Embarking On A Course of Study

Austen Overload in a Good Way - 19th Century Cultural Arts Program at Johns Hopkins' Evergreen

 Well the universe does certainly answer one's call! Since getting back to this project I got my first JASNA newsletter which had a blurb about the Chawton House Fellowship given to a member for a project/study at Chawton Library over the summer (doesn't have to be academic - woo hoo!), there's the Austen conference, and now the Evergreen House at Johns Hopkins is having a cavalcade of events related to 19th Century culture and arts, including a day of dancing, fencing, food, etc. this Saturday, the 26th.

But wait, there's more!

There's an exhibit:

Privileged Pursuits: Cultural Refinement in Early Baltimore

February 4, 2011–April 17, 2011

In the early 1800s, music, dance, literature, fine art, and civility were thought to be a part of a complete education. Homewood Museum's sixth annual student-curated focus show explores how young Baltimoreans were instructed in these and other cultural refinements This student-curated focus show explores how young Baltimoreans were introduced to these and other cultural refinements through parental instruction, printed materials, tutors, and specialized schools. Evidence has been drawn from Carroll family correspondence, rare books, and other period items. An accompanying display located on the main level of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, adjacent to Homewood Museum, features objects from the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries.

Poetry:

Emergence of American Voices: Early 19th-Century Poetry: March 26, 5pm reception, 5:30pm reading / Presented by faculty and students of the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars / $8, FREE for Members and JHU students.

And a festival!

Festival of Historic Arts: April 10, 12–3:30pm / Learn an old-fashioned skill or art as it may have been practiced in 1800s Baltimore / FREE with paid museum admission

There was also a painting class, but it was early Feb and I missed it.

The list of events and registration info here:

JHU Evergreen House - 19th Century Doings

What an awesome spring this will be! If you're local - check out these events.

 

The Jane Austen Handbook - How to Become an Accomplished Young Lady

Jane is smiling on me - she led me to this book:

The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World by Margaret C. Sullivan.

With such fab info as:

How to Identify "The Quality"

How to Ensure a Good Yearly Income

How to Elope to Scotland

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Guests

How to Converse With Your Dancing Partner

Most important for our purposes: How to Become an Accomplished Young Lady.

In her intro she writes:

"We will not scold you for wanting to understand entailments and wedding clothes and the delicate politics of the ballroom. (Because it does rather bring fantasy to a screeching halt to realize one is not familiar with the intricacies of, say, paying a morning call.) We will instead undertake to explain the mysteries of life among early nineteenth-century British landed gentry--mysteries Jane Austen, writing for an audience of her contemporaries, did not find mysterious at all. Here are step-by-step instructions that will allow one to conduct one's fantasy life with perfect aplomb--or at least to better understand the background when Lizzy or Emma or Elinor or Catherine or Fanny or Anne are faced with a similar situation in the novel or films."

I love doing things with aplomb.

I've ordered a few more books that I will reveal when they arrive as a clever new idea has occurred to me that I will share with you in a few days. Appropriately, at the turn of the new year.
  

The Gentlewoman's Companion: or, A Guide to the Female Sex

I've been directed to this text at Emory University (there's an electronic version here:  The Gentlewoman's Companion) and I don't know if Austen might have read/referred to it as it's dated 1675, but it's interesting nonetheless! Below is part of the 'Epistle Dedicatory' or why she wrote the book.

"If any shall wonder why I have been so large upon it, I must tell them, I look upon the end of Life to be Usefulness; nor know I wherein our Sex can be more useful in their Generation than having a competent skill in Playsick and Chirurgery, a competent Estate to distribute it, and a Heart will thereunto.

The like Apology I have for my Prolixity about Cookery and Carving, which being essential to a true Housewife, I thought it best to dwell most upon that which they cannot dwell without, unless they design to render themselves insignificant, not only in the world, but in those Families where they are.

As for what concerns Gentlewomans Behaviour, I have the concurrent advice and directions of the most able Professors and Teachers, both here and beyond the Seas; yet durst not be so airy and light in my Treatise about Ladies Love and Courtship as some of the French Authors have been, but have taken out of them what I found most taking with our English Gentry. The like I may say for Habits and Gesture; I am not ignorant of the vanity of some Mens stiles upon these Subjects; and that young Ladies are too apt to take what may gratifie their Fancies, and leave what may better their Judgments about true Behaviour."

And we're off! I'll add this to my burgeoning reading list and fill you in on the good stuff. By the way, no idea what 'playsick' is, but 'chirurgery' is surgery, which is rather scary. I'll need to find out exactly what is meant by 'surgery' in that time. Ick.

Oh, and those Little Iced Cakes? More like Little Iced Lumps. I guess I cooked them too long? Also, the icing was very unappealing and slightly gray. Is it cheating to mix Austen-era recipes with Betty Crocker frosting?