Podcast appearances and mentions of harriet smith

My colleague Oliver Traldi recently published an essay called ‘Jane Austen's Virtuous Liberalism'. It's a very nice discussion of the ways in which Austen understand the challenges of character formation.Virtue, as Austen sees it, faces two tough challenges. First, people whose characters are not yet formed must see how to be virtuous rather than vicious. Then, the virtuous must somehow find a way to succeed in their struggles against the vicious without adopting vicious means.In this episode, Oliver and I discussed Austen's ideas of virtue, what that has to do with liberalism, the relationship between philosophy and literature more broadly, as well as poetry and ideas about the Great Books. We also talked about the Keira Knightly Pride and Prejudice. Yes, we both liked it. Here is why Oliver thinks Jane Austen is so popular among philosophers.TRALDI: And so I do think that even though she's not making arguments, she's not laying out philosophical theories, there is a level of precision in her thinking about virtue, which I do think is something that it took me a little aback.And I think it's part of why—one person who quote-tweeted my article was Daniel Kodsi, who's a friend of our colleague John Maier and his coauthor often. And he runs this magazine called The Philosophers' Magazine, which I had written before. And Daniel quote-tweeted my article with something like, “Add Oliver to the list of all the philosophers who love Austen.”OLIVER: And it's a long list.TRALDI: And I think it's a long list. And I do think this precision is part of it that she does, that it is—again, it's not like a philosophy journal article, but it is an intellectual sophistication that is often not present in novelists that we really appreciate.And here is an extract about Austen, Smith, and the wonderfully fertile period at the end of the eighteen century.TRALDI: But yes, I think it's obvious—without knowing the background, I'm sure there are scholarly questions about, how much Smith did Austen read? And they're both 250th—a lot was happening in 1775 and 1776.OLIVER: Those were great years. Those were the good old days.TRALDI: They were great years. In the great books syllabus, you get to the end of the 1700s and suddenly there's this—you have Smith, you have Kant, you have the American Revolution, you have the French Revolution, you have Burke. Rousseau is right before, Montesquieu is right before. I mean, it was a real—OLIVER: It's a great time.TRALDI: It was a great time. A lot was being done. And obviously, you know, I love the 1800s. I love the Romantics. But you could teach a whole great books course from 1750 to 1800, probably.OLIVER: You've also got all the dictionaries and all that kind of work going on as well. It's a very, very fertile—explorations.TRALDI: Yes, yes. There's all sorts of—yes, it was an amazing time.OLIVER: So did you, having read these two, Austen and Smith, close together—TRALDI: Yes, and I should say that my reading of Austen was much more careful than my reading of Smith.OLIVER: Sure, but you wrote this before you read Smith.TRALDI: Yes, absolutely.OLIVER: Or at least you fully conceived it. Do you see a lot of Smith in Austen?TRALDI: “A lot” might be—This was my favourite bit.TRALDI: Yes. But this is one of the great—I know we talked about this, but it's one of the great—you see this in Smith, you see this in Austen—commerce has its own virtues, and they are very traditional virtues. You have to be trustworthy. You have to be pleasant. You can't really be wholly self-interested in every moment because people have to be willing to deal with you given your—I mean, think about Yelp reviews or even just word of mouth. “Oh, that person screwed me over.”OLIVER: There's a discussion in one of Hayek's papers, which is—it's a very Smithian point he makes about, the nature of the knowledge problem means that it's not so much that I'm trying to get information about the thing you're trying to sell me, but I'm really trying to get information about you and whether you are someone I should be buying from. Which is exactly the project that the novelists and Smith—there's a sort of period between Smith and the early novelists, running through Austen to George Eliot, when they're all working on that problem together.TRALDI: Yes. I do think in Austen, it's often—the real puzzle is, how do you make out somebody else's character?OLIVER: Exactly.TRALDI: This is a phrase that Lizzy Bennet does use with regard to Darcy. And how do we actually figure out who the trustworthy and untrustworthy people are?OLIVER: And if you're too philosophical about that, in the sort of analytic sense, I think you can end up not paying enough attention to the particulars of that question.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: Because when you actually try and do it, it's really, really hard.TRALDI: Yes. And I think this is the sort of—reading Austen, you get a sense of—and there are very few philosophy papers on things like this. Reading Austen, you get a sense of, what sorts of details in a normal life are the ones that I can extract information from to make out somebody else's character?Oliver is an analytical, political philosopher. You can find out more about his work here. Here he is on Twitter. His Substack is orting. You can watch the episode on YouTube here.TranscriptHENRY OLIVER: Today I am talking to Oliver Traldi. Oliver is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Toledo in Ohio. He is my colleague on the Emerging Scholars Program at the Mercatus Center, and he's written a book about political beliefs as well as many other articles for magazines, online.He's got a Substack. He's maybe the most prominent political and epistemological young philosopher of his generation. [laughter] But most importantly for us, he is interested in Jane Austen and the idea of virtue. Oliver, welcome.OLIVER TRALDI: Thank you so much for having me.Reading Austen as a PhilosopherOLIVER: Let's just start—before we get to this article you've written, tell me about being a philosopher but reading Jane Austen, because she's often read and commented on by people who are not philosophers or who are only philosophers by acquaintance or whatever.TRALDI: Right.OLIVER: Is it different reading as a philosopher, do you think?TRALDI: I think yes and no. One thing as a philosopher, there are—contemporary philosophy, we have very exacting standards of rigor and clarity. And when we look for a theory, we want something that's been improved by hundreds of people and thousands of journal articles.And so, if you were to simply extract a theory of virtue from a novel and say, “Does this—is this the end-all, be-all of moral thinking?” obviously you're going to be disappointed. So I think as a philosopher, you have to look for other types of things, other types of sensitivities rather than logical sensitivity.You have to say, how sensitive is the author to the different types of situations where people's virtue can be exhibited or challenged? Or how sensitive is the author to the different types of pressures that a character's convictions can be put under, or the different sorts of compromises that they might have to make, or the different sorts of people who might not be virtuous who they might have to interact with and sort of, you know, contract with or avoid? And what are going to be the impacts of different kinds of choices in those situations?So the novelists, I think, tend—if they do it well, a novelist who's interested in morality will understand living morally probably better than a philosopher, while maybe not understanding, say, arguments about whether morality supervenes on reality or vice versa, or what grounds morality, or different theories of meta-ethics or whatever.OLIVER: I mean, there are obviously some novelists who do have a better appreciation of those things than others, we should say.TRALDI: Yes, I think that's absolutely true. And as I wrote in my article, I do think Austen in particular had an appreciation for this issue that you might call moral disarming or unilateral disarming. You know, does the moral person put themselves at a disadvantage relative to the immoral person? And then how do we actually help—how does morality survive?So that's a kind of philosophical question, but I tend to think—I taught last year—I think we've talked about this a bit. I taught in a great books program at Tulsa.OLIVER: This is the Jennifer Frey program.TRALDI: This is the ill-fated Jennifer Frey program. Jennifer—I don't know if you've met her, but she's an incredibly charismatic person. But somehow the program, despite being enormously successful, did not survive. You know, I was there for a year, and they decided that was long enough.OLIVER: [laughs] You don't think your arrival was the—TRALDI: No, no. I hope not. I most certainly hope not.OLIVER: No. General problems of higher education prevailed. Yes.TRALDI: Yes, many, many problems of higher education these days. But yes, so I think—what was I saying?OLIVER: Well, I think we're getting to this question of, you are not just a philosopher; you teach the great books.TRALDI: Right, exactly. The great books. That's where I was. Yes.Philosophy and the Great BooksOLIVER: So, one thing I'm interested in is that, you know, reading as a philosopher, you get a slightly different perspective on Austen. When you read other fiction, poetry, whatever, is there a benefit to you as a philosopher? Does it broaden you in some way?TRALDI: Yes. I think absolutely, it's broadening, but it's also focusing in a different way. You know, contemporary philosophy is often described or captured with the word epicycles. So what we mean when we say epicycles is, you have some major theory, which is supposed to answer some big question. And then your career as a philosopher—you're like three layers deep in the theory, in some sub-debate, and you're making some really fine-grained distinctions.And if you can make those distinctions successfully, you've had a really great career. But I think it's easy to forget, why are we doing—you know, what attracted us to philosophy? Why are we doing this to begin with?And the great novels, great books in general—one example I always use is the Book of Job. It doesn't really—it's not doing clear philosophy on the question of why do bad things happen to good people. But when you read it, you feel the question, why do bad things happen to good people? You get it, you know? You get why this is a question that people have worried about for thousands of years. You get why it calls out for an answer.You know, there's a lot of truth out there. I'm looking at a set of coat hangers, and I could count the coat hangers. But if you were given the decision, would I rather have an answer to how many coat hangers are across the room from me, or why do bad things happen to good people? You'd probably go with the latter one. There's somehow some kind of depth or importance to that question, right?And I think there's—a great novelist can often generate some vividity to these questions. They can show how these questions are part of a good life, asking these questions, trying to have these questions answered—or a not-so-good life.Certainly in Austen there are a lot of characters who learn to be more virtuous. Probably Emma is the clearest example. But you might also think of Marianne Dashwood. Really—OLIVER: Lizzy Bennet.TRALDI: Lizzy Bennet really learns to be a better person. I actually think her character is rather close to Emma in a lot of ways.OLIVER: Yes, I think Emma's sort of a clear rewrite of Lizzy in some—yes, yes.TRALDI: Yes, and in some ways more evocative, actually. Yes. I mean, we can talk about all these books. But yes, I think there's these things, even—obviously qua literature, they have other virtues, right? Which much philosophy doesn't have; very little philosophy has the literary virtues.But the philosophical virtue that a lot of literature does have is you see, okay, these are the—this is what a life is like. This is what making choices is like. These are the big questions when you decide how to live your life and what kinds of choices to make.And I think Austen—these questions are all through Austen, even though nobody has to murder anybody in Austen. Nobody has to make decisions about war and peace or about, you know, civilizational decline or civilizational progress or anything like that. These people making these small choices in a lot of ways. But those are the lives that most of us lead. And when you read Austen, you think, “Oh, okay, there's a virtuous and a vicious way to lead this kind of rather normal life.”The Good LifeOLIVER: The question of what is a good life, or what is a good life in a commercial society, maybe, is the sort of bedrock of what she's doing.TRALDI: Yes, I think so. And that's why I think Austen—you know, Austen wasn't on our syllabus at Tulsa, but she was certainly discussed. And the “what is a good life” question—to me, it's the big question that a great books program for college students should always come back to.If I didn't know what else to talk about, I would just say, “Well, we just read this book.” You know, we read these old biographies of Charlemagne from, like, Einhard—Notker the Stammerer and Einhard, his adopted son or whatever. I don't remember. But this is like 800s. I'm sure you know more about this stuff than I do.And I wasn't quite sure what to do with them because what do I know about Charlemagne? So I just said, “Does it seem like Charlemagne lived a good life?” And you know, you're off to the races. And I think that's important at that age, because that's the age at which—OLIVER: For the undergraduates?TRALDI: Yes. I think that's the age at which you're starting to make your own big decisions about what sort of life to lead. And I think for me, looking back to myself at that age, I think one thing I did wrong—at Tulsa I was in some ways as much a student as a teacher. I was rereading a lot of this stuff for the first time in decades. And some of it I was reading for the first time. As I told you, I was reading a lot of Austen for the first time for this essay.OLIVER: Right, right.TRALDI: And yes, it was stuff that I had thought about at a theoretical level, you know, like what are the ins and outs of this theory or this philosophical move or something like that. But you feel the question a bit differently when you're like, “Okay, I'm an adult. I have to decide whether to live in this way or that way.”The world is open to you. You could convert to Thomism [laughter] like so many have tried to have me do, or you could become a merchant after reading The Wealth of Nations. Or you could become a revolutionary after reading Marx, or you could become a Nietzschean. You know, there are all these choices open to you.OLIVER: Please don't become a Nietzchean.TRALDI: No, no. That is, I'm a—OLIVER: Keep your children out of school if that's going to be the result. [laughs]TRALDI: Yes. I'm a committed moralist, so I cannot, but he is—he made a comeback, that's for sure.Philosophy and PoetryOLIVER: Now, there's this obviously sort of long-running question in philosophy about, what is the relationship between philosophy and poetry? Are they antagonists, or are they in some way, you know, twins, and each provides one half of what is needed for a complete way of understanding the world? Do you have a position on this?TRALDI: Yes, I mean, I think they're what the kids call twinning.OLIVER: Twinning? [laughs]TRALDI: I think they're twinning. No, no, I think that means something different. I think that means when you're wearing the same outfit or something like that.OLIVER: So we're almost twinning with our stripes—yes, I see.TRALDI: We're almost. We actually—we are stripes and blue. Yes, we're closer than I would've expected.I would say closer to twins. There are a lot of claims that philosophy is at odds somehow with this or that. There's also this—certain people will say, “Well, ever since Socrates, philosophy has been at odds with politics.” And a big part of philosophy is, how do you survive? Well, I don't know. Nobody's trying to kill me. I think of myself as a decently committed philosopher.OLIVER: It seems to me this changed fundamentally in the Enlightenment and with the Romantics, and they see it all much more joined up. It's a sort of ancient-and-modern dynamic.TRALDI: Yes, there may be an ancient-and-modern distinction there. But yes, for me I don't see any kind of contradiction. Now, there are—and I think this comes out of what I said before—philosophical attempts to understand poetry. And certain kinds of literary and aesthetic devices do sometimes fall a little flat.The philosophical literature on metaphor, for instance—I think some theories of metaphor really don't get why people use metaphors. [laughter] So one of the most important theories of metaphor is that they're all just false, that it's like everybody who uses a metaphor is lying. This isn't the full theory. There are bells and whistles added.OLIVER: Sure, sure.TRALDI: But yes, so I think there's no contradiction. But at the same time, they are different modes in some ways, and people who do the one are often trying to do something different than the other.I do think that the desire for rigor and precision and clarity that philosophers have can be a little maddening to nonphilosophers, who see the pull of philosophical questions like, “What sort of life I should lead?” and then see, what do philosophers actually do?And we're doing all this modal logic and all these truth tables and all this very technical stuff that looks like math. And they say, “That can't possibly be the right way to think about how to live.” And it's true that there are these studies of—that suggest ethicists aren't actually very good people and things like that, although you have to wonder what is the background ethical theory that went into evaluating them.So yes, I don't think there's really a contradiction between philosophy and anything else. But certainly, there was a point in my life where I always come back to trying to write poetry and do poorly and then stop. But it was always something where I would say, “Okay, if I'm doing philosophy in the afternoon, I better wait till the evening to write poetry.” You have to sort of reboot and get into a different mode.OLIVER: Iris Murdoch used to write philosophy in the morning and novels in the afternoon. That kind of thing.TRALDI: Yes, I think that's very sensible.OLIVER: And she was upstairs for the one and downstairs for the other.TRALDI: Yes. That's even better, you know?Favorite PoetsOLIVER: Which poets do you like?TRALDI: Geez, I guess for an American, I like Wallace Stevens. I wasn't expecting this question. For a Brit, you know, I actually like Philip Larkin a lot.OLIVER: Oh, yes?TRALDI: I know—what is the opinion of Larkin? Is he considered—OLIVER: Very high.TRALDI: Very high? Okay.OLIVER: Some—there are some dissenters, but basically he's the guy.TRALDI: He's the guy, okay. Yes.OLIVER: Twentieth-century English poetry is like Auden, Larkin, Betjeman.TRALDI: Yes, Auden is—actually, my friend Jane Cooper just wrote something about Auden.OLIVER: Yes, Jane is excellent.TRALDI: Yes, Jane is really great.OLIVER: That was in the New Statesman if you want to look it up.TRALDI: That was in the New Statesman. Yes, yes, yes. But Auden, I don't know quite as well.I mean, poetry is—I think it's interesting the way that we receive poetry now. I think you were talking about this a few days ago, about things like poems appearing as inspirational quotes on social media or something like that, and whoever is the most quotable. And you felt like maybe Dostoevsky is very quotable.OLIVER: Dostoevsky has a sort of screenshot quality.TRALDI: Yes, yes.OLIVER: As does Martin Amis.TRALDI: Yes. So I—OLIVER: Whereas Philip Larkin in a funny way—you know, he has very short poems. You can get the whole poem on Twitter. Like, Robert Frost has that. But something like “The Whitsun Weddings,” it's quite hard to just take three lines out. The whole thing works as a—and that, so that poem gets less—TRALDI: Yes. Which is what you would expect from a good poem, really, that it would form a kind of whole.OLIVER: Exactly. If it's a three-page ode, it should have a continuous quality.TRALDI: Yes, it should have a kind of internal structure. Yes.OLIVER: There are some one-line things and—but I think it's notable that a poet like Wordsworth doesn't seem to get a lot of social media play. And I think probably that's one reason.TRALDI: So yes, I think Larkin is somebody who, I did see some shorter references to him, and I thought I'd better just go and look up a ton of poems by this guy. And Stevens was the same way.Death and Philip LarkinOLIVER: So, which Larkin do you like?TRALDI: You're really putting me on the spot here. [laughter] It has been a little while.OLIVER: I lied to you and said it would be about Jane Austen.TRALDI: Yes, now I'm completely screwed. Well, he has a bunch about death. He has one where death is a ship following you. And he has one where death is, like, a fruit that gets picked or something.OLIVER: Apple?TRALDI: Might be an apple.OLIVER: He decides not to throw the apple.TRALDI: There's one with sweetbreads in it. And now I'm really—OLIVER: The ship one, “Next, Please”—that's excellent.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: He sees the—it's like hearing the music coming, and then the ship.TRALDI: I forgot that that was the title. I forgot that that was the title.OLIVER: And then as the ship goes past, it leaves nothing in its wake. It's very sort of—very gloomy.TRALDI: It's very gloomy, yes. I think I read Larkin in a gloomy phase; it was like Larkin and Radiohead or something.OLIVER: But he's a good example of what you were saying before, that he won't think propositionally. He's logical in the sense that he's sort of orderly, and he goes from one thing to the next. But he's not being a philosopher.TRALDI: No, of course. Yes.OLIVER: But he's very preoccupied with the sorts of questions that philosophers are probing, but has a sort of very meaningful treatment of them.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: And I think in a way, the sharp response that you want from the reader in those questions, Larkin is better at provoking than someone like Bertrand Russell or some other contemporary of his.TRALDI: Yes, yes.OLIVER: Bertrand Russell's a bit earlier, but you know what I mean.TRALDI: No, I think that's exactly right. And I think that is why I'm a fan of the great books pedagogically and not—I don't know if Larkin will be called a great, you know, like, who knows? I don't really understand that designation, but tings like poetry and novels.OLIVER: The biggest dissenter was Harold Bloom, who said Philip Larkin's just a period piece. And he doesn't understand why everyone likes him.TRALDI: Oh, yes, well, I'm not on board with everything. Oh, I've also been—OLIVER: No, you're not very Bloomian.TRALDI: I'm not very Bloomian, I don't think.OLIVER: Either Allan or Harold.TRALDI: Yes. Well, I actually—this is very embarrassing, but I've actually never read The Closing of the American Mind, which I know is—OLIVER: But why should you? I'm not sure it's retained its—TRALDI: Well, it's certainly been received into my circle. But it is like a classic of anti-ideological—OLIVER: Sure. Have you read Adler, How to Read a Book, that kind of great books stuff?TRALDI: No. There's so many things that I haven't read. I mean, I'm just learning how to read. I learned how to read in Tulsa last year, [laughter] in Oklahoma, which is not where most people would go to learn how to read.Jane Austen and the Problem of MoralityOLIVER: So let's move to Jane Austen. Your thesis basically is, many moral theories face this problem that if I believe XYZ theory and you don't believe it, you can get the advantage of me. Because I'll always stick to my principles and you can just be a bad guy.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: So is morality screwed? This is what people say about liberalism. This is what you're arguing. And you think Jane Austen's got an answer to that?TRALDI: Yes, I think she has a kind of answer. And again, one decision I had to make while writing the essay was, am I going to go super—this is a completely philosophically rigorous and respectable answer? Or am I just going to kind of sketch it?OLIVER: Slum it in literary criticism? [laughter]TRALDI: Yes, I wouldn't put it quite that way, but—and I think I went for the latter, where I just wanted to kind of evoke the answer. And I think the answer has something to do with living in a large enough society where—and Austen I think is not the only person to give this answer. But you live in a large enough society where, when people see you acting well and somebody else acting poorly, the disadvantage that you have in that one interaction is outweighed by the advantages you have from the society that you gain from being seen to act well by many others.So one thing I didn't mention here, but a connection I made when I was first coming up with this idea, is that it's actually a lot like what Martin Luther King Jr. says about civil disobedience. So he says, you might think, if you're out there and the police are coming at you with bats, or the white supremacists are coming at you with bats or whatever, weapons or whatever, you might think, “I'm on the losing end of this interaction.”But actually what will happen is that this interaction will be seen by many others. And you, by keeping your calm, will be seen to be the virtuous one, and they, by being violent, will be seen to be the vicious ones. And this can only help your political cause. I'm probably abstracting some of the details of King's presentation.OLIVER: In a vulgar sense, this is the sort of “be the change you want to see” approach.TRALDI: Yes, but also, be the change you want other people to see. You know? Because that's how it gets saved from—and again, one of the ways in which this is not quite philosophically rigorous is because the philosopher can say, “Well, what about an example where nobody's going to see it? Or what about an example where the situation is set up that in doing the right thing, you're perceived to have done the wrong thing?” And you get back into tough problems. And that's why we have philosophy. You know, there's always going to be these puzzles.OLIVER: But we don't get the—I think this is what the novelists are helpful for. We don't get to set the conditions in our lives. You know, when you're doing a philosophical problem, you can just say, “Well, these are the conditions. What happens then?” And what Jane Austen is so good at is saying, “I'm going to take her and drop her in this house, and that's life. And she's just going to—she won't even know what the conditions are for a long time.” That's the novelist's preoccupation.TRALDI: Yes. Yes. It's interesting what you said about not even knowing what the conditions are. It's one thing I love, which is there in, I think, a lot of Austen—and it's done by a lot of my favorite novelists. I think Kazuo Ishiguro is really good at this. It's just novels where you see the characters' growing awareness of their circumstances and—OLIVER: Like in Klara and the Sun or something.TRALDI: Yes, or I think certainly in Never Let Me Go and in Remains of the Day, a lot of the action is in a situation where you understand what's going on better than the characters do.Clues and GamesTRALDI: And I think we talked about this the other day. In Austen, Emma, for example, is this sort of, like, halfway detective where she sees a lot of clues that could help her understand the nature of the life she's leading and the circumstances she's in, but she always misinterprets the clues. But on the other hand, it's not like she misses them entirely. She's kind of on the right track, and at least she's trying.OLIVER: And what I think Austen does so well in that book—I think it's her most important book—is that by putting us, without quite realizing it, with Emma's blinkers on, as it were, and only allowing our perspective to be her perspective, she makes us the detective.But whereas in a detective novel, you know, there's a funny little man and he is a detective, and he says, “Oh, there's a clue in this novel,” the read of—on the first read very often goes straight past what they must later realize to be a clue. And that is such a normal condition of life, that, “Oh, actually, that was one of the conditions, but you couldn't have known it. Sorry.” And you can only work it out in retrospect.TRALDI: Yes. In modern love, these are sometimes called red flags. [laughter] I think it's not quite a precise analogy, but yes, I think it's right. And I certainly—I had read Emma years ago and didn't really notice. As you say, on my first read, I didn't really notice, even having watched—I think it was the, what is it, the Kate Beckinsale version maybe, from ITV in like 1996 or something.It was really in reading it for this essay that I noticed that this feature that, starting on page 30 or 40 or so, there's a—and they're often in games. The clues are often in games. So very early on, Elton is playing some sort of poem game with Emma.OLIVER: The riddles, yes.TRALDI: The riddle game. And you know, Emma already misinterprets his riddles as being about Harriet rather than about her. But then there's also—the riddles also have some relation to things that happen much later.OLIVER: Then there's the anagram game at the end.TRALDI: There's the anagram game at the end. Yes, it's the—and I don't think there are many games like that in any of the other Austen.OLIVER: People play games, but we're not taken into them and have them narrated in that way.TRALDI: And they're not word games in general. There's card games and things like that. And you know, in Pride and Prejudice, Wickham has all these gambling debts and things like that.OLIVER: Yes.TRALDI: You know, in—I don't know if you know Whit Stillman, but for the same magazine a couple years ago I wrote about Whit Stillman, who's a sort of conservative filmmaker who's a huge Austen fan and brings in Austenian themes to a lot of his movies, but writes them about characters in the 1960s and '70s. And one of them was called The Last Days of Disco, for example, about—and some of the broader social themes he talks about are also there in Austen.So one thing that was just on the edges of my consciousness as I read through the novels for this essay was the question of the noble man versus the working man, which I think is very present in Austen and has something to do with her conception of virtue: that the virtuous person will be engaging in commerce in some way.OLIVER: Those moments of the noble and the virtuous man or whatever often take place in a shop, like the drapier in Emma or the jewelry shop in Sense and Sensibility.TRALDI: That's interesting. That's interesting.OLIVER: She's very careful to take us into a commercial situation and contrast.TRALDI: See, that is the sort of detail that I think a philosopher—I think we—the mere—the vibe of, “You're in a shop, and this means something.” I think this is something philosophers are—we can watch for the action; we can judge the characters' actions. But then there are these questions of atmosphere and milieu. And certain things happen in a shop; certain things happen at the seaside. In Persuasion there's an injury by the seaside.OLIVER: Yes. That's one of the most exciting scenes in Austen. Very dramatic.TRALDI: Yes, yes. I think actually Persuasion in some ways is quite different than her other books. It has a sort of—you know, in some ways it feels a little more like Frankenstein or Wuthering Heights at points. There's a little bit of a windblown, dark quality to it at times. It's a little bit bleaker. It's a little hard to explain why, but that's just a feeling that I had reading it that maybe had changed with some of the other literary tastes of the time.Artlessness in Austen's HeroinesOLIVER: Now, the quality that you focus on in the heroines, in this question of virtue defending itself against bad actors who break the rules, is artlessness.TRALDI: Yes. So this is a term Austen uses quite a bit, and almost always, she very much picks and chooses the characters who are going to receive this term. And I thought that this is like—it's not only her artless characters who face this question about how can morality survive, or how can virtue prevail, but I think they're the limit point.Like, if you really are unwilling to use—and I mentioned in the essay, when Darcy describes—I forget what; maybe it's him describing how he found Lydia and Wickham, or it's something to do with Wickham—he said, “I had to resort to arts.” So it must be, the “arts” back then means—one of the meanings of the term is dishonesty or subterfuge or something.OLIVER: Yes, if someone was artful, it could have—TRALDI: Yes, like the Artful Dodger.OLIVER: Exactly. Could have negative connotations for sure.TRALDI: Yes. And so the artless one, you know, they're missing something.So it's the question of, if you view—morality in a way means you're missing something, right? You've taken arts out of your arsenal. You've taken tools that could deal with certain situations, and you've just decided not to use them. So the question is, how can it be an advantage to have less tools?You know, we're here at Mercatus; the economists would tell you it's never advantageous to have fewer choices, right? There's no paradox of choice. It's never advantageous to have fewer choices. And so I think this is the—if morality is a kind of unilateral disarmament, artlessness is the clearest case of that.OLIVER: And you're seeing that in Fanny Price, Elinor—TRALDI: You see that in Fanny Price. You see that in Elinor. Harriet Smith is described as artless over and over again. And then there are these other characters who are described as artful, or other things that are mentioned as arts.I think Harriet, in a lot of ways, is the one who's most often described this way. And it's interesting because you think of Emma changing a lot in Emma, but Knightley actually shifts in his evaluation of Harriet, who he thought of as sort of an unserious person. And Knightley himself comes to recognize her artlessness as a kind of seriousness which makes her a good match, not ultimately for him, but for his dude, Robert.OLIVER: The farmer.TRALDI: The farmer, yes.OLIVER: He doesn't change his view of her social position, though.TRALDI: No, certainly not. But he does change his view of her character, basically. You know, her artlessness is not silliness. It has a sort of depth to it.And yes, certainly Fanny. In the Whit Stillman movie Metropolitan that's part of what set me on this, there's this whole discussion of the book Mansfield Park and this old Lionel Trilling essay about it where he says, how is it—there's this question about how modern people can even like Mansfield Park because we've sort of lost the notion of virtue being exciting or something.One of the most provocative lines to me in Austen was in Sense and Sensibility where it says that Elinor glories in Edward's integrity, which is an odd thing to glory in. You don't glory—nobody is on Instagram showing off their integrity, you know?OLIVER: It's like that René Gerard quote people like to pass around: “Everyone is on diet pills and nobody wants to be a saint.”TRALDI: I like that. That is very Instagrammable.OLIVER: Exactly. Exactly.TRALDI: That's very good, actually. I like that. Yes, so there's something provocative about the notion that virtue can be exciting, and in particular can be romantically exciting.The Importance of IntegrityOLIVER: Or even less than that. One thing I think is difficult for people interpreting Austen today is that virtue, whether it's exciting or romantically exciting, or the notion of integrity is of interest for its own sake.There's a lot of—you know, we have integrity as an organization. It's very important for me to have integrity as a professional. But there's not as much a sense of, just having integrity is the good life. We don't need to be complicated about this. That's just—you should just do that. And Austen's very firm on that all the way through.And criticism wants to pull her towards sometimes feminism, sometimes discussions of slavery, sometimes various other things. And she's just constantly sort of resisting that by saying, “I like integrity. I like good people. I don't think it's that hard.” It's a good line you've picked up on, I think.TRALDI: There's a character in The Wire who says, “A man's gotta have a code.” I think he's Omar, who murders the drug dealers and steals from them.OLIVER: I haven't seen it.TRALDI: So he says, “A man's gotta have a code.” And I think there is a—even in a character who in some ways is bad, we admire the integrity of having a code and sticking to it.There is this debate, I guess in moral philosophy, or at least on the outskirts of moral philosophy, about, “Well, if your code is wrong, maybe it's better not to stick to it.” I don't share that perspective. I think part of the good life is holding yourself to certain standards. And if those standards turn out to be wrong, the holding yourself is still of moral value, right? Not allowing yourself—OLIVER: It doesn't mean they're not adjustable.TRALDI: Yes, no, of course. If you decide the standards are wrong, and in Austen—OLIVER: It's sort of implicit in the idea of having standards that you will be honest and therefore accept when your standards need to be improved or whatever. Right?TRALDI: Yes, I think that's absolutely right. And in Austen we certainly see people shifting their standards. And I think one thing that I—of course, modern readers and watchers of Austen do not quite understand some of these things. But I think in Pride and Prejudice in particular, we're supposed to feel that Lizzy Bennet is quite hard on people and has to learn to improve herself in that way.OLIVER: We're delighted with her when she does that because we think it's sassy.TRALDI: Yes, exactly. If you go on YouTube, you can see all these, like, “Lizzy Bennet owning people's lives for 50 minutes,” these compilations of clips from the various movies or whatever. And she's obviously very, very clever.But she realizes—after coming to understand who Wickham is and feeling that she might not have another chance with Darcy, she comes to realize that she has had certain prejudices, which have made her blind to the realities of the world and blind to what might be her best options.So yes, I was saying I believe in integrity; that's all I was saying. And integrity obviously is adjustable, but I tend to think that it's better—even if the rule is wrong, it's better for the person who has it to hold themselves to it, rather than to adjust to try to get an advantage.And in philosophy, we have all sorts of terminology for these sorts of questions: “Are you an internalist or an externalist about reasons or about rules or whatever?” I think the more literary way to say it would just be that integrity is a virtue. And people should stick to their codes unless they see a good reason to change them.Austen and Adam SmithOLIVER: Now, you have recently been reading Adam Smith.TRALDI: Yes, I did read a lot of Adam Smith for this debate we had last week. Although I did a poor job because I had forgotten that the debate was about whether Smith was a philosopher or an economist. [laughter] I thought it was simply, is he a philosopher or not? So I put myself in the odd position of arguing that Adam Smith is not an economist.But yes, I think it's obvious—without knowing the background, I'm sure there are scholarly questions about, how much Smith did Austen read? And they're both 250th—a lot was happening in 1775 and 1776.OLIVER: Those were great years. Those were the good old days.TRALDI: They were great years. In the great books syllabus, you get to the end of the 1700s and suddenly there's this—you have Smith, you have Kant, you have the American Revolution, you have the French Revolution, you have Burke. Rousseau is right before, Montesquieu is right before. I mean, it was a real—OLIVER: It's a great time.TRALDI: It was a great time. A lot was being done. And obviously, you know, I love the 1800s. I love the Romantics. But you could teach a whole great books course from 1750 to 1800, probably.OLIVER: You've also got all the dictionaries and all that kind of work going on as well. It's a very, very fertile—explorations.TRALDI: Yes, yes. There's all sorts of—yes, it was an amazing time.OLIVER: So did you, having read these two, Austen and Smith, close together—TRALDI: Yes, and I should say that my reading of Austen was much more careful than my reading of Smith.OLIVER: Sure, but you wrote this before you read Smith.TRALDI: Yes, absolutely.OLIVER: Or at least you fully conceived it. Do you see a lot of Smith in Austen?TRALDI: “A lot” might be—OLIVER: Primarily from Theory of Moral Sentiments.TRALDI: So I would say that the notion of sympathy as being fundamentally part of how you recognize a good person seems to me to be there in Austen. The characters are—OLIVER: And this is the thing about awareness of other people and learning from that awareness.TRALDI: Awareness of other people and learning from other people and feeling other people's emotions. One thing that is related to sympathy in an odd way—and I think actually Austen and Smith conceive of it a bit differently, but that is there for both of them, in particular in Sense and Sensibility—is this notion of self-control or self-command.OLIVER: Self command. Yes. Yes.The Importance of Self-CommandTRALDI: Now, Smith gives a really odd argument about self command, which is that if you don't have control over your emotions, you will end up feeling or expressing something that other people can't sympathize with. And this is bad because sympathy is good, or something like that. I actually think it's a rather confused argument.OLIVER: I think what he's saying is that if you display a lack of self-command, then no matter what you are feeling, people find it difficult to deal with that sort of uncontrolled behavior. It's not the particular expression of feeling; it's the fact that you are a little unstable or—TRALDI: Yes, I think that's right.OLIVER: —a bit extra.TRALDI: I think what Smith doesn't do is explain quite how that's bad. But what I think is that actually, in Sense and Sensibility, it's a little bit the reverse, where actually Elinor and their mother, they do sympathize with Marianne. They do feel what she's feeling after—who's the other, the w guy in Sense and Sensibility? They're all w's.OLIVER: Oh, Willoughby.TRALDI: Willoughby, right, right. Not Wickham, Willoughby. When Willoughby—OLIVER: You can just say “the cad.”TRALDI: The cad. There's always a cad. So when the cad leaves, Marianne has all these emotions, and you really feel them. And Marianne also has a lack of self-command when Willoughby is there. There's this whole episode, which I didn't quite make the most of but felt very important, where they go to the house of this woman. They just sort of barge into this house, Willoughby and Marianne.And this is really supposed to show something about the relationship. If you and your partner barge into somebody's house, it can't be a good relationship somehow because it's leading you into bad actions. That's my sense of what that episode is supposed to show from the highest possible remove.OLIVER: I think, yes, and I think there are several other instances of that: when they ride in the carriage together, unaccompanied.TRALDI: Right, right.OLIVER: And there's a sort of general consternation about this. And Marianne sort of says, “Oh, well, how can it be a problem?” And they—part of the consternation is, you're breaking the rules in a very flagrant way, but also that you are assuming that it's okay because you'll get married. And this assumption is a very big one.TRALDI: Yes. And obviously there is this assumption that—she doesn't recognize quite how—she thinks her position is much more secure than it actually is, which is how it turns out in the book. But I think we're supposed to think that even if she were right about Willoughby's affection, which in a sense, she—Willoughby—OLIVER: No. Even if they do get married, she's broken the rules in a way that—TRALDI: She's broken certain rules in a way that is—but I think what's different from Smith is, there is sympathy from her family even though she lacks self-command. But that is precisely—so it's sort of a different theory of why self-command is good. It's precisely because her emotional state is actually draining for her family.And then Elinor says—when she learns that Elinor has actually been going through something—OLIVER: The same.TRALDI: —very similar, and maybe even rougher, in this whole thing with Lucy Steele telling her about this, you know, blah, blah, blah.OLIVER: Which is a beautiful name—to steal. I mean, it's great.TRALDI: It's an amazing—honestly, in some ways Sense and Sensibility may have been my favorite. I think it's just lovely.OLIVER: If I just wanted to just read one for fun, that's what I go to. I do, yes.TRALDI: Yes. And there's a lot—none of these things are quite perfectly in there. But I think honestly, everything that's in the other novels has a little part to play in Sense and Sensibility. You know, I think if I were to recommend just one, if somebody was like, “I have time for just one,” I might recommend Sense and Sensibility.But in the end, Marianne says—again, it's one of these amazingly evocative lines. Elinor says, “You didn't act that badly. Do you compare your conduct with Willoughby's?” And she says, “No, I compare it with—Elinor, I compare it with your conduct. You have this self-command.”And it's precisely the fact—it's not—and I think this is why philosophers do like Austen, because it's not—it's still literary, but there is a precision to her moral evaluations. It's precisely the fact that Elinor knew that her family loved her and didn't want to burden—it's all quite conscious. She didn't want to burden her family with her emotions. But you actually see that Elinor has this family trait of having very strong sentiment, which Marianne does, and simply also has this virtue of self-command.And that is—there are film adaptations and TV adaptations that demonstrate self-command, but it's a very hard thing to film. It's something you feel inside. It's a very hard—the actors have to be very good for you to see—you see pieces of it in some of the adaptations of Persuasion and some of the adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, but self-command is very hard to find.Austen AdaptationsOLIVER: Which adaptations do you like the best?TRALDI: I'm forgetting—I often like the long ones that I think were for the British ITV. So I like the—I think Kate Beckinsale was in the Emma one. Although I think there was one of Persuasion, which was also quite good. I like the one of Northanger Abbey. I don't think it's that good, but it's kind of cute, which I think it's probably the cutest of her long novels.Whit Stillman did a very loose adaptation of Lady Susan, which is hilariously funny at times, and also has Kate Beckinsale and some other great actors in it.OLIVER: Did you see the new Persuasion on Netflix a couple of years ago?TRALDI: No. No.OLIVER: It has that—is it Dakota Johnson, the actress, who's famous for other non-Austenian—Fifty Shades of Grey or whatever.TRALDI: Yes, and isn't she one of the Avengers or something like that?OLIVER: Something like that. But everyone was very upset that it was this terrible adaptation.TRALDI: Oh, yes.OLIVER: Didn't—it sort of killed all of Austen's words. She looks at the camera; she drinks from the bottle. I actually thought it was quite fun. On the basis that all adaptations are bad—TRALDI: I think if you allow some looseness, it can be quite fun. So for example, the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I think if you're just sort of like, “Well, this is just somebody who was inspired by Pride and Prejudice,” you can have a lot of fun with the movie.OLIVER: I think as an interpretation of the book, that film is quite bad.TRALDI: Oh, yes. I think it's absolutely missing the mark.OLIVER: But in terms of like, the countryside and the house and the geese and the food, it's fantastic.TRALDI: Oh, yes. It's lovely to look at.OLIVER: The dresses, right? The clothes are amazing.TRALDI: And a lot of the—and the cast is honestly like—OLIVER: Yes, it's great.TRALDI: The cast is really, really great. And the parts as they are—OLIVER: Rosamund Pike is maybe the best Jane on TV.TRALDI: She's terrific. And who's the one who plays Kitty?OLIVER: Yes.TRALDI: Who is in—and the father is the guy from The Hunger Games. I forget his name, but I think the father is excellent in that. But of course, it's not exactly the father from Austen.OLIVER: No, no, no.TRALDI: But as a movie itself—but yes, I like a lot of these longer TV versions.One odd thing—they make these choices. So there is some scholarly apparatus brought to bear on some of them. So I think maybe it's Persuasion that there were multiple versions of, and some of the adaptations use pieces from the unpublished version, which are interesting. And as I was reading it, I had to Google around a bit and figure out these things.Austen's Moral PrecisionTRALDI: I was going to say about Austen's moral precision, the other place where I think this comes in—and I wrote a bit about this in the essay—is near the end of Mansfield Park, when—the names are what I'm worst at—when Edmund, right, is finally disillusioned with—OLIVER: Mary.TRALDI: With Mary Crawford?OLIVER: Mm-hmm.TRALDI: It's because there was this affair. There's always a sibling or a cousin who makes some horrible mistake, you know? So there was this affair, and Mary Crawford can only criticize it by saying that they weren't very prudent, you know, in prudential terms. They took a big risk. They made a bad decision. You know, they really screwed themselves over.OLIVER: They could have made it work. Yes.TRALDI: Yes. And Edmund realizes that she lacks moral fervor because he thinks the appropriate criticism should be a moral one. And as a psychological matter, it shouldn't even enter your head, I think is the idea. I'm extrapolating a bit, but if you see somebody acting this badly, to then say, “Well, geez, you're doing something that isn't in your interest”—for that to be your first thought indicates that your priorities are highly misplaced in a way that, to him, is quite unattractive.And this also struck me as a moment of—this is something we philosophers talk about. What is the distinction between prudence and morality? They both tell you what you should do, in some sense, but there's different—the shoulds have different forces, right? So Edmund has a certain moral precision and sensitivity which, actually, Fanny is basically the only person he knows—not that everybody in the house is a bad person; his father is a decent guy, and one of the aunts is okay, I think.But yes, there's a real sophistication to this evaluation. And it's funny to me that she actually used this as the—I mean, I suspect that even at the time there were readers who were just like, “Wait, I really don't get what the nature of Edmund's problem is here,” because it's not like Mary—Mary's not like, “Oh, yes, I support infidelity.” You know? She's not like— it's if you blinked, you might miss it, the mistake that Mary has made.And so I do think that even though she's not making arguments, she's not laying out philosophical theories, there is a level of precision in her thinking about virtue, which I do think is something that it took me a little aback.And I think it's part of why—one person who quote-tweeted my article was Daniel Kodsi, who's a friend of our colleague John Maier and his coauthor often. And he runs this magazine called The Philosophers' Magazine, which I had written before. And Daniel quote-tweeted my article with something like, “Add Oliver to the list of all the philosophers who love Austen.”OLIVER: And it's a long list.TRALDI: And I think it's a long list. And I do think this precision is part of it that she does, that it is—again, it's not like a philosophy journal article, but it is an intellectual sophistication that is often not present in novelists that we really appreciate.Every Word MattersOLIVER: I mean, one way people talk about the great books is to say that every word matters. And a lot of novelists will say that about their own. Well, you know, Elizabeth Bowen used to say, “What you're doing is to make everything count.” Austen is one of the examples where it's actually true. Every word is being used carefully.TRALDI: Yes. It's funny, this bears on another Twitter argument I had recently about this phrase logographic necessity. Basically, every word in a great book is there for a reason. I think that's right. Although you have to be careful about—if you were to say, “Well, every word in Plato is there for a reason, so you can't really say he's wrong about every—” you would be kind of abandoning the philosophical mission.OLIVER: I mean it in the sense of what you might call the artistic or structural integrity of the book. Not everything has to tell in the meaning sense. But it all holds as a unit for some—TRALDI: Yes. I think everything is there—there is what we could call an internal reason for everything to be there. Everything is there to hold together—OLIVER: Like the making of a piece of furniture or something.TRALDI: And I think you hear—I think this is one thing that—and not all classical music, but I think it's one thing that distinguishes classical music even from very good contemporary pop music or jazz or rock music, is that you have this sense of, “Yes, every note I hear basically is holding up a larger structure of some sort.”OLIVER: Yes. And Jane Austen is very Mozart in that way.TRALDI: Yes, I think that's right. Yes.Austen's Place in Great Books ProgramsOLIVER: So should Jane Austen have a bigger place on great books programs, based on all these things you've said about her?TRALDI: Yes, this is—so, there was actually a debate—I did not write the piece in response to this debate, but this is—OLIVER: Tanner Greer.TRALDI: Yes, there was—Tanner Greer weighed in on this, and my friend Circe. I think—OLIVER: I think they're just desperately wrong.TRALDI: You think they don't—that she—OLIVER: I think Emma is obviously a book that should be on one of these syllabuses. Maybe Sense and Sensibility.TRALDI: Yes. I think the ones I would consider are Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park. I do think they're actually longer than I realized, which is always—I mean, there are these very practical concerns with putting together a syllabus.OLIVER: Sure, sure. Although I want to ask you about that, because my response to a lot of these debates, which is maybe just because of where I studied, but just make them read more. And if they don't do the reading, that's their, you know—TRALDI: That's true. Well, I don't want to get into this too much. We already make them read a lot compared to—so for example, a year ago, I had my students read two novels in a week, which is more than most courses make college students read.OLIVER: But that's by no means unreasonable.TRALDI: No, no, of course, of course.OLIVER: You know.TRALDI: Well, exigencies of the teenage mind aside—OLIVER: Because I often think this, when people debate how things should be taught and why it's so important to keep these programs, and they'll talk about the importance of writing essays. And then it turns out the students maybe write one essay a semester. And I sort of think, well, who cares? All this rhetoric for one essay.TRALDI: Yes. I don't know if I'm really ever going to assign essays again. It just is—the age of AI is upon us.OLIVER: Sure. But you see what I mean.TRALDI: No, yes, I know exactly what you mean. And I do think reading a lot is the main part of—and certainly, you know, when I read all seven of these in two weeks, that's much more reading than I normally do, as well, to write this essay.OLIVER: But you didn't have to lie on the sofa afterwards with a cold compress. You were fine.TRALDI: In a way it was a really good two weeks. If you get to read—I mean, this is why we have good lives, right? If you get to read Jane Austen and you call that work, it's a nice life.OLIVER: So yes, will you be putting Emma on your program?TRALDI: I would definitely consider Emma. I would definitely consider Sense and Sensibility. I would consider Mansfield Park. I think these are the ones that have—the moral element is very prominent. But it's obviously there in all of her books.OLIVER: You can have a really good moral discussion about Mansfield Park, which is a bigger, broader thing than Pride and Prejudice, for example.TRALDI: Yes, I think so. I would definitely consider—in the 1800s there were—obviously the British novel of the 1800s was a big deal, and there's—OLIVER: [laughs] We did quite well, yes.TRALDI: You all did quite well. So the ones we did at Tulsa—we had Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights and The Picture of Dorian Gray. And then we had one Irish, The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. And I don't think anybody—if you replaced one of those with Emma or Mansfield Park, I don't think anybody would say, “Oh, you made a horrible call.”OLIVER: I think Tanner's point was that you simply don't have that many slots for an English novel that deals with these sorts of ideas, and that it should obviously be Middlemarch because that is the bigger novel. It's about bigger questions of society. It's about the whole—it's got more greatness in it, whereas Austen is sort of more about the individual.TRALDI: So I do think that this question of greatness—I think there are some people who read Austen and they think, “Well, this is—obviously it has all these sorts of themes, but it's not great. It has this littleness to it. It has this smallness to it.”OLIVER: It's domestic.TRALDI: That is not my reading of it. I think if that's the question, I don't feel that way. I think it pulls out these great themes about the nature of virtue and the nature of moral learning, becoming a better person, the nature of love. We read Sappho. We read the Symposium.To me, you read Wuthering Heights and you say, “Oh, this is a really big book because it's about society and how trauma gets passed down, and it has these horror elements, and it's very dark.” But actually, it's quite hard to figure out, how do we turn Wuthering Heights in a discussion about how to live? With Austen, it's just completely straightforward.OLIVER: [laughs] How not to live, maybe.TRALDI: Yes. In Austen, it's just completely straightforward. This is the discussion. This is what she had in mind as well, this question of how to live. So to me, Austen is completely—in terms of her successes as an artist, she belongs. In terms of her themes, she belongs. So I would not rule her out. I think she is absolutely a great, and who knows what that means, but I think she would be completely appropriate on any of these syllabi.Reading PlansOLIVER: Very good. And what will you read next?TRALDI: What will I read next? I mean, our—from the beginning, I'm thinking I should read some more poetry. It's been a while. Actually, speaking of—this is funny. Well, I want to get into William Empson. He had an odd life, which I think somebody should do like a movie about him or something.OLIVER: Yes, he'd make a great movie.TRALDI: I think Empson would be a good movie. So that might be—OLIVER: Are you going to read the poems or the criticism?TRALDI: Probably a little of both, but that's for a while from now. I think, you know, at the moment I'm back to reading philosophy. So what novel will I read next? That's a good question. What should I read next?OLIVER: If you like Jane Austen?TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: Maybe read one of the people that she admired, like Samuel Richardson or Fanny Burney, someone like that.TRALDI: You know, I do think—you saying Samuel Richardson reminded me, I've read very little Samuel Johnson. I think reading some of the great critics, I think, writing this piece—OLIVER: Oh, Johnson, yes. You would like Johnson.TRALDI: I think I would like Johnson. I think I would like Empson. The history of literary criticism is something I have very, very little idea of.OLIVER: Oh, well, then, Johnson. I mean, he's the best.TRALDI: Yes, I think I should, I should definitely read Johnson.OLIVER: English literary criticism begins and ends with Samuel Johnson.TRALDI: You know what, this is a little different, but—I might have talked about this with you a little bit—I want to read The Fable of the Bees, Mandeville, because reading about Smith—a lot of the ideas that we think of as Smithian are actually Mandevillian, and he kind of moderated them.OLIVER: Well, he hated Mandeville.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: Very hard on him.TRALDI: Yes. So a lot—like the invisible hand, it's only a small part of Smith's thinking, but it was like the entirety of Mandeville's thinking, this sort of dynamic.OLIVER: Well, I think it means different things for them. I think Mandeville, in a funny way, is more philosophical in the sense you were saying, and trying to make these propositions. And Smith was saying, “Well, what about feelings? What about all these funny things that we can't account for? Like, look around. It's too messy.”TRALDI: No, that makes sense to me. Yes, I think between Mandeville and Smith, Mandeville is somebody who thought virtue was sort of like a con.OLIVER: A fool's game.TRALDI: Exactly. You're sort of a sucker if you try to be virtuous.OLIVER: I think he also just assumed that if you were commercial, you were obviously on the get.TRALDI: Yes. But this is one of the great—I know we talked about this, but it's one of the great—you see this in Smith, you see this in Austen—commerce has its own virtues, and they are very traditional virtues. You have to be trustworthy. You have to be pleasant. You can't really be wholly self-interested in every moment because people have to be willing to deal with you given your—I mean, think about Yelp reviews or even just word of mouth. “Oh, that person screwed me over.”OLIVER: There's a discussion in one of Hayek's papers, which is—it's a very Smithian point he makes about, the nature of the knowledge problem means that it's not so much that I'm trying to get information about the thing you're trying to sell me, but I'm really trying to get information about you and whether you are someone I should be buying from. Which is exactly the project that the novelists and Smith—there's a sort of period between Smith and the early novelists, running through Austen to George Eliot, when they're all working on that problem together.TRALDI: Yes. I do think in Austen, it's often—the real puzzle is, how do you make out somebody else's character?OLIVER: Exactly.TRALDI: This is a phrase that Lizzy Bennet does use with regard to Darcy. And how do we actually figure out who the trustworthy and untrustworthy people are?OLIVER: And if you're too philosophical about that, in the sort of analytic sense, I think you can end up not paying enough attention to the particulars of that question.TRALDI: Yes.OLIVER: Because when you actually try and do it, it's really, really hard.TRALDI: Yes. And I think this is the sort of—reading Austen, you get a sense of—and there are very few philosophy papers on things like this. Reading Austen, you get a sense of, what sorts of details in a normal life are the ones that I can extract information from to make out somebody else's character?In philosophy, we do ask, what is a good character and what is the good action in this sort of situation? What is the bad action in this sort of situation? But it's not for the philosopher to say, “Okay, in the sorts of situations you're likely to be in, what do you pay—where do you direct your attention to try to figure out these things about?”And it's not—I don't think Austen—it's not super subtle either. In Persuasion—I mentioned in the essay—in Persuasion, it starts out by saying Anne really cared about paying off the family's debts, and the rest of her family didn't give a s**t, you know? And it's sort of like, okay, so we just immediately are like, Anne's the sort of person who you might want to have a business transaction with because if she has a debt to you, she might actually pay it. And I forget if that's the exact detail, but it's something like that, you know?OLIVER: And there's also the novelist—Jane Austen is very good at what you don't see, which aga

Friday Favorites is returning to Highbury, as Emma Woodhouse and Harriet Smith find themselves on a very noble outing to help the poor. Though their minds are naturally filled with charitable thoughts, when they happen to run into Mr. Elton on the road back into town, Emma knows it's the perfect chance to engineer a one-on-one conversation between Mr. Elton and Harriet, complete with a trip to Mr. Elton's home at the vicarage. Everything is falling into place for the two lovers exactly as Emma has planned, and she is sure it is just a matter of time until the great event. As Emma congratulates herself on a job well done, let her familiar story bring you comfort as you close your week and settle in for a night of warm and gentle sleep. -----Welcome to the Jane Austen Bedtime Stories podcast! Each episode is a section of a classic Jane Austen novel, read in soothing tones and set to calming music to help you fall asleep.With everything that is going on in the world, we find comfort in the familiar. For so many of us, Jane Austen's works are like a warm hug. So snuggle up under the covers and let the comforting words of Jane Austen lull you into sleep.-----Show your appreciation for the pod! Support the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bedtimestoriespodcast.net/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -----Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/janeaustenbedtimepod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-----Music ["Reverie"] by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. – www.scottbuckley.com.au

Emma is taken with Harriet Smith, and her intimacy at Hartfield soon becomes a settled thing. As their friendship deepens and Emma learns more about Harriet's life, the more opportunities she sees to impart her wisdom. When Emma learns of Harriet's intimacy with the Martins, and especially Harriet's attachment to farmer Robert Martin, she quickly sees an area where she can be of use. After Emma's previous matchmaking success, she is confident that the next couple she can connect is Harriet and Mr. Elton, the vicar of Highbury. As Emma sets off on her matchmaking mission in this week's Friday Favorites, let her familiar story help you end your day and drift into a night of warm and peaceful sleep.-----Welcome to the Jane Austen Bedtime Stories podcast! Each episode is a section of a classic Jane Austen novel, read in soothing tones and set to calming music to help you fall asleep.With everything that is going on in the world, we find comfort in the familiar. For so many of us, Jane Austen's works are like a warm hug. So snuggle up under the covers and let the comforting words of Jane Austen lull you into sleep.-----Show your appreciation for the pod! Support the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bedtimestoriespodcast.net/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -----Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/janeaustenbedtimepod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-----Music ["Reverie"] by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. – www.scottbuckley.com.au

With Mrs. Weston settling into her new home, Emma and her father are welcoming their other Highbury friends into their home for company: people like former vicar's widow Mrs. Bates and her chatty daughter Miss Bates, and proprietor of a local school Mrs. Goddard. When Mrs. Goddard asks if she can bring one of her students, Harriet Smith, Emma is delighted. Harriet is pretty, friendly, and deferential. She's exactly the type of person who could benefit from Emma's wisdom. As this week's Friday Favorites fills Emma's mind with schemes, let it help you pass the night away as you relax into a night of soft and gentle slumber.-----Welcome to the Jane Austen Bedtime Stories podcast! Each episode is a section of a classic Jane Austen novel, read in soothing tones and set to calming music to help you fall asleep.With everything that is going on in the world, we find comfort in the familiar. For so many of us, Jane Austen's works are like a warm hug. So snuggle up under the covers and let the comforting words of Jane Austen lull you into sleep.-----Show your appreciation for the pod! Support the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bedtimestoriespodcast.net/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -----Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/janeaustenbedtimepod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-----Music ["Reverie"] by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. – www.scottbuckley.com.au

RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next of his regular audio described theatre reviews. As we celebrate the 250 anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, we have a brand new stage adaptation of her comedy of manners with ‘Emma' presented by Bath Theatre Royal at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with description by Professional Audio Describer Carolyn Smith About ‘Emma'  “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like” The beautiful, high-spirited Emma Woodhouse is determined that she will never marry but loves to meddle in her friends and neighbours' relationships. When her confidante and former governess, Miss Taylor weds her fiancé Mr Weston, Emma, having introduced the couple, takes credit for the marriage and decides that a future in matchmaking lies ahead of her. So begins a comic journey through the lives and loves of Emma's acquaintances but as the romantic web she weaves amongst her friends becomes ever more entangled, will Emma herself get swept up in true love's wake…? Jane Austen's enduring comedy of manners is filled with memorable characters – the dashing Mr Knightley, Emma's friends Jane Fairfax and Harriet Smith, the mercenary Reverend Elton and his delightfully pretentious wife Augusta. This delightful new stage adaptation celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen‘s birth. To find out more about Bath Theatre Royal's production of Emma as it continues on it's UK tour do visit - https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/events/emma/ And for more about access at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre do go to - https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/your-visit/accessibility/ (Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underlined with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font)

Esta semana, Majo se sumergió en el universo de Emma de Jane Austen para ver y analizar todas las adaptaciones al cine y la televisión. Desde las versiones clásicas de época hasta las reinterpretaciones modernas como Clueless, descubrimos cuál es la más fiel al libro, la mejor ambientación, la Emma más encantadora y la producción con mejor fotografía.Además, debatimos junto a nuestra comunidad en redes quién es el mejor Mr. Knightley, la Harriet Smith más entrañable, el Frank Churchill más convincente y la Jane Fairfax más elegante.Un episodio lleno de análisis, nostalgia y amor por Austen.

Ep. 698: Mr. Harrison's Confessions | Chapters 7-8 Book talk begins at 16:51 Want to hear how Gaskell balances grief, comedy, and social satire all in one breath? Tune in and let the story carry you away. --------------------------------------------------------------- Gaskell knew from dying children, shame we don't read more of these old books b/c vaxx-preventable deaths might be more recognized HORRIBLE NURSE blaming Sophie Sophie had to be an adult from a young age - she speaks to Mary Wollstonecraft's points about women's educational restrictions being BS b/c women had to take on running the home which (if done right) was no less heavy than what the men did at work. Part of how we got here in this mess - only valuing $ Mrs Rose and her hair dye him teasing her presets his friend Jack Marchand's description of his jokey youth Paper Game Miscellaneous Illigitimate kids podcast - Harriet Smith mentioned - CHECK NEWSLETTER AND SHOWNOTES FOR UPDATES ON FREE MOVIE NIGHTS - We've done Jaws and Jurassic Park, for Nov 6th we will watch Dead Mean Don't Wear Plaid - first Thursday of month, 8pm Eastern, on Discord (FREE) BOOK/WATCH PARTIES coming up in 2025: Last Thursday of every month, 8pm Eastern: Sep—The Last Unicorn (movie) Oct—Random Harvest (book) Nov—Random Harvest (movie) Dec—Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (book) *CraftLit's Socials* • Find everything here: https://www.linktr.ee/craftlitchannel • Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2raf9  • Podcast site: http://craftlit.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftLit/ • Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftlit • Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftlit/ • TikTok podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@craftlit • Email: heather@craftlit.com • Previous CraftLit Classics can be found here: https://bit.ly/craftlit-library-2023   *SUPPORT THE SHOW!* • CraftLit App Premium feed bit.ly/libsynpremiumcraftlit (only one tier available) • PATREON:   https://patreon.com/craftlit (all tiers, below) ——Walter Harright -  $5/mo for the same audio as on App ——Jane Eyre - $10/mo for even-month Book Parties ——Mina Harker - $15/mo for odd-month Watch Parties *All tiers and benefits are also available as* —*YouTube Channel Memberships*  —*Ko-Fi* https://ko-fi.com/craftlit  —*NEW* at CraftLit.com — Premium Memberships https://craftlit.com/membership-levels/ *IF you want to join a particular Book or Watch Patry but you don't want to join any of the above membership options*, please use PayPal.me/craftlit or CraftLit @ Venmo and include what you want to attend in the message field. Please give us at least 24 hours to get your message and add you to the attendee list.     • Download the FREE CraftLit App for iOS or Android (you can call or email feedback straight from within the app) • Call 1-206-350-1642

In this recap episode, we're discussing Volume One, Chapters 1-9 of Jane Austen's Emma. We take a deep dive into Emma Woodhouse's world, examining her relationships with key figures like Miss Taylor, Mr. Woodhouse, and the insightful Mr. Knightley. We explore how Emma's interactions with these characters set the stage for her matchmaking adventures. As we continue through the chapters, we meet the wider community of Highbury, including the mysterious Frank Churchill and the charming Harriet Smith. Emma's matchmaking ambitions quickly take center stage, leading her to meddle in Harriet's love life and sparking a significant conflict with Mr. Knightley. We analyze Austen's use of narrative techniques, and discuss the importance of riddles and social expectations in the novel. In a special bonus segment, we preview our upcoming Footnotes episode, where we compare and analyze the opening lines from all six of Austen's most famous novels. If you're interested in more literary analysis and Austen insights, be sure to check out the full episode and head to patreon.com/novelpairings for exclusive content! As a reminder, we've historically shared these “big book readalong” recap series in our patreon community, but to celebrate five years of podcasting, we're sharing it on the public feed! We're so excited to have all of you reading with us. To grab our reading schedule, go to our instagram page @novelpairingspod for our pinned post or subscribe to our free weekly substack newsletter where you'll get reminders and announcements.  

Host Jo Reed is joined today by AudioFile contributor Caitlin Augusta, who has shared her insights on romance audiobooks in her Tease column and audiobook reviews for years. Today she talks about gifting KISS ME AT CHRISTMAS, Jenny Bayliss's story full of Christmas magic, narrated by Caroline Fantozzi. It's centered around an underdog production of A Christmas Carol, with school counselor Harriet Smith fighting her Christmas blues by diligently caring for five at-risk teens. Fantozzi's performance evokes a sense of wonder and joy, warming even the Scroogiest listener's heart—and just might make a perfect audiobook gift. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Penguin Audio. Discover thousands of audiobook reviews and more at AudioFile's website. Today's episode is brought to you by Brilliance Publishing. The Sound of Storytelling. Discover your next great listen at https://www.brilliancepublishing.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I do not know what your opinion may be, Mrs. Weston," said Mr. Knightley, "of this great intimacy between Emma and Harriet Smith, but I think it a bad thing." The Jane Austen Podcast with Alison Larkin is a Realm production. Listen away. For more shows like this, visit Realm.fm, and sign up for our newsletter while you're there! Listen to this episode ad-free by joining Realm+ on Apple Podcasts. Subscribers also get early access and exclusive bonus content! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Want to chat about your favorite Realm shows? Join our Discord. Visit our merch store: realm.fm/merch Find and support our sponsors at: www.realm.fm/w/partners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come one, come all! Step right up and witness amazing feats on horseback! This episode we're headed to Astley's Amphitheatre where Harriet Smith and Robert Martin are getting nice and cozy. If you have ever found romance at the circus, this is the episode for you. You can find us online at https://www.thethingaboutausten.com and follow us on Instagram @TheThingAboutAusten and on Twitter @Austen_Things. You can also email us at TheThingAboutAusten@gmail.com. We have merch! Check out https://www.redbubble.com/people/aboutausten/shop to see the current offerings.

In this episode, we read chapters 27 to 31 of Emma. We talk about the entwined group of people who visit one another, how so many scenes read differently the second time through, Miss Bates's monologues, Jane and the piano, reactions to the plan of having a ball, and Emma encouraging Harriet to stop thinking about Mr Elton. The character we discuss is Harriet Smith, and Ellen talks about illegitimacy. In the popular culture section, Harriet talks about the 1995 modernisation Clueless.Also, we are now on Instagram, at reading_jane_austen.Things we mention:General discussion:John Mullan, What Matters in Jane Austen?: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved (2012)Character discussion:Edith Lank, ‘“The word was blunder”: Who was Harriet Smith's Mother?‘ Persuasions 7, 1985: 14-15Helena Kelly, Jane Austen, the Secret Radical (2016)Historical discussion:Max Weber (1864-1920)Claire Tomalin, Charles Dickens (2011)Christine Kenyon Jones, ‘Ambiguous Cousinship: Mansfield Park and the Mansfield Family‘ Persuasions On-line 31 (1), 2010BBC, Olivia Colman episode of Who Do You Think You Are (2018), Season 15, Episode 2Popular culture discussion:Main version considered:Paramount Pictures, Clueless (1995) – starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul RuddOther 1990s/2000s high school films based on classic literature10 Things I Hate About You (1999), based on The Taming of the ShrewCruel Intentions(1999), based on Les Liaisons dangereusesShe's All That (1999), based on Pygmalion / My Fair LadyO (2001), based on OthelloShe's the Man(2006), based on Twelfth NightEasy A (2010), based on The Scarlet Letter For a list of music used, see this episode on our website.   

Pranjul Bhandari discusses how tech-focused sectors can power India's growth, Harriet Smith charts the latest data on the global economy and Liz Martins assesses what's next in UK monetary policy as borrowing costs approach a 15-year high. Disclaimer: https://www.research.hsbc.com/R/51/DgBxsnV Stay connected and access free to view reports and videos from HSBC Global Research follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/hsbcresearch/ or click here: https://www.gbm.hsbc.com/insights/global-research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma's burgeoning friendship with Harriet Smith is big news, and the subject of disagreement between her friend and former governess Mrs. Weston, and her brother-in-law Mr. Knightley. Both care for Emma, and both of them think they know best. But who is right? You be the judge as you let their conversation help transport you into a restful state of deep sleep. ----- Welcome to the Jane Austen Bedtime Stories podcast! Each episode is a section of a classic Jane Austen novel, read in soothing tones and set to calming music to help you fall asleep. With everything that is going on in the world, we find comfort in the familiar. For so many of us, Jane Austen's works are like a warm hug. So snuggle up under the covers and let the comforting words of Jane Austen lull you into sleep. ----- Music ["Reverie"] by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jabedtimepod/support

Highbury is full of characters, and this week a few have joined the Woodhouses at dinner. We have Mrs. and Miss Bates, the widow of a vicar and her good-natured daughter, and Mrs. Goddard, who runs a school. And luckily for Emma, Mrs. Goddard brought one of her pupils this week, Harriet Smith, a very pretty girl who Emma just knows would benefit from her tutelage. The evening will pass quickly with this crew, so let their tales take you down the path into restorative sleep. ----- Welcome to the Jane Austen Bedtime Stories podcast! Each episode is a section of a classic Jane Austen novel, read in soothing tones and set to calming music to help you fall asleep. With everything that is going on in the world, we find comfort in the familiar. For so many of us, Jane Austen's works are like a warm hug. So snuggle up under the covers and let the comforting words of Jane Austen lull you into sleep. ----- Music ["Reverie"] by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jabedtimepod/support

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Kobo.com: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/audiobook/emma-779 Emma by Jane Austen Narrated by Catherine Bilson Featuring the voices of Terah Tucker, Graham Scott, Linda Barrans and Denis Daly. Emma was written after the publication of Pride and Prejudice and was the last novel of Jane Austen to be published in her lifetime. Of the title character, Austen wrote: "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." Emma is a vivacious twenty-year-old, who has spent her life in the pleasant seclusion of a village community and who lives with her widowed valetudinarian father. Most of the neighbours admire and approve of her, except for George Knightley, a local landowner, who often expresses his disapproval of Emma's highhanded and controlling tendencies, in particular her assumption of the unofficial role of matchmaker. Much of the early action focuses on Emma's attempt to encourage the courtship of her ingenuous friend Harriet Smith and Philip Elton, the local vicar. When this scheme fails, Emma switches her attention to her own romantic attachments, and again errs in misjudging the behaviour of a potential suitor, Frank Churchill. However, in the end, as in all Austen novels, all the eligible couples are satisfactorily paired off, and Emma is led to understand how little she previously knew about how truly long-lasting relationships are formed. Like all the other works of Jane Austen, Emma has been used as the basis for a number of presentations on film and television series, including Clueless, a 1995 American romcom.

Do you know what a fandle is? If you don't, it's a fan-themed candle. My sister, Harriet Smith, used to make twilight-themed candles for her Etsy shop. Claire de Lune, Forks, La Push, and Olympic Coven, to name a few. Hear the story of the rise and fall of my sister's Etsy shop, Thistle Candle Co. In this Kaimin Cast episode, editor Elinor Smith speaks to her sister about her old Etsy business and what students can learn about navigating the wild world of Etsy. Full transcripts of this episode and all others are available online at http://www.montanakaimin.com/  Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, the University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper.

Welcome to the nineteenth episode of the What the Austen? podcast! I'm your host Izzy and I am joined by my friend and fellow Janeite Bontle from @colourful_litchi. In this episode, we will discuss Harriet Smith a character who is often overlooked as the unassuming  friend who is heavily led by Emma. Myself and Bontle are here to tell you that Harriet deserves her time in the spotlight, celebrating her development throughout the novel. In many ways Emma is not just a growing of age novel about Emma Woodhouse, we will argue Harriet could be seen as a protagonist in her own right. This podcast is about Janeites coming together, discussing Jane Austen's work, and having a few laughs along the way. We really enjoyed making this episode and we hope you like it. Where can you find Bontle? Instagram: @colourful_litchi Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BontleLanga Podcast: 1 A.M CLUB PODCAST | Linktree Instagram: @1amclub_za Where can you find your host (Izzy)? Website: www.whattheausten.com Podcast Instagram: @whattheaustenPersonal Instagram: @izzymeakinYoutube: What the Austen? PodcastPlease follow and subscribe to keep up with all the upcoming episodes.Support the show

In this episode, we look at the soundtrack of the 2020 movie of Jane Austen's Emma written by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer. We look at how each of the main characters are given both a theme and instrument and how these themes interweave with each other. We also explore the choreography of the music to match the comedy shown, as well as how the folk and classical music help tell the story through emotions, lyrics, as well as reflecting location and class. Music included in podcast: "Peter and the Wolf, Op 67, No. 3, The Duck" - Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf - Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals, music by Sergei Prokofiev, performed by Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra & Ondrej Lenard, 1990 "Cosi Fan Tutte, K. 588: "Sento, Oh Dio, Che Questo Piede" - Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte, music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Frank Lopardo, Sir Georg Solti, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Olaf Bar, Michele Pertusi, Renee Fleming, Anne Sofia von Otter & David Syrus, 1996 "Emma Woodhouse" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Emma and Mr. Knightley (A Kiss Before They Wed)" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Mr. Knightley" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Mr. Knightley Chases after Emma" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Mr. Knightley is Destroyed" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Badly Done, Emma" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Concerto No. 4 in G Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 58, II. Andante con moto" - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, music by Ludwig van Beethoven, performed by Glenn Gould, Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic, 1961 "The Proposal (Under the Horse Chestnut Tree)" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "A Chill Draft about the Knees" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Harriet Smith" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Harriet Smith and Robert Martin Meet on the Road" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Walk to Mrs. Goddard's School" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 99 D. 898, II. Andante un poco mosso" - Schubert: Piano Trios, music by Franz Schubert, performed by Frank Braley, Gautier Capucon & Renaud Capucon, 2007 "Harriet Smith and Robert Martin Meet in the Rain" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Frank Churchill Arrives at Hartfield" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Danse Macabre: Op. 40" - Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre, music by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Philharmonia Orchestra & Charles Dutoit, 1981 "Christmas Dinner at the Westons" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Poor Miss Taylor" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "We Shall Have our Ball" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Emma is Bored" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer, 2020 "Mrs. Elton Arrives at Hartfield" - Emma (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), music by

In today's episode I read a selection from Jane Austen's novel "Emma". Emma Woodhouse is attending a Christmas Eve party and she has big plans to play matchmaker for her friend Harriet Smith and the eligable bachelor Mr. Elton. But you know what they say about the best laid plans... I also share a story about one of my Christmases gone wrong! So settle in for another cozy story as we bring Christmas in July 2022 to a conclusion! Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and story intro 06:00 Emma Chapter 13 22:37 Emma Chapter 14 - selections  26:22 Emma Chapter 15  45:00 Thoughts on Emma and my Christmas eve at the hospital Ways to support the show: Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375  Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas  Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast  Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c    Contact Me: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast  instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/  twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod  youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com 

Emma hat es sich in den Kopf gesetzt, die hübsche Harriet Smith gut zu verheiraten, obwohl die von zweifelhafter Herkunft ist. Nach und nach versucht sie, Harriet von ihrem eigentlichen Brautwerber, einem Pächter, abzubringen. Mit Katja Riemann, Laura Balzer, Daniel Rothaug und Leonie Rainer.

University of Maryland Global Campus offers award-winning academic programs and services for active-duty military service members, veterans, and military spouses and families. Dr. Harriet Smith, a USAF veteran, discusses UMGC and its Master's program just for service members and veterans. She discusses with host Jim Fausone the interesting coursework and how the soft skills learned in the military are recognized.

Today we'll dive into Jane Austen's Emma and investigate the meanings of the names of three of the main women: Emma Woodhouse, Harriet Smith, and Jane Fairfax. What is the history of these surnames? What do the names tell us about their characters? Did Austen do this intentionally? Was Jane Austen a wizard? We'll attempt to answer these and many more questions in our first foray into names in fiction!Dr. Octavio Cox Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCipwJ5GIKUYs2CcAhlcqjyw Sources:Articles:Fullerton, S. (1997). Jane Austen's Art of Naming. The Journal of the Jane Austen Society of North America-Persuasions, 9. http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number19/fullerton.pdfStiller, M. (2016). Wentworth Woodhouse is no Pemberley. Prospect Magazine. Published. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/arts-and-books/wentworth-woodhouse-no-pemberley-jane-austen-autumn-statementBooks:Austen, J. (2021). Emma. ClassicBooks by KTHTK.Hanks, P., Hodges, F., & Hardcastle, K. (2016). A Dictionary of First Names (The Oxford Reference Collection) (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. John, A. (2017). The Peerage of Scotland: A genealogical and historical account of all the peers of that ancient kingdom. Hansebooks.Websites:www.houseofnames.com  www.merriam-webster.comhttps://thebiography.us/en/fairfax-robert  https://peoplepill.com/people/robert-wodehouse/www.wentworthwoodhouse.orgMusic:Market by PeriTune | http://peritune.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Deep Woods3 by PeriTune | http://peritune.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unportedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_USJohn Harrison, violin, with Robert Turizziani conducting the Wichita State University Chamber Players. Live, unedited performance at the Wiedemann Recital Hall, Wichita State University, 6 February 2000Music by Antonio Vivaldi composed 1723 and published in 1725. Recording copyright John Harrison (JohnHarrisonViolin.com)https://freemusicarchive.org/music/John_Harrison_with_the_Wichita_State_University_Chamber_Players/The_Four_Seasons_Vivaldi

 This week we're not the only dynamic duo on the podcast! Catie Peiper and Julie Skaarup of Moonhaven Magic join us to give us the tea on the Tarot! Listen to find out how this beautiful deck of cards can help you access your intuition, what ants can tell us about our existence, and why we're yelling JUSTICE 4 HARRIET SMITH from the rooftops!

In the second episode of Most Austentatious!, Hannah & Suzanne dive into the novel which is arguably Jane Austen's most sophisticated and features her most complicated heroine: Emma. Is Suzanne a giant Austen hipster? What is a Frank Churchill and why can Hannah & Suzanne take or leave him? Perhaps most importantly, what is the deal with gruel?   Also, did y'all know the 2020 Emma has BUTTS in it?! BUTTS! They answer these questions and more as they discuss their 3-ish things: three of Emma's most significant relationships and what those relationships tell us about Emma.  Over These Walls by Hope and Social is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Bruckner and Mahler, those behemoths of the romantic symphony, have recently enjoyed lavish boxsets of their complete cycles, with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Valery Gergiev tackling Bruckner, and eight conductors with the Berliner Philharmoniker for Mahler. Peter Quantrill, who reviewed both of these sets in latest edition of Gramophone joins me this week to assess the relationship between these composers, as well as bringing his perspective on how performance practices, and his own personal relationship to these composers have changed over the years.Harriet Smith returns to the show to discuss some of her favourite pianists, drawing upon 85 years of piano recordings from the earliest recorded ivory tinklers to the most recent trailblazers. Harriet is well know to readers of Gramophone Magazine and BBC Radio 3's Record Review, and her deep knowledge and passion for piano music brings insights into the world of piano playing and pianists themselves to this weeks show.

Harriet Smith returns to the show to discuss some of her favourite pianists, drawing upon 85 years of piano recordings from the earliest recorded ivory tinklers to the most recent trailblazers. Harriet is well know to readers of Gramophone Magazine and BBC Radio 3's Record Review, and her deep knowledge and passion for piano music brings insights into the world of piano playing and pianists themselves to this weeks show.

JANE AUSTEN audiobook in romana: Capitolul 5 din EMMA Gen: Fictiune, Clasic, Romantic, Istoric; Literatura: Engleza "— NU STIU, DOAMNA WESTON, CE PĂRERE aveti dumneavoastră, zise domnul Knightley, despre această intimitate dintre Emma si Harriet Smith, dar eu cred că nu duce la nimic bun. — La nimic bun ? Chiar credeti că nu duce la nimic bun ? De ce ? — Cred că prietenia asta îi strică atât uneia, cât si celeilalte. — Mă surprinde ce spuneti, domnule! Emma n-are cu ce să-i strice Harrietei si,pentru că îi oferă o nouă preocupare, s-ar putea spune că nici Harriet nu-i strică Emmei. A fost o mare plăcere pentru mine să observ cum s-au împrietenit. Ce păreri deosebite avem! Să crezi dumneata că prietenia asta le strică! Bineînteles că de aici o să începem să ne certăm, ca de obicei, când e vorba despre Emma, domnule Knightley. — Poate credeti că am venit dinadins să mă cert cu dumneavoastră, stiind că Weston e plecat si că sunteti singură pe câmpul de bătălie..". La Am mai multe carti decat prieteni, veti gasi carti audio gratis citite de mine in limba romana. Voi incerca sa adaug diverse genuri de carti, astfel incat sa gasiti mereu ceva pe placul vostru. Cartile citite apartin domeniului public. Astept cu mare drag recomandari de carti pe care sa le citesc pe acest canal. Pagina Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MulteCarti/

Nadia and Jade talk to Dr Emily Matheson and Harriet Smith about fostering positive body image through children’s media. Specifically, we hear more about the research evaluating Steven Universe x Dove Self-Esteem Project cartoon 'shorts' and e-book. The Steven Universe e-book and animations are free and available here: http://www.stevenuniverseselfesteem.co.uk/ Thanks to Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network for permission to share the clips! Connect with us at the Centre for Appearance Research on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/car_UWE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/car_uwe/ Website: www.uwe.ac.uk/car If you found this episode useful, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Thanks!

 Book Vs Movie Emma/Clueless The Jane Austen Beloved Novel Vs the 1995 Classic Alicia Silverstone Film We are continuing our September “Back-to-School” films talking about Jane Austen and possibly her lightest novel--Emma and pair it with the incomparable Amy Heckerling-directed film Clueless. Both are revered for their humor & having a wonderful female lead.  Released in 1815 (the last novel she published before Austen’s death at 41), Emma tells the story of a spoiled, willful woman (Emma Woodhouse) who enjoys helping make romantic entanglements happen. She is the daughter of widower Mr. Woodhouse and gives Emma a comfortable life. She has no wish to marry but when her governess, Miss Taylor marries Mr. West, she decides her true gift is matchmaking.  Emma meddles in people’s lives and is constantly being questioned by Mr. Knightey, an older gentleman who lives next door. Harriet Smith is a friend who is shy and awkward compared to Emma. She becomes a project for the meddlesome protagonist who matches people and attempts to create several relationships with varying levels of success.  Austen never married and enjoyed living in Bath, England where she places several of her stories. This particular novel has been adapted many times over the years but one of the most accessible and funny versions was created by Heckerling who already mined the field of high school with her film Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982.  Alicia Silverstone was known for Aerosmith videos when she starred in Clueless and quickly became an “overnight” star.  Her Cher (Emma) is kind and a bit ditzy who attends high school in Southern California and is best friends with Dionne (Stacey Dash). The film is filled with so many quotable lines and literally has not one wasted scene to become an instant classic.  There are many changes between the book & the film. Which did the Margos like more?  In this ep the Margos discuss: The short life of the incredible Jane Austen The central characters and how they differ in the 1995 adaptation  Teen movies in the 80s and how women directors led the pack The cast including Alicia Silverstone (Emma/Cher,) Stacey Dash (Dionne,) Brittany Murphy (Harriet Smith/Tai,) Paul Rudd (Josh/Mr. Knightley,) Donald Faison (Murray,) Elisa Donovan (Amber/Mrs. Elton,) Breckin Meyer (Travis/Robert Martin,) Jeremy Sisto (Elton,) Dan Hedaya (Mel Horowitz/Mr. Woodhouse,) Wallace Shawn (Mr. Hall/Mr. Weston,) Twink Caplan (Miss Geist/Mrs. Weston.) and Justin Walker (Christian/Frank Churchill.)  Clips Featured: Clueless  trailer Josh realizes he loves Cher Driving on the freeway Ride Home Music: “Rollin with my Homies” by Coolio Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie  Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/ Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/ 

Paul talks to Harriet Smith about the pleasures and pitfalls that come with being a successful music critic, writing for, amongst others, Gramophone Magazine and making regular appearances as a guest on BBC Radio 3's Record Review. Paul asks Harriet to reappraise three albums that she reviewed in the past, right a wrong for a record she didn't review, and to take up the challenge of reviewing four albums in less than 24 hours.

Baltimore Racial Justice Action believes there is no easy way to untangle systemic racism’s influence on our thoughts and choices. We speak with Anthony Newman and Harriet Smith, members of the group's advisory board, about how they lead tough conversations about race and racism.

Was hat eigentlich diese Emma Woodhouse und ihr ewig nörgelnder Mr. Knightley an sich? Ist die Freundschaft von Harriet Smith und Emma überhaupt eine richtige Freundschaft? Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Porridge und Haferschleimsuppe? Und überhaupt: ist Emma jetzt eine Feministin? Das alles erfahrt ihr in dieser Episode über den Roman Emma.

A professional CV and LinkedIn profile are more important than ever. As the lock down starts to lift and businesses get up and running again, the job market will come back to life. Unfortunately, not all businesses will have survived these challenging times meaning there is likely to be more people seeking employment than ever before. It is therefore essential you give yourself the best possible chance of success from the start in a highly competitive market. We spoke with Denise Pike from The CV Clinic about how she can help give you the best chance possible and some top tips for if you're currently planning on applying for a new role now.How will you stand out in a competitive job market?We recommend seeking the guidance and support of a professional CV writer such as Denise and The CV Clinic to ensure you can successfully navigate the automatic CV scanning software and show yourself in the best possible light. First impressions make all the difference so don't cut corners if you want that dream job! Find out more about Denise and the services The CV Clinic provides at https://www.thecvclinic.co.uk/Transcript[00:00:00] David: [00:00:00] Denise, welcome to the pocket mastermind podcast. How are you?[00:00:18] Denise: [00:00:18] Hello. I'm good. Thank you. How are you?[00:00:21] David: [00:00:21] I'm really good. I'm really good. Um, so you're the founder of CV Clinic. Can you tell us a bit about what the CV Clinic does, the services you provide, and then we'll talk to you a bit about the career path that you took to getting to that point?[00:00:36] Denise: [00:00:36] Yeah, sure. Okay. So, um, the CV clinic is a CV writing and interview coaching service. Um, but there are a number of different services that I provide really depending on the client's needs. Um, so I kind of have a, a client led approach, really. Um, first of all, I kind of really want to [00:01:00] understand what the client's career objectives were and then work with them to help them understand what they can be doing to improve.[00:01:07] The CV or their LinkedIn profile or their interview technique in order to help them reach their goals and really present themselves in the best way possible to potential employer.[00:01:18] David: [00:01:18] How did you get to starting the CV Clinic? What was the career path that you took that led you to identifying that as, as a business that you wanted to set up?[00:01:32] Denise: [00:01:32] Yeah. So I, I kind of fell into recruitment about 10 years ago. Um, it's funny, I think most people who have a career in recruitment did fall into it. I don't think it's usually something people set out to do. Um. So I actually started my career as a paralegal. Um, I wanted to be a lawyer and then quite quickly realized that it was a lot of paperwork and not really much exciting stuff.[00:01:56] Um, so I actually started, um, in recruitment about 10 years [00:02:00] ago when I started recruiting lawyers because I had kind of legal background. Um, so I went to work for, um, a recruitment agency for a couple of years. Um, I'm also really enjoyed recruitment. I really enjoyed, um, kind of dealing with candidates my day to day basis.[00:02:18] What I didn't enjoy so much is the sales and business development side of things. Um, so, um, I stayed there for a couple of years and then decided actually I'd really like to go and work for an in house recruitment or talent acquisition team. Um, so that I'm not focusing on sales and business development, Im really just focusing on recruitment for one particular organization.[00:02:39] Um, so then I moved to a company called Newton Europe who are, um, theyre operational improvement consultants. And I looked after their graduate recruitment scheme there that took me to various universities, um, and gave me a really good insight into graduate recruitment last summer. Actually, I was made [00:03:00] redundant.[00:03:00] And so I kind of found myself a bit of the crossroads wondering what to do next. Um, and then I kind of made the decision that actually now I'd quite like to do something on my own. Um, so at that point I decided to do some consulting. Um, and actually had a really good project with, um, the guide dogs for the blind, um, you know, an amazing charity to work for.[00:03:24] They had lots of improvement projects that they needed help with. Um, so I went and did that and it was amazing. Um, now, alongside doing all of that, I was helping people, kind of family, friends, friends or friends with their CVs, with interview techniques and, um, started to realize that that was something I really, really enjoyed.[00:03:48] Um, kind of get a real buzz from helping people and them coming back to you and saying. Denise, thank you so much. After speaking to you, I've got an interview and you know, I realized, you know what, I really enjoy doing this. [00:04:00] Um, so why don't I do this full time, and that was kind of where the idea of the CV Clinic came about.[00:04:07] Um, I think, how has it been about September last year. Um, and yeah, then it kind of took off from them and then I decided to go for it full time in January this year. Um, which. You know, unfortunately in a challenging time in the last couple of months but, you know, I'm really, really glad that I did take the plunge.[00:04:29] Um, and it's been such a learning curve for me since then.[00:04:32] David: [00:04:32] What's been the biggest things you've learned in setting up the business for yourself?[00:04:37] Denise: [00:04:37] You know what, I talked myself out of it so many times. Um, you know, one day I would think it was the best idea ever, and the next day I'd be like, what am I doing?[00:04:46] This is so stupid. Just going to get a job. Um. I think, um, in terms of what I've learned, I think kind of the things that go into the business and how much hard work it is in terms of [00:05:00] marketing and connecting yourself with all of those things. I think I was a bit naive, um, and probably just thought, well, you know, we'll start this business and people will just come to me and that's how it's going to work.[00:05:10] And obviously that isn't how it works. Um, and when I first started, you know, I tried to set up my website, for example. Um, and quickly realized that that wasn't going to work either. So, um, got some help from, um, an amazing lady called Harriet Smith who helped me. She kind of talked me through branding and tone of voice.[00:05:33] How I really wanted to portray the business. Um, so that was a really, good learning curve for me. And, you know, just having that support from her. Um, you know, she'd say, you know, this is a great idea, I think you're going to do really well. Um, you know, having that support from other people and talking through your ideas with other people, I think has been really important because otherwise I think I would have just talked myself out of it.[00:05:56] David: [00:05:56] And what's the experience been like? Obviously with everything that's going on at the [00:06:00] moment and a lot of recruitment seems to have dried up, what's it experience for yourself, for your business, but also the clients that you are dealing with? What are kind of some of the themes and things that are going on at the moment?[00:06:16] Denise: [00:06:16] Yeah. So, you know, things have definitely slowed down for me, but I am still getting inquiries from people. Um, and mainly what they're saying is that, you know, they're, they're applying for jobs. They're reaching out to recruiters, um, and unfortunately they're just not hearing anything back. Um. It's really challenging because obviously these are kind of, everyone keeps saying it unprecedented times, but, um, I think it would be difficult when you're, you know, you're putting yourself out there and people just aren't responding to your calls or responding to emails.[00:06:51] I think that's really the number one frustration from people that I'm speaking to. Mmm. But also, I think there [00:07:00] is a lack of awareness in terms of the recruitment process and how that works. Um, so, um, you know, I talk a lot about applicant tracking systems and how they can really affect your chances of success of your CV, kind of getting through and being seen by it by a person.[00:07:19] Um, but a lot of people that I speak to, they're not even aware that those systems exist. Um, so I think one of the things I'm trying to use this kind of downtime for is to really help people as much as I can. And, um, you know, just, just help people, let them know about the system, let them know what simple changes they can make to try and get ahead.[00:07:42] Um, yeah. And things like that really.[00:07:45] David: [00:07:45] Is that seem simple? Things like, um, the format of CVs I think is one thing that I learned a while ago was you. You think, Oh, I'm going to make this nice looking creative CV, but actually the tracking systems just throw those [00:08:00] things out straight away. They tend to be a bit more of a simple format to get through those those systems.[00:08:05] I think a lot of people are encouraged to kind of like stand out from it on a CV and actually can end up being detrimental.[00:08:12] Denise: [00:08:12] They can. Yeah. I mean it's, I think it's good to have two versions so you can have that kind of fancy pants, creative version, um, and where you have got contacts, well, you know, you're emailing your CV directly to a person, then that works really well when you're, when you're into a position online via a system, like you say, it just throws it off.[00:08:34] Um, we as a recruiter. Just to kind of give you an example of how it, how it works as a recruiter. You'd come in in the morning, you'd look at your inbox and you'd have hundreds of applications to sift very, um, and when somebody has used a fancy format for a CV through to you, and it's kind of just gobbledygook, the information is in all the wrong boxes and you can't really make sense of it.[00:09:00] [00:09:00] Um. When you're a recruiter kind of juggling 20, 30, sometimes 40 live roles, and you just haven't got time to deal with that and you'll just go onto the next one. Um, so, so yeah, I'm just really trying to help people kind of get over these hurdles, um, and just make them aware, because like I say, I think with most people, they're just not aware that this is the case.[00:09:21] David: [00:09:21] What are some of the areas where people, the usual traps that people fall into with, with the CVS, that could be, you know, simply changed?[00:09:32] Denise: [00:09:32] Yeah. So the formatting is a big one. The second one is kind of. Not tailoring their CV to the application, or to the role that they're applying to. So as well as kind of, um, having a straightforward format, um, what you also need to do is ensure you're including some of the keywords and phrases contained in the job ad that in your CV, because one of the other things the applicant tracking system will do is scan your CV. And if it doesn't [00:10:00] match with the key words or phrases that he's looking for, then it will just reject it. So that's another kind of quick win, um, that you can do to make sure you're not failing there. Um, another, another kind of, um, quite common theme is that people tend to write their CV in a task based way rather than a results based way.[00:10:23] And I think what this can unfortunately do is really downplay your experience and make you come across as a lot less experienced than you actually are. Um, and as a recruiter or a potential employer, what you're really looking for is kind of evidence of what this person has achieved in the past because that's a really good indicator of what they can, um, what value they can add to your business.[00:10:45] Um. And again, that's quite a simple change. It's just kind of looking at the way you're writing things and rewording them. Um, and just making sure that you're getting down some actual results rather than just talking about, you [00:11:00] know, I managed this, um, I was responsible for X, Y, Z. You know, it's just, it's not making me stand out.[00:11:07] Um, it's not making the reader, um, kind of inspired by you. Um, yeah, just I think changing it to more results based rather than task based.[00:11:18] David: [00:11:18] I think it doesn't come naturally for a lot of people. And I think working with someone like yourself helps you to draw. You turn that, you turn that task into a result.[00:11:30] And I think something that people sat by him. So it sounds like, yeah, turn into an end result, but I think that's where working with somebody really does add a lot of value because you can then talk about, well, what did you act, what was it, what was it, give us a specific example. It's a bit like an interview kind of practice, I guess, in a way.[00:11:48] And you're able to then put down something meaningful. And I know from being a hiring manager. It ends up being, it does end up being a job description almost. And you say, well, yeah, so [00:12:00] what? And I think that's where the real value comes in.[00:12:03] Steve: [00:12:03] What's the sort of, what's the sort of process, um, when it comes to speaking to you? Do they send, they send you their current CV for you to first of all, take a look at, or is it a case of. Having a job you want to apply for and then speaking to you about that.[00:12:19] Denise: [00:12:19] The circumstances are different. Um, so some people might come to me and they've got a very clear idea of the kind of job they want, and they'll come to me with jobs that they've applied for and jobs they want to apply for.[00:12:31] Some people come to me and they really haven't got a clue. They just know that they're unhappy and they want to do something different. Um, and sometimes people come to me and they haven't actually got a CV because they've been in the same job for so long, or they found jobs by knowing people and have never needed a CV before.[00:12:50] So it really does vary from person to person. So what I, what I usually like to do is have a consultation with them, um, which is [00:13:00] usually about about an hour. Um, and it's really just an opportunity to have a more of an in depth look at their career history. Um, what they achieved. And it's funny because, um, like Dave said, people often find it quite difficult to talk about their achievements.[00:13:15] Um, I think a lot of people feel like they're bragging or, you know, um, showing off. But, um, you know, actually it's really important because the value that you add is what people want to see. Um, but a lot of the time people, um, you know, when I asked them about the career and the things they've achieved, they'll say, well, you know, I was just doing my job.[00:13:35] So that was just part of my job. And they really downplay their achievements. Um, or I don't recognize when something wasn't achievement. Um, and just by talking to them and spending that time, asking them the right questions, that's how I kind of manage to draw, draw that out from them. And often when we talk about that, we'll get to the end and there'll be like, wow, I'm actually quite impressed with myself. I've achieved a lot.[00:13:58] Steve: [00:13:58] Thats [00:14:00] a nice feeling.[00:14:01] Denise: [00:14:01] Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's, it's really nice. And, and oftentimes those people who, you know, aren't sure what they want to go on and do next can clearly see where their strengths lie. Um, and it will make them think about what they really enjoyed doing throughout their career, what they're really good at. Um, and that kind of helps them, um, understand what it is that they wants to fill in and do next.[00:14:23] David: [00:14:23] It's quite challenging and stressful. Time. Right? You know, trying to, a career change or even just a job change. Quite often people have been in a company for quite a long period of time, and the thought of leaving the known is, is scary. So having, having that support, and I think most so many people try and do all of this themselves and we're not great at everything and we have to accept that we're not great at everything.[00:14:49] And one area, you know, you get an opportunity effectively. You know, one at first impression with your CV and then you get your first impression in person or over [00:15:00] the phone, and you got to kind of make that count. And I think it's a very wise investment to get some support through that process to ensure that you're more successful.[00:15:09] Because you know, we're in this time now, we know that a lot of businesses are under threat and it's likely to be a more competitive market. And I think. If you want to increase your chances of success, then you know, utilizing support in that area is going to be critical.[00:15:29] Denise: [00:15:29] Yeah, definitely. And you know, recruitment processes do change quite a lot over time as well.[00:15:36] So it's kind of keeping up to date with, with that. Um, and also, you know, CVs are really subjective. What will turn one hiring manager on, will turn another one off. So, um, you know, but I think. Because I have worked in various organizations and various talent acquisition teams. Um, you know, I've got really good insight into what most people are looking for.[00:15:57] Um, and you know, I just really didn't want [00:16:00] them to be able to pass that on.[00:16:01] David: [00:16:01] Have you got any other, um, kind of top tips and any other advice for anybody who is thinking about maybe changing role at the moment?[00:16:13] Denise: [00:16:13] Yeah. So, um, like we've said, you know, it's difficult. It's a difficult time for job seekers and I think now more than ever, it's going to be really important for them to stand out, but also I think to be more strategic in their job search as well.[00:16:31] Um, so, you know, when you're, when you're looking for jobs, sometimes it can be really tempting to just get out there and apply for as many jobs as possible. But you know, it really is quality over quantity. Um, so I've got a kind of job search strategy, structured template that I share with people, um, which kind of asks them some questions and helps them create a plan in terms of, um, what type of role they're going to look for, which organisations they're [00:17:00] going to approach, and how they're going to approach them.[00:17:02] Um, so, you know, when we are in a difficult market like this, you can't really just sit back and wait for the jobs to be advertised. You need to be a bit more creative in how you're going about that. So, um, definitely, you know, be more strategic. Um, and think about how you're going to target those companies that you want to work for.[00:17:23] David: [00:17:23] Really thinking about what you want to do next or, or even further down the line that you're not just panic applying, which I think a lot of people do fall into that trap for sure.[00:17:34] Denise: [00:17:34] I think they do. And and as, as a recruiter or a hiring manager, it will be really obvious to you when you're getting an application through, when you're getting CVs through, it will be really obvious which ones have been tailored and which ones have just been kind of. Um, have taken the scatter gun approach and applied for everything. Um, you know, it, it will be obvious. So you do need to take that time to really tailor your [00:18:00] application each time.[00:18:01] David: [00:18:01] What about things? So one of my favorite topics is a personal statements because they used to be my favorite bit as the hiring manager, personal statements can be.[00:18:12] Um, quite interesting. And. Well, have you got any advice for people regarding good practice when it comes to personal statements?[00:18:21] Denise: [00:18:21] Yeah, sure. So there was quite a good conversation and one of my LinkedIn posts the other day where someone had said, um, would you, would you suggest writing this in the first person or third person?[00:18:37] Um. Now I have to say, I think the third person is really odd, and I'd never recommend anybody to write in the third person. I just think it, you know, you're talking about yourself so. Um, it just sounds a bit weird. Um, but I actually prefer to take all the pronouns out, so you're not talking about I, you're not talking about me.[00:18:57] You're not talking about him. You're just making a [00:19:00] statement. And I think that helps it be firstly more concise. Um, but also a bit more it comes across a bit more professional, um, and, um, remove all the pronouns and just avoid adding kind of empty words, empty buzzwords, because they really do mean nothing.[00:19:22] You know, hiring managers and recruiters, they've seen it all before. They know what means something and what doesn't. Um, so if you're going to make a statement, you really need to back it up with something quantifiable. So, you know, how many pounds did you save? How much time did you say? Um, these real quantifiable examples of what, uh, what's it going to help you stand out?[00:19:44] David: [00:19:44] What about, um. Cover letters? Is that, would you offer cover letter in most circumstances, even if it's not requested?[00:19:55] Denise: [00:19:55] That's a good question, actually. So, um, I think a lot of, a lot of companies [00:20:00] are requesting them alongside applications. Um. But if they're not, I think it's always a good idea to, to, um, submit one because it just gives you that opportunity to talk in a bit more detail about you and what it is you're looking for and why you would be a good fit for that company and for that position.[00:20:20] And that is what makes a really good cover letter. Um, you know, all this stuff that you can't get into your CV. Um. And, but again, this has to be really tailored. So, you need to talk about the company, why it interests, you know, why your values match the company values, what value you can add. Um, so yeah, I definitely think that it's a good idea to do that but it has to be done right.[00:20:44] David: [00:20:44] Not some blanket. Elevator pitch about yourself. Yeah, you're right. It does need to be tailored because whoever's reading that wants to know that you put some time and effort because that's what they're going to hire you for, right. Is there [00:21:00] a, you know, are you, are you going to be dedicated? Are you going to be, um, someone they can rely on? Some of they can trust, someone that's engaged. If the first thing they see from you is generic. It's not going to do you a great service and there'll be somebody else who has just put that extra five minutes in is going to make a big difference.[00:21:22] Denise: [00:21:22] Absolutely. Yeah. You just, you know, you want to just put in maximum effort every time. Otherwise it's just not worth doing because it will just make you look bad. It was just mentioned that lazy and they will just move on to the next application.[00:21:36] Steve: [00:21:36] Somebody told me once that you should take the job description that's there and take, take those bullet points of the job description and then put that into a word document and then see if you can answer each one of them with experience that you've had, and then put that into your covering letter so you can say what you're asking for is this, and these are my [00:22:00] experiences of all those things. Is a good thing to do?[00:22:04] Denise: [00:22:04] Yeah, definitely. So that, that's kind of the approach that I take when I'm writing covering letters. And what you really want to do is make sure that you're evidencing everything that they're looking for. Um, because if you're not, then they're just going to move on. So yeah, that's a, that's a really good way to do it.[00:22:21] So, yeah, one of the other services that I offer is LinkedIn profile optimization. Um, and you know, LinkedIn is so important these days. And as a recruiter, it was kind of the number one tool that I would use every day. I would use it to search for candidates, um, and I, you know, if when I had applications come through, I would check out the candidates profile on LinkedIn.[00:22:46] Um, it's really key that as an active job seeker. Even as a passive job seeker, that your LinkedIn profile is really representing you in the best way possible. Um, but also that you're kind of [00:23:00] optimizing it so that you're showing up in the relevant searches. Um, so that's, that's really key. So that's what if the other other services that I provide, um, and, um, you know, I think sometimes people don't, don't really appreciate the relevance of LinkedIn.[00:23:15] Um, but it, again, it can really help you stand out. Um, from, um, from the competition. So it's really key.[00:23:23] David: [00:23:23] Oh yeah. I mean, the first thing we always used to do hiring when applicants come then is you, you do a search through LinkedIn, Facebook, anything that's going to say, well, who's this person really? And does it match the CV that I've just received?[00:23:39] Because, and you know, there's many things you can do. LinkedIn, I think you're absolutely right. My LinkedIn wasn't great for a quite long period of time. And you do learn, there's quite a few things to, to change. The simple thing, like a photo, right? You don't have your Facebook picture on your [00:24:00] LinkedIn.[00:24:00] Denise: [00:24:00] So yeah, if your profile picture is, um, is you drunk a wedding, you know, that's probably not appropriate. So this really needs to be representing you as a professional in your field. Um, but you know, you can be, you can be creative with it as well. So you can have your kind of, your LinkedIn banner, um, which he can make a bit more personal and say, you know, if you're looking for a marketing role, that could be your opportunity to kind of a show off some of your skills there. Um, so it's, yeah, really dependent on your industry, but, um, yeah, it's really important that it's up to date, that it definitely, um, correlates with your CV as well. But it doesn't need to be a kind of direct copy and paste of your CV. Obviously LinkedIn is social media. It's a public platform, so you wouldn't necessarily want all of that information, um, from your CV on your LinkedIn profile. So you do have to be more careful there.[00:24:55] David: [00:24:55] And on the subject of other social, it's probably worthwhile taking if [00:25:00] you're applying for a role, taking a review of your other social channels, and maybe censoring or tidying up some stuff to make sure that there's nothing available that might not reflect you in the best light.[00:25:17] Denise: [00:25:17] Yeah, yes, yeah. So when I, when I, um, have managed graduate schemes in the past, um, you know, we have had to have some difficult conversations with people, um, because of things we found on, on social media platforms.[00:25:31] So. Um, yeah. It's just, yeah, definitely having a little bit of an audit and lock, it, just lock it down as much as possible. Um, you know, I don't even have my surname on my own social media channels because they really want to be found by anyone else. I, um, yeah, just make sure it's, it's not anything that's going to be incriminating.[00:25:53] David: [00:25:53] Wise words. Where can people find you?[00:25:58] Denise: [00:25:58] So people could find me [00:26:00] on LinkedIn is linkedin.com and it's Denise hyphen Pike, or my website is www.thecvclinic.co.uk. Um, I'm also on Facebook as The CV Clinic and Instagram as thecvclinic.co.uk.[00:26:19] David: [00:26:19] Perfect. So if anyone's looking for some great advice on their next career move and how to be successful with their CV and with applications, um, suggest getting contact with you via those channels, we'll make sure we've got links to all of your social and to the website, etc, on our, on our website as well, so that people can find you quite easily if you're watching or listening to this.[00:26:46] Denise: [00:26:46] Great. Cool. Thank you.[00:26:48] David: [00:26:48] Really great stuff. It's been great to talk to you. [00:27:00]

Dayeanne is an LA based actress that involved in many different roles, including Harriet Smith - the eager and adorable assistant from the Emmy-winning web series Emma Approved, Kate Marsh - the quiet but kind-hearted teen from the multiple award-winning video game Life is Strange, and the Jane Austen fangirl playing tribute with her ukulele on I Ship It, from CW Seed. Support this podcast

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

In this episode, we're discussing Jane Austen's final novel, Emma. We admit our love for Emma's sass and bossiness, debate her potentially problematic friendship with the orphan Harriet Smith, and swoon over Mr. Knightley. Plus we're offering six contemporary reads that perfectly pair with Austen's most memorable heroine.

Sunday 2nd February Dietetics Digest Freelance, Writing and PR feat. Harriet Smith (Episode 3)In this episode, we have Harriet Smith. Harriet is a freelance dietitian, award-winning writer and a business owner. In this episode, Harriet shares with us:Why did she decide to go freelance?Reflects on her experiences along the way.Harriet shares some tools and tips to help others that may be considering freelance on the side or as a full-time endeavour.Resources Mentioned:GDPR compliance - email nutritionfreelancers@gmail.comRocket Lawyer UK Nutrition Writers Facebook group Surrey Dietitian (Facebook / Instagram / Website / Twitter) HRS Communication (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter) If you enjoyed the podcast, please can you support us by: Write a review on Apple podcastsFollow us on social media ( Twitter / Instagram ) Sharing the podcast with a friend: https://www.buzzsprout.com/456598/2623891-freelance-writing-and-pr-feat-harriet-smithThank you for your support!

In this episode of Being Mina, Harriet Smith explains a Trump conspiracy theory she discovered to comedian Beck Flatley. Don't worry, it's not all politics and heavy stuff - there's weirdness, mixed with happiness and weed! Subscribe for new episodes!

Existential lunacy is the name of the game with this podcast from comedian Beck Flatley and Harriet Smith. This first episode has no topic, but is sure to keep you giggling with special guest Kyra. Subscribe for new episodes!

Today on the show I am chatting with Registered Dietitian & Health Write Harriet Smith. Harriet shares her journey with Scoliosis and spinal fusion, as well as her experience managing other chronic health conditions such as joint hypermobility syndrome.  .  To find out more about Harriet, check out her website www.surreydietitian.co.uk . Other websites mentioned on the show: Healthline: www.healthline.com  The British Dietetic Association: www.bda.uk.com 

Kris Corns speaks to Crystal Specialist Finance's Head of Bridging - Harriet SmithIf you have a question for the next #CrystalCast, simply tweet @CrystalS_F #CrystalCast with your question. Support the show (https://www.crystalsf.com/)

Harriet Smith recommends recordings of Mendelssohn's String Quartet No.2 in A minor

This week, Emma Woodhouse gets a little help just in time to solve a BIG problem. ~~~ Send us your questions or comments at: thepemberleypodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @thepemberley Visit our website: thepemberleypodcast.com

Harriet Smith recommends recordings of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major Op 109.

Sammi and Beau return to Pemberley Digital for Bernie Su's take on Emma, Emma Approved.Not just a lifestyle coach/matchmaker, Emma Woodhouse is a savvy business woman and personal brand, along with her business partner Alex Knightley and adorable assistant Harriet Smith, Emma is determined to be the face of Lifestyle Excellence (whatever that means?) So grab your tablets, your Kate Spade binders and your structured blazers and join us for Emma Approved, part 1 of 2. 

Dayeanne Hutton is an actress known for her role as Kate Marsh in the Life is Strange video game. She also plays Harriet Smith in Emma Approved series. We talked about video games, Harry Potter, Disneyland, mermaids and more. Dayeanne on Twitter: @DayeanneHutton Website: dayeannehutton.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayebraham_lincoln/ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dayebraham_lincoln >>>> "Horribly Awkward" Outro music by: Liza and Sam of Slammerkin Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/slammerkingdom Sound cloud: https://soundcloud.com/slammerkingdom

Harriet Smith compares recordings of Schubert's piece, which baffled its 1828 audience.

In the lunch line Travis and Tai talk about Marvin the Martian. Darren, Shannon and Phil talk about Harriet Smith.

Harriet Smith compares recordings of Bartok's Second Piano Concerto, widely recognised as one of the most technically challenging pieces in the repertoire, and makes a personal recommendation.

Harriet Smith compares recordings of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in D minor, Op.49, and makes a personal recommendation

Harriet Smith recommends a recording from the available versions of Beethoven's Ghost Piano Trio.

Harriet Smith suggests a version from the available recordings of Brahms' 1st Piano Concerto in D minor.

Harriet Smith with a personal recommendation from performances of Schumann's Etudes symphoniques

As part of The Spiri of Schubert, Harriet Smith with a personal recommendation from recordings of the composer's late C minor Sonata, D.958

Harriet Smith with a personal recommendation from the available recordings of Beethoven's so-called 'Harp' Quartet