Penguin.com has just announced a new program of  “Classics on Air” – the first program [and rightfully so!] is on “Why We Love Jane Austen” with Juliette Wells*, Alan Walker, and Stephen Morrison: listen in for this 30 minute episode…

 

 

Elda Rotor of Penguin Classics interviews Jane Austen scholar Juliette Wells about Austenmania, what it means to be a Janeite, etiquette in Austen’s time, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Alan Walker, head of academic marketing, introduces listeners to Excellent Women by Barbara Pym on “Reading the Classics from A to Z.” And Stephen Morrison, associate publisher and editor in chief of Penguin Books, offers up the opening to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in his segment, “First Pages.”

Also today, the Jane Austen Newsletter appeared in my email box, always a happy occurrence:  news items include an article on Sandy Lerner and the Chawton House Library; Jane Austen’s prayers by Linore Rose Birkard; Persuasion, the Twitter version; the National Gallery of Victoria exhibit of fashion during Jane Austen’s lifetime; a quiz on Austen manners; a reminder to vote in the Regency World Awards by June 30th; a follow-up on the production of the movie “Jane Austen Handheld“; and yet another article on the new book by Andrew Norman on Austen’s unrequited love…

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*Juliette Wells of Manhattanville College will be speaking at the 2009 JASNA AGM on “The Closeness of Sisters: Pride & Prejudice’s Influence on How We Imagine Jane and Cassandra.”