I began reading Jane Austen as a high school student in an honors English class. As a white woman from an upper-middle class family, I have been the recipient of a great deal of generational opportunity and privilege, as did Austen herself. And I do know it. While I am grateful for the opportunities I... Continue Reading →
It's a real joy that part of my job involves watching films that I have already watched eight dozen times beofre and will watch again (one assumes) eight dozen more. All hyperbole aside (and it's not that far a stretch, actually), I truly do enjoy watching these films and having now a new frame of... Continue Reading →
No, no literal bodies. Sorry. The only actual death belongs to poor Mr. Dashwood at the beginning and, one assumes, a very dear wish amongst a fair number of characters that Mrs. Ferrars will not be long in following. A great many people engage with Jane Austen via Hollywood. I mean, how many of us... Continue Reading →
As I begin my journey through the published novels of Jane Austen, the first stop is Sense & Sensibility. As with so many of these novels, the conflict to the heroines is immediately introduced through the problems of inheritance. The Dashwood women, Elinor and Marianne in particular, are children of a second marriage, and this... Continue Reading →
I have some exciting news! My first book of fiction is coming out in July. It's a chapbook, which is a small volume often seen for shorter works and poetry. It's a collection of 11 flash fiction pieces (very short stories), but it's a real accomplishment. Warning: Shameless self-promotion to follow. If you'd like to... Continue Reading →
In June of 2019, my wife and I loaded our 7 year old daughter Jane and 15 month daughter Eva onto a non-stop flight to London for 10 days of all things Englandy. It was fabulous and it only took me an entire year to record those events here! [See aforementioned ages of aforementioned children.]... Continue Reading →
Hello Readers, Well, I’m back. As you may remember, the early arrival of my daughter and then the adjustments of life with two kids have meant I have taken a much longer sabbatical from this beloved space than I would have liked. Now that we’re living in the age of corona virus and life... Continue Reading →
My recent attempts to delve into the life of Jane Austen and her contemporaries hit a setback recently when our daughter came 3 weeks early. As I noted above, I had intended to make my daughter a Regency-style dress and believed that a month should be enough time. Alas, after finding the pattern and preparing... Continue Reading →
I don't know about you, but I think the title of this post could be a really awesome name for an 80's big-hair coverband. Anyway...the suet finally arrived. From England. I hadn't realized I was going to be shipping shredded, dried beef fat across the globe to fulfill this culinary goal, and I'm a bit... Continue Reading →
I hope Martha had a pleasant visit again, and that you and my mother could eat your beef-pudding. ~ Jane Austen, March 2, 1814 Puddings, in British parlance, are both a specific type of dish made by wrapping the ingredients in linen or placing them in a pan and boiling until baked (cooked, steamed -... Continue Reading →
A Life in Austen 