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...

December 17, 2018 Dear Jane, Mama and I at tea! A lovely afternoon and celebration! First of all, happy belated 243rd birthday! The anniversary of your birth was yesterday and I spent the day celebrating you and your legacy at a charming Regency tea party in Suffield, Connecticut at the Phelps-Hatheway house along with my dear Mama. In truth, I spent the whole weekend celebrating you as I also attended the regional meeting for the Jane Austen Society of North America (NY chapter) on the island of Manhattan on Saturday. The delightful meeting consisted of both an engaging lecture as well as a Birthday tea and toast (of sparkling cider, of course. It would not do to have inebriated Janeites wandering the streets of New York City...or would it...?). You deserve more details on these events as they were both in your honor, but this will have to suffice for the time being! Anyway, back to England. Are you still daydreaming of Chatsworth as I am? I often wish I was back there wa...

December 12, 2018 Dear Jane, I know...I also cannot believe that I am writing so soon after my last letter, but as your birthday is fast approaching, I figured that it was my duty to share with you the most lovely and Jane-Austen-filled day from our time in England. Coincidentally, this exciting day also happened to be the pinnacle of our holiday as we finally journeyed to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. *Insert  Pride & Prejudice  fan-girl scream here.* (Note: If all goes according to plan, you will not have to hear about our summer sojourn anymore come the New Year. Huzzah!) I must confess that this is to be a lengthy letter, so grab a cuppa while you still can. Before I begin in earnest, I must give you and my gentle readers a short  Pride & Prejudice history lesson as it relates to Chatsworth House in modern times, Jane. For those who don't know, Chatsworth House is a stately home belonging to the Cavendish family since the 16th century. More import...