Being Swedish,Pippi Longstocking has been an icon to me all my life. Yes, there are troubling racist elements in the books and, my God, as a child I would lay awake at night worrying about Pippi living alone, but Pippi’s character is glorious and hopeful. She’s ahead of her time- a give-no-fucks attitude combined with curiosity and caring and independence. Her voracious need to learn and to interact. Her love of the moment.
Don’t you worry about me. I’ll always come out on top.
My heart still yells COMRADE! when Pippi needs her cave time to be home alone with her pets and think.
My daughter-in-love, Emily Cowan, gifted me this Christmas with a fantastic collection of Pippi Longstocking books!
I am obsessing over them!
‘I filled that long ago. There isn’t room enough for my whole horse on that little snip of paper.’
—
Pippi is a recurring drawing subject…
