6.22.2008

Flora and Fauna


From The Pie and the Patty Pan

Last night I watched Miss Potter, starring Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter and a mustachioed Ewan McGregor as the publisher she almost married. What a delight—as a romance and as the story of the woman behind Peter Rabbit and all the other tales. Not only did she love cuddly animals, but she was passionate about science and nature. She earned enough money from her books to own several properties in England's Lake District and left more than 4,000 acres of land, including Hill Top farm, to the National Trust.

Here in the U.S., the Philadelphia Free Library and Princeton University both have extensive collections of Beatrix Potter artwork, letters, manuscripts and the like. What I'd really like to see is her diary. She wrote in a secret code; how clever is that?


2 comments:

Laura Carney said...

Hey Andrea,

Thanks so much for the comment! I've been desperately seeking readers on Facebook lately, I guess ...

I'm not sure about that "July one" thing. Maybe it is British? Nah, probably not, but I know they reverse the month and day over there ...

Love this post! I absolutely loved that movie because it's basically my dream to write and illustrate children's books. And I grew up reading her books. And Ewan McGregor is like my favorite ... but for some reason, my boyfriend refused to watch it with me. Guess it's not a guy thing.

Andrea said...

I rented Miss Potter for a night I knew Carlos wouldn't be home — he never seemed too enthusiastic any of the times I mentioned wanting to see it!