Eleanor Roosevelt – On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch

In researching and writing my book on Giuseppe and Anita Garibaldi and the unification of Italy (A Man Of Action Saving Liberty: A Novel Based On The Life Of Giuseppe Garibaldi) I re-discovered the first American female war correspondent – Margaret Fuller — who I had first met in a college course on the Transcendentalists. I was once again fascinated by a life lived purposefully.

Then I found Tammy Rose’s podcast on the Transcendentalists – Concord Days – and was delighted when she asked me to guest for a discussion of Fuller’s work in Italy as both a journalist – and a nurse. — Rosanne

Watch this entire presentation

Concord Days sends love to Margaret Fuller on the anniversary of her death in 1850.

The conversation focuses on Margaret’s exciting days in ITALY!

Dr. Rosanne Welch takes us through her adventures and enthusiastically reminds us what she was like when she was living her best life!

Transcript:

Rosanne: I have a friend who just wrote a biography of — I mean there’s a million of them but a new one is part of a group that I’m editing — and she discovered in letters which have only recently been let out — it’s always about what’s recently been let out. Like you were saying, the most recent stuff that the reason that FDR learned about the dangers of the Manhattan Project is because — his people weren’t letting the scientists talk to him but one of them was in a social club that Eleanor was in. So he got her to invite him to the White House. He told her what they were worried about and she told FDR — that she was the leeway for that.

Tammy: Exactly like the contact point…

Rosanne: ..and when she understood how important it was she knew he had to know. So it was all about her and just nobody thinks that. No one gives her that much credit. I mean we give her a lot of credit but there’s so many things we’re learning that women have done so much extra that got left behind.

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Today’s research tidbit – did you know Eleanor Roosevelt spoke to the nation about Pearl Harbor the night before Franklin did?

She had a regularly scheduled Sunday night radio show called “Over Our Coffee Cups” so she went on the air that night to say some things that, while not “a date that will live in infamy” do resonate.

Ep. 11, 1941-12-07, Pan-American Coffee Bureau Series

On the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, ER discusses what the nation must do to face this international crisis. ER also interviews Corporal James Cannon.

You can hear her voice in the collection at the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers or read this:

“Many of you all over the country have boys in the services who will now be called upon to go into action… You cannot escape anxiety. You cannot escape a clutch of fear at your heart and yet I hope that the certainty of what we have to meet will make you rise above these fears. We must go about our daily business more determined than ever to do the ordinary things as well as we can and when we find a way to do anything more in our communities to help others, to build morale, to give a feeling of security, we must do it. Whatever is asked of us I am sure we can accomplish it. We are the free and unconquerable people of the United States of America.
To the young people of the nation, I must speak a word tonight. You are going to have a great opportunity. There will be high moments in which your strength and your ability will be tested. I have faith in you. I feel as though I was standing upon a rock and that rock is my faith in my fellow citizens.”

Tag: Eleanor Roosevelt

31 Eleanor Roosevelt from Concord Days: Margaret Fuller in Italy [Video]

Research Tidbit: Eleanor Roosevelt Speaks On Radio Hours After Pearl Harbor Attack