Mary C.M. Phillips's Blog, page 9
April 4, 2018
Pride and Prejudice and Coffee
Yesterday I released my first ebook and am wondering what took me so long! It’s a great high, this experience, and although caffeine might be playing a part in all of this, I cannot express the feeling of [image error]satisfaction when a friend (or acquaintance) grasps the “message” of the story. The message that we writers spend time crafting and scrutinizing over. Not to mention the editing (Oh, the editing).
Even better is when we actually inspire the reader…even if it is only in some small way.
So…
Write it. Say it. Publish it.
And, if you’re so inclined, sip on a cup of coffee while you’re at it.
Pride and Prejudice and Coffee – Available on amazon
April 3, 2018
Pride and Prejudice and Coffee
My two addictions…in one ebook. Pride and Prejudice and Coffee is available today on amazon.
Jane Austen and the Militia
Today, over at What Jane Austen Didn’t Tell Us, Paul Wray discusses militia regiments in Jane Austen’s time.
Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Weston (formerly Captain Weston) in Emma, and Jane Austen’s brother Henry all served as officers in the militia. The militia was a domestic military force and, unlike the regular army, could not be sent on duty outside the country.
March 27, 2018
Learning to read in Jane Austen’s Time…
Today, over at What Jane Austen Didn’t Tell Us!, Clarice Neudorfer writes about a common learning tool in Jane Austen’s time.
In Pride and Prejudice Caroline Bingley defines her perspective of an accomplished woman by listing “music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages,” but fails to include reading. However, Mr. Darcy then augments the list … “She must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”
March 20, 2018
Jane Austen, Lady Catherine, My Grandmother and Me
Today, over at What Jane Austen Didn’t Tell Us, A. Marie Sprayberry discusses the inspiration behind her hilarious backstory on Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Read more here…
March 17, 2018
March 13, 2018
The Making of a Clergyman in Jane Austen’s Time
Today, over at What Jane Austen Didn’t Tell Us, Linda Dennery discusses the life and duties of a Clergyman in Austen’s time.
March 6, 2018
Jane Austen, Lydia, and Books
Today Anvita Budhraja discusses Jane Austen, Lydia Bennet and books. Anvita is a student of English Literature and Women’s & Gender Studies at Columbia University.
When thinking about Lydia’s story, it was important to me to establish that she existed in a world wholly separate from the one to which she actually belonged. Developing a vivid imagination for Lydia was key to understanding what she thought and how, despite the social and familial forces around her, she could live and do as she pleased. This led me to explore what children’s literature looked like in England during Austen’s time as stories she heard would have sparked Lydia’s imagination.
February 27, 2018
Austen and Children’s Games
Today Meg Levin discusses children’s games in Jane Austen’s time.
Written by Meg Levin, contributing writer, WHAT JANE AUSTEN DIDN’T TELL US!
The backstories I co-wrote involved two of the Bennet daughters, so I researched child rearing in the late eighteenth century. I was particularly curious about games and toys. Indeed, there are some references in Austen’s novels and letters to activities that are both fun and encourage physical development.
The pictured game employs a bilbocatch, a challenging toy that requires good eye/hand coordination and patience. This particular one is cleverly designed to have two levels of difficulty. You can hold it near the pointy end, start swinging the attached ball back and forth to build up momentum and then flip it and try to catch it in the concave base where it fits snugly. Once you’ve mastered that, you’re ready to make use of the hole in the bottom of the ball. Turn the stick upside down, hold…
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February 20, 2018
Gentleman’s Debts in Jane Austen’s Time by Paul Wray
Today Paul Wray discusses how gentlemen dealt with financial debt in Jane Austen’s time.
Jane Austen didn’t tell us about how George Wickham managed “to be in debt to every tradesman” in Meryton without finding himself in legal jeopardy for not paying what he owed. Likewise, at Brighton, Mr. Gardiner tells the family, “He owed a good deal in town, but his debts of honour were still more formidable.”
To read more, visit What Jane Austen Didn’t Tell Us!
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