Lizzie Borden Chronicles on Lifetime
The trailer is out for the new now 8-episode series about Lizzie Borden titled The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. It used to be called, I think, the Fall River Chronicles, but it seems they changed this. It is fiction, of course. Lizzie becomes a bit of a serial killer it seems. According to Entertainment Weekly: “Lizzie […]
New Book on Fall River History: America’s Voices: An Oral History of Fall River, Massachusetts from 1900 to 1950
You can preorder through the Fall River Historical Society (see the details on the advert below) or order them directly through Amazon at this link. $22.00 There is a little bit of Lizzie Borden in this book as well, from those whose families encountered or met her or were related to her contemporaries! The list […]
Lizzie Borden Novel: Maplecroft by Cherie Priest
So far, so good. Lizzie Borden is a monster killer, protecting sister Emma from strange beasts with her iron hatchet. I am enjoying the story and author Cherie Priest’s take on the tale of Lizzie Borden, taking her to great heights of “nightmare and madness.” Of particular interest to me, besides the use of Lizzie […]
Lizzie Borden on Deadly Women, August 1
Investigation Discovery will premiere their 8th season at 9 pm on Friday, August 1, 2014, with an entire hour-long episode devoted to the Lizzie Borden case. The production company came to Fall River in October of last year to interview myself, Michael Martins, Dennis Binette, and Lee-Ann Wilbur about this unsolved case. The research team […]
Lizzie Borden Books, Forthcoming and Now
Just in time for August 4th, a new non-fiction book on Lizzie Borden and the people that surround this most enigmatic of unsolved murder cases is being released this weekend. Lizzie Borden Resurrections: A history of the people surrounding the Borden case before, during, and after the trial is authored by Liz Whiz Sherry Chapman, […]
Review to the Reviews of Lizzie Borden Took an Axe by Fiction Author Michael Brimbau
It seems more appropriate, I think, to have a fiction writer give their take on the Lifetime network TV movie Lizzie Borden Took An Axe. Most historians hated the film for mostly historical reasons (I was not among them). Since this film is entertainment first, perhaps we can look to the fiction writer for their […]
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe in Fall River Event Reviewed
My good friend Phil Devitt, editor of the Fall River Spirit, wrote a charming piece about the TapHouse Grille’s Lizzie Borden Took an Axe party that was held on January 25. We had a grand time, even though we couldn’t hear most of the dialogue. We were joined by Lizzie Borden historians Bill Pavao (former […]
Lizzie Borden Took an Axe: A Review
While I may have become, through time and intensive study, some sort of an expert on the Lizzie Borden murder case, I am first and foremost a theatre professional. My training and education is primarily in this subject—as a teacher, professor, storyteller, and practitioner. I am always eager to see a play, musical, opera, ballet, […]
Variety does not like Lizzie Borden Had an Axe
Variety does not like Lizzie Borden Had an Axe either. Today, Variety posted their television review of Lizzie Borden Had an Axe, which airs on Lifetime this Saturday. They labeled it “curiously lethargic” and “oddly constructed.” All of this is not only conventionally done, but provides virtually no insight into its title character. That’s because […]
NY Post Does not like Lizzie Borden Took an Axe
The first review is in. And it is not positive. Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, premiering on Lifetime this Saturday night, stars Christina Ricci and tells the tale of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River in 1892. The problem the NY Post critic seems to find is that it is loud […]
1883 Fall River Atlas in High Resolution
The men of the Fall River Historical Society (Michael Martins and Dennis A. Binette) shared with me a wonderful thing that I now wish to share with you. The State Library of Massachusetts has digitized and placed online the complete volume of the 1883 Fall River City Atlas. It is a lovely thing to behold […]
Lizzie Borden’s Preliminary Hearing
The ONLY publication of Lizzie Borden’s Preliminary Hearing is available from PearTree Press. The Preliminary Hearing phase of the Commonwealth vs. Lizzie A. Borden began on August 25 and lasted until September 1, 1892. The copy given to Lizzie’s lawyer, Andrew Jennings, is the only one known to have survived. It has recently been discovered […]
Lizzie Borden on How Stuff Works
The story of Lizzie Borden and the trial is retold on this excellent podcast, “Lizzie Borden and her Axe (Update),” produced by the folks at How Stuff Works, called Stuff You Missed in History Class. You can listen to this free podcast on iTunes. The 34 minute retelling is very accurate, well done, and is […]
Lizzie Borden Lecture in New Hampshire
Dr. Annette Holba will be presenting a lecture titled “Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, or Did She?” on August 8, 2012, at the Epsom Public Library in Epsom, New Hampshire. Dr. Holba is the author of a book by the same title and a noted scholar and wonderful public speaker. If you are anywhere near […]
A Little Part of Fall River’s History Explained
In the latest issue of The Hatchet: A Journal of Lizzie Borden & Victorian Studies there appears a transcription of Assistant Deputy Marshal John Fleet’s handwritten notes, taken down the day of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden (August 4, 1892). The last page of these notes details events surrounding several suspicious characters seen […]
Lizzie Borden Mentioned in the May 2012 Smithsonian
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was selected by the Smithsonian Magazine as the number one of the 20 best small towns in the United States. The article on these wonderful places appears in the May 2012 issue. Of note to Borden folks is that Great Barrington was the home of Justice Justin Dewey, one of the three […]
Lizzie Borden Roundup
I didn’t want to post anything yesterday for fear my readers would assume it was an April Fool’s post. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read really good Fool’s Day punks. But I have been tricked into thinking so many things that are not true (they say I am gullible) that it is best […]
The Mary Sue Does Lizzie Borden
Appearing today on The Mary Sue: A Guide to Girl Geek Culture, is an article on the recent acquisition by the Fall River Historical Society of Andrew Jennings’ notebooks from the defense case of Lizzie Borden. Enjoy!