Keyboard Shortcuts
ctrl + shift + ? :
Show all keyboard shortcuts
ctrl + g :
Navigate to a group
ctrl + shift + f :
Find
ctrl + / :
Quick actions
esc to dismiss
Likes
- Janeites
- Messages
Search
Re: [18thCWorlds] Recommendations for biographies
I like Holmes's book , the Age of Wonder. Will have to look into his
Confessions. Nancy On Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 11:21?AM Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody= [email protected]> wrote: Omitted: Richard Holmes Confessions of a Romantic Biographer; Maurois |
Re: [Trollope&Peers] Recommendations for biographies
I like the question Rory O'Farrell proposed on one of the lists I
moderate. Which is the least worse of the biographies of Jane Austen? Let me look at the ones I have and choose the least worse. Yes I think that and that Deirde Le Faye's so-called documentary work is shot through with bigoted pro-Austen family conclusions. Ellen On Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 11:31?AM Rory O'Farrell via groups.io <ofarrwrk@...> wrote:
|
Re: Recommendations for biographies
What is the opposite of hagiography? That is what I think about most of
the biographies of Lord Byron. While Austen's biographers seem to be making her a saint, Byron's twentieth and twenty-first century biographers seem to be vying with each other to see who can show him as the most diabolical or depraved. I prefer their letters. However, even then one has to be careful about the opinions of the editors intruding on one's interpretation. Fanny Burney's Diaries are better than any biography. One can find the basics of any of the authors' lives on WIKIPEDIA. A good biography can add details and richness to the bare description. I haven't found a biography of Charlotte Bronte that makes me like her more-- I don't know why this is as I am certainly sympathetic as to their circumstances and think highly of their accomplishments under the circumstances. However, I have mainly read the lives of the authors like Charlotte Smith, Mary Robinson, and Maria Edgeworth-- those who published before 1820. I have a non-fiction book as well as the fiction of Dorothy Sayers and find her interesting. Nancy On Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 11:18?AM Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody= [email protected]> wrote: Great biographers: Claire Tomalin (recommend especially her |
Re: [18thCWorlds] Recommendations for biographies
Omitted: Richard Holmes Confessions of a Romantic Biographer; Maurois
Art of Biography -- on biography itself. On Wed, Oct 30, 2024 at 11:18?AM Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody@...> wrote:
|
Recommendations for biographies
Great biographers: Claire Tomalin (recommend especially her
auotobiograhy), Victoria Glendinning (on Leonard Woolf), Claire Harmon (on Charlotte Bronte, another on Fanny Burney), Hilary Spurling on Christina Stead and Paul Scott. Older masterpiece: Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Bronte. Francesca Wade's group biography Square Haunting, Mo Moulton's Mutual Admiration Society: group biography of Dorothy Sayers and her Somerville friends. Short ones: Virginia Woolf's brilliant sketches. Of course Johnson and Boswell. I really think none on Austen because of hagiography Ellen |
Re: Ellen health bulletin
I see Arnie is repeating the same ideas. No wonder statistically Americans do so badly in the area of mortality and health vis-a-vis other so-called ¡°developed countries.¡±
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 27, 2024, at 1:33?PM, Arnie Perlstein via groups.io <arnieperlstein@...> wrote: |
Ellen health bulletin
?For what it¡¯s worth, Ellen, I was sincerely acknowledging that ultimately it¡¯s your own life to live. I was glad Tamar gave you that advice, I joined in it, trying to give you the benefit of my own medical experience (my physical therapist helped me avoid back surgery 5 years ago), but beyond that, you are the captain of your own ship.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I wasn¡¯t condescending or judging, but I know online it¡¯s hard sometimes to tell the difference. I hope things get better for you. Arnie On Oct 27, 2024, at 10:20?AM, Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody@...> wrote: |
Ellen health bulletin
For what it¡¯s worth, Ellen, I was sincerely acknowledging that ultimately it¡¯s your own life to live. I was glad Tamar gave you that advice, I joined in it, trying to give you the benefit of my own medical experience (my physical therapist helped me avoid back surgery 5 years ago), but beyond that, you are the captain of your own ship.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I wasn¡¯t condescending or judging, but I know online it¡¯s hard sometimes to tell the difference. I hope things get better for you. Arnie On Oct 27, 2024, at 10:20?AM, Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody@...> wrote: |
Re: Ellen health bulletin
To Arnie, I can't resist replying I should have guessed you'd end up
condescending and judging. E.M. On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 12:38?PM Arnie Perlstein via groups.io <arnieperlstein@...> wrote:
|
Ellen health bulletin
It is indeed your life to live.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Arnie On Oct 27, 2024, at 8:37?AM, Ellen Moody via groups.io <ellen.moody@...> wrote: |
Re: Ellen health bulletin
I do what is in my character to do --
Ellen On Sat, Oct 26, 2024 at 8:02?PM Arnie Perlstein via groups.io <arnieperlstein@...> wrote:
|
Ellen health bulletin
Thank you, Tamar, for giving Ellen that good advice to be proactive (and I
would add, to ask her loved ones to be proactive on Ellen's behalf) - our health care system responds to the squeaky wheel, and it neglects those who don't push for more attention and better care. I would also suggest getting a referral to a physical therapist to assess your condition, Ellen, and perhaps figure out exercises you could be doing regularly that would preserve and improve your physical capacities. Hang in there, Ellen. ARNIE On Sat, Oct 26, 2024 at 4:32?PM Tamar Lindsay via groups.io <dicconf= [email protected]> wrote: I am not a doctor nor anything medical. |
Re: Ellen health bulletin
I am not a doctor nor anything medical.
That said, my opinion is that you need a second opinion. From a different set of doctors, in a different hospital. Tell them someone else suggested it might be ischemic, and _ask_ what they think. Also ask what their Plan is for the continuing weakness and lack of use of the leg. Be sure to use the word "plan" - I hear that it has significant meaning in a medical context. This all advice I have seen for getting past the blinkers and egos. |
Re: Ellen health bulletin
Indeed. This is not the first time after a bout in an American
hospital emergency room, people have offered to put me in a cab when I was clearly not up to it. I'm sure there is nothing unusual about me. Ellen On Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 11:08?AM Nancy Mayer via groups.io <regencyresearcher@...> wrote:
|
Ellen health bulletin
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ellen Moody <ellen.moody@...> Date: Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 8:05?AM Subject: Ellen health bulletin To: [email protected] Group Moderators <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Thank you to Rory. Yesterday I had an unexplained relapse. i felt stiff, my left leg detached, not working, sudden soreness, i could talk, but slower. i called Kaiser, they called 911. after several hours & tests, the emergency folk & staff ascertained i hadn't had a stroke. So i was sent home. i've lost ground over larger mobility. my left leg struggles to do its part. so too the left hand. neither had recovered properly. luckily i can read and will carry on, but probably post less -- shorter rather than fewer (I hope). i look forward today all the more to Dr Thorne for an umpteenth time, part of chapter 3 of Il Gattopardo. An English friend is coming to visit, and i have one nice zoom on Manhattan nightlife in the 1950s, and my Thursday evening chat via zoom with autistic friends (40 minutes). this weekend I'll start the Italian version by Visconti. I will now not watch both. i will carry on with Winifred Holtby and my women's studies (Susan Hill just nw still on that landing with Howard's End on her lap. so I'm here, grateful as ever for everyone's friendship. a bit of a headache now, off to et porridge Love and friendship as Austen called one of her books Ellen On Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 4:07?AM Susan B via groups.io <smbiddle15@...> wrote:
|
Re: My 2024 AGM report
I'll add that the third day I listened to Prof Keymer's paper. It dazzled by its erudition, but all he could (for that is al there is evidence for) is take tiny details of description which suggest Austen knew something of the archeaological work ladies of her class followed in magazines and journals. The problem here is a number come from set pieces that read like published picturesque writing of the type Charlotte Smith skewered as cliched. In other words, there is a lot less flattering explanation for some of the unusual writing found in Persuasion. Like some of the literary criticism found in Sanditon, it might be there because the work is unfinished, and Austen had no chance to cut it (as she did with the 4 novels she published in her lifetime and the fair copy she made of Lady Susan.
As to the rest of the AGM, the livestream was very effective in conveying the mood and literally some of the in person feel -- much more than the 2 years I did manage to reach virtual sessions. It seemed to me remarkably the same as it's ever been since the first time I went in 1997 -- down to the alternatives offered on the night of the ball, what function the banquet served, the parade, the breakfast. So I was relieved I was not there then for these non-session times are to me long empty times with nothing for me to do. I could see the same tour activities went on too Ellen |
P.S. Re: My 2024 AGM report
That other speaker Saturday evening whose name eluded me earlier was Katie Childs, exec dr of Chawton House - not the Bath Austen Museum.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Arnie On Oct 21, 2024, at 3:03?PM, Arnie Perlstein <arnieperlstein@...> wrote: |
My 2024 AGM report
DIANA: "Glad to hear the conference was one of the best, Arnie - would you
kindly tell a bit more, such as what were some of the "best" things about it?" Hi Diana! Will you be coming to Baltimore next year, I hope??? Let's see.... (and I wonder if anyone else in this group was there too?) First, it was lovely hanging out with friends like Jenny Allan, Constance Vidor, friends from PDX, and others who I chatted with briefly, like Sarah Emsley, Elaine Bander, etc -- an exceptionally friendly vibe overall, and very well organized - nothing went wrong. I had assembled a wonderful banquet table, despite some folks having to cancel attending due to family tragedy -the table included some the above-named friends plus a couple of first timers who were lovely, who responded to my notice on the AGM Hoot Board. There were playoff baseball games going on not far from the hotel on Friday and Saturday evenings, and an induction of a bunch of Boomer rockers into the RocknRoll Hall of Fame just next door, so there were some music celebrities staying at the Hilton alongside the Janeites. And there was a football game probably no more than 4 blocks from the Hotel at the stadium situated on the shore of Lake Erie on Sunday as well - Cleveland was very busy. Then after the Sunday brunch, Constance Jenny and I met up with Diane and Roger Reynolds, who drove for hours just to make that happen - that was very special, as I've known Diane for 17 years, but we never met in person before. We all had a really great time. Among the plenaries, my favorites by far were Peter Sabor (very thorough job re Burney-Ausgen connections) and Patricia Matthew (passionately arguing for opening up JASNA and Jane Austen studies to POC); In the middle, Susan Allen Ford was very competent and professional, but not much new to me in her content. On the other side of the coin, I didn't get much at all out of either Amanda Vickery or Tom Keymer, their talks did not deliver what the title of their talks promised, at least as far as I was concerned. Lizzy Dunforth from Chawton House did a great job on Thursday in a special session presenting some exciting new stuff she has been studying for a while - a little pamphlet that JEAL created, apparently as a young teen, called Tales from Fairy-Land, but which Lizzy believes was perhaps a transcription of Tales told by Jane Austen to her nieces and nephews. I immediately found that persuasive, and I pointed out to her during the Q&A that when Miss Bates arrives at the Crown Inn and then, inter alia, says to Emma "This is just like fairy-land; such a transformation", that this is clearly a broad wink at the title of JEAL's booklet, plus the title of one of the 5 Tales. Lizzy had been speculating about possible echoes between the booklet and Austen's novels. I also quickly found some other stuff relating to Austen family fairy tales that further corroborates Lizzy's theory that these stories came in some form from JA herself. So very exciting. Lizzy also promised that the transcription of Frank Ausgen's memoir (that I was one of a lot of volunteers for) should be online by year end. I bet it contains some surprises relating to the Austen family biography - i gathered it was released to the public finally whe Frankj's descendant, also named Frank Austen, died earlier this year at 99. The Saturday night ball was hugely attended as usual, and there was also a nice ad hoc session for non-dancers with Lizzy, Amanda Vickery, Hillary Davidson, and Mary ___ (blanking on her name) from another of the Austen heritage sites (JA museum in Bath, I think) fielding Austen bio and life & times questions reo domestic stuff, fashion, Austen family history, etc. I realized during that talk that JA did not go to Godmersham at all for 4 years between 1809 and 1813 - and the panel were saying that JA was basically the breadwinner for the Chawton Cottage unit - so I am guessing it was CEA who was always at Godmersham during those 4 years - why it changed after that is anybody's guess - maybe after publishing S&S and P&P, JA had hit a groove where she could continue writing even when visiting Godmersham for extended visits? Among the breakout sessions I saw, the following were great (but obviously I only saw the ones I saw): This was excellent, very thorough, very creative thinking, and perfectly delivered: A5. Melissa Anderson, Southern Oregon UniversityJane Austen and France: Everyday Life in Times of War and Revolution Jane Austen¡¯s family was deeply affected by the events of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, and yet France is largely absent from her work. This talk examines the ways that France does show up in her writings and investigates how everyday life in Regency England would have been shaped by the wars. Using concepts drawn from the work of Michel de Certeau, it explores how Austen¡¯s focus on the domestic sphere may have been an intentional choice to validate the lives of women, who were profoundly affected by the wars and yet whose voices were absent from political discourse. This also was excellent, very thorough, informative and professionally delivered: B1. Dr. Christine Kenyon Jones, Virtual RegionJane Austen and Lord Byron: Literature, Politics, and Culture Building on her book, *Jane Austen and Lord Byron: Regency Relations*, Dr. Kenyon Jones considers these authors side-by-side. He was a famous celebrity, while she was a country parson¡¯s daughter writing anonymously. He was educated at Harrow and Cambridge, while she was almost entirely home-schooled. He participated directly in national and international politics as a member of the House of Lords, whereas she lacked even the right to vote. This talk explores these major differences, but also considers how Austen¡¯s and Byron¡¯s lives, interests, work, and sense of humor often brought them within touching distance in Regency England. Jocelyn Harris is always first rate, this is probably the 5th or 6th time I've seen her speak at an AGM: D3. Jocelyn Harris, University of OtagoJane Austen and Mme de Sta?l Germaine de Stael was a celebrated philosopher, woman of letters, and political theorist, and more famous than Austen in her time. Why did Jane Austen refuse to meet her? If the invitation came from Lord Holland¡¯s glittering salon, its politics might have put her off. Or did she simply resist being displayed? Scandal surrounded Sta?l, yet in 1808 Austen recommended her novel *Corinne *(1807) to a male acquaintance. In *Emma*, Jane Austen seems to agree with Sta?l about traditional restrictions on women, with Emma acting as a comic Corinne while Jane Fairfax barely escapes Corinne¡¯s fate. With heroes like Mr Knightley in short supply, whose world is more realistic, Sta?l¡¯s or Austen¡¯s? I also heard from a couple of people that this was really great by Collins, very detailed research: D5. Collins Hemingway, Southern Oregon RegionRiots & Insurrections: Social and Political Unrest in Austen¡¯s Time This session explores the social, political, and religious upheavals of the Regency era and their causes, including constant agitation by citizens for political representation, protests over industrial automation that forced down wages, and frustrations over high-level corruption and other abuses by the ruling class. The wealthy drove the government to repress the voices of citizens, who pushed back both peacefully and violently. Efforts to overthrow the government were met with political trials and executions, and two famous poets narrowly avoided arrest for sedition. The talk shows how Austen refers to major issues in a way that avoids risks for herself. And this was also very professional and entertaining, although there was nothing in her actual content that I didn't already know: E1. Linda Zionkowski, Central and Western Ohio Region Austen and the Comedy of Complaint While Austen¡¯s novels censure characters who are truly insensible to the pains, misfortunes, and feelings of others, those disturbed by a poorly-cooked meal or a drafty window fall into her group of whiners. This well-populated category of individuals is distinctive to Austen¡¯s fiction, but not unique among critiques of sensibility in her time: James Beresford¡¯s wildly popular treatise, *The Miseries of Human Life *(1806), portrays the art of whining in all its varieties. We will explore how Beresford¡¯s focus on complainers offered a model for a wholly original source of comedy¡ªone that Austen incorporated to perfection in her work. |
to navigate to use esc to dismiss