"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." —Henry Tilney, Northanger Abbey

As an avid reader and a novelist herself, Jane Austen of course loved to read novels. But what else did she read, and what influence did it have on her writing? What books did she place in the hands of her characters, and what do their reading habits and choices say about them? Drawing from her forthcoming book, What Jane Austen's Characters Read (and Why), Professor Emerita Susan Allen Ford joins us in this episode to answer these questions and more. Susan is the editor of JASNA’s journals, Persuasions and Persuasions On-Line.

For a transcript, show notes, and guest bio: https://jasna.org/austen/podcast/ep12

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The delicate tinkling of a pianoforte. The clash of cymbals. The soothing strains of a harp. Music in Austen film adaptations performs a variety of functions: it can set the scene, highlight a character’s personality, make us laugh, and make us sigh. In this episode, music maven Ruth Mudge joins us to discuss the soundtracks of four screen adaptations we know and love. A cellist, faculty member at the String Academy of Chicago, and assistant principal in the Elmhurst Symphony, Mudge also has her own podcast, World of Soundtracks, where she offers in-depth explorations of famous movie and TV soundtracks.

For a transcript, show notes, and guest bio: https://jasna.org/austen/podcast/ep11

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Email: podcast@jasna.org

Music clips included in this episode:

• "Pride and Prejudice"—Pride and Prejudice by Carl Davis, 1995
• "Dawn"—Pride and Prejudice (Music from the Motion Picture), music by Dario Marianelli and performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, 2005
• "Mrs. Darcy"—Pride and Prejudice (Music from the Motion Picture), music by Dario Marianelli and performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, 2005
• "Emma Woodhouse"—Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020
• "Celery Root"—Emma: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, music by Rachel Portman, 1996
• "Main Titles"—Emma: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, music by Rachel Portman, 1996

During the Georgian era, gender differences in domestic goods became increasingly common. For example, a gentleman's writing desk was a sturdy, substantial piece of furniture, while a lady’s desk was a small, delicate writing table. In this episode we sit down with art historian and museum curator Kristen Miller Zohn to discuss gender and the decorative arts in general, and how Austen’s references to consumer goods in her novels—from furniture and wallpaper to breakfast sets, muslin gowns, and toothpick cases—reveal important information about her characters.

Read the transcript, show notes, and guest bio: https://jasna.org/austen/podcast/ep10

Visit our website: www.jasna.org
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
Email: podcast@jasna.org