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| Connemara, Flat Rock, North Carolina |
Today we visited Carl Sandburg's home, Connemara, in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Our tour guide Ginger was truly a fan of the poet and it showed in the stories she told about him, his family, and his work. We were lucky to have her lead us through the house which contains all his books, his typewriters, and stacks of magazines and newspapers. The original furniture is all here from the orange crate he used as a typewriter stand to his bed with its green chenille bedspread to the dining room table set for family supper.
After his death in 1967, his wife Paula, who was as brilliant as her Pulitzer Prize-winning husband, sold the house and land to the National Park Service. She donated all the contents of the house to the park service. The home is so natural looking I felt as if Mr. Sandburg could come walking in from the front porch at any time.
I will write more about the experience and our trip to The Joy of Books in Hendersonville in the next day or two. Lots to tell!
Until then, here are photos I took for your pleasure.
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You get a wonderful view from the home's front porch A reading chair and just a few of the 10,000 books in the house.  A typewriter and table in his downstairs office 
The family always ate dinner together
 Mr. Sandburg's bedroom Notice the house slippers at the foot of his bed 
The author's upstairs writing room
He balanced his typewriter (far right) on a orange crate
Carl Sandburg and wife Paula
The photo was taken by Edward Steichen, Paula's brother
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Living on the outskirts of the "hog butcher of the world", I am enamored by Carl Sandburg and would love to one day see his home there. Mr. Sandburg is revered hereabouts, Belle, as you can imagine. I don't know very much about his wife; am now curious to learn more. At any rate, I truly appreciate this photos and a glimpse into his life. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePenny, visiting Mr. Sandburg's home is practically a spiritual experience! Paula, his wife, raised and bred dairy goats and won all sorts of awards. I think she was lovely and quite brilliant. Like you, I would like to find out more about her. It is amazing that the Park Service only charges $5 for a guided tour of the house.
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