Seen on the Blogosphere

Click here to read an article, Read My Lips: Love Stories Are Just a Con, about the romance novel's influence on young women's expectations of a mate. The author Josephine Cox seems to think that romance writers have unwittingly seduced young women with false ideals of love and hope. Is Jane Austen, widely regarded as the forerunner of the modern romance novel, equally at fault for this development? No, says Josephine Cox, because in Jane's day women had fewer options for getting married or staying single.

Then there's Stephanie Dolgoff, who interviewed a number of women in a study on sex and love. One of her subjects is quoted as saying, Sex can make a relationship more loving. More than 60 percent of women felt that the more they had sex, the more affectionate their daily interactions were. (My husband shows uncharacteristic willingness to sit through a Jane Austen movie after a particularly satisfying intermission.) Well, Stephanie, I hate to tell you this, but we Janeites already knew this luscious tidbit without having to go through an elaborate study.

Finally, I wish I could be at Barnard Castle Church in Teesdale this Saturday to celebrate the autumn fayre. This year the fayre will feature Jane Austen's Christmas, as described in the Teesdale Mercury and also reported in Austen blog.

This year, however, an additional entertainment has been organised, in remembrance of the period when the bazaar started, called "Jane Austen's Christmas."

There is the promise of a merry presentation, bringing to life festive pleasures in the age of elegance, based on the life and writings of Jane Austen. It will be presented by Gillian Stapleton, a costume historian, and member of the company, The History Wardrobe.

Those attending shall learn how to dress for a Christmas party, hear Mrs Austen's recipe for a pudding, try to decipher Jane's own charades and party puzzles, play some traditional games, and hear a thrilling ghost story.

Afterwards there will be tea and cakes, baked from period recipes.

If you will recall, gentle reader, I featured The History Wardrobe in a post only a week ago.

The History Wardrobe

The History Wardrobe offers "delightful costume-in-context presentations, with lively readings from contemporary authors, beautiful original items and high-quality replica garments." The Jane Austen Festival, Bath Theatre Royal goes on to proclaim that the programme is: "Rich in historical detail and marvelously funny!"

In fact, when I checked out this informative site and its offerings, I discovered that Undressing Mr. Darcy, which I featured in a post this past summer, was an idea that developed from a conversation at dinner table. Click on this link and listen to how this marvelous costume presentation was put together.

According to Gillian Stapleton, one of the founders of the troupe, "The History Wardrobe' has been in existence for 7 years, we're all professional actors and performers, and I'm the resident costume historian. I research and make all the clothes that we use for our performances, and source all the other items that we need to present a complete 'look' that is accurate for each period. We do 12 different talks, of which 'Undressing Mr Darcy' is just one, spanning 3 centuries of fashion history. Our other Regency period presentations are : 'Regency Romance' (dealing with Regency weddings, and dressing a Regency bride), and 'Frills and Frivolity' (dressing a Regency lady in everyday clothes)."

Stay tuned for future posts on this topic as I ask Gillian more questions about the founding of this fabulous company. For a Programme of Presentations in 2007, click here. Indeed, I am sad to know that this talented group of performers can be seen only in England. Perhaps we can entice The History of Wardrobe troupe to entertain us in the COLONIES one of these days.