We are so happy to have our Aussie friend Nomes from Inkcrush here today to write a guest post for the Year of the Classics. I asked her to write about one of our favorite series of all times, Anne of Green Gables. She got really into her assignment, randomly sending me factoids about L.M. Montgomery's life, and she was even sport enough to take a few pictures of her taking her own "Living As Anne" advice.
How To Be Anne of Green Gables
1. Tragic back story is a must. Preferably involving TWINS in some form. Orphanages, child labour and imaginary friends found in the window reflections optional.
1. Tragic back story is a must. Preferably involving TWINS in some form. Orphanages, child labour and imaginary friends found in the window reflections optional.
 Shouldn't have trusted that peddler, Nomes. | 2. Lose track of time/run late on errands due to walking around reading and getting swept away by the book you are reading. 3. Dye your hair black. #Never Trust A Peddler |
Don't walk the roofbeam, Anne!!
4. Find your kindred spirit, and love them so. Activities to share with your bosom friend: three-legged races, jumping on old ladies while they sleep in their beds in the middle of the night. Essential: develop code system of communicating involving blinds, lights and long distances. Writing letters, with paper and pens. City excursions and whispered secrets. A period of (forced, painful, but somehow poetic) estrangement optional.
5. Never (and I mean never ever) back down from a dare. Bonus points: if your whole class (including cute guy) watches you accomplish said dare, fearless and daring, nose in the air.
6. Always let your imagination get carried away with itself. Comes in handy when taking short-cuts through haunted woods.
Nomes/Anne in the haunted woods.
7. Pick a favourite fictional character. Preferably one who has a tragic and/or gothic dramatic storyline. Elaborately re-enact your characters most dramatic scenes. Lady of Shalott FTW. Bonus: endanger your life while doing so, needing the rescue of cute (archenemy) boy. 8. Invite your bosom friend over and watch them binge on, erm, raspberry cordial... 9. Invent a prettier, more fanciful name for yourself. At times, introduce yourself thus. Cordelia works fine. (author’s note: As a child I begged my own family to call me Nancy, which I fancied was a much prettier, somehow more eventful name for a child such as I. Now, to my despair, my family still occasionally revert back to calling my Nancy. Ugh.) |  Luckily, Gil will always save you. |
10. View the world through romantical whimsy. That pond by the side of the road? The Lake of Shining Waters.
11. Make desserts for your favourite teacher coming for dinner. This, coupled with your day-dreaming disposition, could be a recipe for disaster. Heads up: be on the look out for rats. (a rather romantic end for a rat, to be drowned in pudding...)
12. Regarding apologies. You will need to make a lot of them. Don’t settle for the humble “sorry”. Compose elaborate apologies, adorned with poetically moving statements.
11. Make desserts for your favourite teacher coming for dinner. This, coupled with your day-dreaming disposition, could be a recipe for disaster. Heads up: be on the look out for rats. (a rather romantic end for a rat, to be drowned in pudding...)
12. Regarding apologies. You will need to make a lot of them. Don’t settle for the humble “sorry”. Compose elaborate apologies, adorned with poetically moving statements.
13. Wear puffy sleeves. |  They can never be TOO puffy. |
 Anne & Gilbert | 14. Be fiercely, ridiculously competitive and stand-offish with the cutest (oh-so-swoony) boy at school. Despite his charm, gorgeous accent, intelligence, antagonistic playfulness, good nature, general gorgeousness and (obvious to everyone but you) besottedness, you remain aloof. (WHY?! For the love of God!). Please don’t wait until he is on his death bed to have your epiphany that you are MADLY AND CRAZILY IN LOVE WITH THE PERFECTION THAT IS GILBERT BLYTHE. Is there any other fictional boy more swoony? (Authors note: I seem to have gotten carried away...) |
15. Most importantly of all, to be Anne Shirley with an E ~ despite everything, all your stuff ups, and good intentions gone awry, you will charm everyone. Not only every citizen of Avonlea, all those prim girls of …. Children, teenagers and adults from the last century will fall in love with you.
Anne Shirley, you are the most delightful of heroines, ever. Anne of Green Gables is not just a classic, it’s a rite of passage.
Much love,
Nomes.
Anne Shirley, you are the most delightful of heroines, ever. Anne of Green Gables is not just a classic, it’s a rite of passage.
Much love,
Nomes.
Thanks for the life advice, Nomes! I'd love to write something longer but I have really important things to do like playing 1,000,000 Draw Something games with you and watching Anne of Green Gables. Ladies and Gentlemen, HAPPY SATURDAY!
