Journal

By Sydney Klecker

New England is the perfect place for all things fall-related. Crisp weather, crunchy leaves, and warm coffee cake make for the best autumnal checklist. Not only is Salem a cute town known for its spooky Hocus Pocus vibes, it is a town steeped in history. 

Robert McCloskey's magic comes from his writing from life. He grew up in Ohio but went to art school on the east coast. When he married, his wife and two daughters became the inspiration for many of his stories, as did the little island off the coast of Maine where they settled during the summers. His stories feature a few wild animals, a few wild humans, and lots of charming illustrations. 

In the corner of the room stands a wardrobe. Walking over to open it, don’t you wish for a tiny moment that it might be filled with fur coats? That in opening it, you might find a door into a land of eternal winter and magical creatures?

While my literary relationship with C.S. Lewis began in Narnia, it has since taken me to ancient Greece, to the English countryside, and even to letters from the inferno.