THE AUTHOR

Rica Erickson began publishing books in 1951. Her first books were botanical and then later she moved to historical writing. Her writing reflected her desire to share her knowledge and to encourage the reader to be as interested in her subject as she was.

So when I wrote the orchid book I went over every word. I thought of every image that I could create that would make it clear to the average person…I interspersed essays with descriptions purposely so as to get people interested. Bob Royce, I think it was, in one of his comments on it, said he was sorry that I had put these in, it rather disturbed the botanists. I disagreed with him, and I kept going my own way. I put in little essays between groups of plants so as to - well, to get the people in, and because when I'm interested in and fascinated by something I want to share it with someone. If you want to share it with someone you have to make yourself understood and the first thing a writer or speaker must make sure is that the person who reads or listens understands what you're saying or writing. I wanted to make it sound as wonderful to them as it did to me. (Battye Library, OH 2528, p. 10)