Yours Faithfully, Amanda

April 19, 2016 Dear Jane, If I am to be completely honest with you (which I have decided to be), I have nothing new to report in regard to my life in Queens. My jaunt with the Miss Nelson is Missing tour came to an end at the end of March, and I have returned to my life as a "temp." I dare say you shall agree with me when I conclude, that life has once again become a quick succession of busy nothings. (Your brilliant words, of course.) Before I move on, I must state that I heartily agree with the quotation above from your novel,  Mansfield Park . Unfortunately, there has been no "active indispensable employment" to be had, so my sorrow has not been much relieved as of late. Let me explain. When I say that I have returned to temping, I must also admit that I did not work a single day last week. How is it possible that in a city as giant as New York, not one office needed a last-minute, fantastic receptionist, such as myself? I was all astonishment...and anger...

April 3, 2016 Dear Jane, I know this is all very untoward, but instead of a writing you a normal letter, I will instead, be reviewing a film that I saw on the thirtieth of March in this, the year of our Lord, two-thousand and sixteen. It was a movie adaptation of your own novel,  Lady Susan   called "Love & Friendship." I am sure you may be surprised to learn that this was the chosen title as you have a different story (from your juvenilia period) of the same name. Rest assured that they have not merged the two stories, but just had a notion that "Love & Friendship" would be a good title for the film. After all, you never actually called the novel  Lady Susan  on your original manuscript, that was just how it was published after your passing (it gives me great pain to speak of such a woeful event). Anyway, with out further ado, here is my review. I do hope you enjoy it and that all of my gentle readers have the opportunity to see this movie! Love ...

March 19, 2016 Dear Jane, I do hate to complain, but I must confess to being quite ill as of late. I believe in my heart that I have a sinus infection (but I often believe myself to be suffering from sinus infections, you know). I dare say, I am rather like your character Mary Musgrove (née Elliot) of Persuasion  who famously said the above-listed quotation. As you well know, Mary always fancies herself indisposed but this particular time, however, I really am!  I had no intention of specifically using this quote, but I should not be surprised as I just finished re-reading Persuasion (a great favorite of mine!).  Since last I wrote to you, I celebrated my twenty-seventh birthday...goodness me, I am getting old! However, I have decided that I quite like this age as it is exactly the age of Anne Elliot in Persuasion and as she is one of my favorite literary heroines, why should not I be happy with twenty-seven? Much can happen to a woman at the age of twenty-seven a...

February 29, 2016 Dear Jane, I write to you on this, the twenty-ninth of February, a day that will not come again for another four years. You may be inquiring as to the reason behind this, for I dare say you would not have been familiar with the term, "leap year" in your lifetime. As you may very well know by now, I have never been known as a woman of science but from what I understand (or rather, from my recent "google search") a leap year occurs every four years or so because the earth does not orbit the sun in exactly 365 days. Forgive me, for that was a very vague and rather boring explanation. Luckily for you, I know nothing more on this subject so I shall say nothing more about it. You have my word! Since we last spoke, the weather has become much warmer and very unseasonable for the month of February. It is very odd for one not to need their cloak on a February afternoon, but that is exactly what happened today. It was nearly 60 degrees outside!  You ...

January 24, 2016 Dear Jane, Pray, dear friend, I fear you must forgive me my giddiness at the moment. I have been reading through a couple of your letters (from a marvelous book called, Jane Austen's Letters  by Deirdre Le Faye) in order to find an appropriate quote for the title of my letter today and I must tell you that I have found the most perfect one yet. Two-hundred and three years ago, precisely to the day (Sunday 24 January 1813), you wrote a letter to your dear sister, Cassandra and started with these sentiments: "This is exactly the weather we could wish for, if you are but well enough to enjoy it. I shall be glad to hear that you are not confined to a house by an increase of Cold." I feel as though I have travelled back through time! Luckily, I am quite well enough to enjoy the cold and it is a good thing because the cold has certainly arrived.  Allow me to explain.  New York City (as well as Washington D.C., Baltimore, the Carolinas, etc.) experien...

January 19, 2016 Dear Jane, As you may have noticed, this letter looks rather different from those of the past. In truth, I was becoming quite bored with the color scheme of the last few years and decided that a nice blue would certainly liven up the first letter of this, the Year of Lord, two-thousand and sixteen. How exciting. It is almost as though I revived a tired, old bonnet with new lace and fresh ribbons. After all, we must do what we can to stay fashionable in these ever changing times. Firstly, I must bid you a much belated, "Happy New Year!" I am appalled that it has taken me so long to wish you (and my gentle readers) glad tidings and a new year filled with happiness and good fortune. The idea of a new year is much like that of a blank page. As the authors of our own stories, we have the ability to write a new tale filled with hope, imagination and adventure...we just have to be fearless and creative enough to begin it! Now, that being said, my new year ha...

December 29, 2015 Dear Jane, As I sit on my sofa in Queens, waiting for my dear mama's lasagne to warm in the oven, I find myself happily reflecting on the joyous Christmas I had with my family. I truly had the most delightful week at home and I miss it terribly already! I am all astonishment at how quickly the holday passes by and find myself overwhlemed at the thought of having to  prepare for the approaching new year. Fortunately, my resolutions have been declared and will be put to the test when two-thousand and sixteen arrives in three days time.  I dare say I was inspired to write you a letter this evening after watching a movie called "Becoming Jane." It is a wonderful (though at times rather fictional) movie about your life as a young lady in Hampshire. As a hopeless romantic, I confess that I am quite moved by the story. The movie implies that you were madly in love with a Mr. Tom Lefroy and almost eloped with him. Unfortunately for your most avid admirers,...