There are eighty-seven instances of the word “bed” in Jane Austen’s writing, and eleven more if you include the plural. Readers may well pass over the word without giving it much thought, (except perhaps for the passage in Northanger Abbey when Mr. Tilney speaks to Catherine of her inevitable “unconquerable horror of the bed,”) but…
Author: Diana J Oaks
Diana J. Oaks debut novel, One Thread Pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy, was released on August 14, 2012. She started writing it at the end of 2010, when the economic downturn caused a severe cutback in her work hours. The story developed a large online following prior to publication in print and eBook format, which were posted under the pen names “Artemis Acorn” and “fiveoaks.”
Diana currently resides with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Persuasion (2022) Trivia Challenge, by Diana Oaks
On July 15, the Austen adaptation tally went up by one when Netflix released a modernized-but-still-Regency production of Austen’s final novel, Persuasion. The reviews are largely in and opinions appear to be as diverse as the cast, ranging from deeming the work a “triumph” to a “hot mess.” Today, we’re setting all that aside and…
Top 10 Goofs in Persuasion (2022), by Diana Oaks
As my history with this site attests, I simply can’t resist posting about goofs – real or perceived – spotted in Austen adaptations. After watching the new offering of Persuasion on Netfilx, my mind was abuzz with how this post would come together. There are a couple of historically inaccurate choices made by the production…
Mrs. Darcy Goes to Pemberley – WIP Excerpt, by Diana Oaks
The third book in the One Thread Pulled series features the challenges Elizabeth faces as a new bride and is set largely at Pemberley. It will be released in autumn of this year if all goes according to plan. The current working title isn’t the final title, but I thought that the Austen Authors’ readers…
Jane Austen and Charity, by Diana Oaks
Charity is a theme woven into each of Jane Austen’s six novels, with various facets of this virtue woven into characters and communities in ways that illuminate the best and worst of its meanings. We’ll take a look at a few examples of these themes in her works, including the contradictions inherent in her illustrations….
A Bee in My Bonnet, by Diana Oaks
If an earworm is a musical tune that you hear playing over and over in your mind, a bee in a bonnet is a parallel idiom, expanding to a thought or topic that one can’t quite set free, like a bee buzzing around in the brain, trapped. The host subject proceeds to bring the topic…
Is it a Diamond, or is it Paste? by Diana Oaks
I must make a confession in order to broach today’s topic. It’s a difficult thing to admit because I initially promised myself I wouldn’t do it. After weeks of adamant resistance, however, curiosity overcame my objections. Yep. I watched the Bridgerton series on Netflix. This program will never win an award for historical accuracy. Its…
Regency Era Opposition to Vaccination, by Diana Oaks
You may have noticed that I spent the past few months taking a look at medical advancements against smallpox that took place in the Regency era. This third post is the final one on this topic. After learning about the proven success of the new cow-pox-based method of vaccination against smallpox that was advocated and…
The Lead-up to Vaccination in Georgian Times, by Diana Oaks
Four weeks ago, my post in this blog was about the innovation of the cow-pox vaccination and how smallpox and vaccination may have intersected with Jane Austen’s life. There were so many interesting stories I came across while doing the research for that post, I’ve decided to share just a few of them today. The…
Pertaining to Cows: Vaccination in Jane Austen’s time, by Diana Oaks
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…
Products of the Stillroom: Mincemeat Filling and Christmas Pudding, by Diana J Oaks
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…
Products of the Stillroom: The Regency Medicine Cabinet, by Diana J Oaks
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…
Calves Foot Jelly Anyone? by Diana J Oaks
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…
