Category: modern
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‘Friendly Companionship’ in ‘Terrible Environment’
In a recent blog, we saw the importance of books to soldiers in the field during World War I and World War II. Several Jane Austen novels, as well as a book about Austen’s work, were among those. Question: How did the soldiers, sailors, and air personnel get their copies? In the first war, large…
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Plump is Beautiful: Austen’s Take on the Many Sides of Beauty
Modern love stories are full of characters who are shapely and thin, but in Austen’s world, characters do not have to be skinny–or even pretty–to be beautiful.
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If 4 Iconic Jane Austen Couples did the Super Bowl
Whether you are a sports person or not, you might have heard that the Super Bowl just happened on Sunday here in the U.S., in Las Vegas, Nevada. And whether you are a Swiftie or not, you might also have heard that Taylor Swift was there to support and congratulate her boyfriend Travis Kelce on…
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Austen’s Words Soothe Soldiers, Home Folks
Nearly eighty years after the end of World War II, it is fitting to remember that Britain’s bulldog leader once benefitted from the soothing words of Jane Austen during the world’s largest military conflagration. Winston Churchill lay abed with the flu during the middle of the war. His doctors told him: “Don’t work, don’t worry.”…
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Writing and Experiencing Place
I’m writing this as I sit in a hotel room in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I’m here for a writing workshop, something I’ve never done before. The topics of discussion are amazing and I’m looking forward to developing my craft as well as meeting people at all stages of their writing careers. This isn’t my first…
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Good Reads for Austen Lovers
This being my first blog for Always Austen, I thought I would provide a little of my background. I am your basic unemployable English major who ended up in high tech, returning to literature—and Jane Austen—after many years in the corporate world. I have two distinct areas of interest. The first is Jane Austen’s development…
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Buddy the Elf Meets Jane Austen – A Christmas Post
10 Funny Christmas Quotes to Describe Jane Austen’s Characters Only a true Austenite will appreciate them all… (Well, An Austenite and somebody who likes the movie Elf.) Enjoy! 10. “We Elves Stick To The Four Main Food Groups: Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corn, And Syrup.” :: Mr. Woodhouse’s nightmare come to life; it’s even worse…
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If Austen Characters Owned Pets: Matching Characters With Pets That Fit Their Personalities
Perhaps Lady Catherine would have a privileged Persian that hisses at the lower classes…
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Trick or Treat: A Halloween Diversion
Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween! The kids coming around door-to-door all call out Trick or Treat, but I only have treats, and no tricks at all. Treat Number One: A Short Story Halloween has a long and spooky history. I won’t go into details, but it is a bit of an amalgam of the Celtic…
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Thanksgiving, Harvest Festivals, and an Excerpt
Here in Canada, we are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving next Monday, October 9. It might seem a bit odd to my American friends, who celebrate at the end of November, but with a cooler climate, most of the local crops are in, and that means it’s party time. I’m a historian, and this naturally…