A deliciously original study of the cheap editions of Pride and Prejudice and other novels – ignored by literary scholars – casts new light on her readershipJane Austen aficionados think that they know the story of their favourite author’s posthumous dis-appearance and then re-emergence. For half a century after she died in 1817, her books were little known or read. A few discriminating admirers such as George Henry Lewes and Lord Macaulay kept the flame of her reputation burning, but most novelists and novel readers were oblivious to her. Then, in 1869, her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh published a memoir about her and the public got interested. Her novels started being republished and widely read. She has never looked back.Janine Barchas’s The Lost Books of Jane Austen puts us right. Her book about books is a beautifully illustrated exploration, indeed compendium, of the popular editions of Austen’s novels that have appeared over the last two centuries. This includes those decades when Austen was supposedly lost from sight. The first chapter is a “vignette” on a copy of Sense and Sensibility, published in 1851 for George Routledge’s Railway Library (books suitable for reading on the train). It cost one shilling and was bought for the 13-year-old Gertrude Wallace, the youngest daughter of a Plymouth naval officer. It is the first of many examples of cheap and popular editions of Austen’s work that kept it alive for ordinary readers and that literary scholars have... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-12-11 07:30:31 UTC ]
In our series “Can Writing Be Taught?”, we partner with Catapult to ask their course instructors all our burning questions about the process of teaching writing. This month, we’re featuring Jason Schwartzman, an essayist, and fiction writer, and author of the memoir No One You Know: Strangers... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-04-27 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Rainbow made the nation laugh by setting witty political commentary to Broadway tunes. Now he has a memoir on his rise from theater kid lip-syncing in his bedroom to social media star. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-23 14:00:19 UTC ]
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Filmmakers, novelists and photographers, among others, also shape our collective memory, Richard Cohen writes. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-22 12:00:50 UTC ]
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Mariner buys a murder mystery from Australian comedian Benjamin Stevenson, music producer Mark Ronson sells a memoir of his DJ days to Grand Central, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Interviews Eloghosa Osunde and Okwiri Oduor. Photo of Oduor by Chelsea Bieker. It’s hard to argue with Booker Prize–winning author Damon Galgut’s assertion that 2021 was “a great year for African writing.” And as WLT’s “New African Voices” issue... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2022-04-21 13:41:40 UTC ]
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“Being Deaf assigned me a battle,” said the model, producer and now writer. His memoir braids his life, his family’s legacy and the history of Deaf rights. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-19 17:05:48 UTC ]
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In Kathryn Davis’ new memoir Aurelia, Aurélia life becomes more precious, language more urgent, and grief strikes deep chords. Davis’ husband Eric, an “ecological economist,” died of cancer in 2019, and throughout Aurelia, Aurélia where there is not outright elegy there is elegiac anticipation.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-04-18 08:50:38 UTC ]
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L.A.'s authors, from 19th century novelists to Wanda Coleman to Steph Cha, have always pushed genre boundaries and dissected California myths. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-04-14 13:00:55 UTC ]
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The theatre is a perennially popular setting for novelists and no wonder. The tawdry glamour and sense of spectacle make it a rich gift for any author, but it’s what happens behind the scenes that I find the most interesting. This is particularly true for those novels set on the 19th-century... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-04-14 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian photographer who captured most of the main events and notable people from the early 1960s to the late 90sThe photographer Frank Martin, who has died aged 89, was on the staff of the Guardian from 1964 to 1997, creating an extensive body of work that covered news, arts, fashion, politics... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-04-13 16:01:26 UTC ]
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Marie Yovanovitch’s memoir makes a persuasive case for the officials who really did obstruct his agenda. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2022-04-13 09:45:00 UTC ]
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Jefferson’s “Constructing a Nervous System,” a companion to her earlier “Negroland,” explores the materials used to make identity and art. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-12 09:00:05 UTC ]
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In “Left on Tenth,” the veteran author looks back on a series of life-altering events, including a whirlwind romance at the age of 72. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-12 09:00:01 UTC ]
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"The Unwritten Book" is a memoir and essay collection that finds beauty in impermanence. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-11 10:00:28 UTC ]
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“Hello, Molly!,” the former “Saturday Night Live” star’s new book, recounts early family tragedy and a career of transgressive humor. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-10 09:00:06 UTC ]
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Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall sells a memoir to Ballantine, Random House buys a Lincoln bio from Jon Meacham, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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“Tasha” is Brian Morton’s memoir of his complicated relationship with the woman who raised him. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-04-05 09:00:06 UTC ]
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She helped establish the study of postcolonial literature and made her own entry to the genre with the memoir "Meatless Days." Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-04-01 22:48:53 UTC ]
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At Slate, Maia Kobabe discusses writing Gender Queer, a memoir about self-acceptance and understanding, which has been challenged in schools and libraries across the country in recent months. “What I’m learning is that a book challenge is like a community attacking itself,” Kobabe says. “The... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2022-03-30 20:30:51 UTC ]
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Her 1989 book, “Meatless Days,” is viewed as an important work of postcolonial literature. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-03-28 22:06:48 UTC ]
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