So many things are appealing about the land, not just its connection to a famous author. Moore said: ''This is integral to protecting an amazing piece of land that is really a gem. ''Now is the time to make an offer that will be real attractive, because we can give the money without the conditions put on it by a developer,'' Mr. But the cost of the land itself was the main hurdle. They were impressed enough to commit $250,000 toward the purchase of an easement on the land for the town. Crider invited Anne Colby and a representative from the Trust for Public Land, Elizabeth Moore, to make a presentation to Southbury's selectmen. The Phillips family was integral in offering her a window onto country life she wouldn't have otherwise had.'' If the farm wasn't there, or if it were all woodlands instead, the books would have been completely different. Crider, who has also been inspired by Southbury's natural gifts to write. ''The Phillips Farm definitely was a major character in her books,'' said Mr. Tom Crider, president of the Southbury Land Trust, became interested in joining the fight to save the Phillips Farm, despite having his hands full with the purchase of the 142-acre Platt Farm. ''We wondered, 'Is there something we can do before the land is subdivided?' Because by, then it's too late. ''It started as neighbors meeting in the street, then in living rooms and then by e-mail,'' Ms. Colby has led the effort to preserve the spirit of Stillmeadow by organizing a group of neighbors to save the Phillips Farm. She was a professional, though, supporting her family when women writers simply did not have careers.'' ''She did not have an easy life and when she moved here in 1931, it was the start of the Depression. Gram found simple beauty in the everyday and she showed how to suffer loss and find solace. Her best writing was done here, about the people of Southbury and the countryside. She didn't hit her stride until she came here. Colby said: ''Gram found her voice at Stillmeadow. It is a remembrance of the good in past times.'' These tributes are updated daily on Web sites devoted to Gladys Taber's work.Ī typical e-mail message might read like the one from Drew Beckel of Pennsylvania: ''Stillmeadow is not just a place. When word got out that Stillmeadow was threatened, a torrent of concern and support poured in from fans all over the world.
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