How could Emily Brontë know all that?

A lovely article about writer's houses appears today in The New York Times. The Haworth Parsonage makes an appearance:

But the place I most want to see is the Brontës’ home in Haworth in the north of England. I’m sure that when I stand on the moors, I’ll hear not just Cathy’s voice calling for Heathcliff, but Heathcliff’s own, crying out for Emily Brontë to bring him to life, and Emily’s, too, whispering in my ear. (Pamela Redmon Satran)

The Independent reviews today John Mullan's Anonymity:

Some writers change name but not identity. They slough off a problematic surname or adorn themselves[:] (...) the Rev Patrick Brunty becomes Brontë; his three daughters become "Bells". (...) For Charlotte Brontë, anonymity provided a crucial freedom. She was a woman, a provincial, a Yorkshirewoman: each identity invited preconceptions. "I wished critics would judge me as an author not as a woman." (Michael Schmidt)

The Chicago Tribune has a reminder of the ongoing performances of Written on the Body by the Dance COLEctive company:

Margi Cole and her Dance COLEctive are performing through Saturday at the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. The program includes "Written on the Body," exploring gender and identity by means of the Bronte sisters, along with a solo for Cole by Ellie Klopp. For tickets, 312-344-6600. (Sid Smith)

It seems that The Stanford Daily journalists don't have much work to do, so they have decided to find who's the biggest literary badass:

I’m concerned with finding out which character, in all of world literature, is the biggest badass of them all. And what, you say, makes a literary badass? Is it heroic deeds? Sexual prowess? A cool disability? Don’t turn that page, dear reader — your answers are right here.

2. Mr. Darcy vs. 15. Mr. Rochester
Darcy set frustratingly unrealistic standards for men. He’s somehow convinced womankind that all guys look like young Colin Firth, ooze with cash and secretly love them. Meanwhile, Jane Eyre’s Edward Rochester knows the two secrets to being a badass: 1. Get blinded in a fire. 2. Lock your crazy wife in the attic and pretend she doesn’t exist. EDGE: Rochester.

Regrettaby our hero gets beaten by Dean (from Jack Kerouac's On the Road):

7. Dean vs. 15. Rochester
Nine. Nine. Nine! EDGE: Dean. (Teddy Steinkellner)

If you have read Kerouac's book you will understand the joke (if not, read the complete article).

The Washington Post reviews the current exhibition of Paula Rego in the National Museum of Women in the Arts which includes some of her Jane Eyre lithographs.

The Greater Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin suggests Brontë theraphy for the mid-winter blues:

The library
Yep. You heard it right. Walk in (It's FREE! You can't beat that.) and browse. Read an article in the newest New Yorker, check out a really juicy book (a Jane Austen or Bronte book always does well this time of year). (Elizabeth Cohen)

The Puppini Sisters explain to The Villager how they presented their swing version of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights to an A&R executive:

We got up in front of him and we started doing our version of “Wuthering Heights” [by Kate Bush] and he just cracked up. We couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or really, really bad - but he loved it and he wanted to sign us then and there.” (Lee Ann Westover)

On the blogosphere: The Dark Phantom Review interviews Camille Marchetta, author of The River by Moonlight:

What is your favorite book of all time? Why?
I don't have one favorite. I have lots of them. And each time I'm asked that question a different book pops into my head. At the moment, it's WUTHERING HEIGHTS demanding a mention. Every time I read it, it just blows my mind. The power of the prose, the mastery of the story-telling, the violence of the emotions. How could Emily Bronte, a nineteenth-century vicar's daughter living in a remote Yorkshire village, know all that?

Fidget reviews The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:

The Tenant is a real gem. I think the thing I like most about it is the depth and believability of the characters. They are intense, passionate, but not idealistic or overly sentimental. You feel that if you lived in their time and place, you’d know them just the way they are presented in the book.

Categories: Books, Brontëites, Haworth, Jane Eyre, Music, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Wuthering Heights