Ever notice how, no matter how long you looked forward to a trip or how much fun you had while away, you're usually really, really happy to be home? I really felt that tonight. I only wish that I didn't have to go get my tooth fixed tomorrow morning and then go grocery shopping. Oh, and for those curious folks, I'll recap my JASNA conference ( Read more... )

So, I'm here in Chicago. Where the wi-fi completely let me down yesterday, causing me to be late responding to at least one Very Important Email, and to fall a wee bit behind on my CYBILS duties. I am now caught up. That said: Dudes, there are only 14 poetry titles nominated so far. I hope you will all take steps to rectify that. Nominations are ( Read more... )

Tonight

1. Fold five loads of laundry. Yes, really.
2. Finish composing a post for Guys Lit Wire to be posted next Tuesday.
3. Type up my notes from my interview of Nikki Giovanni and her editor, Laura Godwin, last week so that I can write a post for I.N.K.: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids to be posted next Wednesday ( Read more... )

Today, I was fortunate enough to attend the fall meeting of the Eastern PA region of JASNA (the Jane Austen Society of North America). I'm the Regional Coordinator for the region, and our meeting was a tour of the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia. We had nearly 40 members attend the tour, during which the librarian in charge of the ( Read more... )

No, the title is not a reference to a new bodice-ripper. It's more of a summary of the contents of the post. Read on and all shall be made clear.

Jane Austen Society - Eastern PA RegionTomorrow is the first of the events at which I'll be the official Regional Coordinator for the whole thing. I must still prepare name tags and pack up important ( Read more... )

In Persuasion, the main character, Anne Elliot says, "My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company." I agree, which is why, in a short while, I'll be leaving the house and heading into Philadelphia to the Rittenhouse Hotel, where I'll be having tea ( Read more... )

I made good writing progress Tuesday. I've got about half of a new Jane poem. I'm writing about a piece of her Juvenilia called "Love and Friendship." Hopefully I'll finish a draft today, but we shall see. I also wrote a draft of a poem about some grumpy-looking robins I saw standing about in a patch of grass ( Read more... )

Once again, Snape is right. I am up to something. Somethings, actually.

Thursday: I'm taking my wonderful mother-in-law to Camden County Community College in the evening. They're having a free series of lectures on Jane Austen. This week, it's the current Eastern PA Regional Coordinator, Elizabeth Steele, whom I'll be replacing come April. After ( Read more... )

1. Today, I'm off to the library to meet my prize-winning friend Angela for some writing time. Before then, I'll see if I can nail down some of the questions I have about Lyme Regis and Jane's visits to the Dorset and Devonshire coast of England (including Lyme and Charmouth and Teignmouth and Dawlish (the last one used as a character name in the ( Read more... )

. . . over the next few days:


( Read more... )