EPISODES - The Thing About Austen

The Thing About Austen

Ep39: The Thing About Mrs. Dashwood's Linens

5/22/2022

John and Fanny Dashwood are sadly waving goodbye to some valuable household objects, and we're here to explain why they really need to get over themselves. This episode we're looking at the linens in Sense and Sensibility, and the role of such objects in Austen's time.

Selected Sources:

Boase, Tessa. The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House. London: Aurum Press, 2015.
Brodie, Antonia. “Marking and Memory: An Embroidered Sheet in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.” TEXTILE 14, no. 2: Emotional Textiles (May 3, 2016): 160–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/14759756.2016.1139381.
Buchan, William. Domestic Medicine: Or a Treatise on the Prevention and Cure of Diseases by Regimen and Simple Medicines. 14th ed. London, 1794.
Dolan, Alice. “The Fabric of Life: Time and Textiles in an Eighteenth-Century Plebeian Home.” Home Cultures 11, no. 3 (November 2014): 353–74. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174214X14035295691238.
———. “Touching Linen: Textiles, Emotion and Bodily Intimacy in England C. 1708-1818.” Cultural and Social History 16, no. 2 (March 15, 2019): 145–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780038.2019.1586810.
Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn. North and South. Edited by Angus Easson. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Postrel, Virginia. The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World. New York: Basic Books, 2020.
St Clair, Kassia. The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History. London: John Murray, 2018.
Victoria and Albert Museum. “Linen – The Original Sustainable Material,” April 2018. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/linen-the-original-sustainable-material.

Ep38: The Thing About Louisa's Fall with guest Dr. Matthew Reznicek

5/12/2022

This week we're joined by guest Dr. Matthew Reznicek as we discuss one of the most pivotal scenes in Persuasion. In addition to Louisa's injury and the treatment she receives, we also examine the role of Anne as caregiver and the various ways that health and illness come up in the novel.

Episode content warning: Discussion of traumatic brain injury and depression.

Thank you so much to Matthew for joining us for this episode! You can find him on Twitter @drreznicek.

Selected Sources

Klass, Perri. “‘A Sick Child Is Always the Mother’s Property’: The Jane Austen Pediatric Trauma Management Protocol.” The Journal of Medical Humanities 42, no. 1 (March 2021): 121–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-020-09664-0.
Richardson, Alan. “Of Heartache and Head Injury: Reading Minds in Persuasion.” Poetics Today 23, no. 1 (2002): 141–60.

Ep37: The Thing About Petty-France

5/5/2022

If General Tilney's chaise leaves Bath at 10 am and Henry's curricle also leaves Bath at 10 am and there are x postilions and y outriders and Catherine really, really, really just wants to get to the abbey, how many capes are on Henry's greatcoat?

This episode we're all about schedules and mileage (and Henry's greatcoat), as we journey along with Catherine and stopover at Petty-France.

Selected Sources

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Edited by James Kinsley and John Davie. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2008.
Cantrell, Dean. “Yes, There Is a Petty France.” Persuasions 9 (1987): 36.
Jones, Hazel. Jane Austen’s Journeys. London: Hale, 2014.
Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen’s England. London: Hale, 1996.
Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. London: Frances Lincoln, 2003.
Mogg, Edward. Mogg’s Pocket Itinerary of the Direct and Cross Roads of England and Wales, with Part of the Roads of Scotland. London, 1828.
The Bodkin. “Stay.” Accessed April 30, 2022. https://thebodkin.co.uk/.

Ep36: The Thing About Regency Theatre with Guest Lauren Wethers

4/28/2022

Raise the curtain! Guest Lauren Wethers is here this week to provide us with an introduction to attending the theatre in Austen's time. We also chat a bit about Bridgerton, so mild spoiler warnings for season one. If you have ever wanted to be on stage, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to Lauren for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @LaurenWethers. You can learn more about the Reclaiming Jane podcast at www.ReclaimingJanePod.com and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @ReclaimingJane.

Ep35: The Thing About Tattersall's

4/14/2022

Sir Walter is peeved, and we're here to explain exactly why our favorite snob is in such a snit. Obviously, no one explained to Mr. Elliot that Tattersall's is not to be trifled with.

If you have ever wanted a pony, this episode is for you.

Episode content warning: discussion of gambling and debt.

Selected Sources

Ackermann, Rudolph. The Microcosm of London or London In Miniature. Vol. 3. London: Bensley, 1815. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Volume_III/1X9DnQZuBfMC?hl=en&gbpv=0.
The General Evening Post. “Advertisement: Richard Tattersall’s Well-Bred Running Horse.” March 12, 1761, No. 4278 edition.
Tattersalls. “History of Tattersalls.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.tattersalls.com/about.
Lynch, Diedre Shauna. “Introduction and Notes.” In Persuasion, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Morrison, Robert. The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Vamplew, Wray, and Joyce Kay. Encyclopedia of British Horseracing. London: Routledge, 2005.

Ep34: The Thing About Edward's Hair Ring with guest Dr. Sally Holloway

4/7/2022

Mistaken identity! Mystery hair! Edward is sporting a new ring, and now everyone is feeling uncomfortable and confused. Fortunately, Dr. Sally Holloway is here to help us examine this hairy intrigue. If you have ever regretted your choice of accessories, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to Sally for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @sally_holloway. You can also check out her book, The Game of Love in Georgian England: Courtship, Emotions, and Material Culture from Oxford University Press (2019).

EP33: The Thing About Catherine's Love of Baseball

3/31/2022

Take me out to the ball game! This week we're getting sporty as we discuss Catherine Morland's love of baseball. If you have ever imagined a romcom moment for Catherine and Henry involving baseball, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Block, David. Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005.
———. “The Story of William Bray’s Diary.” Medium, September 5, 2013. https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/the-story-of-william-brays-diary-ff56a31de58d.
Citron, Jo Ann. “Running the Basepaths: Baseball and Jane Austen.” The Journal of Narrative Technique 18, no. 3 (1988): 269–77.
Hooper, Simon. “Did Baseball Begin in 18th-Century England?,” CNN, June 9, 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/06/01/lords.museum.baseball.cricket/.
Miriam Webster. “No, Jane Austen Did Not Invent Baseball.” Accessed March 15, 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/who-invented-the-word-baseball.
Britannica. “Rounders: English Game.” Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/sports/rounders.
Thorn, John. "The 'Secret History' Of Baseball’s Earliest Days." Interview by Dave Davies. NPR Audio, March 16, 2011. https://www.npr.org/2011/03/16/134570236/the-secret-history-of-baseballs-earliest-days.
Wilson, John. “How Jane Austen Played Baseball.” First Things, March 22, 2019. https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/03/how-jane-austen-played-baseball.

EP32: The Thing About Jane's Irish Melodies

3/17/2022

Jane Fairfax has recently received a selection of music, and we're here to unpack the significance of that "new set of Irish melodies." Spoiler alert: Frank Churchill has some explaining to do. If you have ever received a mystery gift, this episode is for you.

Thank you to Salonnières for letting us share part of their gorgeous arrangement of "The Last Rose of Summer" as our outro music this week. You can learn more about Salonnières on their website, www.salonnieres.org and find their albums on iTunes.

Selected Sources:

Hunt, Una. “The Harper’s Legacy: National Airs and Pianoforte Music.” Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland 6 (2010): 3–53. https://doi.org/10.21427/D7MB3C.
Libin, Katheryn L. Shanks. “Music, Character, and Social Standing in Jane Austen’s Emma.” Persuasions 22 (2000): 15–30.
McCleave, Sarah. “The Genesis of Thomas Moore’s Irish Melodies, 1808–1834.” In Cheap Print and Popular Song in the Nineteenth Century, edited by Paul Watt, Derek Scott, and Patrick Spedding, 47–70. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316672037.004.
Montagne, Renee, and Miles Hoffman. “The ‘Irish Melodies’ Of Poet Thomas Moore.” Morning Edition. NPR, March 17, 2015. https://www.npr.org/2015/03/17/393530786/the-irish-melodies-of-poet-thomas-moore.
Moore, Thomas, and John Allen Stevenson. A Selection of Irish Melodies. Vol. 1. London and Dublin: James and William Power, 1808.
Piggott, Patrick. The Innocent Diversion: Music in the Life and Writings of Jane Austen. London: Cleverdon, 1979.

Ep31: The Thing About Marianne's Smelling Salts with guest Dr. Emily C. Friedman

3/10/2022

Pull up your fainting couch because have we got a revivifying episode for you! Dr. Emily C. Friedman is here to take us through the olfactory delights of smelling bottles, as well as breaking down what their various scents and applications tell us about characters like Marianne Dashwood and Lady Bertram.

Thank you so much to Emily for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @friede, on Instagram @ManuscriptFiction, on YouTube @CriticalProf, and at www.ecfriedman.com where you can find information about all of her work.

Also, check out Emily's monograph Reading Smell in Eighteenth-Century Fiction, coming out in paperback soon.

Ep30: The Thing About Lydia's Trip to Brighton

3/3/2022

Why exactly was Lydia Bennet so eager to visit Brighton and why was Elizabeth so right to be concerned? Brighton was the playground of the wealthy and free-wheeling in Austen's time, and we're here to give you the tour. If you have ever wanted to vacation with royalty, this episode is for you.

Selected episode sources

Cannon, John, and Robert Crowcroft. “Brighton.” In A Dictionary of British History. Oxford University Press. Accessed February 25, 2022. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191758027.001.0001/acref-9780191758027-e-508.
Dinkel, J. “The Royal Pavilion.” Historic England. Accessed February 25, 2022. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1380680.
Imms, Adrian. “History of the Barracks That Came and Went.” The Argus, October 4, 2016. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14781207.history-of-the-barracks-that-came-and-went/.
Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
Morrison, Robert. The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Bryon Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern. New York: Norton, 2019.
Sakula, Alex. “Doctor Brighton: Richard Russell and the Sea Water Cure.” Journal of Medical Biography 3, no. 1 (February 1995): 30–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/096777209500300105.
Royal Pavilion. “Short History of the Pavilion.” Accessed February 25, 2022. https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/short-history-of-the-royal-pavilion/.
Weis, Heather. “‘Brighton Possesses All the Requisites ... for Either Amusement or Dissipation’: Frivolity in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.” Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial, October 10, 2013. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/celia_pride/preconference/posters/5.