Work

The Line of Thought

. . . to dream over books and loiter at street corners and let the line of thought dip deep into the stream.

--Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

Deborah Yaffe

Dec 9

Jane Austen's fingerprints

In these days of standardized computer fonts and software-assisted editing, one writer’s manuscript probably looks much like another’s....

Deborah Yaffe

Nov 28

The sound of silence

Ah, Thanksgiving traditions: Turkey , mashed potatoes , pumpkin pie —and brutal political arguments among loved ones! With this year’s...

Deborah Yaffe

Nov 21

Crossover artist

Jane Austen is the ultimate crossover artist, with an unchallenged position in both literary studies and popular culture. (Hey, didn’t...

Deborah Yaffe

Nov 7

On this day in 1813. . .

Ninety-seventh in an occasional series of excerpts from Jane Austen's letters. What tribute does a friend owe to a published author?...

Deborah Yaffe

Oct 24

Center of celebration

If next year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth has an epicenter, it would surely be Jane Austen’s House , the...

Deborah Yaffe

Sep 23

Creepy Lizzy

The newest Lizzy Bennet is a peculiar creature. True, her Regency-appropriate curls are lovely, and her dark eyes might pass for fine,...

Deborah Yaffe

Sep 19

Love among the stacks

Is Jane Austen a romance novelist? Discuss. Or, if you’re not interested in revisiting your test-taking days, you could just travel to...

Deborah Yaffe

Aug 26

The luxury of time

Summer is winding down, but there’s still time to squeeze in some vacation reading. And if you prefer that your books come in beautifully...

Deborah Yaffe

Jul 29

Yankee Doodle Darcy?

In the past two centuries, Jane Austen has been called many things. Her fans have called her brilliant, witty, and insightful. Her...

Deborah Yaffe

Jul 4

Freedom

The arrival of Independence Day has reminded me of the worst writing advice I ever got. Bear with me as I explain the connection. Long,...

Deborah Yaffe

Jun 27

Celebrating S&S

Over the past decade-plus, as Jane Austen’s novels reached their publication bicentennials, writer and scholar Sarah Emsley invited...

Deborah Yaffe

Jun 6

Acquired taste

Mansfield Park’s status as the most polarizing of Jane Austen’s novels is by now well-established. It’s the black-olives-and-anchovy...