6 ratings | 0 reviews | avg rating:5.00

Rebecca's Bookshelves

read (6)
currently-reading (0)
to-read (0)

Rebecca’s Friends (123)

Aileen

1,637 books | 295 friends

Eleni ( La Femme Readers )

796 books | 2,126 friends

Brenda

763 books | 33 friends

Colleen

603 books | 448 friends

Diane Chamberlain

148 books | 2,309 friends

Caitlin

4,803 books | 25 friends

Julie

691 books | 44 friends

Charles

22,170 books | 3,507 friends

More friends…

Rebecca is following 0 people

Rebecca Wells

Goodreads author profile

born

in The United States

gender

female

website

http://www.rebeccawellsbooks.com/

genre

Literature & Fiction

member since

July 2009

About this author

edit data

Rebecca Wells was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. “I grew up,” she says, “in the fertile world of story-telling, filled with flamboyance, flirting, futility, and fear.” Surrounded by Louisiana raconteurs, a large extended family, and Our Lady of Prompt Succor’s Parish, Rebecca’s imagination was stimulated at every turn. Early on, she fell in love with thinking up and acting in plays for her siblings—the beginnings of her career as an actress and writer for the stage. She recalls her early influences as being the land around her, harvest times, craw-fishing in the bayou, practicing piano after school, dancing with her mother and brothers and sister, and the close relationship to her black “mother” who cleaned for the Wells househol...more Rebecca Wells was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. “I grew up,” she says, “in the fertile world of story-telling, filled with flamboyance, flirting, futility, and fear.” Surrounded by Louisiana raconteurs, a large extended family, and Our Lady of Prompt Succor’s Parish, Rebecca’s imagination was stimulated at every turn. Early on, she fell in love with thinking up and acting in plays for her siblings—the beginnings of her career as an actress and writer for the stage. She recalls her early influences as being the land around her, harvest times, craw-fishing in the bayou, practicing piano after school, dancing with her mother and brothers and sister, and the close relationship to her black “mother” who cleaned for the Wells household. She counts black music and culture from Louisiana as something that will stay in her body’s memory forever.

In high school, she read Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” which opened her up to the idea that everything in life is a poem, and that, as she says, “We are not born separately from one another.” She also read “Howl,” Allen Ginsberg’s indictment of the strangling consumer-driven American culture he saw around him. Acting in school and summer youth theater productions freed Rebecca to step out of the social hierarchies of high school and into the joys of walking inside another character and living in another world.

The day after she graduated from high school, Rebecca left for Yellowstone National Park, where she worked as a waitress. It was an introduction to the natural glories of the park—mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and geysers—as well as to the art of hitchhiking.

Rebecca graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, where she studied theater, English, and psychology. She performed in many college plays, but also stepped outside the theater department to become awakened to women’s politics. During this time she worked as a cocktail waitress--once accidentally kicking a man in the shins when he slipped a ten-dollar bill down the front of her dress—and began keeping a journal after reading Anais Nin, which she has done ever since.

Click here to read more...

(less)

39 posts
Rebecca Wells's Blog

A Conversation with Robin Young

I had a fantastic time talking with Robin Young of National Public Radio recently. If you'd like to take a listen, just click the link below and then click on "listen to the story."

Here and Now

3 comments

• 4 likes · like •

Published on August 17, 2010 10:07 • 501 views

View all 39 posts »

combine editions
Rebecca Wells's Books

Average rating: 3.68 · 343,768 ratings · 5,114 reviews · 8 distinct works · Similar authors

	Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 avg rating — 311,167 ratings — published 1996 — 52 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Altars Everywhere 3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 avg rating — 19,015 ratings — published 1992 — 33 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ya Yas in Bloom 3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 avg rating — 6,848 ratings — published 2005 — 29 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder 3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 avg rating — 5,263 ratings — published 2009 — 17 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Little Altars Everywhere & Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood 3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 1,465 ratings — published 1999 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Best of LSU Fiction by Nolde Alexius (Editor), Judy Kahn (Editor), Andrei Codrescu 4.75 of 5 stars 4.75 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2010	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Out of the Mold: Independent Voices Breaking Out of the Mold by Jill S. Perlstein (Editor), Lynne Reid Banks (Contributor), David Holt (Contributor) 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1997	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Neal's Yard Remedies Homoeopathy (Neals Yard Remedies) by Neal's Yard Remedies, Rebecca Wells (Goodreads Author) 3.0 of 5 stars 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2007	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Rebecca Wells…

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Interviews

August 2009, Rebecca Wells
"I love the moon, and I always have. I have this horrible habit of staying up, almost all night long...so I love going outside and looking at the different phases of the moon and watching her grow—and I know I'm not the only person who does that. And I know that I am not the only woman who does this. " ...More

more interviews »

Rebecca’s Writing

What do you believe? (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated Aug 18, 2009 07:53pm

Description: What do you believe?

rss
Rebecca's Recent Updates

Rebecca Wells is now friends with Misha
Mar 16, 2011 04:36am · like
Rebecca Wells made a comment on A Conversation with Robin Young "Did you click on the underlined words "here and now"? That's a link."
Aug 22, 2010 07:22am · see blog post
Rebecca Wells made a comment on A Call From Out of the Blue "That is a blessing, De Anna!"
Jun 08, 2010 08:24am · see blog post
Rebecca Wells said "yes" to attending Book Club Girl Interview date: May 05, 2010 07:30AM location: BookClubGirl.com, n/a, Bronx, The United States description: Rebecca Wells talks live about not only the about-to-be-released paperback edition of The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, but also the entire Ya Ya series, which sparked a movement across the country and brought women together in friendship and support to discuss books, life and so much more.
Apr 12, 2010 01:10pm · like
Rebecca Wells added a status update: Love and romance found in CALLA: http://tiny.cc/tb9u5
Apr 08, 2010 06:46am · like · see status
Rebecca Wells rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property by Lewis Hyde (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 25, 2009 04:55pm
Rebecca Wells wrote What do you believe?: What do you believe? "Dahlin Dears, What a time of year, yes? The trees so full, the roses, oh the roses in full bloom. I have a weakness for lavender roses. I don’t know their names, but when I see them I swoon. (Not that I don’t swoon at other times whether I want to..." Read more of this chapter »
Aug 18, 2009 07:53pm · 3 likes · like
Rebecca Wells liked Sheri's review of The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder: " The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder was a heart warming memorable story. It is told through Calla Lily's eyes, from childhood on to adulthood. Family love, friendship and death all brought together in an unforgetable journey through one woman'... " Read more of this review »
Jul 27, 2009 08:33am · see review
Rebecca Wells liked a quote “Sidda can't help herself. She just loves books. Loves the way they feel, the way they smell, loves the black letters marching across the white pages...” — Rebecca Wells like
Jul 21, 2009 08:05am · more quotes by Rebecca Wells
Rebecca Wells rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 06, 2009 02:17pm

More of Rebecca's books…

Quotes by Rebecca Wells

“It’s life. You don’t figure it out. You just climb up on the beast and ride.”
― Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

tags: life

143 people liked it

“I try to believe," she said, "that God doesn't give you more than one little piece of the story at once. You know, the story of your life. Otherwise your heart would crack wider than you could handle. He only cracks it enough so you can still walk, like someone wearing a cast. But you've still got a crack running up your side, big enough for a sapling to grow out of. Only no one sees it. Nobody sees it. Everybody thinks you're one whole piece, and so they treat you maybe not so gentle as they could see that crack.”
― Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

95 people liked it

“Friends are supposed to act like harbor boats—let you know if you’re off course. But it ain’t always possible…”
― Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

tags: friendship

93 people liked it

See all Rebecca Wells's quotes »

Polls

The 2009 Goodreads Choice Awards: CHICK LIT

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

693 votes 23.5%

Twenties Girl A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

576 votes 19.6%

Best Friends Forever A Novel by Jennifer Weiner (Goodreads Author)

455 votes 15.4%

Pretty in Plaid A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase by Jen Lancaster

354 votes 12.0%

The Actor and the Housewife A Novel by Shannon Hale

281 votes 9.5%

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

233 votes 7.9%

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder A Novel by Rebecca Wells (Goodreads Author)

209 votes 7.1%

Commencement A Novel by J. Courtney Sullivan

145 votes 4.9%

2946 total votes

20 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
College Students! : Summer Challenge--Official Record of Points	43	613	Aug 31, 2009 08:41pm
Challenge: 50 Books: Revzonian's Reading Challenge 2009	31	182	Sep 07, 2009 07:27am
The Seasonal Read...: Math Tasks	77	262	Oct 02, 2009 04:19pm

More…

Quotes Rebecca Likes

“Sidda can't help herself. She just loves books. Loves the way they feel, the way they smell, loves the black letters marching across the white pages...”
― Rebecca Wells, Little Altars Everywhere

tags: books

59 people liked it

Add New
Videos

Rebecca's Bookshelves

Rebecca’s Friends (123)

Rebecca's Fans (849)

Rebecca Wells

Goodreads author profile

39 posts
Rebecca Wells's Blog

combine editions
Rebecca Wells's Books

Upcoming Events

Interviews

Rebecca’s Writing

rss
Rebecca's Recent Updates

Quotes by Rebecca Wells

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Quotes Rebecca Likes

Rebecca’s Friend Comments

Flag Abuse

Rebecca Wells

Goodreads author profile

Upcoming Events

Interviews

rssRebecca's Recent Updates

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Flag Abuse

rss
Rebecca's Recent Updates