Category: Pastimes

EP97: The Thing About Molland's

10/5/2024

Anne is in Bath, and surprise, surprise, so is Captain Wentworth. Everyone has fortuitously converged at Molland's, and we're here to break down the momentous occasion. If you have ever run into your ex at the confectionery shop, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

“2-22, MILSOM STREET, Non Civil Parish - 1395729 | Historic England.” Accessed September 6, 2024. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1395729.
Anstey, Christopher. The New Bath Guide: Or, Memoirs of the B-N-R-D Family. in a Series of Poetical Epistles. London: C. Whittingham, 1800.
Day, Ivan. “The Art of Confectionery,” 1997. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=4a8725733d012539cdf505e69d9f16bf07d2a388.
Fawcett, Trevor. Bath Commercialis’d: Shops, Trades and Market at the 18th-Century Spa. Bath: RUTON, 2002.
———. Bath Entertain’d: Amusements, Recreations and Gambling at the 18th-Century Spa. Bath: RUTON, 1998.
———. “Eighteenth-Century Shops and the Luxury Trade.” In Bath History, Vol. III, 49–75. Bath: Sutton Publishing, 1990. https://www.historyofbath.org.
Holloway, Sally. “The Foods of Love? Food Gifts, Courtship and Emotions in Long Eighteenth-Century England.” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, November 20, 2023, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0080440123000270.
John Cam Hobhouse, Baron Broughton. The Wonders of a Week at Bath: In a Doggerel Address to the Hon. T. S----, from F. T.----, Esq. of That City. London: J. Cawthorn, 1811.
Piozzi, Hester Lynch. The Piozzi Letters: 1817-1821. Edited by Edward A. Bloom and Lillian D Bloom. University of Delaware Press, 1989.
Stobart, Jon. Sugar and Spice: Grocers and Groceries in Provincial England, 1650-1830. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
Todd, Janet M. Jane Austen in Context. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Visit Bath. “A Brief History of Milsom Street,” September 1, 2023. https://visitbath.co.uk/blog/read/2023/09/a-brief-history-of-milsom-street-b231.

EP92: The Thing About Mr. Knightley's Strawberries

6/19/2024

The strawberries are ripe, so gather up your best bonnet and your beribboned basket and head on down to Knightley's U-Pick Farm. We've got all of your favorite strawberries, from the hautboy to the Chili to the white wood. This episode we visit Donwell Abbey to take a look at Mr. Knightley's very fine strawberry beds.

Selected Sources

Frézier, Amédée François. A Voyage to the South-Sea, and Along the Coasts of Chili and Peru, in the Years 1712, 1713, and 1714: Particularly Describing the Genius and Constitution of the Inhabitants, as Well Indians as Spaniards ... Translated by Edmond Halley. J. Bowyer, 1717.
Historic Royal Palaces. “The Georgians.” Historic Royal Palaces. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/history-and-stories/the-georgians/.
Hopkins, Lisa. “Food and Growth in Emma.” Women’s Writing 5, no. 1 (1998): 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/09699089800200031.
Karp, David. “Berried Treasure.” Smithsonian, July 2006. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/berried-treasure-120534521/.
Lee, D. Vivian. “Early History of the Strawberry.” In The Strawberry; History, Breeding, and Physiology, edited by George M. Darrow, 15–13. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966. http://archive.org/details/strawberryhistor00darr.
———. “The Strawberry from Chile.” In The Strawberry; History, Breeding, and Physiology, edited by George M. Darrow, 24–39. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966. http://archive.org/details/strawberryhistor00darr.
Sheehan, Colleen A. “Jane Austen’s ‘Tribute’ to the Prince Regent: A Gentleman Riddled with Difficulty.” Persuasions On-Line 27, no. 1 (2006). https://jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no1/sheehan.htm?
Stocks, Christopher. Forgotten Fruits: The Stories Behind Britain’s Traditional Fruit and Vegetables. Random House, 2009.
Tepe, Emily. “A Spy, a Botanist, and a Strawberry.” University of Minnesota Fruit Research, June 11, 2019. https://fruit.umn.edu/spy-botanist-strawberry.
Tickler, Or, Monthly Compendium of Good Things, in Prose and Verse. “Miscellanies.” 1818.
Tobin, Beth Fowkes. “The Moral and Political Economy of Property in Austen’s Emma.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction 2, no. 3 (April 1990): 229–54. https://doi.org/10.1353/ecf.1990.0000.
Todd, Janet. “The Anxiety of Emma.” Persuasions 29 (January 1, 2007): 15–25.
Wilson, Kim. In the Garden with Jane Austen. London: Frances Lincoln, 2009.

EP89: The Thing About Henry Crawford Reading Shakespeare

5/7/2024

If you thought that Mary Crawford with her harp was the only siren in the Crawford family, think again. Henry Crawford is here with a volume of Shakespeare, and WOW. Prepare yourselves. This episode we unpack this scene's particular Shakespearean allusion, examine the status of reading aloud during Austen's time, and discuss Fanny's reaction to Henry's reading.

Selected Sources:

DeWispelare, Daniel John. “Spectacular Speech: Performing Language in the Late Eighteenth Century.” The Journal of British Studies 51, no. 4 (October 2012): 858–82. https://doi.org/10.1086/666958.
Graham, Peter W. “Falling for the Crawfords: Character, Contingency, and Narrative.” ELH 77, no. 4 (December 2010): 867–91. https://doi.org/10.1353/elh.2010.a406155.
Harrington, Dana. “Remembering the Body: Eighteenth-Century Elocution and the Oral Tradition.” Rhetorica 28, no. 1 (January 2010): 67–95. https://doi.org/10.1353/rht.2010.0025.
Honan, Park. Jane Austen: Her Life. New York: Fawcett Columbine, 1989.
Jajdelska, Elspeth. “‘The Very Defective and Erroneous Method’: Reading Instruction and Social Identity in Elite Eighteenth‐Century Learners.” Oxford Review of Education 36, no. 2 (April 1, 2010): 141–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054981003696648.
Kelly, Gary. “Reading Aloud in Mansfield Park.” Nineteenth-Century Fiction 37, no. 1 (1982): 29–49. https://doi.org/10.2307/3044668.
Mullini, Roberta. “Reading Aloud in Britain in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century: Theories and Beyond.” Journal of Early Modern Studies, March 11, 2018, 157-176 Pages. https://doi.org/10.13128/JEMS-2279-7149-22842.
Newark, Elizabeth. “Words Not Spoken: Courtship and Seduction in Jane Austen’s Novels.” In The Talk in Jane Austen, edited by Bruce Stovel and Lynn Weinlos Gregg, 207–24. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2002.
Pinch, Adela. “Hearing Voices in Austen: The Representation of Speech and Voice in the Novels.” In The Routledge Companion to Jane Austen, by Edited By Cheryl A. Wilson and Maria H. Frawley, 277–95, 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429398155-21-25.
Pollack-Pelzner, Daniel. “Jane Austen, the Prose Shakespeare.” SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 53, no. 4 (September 2013): 763–92. https://doi.org/10.1353/sel.2013.0039.
Tomalin, Claire. Jane Austen: A Life. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1999.
Yahav, Amit. “Austen’s Literary Time.” In The Routledge Companion to Jane Austen, by Edited By Cheryl A. Wilson and Maria H. Frawley, 306–17, 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429398155-23-27.

Ep87: The Thing About Emma's Portrait of Harriet with guest Georgie Castilla

4/10/2024

Emma is trying to paint Harriet's portrait, but it's hard to concentrate with Mr. Elton mouth breathing over her shoulder. But still, Mr. Elton is obviously in love with Harriet. Right? Right?!?

This episode we welcome returning guest Georgie Castilla of Duniath Comics as we discuss Emma's attempt at combining the art of matchmaking with the art of portraiture. Thank you so much to Georgie for joining us for this discussion! You can find him online at www.duniathcomics.com and on Instagram @duniathcomics (https://www.instagram.com/duniathcomics/) and you can follow along as he adapts Emma at www.youtube.com/@duniathcomics.

EP82: The Thing About Astley's

1/11/2024

Transcript

Come one, come all! Step right up and witness amazing feats on horseback! This episode we're headed to Astley's Amphitheatre where Harriet Smith and Robert Martin are getting nice and cozy. If you have ever found romance at the circus, this is the episode for you.

Selected Sources:

“9 (Vol. 1) | Reconstructing Early Circus.” Accessed December 14, 2023. https://dhil.lib.sfu.ca/circus/clipping/287.
Austen, Jane. Selected Letters. Edited by Vivien Jones. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Booth, Michael R. “Astley’s Amphitheatre.” In The Companion to Theatre and Performance. Oxford University Press, 2010. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199574193.001.0001/acref-9780199574193-e-218.
Burke, Helen. “Jacobin Revolutionary Theatre and the Early Circus: Astley’s Dublin Amphitheatre in the 1790s.” Theatre Research International 31, no. 1 (March 2006): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0307883305001847.
Byrne, Paula Jayne. “Jane Austen and the Theatre.” Doctoral Dissertation, University of Liverpool, 2000. https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3175545/1/DX215839.pdf.
Frost, Thomas. Circus Life and Circus Celebrities. Tinsley Bros., 1875.
Hall, Monica. A Visitor’s Guide to Georgian England. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword, 2017.
HathiTrust. “Astley’s System of Equestrian Education: Exhibiting the Beauties and Defects of the Horse, with Serious and Important Observations on His General Excellence, ...” Accessed December 7, 2023. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mmet.ark:/13960/t16m3rz2w?urlappend=%3Bseq=9.
Kwint, Marius. “Astley, Philip (1742–1814), Equestrian Performer and Circus Proprietor.” In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/821.
Lybeck, Eleanor. All on Show: The Circus in Irish Literature and Culture. Cork, Ireland: Cork university press, 2019.
Mattfeld, Monica. Becoming Centaur: Eighteenth-Century Masculinity and English Horsemanship. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017.
Victoria and Albert Museum. “The Story of Circus · V&A.” Accessed December 14, 2023. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-circus.
Ward, Steve. Father of the Modern Circus “Billy Buttons”: The Life & Times of Philip Astley. Great Britain: Pen & Sword History, 2018.

Ep81: The Thing About Gold Paper

12/14/2023

This episode we're closing out the year with a visit to the homey confines of Uppercross Hall. There's a large group of children assembled, and festive merriment is afoot. Break out your favorite scissors and your glue of choice — it's time to get crafty with gold paper.

We'll be back with a new episode in 2024!

Selected Sources

Burgess, Miranda. “Jane Austen on Paper.” European Romantic Review 29, no. 3 (May 4, 2018): 365–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509585.2018.1465696.
Clarke, Hewson, and John Dougall. The Cabinet of Arts: Or, General Instructor in Arts, Science, Trade, Practical Machinery, the Means of Preserving Human Life, and Political Economy. T. Kinnersley, 1817.
Dyer, Serena. Material Lives: Women Makers and Consumer Culture in the 18th Century. London ; New York: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2020.
Ketzer, Roswitha. “Metallic Paper: Its Manufacturing Process and Comparing Analysis.” Journal of Paper Conservation 21, no. 1 (January 2, 2020): 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/18680860.2020.1716928.
Saint Louis University Special Collections. “Dutch Gilt Paper · The Binder’s Art.” Special Collections Past Exhibits. Accessed November 29, 2023. https://pius.slu.edu/special-collections-exhibits/exhibits/show/binder-s-art/decorative-papers/dutch-gilt-paper.

From Ketzer's article: Nine pamphlets with gold paper covers (The British Library, RB 23.a.4296, RB 23.a.4292, RB 23.b.455)

Ep69: The Thing About Lizzy's Needlework with guest Dr. Jennie Batchelor

6/16/2023

Needlework in Jane Austen's novels is commonly referred to as simply "work." But what exactly does this work entail, and why is it important to characters like Elizabeth Bennet? Guest Dr. Jennie Batchelor is here to answer these questions and more. We discuss the difference between plain and fancy needlework, the significance of needlework in the pantheon of ladylike accomplishments, and the ways in which needlework functioned as a Regency woman's CV.

Thank you so much to Jennie for joining us for this episode! You can learn more about her and her work at www.jenniebatchelor.net. Jennie's digital catalogue of embroidery patterns from the Lady's Magazine can be found at ladysmagazine.omeka.net. You can find Jennie on Twitter @JennieBatchelor and on Instagram @BatchelorJennie.

Ep64: The Thing About the Bertram Sisters' Puzzle

3/26/2023

How do you solve a puzzle like Fanny? This episode we survey the Bertram sisters' map puzzle and discuss the social cartography of Mansfield Park.

Selected Sources

Cammack, Zan. “Fanny Price’s Social Cartography in Mansfield Park.” Nineteenth Century Studies 29, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 37–52. https://doi.org/10.5325/ninecentstud.29.2015-16.0037.
Norcia, Megan A. “Puzzling Empire: Early Puzzles and Dissected Maps as Imperial Heuristics.” Children’s Literature 37, no. 1 (2009): 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1353/chl.0.0807.
Shefrin, Jill. “‘Make It a Pleasure and Not a Task’: Educational Games for Children in Georgian England.” The Princeton University Library Chronicle 60, no. 2 (1999): 251. https://doi.org/10.25290/prinunivlibrchro.60.2.0251.
Wenner, Barbara Britton. Prospect and Refuge in the Landscape of Jane Austen. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2006.

Ep62: The Thing About Lucy's Filigree

2/28/2023

Lucy and Elinor are about to have a tense, coded conversation, and a bit of filigree work is the perfect accompaniment. This episode we're talking about the art of filigree, and the role that it plays in Lucy and Elinor's companionable confrontation.

Selected Sources:

Battisson, Clair. “‘Natural Born Quillers’ - Conservation of Paper Quills on the Sarah Siddons Plaque Frames.” Victoria and Albert Museum’s Conservation Journal, April 1998. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-27/natural-born-quillers-conservation-of-paper-quills-on-the-sarah-siddons-plaque-frames/.
Bethe, Monika. “Submerged Symbols in Jane Austen.” Kobe College Studies 24, no. 2 (December 1977): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.18878/00000682.
Heydt-Stevenson, Jillian. “Bejeweling the Clandestine Body/Bawdy: The Miniature Spaces of Sense and Sensibility.” In Austen’s Unbecoming Conjunctions: Subversive Laughter, Embodied History, 29–67. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Austen_s_Unbecoming_Conjunctions/F_8YDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
The New Lady’s Magazine: Or, Polite and Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex: Entirely Devoted to Their Use and Amusement. Vol. 1. London: Alex Hogg, 1786. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_New_Lady_s_Magazine/RHlPAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=filigree&pg=PA529&printsec=frontcover.

Ep61: The Thing About Speculation with guest Dr. Regulus Allen

2/19/2023

This week we're dealing out an episode on the game of Speculation with our guest Dr. Regulus Allen. We discuss the rules of play and the ways in which the game serves the narrative in Mansfield Park. Dr. Allen also provides us with some fun speculation (see what we did there?) as to what Jane Austen's own favorite card game might have been.

Thank you so much to Regulus for joining us for this episode! You can learn more about her and her work at https://english.calpoly.edu/faculty/allen.

For an explanation of the rule for Speculation, see "How to Win at Speculation" from JaneAusten.co.uk

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