Yours Faithfully, Amanda

July 18, 2016 Dear Jane, Although it saddens me to pen a letter to you on this day, the 199th anniversary of your untimely passing, it also gives me great joy as so many admirers are paying tribute to your extraordinary life and talent. As a faithful Janeite, I would be remiss if I did not do so as well. Now, as I often find myself writing short poems to express my feelings, it should come as no surprise to you that I was inspired to write one this morning to commemorate this bittersweet occasion. It is as follows: Remembering Jane A watercolor of you painted by your beloved sister, Cassandra. By: Amanda Forker How we wish we could have met you, Our dearest Jane Austen, For in all of your stories, We find ourselves lost in. We thank you for the heroines, And the fine heroes you wrote, For on them your loyal Janeites, Will surely always dote. Miss Austen, you have bewitched us, Both body and soul, And because of your novels, We Janeites are whole. So we remem...

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...

Wednesday June 22, 2016 Dear Jane, Since last I wrote, I must confess that not much has occurred. (I fear this is a very familiar opening sentence.) This is not to say that I have been idling about, just merely that no event of the life-changing variety has happened of late. I have, however, had some lovely outings that I have been most eager to tell you about. Generally speaking, my intention for June has been to work as often as I can and to earn a steady living. That being said, even though I often complain about working, I am most grateful to be able to pay my rent each month. "Being a temp" may not be the most charming occupation in the world, Jane, but it does, as one might say, "pay the creditors."  Now for my delightful outings: Saturday 11 June, 2016 : What an especially lovely day this was! I attended my first ever "Box Hill Picnic" with JASNA-NY at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the far away village of   Da Bronx . This outing is ...

June 1, 2016 Dear Jane, My spritzer against the scenic backdrop of my barred  window in Queens.   Well, June has officially arrived and it seems that it has never been this hot in the entire history of the world. That was most certainly an exaggeration, Jane, but it really has been exceedingly warm. For the life of me I cannot understand why people prefer the heat to the delightful "sweater weather" of the Fall. I must confess that if we were to skip right over summer and find ourselves in autumn once more, I should not be saddened in the least. That being said, one should note that it is lovely to enjoy a summertime spritzer (best pronounced 'SPRIT-ZA') in the evening. To make a spritzer, just pour a generous amount of the wine of your choice and add a dash of seltzer water. It really is quite delicious, Jane. Now then, when last I wrote I mentioned that I would soon be attending my first regional meeting with the New York Chapter of the Jane Austen Socie...

May 13, 2016 Dear Jane, Before I begin, I must tell you that this letter will be centered entirely on myself, although, I dare say my letters always are. But what is one to do when one has so much to tell? Is it selfish of me to want to report my various adventures to my favourite authoress? If it is, then I heartily accept my selfishness for, I agree, there really is no hope of a cure. My, what adventures I have had of late! It has once again been quite some time since last I wrote, but I am sure you are not surprised for as you know, young ladies of little fortune living in New York City must always do their utmost to stay busy and employed by something each day. Although, as it is only four o'clock on a Friday afternoon and I am writing you a letter, you will surely be forced to conclude that today was no such day. I must confess that I was not so fortunate as to get any paid work on this rain-filled, spring day, but one must not let this affect one too greatly for tomorro...

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 ...