.: StrangeBlog :.

During the month of August, Austenprose.com is hosting a tribute to legendary Regency romance novelist Georgette Heyer.  Join Laurel Ann and the gang for thirty-one days of Georgian-by-way-of-the-20th-century fun!

Austenprose.com is sponsoring a zombie-free, non-mashup look at Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.  The festivities begin this Tuesday and continue through mid-July.  Participate in the group read and discuss this perennial favorite with Laurel Ann and other Austen fans!

The presentation copy of Emma originally gifted to Jane Austen’s good friend Anne Sharp (and likely real-life model for Mrs. Weston)  garnered £325,000 – or $489,747 – in a transaction announced this week.  Christiaan Jonkers of British-based Jonkers Rare Books purchased the copy at auction in 2008 for considerably less (£180,000/$271,294).  For more discussion…

• Laurel Ann’s Austenblog discusses the resale
• BBC coverage
• Seattlepi.com
• Henley Standard

Remember, Austenprose.com is presenting a group read of Jane Austen’s unfinished Sanditon, starting tomorrow – March 15!  The Ides of March!  Join Laurel Ann and the gang for some fun discussion of the novel and Regency-era seaside culture.

And now I feel like I should be quoting Ovid or something on the ascention of Julius Caesar to the heavens as a star.  Yay, emperor cultism.

Anyway.  I’ve also got a roundup of articles pertaining to Michael Bloom’s stage adaptation of Emma, which premiered last month at the Cleveland Playhouse in Ohio.  It’s running now at the Drury Theatre through March 21:

• Playbill:  World Premiere of Bloom’s ‘Emma’ Begins in Cleveland
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tony Brown:  Cleveland Play House’s ‘Emma’ expected to be a hit in an already successful season
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tony Brown: Cleveland Play House’s joyful ‘Emma’ easily will win your heart; a review
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tony Brown:  Cleveland Play House plans its final shows at historic venue
• Cleveland Scene’s Christine Howey:   The Love Doctor:  Emma plies romantic first aid at the Play House
• Cleveland Jewish News’ Fran Heller:   Play House’s ‘Emma’ is pure delight
• Cleveland News-Herald’s Bob Abelman:  Play House’s ‘Emma’ is no plain Jane
• The San Francisco Examiner’s Kate Miller:  Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ is wittily charming
• More coverage of Michael Bloom’s Emma at The Emma Adaptations Pages

Join in the fun!  Laurel Ann is hosting a Sanditon group read at Austenprose.com, March 15-21!