Blog Posts

EP94: The Thing About Anne Steele's Beaux

7/25/2024

Anne Steele has one thing on her mind, and she would like to tell you all about it. No, really. ALL about it. This episode we take a look at Miss Steele's favorite topic of discussion and try to answer the all important question: where are all the smart beaux? If you have ever wondered where you can find all the beaux, smart or otherwise, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Grose, Francis. 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Project Gutenberg. Accessed July 3, 2024. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5402/pg5402-images.html.
Hall, Lynda A. Women and “Value” in Jane Austen’s Novels: Settling, Speculating and Superfluity. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
Heydt-Stevenson, Jillian. “Bejeweling the Clandestine Body/Bawdy: The Miniature Spaces of Sense and Sensibility.” In Austen’s Unbecoming Conjunctions: Subversive Laughter, Embodied History, by Jillian Heydt-Stevenson, 29–67. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-09853-5_2.
Lauber, John. “Jane Austen’s Fools.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 14, no. 4 (1974): 511–24. https://doi.org/10.2307/449750.
Nigro, Jeffrey, and William Phillips. “A Revolution in Masculine Style: How Beau Brummell Changed Jane Austen’s World.” Persuasions On-Line 36, no. 1 (2015). https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/nigro-phillips/.
Rytting, Jenny Rebecca. “The Other Siblings in Sense and Sensibility.” Persuasions 44 (2022): 122–32.
West, William. Tavern Anecdotes, and Reminiscences of the Origin of Signs, Coffee-Houses, &c: Intended as a Lounge-Book for Citizens and Their Country Cousins. S & D.A. Forbes, no. 29 Gold-Street, 1830.

EP93: The Thing About Austen's Teenage Writings with Dr. Kathryn Sutherland

7/17/2024

Transcript

Jane Austen's early works, contained within three surviving notebooks, are funny, sharp, and brimming over with personality. This episode we are joined by Dr. Kathryn Sutherland, one of the editors of the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Austen’s Teenage Writings, to discuss the nature of these writings, the way they were consumed by her family audience, and their relationship to her later novels. Thank you so much to Kathryn for joining us for this episode! You can learn more about her and her work at www.english.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-kathryn-sutherland.

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.

EP91: The Thing About the Lakes

6/4/2024

Lizzy is headed to the Lake District with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. Or is she? This episode we get into the trip that didn't happen and discuss the picturesque splendors of the Lakes. If you have ever been curious about the ideal cow configuration (and you know you are), this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Allen, Dennis W. “No Love for Lydia: The Fate of Desire in Pride and Prejudice.” Texas Studies in Literature and Language 27, no. 4 (1985): 425–43.
Dove, Jane. “Geographical Board Game: Promoting Tourism and Travel in Georgian England and Wales.” Journal of Tourism History 8, no. 1 (January 2, 2016): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/1755182X.2016.1140825.
Gilpin, William. An Essay on Prints. 5th ed. London: A. Strahan, for T. Cadell, Jun. and W. Davies, 1802.
———. Observations, Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1772, on Several Parts of England; Particularly the Mountains and Lakes of Cumberland and Westmoreland. R. Blamire, 1792.
Jones, Hazel. Jane Austen’s Journeys. London: Robert Hale, 2014.
Lake District National Park. “Landscape and Geology.” Lake District National Park: [email protected], September 18, 2006. https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/learning/geology.
Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen’s England. London: Hale, 1996.
Litz, A Walton. “The Picturesque in Pride and Prejudice.” Persuasions 1 (1979): 13–15.
Orestano, Francesca. “The Revd William Gilpin and the Picturesque; Or, Who’s Afraid of Doctor Syntax?” Garden History 31, no. 2 (2003): 163. https://doi.org/10.2307/1587293.
Reych, Zofia. Born to Climb: From Rock Climbing Pioneers to Olympic Athletes. Vertebrate Publishing, 2022.
Shapard, David M. “Notes and Annotations.” In The Annotated Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. New York: Anchor Books, 2012.
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.

EP90: The Thing About Captain Wentworth's Letter with Margaret H. Willison

5/21/2024

Anne Elliot has just received a very important letter, and we are all overcome. This episode we're joined by guest Margaret H. Willison of Not Sorry Productions as we unpack Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne, aka the letter to end all letters. If you have ever been half agony, half hope, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to Margaret for joining us for this discussion! You can follow her on Instagram @MrsFridayNext and subscribe to her newsletter at twobossydames.substack.com. You can learn more about everything mentioned by Margaret at the following links:

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.

Ep88: The Thing About the Bennet Sisters' Shoe-Roses

4/24/2024

Grab your dancing slippers and your shoe-roses because the Netherfield Ball is right around the corner, and the Bennet sisters are ready to party. This episode we take a look at the fancy footwear frills of the 17th and 18th centuries and the ways in which those trends transitioned into the Regency era.

Selected Sources

Cunnington, Cecil Willett, and Phillis Emily Cunnington. Handbook of English Costume in the Eighteenth Century. Boston, Plays, 1972. http://archive.org/details/handbookofenglis00cunn.
———. Handbook of English Costume in the Nineteenth Century. Boston: Plays, inc, 1971. http://archive.org/details/handbookofenglis0000cunn.
Davidson, Hilary. Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019.
Earnshaw, Pat. “Lace for Your Shoes: The Impractical Vanity.” The Bulletin of the Needle and Bobbin Club 70 (1987): 22.
Fairholt, Frederick William. Costume in England: Glossary. G. Bell and sons, 1896.
Lester, Katherine, and Bess Viola Oerke. Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Courier Corporation, 2013.
Pendergast, S., T. Pendergast, and S. Hermsen. Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear Through the Ages. Vol. 3. UXL, 2003. https://books.google.com/books?id=-tIZAQAAIAAJ.
Poppy, Pat. “The Clothing Accessory Choices of Rachel, Countess of Bath, and Other Mid-Seventeenth-Century Women.” Costume 54, no. 1 (March 2020): 3–29. https://doi.org/10.3366/cost.2020.0141.
Severn, Bill. If the Shoe Fits. New York: McKay, 1964.
Wallace, Beth Kowaleski. “Traveling Shoe Roses: The Geography of Things in Austen’s Works.” In Jane Austen’s Geographies, edited by Robert Clark, 115–27. Routledge, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351235341.
Webster, John. “The White Devil.” In The Dramatic Works: The White Devil, The Duchess of Malfi., London: Reeves & Turner, 1612.
Wilcox, R. Turner. The Mode in Footwear: A Historical Survey with 53 Plates. Courier Corporation, 2008.

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.

Ep86: The Thing About Brandon and Willoughby's Appointment

3/28/2024

Colonel Brandon and Willoughby are about to meet by appointment, and their seconds are ready with all the necessary administrative details. Which leads us to ask the question, could this meeting have been an email? Join us this episode as we break down the details of the duel in Sense and Sensibility.

Selected Sources

A Late Captain in the Army. General Rules and Instructions for All Seconds in Duels. Whitehaven: John Ware, 1793.
Banks, Stephen. “Killing with Courtesy: The English Duelist, 1785-1845.” Journal of British Studies 47, no. 3 (2008): 528–58.
Barrington, Jonah, and George A. Birmingham. Recollections of Jonah Barrington. Dublin: Talbot Press, 1918. http://archive.org/details/recollectionsofj00barriala.
Barrington, Sir Jonah. Personal Sketches of His Own Times. H. Colburn, 1827.
Brewton, Vince. “‘He to Defend: I to Punish’: Silence and the Duel In Sense and Sensibility.” Persuasions, no. 23 (2001): 78–89.
Erickson, Carolly. Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England. First Harper Paperback. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2011.
Fullerton, Susannah. “The Many Duels of Sense and Sensibility.” Persuasions 44 (2022): 146–57.
Holland, Barbara. Gentlemen’s Blood: A History of Dueling from Swords at Dawn to Pistols at Dusk. New York: Bloomsbury, 2003.
McCalman, Iain, Jon Mee, Gillian Russell, Clara Tuite, Kate Fullagar, and Patsy Hardy, eds. “Duelling.” In An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199245437.001.0001/acref-9780199245437-e-197.
McMaster, Juliet. “Good Punishes Bad? The Duels in Sense and Sensibility.” Persuasions On-Line 32, no. 1 (2011). https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol32no1/mcmaster.html.
Mortimer, Ian. The Time Traveler’s Guide to Regency Britain: A Handbook for Visitors to 1789-1830. New York ; London: Pegasus Books, 2023.
Murray, Venetia. An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England. New York: Penguin, 2000.

EP85: The Thing About Henry's Great Coat

3/13/2024

Transcript

If Catherine is now riding with Henry after stopping at Petty-France for two hours and there are X number of capes on Henry's great coat and Y number of inches separating Catherine from Henry in the curricle (and WOW does Henry's hat sit so well), exactly how blissfully happy is Catherine in this moment?
The answer is innumerable, friends.

Selected Sources

Cunnington, C. Willett, and Philis Cunnington. Handbook of English Costume in the Nineteenth Century. 3rd ed. Boston: Plays, Inc, 1971. http://archive.org/details/handbookofenglis0000cunn.
Davidson, Hilary. Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. New Haven ; London: Yale University Press, 2019.
Derry, Stephen. “Freud, The Gothic, and Coat Symbolism in Northanger Abbey.” Persuasions 18 (1996): 48–53.
Henderson, Robert. “‘Not Merely an Article of Comfort’: British Infantry Greatcoats During the War of 1812.” Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 75, no. 301 (1997): 23–36.
Le Bourhis, Katell , ed. The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1989.
Somerset, Henry Charles FitzRoy. Driving. London: Longmans, Green, 1889.
Waugh, Norah. The Cut of Men’s Clothes: 1600-1900. Reissued. New York: Routledge, 1987.

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