Speaking of the Jane Austen Centre, they are seeking an illustrator for a serialized novella that will be published by the Centre. We have it on excellent authority that it will be a Northanger Abbey-inspired story that will take place in Bath, so familiarity with the characters and location will be very helpful. Unlike our last help-wanted posting, non-U.S. citizens may apply. See the link for details.
We heard from David Baldock, the director of the Jane Austen Centre at Bath, that filming will begin for PERSUASION 2007 in Bath on September 18! This is excellent news, especially in light of disappointment in another quarter.
We dare say the whole film will not be shot there, but at least we’ll get our Bath fix. This is most vital news, indeed.
All those going to Bath next month for the Jane Austen Festival, we expect full reports, preferably with PHOTOS!
We found two takes on beauty and literature in the media, both involving Jane Austen. Jon Carroll, writing for The San Francisco Chronicle, snarks an article in the New York Times about whether a pretty woman can be a good writer.
I think it’s safe to say that an unpleasing countenance is often taken as a sign of moral superiority. Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson — if they had any social life at all, it is not recorded.
Humph. We say, Humph. Hasn’t Mr. Carroll heard about Tom Lefroy? Or Harris Bigg-Wither? Or the Mysterious Suitor-by-the-Sea?
Jane was described by many of her relatives as pretty. Not beautiful, but pretty, with much of her prettiness coming from her intelligence and animation; the best part of beauty, we say.
In a similar vein, Mayank Austen Soofi ruminates on whether Elizabeth Bennet was beautiful at Blogcritics. He does a pretty good job laying out the arguments for or against. To quote would be to spoil, we suspect, so just go read it. 
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