Letters

The Line of Thought

. . . to dream over books and loiter at street corners and let the line of thought dip deep into the stream.

--Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

On this day in 1816. . .

One hundred and second in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. The letter Jane Austen wrote to her 23-year-old...

Deborah Yaffe

Jun 23

On this day in 1801. . .

One hundred and first in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. How improper were Jane Austen’s letters? By...

Deborah Yaffe

May 5

On this day in 1816. . .

One hundredth in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. As we Janeites never tire of pointing out, Jane Austen...

Deborah Yaffe

Apr 21

A wrecking ball for Ashe Park House

The material traces of Jane Austen’s life are so scarce that devoted Janeites—or people seeking to profit off Janeite devotion--tend to...

Deborah Yaffe

Apr 10

Delayed snark

Some five years ago, my local chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America sponsored a discussion of Jane Austen at Home , the...

Deborah Yaffe

Mar 17

Branding exercise

A few weeks ago, I ran across a 2011 article in which the wonderful Scottish novelist Ali Smith explained why she seldom grants...

Deborah Yaffe

Feb 3

On this day in 1799. . .

Ninety-ninth in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. Exactly 226 years ago today, the 23-year-old Jane Austen...

Deborah Yaffe

Jan 9

On this day in 1798. . .

Ninety-eighth in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. Mary Lloyd was a friend of Jane and Cassandra Austen...

Deborah Yaffe

Dec 2, 2024

Thriller

Are you feeling sad that you won’t be able to join the Jane Austen 250th Birthday festivities in England next year? Fear not! You can...

Deborah Yaffe

Nov 18, 2024

On this day in 1813. . .

Ninety-seventh in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. What tribute does a friend owe to a published author?...

Deborah Yaffe

Nov 7, 2024

On this day in 1808. . .

Ninety-sixth in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. Janeites do not always take Jane Austen at her word when it...

Deborah Yaffe

Oct 7, 2024

On this day in 1814. . .

Ninety-fifth in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. Jane Austen was a patriotic Briton, and during her...

Deborah Yaffe

Sep 2, 2024