"I can't really tell you if I am pretty or what kind of girl I am," observed 11-year-old Little Edie Beale in her diary. "But … I have long hair, blonde, getting darker, deep blue eyes, a pug nose and a rather decided mouth. I am by no means fat, but I have a good body and big feet. I only mark the hours that shine." This gumption, this determined spirit that has charmed so many of Little Edie's fans began to blossom when Edith Bouvier Beale ( of Grey Gardens fame ) was just a pre-adolescent teen, a time when her mother, Big Edie, would often take her daughter out of school and to the movies or to the theater.
This month, the nephew of Little Edie is publishing her 1929 diary—the true story of one full-year of the life of the young girl—written in her own 11-year-old hand. "I Only Mark The Hours That Shine: Little Edie's 1929 Diary" has been compiled by Eva Marie Beale and contains an introduction by her 62-year-old husband Bouvier Beale, Jr., Little Edie's nephew.
Windy City Times had the opportunity to chat with the Beales about the publication of the diary, why they think the content resonates with both young and adult readers alike, and the reason Little Edie—who died in 2002—decided not to publish the diary on her own.
Windy City Times: What similarities will viewers see between preadolescent Little Edie and the adult Little Edie that so many fans have grown to love and admire?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: One of the endearing traits of Little Edie that helped make her a real cultural icon was her acute sense of the ironic, tempered always with her wry sense of humor. As a young girl, here in the 1929 diary, her first entry on her 12th birthday—Nov. 7, 1929—reads this: "I was 12 years old today! ... Mother's first child! Every year I'm getting older. Pretty soon I'll be having my first child but that's a little far ahead. In the first place I am not sure whether I will even get married. I might study dancing...." The juxtaposition of the two thoughts seems absent-minded at first, until you remember who the speaker is! Edie had already made up her mind not to make up her mind just yet.
WCT: You've said that the diary can be seen as a "nonfiction version of the American Girl books." How so?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: This literary work shows an almost universal appeal to young and old alike. The youthful student of history or literature identifies with the young, expressive 11- and 12-year-old Edie by way of her enthusiasm and, at times, bold honesty in confronting the issues of her day, such as her 12th birthday, which I mentioned a moment ago. Adults in the 21st century appreciate, among other things, getting a firsthand feel for this historic era.
WCT: Eva, you actually compiled and edited the diary. Can you talk a little about your involvement with this project?
Eva Marie Beale: Yes, I was the one who compiled this diary. This is the first time the public will see this diary. As I was working on the first book "Edith Bouvier Beale of Grey Gardens: A Life in Pictures," I began to read the diary in order to put some of the entries into that coffee-table book. As I completed reading this diary, I immediately decided that it should be published because of the iconic year it was written—1929—and because I thought this would be a great way for readers to experience Edie's talents as a writer. We feel that, from this diary, the reader does get to know Edie on a more personal level. Edie was ahead of her time. My first impression of the diary was that it seemed that she wrote it at a much older age, yet she was only 11.Edie did manage to record all 365 days for the year of 1929, plus since she had a few extra pages blank at the end of the diary, she added a bonus "Explaining the family by me" which is a very interesting explanation of her immediate family at that time.
WCT: Mr. Beale, were you very close to your aunt? What memories do you have of Little Edie?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: Yes, I was quite close to my aunt throughout most of the second half of her life, particularly after the untimely death of my father, Bouvier, Sr. in 1994. I was so impressed that she arrived at the funeral and [ she ] was very comforting to be with. During the late '90s, Edie even came out here to the San Francisco Bay Area, so we had a chance to really get to know her better. I visited with her in Florida, and we phoned her very often to make sure she was okay. Edie was very independent. My introduction to this book helps the reader grasp the historical context of the work and, particularly with this diary, points the way to a better feel for the way Edie's mind works.
WCT: Eva, talk about the work involved in transcribing Little Edie's diary.
EMB: This work consists of a complete and faithful transcription, word for word of all of the diary's 365 days entries by Edie. We have also included several reproductions of the actual hand-written daily entries. These long-hand pages make it obvious to any reader why the work had to be transcribed—Edie's eccentric pen style makes it hard to read. I also had to conduct considerable research to ensure that Edie's true meaning and intent would be properly conveyed.
WCT: I read somewhere that Little Edie's papers filled in the blanks between the first two acts of Grey Gardens: The Musical. Can you talk a little about how these papers inspired Doug Wright's musical?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: We cannot really comment about this—we did not supply any papers—perhaps someone else did. What we do know is that the musical was absolutely fabulous! We were fortunate to see it both on and off Broadway and we will never forget it. The Broadway show opening night was so extraordinary.
WCT: Did Little Edie ever mention to you that she wanted to have this diary published?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: We did read some notes by Edie [ that indicated ] she wanted to work on a book herself—but that she didn't know how to go about it. She knew she had an amazing story.
I believe after the documentary, she was intimidated, and therefore did not go out and seek a publisher.
WCT: Big Edie kept her daughter out of school when she was 11 and 12 years old—the same years reflected in this diary—and instead took her to the movies or to the theater almost every day. In your mind, did this help determine who Little Edie would become as an adult?
Bouvier Beale, Jr.: Being part of the moneyed class in those days, ( before the Crash ) , the family would simply hire, and bring into the home, the best skilled tutors that money could buy to ensure an uninterrupted and high-quality education. The opportunity to afford to experience some of the best artistic and cultural events of the day, in the rarified setting of the upper east side of New York City, and elsewhere, contributed immensely to shaping Edie's character. She writes about this in the diary very often where she goes out to luncheon with her mother and grandmother, and perhaps their friends, and immediately after the luncheon they would go to the theater. Edie loved to come home and document her reviews of the day at the theater. You can imagine how this would certainly help instill a worldly and modern character in the young lady.
I Only Mark The Hours That Shine: Little Edie's 1929 Diary is available for purchase at www.greygardenscollections.com .
