Win a copy of Jane Bites Back, by Michael Thomas Ford

Giveaway!

Enter a chance to win one of two copies of Jane Bites Back, the new paranormal Austen inspired novel by Michael Thomas Ford by following this link to Austenprose. Leave a comment revealing which Jane Austen character you would like to see turned by January 24th, 2010. Winners to be announced on January 25th, 2010. Shipping to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

I loved this book. It is clever, witty, peppered with Janeite lore and completely original - not a mash-up.

Read my review of Jane Bites Back
Read an interview of author Michael Thomas Ford
Read an excerpt of Jane Bites Back

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

John Lithgow Tweets About Jennifer Ehle and Their New Play

Gentle Readers: On February 22, Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth Bennet 1995) and John Lithgow are slated to star in the off Broadway production of Mr. & Mrs. Fitch, The Second Stage Theater, New York. The play, which is penned by Beane (The Little Dog Laughed, Xanadu), centers on two gossip columnists. A press release grandly announces: "When the social circuit no longer provides any scandalous news, they find that great celebrity can appear out of thin air." According to Playbill, the new comedy promises "a scathing look at who is in, who is out and who may not even exist at all."

John Lithgow's Tweets describe the rehearsals, which he says are going well. He has nothing but praise for Jennifer:

Questions about my play: MR & MRS FITCH by Douglas Carter Beane at 2nd Stage in NY, 1/26 to 3/21, with Jennifer Ehle. She and it are tops. - Jan 14

Just realized our first preview is in 13 days. Lines! Lines! - Jan 13

Rehearsals with Jennifer Ehle going great, and Richard Eyre's CARMEN at Met last night just tremendous, good NY dayz. - Jan 9


I"m such a sucker for CRANFORD on PBS, and I don't care who knows it. Haven't shed such tears since TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. - Jan 3

MR & MRS FITCH, that is. A new play at 2nd Stage Theatre in NY, starting on January 26. The entire cast is Jennifer Ehle and I. - Jan 3

1/3 of FITCH staged in a 5 hour rehearsal. Jennifer E. is fast, smart, and fabulous, Scott Ellis terrific. This is going to be some fun. - Jan 3

Saw pals Fey, Armison, S.Martin, J.Gleason, P.Wilson, C.Nixon, D.H.Hwang, F.Oz, et al in last 48 hrs. NY rules! (w. apologies for namedrops) - Jan 1

In NY, 3rd day of M/M Fitch (great!) Last night a great B'klyn: Vinegar Hill House followed by BRIEF ENCOUNTER at St. Anne's Warehouse. - Dec 31

Purchase the tickets at this site: Click here.

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Adaptation Actors in the News

Colin Firth (Mr Darcy 1995) as George VI and Helena Bonham-Carter as Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in The King's Speech, Colin's latest movie which he is currently filming. No images of Jennifer Ehle yet, but we'll post them as soon as they are available.

Why is Carey Mulligan (Kitty Bennet, 2005) the new "It" girl British import in Hollywood? This Daily Mail article spells it out: She's fresh and she's hot,' said Peter Rice, the head of Fox Searchlight. a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences opined,'There's a certain type of British actress we embrace - like Kate Winslet, Emily Blunt or Keira Knightley. Carey's the new girl and people are falling in love with her.'

Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth Bennet, Lost in Austen) makes her London theatre debut in The Little Dog Laughed, a satire on the hypocrisy of Hollywood. Gemma should know something about the topic, having appeared as a Bond girl in Quantum Of Solace. She will also be seen in Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia, both coming out this year.
Last but not least. What does the incomparable Anna Massey have in common with Helen Jerome's classic play interpretation of Pride and Prejudice, Celia Johnson, and Raymond Massey?

Find out in this article from Jane Austen's World.

Anna, who played Mrs. Norris in 1983's Mansfield Park, revealed a wit as acerbic as Jane Austen's in her autobiography,Telling Some Tales. She describes one New York Theatre gathering with this delicious observation: "The room was full of egos, many of whom wrote their own notices as they shook your hand."

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Follow Friday: Becca of the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop

Becca Hemmings is the manager of our favorite online emporium for all things Austen, the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop.

Imagine going to work everyday and being surrounded by Austen inspired merchandise, creating marketing strategies and playing on Facebook, Twitter and eBay? Sounds like the dream job to me! Lucky Becca.

You can follow Becca on Facebook & Twitter as she posts updates on new merchandise and sales and chats about her favorite author – you guessed it – Jane Austen!

Visit the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop online
Visit the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop on eBay

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Lost in Elliot Cowan?

Can't get enough of British actor Elliot Cowan since he emerged from the Pemberley pond and into our hearts as Mr. Darcy in Lost in Austen, the 2008 twisted bonnet parody of Pride and Prejudice? Here's some eye candy video for you from Littleviper. Enjoy!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Jane Bennet in Annie Get Your Gun

Not really -- but doesn’t actress Rosamund Pike aka Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice 2005 look like Annie Oakley the famous sharpshooter of the American west in this photo?

Actually, Rosamund will play the title role in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, considered one the greatest dramatic roles in theater where guns play a major role – thus the need for the publicity people to emphasize the violence in Ibsen’s story to connect a classic play to a modern audience. For all you lucky Brits, the UK tour will begin at the Theatre Royal Bath, running February 23 - March 6 and continue to Brighton March 8-13, Richmond March 15-20, Nottingham March 22-27, and Oxford March 29 - April 4. It is expected that the production will then transfer to the West End.

Along the way Miss Bennet will be having tea with Catherine Morland in Bath, Lydia Bennet in Brighton, Mrs. Churchill in Richmond, Mr. Darcy the Sheriff of Nottingham in Nottingham and Edmund Bertram in Oxford. Honestly, we couldn’t be more pleased for her, but advise her leave the guns at the theater.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

PBS Movie Throwdown

Have you watched the first episode of Return to Cranford? If not, the episode will be shown online for the next two weeks on PBS's website. If you did, how did you think this episode stacked up to the original Cranford?

How do you like Return to Cranford, Episode One?
	Loved it
	Liked it
	Not sure yet
	It did not stack up to Cranford, 2008
	I disliked it
pollcode.com free polls

Facts About Jane Austen's Letters

Trivia found in this link from Following the Trail of Jane Austen's Letters:

Who cut the signature or parts of Jane Austen's letters and sent them to Austen admirers? (Answer: Francis Austen, Jane's brother, among other relatives.)

Who sold Jane Austen's letters and for how much? (Answer: This depends. In May of 2005, a fragment of a letter advertised by Bauman's Rare Books for $7500, sold. To whom and for how much? Bauman's would not disclose. However, one representative of the company explained that, unlike an auction house, Bauman's generally sells such an item for very close to the asking price.)

Where might an Austen admirer travel to find the largest group of original Austen letters in the world today--more than five times the number gathered in any other single place? (Answer: With fifty-one, the J. Pierpont Morgan LibraryPierpont Morgan Library, originally the private library of J. Pierpont Morgan, in 1924 made a public institution by his son J. P. Morgan.)

What do Sandy Lerner, Jerome Kern, Amy Lowell, J. P. Morgan and William Randolph William Randolph Hearst all have in common? (Answer: They all once owned one or more of Jane Austen's letters.)

Where did the National Library of Scotland get the money to pay for the Jane Austen letters, which the library recently acquired? (Answer: As part of a 17.7 million [pounds sterling] lottery grant.)

• Click here to read more about Jane Austen's Letters on Jane Austen's World

Follow Rebecca Smith – Writer in Residence at Jane Austen's House Museum

Rebecca Smith is the first official Writer in Residence at Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton – that is if you do not count Jane herself who revised or wrote all of her six major novels under that roof from 1809-1817. Follow Rebecca on her blog as she journals about her experiences presenting writing workshops, organizing school essay competitions, heading up writing and reading groups and writing her own novel – or if you are lucky enough to be in the neighborhood visit her in person on Mondays and Wednesdays. Here's and interesting tidbit about her from Jane Austen's House Museum website.

During the residency she will be finishing a novel that follows five generations of a family from Hampshire to India and back again. It was partly inspired by Chawton - Rebecca is Jane Austen’s great great great great great niece!

Even with blood ties, Rebecca has big shoes to fill, if that could evah be possible. She does however, in my estimation, have the ultimate dream job.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Love Story - a celebration of Jane Austen Couples

Enjoy this great montage of Jane Austen couples from the recent adaptations of Mansfield Park 2007, Persuasion 2007, Northanger Abbey 2007 and Sense and Sensibility 2008 included in "The Complete Jane Austen" on Masterpiece Classic in 2008, by PBouvma at YouTube.

The endearing ladies of Cranford return on Sunday

The new season on Masterpiece Classic begins on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 9:00 pm with Return to Cranford, the continuation of Victorian-era author Elizabeth Gaskell's stories about Cranford, an English village in Cheshire populated by endearing characters with traditional views facing the challenge of change during the industrial revolution in England during the 1840's. Here is a preview at Austenprose of the new two episode series which premieres on PBS. Since this is the last bonnet drama that the BBC/WGBH will be producing for some time, don't miss it!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Serialized Novels on Blogs

Good Intentions is the name of Catherine Spencer's novel, which is set in the Regency period as an homage to Jane Austen. In it she tries to duplicate the tone and sensibility of the nineteenth century novel, including a healthy dose of humour and romance.

Catherine intends to post weekly (Sunday) excerpts from the first part of her novel, and she would like to hear what you think of it. Please leave comments on her blog.

Mrs Darcy vs. The Aliens is a slightly demented sequel to Pride and Prejudice. Written by Jonathan Pinnock, you can expect an update twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The sites already offers five episodes, with a new one promised tomorrow! "THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE (although, sadly, it is not yet universally acknowledged)."

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Fanny Price a Tart?

Well, I don’t think so … not in the wildest stretch of the imagination could Jane Austen’s most prim and proprietous heroine be considered a woman of loose morals, yet Billie Piper the actress who portrayed Fanny in the 2007 adaptation of Mansfield Park is being tagged a tart by her elderly country neighbors in Midhurst, West Sussex where she lives with her husband, actor Laurence Fox (Mr. Wisley in Becoming Jane) and their young son Winston.

Mail Online is reporting that in an interview for the February issue of Marie Claire magazine, the 27-year old actress revealed that "A few of the older locals actually believe I'm a whore," because of her role in ITV’s and Showtime’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl based on the exploits of a real-life call girl Belle de Jour.

"They love Laurence because he's in Lewis (Inspector Lewis in the US), and his fan club are basically in their mid-sixties and upwards. (Ouch – that made his fans who are not senior citizens feel rather ancient). They love him. It's sickening. They follow him around, they want to mother him. I mean, there are places he can't go - like Mecca Bingo or the bowling green - but he loves it. Then they look at me and are like, "That slag! How could you dirty yourself with her? She's corrupted you.""

I guess Billie needs to send her neighbors the DVD of Mansfield Park to redeem her reputation. Fanny Price has been accused of being a prig, but never a tart!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown

When she saw a portrait of Mrs. Harriet Quinton (who was mistress to the Prince Regent), Jane Austen wrote in a letter dated May, 1813 of how much Mrs. Q resembled her vision of Jane Bennet: "Mrs Bingley is exactly herself, size, shaped face, features & sweetness; there never was a greater likeness. She is dressed in a white gown, with green ornaments, which convinces me of what I had always supposed, that green was a favourite colour with her." Two actresses who portrayed Jane Bennet come close to resembling this portrait: Sabina Franklyn (1980 Jane) and Maureen O'Sullivan (1940 Jane). Susannah Harker of P&P 1995 and Rosamund Pike of P&P 2005 are both tall, slender, and blond, and thus they were eliminated. In your opinion, which actress came the closest to matching Jane Austen's vision of Jane Bennet?

This actress most resembles Jane Austen's vision of Jane Bennet

Maureen O'Sullivan, 1940 Pride and Prejudice

Sabina Franklyn, 1980 Pride and Prejudice

Information and quote from the Morgan Library website. Image of Sabina Franklyn from Kaye Dacus' blog.

Jane Austen Centre Gift Shop Sale

Make haste! Our favorite online emporium for all things Austen, the Jane Austen Centre Gift Shop, is having an after holiday sale with up to 75% off selected merchandise.

One special item that caught my eye was Lizzie Bennet’s Gift Box – Bath Treats. Exclusive to The Jane Austen Centre, this pretty pink gift set contains one delicately scented Lizzie Bennet Soap (45g) and two indulgent rose bud, cocoa butter bath melts, all nestled in a bed of straw within a pink display box. Just in time to sooth your soul after the hectic holiday season.

There is a great assortment of items, including the Pride and Prejudice peacock tote, which I am quite enamored with, and may not be able to pass up!

Happy shopping from the ease and comfort of your keyboard.

Cheers, Laurel Ann

Jane Austen Reads Her Letter to James Stanier Clark

The Prince Regent was a great admirer of Jane Austen's novels, and she (reluctantly, for she did not like Prinny) dedicated Emma to him. The Prince's librarian, James Stanier Clark, corresponded with Jane and made suggestions for the plot of her next novel. Her reply is contained herein and in this odd YouTube video:



Letter from Jane Austen 1st April 1816.......

You are very, very kind in your hints as to the sort of Composition which might recommend me at present, & I am fully sensible than an Historical Romance, founded on the House of Saxe Coburg might be much more to the purpose of Profit or Popularity, than such pictures of domestic Life in Country Villages as I deal in--but I could no more write a Romance than an Epic Poem.--I could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my Life, & if it were indispensable for me to keep it up & never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first Chapter.--No--I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way ...