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Journalist and author
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
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The oracle of Austen
Long ago, as readers of Among the Janeites may recall, I had a curious encounter with a Jane Austen tarot card. It appeared to advise me...
Deborah Yaffe
Dec 19, 2024
Celebrating significance
At my synagogue, members sometimes engage in public religious rituals to mark what we discreetly call “significant birthdays”--in other...
Deborah Yaffe
Dec 16, 2024
Rank order
Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, England—her home for the last eight years of her life, and the place where she wrote or revised all six...
Deborah Yaffe
Dec 12, 2024
Jane Austen's fingerprints
In these days of standardized computer fonts and software-assisted editing, one writer’s manuscript probably looks much like another’s....
Deborah Yaffe
Dec 9, 2024
Janeite grandmother
In this season of brutal political combat, it’s consoling to remember back to a less conflict-ridden past. And so it is that I felt a...
Deborah Yaffe
Dec 5, 2024
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
The sound of silence
Ah, Thanksgiving traditions: Turkey , mashed potatoes , pumpkin pie —and brutal political arguments among loved ones! With this year’s...
Deborah Yaffe
Nov 28, 2024
Words with Jane
My name is Deborah, and I am a puzzle addict. My morning begins with a brisk jaunt through a trio of New York Times offerings— Wordle ,...
Deborah Yaffe
Nov 25, 2024
Crossover artist
Jane Austen is the ultimate crossover artist, with an unchallenged position in both literary studies and popular culture. (Hey, didn’t...
Deborah Yaffe
Nov 21, 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
Sacred space
Jane Austen breathed her last on July 18, 1817, in rented rooms at 8 College Street in the English cathedral city of Winchester. For...
Deborah Yaffe
Nov 14, 2024
Regency stylings
A few months ago, I noted with surprise that I was eagerly anticipating my next visit to a place I often describe as the most boring...
Deborah Yaffe
Nov 11, 2024
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