Susan Wise Bauer

[Baudolina]

Who here is familiar with her, and what do you think of her work? She is the author of educational material for homeschoolers that aims to provide the child with a classical education. She's also written a book for adults seeking to patch up their knowledge of the Western canon, and some history books geared towards adults. You can see her books on Amazon.com.

[L.M. The Third]

I started my original reply to this thread with Woohoo! I had a reply all ready, and then when I pressed Post, my logged in time had expired and I had to hie.

Okay, to Dr. Bauer. I was absolutely thrilled to see her name on this thread because she's someone I've become fascinated by in the last few months. I've been home-schooled all my life, but only recently came to know of her. I'll soon be done school, and I wish that my parents had known of her methods when I was younger, so that I might have learned Latin and the classical analytical system. However, just reading some of her books and her blog have given me tremendous respect for her.

She's the Great Guru of classical homeschooling. I think that the young people educated according to her system are better educated than the vast majority from the public schools. Most importantly, they are taught to love learning and how to pursue it for themselves.

Her history books have been called colloquial, but in a world where too many people leave the school system hating history, she's instilled a love for history and a remarkably thorough knowledge of it in many young people. Even her series for grade-school children educates the parents!

She's the author of several novels and teaches American literature at the university level. And her book on self-educating oneself through the classics is an excellent course in the great books. I've just begun it and am learning from her chapters on how to read analytically.

But the great reason I'm so fascinated by her is simply that she is superwoman! To copy a few of my incoherent thoughts of wonder recorded in my diary after reading her blog:


20th – I'm scared. I've been reading the blog of superwoman – Susan Wise Bauer. She learned Latin at age 10 and also knows Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Korean. She won musical awards in high school and wrote several novels before age 16. She has degrees in English literature, American studies and theology. She is a writer of world history, home-school education and text books. She travels as a lecturer, and a publisher (running a small press of text books). She is a homeschooling mother of four children, a frighteningly good cook, gardener, and small-farm-running minister's wife. On the side she is a runner, an equestrienne, an inveterate reader, a blogger, a tweeter, a forum moderator. Etc, etc, etc. You get the picture. Terrifying. I can't ever be like that, can I? In a way I want to, but it must be so hard. Not all people are meant for such a life, but I so much want to have it in me to be a superior woman. The question is: Can women have (do) everything?

(And I know that paragraph is badly disjointed.)


Well, I'm sorry for the rambling adoration of the above paragraph, but it illustrates the awe and fear she first struck me with.
There are, of course, historians, writers and academics who are more dedicated to specialized areas, but her sheer output, range of subject and interest, and ability to do so much inspire me.

Link to Dr. Bauer's website:
http://www.susanwisebauer.com

Uh, actually her website biographies put it better than me, if anyone is interested in reading them.
Narrative bio:
http://www.susanwisebauer.com/bio/narrative-bio/

Professional bio:
http://www.susanwisebauer.com/bio/c-v/

[Baudolina]

I admire her too. She's gotten some flak from Amazon reviewers for her Chrisitian beliefs getting into her history texts, but I'm not sure that it's warranted. I plan to get her history books on the ancient world and the medieval world. I know she's commissioned to write a third (on the Renaissance?) but it must not have come out yet. I'm surprised no one here has read The Well-Educated Mind. I thought at least a few people would be here because of that book.

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Educated-Mind-Guide-Classical-Education/dp/0393050947/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297943548&sr=1-1

[slicedclouds]

I am a homeschool student, who has just recently been turned on to classical education via The Well Trained Mind. All of the new curriculum has not arrived yet, but I am still very excited. I have not read her history books, I own one, but I have not read it yet. I very much appreciate her work, especially for homeschoolers, it is very helpful.

[L.M. The Third]

I know she's commissioned to write a third (on the Renaissance?) but it must not have come out yet.

She's working on her Renaissance volume right now. I think it's coming out next year. I can't wait for it, since it's my favorite period in history and a huge favorite in poetry too.