Designer Essay - Example Format
title (any font you like):
TASHA TUDOR -
The Nostalgic Illustrator Who Lived an Authentic Life
Hook: Could you wake up at 5:30 and go out to milk your goats and collect fresh eggs for your breakfast, then
cook them over a wood stove while barefoot and wearing layers of long skirts? In the modern world, such a life
isn't for everyone, but for famous picture book illustrator and author Tasha Tudor (1915-2008) it was her dream.
She dressed in 19th century homemade clothes and carried a handmade willow basket to do her grocery shopping.
Tasha kept goats, chickens, and Corgi dogs, as well as a garden full of herbs, flowers, and the sort of tasty fruits
that would find their way into homemade pies cooked on her wood stove. These things she loved and made a
part of her best-selling, nostalgic illustrations.
Thesis Statement: Tasha Tudor lived a difficult, unusual, and old-fashioned life, yet it was authentic and
satisfying to her, and helped to develop popular affection for her work. (examples to reinforce thesis statement)
cook them over a wood stove while barefoot and wearing layers of long skirts? In the modern world, such a life
isn't for everyone, but for famous picture book illustrator and author Tasha Tudor (1915-2008) it was her dream.
She dressed in 19th century homemade clothes and carried a handmade willow basket to do her grocery shopping.
Tasha kept goats, chickens, and Corgi dogs, as well as a garden full of herbs, flowers, and the sort of tasty fruits
that would find their way into homemade pies cooked on her wood stove. These things she loved and made a
part of her best-selling, nostalgic illustrations.
Thesis Statement: Tasha Tudor lived a difficult, unusual, and old-fashioned life, yet it was authentic and
satisfying to her, and helped to develop popular affection for her work. (examples to reinforce thesis statement)
(illustration inserted here as another example to prove your thesis - a corgi, children in old-fashioned clothing, candles instead of electric lights)
(quote - single-spaced, indented, credited. You may choose to italicize or use a different font to show it even more clearly.)
|
First subthesis (her life was difficult):
Her life, though she lived it the way she wanted to, was not always easy. Tasha’s mother and father divorced
when she was nine years old. Her mother had decided to leave the rules-bound Boston society to go live in
Greenwich Village where she would further her career as a painter. So Tasha was taken to live with family
friends in Redding, Connecticut. . . ( more examples of how her life was not easy)
Her life, though she lived it the way she wanted to, was not always easy. Tasha’s mother and father divorced
when she was nine years old. Her mother had decided to leave the rules-bound Boston society to go live in
Greenwich Village where she would further her career as a painter. So Tasha was taken to live with family
friends in Redding, Connecticut. . . ( more examples of how her life was not easy)
In the early 1990s, Tudor announced that she was quitting public appearances, partly because it was hard to find someone who could watch the house and knew how to milk a goat.
|
Second subthesis (she had an unusual and old-fashioned life)
As a newlywed and young mother, Tasha insisted on living as close to the old ways as possible which meant no
running water, no electricity, and no store-bought clothes or baked goods. Instead of going to the movies or
listening to the radio, her children worked in the gardens, took care of the animals, helped in the kitchen, and
put on plays with dolls and marionettes. Holidays were celebrated in an old-fashioned way . . .
(more examples of how her life was unique for the time she lived in)
Third subthesis ( but it was an authentic and satisfying life)
As Tasha grew older, she continued to write and illustrate. With the help of friends and family, she maintained
her old-style farmhouse, built by her son Seth, and its accompanying gardens and goat herd. She excelled in
cooking, canning, cheese-making, ice cream making and many other home skills and was renowned for her
Afternoon Tea parties.. . . (more examples of how her life was satisfying)
As a newlywed and young mother, Tasha insisted on living as close to the old ways as possible which meant no
running water, no electricity, and no store-bought clothes or baked goods. Instead of going to the movies or
listening to the radio, her children worked in the gardens, took care of the animals, helped in the kitchen, and
put on plays with dolls and marionettes. Holidays were celebrated in an old-fashioned way . . .
(more examples of how her life was unique for the time she lived in)
Third subthesis ( but it was an authentic and satisfying life)
As Tasha grew older, she continued to write and illustrate. With the help of friends and family, she maintained
her old-style farmhouse, built by her son Seth, and its accompanying gardens and goat herd. She excelled in
cooking, canning, cheese-making, ice cream making and many other home skills and was renowned for her
Afternoon Tea parties.. . . (more examples of how her life was satisfying)
counterargument & rebuttal (problem; however)
Her way of living was critiqued by some; even her own family had difficulties with the hard labour, the lack of modern conveniences, and the daily routines. Family members found living day to day as if they were all in the 1830s a bit hard to handle. After several years, Tasha and her husband divorced. Although he liked the country life, he was not so interested in living it to such an old-fashioned extreme. Nonetheless, it is clear from Tasha's persistence and productivity that she was both highly skilled and genuinely enjoyed such a lifestyle. She excelled in cooking, canning, cheese-making, ice cream making and many other home skills and was renowned for her Afternoon Tea parties.
Her way of living was critiqued by some; even her own family had difficulties with the hard labour, the lack of modern conveniences, and the daily routines. Family members found living day to day as if they were all in the 1830s a bit hard to handle. After several years, Tasha and her husband divorced. Although he liked the country life, he was not so interested in living it to such an old-fashioned extreme. Nonetheless, it is clear from Tasha's persistence and productivity that she was both highly skilled and genuinely enjoyed such a lifestyle. She excelled in cooking, canning, cheese-making, ice cream making and many other home skills and was renowned for her Afternoon Tea parties.
(indented, single-spaced quote to support rebuttal)
|
(inserted image to support rebuttal)
Conclusion paragraph (restatement of thesis) and the 'ask' (what the reader should think or do after finishing):
Her old-fashioned sensibility never went out of style; indeed, it was her uncompromising immersion in another,
less comfortable century that most fascinated people. Tasha’s work and life became popular with so
many that after her death her house and gardens still attract visitors from across the world. And part of that
attraction was her refusal to compromise living the life she had always dreamed of. Even in her eighties she still
harvested her own food from her own gardens, cared for her beloved Corgis, and continued to paint her
beautiful watercolours. We should praise her dedication to her unusual life. Perhaps, in this technologically-saturated society,
we can no longer try to imitate her healthy, natural, way of living, but we cannot help but admire the persistence, authenticity, and passion
shown in Tasha Tudor's 'life of yesterday'.
Her old-fashioned sensibility never went out of style; indeed, it was her uncompromising immersion in another,
less comfortable century that most fascinated people. Tasha’s work and life became popular with so
many that after her death her house and gardens still attract visitors from across the world. And part of that
attraction was her refusal to compromise living the life she had always dreamed of. Even in her eighties she still
harvested her own food from her own gardens, cared for her beloved Corgis, and continued to paint her
beautiful watercolours. We should praise her dedication to her unusual life. Perhaps, in this technologically-saturated society,
we can no longer try to imitate her healthy, natural, way of living, but we cannot help but admire the persistence, authenticity, and passion
shown in Tasha Tudor's 'life of yesterday'.
Bibliography (list of sources and references used, in alphabetical order by author's family name)
Allen, Nick: "Children fight over Tasha Tudor's Estate", The Telegraph, Feb 22, 2010 Retrieved Oct 27, 2019 from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7293954/Children-fight-over-illustrator-Tasha-Tudors-estate.html
Anon: “Author, illustrator Tasha Tudor dies at 92". Brattleboro Reformer. Thursday, June 19, 2008 Retrieved Nov 1, 2019
Johnson, Virginia: "Tasha Tudor found the path to yesterday" August 21, 2018 Retrieved Oct 23, 2019 from https://www.librarypoint.org/blogs/post/tasha-tudor/
Knazek, Jeanette Chandler: "Tasha Tudor - the Woman" Retrieved Nov 1, 2019 from https://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/
Martin, Douglas: "Tasha Tudor, Children's Book Illustrator, Dies at 92". New York Times. June 20, 2008 Retrieved Oct 28, 2019 from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/books/20tudor.html
Nelson, Valerie: "Illustrator put a nostalgic touch on children’s books", LA Time, June 20, 2009 Retrieved Oct 22, 2019 from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-june-me-tudor20-story.html
Images:
"A Corgi Christmas", watercolour by Tasha Tudor, 2002, retrieved Nov 1 from https://www.tashatudorandfamily.com
"Tasha Peeling Apples", photo by Seth Tudor, retrieved Nov 1 from https://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/images/the-woman/RB-Peeling-2101034.jpg