A very promising title, Arnie. Congratulations -- you must mean 2027.
I've only presented once, that Portland one you presented at, 2010
I read enough of your email to see you used some of what I speculated
on Galigai. I remember I was told afterwards I had misunderstood
something. I know I didn't come up with your inference about Austen
as strongly commercially ambitious -- though she was not unambitious.
Just to say I disagree with what you did with or think about the
significance of this French material in Austen's life. Simply she
never knew or personally cultivated these people -- as we see when she
declines to go to a party Madame de Stael is at. But they knew and
admired her work. Especially de Montolieu who in effect rewrote S&S
in French (still in print as a translation) and a free translation of
Persuasion. She also read & admired MP: she said so.
The French sources are very important. Recently I was asked to write
an entry for an encyclopedia article on Isabelle de Montolieu (this
past March while I was in Rehab), based on all the work I did on her
in my online edition of Caroline de Lichtfield.
Unfortunately it was 20 years ago and would take heroic efforts to
bring back to my mind, were I well enough. I'm not. I had to decline
but said they were welcome to use all I wrote and all sources I found.
Even at the time I was very unsure of what I concluded beyond what
close reading can tell you. I knew no one and have never been able to
network or travel in a monetized way or career-related way. I am less
able than ever now.
But congratulations -- you'll probably bring in new information. I
hope you read French, for a lot of this stuff (especially written in
Switzerland) is not translated into English
Ellen
Ellen Moody