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Thursday, March 06, 2014

The Telegraph and Argus reports that the Brontë Society has received a reasonable complaint from a Haworth resident.
A CCTV camera which has been fastened to a tree said to have been planted by Charlotte Brontë needs ditching because it “stands out like a sore thumb”, says a museum visitor.
Justin Ponter thinks the equipment, in the grounds of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, looks ugly and plans to put his concerns to English Heritage. His complaints have already sparked an investigation by the Brontë Society.
Mr Ponter, of Sun Street, Haworth, spotted the camera attached to a tree in the parsonage’s garden last week.
He said he was amazed that such an intrusive camera had been given planning permission in such a historic area.
“This is a Cypress-pine, which is one of a pair said to have been planted by Charlotte Brontë and her husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls, as part of their wedding celebrations in the summer of 1854,” he said.
The CCTV system comprises of a cable running up the tree trunk, connected to an electrical box and the camera, which is trained on the parsonage museum’s main entrance.
“It stands out like a sore thumb, and this is right outside a grade one listed building in a historic area,” said Mr Ponter.
“If this really is the tree that Charlotte planted with her husband then there’s no way that camera should stay there.”
A spokesman for the Brontë Society said: “We take seriously any concerns made to us about such matters. We will be carrying out our own investigations.”
Australian Stage reviews the Australian Shakespeare Company's stage production of Wuthering Heights.
Emily Brontë’s classic tale of Heathcliff and Cathy has been brought to life once again, this time by the creative team at The Australian Shakespeare Company. Set amongst the stunning gardens of Ripponlea Mansion, the scenery adds another element to this tragic story of unrequited love, and the cast make full use of the surroundings, allowing the story to have a more playful narrative.
Traditionally set amongst the British moors, some of the intensity and urgency is lost as the gardens are far too beautiful to evoke any sort of fear of the environment.
However, the talented cast created a sense of imminent danger through solid performances. Michael Wahr as the tortured Heathcliff was perfectly cast in his role as he crawled his way out from under the thumb of Hindley (James Harvy). and into society as a gentleman. Both dashing and slightly terrifying, Wahr managed to keep the audience in the palm of his hand, even when he was doing the most despicable things.
Ciume Lochner as his partner in crime and great love, Cathy, played up to the characters bratty nature and twisted Heathcliff, Hindley and Edgar (Spencer Scholz) around her little finger with her adorably frustrating behaviour.
While the cast were solid, director Greg Carroll has tinkered with the original plot, and the purists out there will not be too accepting of these changes to the beloved story.
Regarded as some of the most passionate lovers of all time Wahr and Lochner maintain Cathy and Heathcliff’s sexual chemistry throughout the production. However, the remaining ensemble is also highly charged and for Wuthering Heights fans, the concept of Edgar passionately kissing Cathy or Hindley and Francis (Rain Fuller) in a steamy embrace is absurd.
There is a lot to like about this production, the gorgeous setting, the timing of the darkness of the plot being entwined with the darkening night sky, wonderful costuming and incredible lighting that brings out the desperation and sadness of Brontë’s characters. (Heather Bloom)
The Huffington Post lists '11 male book characters who aren’t as nice as they first seem to be'. Among them is
St. John - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: St. John is even more terrifying than the average Nice Guy. Jane’s forbidding cousin, a minister and aspiring missionary, believes he’s owed her hand in marriage because their union will serve God’s purpose. St. John sees Jane as perfectly suited to the missionary life, and so he declares: “You shall be mine: I claim you -- not for my pleasure, but for my Sovereign’s service.” Sure... but when Jane offers to go as his cousin rather than as his wife, he attempts to guilt her into marrying him instead, saying “Either our union must be consecrated and sealed by marriage, or it cannot exist ... It is the cause of God I advocate ... I cannot accept on His behalf a divided allegiance.” St. John claims to be nothing but a vessel for God’s will, but he’s using his moral authority as a minister to manipulate a woman into marrying him against her own wishes. Not so saintly, St. John. (Claire Fallon)
The Huffington Post also mentions a 1999 poetry anthology which includes a poem by Emily Brontë (we suppose it's Sleep Brings No Joy To Me).
It's often been said that insomnia and creativity goes hand in hand.
Acquainted with the Night: Insomnia Poems (edited by Lisa Russ Spaar) is a collection of over eighty poems by famous poets and writers like Walt Whitman, Emily Brontë and Robert Frost, all inspired by sleepless nights. (Aly Walansky)
Female First interviews writer Lucy Lawrie about her novel Tiny Acts of Love.
How much has your degree in English Literature helped you to write this book?Some of the works I studied (Emily Dickinson’s poetry for example) shaped the way I saw everything from that point on.  Others, like Charlotte Brontë’s novels, I just fell in love with. (Lucy Walton)
Socialist Worker mentions the early influences of Invisible Man author Ralph Ellison.
His early literary influences were European and Russian classics--Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. (Bill Mullen)
BBC Culture wonders if re-reading is the 'ultimate guilty pleasure' (pleasure - absolutely. But why guilty?) and mentions Brontëite writer Samantha Ellis
Playwright Samantha Ellis has clocked up even more time with Wuthering Heights. She was 12 when she first read Emily Brontë’s gothic romance, and without fail, she’s returned to it annually in the run-up to her birthday. This year when she will turn 39 might just be the first time that she skips it, but only because all those re-readings have now inspired a book, How to Be a Heroine. (Hephzibah Anderson)
The Frisky lists '15 Things That Deserve A Second Chance'. One of which is
14. The book that you couldn’t get through your sophomore year of English. The specter of your tattered copy of Wuthering Heights will haunt you forever until you finish it. (Ami Angelowicz and Winona Dimeo-Ediger)
Vulture gives readers reasons why they should 'be into' Cary Fukunaga. We wholeheartedly agree with this one:
He "gets" the Brontës.Or he gets Charlotte, anyway. If you have not yet seen his 2010 [sic] Jane Eyre — starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender — then lock yourself away in an attic and do so immediately. It is sensitive and lovely, like Fukunaga himself. Also, you have to give him credit for being so early on the Michael Fassbender train. (Amanda Dobbins)
The International Business Times also saw traces of Wuthering Heights in Alexander McQueen's Autumn/Winter 2014 collection.
Sarah Burton's show for Alexander McQueen seemed to be channeling scenes from Wuthering Heights, set on an emotive green heath. (David Sim)
Mis películas y series (in Spanish) posts about Jane Eyre 2006. Don't miss the sneak peak a the Brontë Parsonage new room guide on their Facebook page! Also, Jenny Whitehead writes about the goings-on in the Brontë Parsonage garden during the first two months of the year.

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