Podcasts about branwell

19-year-old director Lily Ward, joins Kaz and Tubes to preview Exit Left's upcoming play, Branwell & the other Brontës, featuring a cast of young Tassie performers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although their lives were filled with darkness and death, their love for stories and ideas led them into the bright realms of creative genius. They were the Brontes - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - who lived with their brother Branwell in an unassuming 19th-century Yorkshire town called Haworth. Their house, a parsonage, sat on a hill, with the enticing but sometimes dangerous moors above and a cemetery, their father's church, and the industrializing town below. It was a dark little home, with little more than a roof to keep out the rain, a fire to keep things warm at night, and books and periodicals arriving from Edinburgh and London to excite their imagination. And from this humble little town, these three sisters and their active, searching minds exerted an influence on English literature that can still be felt nearly two hundred years later. [This is an ENCORE presentation of an episode from our archives. The episode originally ran on September 9, 2019.] Additional listening: The Brontes' Secret Scandal (with Finola Austin) 508 Byron (with David Ellis) 78 Jane Eyre and Other Favorites (with Margot Livesey) Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Music Credits: “Ashton Manor" and "Piano Between" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Tom & Jon on another rambly exploration. This time we're off back to the 1840s to take a good, hard look at the Brontë sisters. Who were Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë? What were they like? How is it possible that three sisters all wrote so brilliantly? Why are they still so revered by readers across the world? and what was the deal with Branwell? Pack a rain coat, a poetry book and a flask of tea and come with us o'er the moors, as we chat to experts: biographer - Lucasta Miller, English Lit Professor - Gregory Dart, and the lovely folk at the Brontë Museum in Haworth, to learn more about these fascinating and extraordinary writers. Lucasta's Website: https://www.lucastamiller.com/theauthor Buy The Brontë Myth: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/355538/the-bronte-myth-by-lucasta-miller/9780099287148 Visit The Brontë Parsonage Museum: https://www.bronte.org.uk And thank you to Professor Gregory Dart - a total legend. See him give Philomena Cunk a run for her money here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beP0rZIITmI

Where were the Brontë sisters actually born? If this was a quiz question, most people would give the wrong answer. Even standard books on the Brontë family often gloss over the fact that Charlotte, Emily and Anne – along with their wayward brother Branwell – were all born between 1815 and 1820 in Thornton, a village on the edge of Bradford, and not at the famous Brontë Parsonage in nearby Haworth. The original hearth in front of which they were born – and the modest terraced property in Market Street, Thornton still housing that historic fireplace – is surprisingly little-known even among Bronte enthusiasts. All that is about to change. A group of dedicated volunteers, backed by a couple of grants and a lot of crowdfunding, has just bought the long-neglected house and will soon embark on transforming it into an arts and education project with a difference. Under the banner ‘Be More Brontë', local youngsters will be introduced to the Bronte sisters, hear about wonderful books such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and be encouraged to explore their imaginations and their own future dreams. By 2025, the Brontë Birthplace will be open to the public, featuring a café, a lively programme of educational, community and creative events, and even three guest rooms (named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne respectively) where visitors can stay the night. In this podcast, Duncan McCargo talks to two Brontë Birthplace committee members about the project, and about what the Brontes mean to them. Christa Ackroyd is a former regional television news presenter, while Steve Stanworth is a local historian responsible for the restoration of the nearby Brontë Bell Chapel site. Your support is still needed: please visit brontebirthplace.com to offer financial assistance, or to find out how you can get involved. Duncan McCargo is a professor of global affairs at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and a host on the NBN Literature Channel. Full disclosure: he is also a patron of the Brontë Birthplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Where were the Brontë sisters actually born? If this was a quiz question, most people would give the wrong answer. Even standard books on the Brontë family often gloss over the fact that Charlotte, Emily and Anne – along with their wayward brother Branwell – were all born between 1815 and 1820 in Thornton, a village on the edge of Bradford, and not at the famous Brontë Parsonage in nearby Haworth. The original hearth in front of which they were born – and the modest terraced property in Market Street, Thornton still housing that historic fireplace – is surprisingly little-known even among Bronte enthusiasts. All that is about to change. A group of dedicated volunteers, backed by a couple of grants and a lot of crowdfunding, has just bought the long-neglected house and will soon embark on transforming it into an arts and education project with a difference. Under the banner ‘Be More Brontë', local youngsters will be introduced to the Bronte sisters, hear about wonderful books such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and be encouraged to explore their imaginations and their own future dreams. By 2025, the Brontë Birthplace will be open to the public, featuring a café, a lively programme of educational, community and creative events, and even three guest rooms (named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne respectively) where visitors can stay the night. In this podcast, Duncan McCargo talks to two Brontë Birthplace committee members about the project, and about what the Brontes mean to them. Christa Ackroyd is a former regional television news presenter, while Steve Stanworth is a local historian responsible for the restoration of the nearby Brontë Bell Chapel site. Your support is still needed: please visit brontebirthplace.com to offer financial assistance, or to find out how you can get involved. Duncan McCargo is a professor of global affairs at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and a host on the NBN Literature Channel. Full disclosure: he is also a patron of the Brontë Birthplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Where were the Brontë sisters actually born? If this was a quiz question, most people would give the wrong answer. Even standard books on the Brontë family often gloss over the fact that Charlotte, Emily and Anne – along with their wayward brother Branwell – were all born between 1815 and 1820 in Thornton, a village on the edge of Bradford, and not at the famous Brontë Parsonage in nearby Haworth. The original hearth in front of which they were born – and the modest terraced property in Market Street, Thornton still housing that historic fireplace – is surprisingly little-known even among Bronte enthusiasts. All that is about to change. A group of dedicated volunteers, backed by a couple of grants and a lot of crowdfunding, has just bought the long-neglected house and will soon embark on transforming it into an arts and education project with a difference. Under the banner ‘Be More Brontë', local youngsters will be introduced to the Bronte sisters, hear about wonderful books such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and be encouraged to explore their imaginations and their own future dreams. By 2025, the Brontë Birthplace will be open to the public, featuring a café, a lively programme of educational, community and creative events, and even three guest rooms (named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne respectively) where visitors can stay the night. In this podcast, Duncan McCargo talks to two Brontë Birthplace committee members about the project, and about what the Brontes mean to them. Christa Ackroyd is a former regional television news presenter, while Steve Stanworth is a local historian responsible for the restoration of the nearby Brontë Bell Chapel site. Your support is still needed: please visit brontebirthplace.com to offer financial assistance, or to find out how you can get involved. Duncan McCargo is a professor of global affairs at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and a host on the NBN Literature Channel. Full disclosure: he is also a patron of the Brontë Birthplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Is it a mop? Is it a broom? No, it's Weightman in the corner of your room. This week Kim and Alice are continuing to share their love of all things Bronte with the historical fan service movie, Emily. Stop giving letters to your drunk brother and join us as we talk about historical maladies, the truly remarkable Bronte family and basic Branwell tattoos.Sound Engineer: Keith NagleEditor: Keith Nagle / Helen HamiltonProducer: Helen Hamilton

Episode two hundred fifty four - part one Jessikah, Stacey, Jenn, and Kaye, got serious about Fan Fiction with Claudia Rebaza, of Archive of our Own and OTW! Ao3 is one of the best known collections of fan fiction on the internet. Listen in and learn more about the Archive and what they do… and learn a little bit more about how fan works transform lives. The Brontës at war: how Charlotte and Branwell brought Waterloo into their drawing room Filing Off The Serial Numbers - Fanlore Fans Are Better Than Tech at Organizing Information Online Wrangling Guidelines | Archive of Our Own And here's some more information from some of our projects: The newest initiative from our Open Doors project: Open Doors Announces New Partnerships and Digitization Initiative Our Legal Advocacy's discussion of copyright and fanworks: Fanworks, Fair Use, and Fair Dealing

With the dawn of the RTD2 era now in sight, we bid our final farewells to Chris Chibnall's tenure on the show. Ciarán gets worked up about Sea Devils, Branwell just can't wait for the Slithenaissance, and Jacob is lost for words more than once. We share our top 3 and bottom 3 episodes of the era, and discuss what the legacy of this era is likely to be. Our Top 3: 0:55 Our Bottom 3: 29:22 Legacy: 59:00 Twitter: @LotsPlanetsPod Email: lotsofplanets@gmail.com Theme Music: "Special Spotlight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Miranda loves the Brontë sisters, so she unsurprisingly has feels about them and their works.  Learn about the Brontë family and how their lives influenced their works. The Bookmark is your place to find your next great book. Each week, join regular readers Miranda Ericsson, Chris Blocker and Autumn Friedli along with other librarians as they discuss all the books you'll want to add to your reading list.

It's a rainy Thursday and your lit teacher is out sick, so the substitute wheels in a TV on a library cart and pops in a VHS tape. What are you watching? Why, it's a documentary about the Bronte Sisters, of course! Someone get the lights. And no talking during the movie! There will be a quiz at the end of class.

Forty-five episodes into the podcast, the focus finally turns to Jo's specialist trivia subject: the life, work and legend of the Brontë sisters. Best known for their novels, poetry, their tragic and untimely deaths and for inspiring a song by Kate Bush, Jo reveals that the Brontës also have a fascinating (and entertaining!) relationship with satire. Charlotte, for instance, bitingly satirised her brother Branwell in her infamous juvenilia. The sisters and the biographical myths they inspired also been the targets, some of which are surveyed here. Adam and Jo also discuss the recent film Emily (not actually a satire, though you'd be forgiven for thinking it might) and Jo shares her vision for a new instalment in the Real Housewives franchise.

Emily is a new film starring Emma Mackey (of Sex Education fame) as the author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë. Emily is as wild as the windswept moorland she lives in; her relationships with her sisters, Anne and Charlotte, her dissolute brother, Branwell, and her lover, the curate Weightman, are as raw as the relentless rain, and as tender as the flashes of sunshine. But writer and Director Frances O'Connor's debut film is very much an imagined life. So, what will reviewers Samantha Ellis, author of a biography of Emily's sister, Anne, and the archaeologist Mike Pitts make of it? Samantha and Mike will also review Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt. The new exhibition at the British Museum brings together more than 240 objects, some shown for the first time, and some very famous -the Rosetta Stone, Queen Nedjmet's Book of the Dead - to tell the story of the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Exhibitions about ancient Egypt tend to focus on the dead – mummies, Tutankhamun – this one is about how the Egyptians lived, wrote, and spoke. Lord Vaizey, former Conservative Culture Minister from 2010- 2016 has been appointed Chair of the Parthenon Project advisory panel. He joins Front Row to discuss the campaign to return the “Elgin Marbles” to Greece. Concluding Front Row's interviews with all of this year's Booker Prize shortlisted novelists is Shehan Karunatilaka. He discusses his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia, a dark satire set against the backdrop of a civil war-ravaged Sri Lanka. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Kirsty McQuire Main Image: Temple lintel of King Amenenhat III, Hawara, Egypt, 12th Dynasty, 1855 - 08 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Playwright Stephen Kaplan stops by in person in the episode of Playwright's Spotlight. This discussion is about as well-rounded as it gets, touching on a plethora of aspects go playwriting, including - avoiding directing on the page and the minimal use of stage directions and action, common habits and the pitfalls of a beginning playwright as well as the playwright's toolbox, teaching subtext, and the structure of playwriting vs screenwriting. We also go into detail about Aristotle's Poetics, Deus ex Machina in theatre, rules in playwriting, editing as you write, and standing up for yourself in production. This is only a small amount of topics we discuss in this episode. It's definitely worth listening to the end. We hope you enjoy it.Stephen Kaplan is an award-winning playwright with productions off-broadway and in regional theaters nationally. His productions include the world premieres of Tracy Jones at Williamston Theatre, Michigan and CenterStage, Rochester, and the world premiere of Branwell (and other Brontës): An Autobiography Edited by Charlotte Brontë at Loft Ensemble, Los Angeles. His play Tracy Jones is currently a finalist for B Street Theater's New Comedies Festival in Sacramento, CA, and was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest and the Trustus Playwrights Festival. He is a 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship winner in playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He earned his BFA from NYU – Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and his MFA from Point Park University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and serves as Northeastern Regional Representative on the DG National Council.To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below -https://youtu.be/L6q3otHLbEMLinks to site and resources mentioned in this episode - Loft Ensemble -https://www.loftensemble.orgScreenCraft -https://screencraft.org/NYU - Playwrights Horizon -https://tisch.nyu.edu/drama/about/studios/playwrights-horizons-theater-schoolThe Blank Theatre -https://www.theblank.com/livingroomseries/Website and contact information for Stephen Kaplan -Stephen Kaplan -www.bystephenkaplan.comThe New Play Exchange -https://newplayexchange.org/users/255/stephen-kaplanWebsites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's SpotlightPunk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

Emily Jane Brontë (/ˈbrɒnti/, commonly /-teɪ/;[2] 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848)[3] was an English novelist and poet who is best known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. She also published a book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte and Annetitled Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell with her own poems finding regard as poetic genius. Emily was the second-youngest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother Branwell. She published under the pen name Ellis Bell.Bio via Wikipedia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Laura Ramos es desde hace muchos años una de las grandes periodistas argentinas. Con sus columnas de los años 80 y 90 “Buenos Aires me mata” y “Ciudad Paraíso” modernizó el acercamiento del mundo del rock y la cultura a las grandes audiencias en los medios masivos y se convirtió en inspiradora de generaciones de periodistas que vieron en la frescura y originalidad de su prosa un estímulo clave para la experimentación con la propia escritura. A partir de su espectacular trabajo como biógrafa de los hermanos Branwell, Charlotte, Emily y Anne Brontë, en su celebrado libro “Infernales”, que le llevó ocho años de investigación y trabajo, Laura Ramos inició una nueva etapa de su carrera que ahora se consolida con la aparición de “Las señoritas”, un libro en el que reconstruye la vida de 20 de las 61 maestras norteamericanas que llegaron a la Argentina entre 1869 y 1898, a partir del plan educativo de Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. La presencia de esas mujeres, todas ellas provenientes de familias ilustradas, en su mayoría venidas a menos, y con gran vocación pedagógica sembró la semilla de la educación en el país, aunque no solo de la educación pública, que era la idea original, sino también de gran parte de la educación privada, ya que algunas de ellas finalmente aplicaron sus conocimientos en esa esfera. Uno de los temas clave de esta presencia pionera fue lo que Sarmiento no previó como obstáculo: la religión. En un país católico como la Argentina, la llegada de maestras protestantes fue vista por la Iglesia en varias provincias como una provocación, una imposición a vencer en nombre de la fe. Una vez más, Laura Ramos conduce a los lectores a través de una narración apasionante, trabaja con documentos desconocidos con el rigor de una historiadora y consigue transmitir conocimiento, historias de vida de mujeres deslumbrantes y el espíritu de las ideas del siglo XIX con el talento de siempre. En la sección Libros que si Hinde recomendó “Las gratitudes” de Delphine de Vigan y en El Extranjero comentó “Rememberings”, de  Sinead O'Connor. En Mesita de luz, el periodista y escritor Martín Rodríguez nos contó que libros está leyendo y En voz alta el guionista, dramaturgo y director de teatro  Javier Daulte nos leyó el comienzo  de “Tu cruz en el cielo desierto” de Carolina Sanin.

Poèmes et proses de Gondal et d'Angria En librairie le 26 mai et sur https://www.lesbelleslettres.com/livre/4483-le-monde-du-dessous. À travers poèmes et proses inédits, ce recueil reconstruit le cheminement imaginaire – « le monde du dessous », écrivait Charlotte – au cœur de la création romanesque des Brontë et lui donne tout son sens.

Today we celebrate a beloved English novelist and poet. We'll also learn about an intrepid plant explorer remembered most for the little yellow fruit he brought back from China. However, his most significant impact is likely in the soybean specimens that became a valuable economic crop for America. We hear a fun excerpt about a pressed flower book - you’re really going to enjoy it. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about Plants that Kill - and there are more deadly plants in the garden and your home than people realize. And then we’ll wrap things up with a bit of garden advice from a distinguished and excellent gardener and writer who wrote about using silver foliage in the garden on this day back in 1967.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated News 20 Best Perennials That Bloom Year After Year |Family Handyman | Susan Martin   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events May 28, 1849  Today is the anniversary of the death of English novelist and poet Anne Brontë. Today we remember the Brontë sisters for their writing, but their lives were one of hardship. Their mother, Maria, died a year and a half after giving birth to Anne - the youngest Brontë children. By then, the family had already lost two older siblings - girls named Maria and Elizabeth. When Anne was older, she wrote a little verse on the subject of losing a loved one, saying, Farewell to thee! but not farewell  To all my fondest thoughts of thee: Within my heart, they still shall dwell;  And they shall cheer and comfort me. The result of these early losses in the family was a tight-knit connection between the four surviving Brontë children: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell. Growing up, Anne and her older sister Emily were very close. They two peas in a pod. In Anne’s poem about the Bluebell, she writes about her moments of childhood happiness - at finding pretty wildflowers and enjoying a carefree existence. Of the bluebell, Anne wrote, O, that lone flower recalled to me My happy childhood’s hours When bluebells seemed like fairy gifts A prize among the flowers, Those sunny days of merriment When heart and soul were free, And when I dwelt with kindred hearts That loved and cared for me. The author Emma Emmerson wrote a piece called the Brontë Garden. In it, she revealed: “The Brontës were not ardent gardeners, although… Emily and Anne treasured their currant bushes as ‘their own bit of fruit garden.’" In her book The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne wrote about the resilience of the rose. “This rose is not so fragrant as a summer flower, but it has stood through hardships none of them could bear: the cold rain of winter has sufficed to nourish it, and its faint sun to warm it; the bleak winds have not blanched it, or broken its stem, and the keen frost has not blighted it... It is still fresh and blooming as a flower can be, with the cold snow even now on its petals.” The year 1848 proved to be a brutal year of tuberculosis for the Brontë children. Branwell died of tuberculosis at age 31 in September. Emily would also die from tuberculosis in December. She was 30 and had just released her book Wuthering Heights. Losing Emily was too much for Anne, and her grief negatively impacted her health. By the time Anne died from tuberculosis on this day at 29, her remaining older sister Charlotte had lost all of her siblings in just under ten months. Anne had wanted to go to Scarborough, thinking that the sea air would help her. Charlotte worried the trip would be too much for her. But when the family doctor agreed Anne could travel, Charlotte and her friend Ellen Nussey accompanied her. Along the way, Anne wanted to see York Minster. When the little trio reached Scarborough, Anne had two days left to live. Knowing the end was near, Anne asked to stay in Scarborough instead of heading back home. When the end came, Charlotte decided to bury Anne in Scarborough - instead of at their Hawthorne Parish alongside their mother and siblings. Charlotte wrote of her decision, saying she would "lay the flower where it had fallen.” And so that is how Anne came to be buried in Scarborough.   May 28, 1918 On this day, the intrepid Dutch-American botanist and USDA Plant Explorer, Frank Nicholas Meyer, boarded a steamer and sailed down the Yangtze River - starting his long return journey to America. Sadly, after Frank boarded that steamer ship on this day back in 1918, he died. His body was found days later floating in the Yangtze. To this day, his death remains a mystery. His final letters home expressed loneliness, sadness, and exhaustion. He wrote that his responsibilities seemed “heavier and heavier.” Early on in his career, Frank was known as a rambler and a bit of a loner. He was more enthusiastic about plants than humans - even going so far as to name and talk to them. Frank once confessed in an October 11, 1901 letter to a friend, "I am pessimistic by nature and have not found a road which leads to relaxation. I withdraw from humanity and try to find relaxation with plants."  Frank worked in several nurseries and took a few plant hunting assignments before connecting with the great David Fairchild, who saw in Frank tremendous potential. Frank was also David’s backfill. David had just gotten married and was ready to settle down. Once in China, Frank was overwhelmed by the vastness and rich plant life. A believer in reincarnation, Frank wrote to David Fairchild, in May 1907: “[One] short life will never be long enough to find out all about this mighty land. When I think about all these unexplored areas, I get fairly dazzled… I will have to roam around in my next life.” While the potential of China was dazzling, the risks and realities of exploration were hazardous. Edward B Clark spoke of Frank’s difficulties in his work as a plant explorer in Technical World in July 1911. He said, “Frank has frozen and melted alternately as the altitudes have changed. He has encountered wild beasts and men nearly as wild. He has scaled glaciers and crossed chasms of dizzying depths. He has been the subject of the always-alert suspicions of government officials and strange people's - jealous of intrusions into their land, but he has found what he was sent for.”  Frank improved the diversity and quality of American crops with his exceptional ability to source plants that would grow in the various growing regions of the United States. Frank was known for his incredible stamina. Unlike many of his peers carried in sedan chairs, Frank walked on his own accord for tens of miles every day. His ability to walk for long distances allowed him to access many of the most treacherous and inaccessible parts of interior Asia - including China, Korea, Manchuria, and Russia. In all, Frank sent over 2,000 seeds or cuttings of fruits, grains, plants, and trees to the United States - and many now grace our backyards and tables. For instance, Frank collected the beautiful Korean Lilac, soybeans, asparagus, Chinese horse chestnut, water chestnut, oats, wild pears, Ginkgo biloba, and persimmons, just to name a few. Today, Frank is most remembered for a bit of fruit he found near Peking in the doorway to a family home - the Meyer Lemon, which is suspected to be a hybrid of standard lemons and mandarin oranges.   Unearthed Words “Janie ran to my side, where she tugged at the book eagerly as though she'd seen it before. "Flower book," she said, pointing to the cover. "Where did you find Mummy's book?" Katherine asked, hovering near me. Cautiously, I revealed the book as I sat on the sofa. "Would you like to look at it with me?" I said, avoiding the question. Katherine nodded, and the boys gathered around as I cracked the spine and thumbed through page after page of beautiful camellias, pressed and glued onto each page, with handwritten notes next to each. On the page that featured the 'Camellia reticulata,' a large, salmon-colored flower, she had written: 'Edward had this one brought in from China. It's fragile. I've given it the garden's best shade.' On the next page, near the 'Camellia sasanqua,' she wrote: 'A Christmas gift from Edward and the children. This one will need extra love. It hardly survived the passage from Japan. I will spend the spring nursing it back to health.' On each page, there were meticulous notes about the care and feeding of the camellias - when she planted them, how often they were watered, fertilized, and pruned. In the right-hand corner of some pages, I noticed an unusual series of numbers. "What does that mean?" I asked the children. Nicholas shrugged. "This one was Mummy's favorite," he said, flipping to the last page in the book. I marveled at the pink-tipped white blossoms as my heart began to beat faster. The Middlebury Pink. ― Sarah Jio (“Gee-oh”), New York Times bestselling author, The Last Camellia   Grow That Garden Library Plants That Kill by Elizabeth Dauncey This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is A Natural History of the World's Most Poisonous Plants. In this gorgeously illustrated book, Elizabeth introduces us to the most poisonous plants on the planet - from hemlock to the deadly nightshades to poppy and tobacco. Elizabeth also helps us understand how many of these plants have been used medicinally and culturally across the globe. Toxicity has been used for good and evil, with some plant compounds used in murders and chemical warfare. In terms of evolution, some plants turned more toxic to deter getting eaten or harmed by wildlife. Concerning humans, plant toxins can profoundly affect parts of the body - from the heart and lungs to our biggest organ, the skin. This book is 224 pages of a fascinating and authoritative look at the natural history of highly toxic plants, including their evolution, survival strategies, physiology, and biochemistry. You can get a copy of Plants That Kill by Elizabeth Dauncey and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $15   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart May 28, 1967 On this day, The Observer published a garden column called Putting Your Garden On The Silver Standard by the distinguished gardener and writer Frances Perry. Frances fell in love with gardening as a young girl after her mother, Isabella, took a ten-year-old Francie to see the Chelsea flower show. She married a local nurseryman’s son named Amos Perry, Jr. In 1945, the Perry’s oldest son, Marcus Perry, was killed by a lorry when he was just 13. He’s remembered by the oriental poppy named the Marcus Perry. France’s father-in-law, Amos Perry Sr., bred the poppy. Regarding her column about plants with silver foliage from this day in 1967, Frances wrote, “A touch of silver (or gold) brings light to dark corners, highlights other plants, and makes a particularly delightful foil for anything with pink or blue flowers.  Many silver-leaved plants are of Mediterranean origin, and the majority are sun-lovers, accustomed to well-drained soils; they stand up well to extremes of weather provided they are not waterlogged… There are a number of silver-leaved plants suitable for small gardens.  Artemisias bring a whisper of the past into the gardens… several were well-loved plants in our great grandparents' time.  A. abrotanum is the Southernwood, sometimes quaintly named Old Man or Lad's Love... because the ashes were once used to encourage hair growth (on bald heads and young faces). It is pleasantly aromatic ... I like to dry the leaves for potpourri and herb pillows; they also ward off moths.  For a key position before dark foliage, grow Verbascum bombyciferum (Giant Silver Mullein)… a really stately plant. Reaching 4-5 ft tall from a flat, leafy rosette, its stout stem is entirely covered, as are the leaves, with cotton wool-like tufts of hair, through which the soft yellow flowers gleam like watery suns. Although biennial, the plant reproduces freely from seed; the seedlings can be transplanted when they are about the size of a penny.  The late Constance Spry used to under carpet crimson roses with Stachys byzantina (syn. S. lanata), the plush-leaved Lamb's Ear. [She complained] about the need to remove the flower heads because they spoilt the effect. She would have loved the new variety [of Lamb’s Ear known as] Silver Carpet, which is flowerless.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

I had a great time chatting to Yvonne Carmichael the Director of South Square Heritage Arts & Community Centre in Thornton Bradford."South Square Centre is a collection of 19th Century Grade II workers cottages.In 1979, following a period of dereliction, 30 unemployed people and graduates from Bradford College came together to transform the building and Thornton and Allerton Community Association Ltd was formed pioneering the building’s restoration in partnership with Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the Manpower Services Commission.The unique U-shaped building is one of the last surviving examples of this courtyard feature in the region.Renovated as a community arts and heritage centre in 1982, South Square Centre is now home to ten studio spaces for a variety of artists, an art gallery, community spaces, an Antiquarian Archive, fine art framers, a bar, and café. It is committed to providing a platform and opportunities for new artists and curators.Leeds-based Brooks Ecological worked alongside South Square to conserve The Bronte Bats.The Capital Works project is being carried out by Ilkley-based company Dobson Construction.Thornton is famous as the birthplace of literary family the Brontë’s and its impressive 20-arch viaduct – it also features on the famous Brontë Stone Walk.The Brontës birthplace is still standing and lived in - part of it is now a café called Emily’s.Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell were born in the house and would later move to nearby Haworth where the Brontë Parsonage Museum still celebrates their work.The capital project is also supported by Arts Council England, Garfield Weston Foundation and Bradford Council. "Yvonne chose to feature the track "Spiral Halt" by the excellent band Kuunatic.https://www.facebook.com/southsquarecentre/https://twitter.com/south_square?lang=enhttps://southsquarecentre.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/southsquarecentre/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kuunatichttps://www.instagram.com/kuunatic/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/kuunatichttps://kuunatic.bandcamp.com/album/kuurandia

Charlotte Brontë [ˈʃɑːlət ˈbɹɒnteɪ], née le 21 avril 1816 à Thornton (comté d'Adams) et morte le 31 mars 1855 à Haworth (comté de Bergen), est une romancière anglaise. Troisième fille du révérend Patrick Brontë, au sein d'une famille de condition modeste qui compte six enfants, elle bénéficie, comme ses quatre sœurs et son frère, de la présence d'un père qui a poussé ses études classiques jusqu'à l'université de Cambridge, et n'hésite pas à leur transmettre sa culture et sa vision du monde. Elle connaît cependant très tôt, alors qu'elle est encore tout enfant, le deuil de sa mère, puis de ses deux sœurs aînées, frappées par la tuberculose. Malgré sa condition de femme et son absence de moyens financiers, elle réussit à publier ses poèmes et ceux de ses sœurs (sous des noms masculins), en 1846, et surtout, à publier son œuvre principale Jane Eyre, devenu un grand classique de la littérature anglaise et mondiale, ayant également laissé une empreinte importante dans l'histoire culturelle en étant adapté au cinéma à plusieurs reprises. Elle naît à Thornton où son père, Patrick Brontë, est pasteur. Sa mère meurt d'un cancer de l'estomac le 15 septembre 18212. En 1824, pour assurer leur éducation, les quatre filles aînées sont envoyées à l'école de Cowan Bridge, établissement recevant les enfants des membres du clergé peu fortuné, qui avait été recommandé à M. Brontë. Dans cette école, pourtant de bonne réputation, les conditions de vie sont difficiles, sans chauffage, avec une maigre nourriture préparée sans aucune hygiène, et presque immangeable. L'année suivante, Maria et Elizabeth tombent gravement malades et en sont retirées, mais décèdent peu après à quelques semaines d'intervalle, le 6 mai et le 15 juin 18255 ; Charlotte et Emily, enlevées elles aussi à ce lieu malsain, retournent à Haworth. La perte de leurs deux sœurs sera pour les quatre enfants un traumatisme qui transparaît notamment dans l'œuvre de Charlotte, par exemple dans Jane Eyre où Cowan Bridge devient Lowood, la figure pathétique de Maria est représentée sous les traits de la jeune Helen Burns, la cruauté d'une maîtresse, Miss Andrews, sous ceux de Miss Scatcherd et la tyrannie du directeur, le Révérend Carus Wilson, sous ceux de l'odieux et suffisant M. Brocklehurst. Ellen Nussey, la grande amie de Charlotte, vers 1855, à l'époque de la mort de cette dernière. Charlotte se retrouve alors l'aînée des quatre enfants survivants. Les autres sont Branwell, Emily et Anne. Désormais, les enfants seront élevés par leur tante maternelle Elizabeth Branwell, figure un peu mystérieuse qui n'aura pas une grande influence sur Charlotte et Emily. Mais surtout, une véritable symbiose littéraire et familiale va se créer entre les enfants. En effet, stimulés par la lecture du Blackwood's Magazine que reçoit leur père, Charlotte et Branwell entament avec Emily et Anne une collaboration littéraire intense autour d'un pays imaginaire, la confédération de Glass Town, créant une quantité fabuleuse de récits, de pièces de théâtre, de journaux, de poèmes écrits en caractères minuscules. Ils peuplent ce monde d'une foule de personnages, tels que le comte de Northangerland (le cruel et perfide Alexander Rogue), ou le grand peintre Sir Edward de Lisle. C'est l'occasion pour les quatre enfants d'échanges d'idées et de connaissances intenses, et d'une stimulante rivalité intellectuelle. Puis Charlotte est envoyée une nouvelle fois en pension, en 1831, mais cette fois dans un établissement de qualité, chez Miss Wooler, où elle nouera deux amitiés durables, avec Ellen Nussey et Mary Taylor. L'entrée dans la vie professionnelle est difficile. Hantée par le besoin d'écrire, elle parvient à peine à remplir ses fonctions d'institutrice dans son ancien pensionnat, puis de gouvernante chez des particuliers. Des tentatives de contact avec d'autres écrivains, notamment Robert Southey qui lui déconseille l'écriture parce qu'elle est une femme, ne portent guère de fruits. Un jour, en 1845, Charlotte découvre par hasard des textes d'Emily. Éblouie par leur qualité, elle propose à ses sœurs de publier un volume collectif qui paraîtra sous le titre Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell (1846). Les trois sœurs se mettent alors à des romans. Ceux d'Anne et Emily, Agnes Grey et Les Hauts de Hurlevent (Wuthering Heights), sont acceptés par un éditeur, mais non le récit de Charlotte, The Professor. En revanche, son deuxième roman, Jane Eyre, publié en 1847 sous le pseudonyme de Currer Bell, fait sensation. Héritier de la tradition du roman gothique, ce récit à la première personne scandalise certains par l'affirmation de soi et la détermination de l'héroïne - on est en pleine époque victorienne - mais son style somptueux, à la fois passionné et parfaitement maîtrisé, en fera un immense best-seller. Elle entame alors un troisième roman, Shirley. Entre-temps, son frère Branwell est devenu alcoolique et opiomane, addictions qu'une déception amoureuse ne fait qu'aggraver, et meurt de tuberculose en septembre 1848. Emily décède aussi quelques semaines plus tard, en décembre de la même année, après avoir pris froid et refusé de se soigner. Moins rétive aux soins, Anne ne tardera pourtant pas à mourir de la même maladie en mai 1849. Commence alors une période de calvaire pour Charlotte. Elle termine tant bien que mal Shirley tout en luttant contre une dépression atroce. Ses horizons s'élargissent néanmoins à présent qu'elle n'est plus tenue de respecter l'anonymat qu'elle avait juré à Emily. Soutenue par son éditeur George Smith, elle fait la connaissance du Tout-Londres littéraire et noue de solides amitiés avec ses pairs, notamment sa future biographe Elizabeth Gaskell. Shirley a souffert des conditions dans lesquelles il a été écrit. Les deux héroïnes se transforment en portraits idéalisés des sœurs de Charlotte, et le récit ne cesse de vaciller entre le réalisme social et un romantisme aussi échevelé mais beaucoup moins convaincant que celui de Jane Eyre. Charlotte retrouve une veine plus conforme à son talent avec Villette, publié en 1853, fondé sur ses expériences bruxelloises et considéré par certains comme son chef-d'œuvre.

Finola Austin was born in England and moved to Northern Ireland when she was five; she is now based in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut novel Brontë’s Mistress, is a retelling of the infamous affair between Anne, Charlotte, and Emily’s brother Branwell and a long-maligned married woman, Lydia Robinson, from Lydia’s perspective. Using themes from the Brontë sisters’ novels and weaving in original and secondary sources on the affair, Austin gives voice to a woman torn between her desires and what was expected of her. I talk to Austin about the enduring appeal of the Brontës, creating characters out of real people, and the 19th century women who never got to tell their stories.

It seems likely that most of our listeners have at least heard of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and her sister Emily’s Wuthering Heights. Many also know that Charlotte and Emily had two other talented siblings who grew to adulthood: Anne, author of the novel Agnes Grey, and the only male heir, Branwell—whose early promise evaporated in a haze of alcohol and opiates. Still, it seems likely that Branwell’s affair with his employer—Lydia Robinson, a wealthy, married woman eighteen years older than he—has received far less attention. This affair, the exact parameters of which have not been determined, is the subject of Finola Austin’s lovely debut novel, Brontë’s Mistress (Atria Books, 2020). Although advantaged in many ways, Lydia has many reasons for complaint when we meet her. Her mother has just died, and her father suffers from senility. At forty-three, she fears the effects of approaching middle age on her beauty and her ability to bear children, the things that have defined and given value to her life. She worries about her daughters’ futures while fending off the encroachments of her mother-in-law. She still mourns the unexpected death of her fifth child, two years before the novel begins. And the loss of that youngest daughter has irreparably damaged Lydia’s long and once-satisfying relationship with her husband, Edmund, who neither offers comfort to nor accepts overtures from her. So when the Robinsons’ governess, Anne Brontë, recommends her brother, Branwell, for the position of tutor to Lydia’s only son, it is perhaps not surprising that Lydia’s initial attempts to keep a proper distance soon evaporate in the face of the attraction she feels for this Byronic young man who pays her compliments, shares his poetry and his art, and listens to her woes. As Finola Austin notes in our interview, Branwell “sees” Lydia, and the consequences of that instinctive emotional connection drive the action of this psychologically sophisticated and always engrossing novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems likely that most of our listeners have at least heard of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and her sister Emily’s Wuthering Heights. Many also know that Charlotte and Emily had two other talented siblings who grew to adulthood: Anne, author of the novel Agnes Grey, and the only male heir, Branwell—whose early promise evaporated in a haze of alcohol and opiates. Still, it seems likely that Branwell’s affair with his employer—Lydia Robinson, a wealthy, married woman eighteen years older than he—has received far less attention. This affair, the exact parameters of which have not been determined, is the subject of Finola Austin’s lovely debut novel, Brontë’s Mistress (Atria Books, 2020). Although advantaged in many ways, Lydia has many reasons for complaint when we meet her. Her mother has just died, and her father suffers from senility. At forty-three, she fears the effects of approaching middle age on her beauty and her ability to bear children, the things that have defined and given value to her life. She worries about her daughters’ futures while fending off the encroachments of her mother-in-law. She still mourns the unexpected death of her fifth child, two years before the novel begins. And the loss of that youngest daughter has irreparably damaged Lydia’s long and once-satisfying relationship with her husband, Edmund, who neither offers comfort to nor accepts overtures from her. So when the Robinsons’ governess, Anne Brontë, recommends her brother, Branwell, for the position of tutor to Lydia’s only son, it is perhaps not surprising that Lydia’s initial attempts to keep a proper distance soon evaporate in the face of the attraction she feels for this Byronic young man who pays her compliments, shares his poetry and his art, and listens to her woes. As Finola Austin notes in our interview, Branwell “sees” Lydia, and the consequences of that instinctive emotional connection drive the action of this psychologically sophisticated and always engrossing novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems likely that most of our listeners have at least heard of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and her sister Emily’s Wuthering Heights. Many also know that Charlotte and Emily had two other talented siblings who grew to adulthood: Anne, author of the novel Agnes Grey, and the only male heir, Branwell—whose early promise evaporated in a haze of alcohol and opiates. Still, it seems likely that Branwell’s affair with his employer—Lydia Robinson, a wealthy, married woman eighteen years older than he—has received far less attention. This affair, the exact parameters of which have not been determined, is the subject of Finola Austin’s lovely debut novel, Brontë’s Mistress (Atria Books, 2020). Although advantaged in many ways, Lydia has many reasons for complaint when we meet her. Her mother has just died, and her father suffers from senility. At forty-three, she fears the effects of approaching middle age on her beauty and her ability to bear children, the things that have defined and given value to her life. She worries about her daughters’ futures while fending off the encroachments of her mother-in-law. She still mourns the unexpected death of her fifth child, two years before the novel begins. And the loss of that youngest daughter has irreparably damaged Lydia’s long and once-satisfying relationship with her husband, Edmund, who neither offers comfort to nor accepts overtures from her. So when the Robinsons’ governess, Anne Brontë, recommends her brother, Branwell, for the position of tutor to Lydia’s only son, it is perhaps not surprising that Lydia’s initial attempts to keep a proper distance soon evaporate in the face of the attraction she feels for this Byronic young man who pays her compliments, shares his poetry and his art, and listens to her woes. As Finola Austin notes in our interview, Branwell “sees” Lydia, and the consequences of that instinctive emotional connection drive the action of this psychologically sophisticated and always engrossing novel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We kick of this new season with the poetry of Patrick Branwell Brontë as we go on a journey through the poetic works of the Brontë family. From the book “The Brontës - Selected Poems” edited by Juliet R. V. Barker.

In this episode I read the insightful poem ‘The man who will not know another' by Patrick Branwell Brontë, from the book “The Brontës - Selected Poems” edited by Juliet R. V. Barker. Enjoy!

This gloomy episode continues with the poetry of Patrick Branwell Brontë as part of the series of poetic works of the Brontë family from the book; “The Brontës - Selected Poems” edited by Juliet R. V. Barker. Enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Finola Austin joins Carol to talk about her debut historical fiction novel, Bronte's Mistress. Set in 1843, it’s the story of Lydia Robinson, who is best known for her secret affair with Branwell Bronte, the brother of the famous Bronte sisters. Here, Finola looks at the complex character of Lydia, a woman who is trapped in Victorian era social mores. Finola discusses her research via books and scholarly writing and her travels to delve more deeply into the lives of her characters, everything from discovering second-hand books of forgotten documents to snippets that bring life to Lydia, Branwell, and the other family members. The book is sharp and the discussion about it with Finola is enlightening. Books discussed in this episode: Bronte's Mistress by Finola Austin If you are a book group interested in meeting with the author, follow the link below for contact information. www.FinolaAustin.com Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

We're so pleased to welcome our first-ever historical fiction writer to the Manuscript Academy Podcast. Finola Austin is the author of Brontë's Mistress, a story that Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter, calls “A beautifully written, highly seductive debut…The chemistry between Branwell and Lydia positively crackles on the page." Joining Finola is her agent Danielle Egan-Miller, president of Brown & Miller Literary Associates.  A mighty team, they will chat about the unusual circumstances behind “The Call," Finola's massive attention to detail, tips on submission, and more.  We'll discuss how books can create a sense of companionship and shared humanity to keep readers turning the page—how to edit the saggy middle—and what Danielle would love to see in her inbox.  Danielle will also discuss the ripple of love that Finola's work evoked in her workplace, and how this creative group championed this fascinating work.  You can find Brontë's Mistress (out August 4) here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brontes-mistress-finola-austin/1134079989?ean=9781982137236 You can find Danielle here: https://www.browneandmiller.com/team/danielle-egan-miller/

Today we celebrate the author and poet who wrote some beautiful garden verses. We'll also learn about a magnificent Australian artist and botanical illustrator, and her art is now part of Australia's national library. We celebrate the selection of the State Flower for Arkansas - and the very cute story of how it came to be picked. We honor the life of the poet and WWI soldier who wrote what is probably the most popular poem ever about trees. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about living naturally with eco-friendly ideas that don't sacrifice style, function, or sustainability. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of first academy award-winning animated cartoon that gardeners will love. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple  | Google  | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Director of science at Kew: it's time to decolonize botanical collections Professor Alexandre Antonelli is the Kew Gardens director responsible for the world's largest collection of plants and fungi. He was born and raised in Brazil and wrote this landmark piece for The Conversation research website. Alexandre believes that the time has come to decolonize botanical collections by ridding the field of "structural racism." Here's an excerpt: “I’ve often struggled to answer the simple question, “Where are you from?” As I was born and raised in Brazil, like many people my origin is mixed… I dislike pre-defined labels. At school, I was taught that Brazil was “discovered” in 1500 by the Portuguese. The fact that several million people lived there prior to that was barely mentioned in our books. We were told of a long history of brutal exploitation of our natural resources, including vast amounts of gold, rubber and timber. All this was achieved through the exploitation of our native people and African slaves – including my own ancestors. …[That] Brazil is … the world’s most biodiverse country... astounded colonial botanists. Charles Darwin was astonished at our “lands teeming with life”, as was Alfred Russel Wallace, who spent years in the Amazon. It is not lost on me that these were both white British men. And Britain is also where I ended up professionally. After two decades studying biodiversity across the world, I’m now head of science at Kew, responsible for the world’s largest collections of plants and fungi. For hundreds of years... colonial botanists would embark on dangerous expeditions in the name of science but were ultimately tasked with finding economically profitable plants. Much of Kew’s work in the 19th century focused on the movement of such plants around the British Empire, which means we too have a legacy that is deeply rooted in colonialism. ...Scientists continue to report how new species are “discovered” every year, species that are often already known and used by people in the region – and have been for thousands of years. ...The first inhabitants of Brazil and the first users of plants in Australia often remained unnamed, unrecognised, and uncompensated. They are quite literally invisible in history. This needs to change. By opening up our collections and practices, we will give voice to a past that includes troubled chapters, but one that will hopefully contribute to a brighter future.”   Have you tried growing Castor Bean? It's one of Michael Pollen's favorite plants. Check out the way he starts his article on the plant called, "Consider the Castor Bean": "Pretty they are not, but a garden can labor under a surfeit "surfut" of prettiness, be too sweet or cheerful for its own good. Sometimes what’s needed in the garden is a hint of vegetal menace, of nature run tropically, luxuriantly amuck. For this, I recommend the castor bean." While most of us have heard of castor oil (extracted by crushing and processing the seeds), growing the castor bean plant can be a new adventure for gardeners. The castor bean plant is the only member of the genus Ricinus communis and belongs to the spurge family. Unlike other members of the euphorbia family, castor bean does not have that milky latex sap, the sap of castor bean is watery. The giant, tropical leaves and peculiar seed pods make the plant an exotic addition to your garden. A native plant from Ethiopia, castor bean can grow to 40 feet tall when it can grow year-round. For most gardeners who grow castor bean as an annual in a single season, castor bean will grow quickly and vigorously, but it will only reach about 8-10 feet. If you grow castor bean, you need to be aware that the seeds are extremely poisonous. If you have kids around, keep plants out of reach, and eliminate the seeds altogether by cutting off the flowering spike. As you probably suspected from the Latin name, the toxin in castor seeds is ricin (RYE-sin), one of the world's deadliest natural poisons. During the Cold War, the Bulgarian journalist, Georgi Markov, was killed when an umbrella rigged as a pellet rifle, shot a small BB into his leg as Markov stood in line at a bus stop. After he died in 1978, Scotland Yard investigated and found the BB; it was the size of a pinhead, and it had been drilled with two holes producing an X-shaped cavity, and the holes had been packed with ricin. The holes had been coated with a sugary substance that trapped the ricin inside the BB. The coating was designed to melt at body temperature, at which time the ricin was free to be absorbed into the bloodstream and kill him. Despite their unnerving history, castor beans are still good garden plants. They look beautiful with cannas, bananas, and elephant ears for a tropical garden. They make a beautiful backdrop for grasses. And, they shine at the back of the flower border where they create a magnificent screen in no time. Castor Beans do best in full sun, and they don't like wet feet - so plant them high and dry or in well-drained locations.   When you are done harvesting blackberries or boysenberries, it is time to do a little housekeeping. Cut this year's fruit-bearing canes back to the ground and tie up the new green canes to take their place. Once all the fruiting has finished, you can begin to trim back your blackberries and boysenberries. The canes that just produced the fruit will start to dry and become woody and brown. Now is the time to cut them right back to the ground. While you're at it, cut back any diseased or damaged canes. Next, look for anything too long or out of control. Try to make your plants have a beautiful, pleasant form. Take the new canes and train them where you want them to go. Make sure to spread them out so that they get good airflow. Remember, taking the time to do this right now will make them easier to pick from next season. Thornless varieties make the job of pruning blackberries and boysenberries much easier. Don't forget: The fruit grows on new wood. And be sure to remove all dead or broken limbs - and suckers as well.   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1818 It's the birthday of the author and poet Emily Brontë. Emily's older sister, by two years, was Charlotte. Her younger sister and closest friend was Anne. They were two peas in a pod. Emily's mom died when she was three. She lost two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth when she was six. The result of this loss was an exceptional closeness between the four surviving Brontë children: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell. Emma Emmerson wrote a piece called the Brontë Garden. In it she revealed: “The Brontës were not ardent gardeners, although… Emily and Anne treasured their currant bushes as ‘their own bit of fruit garden’." Charlotte [once wrote:] "Emily wishes to know if the Sicilian Pea (Pisum sativum)and the Crimson cornflower are hardy flowers, or if they are delicate and should be sown in warm and sheltered situations." Emily's father, Patrick, once wrote; Oh why, in the snow and storms of December, When the branches lie scattered and strewn, Do we oftest and clearest and dearest remember The sunshine and summer of June?   Emily Brontë wrote: Reason, indeed, may oft complain For Nature's sad reality, And tell the suffering heart, how vain Its cherished dreams must always be; And Truth may rudely trample down The flowers of Fancy, newly-blown. Love is like the wild rose-briar, Friendship like the holly-tree— The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms But which will bloom most constantly? The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring, Its summer blossoms scent the air; Yet wait till winter comes again And who will call the wild-briar fair? Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now And deck thee with the holly’s sheen, That when December blights thy brow He still may leave thy garland green. Friendship is like the holly tree.  The holly is dark when the rose-brier blooms,  But which will bloom most constantly? Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree. I shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night’s decay Ushers in a drearier day.   1848  Today is the birthday of the Australian artist and botanical illustrator Ellis Rowan. In a 1994 newspaper article, Sarah Guest described Ellis this way: "She was an explorer. She set off alone at 68, for Papua New Guinea - and died in 1922.  She dyed her hair red; had a face-lift; left her husband (the suggestion is that she was bored); was a member of one of Victoria's great pastoralist families; was a much-admired, prolific, technically proficient and joyous painter of plants and birds; and a conservationist she campaigned to stop the slaughter of birds for the decoration of ladies' hats... in her day she was known as "Australia's brilliant daughter" which, indeed, she was." Ellis discovered painting after her botanist husband, Frederick, encouraged her to develop a talent. Ellis developed her passion into her profession, and it led her into unknown parts of Australia. During the First World War, Ellis was living in New Guinea. At one point, she painted 45 of the 62 known species of birds of paradise. As a woman living during the mid-1800s, Ellis followed the dress code of her era. Wherever she went, whether on an expedition or at home, she was always impeccably dressed, wearing heavy ankle-length dresses, high collars with full sleeves - complete with crinolines, corsets, whalebone stays, and a hat. Just before Ellis died, the federal parliament in Australia debated whether or not to buy 1,000 of Ellis' paintings. The Australian artist and novelist, Norman Lindsay, called Ellis' work vulgar art. Lindsey didn't think wildflowers were worthy subjects for real art. Ultimately, Ellis' paintings were purchased for $5,000. They are now a treasured part of Australia's national library.   1901  On this day, the General assembly of Arkansas selected the apple blossom as the floral emblem. This selection was not without controversy. The Floral Emblem Society, led by Love Harriett Wilkins Barton, had supported the apple blossom. The Arkansas Federation of women's clubs wanted the passionflower. The disagreement between the two groups became known as the battle of the blooms. Love became a one-woman crusader for the apple blossom, writing articles and memos to newspapers - even personally mailing letters to affluent citizens. Whenever she sent anything, she included a promotional pamphlet that she had created praising the apple blossom. In an ingenious move, she not only promoted the apple blossom, but she also dissed the passionflower, saying it was "as pretty as a non-native of Arkansas," and saying that it would "grow anywhere the farmer's hoe let it." Ouch. When the legislature was set to vote, Love appeared at the capital wearing ... wait for it.... a bright apple red dress. And, she pulled a Martha Stewart and personally gifted every lawmaker with an apple and a note that said, "These are the results of our beautiful apple blossoms. But, what is the result of a passionflower? A dried, shriveled pod." Well played, Love.   Unearthed Words Today is the anniversary of the death of the journalist, poet, and World War I soldier Alfred Joyce Kilmer, who was born in Brunswick, New Jersey. He was killed in action while serving as a sergeant in the 165th Infantry regiment on July 30, 1918 Every year on his birthday in April, Kilmer's childhood home at 17 Joyce Kilmer Ave. in New Brunswick, holds an Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Joyce is best remembered for his poem, Trees: I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.   Joyce also wrote these gems:   The air is like a butterfly With frail blue wings. The happy earth looks at the sky And sings. — Joyce Kilmer, Spring   If I should live in a forest And sleep underneath a tree, No grove of impudent saplings Would make a home for me. I'd go where the old oaks gather, Serene and good and strong, And they would not sigh and tremble And vex me with a song. — Joyce Kilmer, Old Poets   Grow That Garden Library Natural Living Style by Selina Lake This book came out in March of 2019, and the subtitle is Inspirational ideas for a beautiful and sustainable home. In her review of this book Julie from Try Small Things said, "They say change starts at home. What I've come away with from Natural Living Style are all kinds of ideas for reducing plastics and waste around the home in favor of natural or greener alternatives. As it turns out, they can be functional, sustainable, and that's inspired living." Selina's book is divided into sections, Inspirations, Textures, Natural Living Spaces, and The Natural Garden, where Selina writes about green gardening, growing your own food, and exploring, enjoying, and living in the natural world. The book is sprinkled with lots of earthy-friendly tips and inspiration to help you create an eco-friendly home and garden. This book is 160 pages of eco-living without sacrificing style. You can get a copy of Natural Living Style by Selina Lake and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $16.   Today's Botanic Spark 1932  On this day, Walt Disney premiered his first academy award-winning animated cartoon. The short was called "Flowers and Trees," and it was the first cartoon to use technicolor. Flowers and Trees was supposed to be a black-and-white cartoon, but Walt Disney decided it would make the perfect test film for the new technicolor process. The vivid colors of the natural world were the ideal subject for a technicolor production. Meanwhile, the Mickey Mouse short features were judged to be successful enough; they remained in black-and-white until 1935. Flowers and Trees premiered at the Chinese theater in Los Angeles on this day and won the Academy Award for animated short subject. In the movie, the trees and flowers are anthropomorphized, and they wake up at the beginning of the day and begin lifting their heads and stretching. In this short film, a beautiful lady tree is wooed by a suitor tree, while an evil old leafless tree attempts to steal her away. The two trees duel for her affection. When the old tree loses the battle, he sets the forest on fire. Together, all the plants in the forest work together to put the fire out. In the end, the two trees are together and happy; they get engaged in the final seconds of the movie. The gentleman tree presents the lady tree with a ring made from a curled up caterpillar. And, as the trees embrace, bellflowers begin to play the wedding march, while the other flowers dance around the hugging trees.

This dazzling debut novel for fans of Mrs. Poe and Longbourn explores the scandalous historical love affair between Branwell Brontë and Lydia Robinson, giving voice to the woman who allegedly corrupted her son’s innocent tutor and brought down the entire Brontë family. Yorkshire, 1843: Lydia Robinson—mistress of Thorp Green Hall—has lost her precious young daughter and her mother within the same year. She returns to her bleak home, grief-stricken and unmoored. With her teenage daughters rebelling, her testy mother-in-law scrutinizing her every move, and her marriage grown cold, Lydia is restless and yearning for something more. All of that changes with the arrival of her son’s tutor, Branwell Brontë, brother of her daughters’ governess, Miss Anne Brontë and those other writerly sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Branwell has his own demons to contend with—including living up to the ideals of his intelligent family—but his presence is a breath of fresh air for Lydia. Handsome, passionate, and uninhibited by social conventions, he’s also twenty-five to her forty-three. A love of poetry, music, and theatre bring mistress and tutor together, and Branwell’s colorful tales of his sisters’ elaborate play-acting and made-up worlds form the backdrop for seduction. But Lydia’s new taste of passion comes with consequences. As Branwell’s inner turmoil rises to the surface, his behavior grows erratic and dangerous, and whispers of their passionate relationship spout from her servants’ lips, reaching all three protective Brontë sisters. Soon, it falls on Lydia to save not just her reputation, but her way of life, before those clever girls reveal all her secrets in their novels. Unfortunately, she might be too late. Meticulously researched and deliciously told, Brontë’s Mistress is a captivating reimagining of the scandalous affair that has divided Brontë enthusiasts for generations and an illuminating portrait of a courageous, sharp-witted woman who fights to emerge with her dignity intact.

We want to take the steps to improve our digital customer experience, but how do we take a step back and understand what we need to improve? You'll recognize today's guest from our previous episode "Above The Fold: Key commerce trends you need to know" Branwell Moffat is the Director of CX Consulting at KPS Digital. We took the chance to dive deeper with Branwell into how we can get a better understanding of where we're at digitally as a company, so that we can truly prioritize where we should focus our customer experience efforts. Branwell outlines how they do this with their customers, but more importantly what things we can do on our own. Presented by The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience (www.the-future-of-commerce.com), where you can find our section of information dedicated to leadership, data, and current news around COVID-19.

Maria Branwell Brontë most famously exists as an absence — the mother whose biggest, or only, influence resides in her “not being there there” during the lives of her famous daughters Charlotte, Emily and Anne. For 200 years scholars believed there wasn’t enough material for a biography of Maria. But author Sharon Wright believed there had to be more to find, if only she “went looking properly.” And what she found is truly remarkable. Join … The post THE ABSENCE Maria Branwell Brontë appeared first on What'shername.

Books by Darcey SteinkeFlash Point Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life (Sarah Crichton Books, 2019)Jesus Saves (Grove Press, 2019)Easter Everywhere (Bloomsbury, 2007)Milk (Bloomsbury, 2005)Up Through the Water (Grove Press, 2000)Suicide Blond (Grove Press, 2000)John-KJV (Grove Press, 1999)Other Writers and Texts Mentioned in the EpisodeMaud CaseyThe Testosterone Files by Max Wolf Valerio (Seal Press, 2006)Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques (Verso, 2016)Speedboat by Renata Adler (NYRB Books, 2013)Branwell by Douglas A. MartinSarah Manguso (ep. 37)Maggie Nelson (ep. 82)Fanny HoweNick CaveWomen’s Writing Festival in Sydney, AustraliaOther Relevant LinksMike W. Hudsonhttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/opinion/reading-writing-stuttering.html

BBC Good Food Show Winter 2019 - Rachel Branwell - Edinburgh Gin

Although their lives were filled with darkness and death, their love for stories and ideas led them into the bright realms of creative genius. They were the Brontes - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - who lived with their brother Branwell in an unassuming 19th-century Yorkshire town called Haworth. Their house, a parsonage, sat on a hill, with the enticing but sometimes dangerous moors above and a cemetery, their father’s church, and the industrializing town below. It was a dark little home, with little more than a roof to keep out the rain, a fire to keep things warm at night, and books and periodicals arriving from Edinburgh and London to excite their imagination. And from this humble little town, these three sisters and their active, searching minds exerted an influence on English literature that can still be felt nearly two hundred years later. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. (We appreciate it!) Find out more at historyofliterature.com, jackewilson.com, or by following Jacke and Mike on Twitter at @thejackewilson and @literatureSC. Or send an email to jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com. Music Credits: “Ashton Manor" and "Piano Between" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year is 1845, and Emily, Charlotte and Anne Bronte are sat around the dining room table, laughing merrily as the rain of their Yorkshire summer falls outside. When their brother, Branwell, returns from The Bull Inn, he brings with him the most shocking revelation: that Elizabeth Chester, wife of Robert Chester and mistress of Chester Grange has gone missing - but the bloody scene found in her bedroom suggests she may have been murdered. The governess at Chester Grange is Matilda French, a close friend of Charlotte's, who resolves to pay her a visit the following day. At Chester Grange, the sisters make the acquaintance of Robert, a rumoured cruel man, who is suspected of having driven his first wife to suicide. Determined that he should be brought to justice, the sisters throw themselves into solving the case. As everyone knows, solving a murder requires sense, morals and a very good imagination - qualities which these sisters have more than enough of...

This week on the show we unveil our theory about Bran Stark and Samwell Tarley!

Luciana Vázquez y Gustavo Noriega recibieron a la periodista y escritora Laura Ramos, quien acaba de publicar “Infernales. La Hermandad Brontë”, un libro que reconstruye la historia de las hermanas Emily, Charlotte y Anne Brontë, autoras de las novelas Cumbres Borrascosas,  Jane Eyre y La inquilina de Wildfell Hall, respectivamente, obras maestras de la novela inglesa que las convirtieron en autoras de fama mundial. En su libro, Ramos relata la infancia de las hermanas en un inhóspito pueblo de inglaterra y rescata la historia del hermano menor Branwell, un poeta maldito, que será increíblemente proscripto de la historia.  

Í sumar fögnuðu Bretar að 200 ár eru liðin frá því Emily Brontë höfundur Wuthering Heights fæddist. Emily Brontë og systur hennar tvær, Charlotte sem skrifaði Jane Eyre og Anne Brontë, eru meðal þekktustu rithöfunda 19. aldarinnar, en bróðir þeirra Branwell drakk sig í hel. Öll systkinin dóu langt fyrir aldur fram en systurnar settu mark sitt á bókmenntasöguna. Í bókmenntaþættinum Orð um bækur er fjallað um uppvöxt og ævi Brontë systkinanna, skáldskap þeirra, ástríður og örlög. Umsjónarmaður er Brynhildur Heiðar- og Ómarsdóttir og lesari er Kristján Guðjónsson.

Í sumar fögnuðu Bretar að 200 ár eru liðin frá því Emily Brontë höfundur Wuthering Heights fæddist. Emily Brontë og systur hennar tvær, Charlotte sem skrifaði Jane Eyre og Anne Brontë, eru meðal þekktustu rithöfunda 19. aldarinnar, en bróðir þeirra Branwell drakk sig í hel. Öll systkinin dóu langt fyrir aldur fram en systurnar settu mark sitt á bókmenntasöguna. Í bókmenntaþættinum Orð um bækur er fjallað um uppvöxt og ævi Brontë systkinanna, skáldskap þeirra, ástríður og örlög. Umsjónarmaður er Brynhildur Heiðar- og Ómarsdóttir og lesari er Kristján Guðjónsson.

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

The prolific, multiple award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, Catherynne M. Valente, took a break at her spooky writer’s island to chat with me about her superhero origin story, earning street cred with readers, and her truly unique process. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Since her first novel — The Labyrinth, published in 2004 — the hybrid author has gone on to pen over 24 volumes of both fiction and poetry across multiple genres (including fantasy, sci-fi, young adult, and horror). In addition to being published and anthologized in dozens of print and online journals, Catherynne has won or been nominated for every major award in her field, including the Hugo Award (for both a novel and a podcast), and been a finalist for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. She is perhaps best known for her crowdfunded phenomenon The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making — a book launched by a dedicated online fan community that went on to become a NY Times bestseller. The series — which recently concluded with book five, The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home — has been lauded by fellow author Neil Gaiman, and Time magazine called it, “One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century.” The prolific author continues to find innovative ways to connect with her audience, and she recently launched a Patreon project called “The Mad Fiction Laboratory,” where she offers professional and personalized advice on the business and craft of writing, as well as a sneak peek at her multiple works-in-progress. If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In Part One of this file Catherynne Valente and I discuss: How to write a novel in three to ten days The story behind her four-month “circus” book tour and the birth of a viral bestseller Her love of performance Previews of her three wildly different upcoming projects The umbrella cover museum that doubles as her office Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes If you’re ready to see for yourself why over 200,000 website owners trust StudioPress — the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins — just go to StudioPress.com How Bestselling Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Catherynne M. Valente Writes: Part Two CatherynneMValente.com Catherynne M. Valente on Amazon Cat’s Patreon project – “The Mad Fiction Laboratory” James Patterson Teaches Writing Cat Valente on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter The Transcript How Bestselling Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author Catherynne M. Valente Writes: Part One Voiceover: Rainmaker FM. Kelton Reid: Welcome back to The Writer Files. I am your host, Kelton Reid, to take you on yet another tour of the habits, habitats, and brains of renowned writers. This week the prolific, multiple award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, Catherynne M. Valente took a break at her spooky writer’s island to chat with me about her superhero origin story, earning street cred with readers, and her truly unique process. Since her fortuitous first novel, The Labyrinth, published in 2004, the hybrid author has gone on to pen over twenty four volumes of both fiction and poetry across multiple genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, young adult, and horror. In addition to being published and anthologized in dozens of print and online journals, Catherynne has won or been nominated for every major award in her field, including the Hugo Award, for both a novel and a podcast and been a finalist for both the Nebula and the World Fantasy awards. She is perhaps best known for her crowdfunded phenomenon, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, a book launched by a dedicated online fan community, that went on to become a New York Times Bestseller. The series, which recently concluded with a fifth book, has been lauded by fellow author Neil Gaiman, and Time Magazine called it, “One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century.” The prolific author continues to find innovative ways to connect with her audience and she recently launched a Patreon project called The Mad Fiction Laboratory where she offers professional and personalized advice on the business and craft of writing, as well as a sneak peek into her multiple works in progress. In part one of this file, Cat and I discuss how to write a novel in three to ten days, the story behind her four month circus, book tour, and the birth of a viral bestseller, her love of performance, previews of her three wildly different upcoming projects, and The Umbrella Cover Museum that doubles as her office. The Writer Files is brought to you by the all the new StudioPress Sites, a turnkey solution that combines the ease of an all-in-one website builder with the flexible power of WordPress. It’s perfect for authors, bloggers, podcasters, and affiliate marketers, as well as those selling physical products, digital downloads, and membership programs. If you’re ready to take your WordPress site to the next level, see for yourself why over 200,000 website owners trust StudioPress. Go to Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress now. That’s Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress. And if you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews as soon as they’re published. And we are rolling once again on this show with a special guest, and Catherynne M. Valente is here today, multiple award-winning, prolific, New York Times Bestselling author of over a dozen works of fiction and poetry. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule, I know you’ve got a lot in the hopper, to chat with listeners about your fantastic work and your process as a writer. It s real exciting to talk to you today. Catherynne Valente: No problem, thanks for having me. How to Write a Novel in Three to Ten Days Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. I m extremely inspired by your story as a writer. I know you ve done a lot of stuff and I kinda wanna chat about, I guess maybe, for listeners who aren t familiar with you and your fantastic journey to where you are today. Can you kind of give us a little bit of your, just your origins as a writer and how you got your start? I know you’ve done a ton, a ton of stuff. Catherynne Valente: My very minor superhero origin story? Kelton Reid: Yeah. Catherynne Valente: My first novel came out when I was twenty five, so twelve years ago, and it was called The Labyrinth. It came out with Prime Books, which is a small press, independent press. I had really only just graduated from college a couple of years before and I had heard about NaNoWriMo, which was just, or nano-WRY-mo, I always say nano-REE-mo, and I know it’s wrong. It had just started. I was only in its second year and I had just graduated and I was working as a professional fortune teller in Rhode Island. Kelton Reid: Wow. Catherynne Valente: In a genuine, tall, gothic tower, called the Old Armory, in Newport, Rhode Island. I hadn’t really been writing a lot while I was in college, because I was in such an academically rigorous program that I just, I had sort of fallen away from it. Most of what I had done, up until writing that first novel, was poetry. And by most I mean all, except for one short story I was required to write for class. I had done poetry my whole life. But I wanted to see if I could write a novel. I didn’t know if I could, but I thought, “What do I have to lose? I’ll give it a shot.” It was October instead of November, and I didn’t want to wait. And I was 22 so I was full of piss and vinegar, and didn’t know I couldn’t do things yet. So I said, “Thirty days is for wimps. I’m gonna do it in ten.” Kelton Reid: Wow. Catherynne Valente: And I did. Which seems fully insane to me now. Between tarot readings I would pull out my laptop, my little, tiny laptop, and work on this book. And of course I hadn’t even thought about publishing it. I just wanted to see if it was something I could do. I submitted it to a few independent publishers, I knew it was too weird for a big New York publisher, and didn’t really get any … I got a lot of rejections saying, “This is the most beautiful thing we’ve ever read, and we’re definitely not publishing it.” So, at 22, I didn’t really know what to do with that. So I gave up for a while and just put it away. And then I was living in Japan, my then husband, ex-husband, was a naval officer, and I started a LiveJournal. One of the people that I got to know on LiveJournal was Nick Mamatas, and he had just published his first book, so I left a comment on his LiveJournal asking who I should be submitting to, not asking him to look at my work or anything, just, Who’s out there that likes to publish weird stuff? He gave me a list and I said, “Yeah, they’ve all rejected me. Except for Prime Books and they’re not open to submission.” He said, “No, they are. They just don’t want to read slush. So send me your book, and if I like it, I’ll send it on.” And I did, and he did. And I actually got an email from Jeff VanderMeer saying, “They’re going to publish your book. I want to write the introduction. So when they email you to tell you they’re going to publish your book, tell them you want me to write the introduction.” So that was sort of how that first book happened. It was all very much out of the blue. My second book, which I also published with Prime Books, was for the Blue Lake 3-Day Novel competition, in which you’re supposed to write a novel in three days, which is really a misnomer, because it’s supposed to be 30,000 words, which is not a novel by anybody’s definition. The prize for that contest is a publishing contract. I did not win that prize, but Prime published that second book. And then I gave them a manuscript, and, in an act of great magnanimousness, my editor said, “This is much more commercial than anything else you’re writing and I’m going to send it to my friend at Bantam.” Bantam Spectra. And that was the manuscript that became The Orphan’s Tales. Bantam Spectra took a year and a half to get back to me. They said, “We really like it, but we want to see the second book in the series. Which should be fine, because your editor says it’s almost done.” I had not begun this book. I don’t know where my editor got that idea. So my last four months in Japan, as I was preparing a transpacific move, was me trying so hard to finish this book. Just about setting foot back in America, I got an offer from Bantam, and that was my first big New York book. That’s sort of how it all got started back in the early 2000s. Kelton Reid: Geez, and that’s not even that long ago, but … Catherynne Valente: No, I mean, it is and it isn’t. It feels like a lot longer ago than it is, and it doesn’t in a very strange way. Time is weird once you get older. The Story Behind Her Four-Month Circus Book Tour and the Birth of a Viral Bestseller Kelton Reid: Sure, it have a hyperbolic effect at times, when you think of it like that. But, you’ve won or been nominated for every major award in your field, which means you’ve written across these different genres, primarily Fairyland novels, which you’re very well known for. You’ve got all these other fantastic speculative pieces, and you’ve published in multiple award-winning publications. You’ve just done so much, so the prolific nature of it is that it seems like you’re working all the time, or writing all the time. Or that may be just my impression, looking at your resume and all the stuff you’ve done. But anyway, the crowdfunded phenomenon, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, is fascinating to me, because it started on LiveJournal, you mentioned LiveJournal, and you crowdfunded it and it became this New York Times Bestselling book, that then Neil Gaiman blurbed. Can you talk a little about that? Catherynne Valente: Yeah, so I had been going on with Bantam Spectra for another book after The Orphan’s Tales, and unfortunately six weeks before that book was supposed to come out, it’s called Black Wednesday in publishing, the 2008 crash had happened and half of publishing in New York was laid off. So my editor called me and said she had been laid off. It actually turned out that Bantam Spectra ceased to exist that day. It was reorganized back into Random House. And so there was nobody there to pick up the phones. We knew, because you kinda get three strikes in New York. You have three books that fail, you’re gonna have a real hard time breaking in again. And The Orphan’s Tales hadn’t failed. It won a lot of awards and was very critically acclaimed, but it hadn’t had stellar sales. So we had a very strong feeling that if Palimpsest, which was the next book, failed, that was it. So I and my partner and a dear, dear friend of mine named S.J Tucker, who’s a singer-songwriter, decided to make it as much of a success as we could, with knowing that there was one person sitting in a secretarial desk at my publisher s. And there was just nobody to do the work. We got a blurb from Warren Ellis and there was just nobody in the office to tell them to put that on the cover of the book. That’s what happened to publishing during this time, and nobody could sell a book. Unless you were already this massive bestseller, there was no way you could sell a book at the end of 2008, beginning of 2009. So we toured from Maine to Los Angeles for four months, selling this book out of the back of S.J’s tour van. We had all these reading concerts. S.J did an album based on Palimpsest, and she would sing and I would read. We picked up performers everywhere. It was the circus. And everywhere we went, people kept asking me about this one part of Palimpsest, because the main character in that book, her favorite novel from when she was a little girl was The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It was not real. It was just meant to be a little character piece in Palimpsest. Which is a very adult book, by the way, with a capital A and three Xs. And the first paragraph from Fairyland is in Palimpsest and nothing else. But, as part of trying to do everything we could for this book, we made an alternate reality game, and one of the easter eggs was an Amazon order page for Fairyland, or of a cover that I had mocked up out of an Arthur Rackham drawing and everything. And so people were like, “They’re all out of stock on Amazon. Where do I get a copy of this?” I m like, “Well, you’ll notice the url still says CatherynneMValente.com. This is just something we post-modern kids do from time to time.” But people just kept asking where they could get it. And when I got home my partner had been laid off from two jobs, or got laid off from two jobs within six weeks of each other. And we had just moved to Maine not even six months before, and didn’t really have the money to move again to a better job. And so I was like, “Alright, well I’m gonna do a serialized novel then, on my website. And I’ll just put up a little donation button, and hopefully we can pay our rent and get some groceries this month.” And I went through my notes while I was looking for something that I didn’t think I would lose anything if I published it myself. Because back then, Kickstarter hadn’t started up yet, or if it had, it would have just started. Kindle was only just beginning to be a thing. There’s very much a feeling that if you self publish something, you were giving up the possibility of a big publisher. So I thought, “Well, nobody would ever publish a children’s book that was so connected to an adult book with a capital A and three Xs. So I’m not losing anything if I do Fairyland. And everybody wants to read Fairyland. I’ve been hearing about it for months now.” So I did. Her Love of Performance Catherynne Valente: Every Monday I posted a chapter of Fairyland and I recorded myself reading it, which actually turned out to be … I did it because I love to read out loud and I’m good at it, I was an actress most of my life, but it turns out that I have a lot of vision impaired readers who, for the first time, could take part in this viral thing, because they could listen to it. And I had a little donation button that said, “Give whatever you think the book is worth. If you don’t think it’s worth anything, don’t worry about it. If you don’t have any money, don’t worry about it, just enjoy it.” And it went viral within twenty four hours. Boing Boing was doing pieces on it, and io9 and Neil Gaiman linked to it. And it just became this huge thing that saved us, in a very very real and tangible way. I remember being at a convention right after it really hit, and somebody in the audience asked, “Well, you realize you can’t go back and change anything, because you’ve already posted it online.” And I said, “Oh, s***.” It had never occurred to me that that was gonna be a problem. I kept a couple weeks ahead of the posting schedule, but again, much like writing The Labyrinth in ten days instead of thirty, I just ran ahead with something without knowing that I couldn’t do it and it worked out incredibly well. It won this Web Fiction of the Decade Award, up against Girl Genius and Dr. Horrible and XKCD and all of these things which are far more well known than me, even in the organization that runs that, even in their roundup, they’re like, “We don’t understand what happened. We don’t know what this is, but apparently you do.” And it won the Andre Norton Award long before it, a year before, it ever came out in print, which is administered with the Nebula Awards for YA. Before it finished posting online, my agent found an amazing publisher for it, Feiwel and Friends, And it debuted at number eight on the New York Times list. It’s genuine magic. I still don’t really have … People ask me all the time how to do what I did, and the answer is, “I don’t even know if I could do what I did.” It was just a perfect storm of people feeling helpless and wanting to help, of me having a lot of cred from having published traditionally for so long, and a lot of adult readers who had never been able to share my work with their kids, and hopefully the quality of the work, and just who picked it up and ran with it. A lot of things had to come together to make it happen, and it was incredible. Kelton Reid: Wow, wow. It’s surely an inspiring story, to say the least. You’ve got this fan community that is dedicated, a large online following, in addition to everything you have out in the world. So, is the best place to find all of your works at your website, then? Catherynne Valente: Yeah, CatherynneMValente.com. Catherynne is spelled funny. Kelton Reid: It’s a great spelling. Catherynne Valente: Thank you. And I’m very active on Twitter at @CatValente. Kelton Reid: I’ll link to that. I’ll link to both. And of course, you’ve got a more recent development that’s not technically publishing, but it is a Patreon project that you just started up. It sounds like The Mad Fiction Laboratory, which you’re offering advice on the craft and business of writing there, which is really cool to see. So I’ll link to that as well. Did you want to say anything about that? Catherynne Valente: Yeah, so we’ve just started this. This is, like, the third day that it’s existed. And basically, it’s every month, I will be, for subscribers, patrons, I will be putting out an essay, as you say, about the craft and business of writing. But a funny one that makes it entertaining. Important to note, because a lot of those things are just so dry. I remember when I was first starting out just reading endless, endless articles about how to write a hit book and how to get an agent and how to write a good sentence. And most of them, like the best you could hope for, is if it was written in a very serious inspirational tone. And I would often feel exhausted after reading it, like, “Oh, I really want to be a writer, but oh man. I just feel so much pressure from ” Even the inspirational stuff just made me feel like failing at being what that person wanted me to be. So I wanted to write these essays that are very funny and lighthearted that still give that information and a little more motivational oomph. But also, patrons will be able to get excerpts of whatever I’m working on that month. So for example, I just released on the feed today, the first chapter of a book I’m working on that’s so secret, it hasn’t even been announced yet, and I can’t even tell you the title. The patrons know the title now and they can see the first chapter. Kelton Reid: Oh, that’s cool. Catherynne Valente: We haven’t even told anyone it exists yet. So a lot of really exclusive material will be available through the Patreon, as well as teaching people what I have learned after 13 years in the industry. So it’s a little bit of me, it’s a little bit of everyone else, and hopefully we can make mad science together. Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. I’m kind of imagining it being like the opposite of the James Patterson Teaches Writing MasterClass where he looks so serious and like, you know, these closeups of his forehead and … Catherynne Valente: Yeah, no, I’ll have bangs so you don’t see any of my forehead. But, I mean, writing is a serious business and it can be incredibly stressful, so I think that making it a fun as possible is the way to get things done. Because if you feel great pressure of creating literature for the ages, and then running a small business, which is what writing is. It’s really hard to come home from work at the end of the day and start up that mountain. Previews of Her Three Wildly Different Upcoming Projects Kelton Reid: For sure, for sure. Well, that’s great. We’ll definitely link to that and point listeners at that one. So you hinted at some secret stuff coming up, but I understand that you have three books coming out this year. Catherynne Valente: I do. They could not be more different, either. So in June, June 7th, The Refrigerator Monologues is coming out. Which is, I like to describe it as, “The vagina monologues for super heroes’ girlfriends.” So it basically takes these tropes of the girl in a refrigerator, which was coined by Gail Simone to describe all of these women in superhero comics who are murdered or maimed and raped and driven crazy and lose their powers, in order to further the plot line of the male hero, rather than that being important because it happened to them. So because I don’t have the right to Gwen Stacy or Harley Quinn or, you know, any of the characters that had this happen to them in comics, I had to just go ahead and create a completely cohesive, superhero cinematic universe of my own. No problem. And so, if you are a big comic book fan, you will have a thousand Easter eggs in this book and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you’re not, they all stand alone. There’s a beautiful comic for each section done by Annie Wu, who’s an amazing comic artist, and I’m so, so excited for it. It’s so different than anything else I’ve ever done. I think I’ve dropped more F-bombs than I ever have in a book before. So I really hope people like that. I also have Mass Effect: Annihilation coming out. I have done a Mass Effect tie in book for the new game, Andromeda, that’s coming out in March. The book’s not coming out in March. The book’s coming out later in the year. And The Glass Town Game is coming out September 5th, which is my next middle grade book. And that one I describe as the Brontë children go to Narnia, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë, Ann Brontë, and their brother Branwell. When they were little kids, before they became these famous writers, when they were little kids they were just like any other geeky kids that you know now, and they made this fantasy world that they kind of LARPed, RPGed. They created this world that’s build out of a child’s understanding of British politics and the Napoleonic Wars and Yorkshire fairytales and all of this crazy stuff. And they wrote in world magazines that were published by their characters. It’s incredible. We still have a great deal of it. And there’s just so much there. The idea of The Glass Town Game, Glass Town is the name of this world, is that they actually went there, that it’s a real place that they actually visited as children. That’ll be coming out in September. Kelton Reid: I love that. So you haven’t been very busy. Catherynne Valente: No, not at all, no. Mostly just sitting back and eating chips. The Umbrella Cover Museum that Doubles as Her Office Kelton Reid: All right, well I’m sure that listeners are eager to hear about your day to day productivity. So how much time, per day, are you getting ready to get into the mode or researching stuff before you start to write? Catherynne Valente: It really depends on whether I’m on deadline or not. I’m on a pretty tight deadline right now, so I will say it does take me quite a while to sort of get into the space. I live on a spooky island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. So I have my house, but my house is filled with animals and a partner and a million distractions. So there’s this place, I’m pointing, you can’t see ’cause it’s a podcast, that I’m pointing towards it, out my window, but down by the waterfront on the island is this little tiny building which, during the summer, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is an Umbrella Cover Museum, or The Umbrella Cover Museum. It’s a museum for the little sacks that your umbrellas come in that you lose immediately and they all end up here in Maine. But she doesn’t live here. She just lives here in the summer, so for the rest of the year it’s my office. So I go down there, and usually I go down to my office and I spend at least an hour making myself coffee, poking around in my notes, posting to Twitter, and then I sort of ease into work. So it usually takes me an hour or so to get into the right space. On a deadline I’ll be down there every day. But when I don’t have a severe deadline, it’s pretty important for me, in my creative process, to have fallow periods where I’m not pumping out word counts everyday. So, I need to be reading other people’s books, I need to be watching new shows and movies and things like that. I never know how that kind of stuff is gonna feed in. That super secret project I was talking about, I ended up binge watching a bunch of British comedy panel shows, and it actually ended up helping me get into the right voice for this project in a huge way without ever meaning to. I just really like British panel comedy shows. And all that stuff is really important, so I don’t take the dictum of, “You must write every day,” completely seriously. For a creative mind, especially if you’re somebody who works on a lot of projects at once, like I do, I think that the time that you’re not working can be as valuable, as far as getting the juices flowing, as the time that you are working. Kelton Reid: Yeah, for sure. That creative process obviously involves those important steps of putting information out Putting information in, excuse me, the preparation and incubation phase, and then you kinda have the elimination and you sit down and you spit it out. Catherynne Valente: You are what you eat. Kelton Reid: Thank you so much for joining us for this half of a tour of the writer’s process. If you enjoy The Writer Files, please subscribe to the show and leave us a rating or a review on Apple Podcasts to help other writers find us. And for more episodes or just to leave a comment or a question you can always drop by WriterFiles.FM and chat with me on Twitter at @KeltonReid. Cheers. Talk to you next week.

Hidden Figures tells the story of three brilliant African-American women mathematicians working at NASA during the early years of the Space programme. Science expert Sue Nelson reviews the film which stars Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Dirty Dancing, the coming-of-age film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, set in the 1960s, about a wide-eyed teen on a family holiday who discovers a forbidden underworld of sexy dancing. The film's writer Eleanor Bergstein explains how she drew on her own experiences as a teen, but also reflected the politics of the time.To celebrate the bicentenary of Branwell Brontë, the brother overshadowed by his more talented sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - the poet Simon Armitage discusses a new exhibition he has curated at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, and a new series of poems he has written inspired by some of Branwell's possessions.A new production of Othello at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol aims to emphasise Othello as an Islamic convert to Christianity rather than focusing solely on the race dimension to the play. Writer and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and historian Jerry Brotton discuss the impact this has on how we understand the text.Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Writer Sally Wainwright and actors Chloe Pirrie, Finn Atkins and Charlie Murphy discuss the making of the one-off BBC drama. To Walk Invisible follows the remarkable Brontë sisters who came from obscurity to create some of the best-known novels in the English language. The drama revolves around the three sisters’ increasingly difficult relationship with their brother Branwell, who in the last three years of his life sank into alcoholism and drug addiction.

On her latest album Jubilo, Alison Balsom plays two incarnations of the trumpet: the natural trumpet - ascendant during the Baroque period of the 17th and 18th centuries - and the 19th century creation that is the modern trumpet. She discusses the appeal of both instruments and what they've brought to the album. Screenwriter Sally Wainwright made her name with award-winning contemporary dramas such as Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax. She's now written and directed her first period TV drama, To Walk Invisible, an exploration of the lives of the Brontës during the tumultuous years when the four siblings - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne - were at home with their father Patrick. Critic and historian Kathryn Hughes reviews.The big show for Christmas at the National Theatre this year is Peter Pan which features a lot of aerial action. Front Row goes behind-the-scenes to find out how the flying is done.Still looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? Danuta Kean makes her selection this year's 'beautiful books'.Presenter John Wilson Producer Jerome Weatherald.

This week on StoryWeb: Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights. Ooh! Heathcliff! That’s who I think of when I think of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights. Sure, there’s Catherine and Nelly Dean and the moors and the intricately layered story within a story, but for me, it is all about Heathcliff, the quintessential dark, brooding, fiery, untamed Romantic hero. We know we shouldn’t be drawn to the rough-and-tumble Heathcliff. But, oh, how can we can help it? I love the novel’s opening – as Mr. Lockwood, Heathcliff’s new tenant at the lofty estate Thrushcross Grange, recounts his “welcome” by Heathcliff and his hearth-side dogs, surlier even than their master. This scene is quickly followed by Lockwood’s haunting night spent at Wuthering Heights – the nightmares to which he succumbs, the tree branch banging incessantly against the window, the ghostly appearance of Catherine. If those scenes don’t draw you into a novel, you might as well give up, dear reader. In a way, I guess you could say Wuthering Heights is a ghost story – for certainly Catherine haunts Heathcliff throughout the novel. Indeed, it is a spooky but thoroughly compelling experience to read Wuthering Heights, drawn in as we are by the Lockwood’s mysterious visits to Wuthering Heights. As Nelly (the very definition of an “unreliable narrator”) begins to weave her yarn for Lockwood, we’re drawn in further still, yearning to know who Catherine Earnshaw is, to unlock the puzzle of the forbidding Heathcliff. I first read Wuthering Heights when I was in junior high. It was one of the classics my mother and I read together one summer. I’d read a book first – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, her sister’s Wuthering Heights – and when I had finished, my mother would take her turn. At that young age and at that first reading, I fell for Nelly’s version of events – hook, line, and sinker. It wasn’t until I read the novel again (and again) and began to really study it that I discovered just how untrustworthy Nelly was, how she was not just an innocent bystander to Catherine and Heathcliff’s doomed romance but perhaps the cause of the bitter outcome. Perhaps if Nelly had not played the role she did, Catherine and Heathcliff – those ill-fated lovers – would have fulfilled their love. But then we wouldn’t have Wuthering Heights, would we? Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë’s only novel, published under the pseudonym “Ellis Bell.” Brontë died the following year at age thirty from tuberculosis. After she died, her sister Charlotte edited Wuthering Heights and had a second edition published in 1850. The novel sparked strong reactions from nineteenth-century readers. The English poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti called it “A fiend of a book – an incredible monster. . . . The action is laid in hell, – only it seems places and people have English names there.” The book is indeed fiendish, from its brooding hero and vexing heroine to the wild moors they call home. When the novel opens and Lockwood visits Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights and encounters the wild curs, it’s as if he is face to face with Cerberus, the hound of Hades. What an introduction to Wuthering Heights – the place and the novel! You can read Wuthering Heights online at Project Gutenberg, but you’ll definitely want to have a hard copy of this marvelous, enduring novel. As you read, it can help to consult a family tree, a relationships map, or a timeline. Want to know more about Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, and the Yorkshire moors? Check out Mental Floss’s “10 Things You May Not Know about ‘Wuthering Heights.’” For links to numerous scholarly resources on Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights, visit The Victorian Web. For more on Emily Brontë and her family, read the StoryWeb post on her sister’s novel Jane Eyre. You’ll definitely understand why their brother, Branwell, has often been said to be the inspiration for Hindley Earnshaw, Catherine’s older brother. And finally, you’ll want to visit the moors. When Emily Brontë died just a year after Wuthering Heights’ first publication, she thought the book had been a failure. Little could she have known that it would go on to become one of the best-known and, unlikely as it seems given its haunting, “fiendish” qualities, one of the most beloved novels in the English language. Long live Heathcliff! For links to all these resources, visit thestoryweb.com/emilybronte. Listen now as I read Chapter I of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.   1801.—I have just returned from a visit to my landlord—the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.  This is certainly a beautiful country!  In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society.  A perfect misanthropist’s heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us.  A capital fellow!  He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name. ‘Mr. Heathcliff?’ I said. A nod was the answer. ‘Mr. Lockwood, your new tenant, sir.  I do myself the honour of calling as soon as possible after my arrival, to express the hope that I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation of Thrushcross Grange: I heard yesterday you had had some thoughts—’ ‘Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,’ he interrupted, wincing.  ‘I should not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it—walk in!’ The ‘walk in’ was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the sentiment, ‘Go to the Deuce:’ even the gate over which he leant manifested no sympathising movement to the words; and I think that circumstance determined me to accept the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than myself. When he saw my horse’s breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did put out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway, calling, as we entered the court,—‘Joseph, take Mr. Lockwood’s horse; and bring up some wine.’ ‘Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,’ was the reflection suggested by this compound order.  ‘No wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the only hedge-cutters.’ Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.  ‘The Lord help us!’ he soliloquised in an undertone of peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse: looking, meantime, in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner, and his pious ejaculation had no reference to my unexpected advent. Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff’s dwelling.  ‘Wuthering’ being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather.  Pure, bracing ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed: one may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun.  Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting stones. Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal door; above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the date ‘1500,’ and the name ‘Hareton Earnshaw.’  I would have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the place from the surly owner; but his attitude at the door appeared to demand my speedy entrance, or complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate his impatience previous to inspecting the penetralium. One stop brought us into the family sitting-room, without any introductory lobby or passage: they call it here ‘the house’ pre-eminently.  It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter: at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary utensils, deep within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or baking, about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and tin cullenders on the walls.  One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof.  The latter had never been under-drawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it.  Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three gaudily-painted canisters disposed along its ledge.  The floor was of smooth, white stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green: one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade.  In an arch under the dresser reposed a huge, liver-coloured bitch pointer, surrounded by a swarm of squealing puppies; and other dogs haunted other recesses. The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer, with a stubborn countenance, and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee-breeches and gaiters.  Such an individual seated in his arm-chair, his mug of ale frothing on the round table before him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among these hills, if you go at the right time after dinner.  But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living.  He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.  Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride; I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort: I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling—to manifestations of mutual kindliness.  He’ll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again.  No, I’m running on too fast: I bestow my own attributes over-liberally on him.  Mr. Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar reasons for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance, to those which actuate me.  Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar: my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home; and only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one. While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea-coast, I was thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me.  I ‘never told my love’ vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed I was over head and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return—the sweetest of all imaginable looks.  And what did I do?  I confess it with shame—shrunk icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired colder and farther; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded her mamma to decamp.  By this curious turn of disposition I have gained the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can appreciate. I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards which my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth watering for a snatch.  My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl. ‘You’d better let the dog alone,’ growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot.  ‘She’s not accustomed to be spoiled—not kept for a pet.’  Then, striding to a side door, he shouted again, ‘Joseph!’ Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave no intimation of ascending; so his master dived down to him, leaving me vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch and a pair of grim shaggy sheep-dogs, who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements.  Not anxious to come in contact with their fangs, I sat still; but, imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio, and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated madam, that she suddenly broke into a fury and leapt on my knees.  I flung her back, and hastened to interpose the table between us.  This proceeding aroused the whole hive: half-a-dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes and ages, issued from hidden dens to the common centre.  I felt my heels and coat-laps peculiar subjects of assault; and parrying off the larger combatants as effectually as I could with the poker, I was constrained to demand, aloud, assistance from some of the household in re-establishing peace. Mr. Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious phlegm: I don’t think they moved one second faster than usual, though the hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping.  Happily, an inhabitant of the kitchen made more despatch: a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing a frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene. ‘What the devil is the matter?’ he asked, eyeing me in a manner that I could ill endure, after this inhospitable treatment. ‘What the devil, indeed!’ I muttered.  ‘The herd of possessed swine could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir.  You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!’ ‘They won’t meddle with persons who touch nothing,’ he remarked, putting the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table.  ‘The dogs do right to be vigilant.  Take a glass of wine?’ ‘No, thank you.’ ‘Not bitten, are you?’ ‘If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.’  Heathcliff’s countenance relaxed into a grin. ‘Come, come,’ he said, ‘you are flurried, Mr. Lockwood.  Here, take a little wine.  Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them.  Your health, sir?’ I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs; besides, I felt loth to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense; since his humour took that turn.  He—probably swayed by prudential consideration of the folly of offending a good tenant—relaxed a little in the laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs, and introduced what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me,—a discourse on the advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement.  I found him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and before I went home, I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit to-morrow.  He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion.  I shall go, notwithstanding.  It is astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.    

Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Chapter 17. Our reader, continues to rock Jane Eyre for us! You can take a look at how good, old school  looks, take a gander at the  that had the cool dress, read up on the  coolness or get some more dirt on (I'd say "poor guy" but I don't think he was...) If the CraftLit iTunes feed ever goes down, please head over to the . Our Sponsors: Wouldn't you love to listen to a fabulous reading of Stephen Greenblatt's ?  makes it happen. (And here you can read an .)   February Incentive - comment on any February show notes--saying something about the book or spinning--to be put into the running, and I'll use a random number generator to pick the lucky winner. by Sarah Anderson Here's a link to . Incentive donated by .   General Newsy Bits: Please support this indiegogo project: . This documentary will explore why death in childbirth rates in the USA have doubled in the past decade and what can be done. Some Shakespeare fun: a youtube video, , and a . Need more Shakespeare? Visit the cure for boring Shakespeare. If you want to subscribe to support the show, you can and discover the simplicity of listening to CraftLit on-the-go on your iPhone/iTouch/Android for free. Can't get enough Canterbury? should hold you until the next premium episode. Please feel free to join our (I'm still plugging along, please feel free to join now!). —this time in color!—is available for pre-order! book talk starts at 11:40 min, .