Lowbrow culture and online manuscripts

The Columbia Spectator poses an interesting question today:

With the simultaneous popularization of and obsession with lowbrow culture (see: ONTD, “Gossip Girl,” Miley Cyrus), has it become a social taboo to read literature? (Lucy Tang)

Part of the accompanying article includes the following:

Although I have not read any of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight books, if it takes Bella Swan to encourage 13-year-old girls to pick up “Wuthering Heights,” so be it. (Lucy Tang)

And we agree.

Sparkle finds out the Twilight-Wuthering Heights connection and comments on it.

24dash has published a press release which might be of interest to Brontëites in the London area in December. A chance to see firsthand the online resource British Literary Manuscripts Online, c. 1660-1900 by Gale Cengage Learning:

British Literary Manuscripts Online (1660-1900): Also available to view at the show [Gale, part of Cengage Learning, will be previewing The Financial Times Historical Archive 1888-2006 on stand 524 at Online Information 09, Olympia, London (December 1st-3rd)] is an online library of manuscripts from many of Britain’s literary giants - the first of a series offering a unique, in-depth window into the world of creative writing, including autograph works by Pope, Johnson, Scott, Dickens, the Brontës and Wilde.

The British Library famously has the manuscript of Jane Eyre and other Charlotte Brontë novels as well as juvenilia, etc. What they don't have - because they no longer exist - are the manuscripts of Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Just saying in order to avoid disappointments.

The Brussels Brontë Blog publishes a report about the recent Brontë-related guided walk around Brussels:

On Sunday 18 October a group of about 20 Brontë fans braved the freezing weather to meet up in front of the Chapelle Royale (the Protestant Church in Brussels) for a fascinating tour of some spots relating to Charlotte and Emily's stay in Brussels. (Read more) (Patricia De Gray)

Categories: Alert, Books, Brontëana, Brussels, Wuthering Heights