This page features the life and writings of Virginia Cary Hudson, as recounted by her granddaughter, Beverly Mayne Kienzle. It will introduce you to never before seen writings, drawings, and photos of Virginia. Blogs will announce events related to Virginia’s legacy, tell unheard stories, and provide insights about this amazing author of the bestselling O Ye Jigs & Juleps!
Biography of Virginia Cary Hudson, by Beverly Mayne Kienzle
Video produced by iUniverse
A New York Times Bestseller for 66 weeks
A small book of ten delightful essays rocked the publishing world in 1962 and reached the New York Times Book Review’s Best Seller List in less than two months, spending a total of 66 weeks on the prestigious list. The bestselling O Ye Jigs & Juleps! contained insightful and humorous writings by a 10-year-old child, Virginia Cary Hudson, Beverly’s beloved grandmother. Readers delighted in Virginia’s sense of humor. She was a spirited young lady, filled with curiosity and daring. Her hilarious adventures and keen observations on people and customs shed light on the cultural and religious history of a small town—in actuality, Versailles, Kentucky, located in the Bluegrass region of Woodford County.
Review by Reverend Zachary Guiliano, The Living Church, May 7, 2017
Virginia’s daughter, Virginia, and the work of editing the three other books
Virginia’s Life: A Pictorial History
Cloverport Country House
(photos, text, anecdotes)
Daughter of a Railway President
Hudson home on Main Street, photos
Country House, description and photos
Versailles
Louisville, 1453 Saint James Court
Travels
Canada 1938
Mexico 1940s and 1950s
Virginia’s Other Writings
Letters
(Under construction: Text describing holdings at Filson, about 200 letters; photo of a letter)
Religious Writings and Talks
(Under construction: Text describing holdings at Filson; photo of a talk)
Virginia the Artist
Virginia Cary Hudson was a talented artist. Images of her paintings and drawings will appear on the following pages. During her school days, Virginia was encouraged to practice and develop her talent for painting and drawing in formal ways. After she married, she had less opportunity to paint, but she continued to do simple and mostly humorous drawings. Her letters contain many small drawings that she sent to her daughter Virginia and to her granddaughter Beverly. She made a scrapbook for Beverly with drawings in colored pencil. Those are published in her biography, but images of the originals will be posted here.
The watercolor painting below depicts a bridge in Kentucky, perhaps near Versailles or Cloverport.
Drawings by Virginia (Beverly’s grandmother) in the closings of her letters to Beverly’s mother
Virginia signed letters to her daughter in a variety of ways. Most often she said simply, “Love, Mother.” She also added drawings that reflected her feelings at the moment she was writing. She never closed with the phrase “Little Mama” that was added by the editors of Flapdoodle, Trust & Obey.
Scrapbook Drawings
Scrapbook Cover: “Sitting and Thinking” is the title of the scrapbook Virginia made for her five-year-old granddaughter, Beverly. Virginia worked on the poems and drawings late in 1952, after the disastrous October fire destroyed the scrapbook that Jessie Gregory Hudson (Beverly’s great grandmother) made. It contained many pictures and letters and the famous essays that Virginia Cary Hudson wrote when she was ten years old.
Drawings for Beverly (in the Scrapbook)
TODAY
Some flowers sit here on my table. I thought I heard them sigh. “Enjoy me today,” they said, “Tomorrow, I shall die.”
All things should be enjoyed today, that we both hear and see, lest we become so sorry when they no longer be.
Enjoy all the good things now. Don’t stop with just the flowers. One day, all the years you’ve lived will only seem like hours.
OLD FATHER TIME
Did you ever feel like running and jumping?
So did he.
I used to feel like running and jumping.
Now, look at me.
If you feel like it, do it,
as long as you can.
Old Father Time slows us all down
No, none at all.
The old rocking chair gets some of us,
while others wind up on the wall.
A RED BIRD I saw a red bird sitting on a limb. He said “hello” to me. I said “hello” to him. I said, “Where do you go when it is time to snow?” He said, “Listen if you really want to know; I go down South where it is nice and warm. I fly all the way, because my wings are strong.” Now I can’t go along, and here’s the reason why; I’m not a red [bird], and I can’t fly. I’ll sit by the fire, and wait for Springtime. My not having any wings was God’s idea, not mine.
THE DANCING GIRL
I watched an enchanting dancer,
as around the stage she sped.
First she was upon her feet,
and then upon her head.
Lecture presented by Beverly Mayne Kienzle in June of 2017 for the University of North Alabama:
Sixth International Conference on Literary Juvenilia
Meeting with James Holmberg, Curator of Special Collections, at The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY, October 2016, to discuss the Hudson Collection (with permission of The Filson Historical Society):
