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Winter 2023 Boston Austen Book Club

Jane Austen 248th Birthday Bash!

Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition from Harvard University Press, PLUS: The Making of the Harvard Annotated Editions of Austen’s Novels with HUP Editor Heather Hughes

The next meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be on Jane Austen’s 248th birthday, Saturday, December 16 at 2:30pm, and we will meet online.

We will be discussing the Harvard Annotated Edition of Sense and Sensibility, as well as the making of the all the Austen Annotated Editions from Harvard University Press.

My friend, poet and Harvard University Press editor Heather Hughes (https://birdmaddgirl.com/), will be joining us to talk about her work, as she was instrumental in the production of this series from HUP

Thank you so much to Heather for agreeing to join us. I cannot WAIT to book nerd out with Heather and my fellow BABC Janeites!

UPCOMING

We WILL meet in-person, on a weekend date in Jan or Feb 2024, to make up for not having a Summer 2023 meeting. We will be going to Salem’s “Jolie Tea Room” for High Tea.

We’ll meet to discuss Austen Adaptations for the Screen. (Please keep your “Pride & Prejudice: Keira Knightley vs Colin Firth Version” fighting civil, as we will be in a fancy place.)

If you are interested, I’ll be taking reservations closer to the event. It is $37/person. When I have a better idea of the date and time, I’ll follow up with you all to get you signed up.

Dress is medium fancy, like if you were going to a Kentucky Derby party or a slightly dressy NYE event or something like that.

More info on this Make-up Meeting after the holidays. It should be tons of fun!

Hope to see you on the 16th of December for Jane’s 248th birthday!

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Fall 2023 BABC

Fall 2023 Boston Austen Book Club: Sense & Sensibility and Ted

RESCHEDULED – Sunday, November 19 at 3:30pm via Webex

This season’s Boston Austen Book Club meeting will be on Sunday, November 19 at 3:30pm ET on Webex. Link:

https://massbay.webex.com/meet/bmadden2

You don’t need to read anything for this one! We’re just going to talk about the connections between the Emmy-winning television show, “Ted Lasso” and Sense and Sensibility, and the work of Jane Austen.

I had a GREAT time discussing Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen, and Ted Lasso for the latest episode of the podcast, Coach Bear’d Book Club. You can listen to the episode here: https://linktr.ee/cbbc

The women who run the podcast are so smart and had really interesting and thoughtful analysis to offer about the show and Austen and the connections and themes. It was a great book nerd bonanza.

I’m looking forward to more discussion on the links between the world of Ted Lasso and the world of Jane Austen tomorrow with those of you who can make it!

RSVP by emailing me or at the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1728358577638827/

Bonus content: check out the Ted Lasso Libguide and Sep-Oct Library Display I made for work https://massbay.libguides.com/ted-lasso

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Boston Poetry Marathon 2023

My Reading at My Final Year as an Organizer for the Boston Poetry Marathon

 

 

I read in the 12 o’clock hour yesterday in the 2023 Boston Poetry Marathon. My intro and reading starts at 35:35 in the Facebook video.

This year was special for a few reasons. First, my mom and my brother were there for my reading. (They were heading to Fenway for the 13-1 slaughter by Blue Jay).

And the other reason was that it was my final year as an organizer of the Boston Poetry Marathon. It is very fun to organize such a large-scale event as a poetry reading marathon featuring over 100 poets, but it is A LOT of work. I’ve called it my unpaid part-time summer job. And I am absolutely brain dead today. I probably shouldn’t even be making this post. Am I at all comprehendible? (comprehensible? see, this is what I mean.)

But it is a MAGICAL event. All ages, all geographies, all languages, all spiritualities, all heritages, all gender identities, all sexualities, all races, all ethnicities, all aesthetics, all experience levels, all poetic credentials, all poetics, all practices, all forms of poetry, all types of poets perform their work at the Boston Poetry Marathon, and everyone gets 7 minutes a-piece. It’s fortifying and nourishing on an artistic level. Once I take a couple weeks to recover all the energy it takes to put this event on, I’m left with deep appreciation and inspiration.

As the rare breed of Extroverted Poet, being an organizer of literary events the perfect type of thing for me to do–meet, welcome, engage, introduce, converse with lots of people in the purpose of connecting poets to each other, to each other’s work, and to the literary arts in general. I also have a knack for organizing chaos, and chaos it is to wrangle poets, as my friend and poet Andy Peterson called it. Meeting so many people and connecting with them in such a way is my favorite part of the whole process.

But the process does take its toll. As a Cancer-Scorpio-Scorpio, I’m an Ocean Girl. (Perhaps that’s why I’ve always felt right at home in the Ocean State, when I moved here the same summer I started organizing the BPM!) But my beach days, and a lot of other summer enjoyments, like my garden, get neglected in favor of writing email campaigns, calendaring important dates, holding planning meetings, creating the mammoth schedule, and so many other small and big things that go into making the magic happen each year.

It’s been an honor to be a part of the BPM and have this small but meaningful place in Boston poetic history. And now, I get to enjoy it as a participant in future years. And do my herb garden. And make 4x as many summer beach trips (I hope). And write more posts on Notebook Witch (finally). And help my downstairs neighbor as she gets older (that would be my mom 🙂 …). And not have a big old mental load of To Do’s on my mind from April-August. And devote more of that mental load to the 3 boards and 2 committees I belong to in Rhode Island for politics and my UU church. Ha! What can I say? I’m an extrovert and like to get involved!

If anyone in the BPM community is reading this: thank you! I felt a lot of love this weekend and for the past 7 years as an organizer and 14 years as a participant. Looking forward to the future as this marvelous entity continues on in its various iterations. ❤️🤍🖤

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Spring 2023 Boston Austen Book Club

Jane Austen’s Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye, 3rd or 4th edition

Saturday, June 3 at 11am, online event

The next meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be Saturday, June 3 at 11am, and we will meet online. (We may try for a late Summer in-person meeting, and we can discuss that at the Spring meeting…)

About the Spring 2023 Book

We’ll be discussing Deirdre Le Faye’s collection of Jane Austen’s Letters. (I’m using the 3rd edition; there’s also a 4th edition but there isn’t much difference between those two.)

This will be too much to talk about the whole book, so just go through and read what compels you and when we meet, we’ll each discuss those bits with the group. Some of us may have overlapping interests in the same parts, or not, but together we’ll help each other get a good sense of this comprehensive work. 

If you don’t have a copy of Le Faye’s collection of Austen letters, you can read the free copy available online at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42078 and be sure to note the date of the letters you’ve read and want to discuss so we can refer to them during the discussion.

RSVP Information

You can RSVP at the event page on Facebook, or, if you’re not on Facebook, you can email your RSVP. Please make sure your Webex link matches your RSVP information.

All are welcome – new, returning, and regulars!

Spring BABC 2023 Details

  • Who: Boston Austen Book Club – anyone can join; all you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting (and for this season’s selection, you only have to read what you can of the book)
  • What: Deirdre Le Faye’s “Jane Austen’s Letters” -or- the back up free edition of Austen letters https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42078
  • When: Saturday, June 3 at 11am
  • Where: Webex Link posted here the day of the event. Check back then! Make sure you RSVP by email or Facebook event page and make sure your RSVP info matches your Webex info
  • How: Read what you like of the book and we’ll discuss our interesting observations together. You don’t need to read cover-to-cover for this one!
  • Why: because it is fun to be a Janeite nerd

Keep Up with Boston Austen Book Club News

Here are the two websites for Boston Austen Book Club news:

Hope to see you on the 3rd of June!

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Blazing in Gold and Quenching in Purple

Emily Dickinson’s Poem Illustrated by Bridget Eileen

An Illustrated Version of Emily Dickinson’s Poem ‘Blazing in Gold,’ as Part of a Close Reading Project

Before I polished and primped my critical thesis for my MFA in Creative Writing, I blogged the content of the project. In fact, those posts were the origin of my arts and culture blog. Below is one part of my third semester critical thesis project on the concept of “a close reading of poetry” and what it entails.

In honor of the author India Holton’s latest novel, “The Secret Service of Tea and Treason” I posted some of my illustrations of this poem by Emily Dickinson’s to my Instagram, and I said I posted the whole thing to Notebooke Witch. The poem is quoted during an EXCELLENT scene in the newly released book 🤭 (IYKYK)

Blazing in Gold and quenching in Purple
Leaping like Leopards to the Sky
Then at the feet of the old Horizon
Laying her spotted Face to die
Stooping as low as the Otter’s Window
Touching the Roof and tinting the Barn
Kissing her Bonnet to the Meadow
And the Juggler of Day is gone

~Emily Dickinson




blazing in gold an quneching in purple
Blazing in gold and quenching in Purple
Leaping like leopards across the sky
Leaping like Leopards across the Sky

Then at the feet of the oldhorizon, laying her spotted face to die
Then at the feet of the old Horizon
Laying her Spotted Face to die
Stooping as low as the Otter's Window
Stooping as low as the Otter’s Window

Touching the roof and tinting the Barn
Touching the Roof and tinting the Barn

Kissing her Bonnet to the MeadowKissing her Bonnet to the Meadow

And the Juggler of Day is gone
And the Juggler of Day is gone


View the Close Reading of “Blazing in Gold” that Goes with These Illustrations

These illustrations were created in part to help with an exercise in close reading, that I did as part of my third semester critical thesis project in graduate school. The accompanying close reading can be viewed at:

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Boston Austen Book Club – Winter 2022 Meeting

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron – Boston Austen Book Club – Winter 2022 Meeting

Jane Austen Birthday Bash! Come celebrate Jane’s 247th Birthday!

The Winter meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club takes place on Jane Austen’s birthday: Friday, Dec 16, at 7:30pm. We will be staying remote for this meeting. Bring your own cake to celebrate Jane’s birthday, and Regency costume attire is encouraged though not at all required. We’ll meet to discuss “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas” by Stephanie Barron.

You can RSVP at the event page on Facebook, or, if you’re not on Facebook, you can email your RSVP. Please make sure your Webex link matches your RSVP information

About the Winter 2022 Book

Stephanie Barron (aka Franince Matthews), who is retired from the CIA, has written a series of “cozy” mysteries with Jane Austen as the protagonist. Jane solves a slew of crimes throughout her adult decades. Barron also weaves compelling fictionalized back stories for the little limited factual biographical information we do know about Austen and adds her own personal “spy” background into the characters and events in her Jane Austen mysteries.

You do not need to have read the previous titles in the series to get into the later ones. But if you like mysteries and Regency era stories, I recommend these books. I cannot put them down because they’re all my favorite types of fiction blended in one series.

Winter BABC 2022 Details

  • Who: Boston Austen Book Club – anyone can join; all you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting
  • What: Stephanie Barron’s “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas“
  • When: Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm
  • Where: Webex Link: https://massbay.webex.com/meet/bmadden2 Make sure you RSVP by email or Facebook event page and that your RSVP info matches your Webex info
  • How: It’s Jane Austen’s birthday. She is THRIVING at age 247. Wear some Regency attire (optional) to celebrate and bring your own cake and beverage to toast to Jane.
  • Why: because it is fun to be a Regency lit nerd

All are welcome – new, returning, and regulars!

Keep Up with Boston Austen Book Club News

Here are the two websites for Boston Austen Book Club news:

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Lady Susan – Fall 2022 Boston Austen Book Club

Sat, Nov 19 at 1pm – Fall 2022 Boston Austen Book Club – “Lady Susan”

The Fall 2022 meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be Saturday, November 19 at 1pm via Webex. We will meet to discuss the novella, “Lady Susan” — no specific edition of the book.

Webex Info

The meeting will be held remotely via Webex. Make sure your RSVP information matches your Webex info.

If you cannot RSVP at the Facebook event page or have not RSVPed with Bridget already, send an email with the subject “Lady Susan RSVP” with your name in the email, and make sure that your name matches your Webex info.

Who Is Invited?

As always, the book club is open to new members. All you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting to discuss it.

Save the Date: Winter 2022 BABC, Fri, Dec 16

Also note that our Winter 2022 meeting will be held in the evening on Friday, December 16 in honor of Jane Austen’s birthday. We will meet to discuss the Stephanie Barron Jane Austen Mystery, “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Hope to see you on Sat, 11/19 and Fri, 12/16!

Fall 2022 Boston Austen Book Club Details

  • Who: Boston Austen Book Club; always accepting new members!
  • What: Lady Susan
  • When: Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 1pm
  • Where: Via webex, see this page for webex info on the day of the event
  • How: any edition of the book is acceptable
  • Why: Because we love Jane Austen

Boston Austen Book Club Homepage

Learn more about the Boston Austen Book Club at our new homepage, here at Notebook Witch.

NotebookWitch.com/BostonAustenBookClub

Boston Austen Book Club
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Upcoming Boston Austen Book Club Titles

The dates for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 are still To Be Determined, but the titles are set. We will meet again on Jane’s birthday. This is a special celebration because the BABC turns FIVE this year!

Check back here or on the BABC Facebook page for event details.

Upcoming Events – Some Exact Dates Are TBD

  • Fall 2022 (upcoming) – Lady Susan, any edition – mid Nov; date TBD
  • Winter 2022 (upcoming) – Jane Austen Birthday Bash, Dec 16 – Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
  • Spring 2023 (upcoming) – Jane Austen’s Letter’s edited by Deirdre LaFaye (either newest or second newest edition) – late March
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Unmentionable – Boston Austen Book Club Summer 2022 Meeting

Aug 28 at 1pm via Zoom, “Unmentionable” by Therese O’Neill

Even though some of my literary endeavors may not be directly related to witchcraft and witchery, my own spiritual practice is closely tied to what I’m reading, writing, and consuming in arts and entertainment, so I will also include certain posts about those things here at Notebook Witch.

We’re Going to Talk about Regency Underwear!

The Summer 2022 Boston Austen Book Club will meet to discuss the fascinating non-fiction book “Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners” by Theresa O’Neill (https://www.facebook.com/thereseoneillwrites)

While this book focuses on the Victorian Era, Regency Era customs are also discussed. If you’re a weirdo like me and have ever wondered how these beloved Austen characters did things like go to the bathroom or brush their teeth, this book has some answers for you!

The book club will remain online for Summer 2022. We will meet via Zoom on Sunday, August 28 at 1pm ET. Zoom information will be posted the day of the event  for those who RSVP and the Facebook event page. If you’re not on Facebook, you can email Bridget Eileen at vintagebridge@gmail.com to RSVP. 

As always, newcomers are welcome! You can join us from wherever you are. Just read the book and prepare for a lively discussion. This event is free! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/424115529771119
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Tori Amos Book Club – Piece by Piece, Mon, Aug 22 at 8pm ET via Zoom

Even though some of my literary endeavors may not be directly related to witchcraft and witchery, my own spiritual practice is closely tied to what I’m reading, writing, and consuming in arts and entertainment, so I will also include certain posts about those things here at Notebook Witch.

Calling All Ears With Feet: Join the Tori Amos Book Club!

Tori Amos’s Ocean to Ocean North American Tour has ended. What’s an EWF to do with their post-Tori Tour blues? Read books, like the nerds we are, of course!

Tori Amos Book Club – Monday, August 22 at 8pm ET via Zoom to Discuss “Piece by Piece”

To start things off, we’ll celebrate Tori’s birthday by discussing her first book, “Piece By Piece” co-authored by Ann Powers.

On August 22, we’ll come together for a live discussion of the book and new insights the book has provided these many years after it was first published.

RSVP Info for Tori Amos Book Club

The book club meeting will be online via Zoom. The Zoom link will be provided on the day of the event. RSVP at the Facebook Event page. 

Note: if someone you know is not on Facebook but wants to join us, email me to RSVP and check this webpage for the Zoom info, which I’ll post on the bottom of this post on the day of the event!

Join the Tori Amos Book Club Facebook Group

As you (re-)read feel free to post your thoughts in the Tori Amos Book Club!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/toriamosbookclub

Future Tori Amos Book Club Events

  • (Keep Up the) Resistance (for the 2022 Mid Terms): middle of October, exact date TBD
  • (Beat the Winter Blues with a) Comic Book Tattoo: early February, exact date TBD
  • Little Earthquakes Graphic Novel: late March, exact date TBD

This should tide us over until the European tour is scheduled to start!!! If all goes well, we will add other titles to our list, like Jason Elijah’s curation of Tori quotes, The Myth of Tori, books 1 and 2, and  biographies we like.

Bridget Eileen’s Other Literary Events

Check out my Links Page for info on my other literary endeavors, like the Boston Austen Book Club and the Boston Poetry Marathon