First Impressions: Why All the Austen Haters Are Wrong

In our latest episode, friend of the podcast Priya joins us again, this time to talk about Season 3 of Bridgerton! The third season of this runaway Netflix hit features our favorite couple yet, "Polin," made up of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Fingerington, I mean, Featherington! This episode, as you might have guessed, is not suitable for little ears, but we had a lot of fun recording it!! Bust out the Flonase, grab your EpiPen, and get some pearls suitable for clutching, as we talk about this diamond season of the first water!

Gentle listeners, for those of you who were entranced by Hallmark's Loveuary series this past February, we finally have an episode about it! Friend of the podcast and Hallmark-movie-enjoyer Priya has joined us for a breakdown of the charming Paging Mr. Darcy movie, and high praise of this entrancing version of Sense and Sensibility!

Gentle listeners, join us for our review of the delightful radio drama from BBC Radio 4, which features a star-studded cast including Felicity Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, James Callas and more! Adapted by Clara Glynn, this lovely radio play contains some surprising new takes on Austen's story and characters.  We certainly see Fanny, Edmund, and Henry in a different light after listening to this production.  More information about the cast can be found on the BBC's website here. 

Greta Gerwig's 2023 Barbie movie incorporated several seconds of the 1995 Firth/Ehle Pride and Prejudice miniseries, which officially makes this movie part of Austen's extended cinematic universe.  In this podcast we discuss our takeaways from this thought-provoking movie, and ponder the parallels between the evolution of Barbie vs. Jane Austen's own heroines. Some see Austen's characters as regressive today, but does Jane stand still so we can see how far we've come?

Time for some hot and SPICY Austen takes fresh from friend of the podcast Lexi, also known as @fourwhitetrees on X (Twitter), Bluesky, and other social networks! Lexi's funky fresh and sometimes controversial takes cover the mysterious appeal of John Thorpe, Mr. Knightley's questionable tastes, the unworthiness of Wentworth as a partner for Anne, whether Darcy is really the most obviously autistic character in Austen, and much more... like, is Northanger Abbey REALLY satire, or just a modern gothic? Our wide-ranging discussion is fun and surprising - check it out! [WARNING: this episode is DEFINITELY not for little ears! Explicit content included, most of it around or after the 1 hr mark]. Follow Lexi at @fourwhitetrees on X and Bluesky for more hot takes!

Gentle listeners, join us as we finally review this 1999 movie adaptation of Mansfield Park, written and directed by Patricia Rozema. We delve into the artistic choices made by the director and weigh in on their merits in a very calm and evenhanded manner until about halfway through when Kristin gets shouty. This movie is undoubtedly an important acheivement in Austen filmmaking. Rozema makes the slavery subtext in the book explicit, challenging the way Austen stories are usually told on screen. She also takes a "prismatic" approach to the book's much-maligned heroine Fanny Price, infusing her with elements of Austen's own life to create a character that is more relatable to modern audiences. The results provide Much To Think About.    Special thanks to Arnie Perlstein for directing us to his useful literature review on his blog, the Sharp Elves Society! Read it here: Jane Austen's Dead Silence: The History of Slavery Subtext in Mansfield Park

Gentle listeners, we're so excited to have Maya and Christian of Manners and Madness join us again, this time for a movie review of Fire Island, one of the finest modern Austen adaptations of our time and an overall fantastic movie.   We discuss the deep dive this movie takes into the characters of Noah (Lizzy), Howie (Jane), and Will (Darcy), and the way the modern story blends with the original. We also talk over the incorporation of themes of power (and reclaiming power), and the parallels with Alice Munro's short story "Powers." This movie is full of thoughtful and smart choices that reveal aspects of Austen's characters, and it also happens to be hilarious. In short, we highly recommend it!   You can also find Christian and Maya at @MannersandMadnesspod on Instagram and @MannersMadness on Twitter!

We are overjoyed to bring you a special holiday episode discussing A Christmas Carol, the novel by Charles Dickens, and A Muppet Christmas Carol, the finest adaptation of Dickens' work ever to grace the silver screen. The novel is an absolute delight, and extremely readable - it's a great time for a read (or re-read)! And a sing-along! With a glass raised to toast your health! (Glass raised to toast your health!) and a promise to share the wealth! (Promise to share the wealth), yes every night will end, and every day will start, with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart! For you, our listeners! Happy holidays!

Everyone, thank you, we're so excited to finally present the conclusion of our movie commentary series for Pride and Prejudice 1995! Join us as we swoon over this beautiful movie's final chapter, after which all our favorite characters live happily ever after. By the way, if you are looking for the first installment of this movie commentary series, you'll find it all the way back in our archives - it's episode 26!!! 

Just in time for Halloween, we're back with our guest Natasha Junor (who you may remember from our Clueless episode!) to discuss Gothic literature and the ways it intersects with Austen's world and works. Tash is an Australian academic and Jane Austen scholar who is doing a deep dive into this topic in preparation for a possible dissertation on the subject, and she's stopping by to share her expertise with us! Join us for a fascinating exploration of how Gothic literature was received in Regency-era England, how it allowed women of that era to explore otherwise forbidden topics, and how Austen interpreted the Gothic in her novel Northanger Abbey.    And I promise to finally release Ep 6 of our P&P commentary very soon! I know I said it was coming next! But I lied! -K

Gentle listeners, Maggie and I recently found ourselves ready to chat, but completely unprepared to discuss any Austen-related topic! We instead had a delightful cozy catch up about Halloween fun, horror movies and their cultural relevance, workplace oopsies, and our favorite toxic trait. (I promised Maggie I would intro this with Toto, but I overruled her post-podcast and added the Monster Mash instead, because it just seemed appropriate.) If you want to catch up with us, enjoy - if not, our next episode, Pride and Prejudice Movie Commentary Part 6, is coming out soon! -K

Gentle listeners, join us as we review the storm-tossed 2022 Netflix adaptation of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson and Cosmo Jarvis and directed by Carrie Cracknell. Described as "Bridget Jones meets Bridgerton," this unconventional take on Austen's contemplative, autumnal source material certainly made some waves in the Austenverse. But if you can manage to forget about the source material for a few hours, this is a beautiful and highly entertaining movie to enjoy with a glass of wine or four. Join us as we process both our agony and our hope: despite some reservations, we genuinely enjoyed this movie (but I wish they hadn't messed with the letter-K). 

Join us to learn more about the web series Rational Creatures to prepare for the release of Season 2! Rational Creatures is a modern interpretation of Persuasion, available in a web series format on YouTube. The show follows Ana Elías as she unexpectedly ends up living in the same apartment building as her ex (and perhaps one true love) Fred Wentworth. This modern remix of the classic features a bi Latina lead with a cast of queer characters, bringing Jane Austen into the 21st century.  Series co-creator Ayelen Barrios Ruiz Pagano and actor Peter Giessl (who plays Fred Wentworth) join us to chat about the series, "the letter," and why we think Persuasion is having a moment! You can view the first season of Rational Creatures now on YouTube!

Alert! There is an excellent virtual conference on Persuasion happening August 13th-14th 2022 (this coming weekend!) Our guest Sarah Rose Kearns joins us to tell us about the event's fantastic programme, and we briefly discuss our thoughts on the new Netflix Persuasion movie as well. Join us to hear more, and to catch up with Rose! For more about the conference, see https://theholytheatre.betterworld.org/donate where you can make a donation in any amount you wish in order to register for the conference! This event is a benefit for The Holy Theatre and features special guests Lakshmi Gandhi, David Fernandez, Jocelyn Harris, Tabrizia Jones, Wendy Jones, Sarah Rose Kearns, Noreen Mughees, Janet Saidi, Damianne Scott, David Shapard, and Lena Yasutake. The event program, with speaker bios, can be accessed here — https://bit.ly/3SukIrk You can also find Rose on Twitter at @Persuasion_JA

[New file because Podbean sucks!] We're thrilled to welcome our friend and Bridgerton expert Priya back to the podcast to discuss season 2 of this smash Netflix show. Join us as we swoon over Kate and Anthony, grouse about Benedict and Eloise, and talk about the show in both its current cultural and historical context. Grab your Pall Mall mallet, make some disgustingly weak tea, and settle in for our convo!

We're thrilled to welcome our friend and Bridgerton expert Priya back to the podcast to discuss season 2 of this smash Netflix show. Join us as we swoon over Kate and Anthony, grouse about Benedict and Eloise, and talk about the show in both its current cultural and historical context. Grab your Pall Mall mallet, make some disgustingly weak tea, and settle in for our convo!

Check out our review of Being Mr. Wickham, a one man show written by Adrian Lukis for the Original Theater company. It's available to stream online through April 30th, so don't miss out! We loved this charming show and the way it brought the Pride and Prejudice characters' future to life with hilarious anecdotes and historical details. You'll especially love the future of Mr. Bennet. You can stream Being Mr. Wickham online through April 30th, 2022 at https://originaltheatreonline.com/productions/28/being-mr-wickham

This time we welcome our friend and special guest Adrienne, known as @barelytolerabIe on Twitter and ElizaG1 on AO3, to talk about eternal period drama fan favorite North and South! We discuss the book by Elizabeth Gaskell, as well as the miniseries of the same name starring Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. Words like "brooding" and "smoldering" abound as we discuss the incredible chemistry between John and Margaret (and Nicholas Higgins), and delve into the social commentary element of the story. Please join us as we rave about how much we love this "Pride and Prejudice for socialists." And in honor of this episode's release date, be sure to check out Adrienne's North and South fanfic story Together at Christmas!

THREE AND A HALF YEARS AFTER PART 4, we present installment 5 of our commentary on the Pride and Prejudice 1995 miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. You don't have to watch the movie along with us as we riff on what's happening - in fact, due to some buffering errors, that might be hard. But lots of listeners find these fun to listen to as standalone episodes! For our first commentary track, go back in our episode list to 2018.  Yes, we never finished this series. We're a mess. 

[Episode recorded July 2021]. In this episode, we welcome our friend and special guest Priya (who you may recognize as Constantia from our Regency Daze series!) to discuss the Netflix TV sensation Bridgerton, adapted from the novels by Julia Quinn. We discuss how the show handles race, class, and sex in a fantasy Regency setting. As you probably already suspect, this episode is NOT suitable for little ears! This episode's intro music is "Bad Guy" by Bilie Eilish, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet for the Bridgerton soundtrack.

We're delighted to welcome our guests Maya and Christian of Manners and Madness, a Jane Austen and David Lynch podcast, to join us for this movie review episode! This time we're tackling the recently released movie Modern Persuasion, starring Alicia Witt and Shane McRae as our stand-ins for Anne and Wentworth. Despite some hiccups with the pacing and chemistry, overall we enjoyed this adaptation as some fluffy summer fun. Check out our thoughts, and be sure to give Manners and Madness some love by checking out their Persuasion episodes! You can also find Christian and Maya at @MannersandMadnesspod on Instagram and @MannersMadness on Twitter!

[Episode recorded 5/15/21] Welcome, gentle listeners, to our review of the 2008 miniseries Sense & Sensibility, written by Andrew Davies and starring Hattie Moran as Elinor and Charity Wakefield as Marianne. While it's not easy to make a new version of S&S with the specter of the 1996 Ang Lee movie in the background, this game adaptation has some enjoyable points, especially with regard to the Willoughby/Marianne pairing. And Maggie is back to share her witty repartee and sing us a song! Note, as usual, this episode has some commentary that is not suitable for little ears.  Movie IMDB Link here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847150/ The intro includes a clip of Peggy Lee's performance of Why Don't You Do Right? From this YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uTcw_A80Bo

In this episode we welcome special guest Bianca Hernandez to talk about current affairs in the Jane Austen fandom, including the push that dedicated Janeites are making to foster inclusion in our online community. Join us to hear about the barriers that BIPOC and other marginalized Janeites continue to encounter in Austen fan spaces, and why representation in Austen adapations is so important to growing a diverse Janeite community. Finally, learn about her upcoming Virtual Jane Con event on May 1-2, 2021!   You can find Bianca online at Bookhoarding on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and check out her new patreon!

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome special guest Sarah Rose Kearns, actor, playwright, and consummate Janeite! We chat with Sarah Rose about her new adaptation of Persuasion, which will be staged (hopefully) in New York this fall. We also discuss her one-act play Manydown, which will be included as part of UNC Chapel Hill's Jane Austen Summer Program. Join us to learn how Sarah Rose interprets key aspects of Persuasion, and discover the fascinating challenges of making Austen come alive onstage. [Note: since recording this podcast, JASNA announced that their 2021 Annual General Meeting will indeed be held in person!]

In this episode we're thrilled to have guests Lauren and Emily of the Reclaiming Jane podcast! Reclaiming Jane was started as a podcast for fans on the margins, and creates a welcoming space for those whose identities are not reflected in Austen's original text, and may not be well represented in the current world of Austen fandom. Join us to learn what it means to read Austen through a modern lens, and how breaking down Austen's works and examining them thoroughly can help reclaim Austen for the readers on the margins. [Episode recorded 2/13/21]

Gentle listeners, we present a review of Austenland (2013), a movie that skewers Austen-addict Jane (Keri Russell) as she goes on a Regency roleplaying retreat and meets a real life Mr. Darcy (JJ Feild). Directed by Jerusha Hess, this movie might be considered the "Napoleon Dynamite" of Austen-related media, winning you over with its broad yet quirky humor. It's getting hot in here... let's take off all our clothes and hope Brett Mckenzie doesn't have to deliver a newborn foal at an inopportune moment. [Episode recorded 1/2/21 so there is no discussion of recent US current events]   Full credits for the movie can be found at its IMDB entry.

Time for the perfect Christmas movie review! We're taking on the beloved classic Bridget Jones's Diary, one of Kristin's favorite movies of all time. This "lean" adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with a very sexy Wickham, a very perfect Darcy, and a man we all call Mr... Mister...MISTER... FITZHERBERT! Because that is his name. Songs featured in the podcast include Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman  and Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross's duet Stop Look Listen (To Your Heart). At one point in the podcast Kristin misidentifies Marvin Gaye as Al Green - we apologize for the mix-up.

(Note: This episode was recorded on November 1st 2020, so there is no discussion of the US presidential election or its outcome.) Join us, gentle listeners, for our movie review of the effervescent Bollywood P&P adaptation Bride and Prejudice, directed by Gurinder Chadha. This movie ports Austen's classic tale to modern-day India for an east-meets-west story of cultural misunderstandings, sharp social commentary, and ultimately, true love. Fantastic performances and Bollywood musical numbers make this movie a real treat, and Austen's story becomes a clever template to tease out issues of pride and prejudice among Indians, Americans, Brits, and expats.

IT'S HERE. Thanks to all our amazing listeners who contributed to our fundraiser! We hit our goal, and as promised, we're bringing you a review of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the 1992 movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (note, we tried to get those two dots over the "e" in Bronte, then decided we have our lives to live). Join us as we give this difficult text a second look, reframe our understanding of the story, and try to find a rainbow out on those stormy moors. And stay tuned after the Wheatsheaf mailbag portion of the show for some vanity bonus content!

Another movie review! Maggie and Kristin tackle the delightful 1940 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier. We adored this absolute gem of a movie for its light tone, its fantastic performances, and its imaginative departures from the original story. We also reference information from a book we previously reviewed, The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser, which contains a ton of valuable background information and insight into how this movie was made. For more information on this book, check out episode 35 of our podcast!

Please join us for an interview with debut author Natalie Jenner, whose delightful book THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was released in May 2020 from St. Martin's Press (NA) and Orion (UK). The book follows a group of unlikely Janeites in postwar England who come together to save Chawton cottage, and wind up saving themselves instead (through reading Jane, of course!). We discuss Natalie's personal relationship with Austen, her connection to Chawton, and what inspired her to create her story and characters. We also delve into some fascinating insights about Austen's work that are woven into the book. As a meditation on what Austen can mean to us through difficult times, The Jane Austen Society is the perfect book for First Impressions listeners, especially those ready to experiment with reading Austen-related fiction. SPOILER NOTE: Although we attempt to avoid major spoilers in this podcast, we do discuss the book's characters and relationships in depth. If you like to be completely unaware of these details when you begin a new book, we recommend only listening to the first 15 minutes or so of this podcast!

And now for something completely different! Once again we have another just *slightly* off-topic minipod for a little extra fun in these crazy days. In this episode, Maggie, Kristin, and Special Guest (TM) Kevin take on hit Star Wars universe series The Mandalorian. Plus, you get bonus Bay content, as he keeps us on track when our Star Wars knowledge fails us. SPOILER ALERT: This episode includes details about Season 1 of The Mandalorian. But don't you deserve to be spoiled? After all, you work hard.

Maggie and Kristin welcome Sarah Pesce of Lopt & Cropt to continue our exploration of the wonderful world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction, this time from an editor's perspective! In our lively discussion, Sarah explains how reading JAFF can provide new insight into Austen's original works. She gives us a tour of the JAFF universe with an overview of online archives, an explanation of common tropes used in the romance world, and a fantastic list of recommendations that will keep us busy for quite some time! Have you ever wondered what Jane Austen's works have in common with science fiction or fantasy? Join us to find out! And for more on JAFF or to get an author's perspective, check out episode 36: Writing Jane Austen Fan Fiction with Lona Manning!

Big news! Maggie and Kristin are back to review the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen and directed by Joe Wright. Knowing that this adaptation has generated some controversy in the Austen community, the girls attempt to tread lightly over difficult ground, acknowledging where this movie shines while also attempting some thoughtful critique. While we'll never be able to love this version wholeheartedly, we fully support and respect our fans that do! We hope you enjoy our thoughts on the movie, the direction, the performances, and the "Brontefication" of Jane Austen. For purists, please note that Kristin says something historically inaccurate in this podcast: by 1797 there was a trend toward natural hair color because of the 1795 hair powder tax. So please disregard her assertion that all the men would have had powdered hair!

Hi y'all! We're back with another fluffy minipod for those of you who need extra podcasty-goodness during this time while we're all staying home. In this mini-episode, Kristin and Maggie talk about something ENTIRELY unrelated to Jane Austen - the recent theatrical release of Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Despite not having even a whiff of Jane Austen about it, Maggie and Kristin greatly enjoyed this darkly funny superhero movie from the DC-comic universe, and highly recommend it.

Okay, we know, it's been out for months. But we asked ourselves, did we REALLY understand the new Emma movie on our 3rd, 5th, or even 8th viewing? Of course not! It darted through us with the speed of an arrow that we had to do a second EMMA podcast! Here are all the things we SHOULD have said, all the things we FORGOT to say, and all the things that were too brilliant to burst upon us until our brains had marinated in this movie for weeks. Join us for our laughing, crying, singing, essential second podcast on the movie EMMA.

Maggie and Kristin bespeak your indulgence as young performers, because they've decided to amuse themselves with a mini-podcast format during this time of social distance! Today, they're tackling a duologue from Rosina Fillipi's collection, first published in 1895. For the history of these duologues, check out the book The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser, which explains the cultural significance of this collection, which was intended for drawing room performances. In honor of our current obsession of the moment, we've chosen a selection from Emma!

The wait is over! At long last, we're back to talk about the new movie EMMA. directed by Autumn de Wilde, screenplay by Eleanor Catton, and starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn. This totally bonkers adaptation subverted our expectations at every turn, yet still managed to be wonderfully faithful to the source material. The movie's score is inspired, the sets and costumes are divine, and every cast member is downright fantastic! We loved the deft insertion of slapstick comedy, the honest exploration of Emma's relationship with Harriet Smith, and also the butts. If you want to listen to two dorks rave about something for an hour, this is the podcast episode for you.

First Impressions fans, we're back with a discussion of Jane Austen's Sanditon, the unfinished novel fragment, now a major motion picture! (Uh, make that a BBC miniseries written by Andrew Davies). In this podcast, we examine Jane Austen's opinions on medical science, her feelings about her own illness, and the question of whether the Sanditon enterprise was ultimately destined to succeed or fail. We also include a discussion of the first three episodes of the miniseries that have so-far aired in the US. Jane Austen may have died before she could render her verdict on capitalism, but we like to think she would appreciate our... speculation.

We're ringing in a new decade with a very special movie review episode! Hardcore Austen fans out there may be aware of the delightfully weird 1987 BBC adaptation of Northanger Abbey, starring Peter Firth and Katharine Schlesinger. Despite "missing the joke," this bizarre adaptation throws the viewer many delightful curveballs, including the surprise new French characters, the steamy Roman baths, and the unexpected saxophone solo! We review the movie, discuss our thoughts, and take a look at the year ahead. (Sadly, since finishing this episode, the white rosebush has died of grief.)

Gentle listeners, after having been schooled at this year's JASNA conference, we're re-reading Austen's fantastic first novel with new appreciation for its extreme genius. Join us as we revisit everything Northanger has to offer, from its always-hilarious narrative voice, to its lovable and intuitive heroine, to its unique and inimitable way of elevating gothic storylines so that they become "real." Austen's genius shines through every aspect of this sublime work of comedy, and we hope you enjoy our enthusiastic discussion of it.

If you hadn't heard, Maggie and Kristin recently attended the Jane Austen Society of North America's Annual Meeting! Are you ready to hear about all the fun we had at JASNA 2019 in Williamsburg? Wondering what new insights we have into the conference's theme, Northanger Abbey? Or just wondering if Kristin and Maggie managed not to embarrass themselves? Check out this JASNA recap episode where we share funny stories, fascinating details, and all our favorite moments from the conference.

Hello dear First Impressions fans! We're back with the second part of our discussion of Among the Janeites by Deborah Yaffe. This time, our discussion focuses on the founders of JASNA and the fascinating history of the organization. After wrapping up our remarks on the book, Maggie and Kristin share their views and expectations about their upcoming trip to Williamsburg - because if adventures will not befall these 30-something women in their own villages, they must seek them abroad!

Join us, listeners, for part one of our discussion of Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom, authored by journalist Deborah Yaffe. As a "a warm and witty look at the passionate, thriving world of Austen fandom," this book satisfied our curiosity about famous Janeites, centered our understanding of our fabulous fandom, and gave us plenty of context for our own Austen-love. The book contains stories from fans whose lives were touched and irreparably changed by their relationship with Austen, and your First Impressions podcasters can certainly relate. [Content warning: Mental illness] Options for purchasing the book can be found on the author's website: http://www.deborahyaffe.com/buy-share-the-book/4572595698

Gentle listeners, we present the third and final installment of our Regency Daze roleplay game! Join us as Kristin, Maggie, and Priya bring our characters' stories to an end with the help of game-master Selvi. As always, intrigue, romance and silliness abound.

Gentle listeners, we bring you yet another review of an Emma movie adaptation! This one was released in 1996, and stars Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong, with a screenplay by the ever-productive Andrew Davies, right off his 1995 success with Pride and Prejudice. From surprising plot omissions to unusual acting choices, this socially-conscious adaptation provides a lot to ponder, especially with regards to the Frank Churchill/Jane Fairfax pairing. Check out our thoughts, and we hope you will not find this podcast... BADLY DONE.

Gentle listeners, we're back! Kristin and Maggie welcome guests Priya and Selvi for the second installment of our Regency Daze game. In this ongoing series, our game master Selvi has crafted a Regency-themed role-playing game (RPG) where our three heroines must plan a neighborhood ball, all while preserving their families' good names, learning the truth of one young lady's parentage, and perhaps, finding love. Join us for more intrigue, flirting, love triangles, party-planning disasters and other historically inaccurate fun!   An RPG is a game in which players take on the roles of imaginary characters who engage in adventures, typically in an environment with a particular theme. Using the RPG system, "School Daze" as a model, game master Selvi created a huge Regency-style playground for Maggie, Kristin, and Priya. All four ladies work together to tell a story for you, our gentle listeners. Enjoy!

Gentle listeners, at long last we bring you a review of the 2009 adaptation of the novel Emma, starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller! In this episode, Maggie and Kristin talk about how they developed a new appreciation for this excellent adaptation, as the characters are given an emotional depth that some other adaptations lack. The girls also analyze how this version falls short of the mark, especially with regard to under-using some of the more comedic characters in the book. Overall, the girls deem this one totally worthy of a re-watch! For details on the movie, see the IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1366312/

Gentle listeners, we are thrilled to bring you a very special podcast event! In this episode, your faithful First Impressions podcasters, joined by some good friends, are players in a Regency Era tabletop Role-Playing Game (RPG). Join Maggie, Kristin, and their friends Selvi and Priya, as together they uncover a world of secrets, love, and party planning in "Regency Daze." Game Master Selvi has crafted a Regency-themed RPG where our three heroines must plan a neighborhood ball, all while preserving their families' good names, learning the truth of one young lady's parentage, and perhaps, finding love.    An RPG is a game in which players take on the roles of imaginary characters who engage in adventures, typically in an environment with a particular theme. Using the RPG system, "School Daze" as a model, Game Master Selvi created a huge Regency-style playground for Maggie, Kristin, and Priya. All four ladies work together to tell a story for you, our gentle listeners. Enjoy!

Dear First Impressioners, have you ever been curious about the wide world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction (JAFF), and the writers that publish it? In this special episode, our friend Lona Manning joins us to discuss her experience writing and publishing her JAFF novels and stories! Be ready for some intriguing insights, from how historical fiction authors research details about Regency life, to tips for mastering Austenesque language and grammar. Kristin and Lona also discuss what to expect from the writing life, and why everyone should give writing fiction a try! See Lona's tips for researching and Austen's language in this Google Doc!

Hello First Impressions fans! We're excited to present our book review of The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser! In her highly entertaining, amazingly informative and exhaustively researched work, Dr. Looser discusses how our view of Austen has evolved over two centuries, from kindly "Aunt Jane," to conservative darling, to feisty suffragette. Told through cultural artifacts such as books, plays, movies, banners, letters, and even the odd séance or two, Looser's work is an entertaining dive into the rich world of Austen reception studies. You'll be amazed at how many afterlives our beloved Jane has lived.