Studying in Austen Country
Krysten Appelbaum writes about her “minimester” studying in Jane Austen’s England.
The one object that truly had an impact on me, was Austen’s writing table - seeing it in her house in Chawton, situated in the same place as it was in her day.
It reminded me that her novels did not suddenly appear for me to enjoy, but that her writing was a process, just as anyone’s is. I stood there imagining her sitting at the little table contemplating her characters, working through bouts of writers block, and then pouring out long passages onto paper after sudden inspiration.
Her writing table, as small and insignificant as it might have seemed to any other person, made me realize my connection with her was not only an author to a reader, but a writer to a writer.
We hope they got to go to Steventon. That was the place that resonated with “Janeness” the most in our experience; probably because it is so retired that it seems to be very much like it was in Jane Austen’s day. The yew tree in the churchyard might be rather bigger, however.
