Bonnets At Dawn: Recent Episodes
Bonnets At Dawn
Austen vs. Brontë is a literary thunderdome! Listen each week as Lauren and Hannah compare and contrast the lives, work and fandoms of the Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.
This week, we’re talking about forgotten novelists, scandalous carriage rides, and Jane Austen with two of our favorite authors. First up, Devoney Looser tells us more about Jane and Maria Porter, the subjects of her nonfiction book Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Sisters, Who Paved The Way for Austen and the Brontës. And later, we are joined by Nikki Payne, who discusses her modern Austen retelling Pride and Protest.
In this action-packed episode, we discuss our favorite reads of 2022, YOUR favorite reads of 2022, and interview some very special literary guests. First up - authors Lorraine Tosiello and Jane Cavolina discuss their book, "The Bee and the Fly: The Improbable Correspondence of Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson". Roseann Backlin from Love’s Sweet Arrow recommends some romance novels we should pick up in 2023, and Eliza Tudor from Old Iron Press talks about retooled classics and the books she loved reading this year.
This week, we’ve come to the end of our Silas Marner read-along! Voice actress Katie Mosley joins us one last time as we recap chapters 17-22 and discuss all of the Silas Marner adaptations, including Steve Martin’s A Simple Twist of Fate.
We’re still banging on about George Eliot and Silas Marner! This week, we recap chapters 13 -16, talk nature and Wordsworth, and are rejoined by voice actress Katie Mosley as the voice of George Eliot.
This week, we continue our discussion on George Eliot, her entanglements, and Silas Marner. The book is getting very Eastenders as we recap chapters 5-12 and are rejoined by voice actress Katie Mosley as the voice of George Eliot to highlight our favorite quotes from the book.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be discussing George Eliot, her entanglements, and reading Silas Marner through a fairytale lens. This week, we recap chapters 1-4, and are rejoined by voice actress Katie Mosley as the voice of George Eliot to highlight our favorite passages of the book.
This week we’ve specially selected pieces with a strong sense of place by Zitkala Sa, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Emily Lawless, and George Eliot for another B@D Mixtape. Come with us as we explore an English country garden, the Yankton Reservation, a bustling alleyway in New Orleans, and a quiet London drawing room.
Special thanks to Sassy, Katie, Desiree, and _HAP_ from Freesound.org
This week, we’ve curated a selection of haunting short stories and poems by Virginia Woolf, Amy Levy, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Emily Dickinson, for another B@D Mixtape - part podcast, part audiobook.
This week, spooky story specialist Dr. Melissa Edmundson talks to us about her Broadview edition of The Uninhabited House by Charlotte Riddell and helps us understand why the Victorians were so obsessed with ghost stories. We also discuss “Business Gothic'' and recommend some scary stories by Edith Nesbit.
This week, we are discussing My Contraband by Louisa May Alcott and The Half-Caste by Dinah Craik. These stories may seem different on the surface, but share quite a few similarities. We talk about how these authors handle interracial relationships, the East India Company, and make comparisons to Sense & Sensibility and Jane Eyre.
Spoilers ahead. You can find both stories for free online if you’d like to read before listening.
This week is all about the beloved/hated novel, Wuthering Heights! We sat down with Dr. Lydia Craig to discuss Tylney Hall (a possible source text and inspiration for WH) and reading Heathcliff as a person of color. We also talk adaptations, Wuthering Heights as horror, Charlotte Brontë’s Villette, and the musical Cats.
FINALLY. This week, we’re talking about Passing by Nella Larsen. We also compare and contrast it to the 2021 film adaptation by Rebecca Hall and the short story Passing by Langston Hughes. Spoilers ahead.
This week is all about Pauline Hopkins! Hopkins was an author, activist, and editor, who served as the driving force behind The Colored American magazine and her serialized novel, Of One Blood, has been described at Black Panther meets Indiana Jones. We’re joined by Eurie Dahn and Brian Sweeney to discuss this fascinating novel, early speculative fiction, as well as The Colored American Magazine, which they are currently digitizing here: http://coloredamerican.org/
This week, we’re continuing our conversation about Harriet Beecher Stowe and performative activism. And we are joined by Dr. Koritha Mitchell to discuss her upcoming edition of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, as well as the connections between Frances Harper and Harriet Jacobs.
This week, we’re talking about the business of abolitionist literature. We start by discussing the author and activist Lydia Maria Child and her short story The Quadroons. Then, PhD candidate Felicia Gabriele joins us to discuss her Rambling article entitled “The Problem of Fashionable Abolition: Performative Allyship Then and Now.”
We’re baaack! This week, we’re going on a micro-mini-roadtrip to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s House in Cincinnati and talking about one of one of her most baffling books - Pink & White Tyranny (great band name, btw). We can’t tell if this novel is a Mansfield Park fanfic or response to Wuthering Heights. Listen in and let us know! Spoilers ahead!
Hey, hey, we’re back with a new format! This is the first Bonnets at Dawn Mixtape, which is part audiobook and part podcast. In honor of National Poetry Month, we have asked some excellent voice actors to read poems about authors. Listen to hear what Dorothy Parker wrote about Harriet Beecher Stowe, a Tribute to George Sand by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a spooky poem about the Brontë sisters, and more!
Music Credits: Sad Heaven Piano #3 by PSOVOD Lo Fi 01 by Szmalix Lo-Fo Tokyo by YellowTree Late Nights In Osaka by YellowTree
This week, Dr. Arielle Zibrak and Dr. Sarah Mesle join us to discuss our love of Kate Winslet, The Holiday, the pleasures of knitwear, and our favorite reads of 2021. We also talk about romcoms, Austen and Ephron, comfort reading, and read just a few of your amazing book recommendations.
We’re wrapping up our mini-series on Sex, Scandal, and Social Climbers with Dr. Arielle Zibrak, who is here to discuss the role of bonnets in 19th century literature, bodice rippers, and guilty pleasures. We also carry on our discussion about race in literature, Taylor Swift, and even get into Jane Austen’s Emma and Keanu Reeves.
Find Arielle on the internet at https://www.ariellezibrak.com/
This week, we’re talking ghosts, gossip, and gambling with Clio O’Sullivan from Chawton House Library! We discuss the scandalous actress and author Mary Robinson and the connection she shares with Scottish botanical illustrator Elizabeth Blackwell.
This week, we are talking to Dr. Jack Orchard and Dr. Anna Louise Senkiw, who are currently working on digitizing the letters of Elizabeth Montagu, noted literary influencer and Queen of the Bluestockings. We also discuss the poet Ann Yearsley, her feud with Hannah More, and how she is like Taylor Swift.
You can access Montagu’s letters online at http://emco.swansea.ac.uk/home/ And find Jack on Twitter @Jarona7
This week, we’re welcoming Dr. Fiona Sampson back to the show to discuss her new book entitled Two-Way Mirror: The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. We also get into specifics regarding EBB’s family money, illness, legacy, and what should be included in her biopic.
We’re kicking off our mini-season on Sex, Scandal, and Money with an episode about social climbers, upstarts, and Jamaican heirs in Regency England. We cover a lot in this one including Sanditon’s Miss Lambe, Leigh Hunt’s Black ancestry, Charles Dickens, the scandalous life of George Eliot, the Real Housewives, and Alicia LeFanu’s novel Fashionable Connexions with our pal, Dr. Lydia Craig.
Minor spoilers for Fashionable Connexions, which you can read online via Google Books.
This week, we’re bringing together Dr. Eleanor Rust and curator Barabara Heller for an in depth discussion about the process behind creating the letters for the Pride and Prejudice and Little Women Letters editions for Chronicle Books. We also discuss Barbara’s job as a set decorator for television and film, calligraphy and postal history.
We’re back with an expanded version of our 2020 B@D Live Literary Ghost Tour! This week, we’re talking about spooky books, the ghost of Charles Dickens, and whether or not Anne Brontë is haunting a certain staircase in New York.
This action-packed episode is our first ever entirely dedicated to Harriet Beecher Stowe. We discuss Harriet’s time in Cincinnati, the unauthorized stage adaptations of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and her connection to The King and I. We also interview Kelly and Tammy Rundle from Fourth Wall Films about their documentary Becoming Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as their docu-drama about Stowe, entitled Sons & Daughters of Thunder.
This week, we are talking to playwright Sharmini Kumar about the origins of 24 Carrot Productions, as well as the challenges of adapting Austen to stage, and diversifying her productions. We also read from Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility production diaries, and Lauren realizes that she is actually a Marianne.
This week, we’re talking to Christina Calvit from Lifeline Theatre about adapting Austen and Brontë for the stage.
This week, we’re continuing our discussion about Emily Dickinson and the art of adaptation with filmmaker Madeleine Olnek. Olnek wrote and directed the romantic comedy Wild Nights with Emily starring Molly Shannon as Dickinson. You can find out more about the film, including where to stream or purchase it, at http://www.wildnightswithemily.com/
This week, we’re comparing and contrasting the ways Emily Dickinson has been portrayed on screen in Dickinson, Wild Nights with Emily, and A Quiet Passion. For those that are worried about spoilers - we do a basic synopsis of each, and discuss some moments that we like (or don’t like). Light spoilers for Dickinson, medium for Wild Nights, and heavy for A Quiet Passion.
We’re back and this season we are discussing stage, film, and comic adaptations! This week, we’re talking about literary biopics, Brontë vibes, and comics, with artists Kaley Bales and Glynnis Fawkes. Bales is the illustrator for our book, Why She Wrote, and Glynnis is the writer/illustrator of Charlotte Brontë Before Jane Eyre.
This week, we’ve invited L.M. Montgomery scholar Dr. Trinna Frever back to break down regionalism for us. We start with L.M. Montgomery and The Blue Castle and work our way towards a discussion about Zora Neale Hurston, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Willa Cather and what they all have in common. We also discuss James Thurber, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Wordsworth, Washington Irving Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Fuller, Ernest Hemingway, and Alice Carey, which might be a record for us in terms of names dropped.
Hannah returns to breakdown the final chapters of The Blue Castle! Dr. Sarah Mesle shares her takeaways from the book, and we talk about sex, women’s health, Henry David Thoreau vs. John Foster vs. Susan Fenimore Cooper, and read some listener comments. It’s an action-packed episode.
This week, we are talking about soooo many women writers in relation to L.M. Montgomery including Christina Rossetti, Pauline Johnson, Charlotte Brontë, and Jane Austen (again). Dr. Amber Pouliot joins us in the co-host chair to discuss chapters 16-30 of The Blue Castle, Goblin Market, and sex. We also interview Dr. Brenton Dickieson, host of The Maud Cast, about L.M. Montgomery, John Foster, and Bluebeard. You can find The Maud Cast wherever you get your podcasts, or on Twitter @LMMIMaudCast.
We’re kicking off season 5 with a read-along of The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. This week, we have not one, but two doctors in the house! Eleanor Rust joins us as co-host to discuss chapters 1-15, and Dr. Kate Scarth from the L.M. Montgomery Institute returns to talk about pairing L.M. Montgomery with Jane Austen. We also read some insightful listener comments about The Blue Castle, and discuss Isabella Valancy Crawford.
This week, we discuss YOUR favorite reads of 2020, and talk to Bea Koch about her book Mad & Bad: Real Heroines of The Regency. Stick around to the end for a very special announcement! And warning - this episode may contain a bit of adult language.
This week, we’re talking about the parallel lives of African American writers Pauline Hopkins and Dorothy West, and our hopes for a sexy Harlem Renaissance mini-series. Our guest, Professor Cherene Sherrard-Johnson, is the President of the Pauline Hopkins Society and the author of Dorothy West’s Paradise: A Biography of Class and Color.
This week, we’re going back to 1854 to compare and contrast the diaries of African American activist, educator, and writer Charlotte Forten and Louisa May Alcott. These two have so much in common, and we found their journals and letters highly relatable and excellent reads.
This week, we’re bringing you another literary detective story. We’re talking to OSU Professor Elizabeth Renker and Special Collections Curator Jolie Braun about their work to uncover the life and work of American poet Sarah Piatt. If you’re an Emily Dickinson fan, check this one out!
This week, we’re talking about rare books, forgeries, and biblio curiosities with Patrick Olson, proprietor of Olson Rare Books. We also discuss Phillis Wheatley’s legacy and the new book of poetry by Honoree´ Fanonne Jeffers entitled The Age of Phillis.
Find Pat online at www.olsonrarebooks.com
Academic Lydia Craig returns to the show to tell us all about her quest to piece together the life of Sarah E. Farro, the lost 19th century African American novelist. Spoilers ahead, as we discuss Farro’s book True Love: A Story of English Domestic Romance.
This week, we are going back to the Lake District to revisit Dorothy Wordsworth. We discuss her partnership with William, relationship with nature, and dive into some of our favorite journal entries with Dr. Jo Taylor.
This week, we’re chatting with the hilarious poet and academic Rachel Feder about Mary Shelley, Mathilda, and whether or not Percy would have been a contender on reality tv. Warning - this is a deep dive into Mathilda, so there are spoilers.
This week, we’re discussing The Woman of Colour: A Tale by Anonymous with Professor Kerry Sinanan. This unique 18th century text features a Black heiress in Regency England and draws comparisons to the film Belle. We talk about why it would make a great adaptation and revisit some thoughts from our Mansfield Park series.
We’re back! And this week, we’re discussing issues surrounding diversity and inclusion within the Austen community with our guests Nandita Shenoy (actress and playwright), Nikki Payne (reformed academic and JAFF writer), and Bianca Hernandez (JASNA regional coordinator).
This week, we’re comparing and contrasting Agnes Grey to Louisa May Alcott’s Behind a Mask. We’re also bringing you some highlights from Dr. Amber Pouliot’s B@D Live talk about Victorian Governess Life. You can get into contact with Amber via twitter @AmberTPouliot.
We’re celebrating Anne Brontë’s bicentenary by reading her first novel Agnes Grey. This week, we’re covering chapters 16-25 and chatting with Sharon Wright, author of The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria met Patrick. Find Sharon online at Sharon-Wright-Agency.co.uk.
We’re celebrating Anne Brontë’s bicentenary by reading her first novel Agnes Grey. This week, we’re covering chapters 9-16, and chatting with Finola Austin, author of Brontë’s Mistress. Find Finola online at FinolaAustin.com
We’re celebrating Anne Brontë’s bicentenary by reading her first novel Agnes Grey. This week, we’re covering chapters 1-8, and chatting with Adelle Hay, author of Anne Brontë Reimagined.
This week, we’re going on a literary graveyard tour with Roberta Wedge from The Mary Wollstonecraft Society. Plus, Ashley Olson, Executive Director of The National Willa Cather Center, gives us a crash course in all things Cather and we discuss some exciting plans for the future.
This week, you’ll hear audio from Hannah’s trip to Chawton House where she spoke to Executive Director Katie Childs and went on a tour of the Man Up! exhibition led by curator Clio O’Sullivan.
You find the entire exhibition online at https://chawtonhouse.org/the-library/library-collections/man-up-online-exhibition/introduction/
This week, we’re taking you back to the Lake District to visit Wordsworth Grasmere, home of Dorothy and William Wordsworth. Thanks so much to Assistant Curator Poppy Garrett for busting out the white gloves and taking us behind the scenes to show us paintings, journals and camel phlegm.
This week, we’re going on a roadtrip to Holdsworth House in Halifax to learn about diarist Elizabeth Wadsworth. Then, we’re going down the road to visit Shibden Hall, the home of Anne Lister.
We’re back! This week, we’re talking you through The Alpine Path by L.M. Montgomery. This essay is full of great writing advice, childhood anecdotes, and quotes like, “I drained the cup of failure to the very dregs.” Put that on a postcard.
This week, we chat with L.M. Montgomery scholars Dr. Kate Scarth and Dr. Trinna Frever about L.M.’s critics, journals, and Prince Edward Island, before diving into their exciting project - Your LMM Story.
We continue our series on literary homes with a discussion about Newstead Abbey, home of Lord Byron, with Curator Simon Brown. We also discuss the Harriet Beecher Stowe & Lord Byron controversy. If you’re playing the HBS drinking game with us, get the bottle out.
Sadly, Hill Top was closed for the season when we visited the Lake District last November, but we were able to persuade three members of The Beatrix Potter Society to meet us for a coffee. This week, you’ll hear snippets for our fascinating conversation with Trudy, Janet, and Carol about Potter’s life, career, and what it’s like to volunteer at Hill Top.
Welcome to our brand new mini-series on Literary Tourism! This week, we take you on the road to a Lit House conference in the Lake District, our pal Dr. Amber Pouliot gives us a crash course in the history of Literary Tourism, and we talk about Charlotte Brontë through the lens of contemporary art.
Follow Dr. Amber on Twitter @DrAmberTPouliot Learn more about Brantwood here: http://www.brantwood.org.uk/ Find the art of Serena Partridge here: https://www.serenapartridge.co.uk/
We’re capping off our Northanger Abbey read-along by discussing the 1986 and 2007 film adaptations of the book. Big thanks to our special guests Janine Barchas, Lydia Craig, and Helena Kelly for helping us take a deeper look at the text during this series. Definitely check out their episodes if you missed those! And another special thanks to everyone who read and watched along with us and provided excellent commentary!
We’ve finished reading Northanger Abbey! Now, we’re ready to talk about the ending, read listener comments, and do a little comparison to Mansfield Park.
This week, we’re talking about Ann Radcliffe and the female gothic with author Helena Kelly. We also cover chapters 17-24 of Northanger Abbey (a most excellent set of chapters) and bang on about General Tilney.
Our Northanger Abbey read-along continues with highlights from chapter 9-16 and an interview with academic Lydia Craig, the co-founder of the Loyola University Chicago Victorianist Society. We talk Northanger Abbey vs. Sanditon, and take a quiz to determine if Catherine and Isabella are in a toxic friendship.
We’re kicking off Season 4 with a discussion about castles, crumpets and John Thorpe! Join us as we begin our breakdown of Northanger Abbey, and talk about the lost books of Jane Austen with professor and author Janine Barchas.
This week, we discuss your favorite reads of 2019 and talk to Dr. Glynis Ridley about her excellent book, The Discovery of Jeanne Baret. A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe. We also reveal our read-along picks for 2020 and share some of our literary goals.
In our Brontë season finale, we compare and contrast the 2006 and 2011 adaptations of our beloved Jane Eyre.
This week, we’re bringing you a conversation between author Gill Hornby and Sophie Reynolds from the Jane Austen House Museum, about Cassandra Austen. They answer your questions about Cassandra and Jane and talk about those infamous letters.
Look for Gill’s new book, Miss Austen, which will be out in January 2020: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1117549/miss-austen/9781529123760.html
We’re taking you on the road to the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. This time around, you’ll hear clips from the B@D Friday night event, the ball, and Dr. Glynis Ridley’s excellent talk on Northanger Abbey. For more information on the Jane Austen Festival, go to http://jasnalouisville.com/
We're ranking Jane Austen's Bad AND Sad Lads in front of a seriously well-informed audience. Very special thanks to everyone in attendance, and Page 1 Books in Evanston, Illinois for hosting the event! Please check out their awesome book subscription service: https://page1books.com/
This week, we’re talking Dickens, Victorian seances, and your reactions to The Old Nurse’s Story by Elizabeth Gaskell. We’re also giving away comic copies of this spooky tale! Share your favorite episode of B@D from this season on the internets, tag us, and we’ll throw your name into a fishbowl and draw winners in November.
This week, we’re discussing the life and work of African American poet, journalist, activist and short story writer, Alice Dunbar Nelson. We’ll be joined by Dr. Tara T. Green, who is currently working on a biography of Dunbar Nelson, and re-joined by actress Stacey Thomas, who will read some of Alice’s poetry.
This week, we’re talking about the 18th century actress, novelist and publisher, Eliza Haywood with Dr. Glynis Ridley. We also discuss our surprising reaction to Haywood’s Fantomina.
Team Eliot, your day has finally come! This week, we’re all about Mary Ann Evans. First up, Lauren interviews George Eliot expert Dr. Ruth Livesey. And then Hannah and Sam take the show on a mini road trip to Eliot country.
This week, we’re talking to Austen scholars and friends Danielle Spratt and Bridget Draxler. These gals met at Chawton House and have gone on to author the book Engaging in the Age of Austen. We chat about reading historical fiction through contemporary eyes, Henry Tilney, and yes, Mansfield Park does come up. This might be a Mansfield Park podcast now. Apologies.
In this FINAL Mansfield Park episode! This week, we’re discussing listener comments and comparing Mansfield Park to Wives and Daughters. We also discuss our upcoming short story read-alongs for the Fall.
In addition to being one of the first African American novelists, Frances Harper was also a teacher, abolitionist, suffragist, poet and orator. We’re discussing her amazing career with academic Joanna Ortner, who has turned up some excellent Harper discoveries while working on her dissertation.
Special thanks to Stacey Thomas for her reading of Harper’s Bury Me In a Free Land.
This week, we are talking about the FASCINATING Eaton sisters with Dr. Karen Skinazi from the University of Bristol. We can’t even sum these women up in a clever and concise way because they just did SO MUCH -- I mean, Winnifred was a rancher on top of being a bestselling novelist and Hollywood screenwriter -- so just listen to the episode!
Also, for those of you that are playing 6 degrees of HBS with us, here ya go: Winnifred Eaton --- Jean Webster --- Mark Twain --- Harriet Beecher Stowe. Take a shot!
Are you ready for even MORE Mansfield Park? This week, we’re talking to Dr. Patricia Matthew about abolitionist literature and how it links to Mansfield Park. We also discuss The Woman of Color and Amma Assante’s Belle.
This week, we’re continuing our Mansfield Park discussion with esteemed Brit Lit experts Devoney Looser and George Justice. Follow George and Devoney on Twitter @devoneylooser and @ProfGeoJustice.
It’s the first episode of our Mansfield Park read-along and boy do we have a treat for you! Hannah interviews Dr Helena Kelley, author of Jane Austen the Secret Radical, and talks all things Austen and Mansfield Park. There are a lot of Henry Crawford feelings.
This week, we tried out some Victorian recipes from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management and it went great! And by great, I mean Hannah had a meltdown. We also talk to Maria Damkjaer, author of Time, Domesticity and Print Culture in Nineteenth-Century Britain, about Isabella Beeton and the making of Mrs. Beeton’s.
This week, we’re joined by Dr. Amber Pouliot to discuss Charlotte Brontë, gothic drama, and literary afterlives. Elizabeth Gaskell, Harriet Beecher Stowe and George Eliot even drop in to say hi.
This week, we’re talking about Anne Lister with Angela Clare from Calderdale Museums, which manages Shibden Hall. Angela has written two books on Miss Lister and makes a special appearance in Gentleman Jack! She can be found on Twitter @EndeavourFilms.
Special apologies to Hannah, who thought we should call this episode “Shag-Bandit Rubber-Knickers.” Also, I accidentally said that I Know My Own Heart was published in 1991 vs 1988. Please forgive me.
A short episode for a short story. This week, we’re closing out Louisa MAY Alcott with a quick discussion about How I Went Into Service. Read it online and join in on the discussion in our Facebook group!
This week, we’re unpacking our feelings about Louisa May Alcott’s Work: A Story of Experience. If you haven’t read the book, but are curious, you can find it for free on Project Gutenberg. Big thanks to the listeners in our FB group who participated in the read-along. We had so many great comments and thoughtful discussions - we’ll have to feature some more of your insights in our Best Of episode at the end of the year.
Happy Louisa MAY Alcott everyone! This time around, we’re talking about Louisa, money, fame and George Eliot makes a surprise appearance. Big thanks to our special guest Marlowe Daly for joining us! Marlowe teaches American literature, writing, and interdisciplinary humanities classes at Lewis-Clark State College. Her Alcott-related work has been published in Reconstruction, Arizona Quarterly, Women’s Studies, Girls’ Series Fiction and American Popular Culture, and Critical Insights: Little Women.
Poet and author of In Search of Mary Shelley, Fiona Sampson, stops by to chat Frankenstein and Mary Shelley with us. And your hosts swap accents! (Sorry about that everyone!)
Lost silver! The French Revolution! This week we’re talking about the life of Mary Wollstonecraft with Roberta Wedge from The Wollstonecraft Society.
Welcome to Bonnets at Dawn University! This week, we’re getting a crash course in Frances Burney with the help of Dr. Jennie Batchelor. Jennie currently teaches at the University of Kent. Her work focuses on the 18th century and women’s writing. You can find her on Twitter @JennieBatchelor and @LadysMagProject.
We’re taking you on the road from the Haworth moors to the Manchester Art Gallery. Listen in as we take you on a tour of the Brontë Parsonage, discuss William Weightman, the genius of Annie Swynnerton, and go behind the scenes at The Pankhust Centre!
Join us for part 2 of our Understanding Emily panel from the Brontë Parsonage! This week, we talk feminism, fan fiction and ghosts! And Emily Brontë, of course…
Special thanks to the Brontë Parsonage for hosting us. Extra special thanks to our guests Amy Rowbottam, Isabel Greenberg, Dr. Claire O’Callaghan and Lauren Livesey for joining us!
Last December, we gathered some of our favorite Emily Brontë experts into the basement of the Brontë Parsonage and made them explain the magic of Emily Brontë to Hannah. In this episode, we discuss Gondal, Wuthering Heights, and whether or not Charlotte Brontë was a funny gal.
Lady Susan’s ears must be burning, because we can’t stop talking about her. We also review the film Love & Friendship, bang on about WIves & Daughters and share some important season 3 updates.
This week, we’re talking chapters 31 - 60 of Wives and Daughters. Plus, Hannah gives you her controversial thoughts on the adaptation, and we reads your comments on Cynthia!
We’re back! And we’re ready to talk about the first 30 chapters of Elizabeth Gaskell’s Wives and Daughters and our favorite characters. Warning: there is some light swearing in this episode because we’re just so passionate about this darn book.
Please note, we’re also raising a few dollars to purchase a book for Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. Check out our Go Fund Me for more details: https://www.gofundme.com/BonnetsAtDawn
It’s finally here! The Brontë super special to close out Season 2! This week, we welcome a trio of wonderful guests, including bestselling author Rowan Coleman to discuss Ponden Hall and how the Brontës inspire her writing. Actress Siobhan Athwal talks about her role as Emily Brontë in the musical Wasted. And author Karen Kenyon discusses Charlotte’s letters and her new Brontë book.
Follow Rowan on Twitter @RowenColeman Follow Karen’s Publisher @Endeavour_Medi Find Siobhan Athwal @SiobhanAthwal
It’s the season 2 Team Austen finale! And we’re taking you to the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Listen along as we talk bonnets, interview naval officers, and force our friends to play Marrying Mr. Darcy during this celebration of all things Jane.
Special thanks goes out to Mary Landrum, Shawntaye Hopkins, Amanda Beverly, Mary Kravenas, and Jennifer Swenson for getting us down there. If you would like to join us at the festival next year, then keep an eye on this space: http://jasnalouisville.com/2018-jane-austen-festival
We marathoned all 4 hours of North and South with you lot, and now we’re returning to talk about some of the ways the text differs from the film. And John Thornton. Guys, we’re mostly going to talk about John Thornton. We also interview N&S expert Trudy Brasure about her North and South variations and, ya know, some dude named John.
This week on the show, we are celebrating 150 years of Little Women! We welcome back Anne Boyd Rioux - our resident Louisa May Alcott expert and author of the excellent Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters. And our listeners weigh in on why Little Women still matters to them.
In this Halloween special, Lauren and Mary Kravanas discuss the Elle Fanning Mary Shelley special, fantastic knitwear, and your spooky book recommendations.
Ready for some more Emily200? In this action packed episode, we welcome back Selene and Serena from The Sisters’ Room to discuss their new book on Wuthering Heights and translating Emily’s work. Plus, we debut our audio collage of Emily’s best lines sent in by our lovely listeners.
We’re coming off the high of another B@D read-along (and suffering from a nasty head cold), so we’ve asked YOU to do the heavy lifting this week. Alison, Maggie and Robin tell us about three naughty Austen and Alcott inspired stories they have read especially for us.
This week, we cover the last 7 chapters of The Shuttle, a giant portion of FHB’s life story, and a sleepy Hannah responds to listener comments. We’d like to thank everyone for going on this read-along journey with us. You’re all getting comment of the week.
This week, we cover chapters 25 - 43 of FHB’s The Shuttle and discuss her early married life. #FranAndSwanForever
We talk more about Frances Hodgson Burnett’s childhood, and dive into chapters 14 - 24 of The Shuttle.
(If you listen really closely, you just might hear a cat in the background. Oh, Henry…)
It’s read-along time! This month is dedicated to Frances Hodgson Burnett and her wonderful book The Shuttle. This episode, we discuss chapters 1-13 of the unabridged edition and your lovely comments.
We talk comic adaptations and interview the lovely and talented artist Isabel Greenberg about her upcoming Brontë sister graphic novel.
Lauren and Hannah break down The Story of an Hour and discuss the life and times of Kate Chopin.
This week we’re left dazed and confused by the heat in Kentucky, but thankfully we have the delightful Jess and Esther from Sense and Spontaneity to lift us out of this stupor! Sense and Spontaneity is a comedic duo from Australia that performs Jane Austen inspired improv. They also make kickass videos, which you can watch on the internets like Dear Mr. Darcy and Obstinate Headstrong Girl.
It’s Emily Brontë’s birthday and eveeeeryone is talking about her. We jump into the fray with our take on that controversial Guardian piece. Plus, we interview Dr. Claire O’Callaghan about her new book - Emily Reappraised, which is available now on the Amazon machine!
We kick off this episode by reading some letters by Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë before taking a trip to Chawton House to interview their head librarian, Dr. Darren Bevin.
To find out more about Chawton House, head on over to their website - https://chawtonhouse.org/
We must confess that the original title of this episode was Miss Chapman Regrets since Hannah has some retractions to make. We also compare and contrast the Jane Austen biopics Miss Austen Regrets and Becoming Jane.
This week we tackle The Yellow Wallpaper and things get heavy. Thankfully, we have the best listeners in the world - so we were able to lighten things up with your wonderful comments and book recommendations.
Hey, hey! Hannah listened to the latest BBC radio adaptation of Wuthering Heights, so now we can properly talk Heathcliff! We also interview Judith Pascoe, writer of On The Bullet Train with Emily Brontë, and discuss the popularity of Wuthering Heights in Japan.
Follow Judith on Twitter - @JudithMPascoe
Buy the book from University of Michigan Press - https://www.press.umich.edu/9373391/on_the_bullet_train_with_emily_bronte
We asked, and boy, oh, boy YOU answered - where does Mansfield Park rank on your list of favorite Austen novels? We read your comments, discuss the importance of theatre in Mansfield Park, and interview the charming creators behind the Waterperry Opera Festival in Oxford, which features an adaptation of Mansfield Park.
Find out more about the Waterperry Opera Festival here: http://www.waterperryoperafestival.co.uk/
Join us for the thrilling conclusion of our first ever panel LIVE from Elizabeth Gaskell's House! We talk Elizabeth, Charlotte and even a little Jane with our lovely guests Amy Rowbottom from the Brontë Parsonage and Jane Mathieson from the Gaskell Society.
Robin Epley from Drunk Austen makes her second appearance on the show, and we do not talk about Jane Austen! Instead, we talk Little Women (1994) vs Little Women (2018). Later, we read your comments about the mini-series and Hannah's dirty mouth. Warning - this episode does contain swears.
We say goodbye to Uncle Alec as our Eight Cousins read-along finally comes to a close. Then, we we compare and contrast Eight Cousins with The Secret Garden.
huge thanks to everyone who participated in our read-along! We truly valued your questions and comments. You're all top lads!
We talk about women's work and Charlotte Bronte with author and professor Anne Boyd Rioux. And we check back in with Uncle Alec and Rose for the Eight Cousins read-along part 2!
Remember, you can pre-order Anne's new book on Amazon, and find more of her work here: https://anneboydrioux.com/
Anne Boyd Rioux joins us to discuss Louisa May Alcott's early years and we officially kick off the Eight Cousins recap with a discussion of chapters 1-8!
Anne is a professor of English at the University of New Orleans. She is a member a of the Advisory Board of the Louisa May Alcott Society and had written about Alcott in two of her books. Find more of here work on her website: https://anneboydrioux.com/
Welcome to Louisa MAY Alcott! The entire month of May we're going to be discussing the author of Little Women (and so much more)! Kicking off our series is Jan Turnquist from Orchard House Museum. Orchard House was the longtime home of the Alcott family and is now dedicated to preserving Louisa May Alcott's memory. You can find out more about Orchard House here: http://www.louisamayalcott.org/
Hey, hey it's our first ever LIVE show! Listen in as we discuss the friendship of Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Bronte LIVE from Elizabeth Gaskell's House in Manchester. Big thanks to our experts Amy Rowbottom, from the Bronte Parsonage, and Jane Mathieson, from the Gaskell Society. Part 2 of this panel will be posted in June.
Lauren, Hannah and the volunteers from Elizabeth Gaskell's House take you on an audio tour of their favorite literary home.
http://elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk/
Join us as we discuss the bad lads, sad lads and very bad dads in Wildfell Hall. Thanks to everyone who joined in on the #BADTenant read-along! We wanted to included ALL of your amazing comments, but wanted to keep this recording under 5 hours.
We kick off our Emily200 programming with an interview with Amy Rowbottom from the Bronte Parsonage. We discuss Emily myths and misconceptions, Bronte jewellery and museum life.
To find out more about Emily, and special events at the Bronte Parsonage, check outwww.bronte.org.uk
On a cold, clear day in December we had Jane Austen's cottage all to ourselves to record our little podcast. We also had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mary Guyatt about her experience working at the Jane Austen House Museum. Here is the audio proof.
To learn more about the Bring Jane Home campaign (as discussed in the interview), click here: https://www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk/single-post/2017/07/03/Bring-Jane-Home
Listen in on our sleepytime recaps of our 2 week roadtrip from London to Manchester to Chawton. We discuss Elizabeth Gaskell's House, the Jane Austen House Museum, the fine libraries of Manchester and Gemporia.
P.S. We apologize for that time we ate sausage rolls while taping. That was rude.
We're back! In this minisode, Lauren finally listens to Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, Hannah tells us why Louisa May Alcott is the very best and they reveal a few special announcements!
Yes, we're on break, but we had to drop a Valentine's Day episode! For this very special occassion we invited two dudes on to discuss the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility. And while we may know them, they are complete strangers to Austen's work.
BADSense
We are currently on break, but we hope you will enjoy this late-night rambler where we continue our discussion on Lucy Snowe and Anne Elliot!
VILLETTE. This episode is all about Villette. Cut down from 2 hours, we never actually get around to comparing and contrasting Lucy Snowe and Anne Elliot. You'll have to wait for that mini-episode to drop later on this week. In the meantime, enjoy our meltdown over this classic piece of literature.
Lauren and Hannah get giggly while trying to come to terms with their feelings about poetry. Emily200 plans are revealed and Lauren interviews Rita Maria Martinez, the author of The Jane and Bertha in Me, a book of poetry inspired by Jane Eyre.
Follow Rita on Twitter: @CubanBronteite Check out her website at ComeOnHome.Org
Lauren interviews the manager of the Jane Austen Centre in Bath while Hannah reminisces about her time there, and the lies she used to tell while giving the tour ;)
Check out the Jane Austen Centre on the internets!
https://www.janeausten.co.uk/
Twitter: @JaneAustenBath
Listen as two sick gals talk about YOUR favorite reads of 2017! Later on in the show, we interview our new best friend Devoney Looser, author of The Making of Jane Austen and Professor of English at Arizona State University. AND reveal 2 of our book club selections for 2018!
Follow Devoney on Twitter @DevoneyLooser, @Making_Jane and pick up her book on Amazon!
- Please note that this podcast is not sponsored by Amazon, but we'd like it to be.
This week, we interview Aydrea Walden, creator/writer/star of the webseries - Black Girl in a Big Dress. BGIABG is a series about an African American Anglophile cosplayer in love with the Victorian Era who's trying to bring a fantasy courtship from her re-entactment events into the real world.
Find Aydrea on Twitter @BlkGirlBigDress Watch the series here - http://www.blackgirlinabigdress.com/
Welcome to the first installment of our Naughty Bonnets series! In this episode, we are joined by Summer Sparacin and Mary Kravenas. These fine ladies read the naughty versions of Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice and are here to tell us all about them!
Our intro gets seriously derailed by the engagement of a certain royal, but don't worry - we get into chapters 44-52 of North and South and our listener comments!
Lauren and Hannah ramble on about chapters 33 - 43 of North and South. They completely forget when Edith had her baby (anyone?), and come to say goodbye to more than a few characters. As always, our listeners bring it with the comments!
We interview the lovely Lacey Shaw, creator of Maggie Hale's Corner, a modern day adaptation of North and South. We discuss the updating Margaret Hale to 2017, what makes North and South a timeless story, and how to go about creating a literary inspired webseries.
Check out Maggie Hale's Corner on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtxlTS0P-Uq6rbNqL64PMPw
And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaggieHCorner
Hannah and Lauren recap chapters 22 - 32 of North and South, discuss Thornton's fruit piece, and read your comments!
No North and South talk here! This episode, we interview Nancy Holder from Kymera Press about her comic Mary Shelley Presents, which features and adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's The Old Nurse's Story. We also talk about the writing process, Crimson Peak, and make some special announcements!
Follow Nancy on Twitter @NancyHolder And Kymera Press @KymerssPress You can purchase a copy of Mary Shelley Present via the Kymera Press website: http://www.kymerapress.com/
Lauren and Hannah tackle Chapters 11-21 of North and South, dish out some more facts on the life of Elizabeth Gaskell and read YOUR COMMENTS. Also, Lady Catherine de Bourgh vs Mrs. Thornton - GO!
NewMoneyNewProblems, #BusyLizzie, #LillyFacts #HardTimesSux
Lauren and Hannah recap the first ten chapters of their new favorite book - North and South. They also discuss ferns! Listener comments! And the life of Elizabeth Gaskell.
Forgive the lateness and the poor audio! Zencastr chewed this episode up and spit it back out in one million little pieces.
We asked, and you delivered your best true ghost stories! Warning, this episode contains very little Austen or Brontë talk. Special thanks to @CreepyCo, @Maggie_Rachael, @DrunkAusten and Jude Law's private driver.
Zencastr ate our lovely episode! So now, you get this late-night ramble about the Jane Austen exhibit at the Bodleian library, Charlotte Brontë and AMBITION, and Villette. Later, we interview Brontë experts Sophie Franklin and Dr. Claire O' Callaghan, about their conference - The Coarseness of Brontës: A Reappraisal.
For more information about The Coarseness of the Brontës and their call for papers, check out their website and Twitter account -
@CoarseBrontes https://coarsebrontes.wordpress.com/
LET'S ALL GO TO CANADA.
Hannah and I are running away to Toronto to become permanent fixtures within the Jane Austen re-enactment community called Jane Austen Dancing. We're going to spend our days mastering Regency food, culture, and dance under the expert tutelage of this week's guest - Karen Millyard.
Join us now, or work for us later.
http://danceweavers.ca/janeausten.html @JaneAustenDance
Welcome to episode 21, where we have awkwardly edited out our Scarlet Pimpernel rant to keep focus on the Brontës! Hannah reveals Charlotte's true height and tiny book conspiracies are born. PLUS we talk to the lovely Selene and Serena from The Sisters' Room blog - which is an Italian/English site dedicated to the Brontë sisters.
Find them online - http://www.thesistersroom.com/?lang=en
Twitter: @TheSistersRoom Instagram: @TheSistersRoomBlog
We watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with you lot, and then we recorded an episode about it! We compare and contrast the book the the original, gush over Matt Smith, and chat with Nikki from the Something Cheeky podcast.
Listen until the very end for details about our October giveaways!
We're interrupting your regularly scheduled B@D episode with this hot take on the new Jane Eyre graphic novel. It's Team Brontë x2, as I'm joined by Caitlin Rosberg, comic critic for Paste Magazine and the AV Club, Editor for Ladies' Night Anthology and lover of Jane Eyre. We discuss the comic-making process, the LNA Kickstarter and compare and contrast this graphic novel with the original.
Find Caitlin @Crosberg Find Ladies' Night Anthology @GCCLadiesNight
We're back in the podcast hut with a Team Austen episode! This week, we interview the lovely Sophie Andrews. Sophie runs a Janeite blog called Laughing with Lizzie, and was recently featured in the BBC documentary - My Friend Jane.
Follow Sophie on Twitter: @LaughingwithLiz
You can check out her site here: http://laughingwithlizzie.blogspot.com/
IT'S OUR MOST ACTION-PACKED EPISODE EVER. We venture up to Haworth to visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum and read poetry on the moors. Along the way, we meet some chickens in a graveyard, stay in a haunted hostel, and nearly run into Gemma Arterton.
Special thanks to Amy Rowbottom, the curatorial assistant at the BPM, for a most delightful interview!
Lady Mary, Mistress of the Needle, Baroness of the Ravenswood, joins me for a quick and dirty episode about the formation of the B@D Crafting Society. Mary has graciously agreed to help us bring together all of our crafty listeners online, so they can share their literary-inspired creations AND provide sassy support.
Join us on Ralvery. Group name - Knitted Bonnets - https://www.ravelry.com/
Join us on Facebook - Bonnets at Dawn
Our official Twitter Hashtag is #BaDCraftySociety
Remember that time we went to Bath and posted all those pics on social media? Well, now you can hear what actually went down! We got mad at a flower sculpture, went to a Regency picnic, kissed Mr. Bennet and Hannah pitched a Jane Austen biopic.
Special thanks to Polly and Kristin from the Bath Preservation Trust. Check out their good work here: http://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/
It's six in the morning, LET'S TALK VICTORIAN WOMEN WRITERS. Lauren interviews Carolyn Oulton from the International Centre for Victorian Women Writers to the show to discuss the history of the centre, Villette and teaching the Brontës.
But first, the girls discuss their evil plans for phase two of the podcast...
We've been plagued with technical difficulties, but we're BACK with an episode about he upcoming Pride & Prejudice adaptation and listener feedback! The fancasting is strong in this one.
RogerAllamforMrBennet
Guys, we're truly sorry this episode is so long. We just have so many Jane Eyre feelings. We'll pull ourselves together next week, we promise.
Lauren takes some suspicious cough syrup and recaps Northanger Abbey.
Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Lauren and Hannah have feelings about the Bronte biopic To Walk Invisible. Actress/Artist Holly Gorne joins the girls to discuss her roles in Austen and Bronte productions, including her most recent as Anne Bronte. And the parsonage is most definitely haunted.
Find Holly's Bronte-inspired artwork here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtByGorne
http://www.thistledowntheatre.com/
Dear listeners, we tried to make Austen-inspired desserts and failed miserably. Regardless, we hope you enjoy this discussion about the time we overstayed our welcome at an expensive afternoon tea AND our interview with the delightful Jo Turner of Josephine's Chocolates.
Check out Jo's Austen-inspired creations below! https://twitter.com/JosephinesChoc https://www.josephineschocolate.com/
HANNAH HASN'T SEEN THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way, prepare your ears for our finest episode yet. Our pre-podcast ritual is revealed, the Bachelorette is discussed and the smackdown between Darcy and Heathcliff continues.
We interrupt the epic battle between Darcy and Heathcliff to bring you this very special episode about the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky! Janeite and knitting expert, Mary Kravenas sits in for Hannah to tell us about her festival experience. And Lauren interviews Bonny Wise, the founder of JASNA Louisville and festival director. Get ready for some serious bonnet talk!
Check out the JASNA Louisville site - http://jasnalouisville.com/ Follow Mary on Twitter and the 'gram - @PurdyMaryk
Two men enter. One man leaves. It's the biggest and baddest smackdown yet - Darcy vs. Heathcliff. An argument so big, it will take two episodes to cover. Listen as Hannah makes a case for Darcy and explains what exactly makes a Regency gentleman.
Things get a little PG-13 as Hannah and Lauren take the podcast to an English themed pub and subject their friends to some Austen and Brontë trivia. Things may get a little get a little off track as the girls seek to find the true meaning of Cheeky Nando's. Big thanks to Liz Fogarty and Megan Byrd for joining us. And welcome, to Alice Urbino, our guest artist!
Remember, you can get a copy of our trivia game by pledging to our Unbound campaign for a copy of our book! https://unbound.com/books/austen-vs-bronte
Hannah and Lauren celebrate #NationalHamburgerDay by making Austen and Brontë inspired burgers, discuss Yorkshire puddings, and interview the lovely Meredith from Austenesque Reviews! Listen for some excellent burg recipes, book recommendations and a heated conversation concerning Crumpets vs English Muffins.
Be sure to check out Austenesque Reviews on the interwebs - http://austenesquereviews.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Austenesque https://twitter.com/Austenesque
Hannah and Lauren discuss the #WretchedBondage period of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters lives. Fans of Branwell and Robert Southey are encouraged to skip a week, ya nerds. Warning - mild language ahead.
If you enjoy this podcast, consider donating to our Unbound campaign and you'll receive a lovely book! https://unbound.com/books/austen-vs-bronte
Hold on to your bonnets, because it's our best episode yet! We discuss/rant/rave about two versions of P&P we've never seen until now. It's time for Pride & Prejudice (2003) vs. Pride & Prejudice (1940)! That Laurence Olivier is really something, eh?
Live from the newly christened podcast hut, Lauren and Hannah discuss the Brontë and Austen juvenilia and plot a book heist.
Lauren goes solo for an interview with the lovely Rose Servitova, author of The Longbourn Letters: The Correspondence between Mr. Collins and Mr. Bennet and curator of the Jane Austen 200 Limerick Festival.
Follow Rose on Twitter @RoseServitova Check out her book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Longbourn-Letters-Correspondence-between-Collins-ebook/dp/B06X3SQYCP
It's 3 a.m., I must be loopy...
Welcome to Episode 1! A less (?) disastrous introduction. Lauren and Hannah discuss North and South England, the book North & South, Richard Armitage, Ghostbusters and the early lives of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. Please excuse any historical inaccuracies.
Welcome to episode 0 of Austen vs. Brontë: Bonnets at Dawn! A podcast so fresh, co-host Lauren Burke forgets the title of her own show while her partner-in-crime, Hannah K Chapman, breaks down in a gravy-induced coughing fit. Despite their difficulties, the girls endeavor to explain the premise of this project and give you a little background on their love of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.