Was Jane Austen vaccinated against smallpox? I expected that the answer to this question was a simple internet search away. I was wrong. After extensive searching, I am answerless. I located no mention of her ever having received either the smallpox variolation or vaccination procedures online. Although many of her illnesses were documented, there are… Read the full blog post …
When we hear that Christmas trees and decorations didn’t go up before Christmas Eve in the Regency household, it might lead us to assume that Christmas celebrations involved little advance preparation. The reality belies that supposition, as stillroom work for Christmas would actually begin up to a year in advance. This early activity is because… Read the full blog post …
Take a look in your medicine cabinet and consider with awe the treasure it truly is. Whether we are referring to prescription medications or over-the-counter treatments, you know that the products have been standardized, and must at least meet minimum standards for safety and efficacy. But where did these products come from? A phrase in… Read the full blog post …
Welcome back to the Regency stillroom, where a bountiful harvest has put the staff into a frenzy of work. Every day is a race against the clock to get it all done before spoilage or frost diminish or taint the yield. In addition to producing the alcoholic beverages and aromatic waters I discussed in my… Read the full blog post …
When Harriet Smith is has a cold, Mr. Elton reports that she was given a cordial. When Mr. Knightley is giving instructions on how to make spruce beer, Mr. Elton breaks his pencil. When Louisa Musgrove has fallen in Lyme, she is taken back to the house and given cordials and restoratives. When Marianne Dashwood… Read the full blog post …
Social connection. It’s the pulse of civilization, the foundation of community, and a deeply held human need. You might have guessed that I’m not necessarily talking about networking with influential people here. I’m talking about friendship, camaraderie, recognition, love, and belonging. Jane Austen was particularly adept at infusing the relationships in her novels with an… Read the full blog post …
Jane Austen continues to astonish me. We turn again toward her use of clothing to inform her characters, this time focusing on the handful of references to lace and/or finery in her novels. Lace appears to be, in Austen-speak, a euphemism for empty-headed, trivial, vain, self-centered, and even vulgar. Perhaps this is due to the… Read the full blog post …
Blue Sky Moon is the working title of my current JAFF work-in-progress (WIP.) I still don’t know if that will be the final title, but there is a symbolism in it that is explored in the novel that is very front of mind as I work on it. The story encompasses Elizabeth and Darcy’s first… Read the full blog post …
Let’s talk about talking. Not just any kind of talking but talking in Jane Austen’s novels to be precise. There are numerous ways authors use dialogue. The most obvious way is to drive the plot forward. Darcy’s overheard insult to Elizabeth at the Assembly Ball in Pride and Prejudice is an easy example of this.… Read the full blog post …
While watching a video clip from The Devil Wears Prada the other day, I was struck with how powerfully the clothing of the characters provides visual insights into both the nature of the people and the internal arc of the protagonist, Andy. Having studied so many Austen adaptations over the past few years, I began… Read the full blog post …
Happy Easter Monday! I think today is a perfect day to talk about Easter in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. Since Jane was the daughter of a rector, we can infer certain things from her use of Easter in the plot, a context that was obvious to her contemporary English readers, since she lived… Read the full blog post …
If you’re a regular reader of the Austen Authors blog, you know that for the past couple of years my posts have been primarily dedicated to Austen adaptations. I create a matched set for each title. I start with a “goofs” post, and four weeks later, the “trivia challenge” post on the same production. A… Read the full blog post …
I have spent a month immersed in EMMA. content online. There is such an abundance of information about the film and its cast available that picking just 10 was more challenging than Mrs. Bate’s limiting herself to just 3 dull things. There are promotional videos, interviews, articles, behind-the-scenes details, and reviews galore. I predict that… Read the full blog post …
