Two Books and a Blog About Fairhope, Alabama
Mary Lois Timbes, Writer, a.k.a. Mary Lois Adshead, Theatrical Personality
Hardly a personality that would be considered truly theatrical, nonetheless, Mary Lois has been an actress, (using the name Hilary Woods) director, producer and theatre lover just about all her life. On the other hand, the writer part is indisputable. She has made a living as a journalist, (using the name Mary Lois Vann) public relations professional and author (using her maiden name of Mary Lois Timbes) of the two best books about Fairhope, Alabama, Meet Me at the Butterfly Tree (in collaboration with Robert E. Bell) and The Fair Hope of Heaven/A Hundred Years After Utopia.
What Is It About Fairhope, Alabama?
Visitors often note something unusual about the village with the view of Mobile Bay, but they have trouble discerning what it is that makes the place special. In her two books, Mary Lois investigates the roots of Fairhope, from its inception as a demonstration of Henry George's theory of Single Tax to its current position as a tourist and retirement destination.
Over the years, Fairhope has attracted brilliant people who sought the best place to be their best selves, and its history inspires us to do the same.
Mary Lois
A graduate of Fairhope's School of Organic Education, Mary Lois has lived in New Orleans, Atlanta, New York, and Geneva, as wife of DuPont executive Jim Adshead. She returned to Fairhope in 1988 and began correspondence with Robert E. Bell, author of the novel The Butterfly Tree (set in Fairhope in the 1950's), and collaborated with him on a Fairhope memoir entitled Meet Me at The Butterfly Tree. Her second book, The Fair Hope of Heaven,continues with stories of historical Fairhope moving to the present day.
The World That Was "Old Fairhope"
Check the rest of the website for information about the two books, two blogs, and about the Fairhope of the 20th century, which inspired their creation. Come along to discover the real Fairhope, lying beneath the flowers and beyond the flags of today's scenic little city. Meet some of the minds who banded together over the years to settle a town based on ideas, a town in which nonconformity was hardly even noticed, and progressive thinkers shared mutual respect and often agreed to disagree.
Two Little Books, Two Blogs and a Website
The two books Meet Me at The Butterfly Tree and The Fair Hope of Heaven deal with life in the 20th Century in Fairhope, Alabama, a utopian colony founded to prove Henry George's theory of Single Tax. The first book, written in collaboration with Robert E. Bell, describes the charm of Fairhope and gives character sketches of some of the town's most interesting people. In The Fair Hope of Heaven, more history and sociological commentary illuminates the town as it moved from being a bohemian enclave to a destination for tourists and retirees. The blog "Finding Fair Hope" was written as the author readied herself to leave Fairhope and find hope in another section of the country. Her blog "Finding Myself in Hoboken" records her reaction to that move beginning in December 2007.
