His Cunning or Hers by June Menzies, an epistolary Persuasion sequel that was published for a gift to attendees of the 1993 JASNA AGM, is now available to read on JASNA’s website, complete with Juliet McMaster’s original illustrations. The story features, as you may have guessed from the title, Penelope Clay and Mr. Elliot’s post-novel adventures.

Once you are finished reading, we suggest not missing the author’s note at the end…it’s a bit spoilery, so don’t read ahead of time, but we smiled over the attention to detail, and especially appreciated this part:

I am appalled and stunned to discover the three-volume Concordance to Jane Austen. Heart sinks at the thought of validating every word, though I appreciate the use of “nice” and “stupid” and avoidance of “afternoon.” Note: Stick to suiting the style to the character and situation and take my chances with anachronisms.

Exactly.

The Lefroy-as-Darcy meme has exploded across the press as every news outlet in the English-speaking world has picked up the story–including the BBC, which really should know better. We dare say it is a wire service report, but still. Even the Newspaper of Record falls for it. Does NO ONE confirm sources anymore?

The Telegraph got downright insulting.

The man thought to have inspired Jane Austen’s dashing literary hero Mr Darcy was a pale, skinny student with wispy grey hair and girlish looks.

GREY hair? Could it not be hair powder?

And we thought Lefroy as Darcy was bad…look what Portfolio.com has perpetrated:

The price is a reflection of how strong the market continues to be for Jane Austen. Her novels have always been popular, but lately Austen seems to have been rediscovered by audiences as something of an original “chick lit” novelist — a Plum Sykes or Candace Bushnell of the turn of the 19th century. Sense and Sensibility or Emma have all the allure of Sex and the City, minus the incessant label-mongering not to mention the baring of the flesh.

And one Austen hero - Mr. Darcy - has emerged as “Mr. Big” of the genre, with the commercial appeal to match.

We really shall retire to Bedlam, or open our jugular with a dull spork.

Seriously, the sellers of this portrait have cleverly crafted their marketing campaign by tying it to an enormously popular fictional character, and have been wildly successful, judging by the press coverage. In the minds of newspaper readers, and worse, editors all over the world, Darcy = Tom Lefroy, which means now the meme will be dragged out and aired on every possible occasion. We hope they enjoy the profit from their sale. The damage they have done to Jane Austen’s public reputation from this is enormous.