• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • EPISODES
  • CONTACT
The Thing About Austen

Episodes

EP80: The Thing About the Pump-Room

11/30/2023

 
There's nothing like a refreshing drink of mineral water under the watchful gaze of Beau Nash to get your day off to the right start. This episode we're headed to the pump-room in Bath to partake of the finest water on offer. And we promise that we actually do wash our glasses. Please exit on the left, and don't forget to tip your pumper.

Also, we have merch! Check out
www.redbubble.com/people/aboutausten/shop to see the current offerings. 

Selected Source
  • Eighteenth-Century Political Participation & Electoral Culture. “Bath: Constituency (Borough).” ECPPEC. Accessed November 18, 2023. ecppec.ncl.ac.uk/case-study-constituencies/bath/.
  • Haddon, John. Bath. London: Batsford, 1973.
  • Historic England. “Grand Pump Room, Non Civil Parish - 1394019.” Accessed November 18, 2023. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1394019.
  • Lane, Maggie. A Charming Place: Bath in the Life and Times of Jane Austen. Bath: Millstream Books, 1988.
  • ———. Jane Austen’s England. London: Hale, 1996.
  • Lynch, Deidre. “Notes.” In Persuasion, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
  • Murray, Venetia. An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England. New York: Penguin, 2000.
  • Nicolson, Nigel. The World of Jane Austen. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1991.
  • Savage, J. The Original Bath Guide, Considerably Enlarged and Improved, Comprehending Every Species of Information That Can Be Required by the Visitor and Inhabitant, Etc. J. Savage; Meyler & Son, 1811.
  • The Historic & Local New Bath Guide: Forming a Complete Pocket History of Bath (with a Map). J. Browne, 1802.
  • The Improved Bath Guide; Or, Picture of Bath and Its Environs. Wood & Cunningham, 1809.
  • Thicknesse, Philip. The Valetudinarians Bath Guide: Or, the Means of Obtaining Long Life and Health. 2nd ed. London: Dodsley, Brown, Pratt, and Clinch, 1780.

Ep79: The Thing About the Late Mr. Darcy's Steward

11/16/2023

 
Overrun with moles? Worried about this year's crop yields? Thinking about conducting a comprehensive estate survey? We know exactly who you should call. This episode we cover the profession of estate steward as it existed in Austen's time and get into the many (seriously, many) responsibilities that the job entailed. ​

Selected Sources
  • Adams, Samuel, and Sarah Adams. The Complete Servant: Being a Practical Guide to the Peculiar Duties and Business of All Descriptions of Servants ... with Useful Receipts and Tables. London: Knight and Lacey, 1825.
  • Cortese, Beth. “Home Economics: Female Estate Managers in Long Eighteenth-Century Fiction and Society.” In At Home in the Eighteenth Century, by Stephen G. Hague and Karen Lipsedge, 126–46. New York: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429297267-6.
  • Hainsworth, D. R. “The Estate Steward.” In The Professions in Early Modern England, edited by Wilfrid Prest. Taylor & Francis, 1987.
  • ———. “The Rise of the Estate Steward.” In Stewards, Lords and People: The Estate Steward and His World in Later Stuart England, 6–20. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511983412.
  • Hey, David, ed. “Steward.” In The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History. Oxford University Press, 2009. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199532988.001.0001/acref-9780199532988-e-1735.
  • Houston, R. A. “Stewards and Other Estate Officials.” In Peasant Petitions: Social Relations and Economic Life on Landed Estates, 1600-1850, by R. A. Houston, 37–47. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137394095_4.
  • Shields, Sarah. “‘An Old Maid in a House Is the Devil’: Single Women and Landed Estate Management in Eighteenth‐Century England.” Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies 44, no. 4 (December 2021): 423–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/1754-0208.12807.

Ep78: The Thing About Catherine and Isabella's Horrid Novels with guest Dr. Hannah Doherty Hudson

10/30/2023

 
Catherine and Isabella are forming a very specific book club, and we've been given a sneak peek at their reading list. This episode we are joined by Dr. Hannah Doherty Hudson as we delve into the terrifying pages of the Minerva Press and uncover the many chilling secrets hidden within the so-called "horrid novels." If you have ever wished for more dramatic storytelling in your book marketing, this episode is for you.
Thank you so much to Hannah for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter, Bluesky, and Mastodon by searching for Hannah Doherty Hudson, and you can sign up for her Ask a Georgian Magazine Substack at https://hannahdohertyhudson.substack.com/

Ep77: The Thing About the Longbourn Entail

10/19/2023

 
www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199245437.001.0001/acref-9780199245437-e-223Was it Mr. Bennet in the library with the entail? Or was it Mr. Collins in the dining room with the strict settlement? Mrs. Bennet is on the case, but regardless of her findings, she is not happy. Grab your Clue notepad and join us as we delve into 18th-century property and inheritance law and get into the specifics of the Longbourn entail.

​Selected Sources
  • Appel, Peter A. ““A Funhouse Mirror of Law: The Entailment in Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’.” Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law 41, no. 3 (2013): 612–36.
  • Buck, Andrew R. “Entail.” In An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age. Oxford University Press, 1999. www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199245437.001.0001/acref-9780199245437-e-223.
  • ———. “Primogeniture.” In An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age. Oxford University Press, 1999. www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199245437.001.0001/acref-9780199245437-e-564.
  • Collins, Maureen B. “The Law of Jane: Legal Issues in Austen’s Life and Novels.” Persuasions On-Line 38, no. 1 (2017). www.jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol38no1/collins/.
  • Grover, Christine. “Pride, Prejudice, and the Threat to Edward Knight’s Inheritance.” Persuasions On-Line 35, no. 1 (2014) .www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol35no1/grover.html? 
  • Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. London: Frances Lincoln, 2003.
  • Macpherson, Sandra. “Rent to Own; or, What’s Entailed in Pride and Prejudice.” Representations 82, no. 1 (2003): 1–23. doi.org/10.1525/rep.2003.82.1.1.
  • Mahony, Stephen. Wealth or Poverty: Jane Austen’s Novels Explored. London: Robert Hale, 2015.
  • Treitel, G.H. “Jane Austen and the Law.” Law Quarterly Review 100, no. 4 (October 1984): 549–86.

EP76: The Thing About Harriet's Sore Throat with guest Dr. Rena Jones

10/1/2023

 
Poor Harriet is stuck at home with a bad sore throat, and Mr. Elton is very concerned. For Emma. This week we're joined again by Dr. Rena Jones to talk about illness and medical knowledge in Austen's time. If you have ever been in an extremely lopsided love triangle, this episode is for you.

​Thank you so much to Rena for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @Epi_Rena.

Ep75: The Thing About Sir Walter's Looking-Glasses

9/15/2023

 
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest baronet of all? Sir Walter is busy gazing at his own image, so we're here to chat 18th-century mirrors. Join us this episode as we reflect upon the significance of Sir Walter's many looking-glasses and have ourselves a glasswork gabfest.

Selected Sources
  • Auerbach, Nina. “O Brave New World: Evolution and Revolution in Persuasion.” ELH39, no. 1 (1972): 112–28. https://doi.org/10.2307/2872293.
  • Brodey, Inger Sigrun. “Persuasion and Persuadability: When Vanity Is a Virtue.” Persuasions 15 (1993): 235–44.
  • Hadsund, Per. “The Tin-Mercury Mirror: Its Manufacturing Technique and Deterioration Processes.” Studies in Conservation38, no. 1 (1993): 3–16. https://doi.org/10.2307/1506387.
  • Kaplan, Laurie. “Sir Walter Elliot’s Looking-Glass, Mary Musgrove’s Sofa, and Anne Elliot’s Chair: Exteriority/Interiority, Intimacy/Society.” Persuasions On-Line25, no. 1 (2004). https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol25no1/kaplan.html.
  • Maxwell, Christopher. “People in Glass Houses: The Polished and Polite in Georgian Britain.” In In Sparkling Company: Reflections on Glass in the 18th-Century British World, 39–68. Corning, NY: The Corning Museum of Glass, 2020.
​

Ep74: The Thing About Marianne's Washing

9/7/2023

 
Miss Steele has questions about Marianne's washing, and we are here to answer them. This episode we air some dirty laundry and get into the sudsy specifics of how Jane Austen and her contemporaries went about obtaining clean clothes in an era before washers and dryers. 

Selected Sources
  • Austen, Jane. “Autograph Memorandum of Personal Accounts, [1807 Dec.],” December 1807. The Morgan Library and Museum. https://www.themorgan.org/literary-historical/81561.
  • Blank, Antje. “Dress.” In Jane Austen in Context, edited by Janet Todd, 234–51. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316036525.020.
  • Collier, Mary. “From The Woman’s Labor. An Epistle to Mr Stephen Duck.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52290/the-womans-labor-an-epistle-to-mr-stephen-duck.
  • Davidson, Hilary. Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019.
  • Dyer, Jenny. “Georgian Washerwomen: Tales of the Tub from the Long Eighteenth Century.” Continuity and Change 36, no. 1 (May 2021): 89–110. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0268416021000072.
  • Styles, John. The Dress of the People: Everyday Fashion in Eighteenth-Century England. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.

Ep73: The Thing About Willoughby's Pointers with guest Dr. Stephanie Howard-Smith

8/19/2023

 
Pointers were considered an elite dog in Austen's time, so it makes sense that someone like Willoughby would own them (also, having cute dogs is possibly the only nice thing we can say about Willoughby). This episode we welcome back Dr. Stephanie Howard-Smith for more 18th-century dog talk. We cover everything from the care and feeding of pointers to trends in 18th-century game hunting. Sir John heartily approves. If you have ever been quite literally swept off your feet by a man with two pointers playing round him, this episode is for you. Thank you so much to Stephanie for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @SAHowardSmith.

Ep72: The Thing About St. James's Palace

7/27/2023

 
Sir William Lucas has been to St. James's Palace, and he wants to make sure that everyone knows about it. This episode we get into the particulars of Sir William's knighthood and stop by his favorite spot for a ball. If you have ever danced the minuet under the watchful gaze of a monarch, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources
  • ​Greig, Hannah. The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • Kielmansegge, Friedrich graf von. Diary of a Journey to England in the Years 1761-1762. Translated by Countess of Kielmansegge. London: Longmans, Green and Company, 1902. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Diary_of_a_Journey_to_England_in_the_Yea/NKgMAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
  • Lamb, Charles. A Book Explaining the Ranks and Dignities of British Society Intended Chiefly for the Instruction of Young Persons. London: Tabart and Co., 1809. https://www.google.com/books/edition/a_book_explaining_the_ranks_and_dignitle/9sETAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
  • “Royal Residences: St James’s Palace.” Accessed July 11, 2023. https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-st-jamess-palace.
  • Stafford, Fiona J. “Introduction and Notes.” In Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
  • Thompson, Allison. “Dancing at St. James’s.” Persuasions On-Line 33, no. 1 (Winter 2012). https://jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol33no1/thompson.html?
  • Walford, Edward. Old and New London: A Narrative of Its History, Its People, and Its Places. Vol. 4. London: Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, 1873. http://archive.org/details/oldnewlondonnarr04thor.

Ep71: The Thing About Cramer with guest Dr. Karali Hunter

7/14/2023

 
Jane Fairfax has received a mystery piano, along with some new music, and Frank Churchill is here to tell Emma all about it. In this episode, we break down the reference to Cramer in Emma. We also chat with Dr. Karali Hunter who stops by to trace the development of the étude from Cramer to Chopin, as well as talk to us about the process of recording our new intro and outro music.
Listen Here
​Thank you so much to Karali for joining us for this episode and for recording our new music, Cramer's étude, No. 21! You can learn more about her and her work at www.karalihunter.com, www.hammerandstrings.com, and www.salonnieres.org.
<<Previous

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021

    Categories

    All
    Accessories
    Animals
    Anne Elliot
    Architecture
    Art
    Austen Biography
    Bath (city)
    Captain Benwick
    Captain Wentworth
    Caroline Bingley
    Catherine Morland
    Church Of England
    Colonel Brandon
    Edmund Bertram
    Education
    Edward Ferrars
    Elinor Dashwood
    Elizabeth Bennet
    Emma (novel)
    Emma Woodhouse
    Empire
    Fanny Dashwood
    Fanny Price
    Fashion & Beauty
    Festivals
    Frank Churchill
    General Tilney
    Guest Episode
    Harriet Smith
    Health
    Henry Crawford
    Henry Tilney
    Holidays & Celebrations
    Horses
    Ireland
    Isabella Knightley
    Isabella Thorpe
    Jane Fairfax
    Jewelry
    John Dashwood
    John Thorpe
    Julia Bertram
    Lady Bertram
    Lady Catherine De Bourgh
    Landscape
    Legal
    Literary Allusions
    Location
    Longbourn
    Louisa Musgrove
    Love Token
    Lucy Steele
    Lydia Bennet
    Mansfield Park (novel)
    Maria Bertram
    Marianne Dashwood
    Mary Crawford
    Military
    Miss Bates
    Mr. Bennet
    Mr. Collins
    Mr. Darcy
    Mr. Elton
    Mr. Knightley
    Mr. Rushworth
    Mrs. Allen
    Mrs. Bennet
    Mrs. Croft
    Mrs. Dashwood
    Mr. Wickham
    Mr. Woodhouse
    Music
    Navy
    Norland Park
    Northanger Abbey (novel)
    Parlour Games
    Pastimes
    Pemberley
    Periodicals
    Persuasion (novel)
    Pride And Prejudice (novel)
    Professions
    Robert Ferrars
    Romanticism
    Sense And Sensibility (novel)
    Sir John Middleton
    Sir Walter Elliot
    Sir William Lucas
    Special Episode
    Textiles
    Theatre
    Travel
    William Price
    Willoughby

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • EPISODES
  • CONTACT