (I’m talking about vintage clothing, old-fashioned courtships, etc.), Let’s Bring Back is certainly the book for you. Personally,I, like Blume, wish that I could bring the days of discretion, aesthetically-pleasing train stations, and wearing gloves evening and night, so this book has a prominent place on my nightstand.

But back to Modern Fairies and Cornelia and the world of children’s literature, Blume makes this comment:

Our memories of our favorite children’s books are evocative and layered with associations.  As the author of three (and soon four) middle-grade books, I am staggered by the idea that my work might help shape the subconscious of my young readers.  This is an awesome responsibility, and therefore nothing can be taken for granted when writing for this audience.  It is extremely important to me, for example, to offer up strong female protagonists, who prioritize intellectual curiosity over appearances.  I try to emphasize the importance of friendship and de-emphasize the allure of trends.  Language, travel, and music all play central roles in my books.

Isn’t that wonderful? I, for one, am delighted to count such a wonderfully talented woman as a role model and I hope many other girls (whether they be 5 or 25) will enjoy Blume’s whimsical, intelligent take on life and literature.

If you’d like to hear another Lemurian’s take on Blume, read Ellen’s blogs here and here.

And if you’d like to know more about Lesley M.M. Blume and her work, check out her delightful website here.  -Kaycie

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