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Jane Austen Made Her Do It! ~ an Interview with Laurel Ann Nattress, blogger, author and friend ~ and a Book Giveaway!

BookLady Deb49 Comments

We are very fortunate today to welcome Laurel Ann Nattress, creator of the blog Austenprose,  and editor of the just released Jane Austen Made Me Do It, a collection of Austen-inspired short stories.  The book was just launched ~ on October 14, 2011 at the Fort Worth JASNA AGM!  

Hello Laurel Ann!  

A hearty welcome to you today as you trek around the world on your Grand Blog Tour!  A lovely time here in Vermont, so sorry we are doing this via cyberspace rather than a true visit over a hot cup of tea on a colorful fall day – but alas! this will have to do! 

Before we get to your new [and very exciting!] book, I’d like to start with a few general questions about you and Jane Austen. 

JAIV: Most of us in “Jane Austen Land” know you as the dedicated, enthusiastic, and insightful author / editor of the Austenprose blog.  Just give us a brief look into your personal history, your first experience with Jane Austen and why she has remained such an integral part of your life. 

LAN: Hi Deb, thanks for inviting me to chat with you today on Jane Austen inVermont. Can we have some of your famous Vermont maple syrup with the hot cup of tea?   

 *blushes* Your diplomacy in describing my Jane Austen output is very kind, but honestly, it is all just a wonderful outlet for my Austen obsession that began with the 1980 airing of PBS/BBC Fay Weldon television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I knew of Jane Austen previously, but that five hour miniseries was a life altering experience. Compelled to discover more works by this fabulous author, I read all of Austen’s novels and worshiped in silence. There is just something so intriguing about the Regency era; a simplicity and civility that is so refreshing to our complicated modern lives. Looking back is delightful – though, I do prefer modern conveniences such as the Internet, plumbing and social advances.

Austen has remained integral to my life because her characters have. Her astute observation of human nature is around me every day in my family, friends, people I meet through my work as a bookseller, and through my blog. I recently had an encounter with a modern-day Fanny Dashwood that I was much wiser of because of Austen’s portrayal of her in Sense and Sensibility. Austen makes me think – and learn – and I love the challenge.

JAIV:  Can I dare ask that always-asked / impossible-to-answer question – which is your favorite Austen novel and why? 

LAN: You are right Deb, this is an impossible-to-answer question! I could give the politically correct answer and say that my favorite Jane Austen novel is the one I am currently reading, but I won’t, and will go out on a limb and say it wavers between Mansfield Park and Lady Susan. Are you shocked? Oh, I do dearly love to laugh with Pride and Prejudice and get pierced through my soul with Persuasion, but I am one to root for the underdog, so I will stick with my first choices. I think I am drawn to the dark characters in both of these novels and how they are played against the plot. The novella Lady Susan is especially intriguing to me because it was an early work, not as developed and polished as her full novels, and its eponymous heroine is just out-and-out wicked. I would love to see it made into the next mini-series or movie. (hint, hint) 

JAIV:  I agree with you Laurel Ann – I do wonder why Lady Susan has never been made into a movie – casting it would be great fun!…

If you were to start an Austen library, what would you say are the essential works to have [the Complete Works and Lettersbeing a given]? 

LAN:  here you go for starters:

Fiction: Novels by her contemporaries of course: Ann Radcliffe: Fanny Burney, and Samuel Richardson, but also contemporary authors who continue her legacy: Georgette Heyer, Stephanie Barron, Lauren Willig and Syrie James to name only a few.  

Non-fiction: *walking to my bookshelves* My favorite biography: Jane Austen: A Life, by Claire Tomalin, and Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels, by Deirdre Le Faye. 

Reference Sources: For the Inner-librarian in us all: A Bibliography of Jane Austen, by David Gilson and for general Regency & Georgian culture: All Things Austen, by Kirstin Olsen. 

JAIV:  Your introduction contains many fine quotes from Austen’s works – if you could choose one quote from all her writings, what would be your favorite? 

LAN: From a letter to her sister, Cassandra – 13 May, 1801 

‘Another stupid party last night; perhaps if larger they might be less intolerable, but here there were only just enough to make one card-table, with six people to look on and talk nonsense to each other.’ 

The whole letter is just a cut up of the characters and family in the neighborhood. I enjoy seeing her unguarded and making sport of the humanity that surrounded her. Jane Austen did not suffer fools gladly, which probably got her into trouble with her family. It may be one of the main reasons that her sister destroyed much of their personal correspondence.  

JAIV:  So now let’s talk about your book, Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart: 

This is your first venture into editing and publishing – please tell us about how this all came about? – a dream-come-true really, isn’t it? 

LAN: Indeed a dream project Deb, that came about because of my blog Austenprose. Isn’t the Internet grand? It (and the movies) has opened up Austen to a wider audience. 

I feature many book reviews and author interviews on my blog, and as I continued to work with them, I saw a thread connecting them and my passion for Jane Austen. They were all so enthusiastic about her work and how Austen had inspired them. One day, out of the blue, I thought to myself, “Why couldn’t I edit an anthology of Austen-inspired stories? I could ask all of the authors that I had worked with to contribute a story!” 

Of course, my biggest challenge was if I could find a publisher, so I reached out to some of the authors I knew for advice. Before I could write up a book proposal, I was contacted by a literary agent who wrote to me in appreciation of the work I had done promoting his client.  I thought about it for about 10 seconds, and then I seized the opportunity at once, called him inNew York, and pitched my idea to him.  He loved it.  So did Random House.  I had a book deal within a week and twenty authors lined up in about a month.  It was truly a day when my stars and planets aligned and magic happened.

JAIV:  I love subtitles – they give the author an opportunity to give a real hint of what’s inside, a well-worded tug on the reader.  Your title of Jane Austen Made Me Do Itis just brilliant, and the subtitle defining Jane Austen as an “astute observer of the human heart” is in itself an astute description of our favorite author – how long did it take to come up with this title, or was it always floating around in your head? 

LAN: I must give all the credit of the title to my agent, Mitchell Waters.  He thought of Jane Austen Made Me Do It and presented it to my editor who loved it.  The subtitle arose from some of my writing on my blog that my editor was struck by.  She elaborated and lengthened it. I liked it, so we used it.

JAIV:  And, I love the cover, a creative way of getting all those words onto the cover without looking wordy! – and the young lady in forward motion, almost saying to us, “come on, let’s look inside, shall we?”  How much input did you have on the cover design and other physical aspects of the book? 

LAN: Cover design is an art. I see hundreds of new ones arrive monthly at my job as a bookseller.  Some just jump out at you from the new release tables. Others, not so much.  The first time I saw the cover design for Jane Austen Made Me Do It I was taken aback.  It was striking and so different than any other cover I had seen. 

Authors have very little input on cover design or marketing.  We are just the talent.  The publisher is the sales professional.  The only thing that I requested to change was the ribbon color from orange to pink and that they add a grosgrain texture.  I was relieved when they agreed and I think the end result is amazing.

JAIV:  I know you are familiar with many of the Austen-inspired fiction writers, either through their works or befriending them through your blog – how ever did you choose from the many excellent authors out there? And what was the writing requirement you posed to them?

LAN: Since the 1995 A&E/BBC airing of Pride and Prejudice staring the dishy Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, the output of Austen-inspired novels has created a new book genre – Austenesque.  We all have our favorite authors that we personally connect with and want to read over and over.  The same is true for me of Austen-inspired novels.  It took me about 15 minutes to compile a list of my dream authors for my editor to look through.  Happily she agreed with all of them and added a few new authors that she knew admired Jane Austen.  The day I sent out the email query was amazing.  Within ten minutes I had my first response from Lauren Willig.  She was ecstatic.  Everyone that I had worked with previously said yes over the next few days.  Within a month, we had our line-up set. 

I was pretty open with the requirements with the authors.  The story needed to be about five thousand words in length, but other than that, they could write in any genre and era.  I threw this quote at them and let them loose. 

“[S]uppose as much as you chuse; give a loose to your fancy, indulge your imagination in every possible flight which the subject will afford,” Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, Ch 60. 

JAIV:  The variety and diversity of these stories is quite amazing, all connected to Jane Austen in some way – she is either in the story or her presence is felt in some way; there are historical tales and contemporary tales; some of her characters are revisited; there are love stories and ghost stories, we get to visit with Stephanie Barron’s (and Jane’s!) favorite gentleman Lord Harold Trowbridge again!, and even The Beatles make an appearance! – were you surprised by this so very wide range of tales?? and how so? 

LAN: Yes, I was entirely surprised and delighted by the diversity. We had hoped for about half historical and half contemporary stories so that it would appeal to a wider audience.  The authors sent me their ideas and I encouraged them in certain directions.  When the stories started arriving, I was thrilled with the result.  There were very few re-writes and then copy editing followed for all.  It took about two years from concept to curtain.  All of my authors, except for the short story contest winner, were polished pros.  They came though like champions. 

JAIV:  How ever did you figure out the order of stories? 

LAN: This was entirely my choice.  It was gut instinct really and a bit of formula that will remain a secret! ;-)

JAIV:  There are twenty-two stories, written by known published authors – all but one that is –  “The Love Letter” by Brenna Aubrey [which I have to say is in my top three list – will say which in my review!), winner of the short story contest  – tell us about the process of that contest and the difficulties in choosing just this one from so many entries? 

LAN: The Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest was also entirely my idea.  I thought it in keeping with Jane Austen’s dedication of her craft to inspire novice and unpublished authors to write.  It was held online at the Republic of Pemberley last January. The stories were submitted and posted on the contest board and the public voted on the Top Ten. Those finalists advanced to the review by my editor and me with my agent stepping in if there was a tie. 

We were blown over by the response.  Eighty-eight stories were submitted. They were amazing.  Selecting the Grand Prize Winner was quite a challenge, but from the moment I had read Brenna Aubrey’s “The Love Letter,” I knew that it was very special.  I was thrilled that it made it into the Top Ten and that my editor loved it too.  You can still read the stories online – so please check them out. 

JAIV:  You have not published a book before.  Here you had to choose and edit the stories; write the introduction; add in author bios; create and implement a marketing strategy to include the book’s website, PR materials [bookmarks and posters and magnets, oh my!); launch the book, etc! – what in this whole process surprised you the most? Discouraged you the most? Inspired you the most? 

LAN: You are so observant Deb.  Jane Austen has taught you well.  Yes, there is a huge process to bring a book to publication and market it.  I had seen the end product – the sales part of it – when a book hits the bookstore.  I also had been involved in the marketing end while working with publishers and authors on my blog, but I knew nothing about the process before that. 

One hears horror stories about the long road to publication.  Our dear Jane Austen had her own trials before Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811. As I mentioned previously, I presented my idea to a literary agent who took the chance on an unpublished blogger and connected me with the perfect editor at Random House who loved the idea.  Working with Caitlin was so encouraging.  She is very positive and nurturing for a new editor.  Her expertise and instincts guided me to many of my decisions.  I was surrounded by an amazing team of agent, editor and authors.  I am very grateful and am so pleased with the result.  

JAIV:  Jane Austen Made Me Do It officially launched on Friday, October 14, 2011 in the Barnes & Noble in Fort Worth, Texas, during the JASNA AGM.  Please tell us about this evening – the whole event, who came, what was said, what yousaid, questions asked, etc… 

LAN: I could write a whole blog (and will) on the eventful book launch. Here it is in a nutshell: in attendance were Pamela Aidan, Stephanie Barron, Carrie Bebris, Syrie James, Janet Mullany, Margaret Sullivan and me.  It was the trifecta of Jane Austen book launches with two of my anthology authors: Carrie Bebris and Janet Mullany also sharing the limelight launching their new titles: The Deception at Lyme and Jane Austen Blood Persuasion.  I was very nervous.  I had never spoken in public before.  I was told I was as white as a sheet, but that my talk went off well.  We had about 150 in attendance, many of which were attendees of the JASNA conference.  I inscribed a lot of books that night.  It was surreal. 

JAIV:  What is next for you with this book? – any more launch parties? book talks? etc?

LAN: I have my local book launch for Jane Austen Made Me Do It on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at Barnes & Noble in Lynnwood, WA.  This is my store (I work there) so it is particularly eventful to celebrate with friends and family and co-workers.  I have other events in the queue, but I do get a rest for a while, which I really need after weeks of build-up and writing 32 blogs for my Grand Tour of the blogosphere! Phew!

JAIV:  And now that you have had this first publishing experience, what is your next project? – would you do another such anthology? and what would you say was the most valuable lesson you learned this first time out? i.e. what is your best advice to a would-be writer? 

LAN: I have two projects that are in development.  One is an anthology and the other is a new kind of annotated edition of Austen. I will leave you hanging in suspense Deb! 

JAIV:  You and I have had numerous discussions on the popular culture aspect of Jane Austen today: the movies, the continuations, the sequels, prequels, retellings, the comic books and graphic renditions, the mash-ups and the paraphernalia, the you-tubes, the facebook and twitter pages and blogs – the list is endless as you know! – so what would you say to the person most horrified by these reincarnations of Jane Austen, these 21st century takes on her classic literary talents, that person who wants her and her characters left in peace, that person who will re-read the originals over and over before daring to tread into these murky insane waters of popular culture – what can you say to them so they might be encouraged to read these works, to hopefully discover your book to be a fine start?! 

LAN: The Austen purist is a tough convert. If they enjoy the original author only and do not want to try anyone else, I can only add that I hope they might consider branching out and being adventuresome. I hope that they might be tempted by my anthology because it was written in the spirit of Jane Austen’s ideals of creativity and craft development.  It might just make them laugh – and even Austen’s self-elevating heroine Emma Woodhouse, who she feared no one would like but herself, is appealing because she has the keen sense of laughing at the sublimely ridiculous Mr. Elton: 

“After this speech he was gone as soon as possible. Emma could not think it too soon; for with all his good and agreeable qualities, there was a sort of parade in his speeches which was very apt to incline her to laugh. She ran away to indulge the inclination, leaving the tender and the sublime of pleasure to Harriet’s share.” Emma, Chapter 9

JAIV:  And finally, if you weren’t reading Jane Austen, if heaven-forbid there never had been a Jane Austen [gasp!], what would you be doing?

LAN: I would be obsessed with James Fenimore Cooper. The Last of the Mohicans is actually Sense and Sensibility with guns, Indians and red coats! But that is a whole other blog post, right? 

JAIV:  Indeed it is!  Thank you Laurel Ann for so graciously answering all my questions! I wish you the best of everything with this book – I loved it and will post a review in the coming week…

LAN: It was my pleasure Deb.  Thanks for your inspiring questions.  Hope to meet you again soon to share that cup of tea and more musings on our favorite author! 

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About the editor:

 Laurel Ann, on the right, with Syrie James, one of the anthology
authors, at the JASNA AGM in Fort Worth

A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress. 

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0345524966 

Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It 

Enter a chance to win one copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by midnight October 26, 2011 [i.e. the morning of the 27th], stating what intrigues you about reading an Austen-inspired short story anthology. Winners to be drawn at random and announced on October 27th, 2011.  Open to all and will ship internationally.  Good luck to everyone!

 Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum, at Jane Austen in Vermont
Books · Jane Austen · Jane Austen Popular Culture · Jane Austen Societies · JASNA · Museum Exhibitions · News

The Penny Post Weekly Review ~ All Things Jane Austen

BookLady Deb4 Comments

The Penny Post Weekly Review

  October 1, 2011

Thoughts: 

Vermont as you know suffered unfathomable damage from the winds and rain of Irene.  We were largely spared here in the Burlington area, but other parts of the state were hammered – you have seen the many pictures on the national news of flooding, senseless deaths, extensive property damage to homes and businesses and farms, covered bridges falling into the rivers – it has been a nightmare – but now the big concern is that the greater world thinks that Vermont is “boarded up” so to speak – not a place to visit this fall, that season that brings the annual leaf-peepers to our lovely state – so I take a minute here to give a shout-out for the State of Vermont – We Are Open for Business! – road crews have been working non-stop to get roads and towns back into shape – so if you want to help out in any way, hop in your car [or plane or train or bike] and come for a visit, go to the restaurants and eat local, shop in the stores  (buy books from the local bookshops!), walk in the woods, hike the mountains – it is all here, just as before, and we are waiting with open arms!

 

You can visit this website for information on I am Vermont Strong: http://www.iamvermontstrong.com/  where you can buy a t-shirt to help the recovery! – and a  fine example of social networking sites making a difference: 

the Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/VermontStrong

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So, a few events of interest, set in Vermont:

[image – Richard and Gordon]

 Bringing the music of PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND to Vermont…

Richard Wood & Gordon Belsher 

Come and spend an evening of fiddling, singing and tapping
your toes to a mix of Irish, Scottish and Maritime tunes. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8th, 2011
7:30pm
RICHMOND FREE LIBRARY
201 Bridge St
RICHMOND,VT

Tickets $15 per person (kids under 14 FREE)
Emailpeihouseconcertinvt [at] comcast [dot] net or
call 802-324-0092 for more information
Light refreshments will be provided 

Richard Wood : http://www.rwood.ca 
Gordon Belsher: http://www.guernseycove.ca 

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Our very own Burlington Country Dancers ~ their Fall schedule: 

Elley-Long Music Center, 223 Ethan Allen Avenue, Colchester,VT
First and Third Fridays (Sept. thru May) w/ LIVE MUSIC
7pm – 7:30pm Session for more experienced dancers – $1
7:30pm – 9:30pm Dancing for all – $8 ($5 student/under 30) 

2011 DATES (All Fridays):

  • Sept. 16 ~ Impropriety (Lar Duggan, McKinley James, Laura Markowitz, Ana Ruesink)
  • Oct. 7 ~ Old Stage Road (Carol Compton, Albert Joy, Margaret Smith)
  • Oct. 21 ~ Lar Duggan, Dominique Gagne, Peter MacFarlane
  • Nov. 4 ~ Aaron Marcus, McKinley James, Laura Markowitz, Ana Ruesink
  • Nov. 18 ~ DANCE PARTY with Guest Teacher Tom Amesse (from NYC) and with Frost & Fire (Hollis Easter, Viveka Fox, Aaron Marcus)
  • Dec. 2 ~ Old Stage Road (Carol Compton, Albert Joy, Margaret Smith)
  • Dec. 16 ~ Aaron Marcus, McKinley James, Laura Markowitz, Ana Ruesink

~ All dances taught & walked through by Wendy Gilchrist, Martha Kent, Val Medve ~ Casual dress ~ Please bring a sweet or savory ‘finger food’ snack ~ We change partners frequently throughout the evening, so there’s no need to bring your own partner (a Mr. Darcy might be lurking, or is that a Mr. Knightley without a partner?…) 

See their website for more information:  http://www.burlingtoncountrydancers.org/

And save the date for the next Across the Lake weekend event:  June 8-10, 2012

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UVM’s OLLI Program: English Country Dancing in Jane Austen’s World
Instructor: Judy Chaves
Date: Mondays, October 24, 31,  November 7 and 14
Time: 5:30-7pm
Location: Ira Allen Chapel (October 31 in Waterman Lounge) at UVM
Price: Members – $60 / Non-members – $85

Do you enjoy 19th-century British literature? If you’ve ever read any of Jane Austen’s novels or seen any of the recent film adaptations, you know that English country dance plays a prominent role in the culture of the time. The forerunner of American contra dance, English country dance is done in two facing lines (sometimes in squares, less often in circles) and requires no more than a knowledge of left from right and the ability and willingness to move to simply wonderful music. Through a combination of lecture (not much) and dance (as much as we can), you’ll learn the basics of the dance, gain an insider’s appreciation of the vital role it played in the lives of Austen’s characters, understand the etiquette and logistics underpinning Austen’s dance scenes–and have a great deal of fun in the process. You may come by yourself or as a couple!

For more info: 
http://learn.uvm.edu/osher/?age=fulllist3.html&SM=campus_submenu.html

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 A Jane Austen Lecture: Norwich Public Library, November 2, 2011, 7pm 

In Want of a Wife: Romance and Realism in Pride and Prejudice 

Jane Austen is considered a realist of social relations – and yet, Pride and Prejudice incorporates an element of the fairy tale: it fulfills the wishes of its poor and not conspicuously beautiful heroine.  Dartmouth Professor Emeritus James Heffernan examines how Jane Austen does it. 

[Part of the Vermont Humanities Council 1st Wednesdays program] – visit here for more information on this and other events: http://www.vermonthumanities.org/

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 News & Gossip ~ JASNA style: 

The AGM in Fort Worth is only a week and half away! [and alas! I am without proper attire! – though my jeans and cowgirl boots are at the ready!] – check out the meeting link at JASNA website for the schedule and latest news: http://jasna.org/agms/fortworth/index.html

But even if your attire may not be quite proper, you can improve your mind by extensive reading: – here is the JASNA reading list for Sense and Sensibility [most available online]: http://jasna.org/agms/news-articles/about-ss-reading.html 

Next year’s 2012 AGM is in New York City, “Sex, Money and Power” – Call for papers has been issued – due by November 1, 2011: http://jasna.org/news_events/call_for_papers-ny-agm.html

The winners of the annual essay context have been named – visit here to read the three top essays, all on S&S: http://jasna.org/essaycontest/2011/index.html 


Books I am Looking Forward To: 

The 4th edition of Jane Austen’s Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye is due November 2011 from Oxford UP:  [image]http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/LiteratureEnglish/BritishLiterature/19thC/?view=usa&ci=9780199576074# 

This new fourth edition incorporates the findings of recent scholarship to further enrich our understanding of Austen and give us the fullest and most revealing view yet of her life and family. In addition, Le Faye has written a new preface, has amended and updated the biographical and topographical indexes, has introduced a new subject index, and had added the contents of the notes to the general index.  [from the Oxford UP website]

Marvel Comics  has done it again – this time Northanger Abbey, hitting the stores on November 9, 2011  http://marvel.com/comic_books/issue/41718/northanger_abbey_2011_1

 

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen; with illustrations by Niroot Puttapipat (11 colour and 21 b&w silhouettes); Palazzo Editions: September 2011; £20

Link here for an article on this new edition: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/palazzo-celebrate-200-years-austen.html

Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine from Yale UP: http://www.yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300175813

 http://yalebooks.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/infinite-jest-new-yale-book-examines-the-art-of-the-caricature/


Websites  worth a look:

Music:

Gillian Dooley’s website Jane Austen’s Music, where you can download various pieces: https://sites.google.com/site/janeaustensmusic/home 

And for the Mary Crawford wannabe in you: Paul Lewis : JANE AUSTEN SUITE for harp solo – Four movements: Prologue; Country Dance; Romance; Ride away. Goodmusic GM058: http://www.goodmusicpublishing.co.uk/info/default.aspx?id=GM058  

In 1998, inspired by close acquaintance with two antique gilded harps, I decided to compose a work in a style that would remind them of their younger days! To think myself into a thoroughly Regency frame of mind I played through antique music books until I was so immersed in the style of the period that I could close the books and continue playing in the same vein without any anachronistic intrusions. The books were a leather-bound volume of popular piano salon pieces by long-forgotten composers, written out in a neat copperplate ink script: “The Manuscript Books of Mary Heberden, Datchett Lodge, 1819 & 1826” and a similar collection of harp pieces compiled by one Eliza Euphrosina Saris at about the same time. By these means I hope to have produced music of the kind which Jane Austen might have imagined her fictional heroines playing, the sort of music that all well-bred young Regency ladies would have wanted to perform before an admiring audience, no doubt silhouetted with their harps before the French windows, making the most of the opportunity to display their slender fingers upon the strings and their delicate ankles as they moved the pedals. (Paul Lewis)

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Museum Trekking: 

Bath Preservation Trust:  the website links on No. 1 Royal Crescent: The Whole Story Project – some great images here:

http://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/index.php?id=136

Royal Crescent Kitchen

and through October 30, there is a Jane Austen exhibition:  Putting Pen to Paper:

 This special temporary exhibition brought to you from the Bath Preservation Trust includes a rare set of Jane Austen’s first editions on loan from a private collection. Visitors to this inspirational exhibition can learn more about the life of Jane’s novels as the story reveals the craftsmanship of book production in the 18th century and the importance of reading in Jane Austen’s Bath. 

This exhibition will be the first opportunity to see a complete collection of Jane Austen’s first editions in Bath. These treasures will be exhibited alongside tools used in the book binding process. Stamps and rollers will show the exquisite designs used by gilders to create the perfect library for their clients. Beautifully coloured illustrations from later editions will highlight Jane’s narrative, defining her characteristic hallmark of accuracy and attention to detail. 

Visit: http://www.bptlearning.org.uk/index.php?page=125 

And while there, stop by at the link on Bath Maps: 

http://www.bptlearning.org.uk/index.php?cat=41

National Portrait Gallery:

if lucky to be in London, do not miss the exhibition on The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons, 20 October 2011 – 8 January 2012 

[Image: Mrs. Robinson as Perdita]

 Yale Center for British Art:  an exhibit on John Zoffany begins October 27, 2011.  http://britishart.yale.edu/exhibitions/johan-zoffany-ra-society-observed – Zoffany [1733-1810]- a painter of many Georgian families, including Queen Charlotte:


On My Bedside Table: [I heartily confess to a table full of fan fiction! – and thoroughly enjoying all! – more on each in the coming weeks…]

And here is a book I just discovered: My Brother and I, a Jane Austen Sequel from a Completely Different Viewpoint [i.e. Edward Benton the farrier’s apprentice, employed at Pemberley], by Cornelis de Jong  – go here for more info http://sites.google.com/site/corneliswriter/  [this one I might send to my kindle…]

For fun: 

With thanks to the always interesting Two Nerdy History Girls: take a few moments to watch both these very funny videos from the BBC– a spoof of Downton Abbey “Uptown Downstairs Abbey” and almost as good as the real thing! – these will just have to do until we here in the US “patiently” wait for the real season 2 next year : http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-time-again-for-downton-abbey-silly.html 

[and watch out for Kim Cattrall hiding behind her dark locks and the perpetually falling butler!]

Have a fine week one and all!

Books · Jane Austen · Jane Austen Popular Culture · Jane Austen Sequels

Book Launch! ~ Persuade Me by Juliet Archer

BookLady Deb2 Comments

Juliet Archer’s new book in her series “Darcy & Friends” will be released in the UK on September 15th.  Persuade Me is the second in this series that takes us into the world of Jane Austen’s novels,  fast-forwarded into the 21st century and much into the minds of her male heroes.  As in her first book, The Importance of Being Emma,  where Ms. Archer gave us an engaging the tale of a modern-day Emma and her Mr. Knightley [you can read my review here], her new book tells of Anna Elliot and Rick Wentworth:

When do you let your heart rule your head? 

As far as men are concerned, Anna Elliot is stuck in the past.
No one can compare to Rick Wentworth,
the man she was persuaded to give up eight years ago.

 Meanwhile, Rick’s moved on – and up.
He’s got a successful career and a carefully controlled love life
where his heart doesn’t get a look in. 

The words ‘forgive and forget’ aren’t in Rick’s vocabulary.
The word ‘regret’ is definitely in Anna’s.
When they meet again, can she persuade him
that their lost love is worth a second chance?

[from Juliet Archer’s website]

Can’t wait to read this and see what she makes of Captain Wentworth!  Stay tuned for my review…

Available at The Book Depository and Amazon.co.uk.

For more information:

For those of you lucky enough to be in Bath for the Jane Austen Festival, note that Ms. Archer will be conducting walking tours of Jane Austen’s Bath – Friday 16th September and Sunday 18th September. Tickets from Waterstone’s in Bath.

Copyright @2011 by Deb Barnum of Jane Austen in Vermont
Book reviews · Books · Jane Austen · Jane Austen Popular Culture · Jane Austen Sequels · Regency England · Social Life & Customs

Mini Book Review ~ Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, by Karen Doornebos

BookLady Deb3 Comments

Chloe Parker was born two centuries too late. A thirty-nine-year-old divorced mother, she runs her own antique letterpress business, is a lifelong member of the Jane Austen Society, and gushes over everything Regency. But her business is failing, threatening her daughter’s future. What’s a lady to do? Why, audition for a Jane Austen-inspired TV show set in England, of course.

What Chloe thinks is a documentary turns out to be a reality dating show set in 1812. Eight women are competing to snare Mr. Wrightman, the heir to a gorgeous estate—and a one-hundred-thousand-dollar prize. So Chloe tosses her bonnet into the ring, hoping to transform from stressed-out Midwestern mom to genteel American heiress and win the money.

With no cell phones, indoor plumbing, or deodorant to be found, she must tighten her corset and flash some ankle to beat out women younger, more cutthroat, and less clumsy than herself. But the witty and dashing Mr. Wrightman proves to be a prize worth winning, even if it means the gloves are off…

[from the author’s website and publisher’s release]

 I often have trouble with sequels, and there are so many lately that my head spins just looking at the booklist! – I do marvel at the originality of all these writers wanting to re-tell in some fashion all that Jane Austen left unsaid, but in all honesty I want Austen’s characters left alone, to be returned to in their original state with a good solid re-read when I choose [though I am also of the school that says ‘no criticizing if you haven’t read the book’…!].  I find more to my taste the Austen-inspired fiction the likes of “Lost in Austen”, where the plot offers new characters, fresh dialogue, and inspired plots, where you are taken into Jane Austen’s world, either as a 21st century soul trying to adapt to what we think we know of the Regency Period and on that endless search for a character like Mr. Darcy, or Henry Tilney or Captain Wentworth (sigh…) – or perhaps a Willoughby if you are so inclined! – or where we are taken into her world where we meet a fictional Jane herself, as in Stephanie Barron’s creative mysteries.  Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Bridget Jones Diary, Austenland and The Man Who Loved Jane Austen  are all of this genre, and thankfully, all leave the original works quite at peace. 

The problem is that these too all start to look alike – the klutzy independent Heroine with “life issues” somehow transported into the early 1800s and found struggling against the social (and fashion!) restrictions of the times.  Definitely Not Mr. Darcy is the latest entrant in this genre:  I quote Publisher’s Weekly: 

Doornebos gives the historical romance a hilarious update in this delightful debut… The amusing secondary characters, sidesplitting faux pas, and fiery romance will make Doornebos an instant hit with readers.

 And from Romantic Times: 

Doornsbos brings readers a fresh take on Jane Austen’s world.  Mixing reality television with Regency-style romance, this tale combines a fun plot with witty dialogue, charming characters and a strong-willed heroine.  It will leave you laughing in delight and reluctant to put it down until the last page is read.

And “fresh take” though it is, one can’t help feeling “I’ve been here before.”  Ms. Doornebos states herself in the acknowledgments that she was mostly done with her writing before she even knew about the reality show “Regency House Party.”  And far too many of the characters do seem clichéd: the handsome Lord and Hero; his almost-but-not-quite dorky brother; the glamorous but really nasty American-bashing contestant; the side players with their own back stories that continually confuse the Heroine as to the truth vs. the play script; the borderline cruelty of the producer; and the Heroine, the all-American with a messy life who just needs to win the money (and a Lord on the side would be nice…), caught between this reality and her need for True Love.  Sound familiar??

Well, that’s ok – even Georgette Heyer rewrote her own formula fiction over and over again and alas! it is summer, and what better way to spend such a summer’s day than laying about with a quick read that has an engaging plot with a few twists, a Heroine you do root for as she falls into one mishap after another (she is often very wet and suffers various fainting fits!), and that irresistible Regency setting! And you will laugh out loud – the Cook, the Chaperone, the Maid, and a Footman or two who instruct and keep our Heroine in strict social compliance round out the story – you will learn the “language of the fan”, various fashion secrets, letter-writing etiquette (though this one glaring error: the constant reference to “envelopes” – yikes!) – the hated needlework assignments, side-saddle riding, a few archery lessons, the rules of dining and enough about Regency era food to turn any committed carnivore into a vegetarian, and several opportunities for dancing (the waltz!). 

Can’t tell more – would ruin your fun – just go and get yourself “lost in Austen” for a few hours and discover just how Doornebos fashions her Darcy for this latest Austen-obsessed Heroine. You won’t be disappointed! 

4 out of 5 Full Inkwells 

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, by Karen Doornebos
New York: Berkley, 2011
Release date:  September 6, 2011
ISBN:  978-0-425-24382-4 

Website:    http://karendoornebos.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/KarenDoornebos

 Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum, of Jane Austen in Vermont 
Books · Collecting Jane Austen · Jane Austen · Jane Austen Popular Culture · Jane Austen Sequels · News

The Jane Austen Made Me Do It Website Unveiling!

BookLady Deb1 Comment

Congratulations to Laurel Ann of Austenprose fame on today’s unveiling of her new website!  Laurel Ann is the editor of a new Jane Austen anthology,  Jane Austen Made Me Do It – follow her tale on the journey to publication!  meet with the 22 authors included in the anthology!  read the short story summaries! subscribe to the blog! enter to win a copy of the book!  Click here to become part of the story yourself!

Best wishes to you Laurel Ann! – cannot wait for the official launch in Fort Worth at the JASNA-AGM! Offical release date is October 11, 2011 – but you can pre-order your copy now:

Ballantine Books
Trade paperback (464) pages
ISBN: 978-0345524966
Available: 11 October 2011
$15.00

Pre-order the book at your local book store, or:

• Barnes & Noble
• Amazon
• IndieBound
• Book Depository
• Random House

Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum of Jane Austen in Vermont
Books · Fashion & Costume · Jane Austen · Jane Austen Popular Culture · Jane Austen Sequels · JASNA · Literature · Museum Exhibitions · News · Regency England

The Penny Post Weekly Review ~ All Things Austen!

BookLady Deb1 Comment

The Penny Post Weekly Review

  22 August 2011 

News & Gossip: 

-The Austenesque Extravaganza continues on a daily basis at the  Austenesque Reviews  blog – stop by to participate in the fun and comment to win the various giveaways ! through August: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com/

-The Jane Austen Fan Kit for your iphone: an absolute must-have!http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jane-austen-fan-kit/id455959904?mt=8 

-The BBC Four: Elegance and Decadence: Age of the Regency http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-29231 – how I hate we don’t get BBC Four; you can get more information to whet your appetite and /or get really depressed you don’t live in the UK at Lucy Worsley’s blog:  http://www.lucyworsley.com/blog/im-hanging-up-my-red-regency-dress/

-But do not completely despair: we do have this on BBC America – The Hour -a six-week series – I loved the first one aired this past week [wednesday night at 10 here in Vermont] – it is peopled with Austen “graduates”: Juliet Stevenson [the perfect Austen narrator], Anna Chancelor[Miss Bingley in 1995, following her role as “Duckface” in Four Weddings and a Funeral [Hugh Grant], and Romola Garai, the latest “Emma’ … http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/444/index.jsp

-More on the Pride and Prejudice,  The Musical – this time a lovely personal story with a military twist – a tale of Jane Austen bringing people together [as she does do well…]:  http://www.facebook.com/notes/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-a-musical/isnt-love-wonderful-a-soldiers-perspective-of-pp/253926927962318
[fromJASNA-NY] 

Frances Burney

-The Frances Burney Society invites submissions for the Hemlow Prize in Burney Studies,

… named in honour of the late Joyce Hemlow, whose biography of Frances Burney and edition of her journals and letters are among the foundational works of eighteenth-century literary scholarship. The Hemlow Prize will be awarded to the best essay written by a graduate student on any aspect of the life or writings of Frances Burney or members of the Burney Family. The essay, which can be up to 6,000 words, should make a substantial contribution to Burney scholarship.  The Prize will be awarded in October 2011.  Submissions must be received by September 1, 2011. 

 See here for more details: http://burneycentre.mcgill.ca/burneysociety.html [scroll down for the information]


JASNA News: 

-The JASNA-Vermont September meeting, when we will be hosting JASNA president Iris Lutz, will be once again part of the Burlington Book Festival:  http://burlingtonbookfestival.com/  Iris will be presenting her talk “ ‘in proportion to their family and income’: Houses in Jane Austen’s Life and Fiction.” Join us if you can [more information forthcoming]

-Laurel Ann at Austenprose attended the 20th anniversary of the Puget Sound JASNA Region and tells the tale here:  http://austenprose.com/2011/08/19/jasna-puget-sound-celebrates-its-20th-anniversary/

 
The Circulating Library:

House of Lords - Pugin & Rowlandson - Ackermann print

–see the Rudolph Ackermann information at the Town and Country in Miniature online collection at Augustana College Special Collections: http://www.augustana.edu/SpecialCollections/colorplate/ackermann.html[see the other parts of this exhibit as well]
Websites  & Blogs:

-The Rice Portrait website:  http://www.janeaustenriceportrait.co.uk/#

-Prinny’s Tailor: a blog by Charles Bazalgette about his ‘many greats’ grandfather Louis Bazalgette who was tailor to the Prince Regent for 32 years.  This blog follows his research – the book is due out next year: http://chasbaz.posterous.com/

-Jane Austen week of old fashioned dolls and Regency dresses:  http://oldfashiondolls.blogspot.com/2011/08/jane-austen-week-day-5.html

-Georgian Gentleman blog:  http://georgiangentleman.posterous.com/?page=1 You can find information on his “Journal of a Georgian Gentleman” here: http://mikerendell.com/book.html 


–Robert Rodi of Bitch in a  Bonnet:Reclaiming Jane Austen from the stiffs, the snobs, the simps and the saps  seems to be back in full swing blogging about his take on Mansfield Park: visit if you can and see Fanny redeemed! – http://bitchinabonnet.blogspot.com/


Regency Life & Fashion:

-Fashion:  Getting Dressed in the 18th Century:  love this!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCrn8YrVufU [[from the Jane Austen Centre Newsletter]

-Colonial Williamsburg’s online exhibition: just a lovely compilation!
Historic Threads: Three Centuries of Clothing
http://www.history.org/history/museums/clothingexhibit/museum_intro.cfm

 [Courtesy Colonial Williamsburg website]

-An exhibition at Fairfax House in York:
REVOLUTIONARY FASHION 1790 – 1820 [from August 29 through
December 31, 2011]: http://www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk/?idno=687&id=91

 


Book Thoughts:

-Hurray! Stephanie Barron’s latest Jane Austen mystery: http://www.stephaniebarron.com/canterbury-tale.php – this one featuring her brother Edward:


-The Twelfth Enchantment, by David Liss:  this one I could not resist ordering and it arrived today in my mailbox! – will let you know how it fares…

Lucy Derrick is a young woman of good breeding and poor finances. After the death of her beloved father, she is forced to maintain a shabby dignity as the unwanted boarder of her tyrannical uncle, fending off marriage to a local mill owner. But just as she is on the cusp of accepting a life of misery, events take a stunning turn when a handsome stranger—the poet and notorious rake Lord Byron—arrives at her house, stricken by what seems to be a curse, and with a cryptic message for Lucy. Suddenly her unfortunate circumstances are transformed in ways at once astonishing and seemingly impossible.

With the world undergoing an industrial transformation, and with Englandon the cusp of revolution, Lucy is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy in which her life, and her country’s future, are in the balance. Inexplicably finding herself at the center of cataclysmic events, Lucy is awakened to a world once unknown to her: where magic and mortals collide, and the forces of ancient nature and modern progress are at war for the soul of England. . . and the world. The key to victory may be connected to a cryptic volume whose powers of enchantment are unbounded.

Now, challenged by ruthless enemies with ancient powers at their command, Lucy must harness newfound mystical skills to prevent catastrophe and preserve humanity’s future. And enthralled by two exceptional men with designs on her heart, she must master her own desires to claim the destiny she deserves.

[From his website:  http://davidliss.com/ ]

But see this interview at The Big Thrill where he talks about Jane Austen [and why we are here after all…]  http://www.thebigthrill.org/2011/07/the-twelfth-enchantment-by-david-liss/ :

What is it about this time and place that compelled you to use it as the background for your story?

There are a number of factors that drew me here.  For a long time I’ve wanted to write a novel that was in communication with Jane Austen, but which deal with the economic and political issues that are absent, or at least at the margins of, her novels — the war with France, a series of devastating harvests resulting in food shortages and grain riots, an on-going economic recession, and, most importantly, changes in the labor market brought on by the industrial revolution.  This novel incorporates elements of the supernatural — specifically folk and scholarly magic as actually practiced by people who actually believed it worked — and there’s really no better time to write about such beliefs since the early industrial revolution was a period of profound change.  I wanted to write about a world that was on the verge of a major alteration, and England, at the beginning of industrialization and before the end of the Napoleonic Wars, works perfectly.

[I’m adding this because I like this answer!]  If you could meet just one historical figure, who would it be?

I have a great deal of affection for Henry Fielding, who helped pioneer the novel and the modern police force, was a brilliant legal mind, a wide-ranging intellectual, and a guy who could hang out and enjoy several bottles of wine (yes, several bottles!) while chatting with his friends.  My kind of guy.

-For a good read of something that Jane Austen read, try Patronage by Maria Edgeworth (1814) recently reviewed in The Guardian:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/14/patronage-maria-edgeworth-review-austen?INTCMP=SRCH

-A book review of Revolutionary Imaginings in the 1790s: Charlotte Smith, Mary Robinson, Elizabeth Inchbald, by Amy Garnai (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), about other writers that Jane Austen read and admired:
http://www.nbol-19.org/view_doc.php?index=147


Articles of interest:

-This late edition news:  from Tracy Kiely of Murder at Mansfield Park fame [and other Jane Austen mysteries], Battle of the Bonnets– get your fightin’ gloves on for Bronte v. Austen, legal style!  [with thanks to Kerri S for the link]


Museums / Exhibits:

-National Portrait Gallery: Art for the Nation: Sir Charles Eastlake at the National Gallery – 27 July – 30 October 2011: “This exhibition illuminates the life and work of the Gallery’s first director, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (1793–1865), a man described by one contemporary as ‘the Alpha and Omega’ of the Victorian art world.”
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/eastlake


Shopping:

The “Keep Calm & Carry On” theme that has been splattered everywhere from cards to books to wall hangings and t-shirts – here is a new contender!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77493584/keep-calm-and-read-jane-austen-8×10?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=jane+austen&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

-and one of my all-time favorites:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/37290400/jane-austen-my-other-rides-a-barouche?ref=sc_4


For Fun: [what! SHOPPING isn’t fun?!]

-These are past our time period but How to Be a Retronaut offers this great collection of Victorian photographs, sure to bring you a daily chuckle:  don’t an awful lot of these husbands and wives LOOK ALIKE?! [not to mention a tad grim?]

http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/08/victorian-husbands-and-wives/

–Better Book Titles:  http://betterbooktitles.com/ – I already posted on this about Mansfield Park, newly titled: “I Couldn’t Even Finish the Spark Notes” – http://betterbooktitles.com/search/jane+austen – but add your comments for other Austen titles here:

https://janeausteninvermont.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/a-better-title-for-jane-austens-mansfield-park/

Signing off – stay tuned for the next edition…

Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum of Jane Austen in Vermont
Books · Jane Austen · Literature

A Better Title for Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park?

BookLady Deb15 Comments

There is a fabulous and funny blog out there called Better Book Titles, by Dan Wilbur, a comedian and writer – he says:

This blog is for people who do not have thousands of hours to read book reviews or blurbs or first sentences. I will cut through all the cryptic crap, and give you the meat of the story in one condensed image. Now you can read the greatest literary works of all time in mere seconds!

A new Better Book Title will be posted every weekday. Every Friday a reader’s submission will be posted. Redesign and titles by Dan Wilbur unless credited otherwise. Please use proper credits when reprinting.

 It is well-worth your time to sort through the posts [you can also search for an author – go to bottom of page and click on “Archives” and a search screen will appear at the top of the page] – as expected, the Brontes are quite funny and spot-on:

[Charlotte Bronte – Jane Eyre]

as is Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge:

Here is one of my laugh-out-loud favorites:

[Roald Dahl – James and the Giant Peach]

and this:

 [Norton Anthology of English Literature ]

and who can resist this by Virginia Woolf?

[ Virginia Woolf – The Waves ]

But what of Jane Austen? – well, she has only one title represented, and this a reader submission [ by Henry Schenker ] last November:

 [ Jane Austen – Mansfield Park ]

…which we can all appreciate! But surely Mr. Wilbur can come up with something for Austen’s other titles! – is it perhaps that he just can’t bring himself to read her books? – at any rate, what might you submit for an Austen “better book title”?? – put on your thinking caps and comment below!

All images from the Better Book Titles website, which you must visit – check out all the Shakespeare…

You can follow Mr. Wilbur on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/betterbooktitle

Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum, of Jane Austen in Vermont
Austen Literary History & Criticism · Books · Jane Austen · Query

Why Jane Austen? ~ and the winner is….

BookLady Deb2 Comments

Char Brooks! 

Congratulations Char! – Please send me an email with your address and phone number by next Monday August 15, 2011 [or the names shall be put back in the hat for another random drawing!] 

Thank you all for commenting and sharing “why Jane Austen?” in your life.  For those who didn’t win, you can find the book at your local bookstore, or you can order online from the powers that be!  I highly recommend it!

And again, a hearty thank you to Rachel Brownstein for so gracioulsy visiting us here at Jane Austen in Vermont and sharing her knowledge and love of Jane Austen with us all!

And finally, one of the comments from Lev Raphael posed this question:

Where’s your most exotic locale for reading one of her books?
For me it was in a hammock in my uncle orchard outside Tel-Aviv.

A great question! – Please comment if you would like to share!

Copyright @2011 Deb Barnum, of Jane Austen in Vermont.
Austen Literary History & Criticism · Author Interviews · Books · Jane Austen

Why Jane Austen? – Book Giveaway Deadline…

BookLady Deb2 Comments

Last chance to enter the book giveaway drawing for Why Jane Austen? by Rachel Brownstein:  deadline is tomorrow Wednesday August 10th at midnight – drawing on Thursday August 18.  You can comment on either of these posts, on Why Jane Austen in your life, or just stop by and say “hello”!

Part I: https://janeausteninvermont.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/rachel-brownstein-on-why-jane-austen-an-interview-and-book-giveaway/ 

Part II: https://janeausteninvermont.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/interview-and-book-giveaway-why-jane-austen-by-rachel-brownstein/

Winner will be announced Thursday afternoon…!

Copyright @2011 by Deb Barnum, of Jane Austen in Vermont
Auctions · Books · Jane Austen · Literature · Museum Exhibitions · News

The Penny Post Weekly Review ~ All Things Austen

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The Penny Post Weekly Review

  August 7, 2011

It’s been way too long since the “weekly” Penny Post has arrived in your mailbox – I am afraid to change the name to “monthly” (though more accurate today!)  because then I shall not be diligent enough to get it out at all! – so some of this may be old news, but I am including it if it is worthy of a mention in case you missed it on the first go-round on the blog-sphere … 

News & Gossip:

Book Giveaway! – Don’t forget to comment on the Rachel Brownstein interview post to be included in the drawing for a copy of Why Jane Austen? – deadline is Wednesday August 17.

Chawton House Library: Jane Austen’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY: a bicentennial celebration – Saturday 17 September 2011:  http://www.chawtonhouse.org/news/files/studydayflyerincprog0511.pdf

The Austenesque Extravagana is in full-swing at the Austenesque Reviews blog – join the fun – it lasts all month! : http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com/


The Circulating Library:  

The John Murray archive at the National Library of Scotland [Murray was Jane Austen’s publisher]:  http://digital.nls.uk/jma/

Dickens and Massachusetts: A Tale of Power and Transformation – at UMass Lowell:  http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/English/Dickens/default.html

At the Circulating Library: A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837-1901 offers a biographical and bibliography database of nineteenth-century British fiction. Currently, the database contains 7335 titles by 2494 authors (more statistics). The database is hosted by the Victorian Research Web, a major and free research resource for Victorian scholars:  http://www.victorianresearch.org/atcl/

The English Novel 1830-1836:  http://www.cf.ac.uk/encap/journals/corvey/1830s/

British Fiction, 1800-1839:  http://www.british-fiction.cf.ac.uk/

Thackeray exhibit at the Houghton Library:  http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/exhibits/thackeray/


Websites, blogs, etc:  

Indie Jane.org:  Indie Jane is a new blog and community that celebrates and supports independent/non-traditionally published Austenesque literature:  http://indiejane.org/   [currently discussing Sense & Sensibility: http://indiejane.org/2011/08/book-club-questions-are-up/  ]

A blog just about teapots!:  http://teapotsteapotsteapots.blogspot.com/

Museums / Exhibitions: 

The Royal George Warship , 1756

George III ship models at the National Maritime Museum:  http://collections.nmm.ac.uk/usercollections/
7d7ded6fb50d6031e2884961a201bd85.html 
[see other online collections here as well]

Caricature exhibition at the Library of Congress:  http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/swanngallery/Pages/default.aspx?s_cid=500015


Articles of Interest:

A follow-up on these posts on TEA by Mary Ellen Foley: here are the links to all 5 posts: 

[And see also this link  http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/ ]

Henry Tilney alert!:  http://teachmetonight.blogspot.com/2011/07/dancing-with-metaphors.html

Thoughts on the sale of The Watsons at The Culture Concept: http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/in-trust-for-a-nation-a-jane-austen-treasure-the-watsons

WashingtonPost:  Five Myths about Jane Austen:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-jane-austen/2011/07/08/gIQAZALCEI_story.html

A blog post on the gardens at Jane Austen’s Chawton house: http://sisterarts.typepad.com/sister-arts-gardens-po/2011/07/jane-austens-gardens.html

On Georgette Heyer, at Abebooks:  http://www.abebooks.com/books/historical-regency-romance-bestselling-detective/georgette-heyer.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-110630-h00-georgetCA-_-01cta 

On Princess Diana – Magazine covers, 1981-1997:
http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/07/diana-on-the-cover-of-a-magazine-1981-1997/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowToBeARetronaut+%28How+to+be+a+Retronaut%29 

Byron memorial book found at a Church book sale [and thankfully donated to the Library!]:  http://www.nls.uk/news/press/2011/07/byron-memorial-book 

Diana Birchall shares her latest trip to England in ongoing posts – these so far, with tons of fabulous photographs!:

Tiles stolen from Wiltshire church where Jane Austen’s uncle was the vicar and where he is buried:  http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/9181605.
Tiles_are_stolen_from_rural_church_for_third_time_in_under_a_month/

Book Thoughts:

 

Lev Raphael’s take on P&P – Pride and Prejudice: The Jewess and the Gentile: http://www.levraphael.com/pride-and-prejudice-jewess.html

To Put Asunder: The Laws of Matrimonial Strife by Lawrence A. Stotter  http://www.oakknoll.com/detail.php?d_booknr=106293
– ISBN 9781587902109 – Price: $ 150.00   
From the website: 

Taking its cue from Matthew 19:6, “What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder,” this book describes humankind’s actions in doing just that. 

A readable selected history of family law, To Put Asunder traverses more than two thousand years of continuing attempts by various societies to inhibit the desires of men and women, kings and commoners, to terminate their unsatisfactory marriages. The stories revealed are surprisingly engaging when the reader is introduced to the lives and personalities of some who were directly affected by family law.

The Supernatural Jane Austen series website [by Vera Nazarian]:  http://www.norilana.com/sja.htm


The Regency Period: 

Amanda Vickery on The Old Bailey: http://yalebooks.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/amanda-vickery-returns-to-radio-4-for-series-two-of-voices-from-the-old-bailey/

A short article at How to Be a Retronaut on the science of phrenology in 1831:  http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/07/sixty-miniature-heads-used-in-phrenology-1831/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowToBeARetronaut+%28How+to+be+a+Retronaut%29

Auctions: 

Meissen gold-mounted Royal snuff box made for Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland: sold for 1.3 million 

The Snuff box collection at Bonhams auction sold for:  £1,700,000 ($2.7m) in London, on Tuesday July 5: http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/section.asp?docid=7381&n=060711  
[see the auction link for listing of all the snuff boxes and sale prices]

Shopping: 

18th century shoes at The American Duchess:  http://www.american-duchess.com/ [thank you Marti!]

 

Jane Austen Limoges boxes on sale: https://www.limogesboxcollector.com/index.php?cPath=138&osCsid=s5l4u07plc3fdkqar01nbh2fp1

For Fun: 

Word Fighter game:  http://blogs.forbes.com/traceyjohn/2011/07/20/jane-austen-throws-down-in-new-word-fighter-game/

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game:http://www.marinagames.com/pandp/pandptrivia.html

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If you find any especially interesting Austen-related bits, please email me – I will include items in next week’s Penny Post Weekly Review!

Copyright @2011 by Deb Barnum, of Jane Austen in Vermont