Austen Chat

Bath bun. Bobbinet. Poor basket. Vanity-bait. These are just a few of the words the Oxford English Dictionary credits Jane Austen with using for the first time in print—and almost all are words relate...

2 Okt 202548min

"She has many rare & charming qualities, but Sobriety is not one of them."—Jane Austen, Jack and Alice Drunken brawls. Cannibalism. Heroines behaving very badly. Such mayhem may seem worlds apart from...

4 Sep 202537min

Think you know Jane Austen? In this episode, we explore the wild side of Austen’s writings, life, and legacy with noted scholar Devoney Looser, who makes the case for Austen as a far more daring and u...

7 Aug 202532min

“There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do, if he chooses, and that is his duty." —Mr. Knightley We believe Jane Austen is for everyone, but it’s no secret that her modern fanbase is predomi...

2 Jul 202535min

"'The course of true love never did run smooth'—A Hartfield edition of Shakespeare would have a long note on that passage.” —Emma Shakespeare's influence on Jane Austen can be seen throughout her nove...

5 Jun 202539min

Jane Austen has had devoted American admirers since her works were first published. In fact, several Americans played a crucial role in preserving and promoting her legacy. Joining us to explore Auste...

1 Mai 202542min

"I have made up my mind to like no novels really but Miss Edgeworth's, yours, and my own." —Jane Austen to her niece, Anna Lefroy, 1814 Jane Austen’s novels and letters are strewn with references to ...

3 Apr 202541min

"I do not think I can live without something of a musical society. . . . without music, life would be a blank to me." —Emma Though these words are spoken by the shallow and pretentious Mrs. Elton, th...

6 Mar 202543min