passion longwood plantation

See this house? Longwood Plantation. Natchez, Mississippi. A 30,000-square-foot dream house, begun by a Union sympathizer.

In 1861.

From a distance, Longwood’s octagonal mass and cherry-on-top promises opulence. Grandeur. Impressive attention to architectural detail befitting a couple obsessed with living in the belly of their dream.

It’s only when one ventures inside that she learns the truth.

The Civil War bankrupted the family. When he sent the workers north in 1862, he didn’t know he’d be dead by 1864. She moved into the mansion’s basement with her eight children, still fighting until her death in 1897 to garner federal reparations to finish her dream, to make the five stories above her head more than an elaborate, unfinished attic.

Right now, I know how she felt.Continue Reading

Penny O’Neill isn’t a stranger here. You know her as Life on the Cutoff. Her comments are thoughtful delights.

When several Chicago area groups tapped my publicist for appearances, I must confess something embarrassing: I didn’t land enough gigs to justify the trip. Two committed groups fell through with no explanation. And from my expanded speaking experience, I knew what remained wouldn’t cover my expenses, even if every soul in attendance bought both books.

That never, ever happens.Continue Reading