THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSE OF ALL TIME by C. M. Rubin
Throughout history, the muse has provided an essential element required to inspire and motivate artists to create their very best work. From Manet’s Victorine Meurent, to Dali’s Gala Diakonova, to Lennon’s Yoko Ono - the complex psychology of the special connection between artist and muse has been discussed and debated in terms of its importance in the overall creative process. Then there are the muses that continue to influence and promote the legacy of that art throughout the course of their lifetimes and long afterwards.
In the lives of the great muses, there has never been a muse more recognized for the role she played as inspiration than that of Alice Liddell in the creation of Charles Dodgson’s (Lewis Carroll’s) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. On many occasions, Lewis Carroll reminded his followers that his inspiration had come from a 10 year old girl, the magical Alice Liddell, who had encouraged his story telling for years, and in particular the story he told about Alice in Wonderland during a summer day’s picnic on July 4, 1862. The real Alice was the daughter of Henry Liddell, the author of the celebrated Greek English Lexicon and the powerful Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford, where Dodgson taught mathematics. After hearing the story, Alice was continously persistent that Dodgson write it down for her, which he eventually did. He ultimately presented it to her (hand written and hand illustrated) as a Christmas gift 18 months later. In 1883, Carroll stated clearly in a letter to Alice’s mother that without Alice, he “might possibly never have written at all.”
Years before that golden afternoon, Dodgson was hired as Liddell family photographer to take portraits of Alice and her siblings. No picture taken by Dodgson (who became one of the most respected child photographers of his day) is more famous than his photograph of Alice — the portrait of Alice Liddell as the Beggar Maid. Alfred Lord Tennyson declared it the most beautiful photograph that he had ever seen. Indeed, it was then and still is today, one of the most famous photographs of all time. The gifted model, after all, was exceptionally beautiful, with an intensity and maturity that seems surreal for a child aged only seven at the time. She was a girl capable of inspiring a previously unpublished children’s book author to write the greatest children’s story of all time.
As the books became more famous, so did the author, and so did Alice Liddell. During her teenage years, her beauty and fame inspired Julia Margaret Cameron’s acclaimed series of photographs entitled Alethea (1872). As a wife and mother, eminent writers and artists would visit her home in Surrey, England to meet the Alice of Wonderland fame. In 1883, Alice gave Carroll permission to publish the original manuscript given to her as a Christmas gift, providing that the proceeds were given to children’s hospitals. This led to Alice becoming even more engaged as a spokesperson both for these new causes and the Alice books. In 1932, the President of Columbia University in New York City honored Alice in front of the world as “the moving cause of this truly noteworthy contribution to English literature.”
There are over 20,000 books, films, operas, plays and video games based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It is estimated that over 8 billion people have read or seen presentations of the Alice books. Lewis Carroll is behind only the Bible and Shakespeare in the number of quotations from the Alice books that appear in everyday published discourse. In addition to the new adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll’s and Liddell’s lives continue to inspire numerous new books, works of art, and film projects. In my mind, it is this ongoing fascination with not just the books, but the story behind the story, that make Liddell the most influential muse of all time.
Look Inside The Real Alice in Wonderland book
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
THE GIFT OF LOVE IS IN THE AIR by C. M. Rubin
Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine, and was first celebrated on February 14th in 500 A.D. to express people’s love for one another.
Everyone has some person who inspires them, and yes, that person should be honored and told they are loved on Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day we are personally honoring our relative, Alice Liddell, the real Alice in Wonderland — the girl who inspired the greatest children’s book of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice was magnetic - she had an impressive line of suitors, including Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold. She finally found true love with a wealthy country gentleman, Reginald Hargreaves.
So Who’s Your Alice?
Tell us about the person in your life who inspires you.
The Person You Love.
Your Real Alice in Wonderland.
Share Your Inspiration.
Log onto Facebook and search for
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
We look forward to hearing your story.
Who’s Your Inspiration Stories
Look inside The Real Alice in Wonderland book
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
WORLD PREMIERE OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND – THE BALLET
by C.M. Rubin
“What is the use of a ballet,” thought Alice, “without a proper story and specially written score?”
Critics are calling the new full length classical ballet, with a unique story and specially written score, the biggest artistic and financial risk any ballet company can take, and oh my ears and whiskers, the dance world wonders about the outcome of the Royal Ballet’s World Premiere of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in London on February 28th.
Christopher Wheeldon, one of the world’s foremost choreographers, has choreographed this ballet. Wheeldon trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with both the Royal and City Ballets. He was the New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer for seven years beginning in 2001. He has been regarded by many as a worthy successor to George Balanchine. Some of his best known works to date are “Polyphonia” (2001) and “After the Rain” (2005).
Joby Talbot, who last worked with the Royal Ballet on Wayne McGregor’s award winning production of Chroma, has composed the original score, which will be played by the orchestra of the Royal Opera House. As all ballet lovers know, a ballet can hit or miss based on its score. Talbot has a diverse range of compositions in his portfolio, from film and TV scores (The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse) to classical and pop music with Sir Paul McCartney and Charlotte Church.
Will Alice be changed in the night? Will she get up in the morning and wonder who in the world she is? There have been numerous interpretations of Alice in Wonderland – none of which I have personally loved. However, Wheeldon has a reputation for choreography that pushes dancers to their limits and leaves an audience breathless. The British stars, Lauren Cuthbertson and Edward Watson, will lead the opening night cast as Alice and the White Rabbit. Sergei Polunin dances the Knave of Hearts. Zenaida Yanowsky is the Queen of Hearts. We are told to expect a world in which nothing is quite as it seems, and where nothing can be taken for granted. Tap dancing tea parties, a Shakespearean actor, and a psychedelic caterpillar are just some of the real or imagined happenings in the new ballet. The Alice In Wonderland score is described as mysterious and magical, with strong melodies and toe tapping tunes that will appeal to all ages. The darkly gothic designs by five time Tony award winner Bob Crowley have been influenced by photographs taken by Lewis Carroll himself, with a 21st century twist on classic Victoriana. Naturally, this all makes me curiouser and curiouser, and since there are no immediate plans to open the ballet in New York City, all I can do is hop across the rabbit pond and take a look for myself. Will get back to you with my thoughts then…..
Christopher Wheeldon
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine, and was first celebrated on February 14th in 500 A.D. to express people’s love for one another.
Everyone has some person who inspires them, and yes, that person should be honored and told they are loved on Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day we are personally honoring our relative, Alice Liddell, the real Alice in Wonderland — the girl who inspired the greatest children’s book of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice was magnetic - she had an impressive line of suitors, including Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold. She finally found true love with a wealthy country gentleman, Reginald Hargreaves.
So Who’s Your Alice?
Tell us about the person in your life who inspires you.
The Person You Love.
Your Real Alice in Wonderland.
Share Your Inspiration.
Log onto Facebook and search for
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
We look forward to hearing your story.
Hear our story on YouTube
Who’s Your Inspiration Stories
I Am One in a Million - RARE
I Am One in a Million - RARE is the personal story of Lisa Penry Hirons’ fight to live. While Lisa was alive, her story was told with her friend, author C.M. Rubin, who lives in New York City. Lisa, who lived in Maidenhead, England, died of Adrenal Cortical Cancer on January 10, 2010. You can read the entire story by going to the Facebook page I am One in a Million – RARE.
Lisa left a memory that no one will ever take from her loving family and friends. I offer this humble tribute to my friend, Lisa Penry Hirons.
I CARRY YOU IN MY HEART by C. M. Rubin
Dedicated to my One in a Million – Rare friend, Lisa Penry Hirons (August 29, 1960 - January 10, 2011)
I did not die.
I merely went away to start a new life.
My new home is too far for you to come visit right away.
And besides… I need some space at the moment.
I want to adjust to this new journey and my new surroundings.
There are already some little renovations I am thinking about making -
little imperfections I need to fix…
before I’m ready for house guests as precious as you.
Do you know how much I love you all?
Promise me you’ll stay close to me.
I know technology isn’t quite there yet but
promise me you’ll try.
Why are you crying?
What do you mean I’m not here?
Tell me you don’t see me in all the pictures
I accidentally on purpose left lying around.
Tell me you don’t hear me in the emails and texts
that filled up your inbox.
Deny you don’t feel me when you gaze at a
summer sunset and hear my favorite song.
Incidentally,
there are a few small favors I’ve been meaning to ask of you.
When you see the things I love most -
will you cherish them for me all over again?
When you hear the values I believe in -
will you hold your head high and support them in a loud voice?
And when you feel the incredible love we shared -
will you share it right back with others?
Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart - thank you.
Always remember…. I carry you in my heart.
You are my source of inspiration as I muddle
through this new experience and try to figure out
how to build a magical wonderland -
for us all to enjoy.
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
C. M. Rubin at Christ Church College, Oxford
FINDING WONDERLAND by C.M. Rubin
In 1525, Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor of England founded Cardinal College. In 1532, King Henry VIII of England re-founded the college as King Henry VIII’s College. In 1546 after King Henry broke away from the Church of Rome the college was again refounded as Christ Church College as part of a re-organization of the Church of England. Over the centuries, Christ Church college at Oxford University has become the most famous school in England, and today it is considered one of the most famous schools in the world.
When you visit Christ Church college, you never forget the experience. You sense the greatness, the history, and the legacy of a magnificent institution that has produced 13 British prime ministers as part of its astonishing list of alumni. Perhaps that is why numerous academic institutions all over the world have distinctive features of the college’s architecture (including the University of Chicago and Cornell University, which both have reproductions of Christ Church’s dining hall). Perhaps that is why Christ Church Cathedral and the city of Christchurch, New Zealand are named after it. Perhaps that is why J.K. Rowling requested her Harry Potter film series be shot there. The historic locations used at the College included the setting for Hogwart’s staircase, where schoolchildren are greeted upon their arrival, the Great Hall, which became Hogwart’s dining room, and Oxford’s Bodleian Library, which provided the setting for Hogwart’s infirmary. Perhaps that is why Christ Church has served as a setting for parts of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, and more recently, the adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass). I don’t know for sure, but I will tell you this.
For me, as a relative of the original Alice in Wonderland, my fascination is inspired by the fact that Christ Church College was used by Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) as the setting for his Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass books, considered the greatest children’s books of all time. The Christ Church College math professor, Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), became good friends with the children of Christ Church Dean, Henry Liddell, in the 1850’s and 60’s. He was especially close to Alice Liddell, the Dean’s fourth child, who became Carroll’s inspiration for his heroine, Alice in Wonderland. Carroll used Alice Liddell’s familiar surroundings as the setting for the story, which he wrote for her in 1864. The Great Hall (Hogwart’s dining room), where Carroll ate his meals, holds many Wonderland secrets. It is believed that the real “rabbit hole” is the door that the Dean used to get to the senior common room. Henry Liddell himself is thought to be Carroll’s inspiration for the White Rabbit.
My daughter Gabriella spent time in Oxford as guest of the current Dean of Christ Church while she was researching our book, The Real Alice in Wonderland, and discovered how large a part the college played in the creation of the Alice in Wonderland books. We returned a year later and experienced Christ Church together as mother and daughter, gaining new insights and exchanging different perspectives about the college’s significance in the stories. Our book is the story behind the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It takes readers through Christ Church College and many other Oxford locations, including Alice’s garden at Christ Church, the original Cheshire Cat tree, the river banks where Carroll was urged to create his story by Alice, and the Oxford museums where curious people may view the many Wonderland treasures still held there today. Visiting Christ Church is an experience I always find stimulating, both intellectually and spiritually. As I walk in the footsteps of its rich surroundings and history, I dream about the fantastical stories told me as a child. It feels as if I am finding Wonderland, and in the process, finding myself all over again.
Look Inside The Real Alice Book
The Real Alice Valentine’s Trailer
Gabriella Rubin at Christ Church College
Christ Church College
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
THE DODO BIRD by TOM OTTERNESS
“I thought of us, our world, as a self-satisfied Dodo bird. Doomed to eventual extinction but saved for a moment by the hope for new life in the egg. Every sculpture I make is a kind of self-portrait. This one is a little more dim-witted than most.” — Tom Otterness, from The Real Alice in Wonderland book by C.M. Rubin and Gabriella Rubin.
Tom Otterness has said that his sculptures are meant to be play pieces. Whenever you see kids around those play pieces, that is exactly what you will find them doing - climbing, handling, talking, imagining and interacting with adorable and fascinating characters which come in all different shapes and sizes. The American sculptor’s works adorn parks, plazas, courthouses, museums, libraries and subway stations. The Dodo Bird can be seen in Battery Park, New York City. For more information on Tom Otterness visit his website: http://www.tomostudio.com/
Look Inside The Real Alice Book
The Real Alice Valentine’s Trailer
Tom Otterness
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine, and was first celebrated on February 14th in 500 A.D. to express people’s love for one another.
Everyone has some person who inspires them, and yes, that person should be honored and told they are loved on Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day we are personally honoring our relative, Alice Liddell, the real Alice in Wonderland — the girl who inspired the greatest children’s book of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Alice was magnetic - she had an impressive line of suitors, including Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold. She finally found true love with a wealthy country gentleman, Reginald Hargreaves.
So Who’s Your Alice?
Tell us about the person in your life who inspires you.
The Person You Love.
Your Real Alice in Wonderland.
Share Your Inspiration.
Log onto Facebook and search for
WHO’S YOUR INSPIRATION? Or just go to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whos-Your-Inspiration/132897310108617
We look forward to hearing your story.
THE REAL ALICE IN WONDERLAND INSPIRES
THE LEGACY OF LEWIS CARROLL
To answer the many inquiries I have received since the holidays, the new issue of the Knight Letter (the official magazine of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America) is now available. It is a wonderland of unique information and captivating stories.
Lewis Carroll’s books continue to inspire generation after generation. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is among the top ten children’s titles on the latest incarnation of story telling, the Nook. For those of you who wish to learn more about Lewis Carroll, his life, and his books, the Lewis Carroll Society website is a great place to go.
Here is a note from the President of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, Mark Burstein.
“Perhaps the greatest gift I ever received began at the Second International Lewis Carroll Conference, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in June of 1994, when August Imholtz, representing the Lewis Carroll Society of Northern California, turned around in his seat (concurrently going out on the proverbial limb) to ask me, a nerdy software engineer by trade, unhappily laboring in the not-so-fertile fields of Corporate America, to edit the Knight Letter, the newsletter of the Society. Somewhat baffled, I agreed. Over the next dozen years, as I took it from a photocopied four-page circular to a professionally printed and designed fifty-to-sixty page magazine, I was stealthily learning another trade, editing. I loved it and it is my profession to this day.”
The Knight Letter: http://www.lewiscarroll.org/publications/knightletter
The Lewis Carroll Society www.LewisCaroll.org
Cathy Rubin and Mark Burstein at the Lewis Carroll Society Winter Conference
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