Julia Nelson

Title: Biography of William H. Richards
Type: Book
Date: 1894
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: Nelson wrote this short biography of her good friend, William H. Richards in 1894.
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Activities:

1. Why do you think Nelson might have used "J. B.N." when putting her name on the book instead of just writing her name out completely?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: It is possible that some publishers would have less interest in printing a book written by a woman, or perhaps Nelson didn't want people to recognize her as a friend of the book's subject because they might think she was biased in her writing.
2. What can the title of the book tell you about Nelson's feelings for her subject?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The title shows us that Nelson had a great deal of respect for Richards. From the title, we can expect to read a book that emphasizes the positive things that the subject did during his life, with little criticism.
3. What does the opening paragraph of this book tell you about the author's purpose in writing the book?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She states that her goal in writing this book is to correctly describe Richards' life and to inspire those who read the book by telling his life story.
4. As a source, what might make this book a less reliable source about William Richards than a book written by someone who didn't know him as well?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: While Nelson probably had more knowledge of Richards' life than another author might have, she also was a good friend to him and her account of his life is probably biased in his favor. She might be less likely to mention mistakes made by Richards or negative responses he might have received in his work than an author who did not know him.