Yours Faithfully, Amanda

Jane & Charlotte:   Finding Common Ground in Hartford By: Amanda Forker Jane Austen lived from 1775 until 1817 whilst Charlotte Brontë was born in 1816 and died in 1851; they were near contemporaries with only the latter author having knowledge of the prior. Now, however, in 2020, we lucky Connecticutians have the unique opportunity to see fresh theatrical adaptations (written by talented, female playwrights) of both Jane & Charlotte’s most famous works: Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre , respectively. I am one of those lucky Connecticutians who has seen both....and I hope that you will be, too. If you consider yourself to be a ‘Janeite,’ Brontë Fan, or even a general literature/history buff, then you may be aware that Charlotte Brontë was no fan of Jane Austen’s. That being said, it is this authoress’s opinion that Charlotte’s dislike was cemented when friend and literary critic, G.H. Lewes, compared ‘Jane Eyre’ to ‘Pride & Prejudice.’ It was impli...

March 1, 2019 Dear Jane, Imagine a world where one could go to a nearby town's public library and enjoy a whole host of Jane-Austen-related activities, completely free of charge. Surely, such a beautiful world does not exist! Spoiler Alert: It does and it's the world I live in. While that introduction may have been *slightly* over-dramatic, I firmly believe that public libraries deserve to be recognized for the undeniable joy they bring to the lives of so many. It just so happens, though, that a particular library has inspired this joy and dramatic flair within me today: The charming   Cheshire Public Library  of Cheshire, Connecticut. Throughout the entire month of February, they hosted numerous Jane-themed events and called the series, "For the love of Jane Austen."  How divine! Although I did not learn about the existence of said series until the middle of February, I feel truly #blessed that I was able to attend two events that were both exceedingly divertin...

March 8, 2018 Dear Jane, First of all, Happy International Women's Day! Oh, how you would have loved to celebrate such a momentous day whilst you were living. I must say that you are a very important figure in Women's History , Jane,  and will always be remembered as such. I must now acknowledge that I forgot to wear purple today and humbly ask the women of the world to forgive me. The Gentlemen! Secondly, it has once again been too long since last I wrote, but I wish you to take solace in the fact that I often have the intention and wish to write even if I do not often follow through. I must say that I am all astonishment that we are already in the midst of March! Why, my father has already celebrated his sixty-fourth birthday, or as he likes to call it, his "Beatles birthday," and my sweet nephew, Octavian, celebrated his eight month birthday (both on the fifth day of this month). Laugh.Out.Loud. 28+1...equals 29. Now, this is difficult for me to conf...

December 27, 2017 Dear Jane, Season's greetings and Merry Christmas, my dear friend! But more importantly, Happy Belated Birthday! I know not if you are aware of this (I, myself, would surely lose track), but you recently celebrated your 242nd birthday on the sixteenth of December in the Year of Our Lord, two-thousand and seventeen. Quite the milestone, I must say! Happily, I celebrated your birthday in the best way possible and I shall tell you all about it in this letter. Before I get to that, however, it is also worth noting that Christmas was but two days ago and as it was my darling nephew's first, it was a most joyous occasion. And to make it even more special, we woke up to a beautiful blanket of Christmas snow which was ever so charming and festive. Being amongst my family for the holiday was the best gift I could ever ask for. Merry Christmas from the Forkers and von Gootkins! Now to return to your birthday festivities. The sixteenth of December began with an ...

December 31, 2016 Dear Jane, How I have been longing to write you a letter this past month! Pray, forgive my long absence from corresponding for I dare say I have found myself rather busy of late. In truth, now that the last day in the Year-of-Our-Lord, two-thousand and sixteen, has come upon us, I could not have let it pass without writing to my most favorite authoress. Firstly, you must think me the most terrible blackguard in the world for not writing to you on your birthday! I want you to know that I had a delightful cup of tea on the sixteenth of December to mark your two-hundred and forty-first year. How glad I am that you were born, Miss Austen! Your faithful Janeites would be quite lost without you. Now, Jane, since last I wrote much has changed. About two weeks before Thanksgiving, I quit my apartment in Queens and removed to Connecticut. I wish you to know that this was a most difficult decision to make and  I already miss my wonderful friends there . However...

July 14, 2016 Dear Jane, We are most certainly in the midst of an exceedingly hot summer and unfortunately, there is no end in sight for my continual state of inelegance. That being said, Jane, one must not be too bothered by such a state as there really is no hope of a cure for it during the summer months! Additionally, it has become my steadfast belief that a lady must not be judged for her inelegance, especially if she perspires greatly whilst riding in a New York City subway car during the months of July and August. The summer is not all bad, though, Jane, as one is bound to partake in exciting diversions throughout the season. I am most happy that I have had several such diversions, some in which I even visited the seaside! Whilst there, I often found myself thinking about how charming it would be if we still used bathing machines while swimming in the ocean. I dare say many young ladies and gentlemen would feel hindered by it, seeing as one is unable to move about freely wh...