Magic, Dogs and Dolls

The Naples Daily News asks author Lorraine C. Ladish what her favourite book is and she confesses to being a Brontëite:

What has been the most inspiring book that you have read?
When I was very young, “Wuthering Heights,” by Emily Bronte was a book I would read over and over. I started with the abridged version at an early age, and then I read the unabridged when I was around 11.
Why has it been inspiring?
As a budding writer myself, I was inspired by the ability of a writer to create such engaging settings and a story that I felt as real.
Did the reading of that book make you look for more books of the same author?
Of course. Every time I read a book I enjoy, I go back for more from the same author. Unfortunately, Emily only authored one novel.
Did the book spark your interest on the life of the author?
Yes. I always try to find out about the author of a book I like. Being an author myself, I do it for inspiration, motivation and curiosity.
Does “Wuthering Heights” still have the same effect on you?
It’s still magical to me, but it’s never had the same strong impact as it did when I was a young girl. I am still in awe of the author’s imagination and her ability to make it more real than life itself. (Silvia Casabianca)

The Chronicle Herald reviews several dog-related books. Including Maureen Adams's Shaggy Muses:

Dogs who were more than dogs and who were inspirations to literary greatness are portrayed in Shaggy Muses (Ballantine Books, $32).
Clinical psychologist Maureen Adams was surprised by the depth of her grief upon the death of the family dog Cody. She needed to examine the question, "what explains our intense emotional attachment to our dogs?" (...)
Though she found many writers, men and women, who had fervent affection for their dogs, Adams decided to focus on five renowned women writers: Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton and Emily Bronte.
Adams creates lively accounts of these writers’ lives, the social truths of the times, and of course, the relationships with their dogs. (...)
Emily Bronte’s dog Keeper was an enormous mastiff-like guard dog, who was chosen to protect the family from the marauding gangs of Luddites who were roaming the countryside at night and smashing factory machinery and threatening any figure of authority. Mr. Bronte, a clergyman, got both a dog and a gun as protection. (Mary Jo Anderson)

A nice and curious story is reported today in the Tacoma News Tribune:

Meet Margaret Hoang, a 15-year-old doll clothing crafter from Edgewood who makes Barbie versions of famous characters from literature like Sherlock Holmes and Jane Eyre. Her work is on display at the Sumner Library until the end of March. (...)
What keeps her going: “One thing I like about this is promoting the books. In particular, books that are less known by popular authors. ‘Villette’ by Charlotte Bronte is just as good a read as ‘Jane Eyre.’ There is just so much great literature out there.” (Joseph Montes)

The Times-Colonist has a (very unfair, wrong, male-cliché and plainly stupid and/or ignorant) passing reference to Jane Eyre in an otherwise quite funny article:

Now, after years of handing over more household money than the police department budget, we are told that even our books aren’t safe. May I also point out that if I were to ask them (women) to part with a Jane Eyre or a Barbara Cartland, I would be told since those books are one of the few places one could find a gentle and understanding man, it is not up for discussion. (Maj. (retired) Nigel Smythe-Brown)

La Nación mentions the Argentinian premiere of Cime Tempestose (the 2004 Italian miniseries based on Wuthering Heights) in the Europa, Europa Channel (see the TV alerts section on our sidebar). More information here.

On the blogosphere, French writer Laurent Bourdelas recommends the Phébus French translation of The Tenant of Willdfell Hall that we presented some months ago.

...Caosmosis... approaches critically (in Spanish) the work of Gayatri Ch. Spivak, with special mention to her postcolonialist views on Jane Eyre ( “Three Women Texts and the Critique of Imperialism”, Critical Inquiry, 12.1 (1985) 243-261).

Noize.Makes.Enemies interviews Los Campesinos! and once again this Jane Eyre reference is mentioned:

What does it take for a pop culture reference to make it into one of your songs? Do you collect them?
TC: Gareth writes the lyrics, and I obviously wouldn’t want to put lyrics in his mouth, but his approach to lyrics is quite a biographical one. The Jane Eyre reference in “Don’t Tell Me To Do The Maths” is loosely based around Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, which is a book he had read that weekend and really enjoyed. The more esoteric (the reference), the better.

Finally, The Knoxville News Sentinel announces a reunion of the Brontë Society (Region 7) for February 26 in Alcoa, TN:

Bronte Society - discussion of "Patrick Branwell Bronte's Writings" 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, Panera Bread, 733 Louisville Road, Alcoa. Info: Randall, 865-681-7261.

Categories: Books, Brontëites, Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, Music, References, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Wuthering Heights