Welcome back to the Jane Eyre vlog series, folks! Throughout the months of June and July, Na'dayah and I will be continuing JASP's 2024 Austen vs. Brontë series by delving into Jane Eyre in book club-style YouTube vlogs. If you missed our introductory video last week, watch it here for more details. Otherwise, grab some popcorn and join us for a lively discussion of the first nine chapters of Charlotte Brontë’s timeless gothic novel. Highlights include Jane’s time at Lowood (partially inspired by Brontë’s own schooling experiences), as well as female friendship, religious tensions, and contra ..read more

So begins Shirley, the irrepressible second novel of Charlotte Brontë, published in 1849. Welcome, dearest Janeites, to the Austen-Brontë reader series once again. I hope you're in the mood for a novel! Over the next six weeks I will be covering Charlotte Brontë's sparkling gem, Shirley, posting a summary and reflection each Wednesday, beginning June 12. The schedule is as follows: June 12 – Ch. 1-6 June 19 – Ch. 7-13 June 26 – Ch. 14-19 July 3 – Ch. 20-25 July 10 – Ch. 26-31 July 17 – Ch. 32-37 Why join me? Often overlooked beside the ever-enduring, passionate Jane Eyre, Shirley is ..read more

Hello, dear readers! In continuation of JASP’s Austen-Brontë summer series, yours truly will be collaborating with Jane Austen & Company’s Technical Director Na’dayah Pugh to walk you through Charlotte Brontë’s seminal novel Jane Eyre. However, rather than tackling this Gothic masterpiece with the written word, we’ve decided to do something different—that’s right, we’re starting a vlog! The Jane Eyre vlog series will essentially function as a virtual “book club,” featuring weekly episodes in which Na’dayah and I discuss our thoughts and feelings as we progress through the novel. In ..read more

Hello, dear readers! Having lived in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is difficult to picture Jane Austen scrutinizing followers on her anonymous Instagram author account or Charlotte Brontë tagging her sister Emily in a TikTok clip compiling aesthetic images of the English moors. And yet, two hundred years after these authors roamed the earth, that’s the world we live in—obsessed with likes and follows, always hungering for the latest celebrity gossip. This twenty-first century author imagines which corners of the internet Austen and the Brontë sisters might have inhabited if they ..read more

Hello, dear readers! This year, we’ve begun a blog series highlighting Austen-lovers around the world—sharing how they first discovered Austen’s fiction, why they love Austen, how they’ve contributed to the Janeite community, you get the picture. Fans, who cultivate and engage in discourse surrounding Austen’s life and fiction, participate in workshops and conventions, host book clubs, and don I ❤️ Darcy merchandise with pride (but hopefully not prejudice—wink, wink), are the reason Jane’s spirit survives in the twenty-first century. We deserve a shout-out! And we deserve the chance ..read more

Hello, dear readers! For those of you who’ve fallen for Netflix’s Regency-inspired television series Bridgerton, adapted from Julia Quinn’s bestselling romance series of the same name, I’m sure the latest four episodes have constituted—or will soon—a long-awaited viewing party. Netflix released Part I of Bridgerton’s third season last week on May 16, over two years after the premiere of season two, which received both critical and popular acclaim in 2022. I’ll keep the spoilers to a minimum for those of you who have yet to begin the latest chapter of the Bridgerton family saga—though it ..read more

Oil painting of Emily by her brother, Branwell Brontë, 1833 Greetings, Janeites! Family-oriented, mysterious, the middle child... that's right, it's time for the one and only Emily Brontë. Let us foray into her world with a few particularities, shall we? 1. Emily was incredibly private and reserved. With her solitary and reclusive nature, as well as a great lack of surviving letters, Emily has proven a challenge for historians. While outwardly shy, her keen mind swirled with creative thoughts and passionate feelings. Family friend, Ellen Nussey, described Emily: 2. She preferred housework t ..read more

"Anne Brontë", circa 1834. A pencil sketch by her sister, Charlotte Hello again, Janeites! Let's take a trip once again to mid-1800s rural Yorkshire, this time to discover ten delightful details about the life and writing of revolutionary creative thinker, peacekeeper, and youngest sibling... Anne Brontë. 1. Despite penning the most radical novels, Anne is the least-known Brontë sister.   Anne wrote for purpose as well as pleasure, and desired more than anything to illuminate the hardships and pain of governesses and those affected by addiction and abuse. These realities were quite ..read more

Hello, dear readers! Today, I would like to talk about something you likely never expected to find on this blog: Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling young adult Twilight series, complete with bloodthirsty vampires, shirtless werewolves, and one of the most controversial literary love triangles of all time. Forgot Austen versus Brontë—were you Team Edward or Team Jacob?!? (Personally, this author would choose a tan, chiseled werewolf over a whiny, bedazzled vampire any day... But I digress.) Before you roll your eyes, shaking your head at my stereotypical Gen-Z love-hate-obsession with all th ..read more

Chalk pastel of Charlotte Brontë by George Richmond, 1850 Welcome back, Janeites! Without further ado, here are ten intriguing tidbits about literary genius, oldest Brontë sister, and author of Jane Eyre... the captivating Charlotte Brontë. A curator adjusts one of Charlotte's dresses, shown at the 2022-23 exhibition. 1. While Charlotte Brontë's novels are hugely popular, the authoress was very petite. Measuring in adulthood only 4'6", what Charlotte lacked in physical inches she certainly made up for with a strong personality and massive literary talent. From 2022-2023, never-before-seen ..read more