A busload of women lying in the heather

Publishers Weekly interviews Irish author Joseph O'Connor who cites the Brontës among his influences:

What does the label "Irish writer" mean to you?
Well, it's accurate, in that my passport records the fact that I am Irish. And I am fascinated by the literary traditions of Ireland. And Ghost Light nods toward Joyce now and again, because the Dublin in which some parts of it are set is the Dublin Joyce immortalized. But the writers who have influenced me most deeply have not been Irish... novelists like Peter Carey, Richard Ford, Toni Morrison, Hemingway, Dickens, and the Brontës. There is always a lyricism in Irish writing, and that's a valuable thing, but the greatest gift from the American literary tradition is the notion that a novel has to be strong on every part of the game. (Johanna Lane)

It would be interesting to note, however, the possible Irish influences that Patrick Brontë passed on to his children.

The Kansas City Star seems to have found yet another Brontëite (or even two of them) in an article about local resident Kristen Tretbar:

She and her mother, Kathy, are both serious Anglophiles and have led literary tours of England, focusing on the Bard, of course, and Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters, among others. They recently formalized these tours as a business called Shakespeare’s Daughters.[...]
'My mother and I took different groups to Haworth, the bleak hillside town in Yorkshire where the Bronte sisters were raised. You’re in the house, and you can’t believe the creativity that came out of this place. One time my mother took a busload of women on a hike and had them lie in the heather.' (Edward M. Eveld)

Slant Magazine begins a review of the film Gabi on the Roof in July as follows:

Each generation experiences "coming of age" a bit differently, with common miscues and lessons transcending whatever shifts in perspective occur over the years. Call it the predictability of human fallibility. These conventions make us sigh with disappointment when lust overwhelms true love and smile enthusiastically when wisdom vanquishes selfishness. Whether it's something classy (Jane Eyre) or something trashy (Gossip Girl), broken hearts, dead pets, betrayed friends, and angst-ridden fears have universal ramifications that resonate beyond time periods, and the originality of the situation comes from the context rather than anything thematic. (Glenn Heath Jr.)

Medieval Bookworm shares some thoughts on Jane Eyre, Studio Vignette is working on an Emily Brontë-related project and Flickr user luca.dorico has created an image inspired by Wuthering Heights. ScreenTerrier posts about the young cast of Jane Eyre 2011 including a name that was not known until now Freya Wilson who plays the young Eliza Reed.

Categories: Brontëites, Haworth, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights