Saturday 12 February 2011

AUSTENESQUE NEWS

1. The Jane Austen Dating Book


New installment of this online teenage comedy.  Dance like Lizzy Bennet is the title this time.  You find it at Sparknotes This brilliant teenage journal of a today's teenage Lizzy Bennet ends with a tough question: Do you think a college guy (Fitwilliam or Fitzy)  can date a high school girl (Lizzy)? Read and guess what the answer can be



2. Orlando Shakespeare Theater opens Pride and Prejudice

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Orlando Shakespeare Theater presents a staged version of “Pride and Prejudice,” adapted by Jon Jory. It opens Friday and runs through March 20.
“Like all great works, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is rooted in its historical time and place, but it has a lot to say to contemporary audiences about love, courtship, risk, forgiveness and families,” says director Thomas Ouellette. “It reminds us that we can never, ever fully know anyone else, and that falling in love is always a dizzying — terrifying — and wonderful journey into mystery and faith.” 
Elizabeth Bennet (Michele Vazquez) and handsome Mr. Darcy (Avery Clark) will have to look beyond their pride and prejudice to find true and lasting love. The cast also includes Anne Hering as excitable Mrs. Bennet, Wynn Harmon as her husband, Walter Kmiec as Mr. Bingley and Courtney Moors as Jane.
3. Jane Austen Twitter Project


This stunningly original project has just started. You can follow it on twitter , of course,  thanks to author Lynn Shepherd @GhostingAusten  and @Adam Spunberg. More info on the project and the first chapters of the resulting story can be found at http://austenproject.com/about/
Lynn has been interviewed at BBC radio about this special project . You can listen to the interview HERE 

4. Giveaways on My Jane Austen Book Club

I just wanted to make sure you haven't missed the occasion of winning a free copy of two Austen - related books. The two giveaways end on 16th February when the winners will be announced here on My Jane Austen Book Club. The first one is linked to my "Talking Jane Austen with ..." Susan Adriani  and is open worldwide. So,  wherever you live on the planet, click HERE, leave your comment and e-mail address if you want to be entered and win a copy of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice.
If , instead,  you live in the US or  Canada you have one more chance: you can also win a copy of Michael Thomas Ford's brand new vampire Jane's adventure, Jane Goes Batty. Just click HERE, read my interview with the author, leave your comment + e-mail address and ... good luck!

5. A Woman can dream, can't she?
 Well, I totally agree with Syrie James. She was my guest a couple of weeks ago (my interview HERE) and we discussed about Jane Austen as well as about her new modern romance, NOCTURNE. Her books are extremely romantic, perfect to celebrate next Valentine's Day. But,  today , I've discovered something more and very curious about how she created the heroes in her 4 amazing novels, that is what /who she had in mind creating them: Frederick Ashworth in LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN, Arthur Bell Nichols in THE SECRET DIARIES OF CHARLOTTE BRONTE, Dracula in DRACULA MY LOVE and Michael Tyler in NOCTURNE.  Have a look here! 
 
In her newsletter , Syrie says:
"Do you recognize the four hunks above? They're the men I had in mind when I created the heroes in my novels: Mr. Frederick Ashford, Arthur Bell Nicholls, Dracula, and Michael Tyler. Wouldn't you just love to see these actors play the parts in the movie versions? (A woman can dream, can't she?)"
 I would just love it, Syrie! Especially,  your Michael Tyler. Richard Armitage (on the right)  said in one of his latest interviews that he would like to stop being cast as a baddie and in action movies, and for once, to be able to do something all about love. So, it would be perfect , wouldn't it?

6. Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Celebration on My Jane Austen Book Club


We started with Jennifer Becton last month. Do you remember her Men, Marriage and Money in Sense and Sensibility?  It stimulated  interesting discussion in our online Austen club. Next week , our second meeting: Alexa Adams will post about Sense and Sensibility on Film with the giveaway of a free copy of the DVD Sense and Sensibility 1995. Alexa and I will wait for all of you here next Saturday, Februrary 19th.

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