Behind the Scenes: The Editing Copies of <i>The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery</i>

  • Vappu Kannas University of Helsinki

Abstract

L.M. Montgomery’s journals are a perfect example of what Lynn Z. Bloom terms “public private diaries”, that is, diaries that are “artfully shaped to accommodate an audience”. Although not published until 1985 onwards, Montgomery’s journals were never strictly private documents. Meticulously edited by their author, the journals as a whole resemble more an autobiography than a diary, with complex narrative patterns, inserted photographs and a central character whose development into a writer is followed. Therefore, it makes sense to examine what kind of processes took place in the production of The Selected Journals, a kind of behind-the-scenes viewpoint to the editing of the published and abridged versions of Montgomery’s journals.

Author Biography

Vappu Kannas, University of Helsinki
Vappu Kannas recently completed her PhD at the Department of Modern Languages, University of Helsinki, Finland. Her dissertation examines the journals of L.M. Montgomery and the depictions of romance in them. She has presented her work at several international conferences, most recently at the "L.M. Montgomery and War" conference in 2014.
Issue
Vol. 18 No. 2 (2015)
Section
Alice's Academy
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