Dorothy du Rant
Dorothy du Rant grew up in Thomasville, Georgia. She started this diary on January 1, 1912, when she was about 11 or 12 years old, writing: “New year’s came on Monday this year, and it was a bad day just like X-mas day.” The contents of this little book are timeless, expressing the joys and anxieties of an adolescent girl from any time or place. She writes about sleepovers with her friends, making pranks, school, going to the “moving pictures,” practicing her violin, and performing in school recitals. She has even given someone the nickname “Little Boy Blue,” writing, “Friday we went to school and “Little Boy Blue” was standing there by the electric light. He whistled and so did we.” And later, “...we were standing by the front window wishing “Little Boy Blue” would pass.” She also describes frustrations with her friends and then redacts some of this writing with pencil.