Let Something Good Be Said: The Speeches and Writings of Frances E. Willard (review)

Amy Slagell and Carolyn De Swarte Gifford have compiled an impressive body of Frances Willard's work in their new edited text, Let Something Good Be Said. The volume includes 22 of Willard's speeches and writings along with relevant historical and contextual data. This book is the first of its kind and provides a good overview of the works of Frances Willard, but more importantly it makes a persuasive argument about why Willard is worthy of scholarly study. Gifford and Slagell include a timeline of Willard's life, an introduction that provides biographical details, and a listing of her works. They say they seek to provide an accessible volume of Willard's activism and to document "Willard's voice and vision [that] continues to speak and to spur broad-minded and compassionate activism"(xli).

The volume begins with a timeline outlining the major events in Willard's life. The authors trace the development of Willard's work as she perfected her personal style and message of temperance. Included is a mix of Willard's personal and professional writings to give a sense of the tone, breadth, and voice of her works. As an example, the editors begin the work with a preface noting that the title of the text, "Let something good be said," was a phrase engraved above the fireplace in Willard's office and, importantly, said to have been her personal motto. The authors seek to provide the most complete compilation of Willard's writings and speeches with the intention of exposing readers to such good, as they strive to "convey the depth of her intellect, the eloquence of her oratory, or the intense reasoned passion of her argument" (x). These texts, they suggest, can be read as a record of "particular moments in Willard's effort 'to be and to do good'" (x).

The majority of the book is comprised of 22 excerpts from the speeches and writings of Frances Willard. The excerpts are varied in origin: some are from the Women's Christian Temperance Union's (WCTU) weekly newspaper, one is from a reform journal, and several are excerpts of Willard's personal writings. Gifford and Slagell also include several of Willard's speeches, including a number of her presidential addresses to the WCTU. One of the most useful features of the book is that the authors provide a short head note containing relevant contextual information. According to the editors, the "head notes are intended to assist readers in tracing the development of Willard's thought over the quarter century of her public life" (xi). These notes are quite valuable as they allow the reader to make connections between the excerpts, thus providing a fascinating narrative about Willard's life and writings. For example, the head notes on Willard's short stories tell the reader when the essay or story was completed and where it may have first appeared. The notes for Willard's public speeches and writings contextualize the pieces for the reader, providing relevant details about the rhetorical situation including the occasion, attendees, and even what Willard may have intended for each speech to achieve. In addition, the notes reference people who are mentioned in more then one speech or excerpt, which is helpful for tracking Willard's professional and personal relationships throughout her career. The editors also acknowledge the hurdles Willard had to overcome as an orator, especially in light of the problems women in this time period faced when trying to speak in public.

The book overall is thus primarily a reference volume. Gifford and Slagell see the book as helping "readers gain a better understanding of this brave woman who we have come to admire for her lifelong work to make the world a better, more just place" (xi). The format of the book as a collection allows for the reader to read the...