“I don’t understand exactly”
Dear Andy,
The Wren’s Nest is this crazy ole Eastlake / Queen Anne Victorian home in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta. It was built in 1870.
Joel Chandler Harris (or JCH as we call him in the pros) moved to the home around 1880 with his wife and children. He fixed it up nice, real nice, with a big front porch and stained glass windows. Over time, wrens made a nest in his mailbox and from then on the house was known as “the Wren’s Nest.” So far: totally awesome. It only gets better.
Joel Chandler Harris moved to Atlanta in order to become the editor of the Atlanta Constitution (now known as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Not a bad gig by any stretch, but Mr. Harris would soon acheive tremendous literary success.
While at the Constitution, JCH looked back fondly to his days on the plantation, where he was an apprentice learning the newspaper trade. He had spent four years on a Georgia plantation, and during that time he hung around the slaves and listened to their stories. He heard about Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and the tar baby. Now, as a grown man possessing some stature, great wit and a keen ear, Mr. Harris recorded the Br’er Rabbit stories for the newspaper.
The stories proved terribly popular. Mr. Harris became a reluctant celebrity from 1880 until his death in 1908 and eventually recorded 190 or so of the Br’er Rabbit stories, with most or all of them using the character of Uncle Remus to tell the tales.
The stories were (loosely) adapted into the controversial film Song of the South in the 1946. The movie was popular, but a far cry from today’s standards of political correctness. Despite box office success, a catchy soundtrack, and signifiant technological advances, you will have a hard time finding a copy of the film in the United States. If you go on Splash Mountain at Disney World, however, the ride is based on the film.
Anyway, the Wren’s Nest is the actual home of Joel Chandler Harris and has been a house museum since 1913. We give daily tours, weekly storytelling, and ’round the clock awesomeness.
I hope this clears up your confusion, friend.
Love,
Lain
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Amber Suitt
Program Director
Lain Shakespeare
Executive Director
3 Comments to “I don’t understand exactly”
The 1946 must have been a good year in the ATL.
hi lain,
i didn’t realize that this was addressed to THE andy mills until just yesterday when amelia trace told me via email. now that that is all cleared up, have a great weekend and i look forward to seeing your shining young-professional face again this winter and/or spring, summer (we’re workin’ men now!)
[...] 2. If you are very confused as to what the Wren’s Nest is exactly, you can get a brief rundown here. I’ve also got some more detailed information for you on Joel Chandler Harris and his particular flavor of the Br’er Rabbit stories if you’re interested. [...]