Cathy's iPhone

The Col-Coa Festival will take place in Los Angeles on April 15-22 and, according to Deadline,

André Techiné’s Les Soeurs Brontë (The Brontë Sisters) will have a special 35th [?] anniversary screening. (Nancy Tartaglione)

Variety reports it as well. The film is supposedly 34 years old this year, though.

Associate Press reviews the film Stoker where

With stringy black hair shrouding her face, India [played by Mia Wasikowska] is a dour, intelligent introvert — a kind of Victorian shadow of Wasikowska's Jane Eyre. (Jake Coyle)

The Times Higher Education has an article on the book Hikikomori: Adolescence without End by Tamaki Saito which begins as follows:

In the Brothers Grimm tale, Rapunzel was shut away in a tower, while in Charlotte Brontë's most famous work, Mrs Rochester was locked away in Thornfield Hall, hidden from the eyes of Jane Eyre. The common theme is that the two women see hardly anyone for a very long time and are cut off from society. Tamaki Saitō's book is also about people who are locked away from society. The only difference is that Hikikomori: Adolescence without End is the story of real people, and there are 700,000 of them in Japan - only a little short of 1 per cent of its entire population. (Atsushi Senju)

Source

LookLocal (South Africa) features a recent exhibition inspired by Wuthering Heights 

Numerous artists embraced the Boksburg Art Centre's recent exhibition with the theme centred on the timeless novel, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë.    
According to Barry de Villiers, art teacher and the coordinator of the exhibition, the painting competition was open to all artists and the theme was a great way to fire the imagination of local artists. (Logan Green)

A Cavalier Daily columnist discusses the print vs digital way of life.

We readers remember the emotions evoked from the words created on the page, and the words destroyed on the page. In Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” we grieve as Catherine and Linton’s love letters burn in the fireplace. Had Nelly Dean taken young Cathy’s iPhone and deleted her text messages, the sentiment would not have been as powerful — nay, it would not have been there at all. (Katherine Ripley)

La Jornada (México) likens a convoluted political story to Wuthering Heights. The 'complexities of love in Wuthering Heights' are actually explained by this video by Pine Crest Educational Tech (via @BrontëParsonage). Elly's Film Review posts briefly about Wuthering Heights 2011. Mes impressions de lecture - Denis Billamboz writes in French about Jane Eyre while Eroticdreambattle features Mr Rochester.

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A Keighley Artist

A local alert for today, February 28:

Older people in Keighley will be able to check out the work of a local artist as well as enjoy a free lunch next week during an open day.

Staveley Court Day Centre in Staveley Road, Ingrow, is inviting people aged 55 and over, their families and anyone who works with older people to take a look around the facilities on February 28 and see the activities available.

Among the attractions will be a display of artwork by Barbara Ritchie, who attends Staveley Court. Barbara’s work features familiar local scenes, such as the the Brontë Parsonage, as well as more far-flung landscapes like the Mediterranean.

Visitors will be able to purchase the individually signed pictures, the proceeds of which will go towards the day centre’s fundraising efforts.

Doors open from 11am to 1.30pm, and visitors will receive a free light lunch. (Via Keighley News)

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Inappropriately improper

The Telegraph and Argus features the Charlotte Brontë poem to be auctioned in April.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum at Haworth said it was aware of the poem coming up for sale but had not yet decided whether to bid.
Charlotte, who was born in 1816, is best known for Jane Eyre but she also penned about 200 poems.
The one coming up for auction is among her earliest. It is dated December 14, 1829, when she was only 13.
The poem, like other works by the Brontë children, was penned in tiny handwriting.
Brontë expert and author Juliet Barker said this was probably partly due to the expense and shortage of paper.
“They developed a minuscule hand – designed to look like bookprint – which allowed them to write many more words to the page,” she said. “The writing cannot be read without a magnifying glass, but as all the young Brontës were shortsighted this would not have been so much of a problem to them.
“The tiny hand also had the advantage of being illegible to their father and aunt, so the children enjoyed the delicious thrill knowing that the contents of their little books were a secret shared only among themselves.”

Something else pertaining to Charlotte's childhood is the notorious Cowan Bridge school. We find it fascinating how the current school located there, Casterton, manages to gloss over the gruesome experience. From BBC News reporting that 'Sedbergh and Casterton boarding schools [are] to merge':

The three Brontë sisters attended Casterton, which was founded in 1823.

Actually, four Brontë sisters attended Cowan Bridge. Two of them, Maria and Elizabeth, died because of its unsanitary conditions. Anne never went there at all. And we are not saying that the current school bears any resemblance whatsoever to its predecessor, we just find it funny that they use the Brontës for renown.

The Lindsey Hilsum on International Affairs blog from Channel 4 quotes from Charlotte Brontë's Shirley:

“There are certain phrases potent to make my blood boil!” wrote Charlotte Brontë. The word that drove her crazy was “improper”. For me it’s the latter day equivalent – inappropriate. [...]
I went back to Charlotte Brontë to look for another quotation to end this blog and found: “If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under an illusion about women: they do not read them in a true light: they misapprehend them, both for good and evil: their good woman is a queer thing, half doll, half angel; their bad woman almost always a fiend.”
It’s a beautiful piece of writing, succinctly and wittily describing a worrying male attitude to women which I don’t think has moved on too much since Charlotte Brontë was writing.
I suspect, however, that it is not entirely relevant to the subject in hand. It’s the wrong quotation on which to end this meditation.  Or maybe it’s just inappropriate.

The first quotation comes from chapter XXXI; the second from chapter XX.

This writer from The Millions discussing John Irving is not a Brontëite:

I started reading John Irving when I was thirteen. My mother recommended The World According to Garp in a moment of exasperation. I was at a difficult age, reading-wise — too old for children’s books, but too unseasoned a reader to navigate the adult section of the library. My mother gave me novels from her own library, classics she thought appropriate for a young girl: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, and Ethan Frome. The only one I liked was Ethan Frome — a novel about a terrible accident, set in New England. Maybe that’s why my mother thought I would like The World According to Garp. (Hannah Gersen)

The Seattle Theater Examiner features Book-It's stage adaptation of Anna Karenina and interviews several cast members:

Can you tell me what the first Book-It show was that you saw? [...]
[Meg] McLynn: I saw Jane Eyre over a decade ago. I wasn't familiar with the novel, but I was an avid reader, so having the story come to life in a way which connected a literary structure with a theatrical structure was completely surprising and engaging. I was hooked immediately with the Book-It style and have wanted to perform with them ever since! (Rosemary Jones)

TravelBite makes some suggestions for Mother's Day (March 10th in the UK this year), such as

York Literature Festival, York
Celebrate the written word at the 6th York Literature Festival which takes place from March19th to 24th. Mixing local writers with nationally recognised names, this year the festival features poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage, Will Self, Tracy Chevalier, Tony Hawks, crime novelist Peter Robinson and folk hero Martin Carthy. Visitors can also take a guided walk around Literary York, discovering the cities links to W H Auden, Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, Tristram Shandy, Robinson Crusoe and many more. Visit www.yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk/

Big Hospitality reports that Brontë country, among others, has partnered with VisitEngland in 'a new multi-channel marketing campaign designed to boost domestic tourism in 2013'. Galactic Vagabond posts about Jane Eyre and Flickr user BraveAmberBeats has uploaded a picture of a copy of Jane Eyre at Grand Central.

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In North Dakota and Louisiana

Some upcoming book readings and library talks:

1. In Grand Forks, North Dakota:

Grand Forks Public Library
Classic Re-Reads book club will meet Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 PM.
They will be discussing the book, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Info: (701) 772-8116. (Via Grand Forks Herald)

2. In Livingston, Louisiana:

Livingston Parish LibrarySouth Branch Bookies will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at the South Branch, 23477 La. 444, Livingston. Members will discuss Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. (Via The Advocate)

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Landmark redecoration

The Telegraph and Argus features the Shipley decorators who have carried out the refurbishment of the Brontë Parsonage.

A Shipley-based decorating firm has completed work on a £60,000 refurbishment project at the Brontë Parsonage Museum at Haworth which recreates the house as it was when the Brontë sisters were living and writing there.
Historic interior design consultant Allyson McDermott interpreted two years of archaeological study to redecorate the house as it would have been during 1830s and 40s based on rigorous historical research and scientific analysis.
Bagnalls involvement included the hanging of bespoke wallpapers, hand printed to replicate the designs of the 19th Century, and painting in various colours of distemper.
The project was managed by Barry Caple, a craftsman heritage painter with 40 years’ experience who led a team of experienced decorators and apprentices.
Garry Coble, Bagnalls’ branch director, said: “This project was a unique opportunity for us to demonstrate our decorating capability. We had to ensure that we correctly interpreted Allyson’s specification for each room and were flexible to adapt to any changes she required.”
Sally McDonald, chairman of the Brontë Society Council, said: “This landmark redecoration is a singular opportunity to learn more about the Brontës and their home. When the parsonage reopens its doors we will be sharing more of that wonderful story with our visitors.”

WQXR's Operavore reviews Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, in New York.

Benjamin Britten’s famously spooky 1954 opera The Turn of the Screw arrives in a New York City Opera production determined to be as ungothic as possible, unfolding in a modern suburban-looking rec room – no murky Wuthering Heights weather here – identifiably British mainly because Margaret Thatcher is seen on TV and the cast sings accented English. (David Patrick Stearns)

Glasswerk has discovered the musical duo Paper Crows:

There’s a euphoric positivity nestled in this bleak Scottish soundscape that demands the listeners attention and an overriding feeling of isolation makes for a highly evocative and emotionally charged record - a Wuthering Heights for a new generation. (Jamie)

And we wonder if this is a blunder. From What Culture on the 1940 film Kitty Foyle:The Natural History Of A Woman by Sam Wood:

This is one of these films where you exasperate and sigh: where do I start? The character’s name is Kitty, she lives in a bachelorette hotel where women are waiting for a man to fulfill their drearisome lives. Of course the template of the story is a true and tried cliché: working class protagonist and blue blood socialite suffer greatly due to societal norms.
Why is it so strange? That same year a well-known director of the time called Hitchcock, of course Selznick as the producer had extensive say regarding the film, actually won the “Best Picture” Oscar for Rebecca. So, basically the same story with a few different elements yet a vastly superior film with hints of Wuthering Heights. (Marvin Lee Dupree)

Don't they mean Jane Eyre? We are confused.

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Parhelia Opens in Charleston

Arlene Hutton's Parhelia is performed as a workshop in Charleston, South Carolina:

PURE Theatre presents
Parhelia
by Arlene Hutton
Workshop directed by Sharon Graci

February 26 ( Pay-what-you-can-preview), 27 (Opening Night), 28 7:30 PM
March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 7: 30 PM
March 10 2:00 Matinee

Set against the bleak and windy Yorkshire moors  in the mid-1800s, Arlene Hutton’s Parhelia follows the lives of the Brontë sisters as they struggle to find creative prosperity, while navigating the harsh realities of male society. Faced with limited opportunities for educated women, Charlotte, Emily and Anne live in the rich worlds of their imaginations, until they are forced to face the truth that nothing is certain, and their destinies are best served when held firmly in their own hands. Inspired by Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, Parhelia is a rich adaptation that deftly explores the parallels in the lives of the Brontë’s and the Prozorovs resulting in a deeply gratifying new theatre piece by the author of Letters to Sala and Last Train to Nibroc.

Charlotte Brontë – Christina Leidel
Emily Brontë – Anna Royal
Anne Brontë – McKenna DuBose
Branwell Brontë – Storm Smith
Patrick Brontë – Laurens Wilson
Arthur Bell Nichols – Matthias Burrell
William Weightman – David Beckett
Smith – Brannen Daugherty*
Vicar of Bradford – Thomas Burke Heath
Dr. Crosby – Thomas Burke Heath
* PURE Core Ensemble Member

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Jane Eyre's fashion sense

More national newspapers reports the sale of the Brontë birthplace. The Telegraph:

The stone terraced house in the village of Thornton near Bradford, west Yorkshire, sold to a private developer last week for around £100,000 after the local council refused to step in in times of austerity.
There has been a long-running campaign to create a museum in the four-bedroom property to celebrate the early years of Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
Its literary legacy earned it a Grade II listing. The family lived in it for just five years before Rev Patrick Brontë moved them eight miles to the Parsonage in Haworth, where many of their great works were written.
Steve Stanworth, chairman of the Brontë Birthplace Trust, believes its new owner plans a commercial use. "I understand its been bought by a local businessman and I think he is going to turn it into a bistro" he said
Rev Brontë, who was the curate of the nearby St James's Church, wrote that the time spent at Thornton was the happiest in his life. [...]
The Brontë Birthplace Trust group have vowed to continue their campaign and will bide their time until it comes on the market again.
Efforts to make the house into a heritage centre have a history of failure.
In 1996 the Heritage Lottery Fund rejected an application for a £500,000 grant. Novelist Barbara Whitehead, bought and renovated it in an 1820s style, but visitor numbers were low but her failing health forced her to sell 2007.
Today it is unoccupied and thought to have suffered from flooding. (Hayley Dixon)

Also in the Daily Mail.

The Advertiser's Adelaide Now reviews the play Miss Brontë, giving it 3 1/2 stars.

Charlotte, acclaimed author of Jane Eyre, walks the audience through her seminal years. The loves lost; the tales of triumph and tragedy.
The experience is illuminating, if a little confusing. Marking each year in bold type across the hardcover of a book is a useful device. But it helps to know a little about the family and their published works.
This new play is stitched together from excerpts of Miss Brontë's writing - her books, letters and diaries.
It's fascinating to hear about the true characters that inspired the fiction and the production has a lot to offer, the costume and the old-world setting work a treat. (Clare Peddie)

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reviews Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy.

When I heard Margot Livesey had written a retelling of “Jane Eyre” — set in the mid-20th century in Scotland and Iceland — I was forced to give up a long-standing bias. For many years, I have steadfastly refused to read “Jane Eyre,” holding (unfairly, of course) the work of Charlotte Brontë’s sister Emily against her.
But I loved Livesey’s last novel, “The House on Fortune Street,” and was eager to read “The Flight of Gemma Hardy” (Harper, 447 pages, $26.99). So, now I have read both “Jane Eyre” and “The Flight of Gemma Hardy,” and I owe Livesey a double debt of gratitude.
I loved both books, and am mightily impressed by Livesey’s ability to adhere to the central plot points of “Jane Eyre” while still rendering her own story moving and suspenseful. Admittedly, reading the two books over a short period time meant that I could predict certain turns of events (and also meant that in the early going of “Flight,” I had to get used to a more modern set of technologies and concerns), but Gemma doesn’t just live Jane’s life by rote. Rather, Livesey breathes life into her protagonist so that she can stride across her story as an individual. (Rob Cline)

The Red & Black continues discussing the new cover for classics:

Sure, the decision by HarperCollins’ teen division to redesign covers for classic works by William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters was likely a financial one to piggyback off the success of the teen novels. The fact remains that the exterior of the book does not change the text within. What it does do is attract a reader’s attention long enough to give the works a second look.
And supposing a reader chooses to purchase Wuthering Heights simply because it’s Edward and Bella’s favorite book, does this motivation make the experience any different? True, these “classics” as we call them do require a bit more “struggle” for a modern reader to understand, but is that an altogether bad thing? They require the same effort in their new hip covers as they would clad in leather backing.
The argument that authors like Shakespeare, Jane Austin [sic[ and the Brontë Sisters shouldn’t be associated with “popular dribble of the day” fails to acknowledge the fact that at one time these authors’ writings were the popular drivel of the day. Shakespeare wasn’t writing for the intelligentsia, he was writing for the masses. His plays were intense and funny and crude and horrifying — they weren’t literature, they were entertainment. Austin [sic] published her popular novels under the pseudonym “A Lady,” and each of the Brontë sisters chose to publish under male names to varying levels of success. What, then, about being linked with one of the most widely-read books of the past decade would lead any one of these authors to roll over in their graves? [...]
 It’s the unparalleled genius that we associate with their names that scares readers away from the “classics.” Shakespeare and Austen and each of the Brontës were humans just like us. It’s the human observations in their work that gives them relevance today.
So what makes these Twilight-inspired covers any different from the equally generic artwork these stories have undoubtedly endured in their lifetimes? Their covers are constantly reimagined in hopes of finding new readers. In my mind, if these new book covers introduce even one of Twilight’s largely adolescent readership to the work of William, Jane, Charlotte, Emily or Anne, then they’ve done their job. (Will Murdock)

The fashion section of The Telegraph reaches an 'interesting' conclusion:

"Austere but romantic," said Consuelo Castiglioni after her show this morning. That conjures up one figure as far as we're concerned: Jane Eyre. Teleport her to winter 2013, arm her with Mr Rochester's full panoply of credit cards, and she'd have a surreptitious splurge on Marni's knee high riding boots, calf length, gently flaring mohair checked skirts and belted jackets. Marni's flat brogues-with-everything approach would almost certainly get the Eyrian thumbs up, although being Victorian and from Yorkshire, Jane would probably have been baffled by their metallic panels. Rest assured Jane, a metallic brogue is very next season, but also a classic-in-the-making. Ergo thrifty. (Lisa Armstrong)

The whole credit-card-surreptitious-splurge has us thinking that the writer hasn't actually read the novel. Or has totally forgotten about that unimportant part of the story that is Jane's independence.

The Brontë Parsonage Facebook page welcomes locals to become volunteers at the museum. Summer Reading Project posts about Agnes Grey. Czytamy książki writes in Polish about The Professor. Musings of a Bookworm discusses Villette. Eastwood Book Club posts about Wide Sargasso Sea.

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The Professor again in BBC Radio 4 Extra

Starting today, Feburary 25, BBC Radio 4 Extra offers the chance to listen again the 2005 dramatization of The Professor, written by Rachel Joyce.

The Professor (first aired on BBC4, September 2005)

Cast
William Crimsworth ...... Paul Venables
Edward Crimsworth ...... Jonathan Keeble
Mrs Crimsworth ...... Ruth Sillers
Lord Tynedale ...... Gerard McDermott
Young William / Victor ...... Jack Miller
Hunsden ..... Shaun Dooley
Monsieur Pelet ...... Roger May
Zoraide Reuter ...... Niamh Cusack
Madame Pelet ...... Natasha Pyne
Mr Brown ...... Harry Myers
Frances ..... Claire Price
Sylvie .... Penelope Rawlins

Producer/director Tracey Neale.
Dramatised by Rachel Joyce

BBC Radio 4 Extra
Monday to Friday, 2:00 PM
1/10. Trade (February 25)
The orphaned William Crimsworth is a young man with nothing. As he sets out to make his way in the world he doesn't want to be indebted to anyone. But running parallel with this need for
self-control is the desperate need to love and be loved in return.
2/10. Freedom (February 26)
Eschewing his aristocratic background, Crimsworth has rejected aid from his mother's family and is now working as clerk to his brother. But all is not well.
3/10. Belgium (February 27)
Unable to work any longer for his tyrant of a brother William has left the Mill. With no job and no prospects he finds himself in Belgium on Hunsden's advice, seeking work. But how will he fare?
4/10. Zoraide (February 28)
William feels he has found his natural place. A gifted teacher, he is happy and content. He finds further work in the neighbouring school for girls. The very same place he has heard a laughing voice, an enchanting ringing laugh.
5/10 Deceit (March 1)
William finds himself attracted to the Directrice of the girls' school. But not everything is as it seems.
6/10 Frances (March 4)
William becomes intrigued by the shy and gentle Frances - there is a sadness about her and he wonders why. But someone is watching him from the shadows.
7/10 Loss (March 5)
William spurns Mademoiselle's advances and Frances disappears from class.
8/10 Turmoil (March 6)
In turmoil at his loss and unsure of what to do, a determined William begins to search the streets of Brussels - but will he find what he's looking for?
9/10 Joy and Sorrow (March 7)
William has no job, no prospects and no future, but he still has his pride - is that enough to save him?
10/10 Victor (March 8)
Married to the woman he adores and successful in his work, William is about to bring his journal to a close. But there is one last part of the story to be told.

A weekly omnibus is aired on Saturdays:

Charlotte Brontë - The Professor Omnibus March 3 06:00 AM Episodes 1-5 of 10.
Repeated at 12:00 PM(Sunday)
March 10 06:00 AM Episodes 6-10 of 10.
Repeated at 12:00 PM (Sunday)

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A Charlotte Poem To Be Auctioned

Bonhams 1793 will auction next April 10th an autograph manuscript poem by Charlotte Brontë:

10 Apr 2013 13:00 BST London, New Bond Street
The Roy Davids Collection. Part III. Poetry: Poetical Manuscripts and Portraits of Poets. Volume I: A-K
Lot 62:

Autograph Manuscript Poem Written in Her Minuscule Hand Signed 'C. Brontë'dated by her 14 December 1829 and with the autograph note 'from the Young Mans Intelligencer', on a small slip of paper (c. 3 x 3 inches, formerly part of the address leaf of a letter - on the verso survive 'Miss Br' and 'Rev' with a hand-inscribed postal rate), [Haworth Rectory], 14 December 1829

I've been wandering in the greenwoods 

And mid flowery smiling plains 

I've been listening to the dark floods 

To the thrushes thrilling strains 

I have gathered the pale primrose 

And the purple violet sweet 

I've been where the Asphodel grows 

And where lives the red deer fleet. 

I've been to the distant mountain, 

To the silver singing rill 

By the crystal murmering mountain, 

And the shady verdant hill. 

I've been where the poplar is springing 

From the fair Inamelled ground 

Where the nightingale is singing 

With a solemn plaintive sound. 

The printed version in The Poems of Charlotte Brontë was taken from this manuscript when it was in the possession of Robert Barrett of Kenilworth, Illinois. Winnifrith provided punctuation not in the manuscript, altered the spelling of 'Inamelled' and gave 'Asphodel' a lower case initial letter. The precocious Brontë children produced family literary magazines, in imitation of Blackwood's, written in minuscule hands, 'The Young Man's Intelligencer' being one of the 'Glass Town' publications. Branwell was editor until July 1829 when he handed over to Charlotte. The hand has been authenticated by the Brontë Society and Dr Christine Alexander (for a full discussion of the early manuscripts see her Early Writings).

Juliet Barker explains that it was probably the expense and shortage of supply of paper that led to the tiny writing adopted by the Brontë children -- 'they developed a minuscule hand, designed to look like bookprint, which allowed them to write many more words to the page. The writing cannot be read without a magnifying glass but as all the young Brontës were shortsighted, this would not have been so much of a problem to them. The tiny hand also had the advantage of being illegible to their father and aunt, so the children enjoyed the delicious thrill knowing that the contents of their little books were a secret shared only among themselves.' The present manuscript is written on the recto of an address leaf addressed to Miss Br[ontë].

This poem is one of her earliest (which date from July to December 1829). In all she wrote about 200 and in 1836, when she wrote to Southey asking for his opinion of her talents, she told him that she wished 'to be for ever known' as a poetess. Southey infamously told her she possessed 'in no inconsiderable degree...the faculty of verse... But it is not with a view to distinction that you should cultivate this talent, if you consult your own happiness.'

Poetical Manuscripts by Charlotte Brontë are extremely rare; only two others have been sold at auction in forty years or more. This may be the last poem by her in private hands  - the two others known to have been owned by an individual were sold for $62,500 at the William Self sale on 4 December 2009, lot 13, by Christie's in New York (both formerly Arthur Houghton, sold Christie's London 1979) and are likely to be in institutional hands now. Another was recorded as unlocated by Rosenbaum and White (Brc 69) in 1990 and one is presumed (though without any knowledge) to still be in the possession of the descendants of Sir Alfred J. Law (BrC 99). Otherwise all the other known manuscripts are in institutional collections. The main repository for Brontë manuscripts is at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Haworth; the Morgan Library also has substantial holdings.

Provenance: Barrett Collection, Kenilworth, Illinois.

References: Juliet Barker, The Brontës, 1994; The Poems of Charlotte Brontë, edited by Tom Winnifrith, 1984; Christine Alexander, The Early Writings of Charlotte Brontë, 1983; Christine Alexander and Margaret Smith, The Oxford Companion to the Brontës, 2003; Index of English Literary Manuscripts, Volume IV, 1800-1900, Part I, compiled by Barbara Rosenbaum and Pamela White, BrC 37.

Estimate: £40,000 - 45,000
US$ 61,000 - 69,000
€46,000 - 52,000

Thanks to alert reader lizrye4.

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Least Hospitable Terrain?

The news of the sale of the Brontë Birthplace and the inaction of the local Council are reaching the national press. We read in The Independent:

A blow for Brontë fans. The house where Anne, Emily, Charlotte and Branwell were born and raised has been sold for a bargain price to an unknown buyer, even though Brontë fans were planning to buy it. The terraced house in Thornton, Yorkshire, where the Brontë family lived for five years before moving to Haworth in 1820, was sold to a couple for £120,000, gazumping the Brontë Birthplace Trust, who had been hoping to convert it into a museum. Bradford Council turned down their application for funding, saying it wouldn't be a good use of money in these austere times. But all is not lost: another Brontë house is also up for sale. Ponden Hall, high up on the moors, is thought to have been the model for Thrushcross Grange in Wuthering Heights, and is Grade II* listed, with eight bedrooms. Trouble is, the asking price is a meaty £950,000. I think we know the council's answer to that. (Matthew Bell)

Barbara Taylor Bradford defends Kate Middleton from the recent attacks by Hilary Mantel in The Telegraph:

Hilary recommended that Kate read Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. I don’t know what Kate has read. It is making assumptions, of course, that she hasn’t read anything. On the other hand, here is a woman who has a good education and was an excellent student. So I wouldn’t presume to suggest Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind or, indeed, Wolf Hall. It’s making an assumption that Kate has not read books. That is the awful thing we do – and one of the points Hilary was making.

The Sunday Times talks about Mia Wasikowska's career and mentions, of course, her Jane Eyre:

Instead, she makes do with being brilliant in films such as The Kids Are All Right and the recent Jane Eyre. She was so good in the latter, Meryl Streep even name-checked her in her last Golden Globes speech. (Giles Hattersley) 

The Independent briefly reviews the Great Expectations 2012 DVD:

Unlike the recent, more daring deconstructions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, Mike Newell's Great Expectations is close to being a scene-by-scene translation of the novel. (Nicholas Barber)

Female First interviews the writer Susanna Jones:

What is your favourite novel?
It changes but, if I had to pick one, it would be Jane Eyre. My favourite contemporary novel is probably The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I've read it so many times and it never fails to move and fascinate me. (Lucy Walton)

We have a weird reference today. A Brontë reference in the Materials Handling World Magazine:

[Andy Kaye] is championing the NOVUS project together with University of Huddersfield Senior Lecturer in transport, David Leach, This fine Yorkshire institution is in an area which has a few logistical centuries of supply chain nightmares to resolve with canals that caught fire, trains that were wrecked and road infrastructures over some of the UK's least hospitable terrain better suited to the wild imaginings of Wuthering Heights than 40' articulated trunkers. The perfect birth place for a new focused qualification. (Paul Casebourne)

Mymovies.it reviews Anna Karenina 2012 and quotes from Tolstoi himself:

Fra le eroine a lui vicine nel tempo Tolstoj citava Jane Eyre di Charlotte Brönte (sic) e Carmen di Mérimée. Jane ha il coraggio di mettere in discussione il proprio amore perché l'uomo che ama le ha mentito. Dunque rispetto e parità. Carmen non ama più José, si è innamorata di Lucas. Sa che sarà uccisa da José, ma difende la facoltà di cambiare idea. (Translation)

Die Welt talks about the German publication of Elizabeth Taylor's A Game of Hide and Seek:

Als sich Elizabeth Bowen im Frühjahr 1951 den neuen Roman ihrer englischen Kollegin Elizabeth Taylor rezensierte, hielt sie mit ihrer Begeisterung nicht hinterm Berg. Sie stellte "Versteckspiel" in eine Reihe mit Jane Austens "Überredung" und Emily Brontës "Sturmhöhe". Und wer Taylors Roman jetzt erstmals in Bettina Abarbanells nuancierter Übersetzung liest, kann Bowen nicht widersprechen. (Rainer Moritz) (Translation)

Heavenly Wordliness posts about the Brontës; Kate Shrewsday posts about Charlotte Brontë and phrenology; Tiers & Tiaras presents a Jane Eyre-inspired Wedding Cake.

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Luddenden Brontë Walk

The Parish Church of St Mary's Luddenden

A walk around Luddenden for today, February 24:

Calderdale Heritage Walks
Sunday 24 February Luddenden

A walk round this charming old village looking at its history, Church, Inn, other old buildings, its involvement with the textile industry, Brontë connection, and more.

Meet David Cant by the New Road carpark at the Luddenden Foot end of the village at 2.00 pm. (Via Hebden Bridge Times)

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'Those kinky potboilers'

The Brontë birthplace sale has now reached the news. From The Telegraph and Argus:

The sale was completed by Beverley Smith for Whitneys estate agents in Clayton.
Mrs Smith, a Thornton resident herself, said: “Because this property was a repossession we have got to get as much for it as possible. Contracts have been exchanged and keys handed over.
“It’s been bought by a couple, not a company. I am sure they will be sympathetic to the Brontë sisters because of conversations I had with them." (Jim Greenhalf)

The Yorkshire Post is not so sure:

Steve Stanworth, chairman of the Trust, said members were “upset and very disappointed” as they had spent months trying to get support for their proposal.
He said the property could have become a multi-purpose visitor attraction incorporating a museum, book shop, café and gift stall.
The house, which has a plaque on the outside wall naming the four Brontë children born there, already attracts fans of the literary siblings from far and wide.
Mr Stanworth and Trust supporters believe that the Brontë birthplace has the potential to kick-start wider regeneration in Thornton.
He also believes it would improve the experience of visitors on the Brontë Trail, thousands of whom visit nearby Haworth and its Brontë Parsonage Museum every year.
It is not clear what the buyer of the Thornton property intends to do with the building but Mr Stanworth said he believes it could eventually be turned into a bistro.
“I understand it’s a local businessman and I think he’s going to turn it into a bistro. I don’t know his full plans at the moment.”
Mr Stanworth is not giving up yet on the Trust’s dream of acquiring the building and capitalising on its Brontë connections.
“We have decided, as a Trust, we are going to carry on with our work and hope that some time in the future it will come on the market.
“We are going to try and get a professional business plan done and raise money to buy it.” (Andrew Robinson)

The Keighley News has an article on the Brontë Parsonage reopening celebration.

More than 300 people gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Brontë Parsonage Museum at Haworth following a £60,000 refurbishment.
Guests congregated at the Old Schoolroom, opposite the historic building, for wine and a buffet supper.
Among those at the event was the museum’s new executive director, Professor Ann Sumner, who outlined the work that had taken place, announced a new website launched earlier that day and spoke about a recent conference – ReVisioning the Brontës – held at Leeds University.
Speeches were also given by Brontë Society chairman, Sally McDonald, and Terry Suthers, Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.
Others present included Bronte scholars Jane Sellars and Rebecca Fraser, the Earl and Countess of Harewood, Keighley town mayor Councillor George Metcalf and Yorkshire artist Ashley Jackson. [...]
Several new acquisitions were also on display, including six letters from Charlotte Brontë to Ellen Nussey, Charlotte’s silk, fringed parasol, and a masonic apron with symbols painted by Branwell Brontë. The apron was donated by the family of Branwell’s friend and fellow mason, William Thomas.

Publishers' Weekly reviews the memoir The Cooked Seed by Anchee Min where she tells about how

Watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and reading Jane Eyre helped pave her yellow brick road to literary success

This columnist from The Tyee is definitely not a Brontëite.

That's one of the chief differences between Austen and the romance writers she satirizes: her heroes are exceedingly good at doing the decent, upstanding thing. Unlike the Brontë sisters, who arrived three decades later and produced those kinky potboilers featuring sadomasochistic relationships. They serve as templates for today's formula romance novel industry and their heroes actually resemble Austen's villains -- narcissists, psychopaths, and stalkers. (Shannon Rupp)

Somewhat extreme, huh?

The Mirror writer outlining what's coming in British soap operas doesn't sound all that thrilled about the Brontës:

Emmerdale [...]
Short of some elaborate ­courtship dance, it’s hard to see what else Bob could do to signal his interest in Brenda.
But she’s just not getting it and agrees to go on a date with boring, Brontë-reading Brian instead. (Jane Simon)

The Canberra Times says the following of the TV series The Paradise:

The sub-Brontë-esque syntax of the dialogue borders on parody. (Louise Rugendyke)

That may be a side effect of what the Orange County Register describes:

Most of us probably still have the proof of a dormant poetic self – musty journals in boxes in the garage, old files of yellowed paper scraps and cocktail napkins on which bits of prose and poetry are scrawled, references to particularly resonant passages in the margins of "Great Expectations" and "Wuthering Heights." (Michelle Arch)

Linda Grant writes about her admiration for Jean Rhys in the Guardian.

Rhys is mainly known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea, a retelling of Jane Eyre from the perspective of the mad wife in the attic, and I scandalised an audience at the British Library a few years ago by claiming it was a greater novel than Charlotte Brontë's. Rhys in recent years has most often been seen her in the context of post-colonial writing, but it was the novels written and set in Paris in the 1930s that chilled me to the bone.

This is how the Sabotage Times describes the song Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem:

This song starts out all Edith Wharton and four button cuffs, and just over three minutes in it’s a Brontë explosion of big hair and bad weather and pulpy, tear slick faces. (Daisy Buchanan)

The Brontë Weather Project is delight about having the Brontë Parsonage Museum acquire her 'set of three colour wheels I made for the Hope's Whisper exhibition'. Bekah Ferguson discusses The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Stuck in a Book shares what Rachel Ferguson wrote in her We Were Amused about The Brontës Went to Woolworths.

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Persian Agnes Grey

The Iran Book News Agency informs of the publication of the first Farsi translation of Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey:

The Persian translation of Agnes Grey has been released in 259 pages and 2000 copies by Ney Publications.
The translator, Reza Rezaei, is also translating her The Tenant of Wildfell Hall into Persian. 

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Tour de France 1 - Brontë birthplace 0

The Yorkshire Post has an article on the Brontë birthplace debacle. However, the article (and also a video) seems to have been written before the fact that it has already been sold was known.

Supporters of the idea have pointed out that the property could be snapped up for £130,000 – substantially less than Bradford Council forked out for the Tour de France.
But Councillor Andrew Thornton, executive member for environment, said yesterday: “We explored a number of ways in which we might offer assistance for the Brontë Birthplace Trust to make an offer for the property.
“However, as the council is not in a position to acquire the building for itself, we were not satisfied that this was a justifiable use of public money or a reasonable intervention for us to make in competition with any private individual seeking to purchase the property.
“Government cuts to the council’s budget together with a national and local contraction in public grant aid continues to put severe pressure on our existing cultural assets.
“Adding to those pressures with an open-ended commitment to an unquantified scheme cannot be justified.
“We will continue to offer support to the Brontë Birthplace Trust as they pursue external funding bids for their project.”
Trust chairman Steve Stanworth said: “We are of course extremely disappointed.
“Our initial thoughts are the council are not supporting a local community in its bid to claim its rightful place on the Brontë way.
“We now have to regroup and press on with our Heritage Lottery Fund bid.
“We still hold out lingering hopes someone will invest in the project.”
A monthly update meeting at the Blue Boar in Thornton this evening will determine the trust’s next move, he added.
But local councillor Valerie Binney, who had asked council bosses to buy the house, is already convinced that a huge opportunity has been missed.
She said: “I was extremely disappointed with the council’s response especially the Tourism and Cultural department who said they did not want the Brontë birthplace.
“We get lots of tourists from Japan and America and local walkers visiting Thornton to see the house on Market Street where the famous sisters were born and to visit the Old Bell Chapel where Patrick Brontë preached.
“Patrick said that the five years he spent in Thornton were some of the happiest of his life.”
Mr Stanworth is also leader of the group that is restoring the Bell Chapel, which contains the font where Patrick baptised his children.
Coun Binney added: “It is very shortsighted of the council when the Government has just announced a fund for keeping our history alive.
“We could have offered a Brontë visitor package tour beginning with the birthplace and the Bell Chapel then up to the Parsonage at Haworth – not just for coach parties but for walkers on the Brontë Way.
“There are a lot of disappointed Thornton residents and associates about this.”

Another sad news: several news outlets report that 'the Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre in Taunton has gone into administration'. As The Stage says,

“Even with regular high attendances, such as our final performance of Hull Truck Theatre’s Jane Eyre last night, which sold out weeks ago, the economy of scale no longer works in our favour.” (Nicola Merrifield)

The Flintshire Chronicle reports that Brontë country is a marketing model:

Part of Flintshire could be named ‘Pennant Country’ in a bid to rival popular tourist destinations including Brontë Country.
The idea is the brainchild of the Thomas Pennant Society who want the 18th-century naturalist, historian and travel writer Thomas Pennant to receive greater recognition in his native county.
In the West Yorkshire Pennines there is Brontë Country where the Brontë sisters lived and wrote their famous novels, Hardy Country in Dorset is home to author Thomas Hardy’s birthplace and his later home and if the society gets its wish Holywell and the north Flintshire area could soon be known as ‘Pennant Country’. (Kathryn Quayle)

The Mirror on the latest goings-on on Emmerdale:

 Meanwhile, at Emmerdale’s book club, the topic is Jane Eyre – and Bob and Brenda proceed to get well and truly Brontied. (Jane Simon)

Uh-huh.

Musical theatre actor Michael Ball picks his favourite albums for Express:

Kate Bush: The Whole Story (EMI)
You forget just how brilliant, unique, innovative and current her stuff still is.
If you need an introduction to what she’s about this is a great place to start. I remember watching Top Of The Pops when she did Wuthering Heights and thinking: “What is this extraordinary creature?”

A software engineer who 'grew up on a diet of Dickens, George Orwell and Emily Brontë' in the Deccan Herald. Book Hunter posts about Wuthering Heights in Finnish. Rebecca Heflin includes both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre on her 'top five most romantic novels of all time'. BookRiot offers a few suggestions to read after Jane Eyre and The Picky Girl discusses Jane Eyre retellings. Bookends posts about the Brontës. Sharon the Librarian reviews Tina Connolly's Ironskin.

EDIT: An alert from the Brontë Parsonage Museum itself:

The Lion, The Spectacles and the Bracelet
Drop by for this free family talk and walk, at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
Showing:
February 22nd 2013 12:00pm - 03:00pm

What can three simple objects tell us about the Brontës? Education Officer Sue Newby shows three very different objects from the Brontë collection, then leads a short walk to the churchyard, to discover a little about life and death in Haworth in the Brontës' day.

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The First Mrs. Rochester and Her Husband

A new addition of the very flourishing vanity Jane Eyre publishing. This new novel covers the period of the first marriage of Rochester and Bertha Mason:

The First Mrs. Rochester and Her Husband
M. C. Smith
File Size: 328 KB
February 14, 2013
Print Length: 306 pages

He is the unloved second son of an old and esteemed family. She is breathtaking and rich but unknowingly carries the seeds of a devastating illness. Their fathers strike a convenient bargain which their children have little choice but to accept. Products of their time, Bertha Mason and Edward Rochester marry for financial security and respectability although they scarcely know one another.
At best, they will become comfortable companions who grow to love one another. At worst ...
In Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë hints at their early days together and gives a secondhand account of their catastrophic last encounter, but there is more to the story of Bertha and Edward’s disastrous union—much, much more.
A respectful look at Brontë’s character’s through their own eyes, The First Mrs. Rochester and Her Husband reveals how the Rochesters live in those shady years between leaving Jamaica and Jane’s arrival at Thornfield Hall. Removed from the lush tropical garden she loved as a child and confined to a single room, Bertha struggles to understand the losses of her past and why she is hated and feared by her husband. Meanwhile, Edward crisscrosses Europe, seeking happiness but finding only failed affairs and painful truths. He grows inured to his despair and dissatisfaction until an unusual young woman joins his household and reminds him of the man he had hoped to become. A reckless plan to commit bigamy results in tragedy for everyone around him, and Edward—humbled physically and spiritually—must at last own his mistakes and strive to make peace with himself.

You can read a preview here.

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The Brontë Birthplace has been sold

Very sad news from Steve Stanworth, Brontë Birthplace Trust chairman:

I can now confirm that this afternoon we received the following information, The Brontë house 72/74 Market Street Has Been Sold And contracts have been exchanged. This has come as a shock , and hot on the heels of the news Bradford Council felt unable to help us to save the Property for the community and Brontë lovers worldwide. We are extremely disappointed and disgusted with the councils attitude. Our meeting this evening at the Blue Boar seemed like a waste of time but the Trust feels we need to continue in our quest to buy the property and appeal to Brontë lovers everywhere to help us raise funds. We need money to prepare a business case for the future purchase. It was felt keenly by the group that we need to remain focused and although the house is now sold, we need to be in a stronger position should the house appear on the market again. We had a petition signed by two hundred local people supporting the bid to buy the house and we hope to keep that support going over the coming months. I as chairman would like to thank all who have contributed to this effort and continue to keep us going. The local press have really helped keep us in the news and raise our profile. 

Truly heartbreaking.

The Glocestershire Echo reviews Hull Truck's production of Jane Eyre.

An atmospheric backdrop of burnt journal pages and books line the modest set as the play opens with Jane Eyre's most famous line: "Reader, I married him."
We meet Jane, beautifully portrayed by Rebecca Hutchinson whilst she is a teacher at Lowood. She soon moves to Thornfield, owned by brooding Mr Rochester, played brilliantly by Andrew Dowbiggen – who also takes on the roles of St John Rivers, Mason, William and John Reed.
The tale of love, loss and redemption unfolds as we see Jane become governess to a little french girl, Adele. Played by Victoria Kay, she provided much of the comedy and light relief throughout the drama as she moved seamlessly between the roles of Miss Temple, Mrs Fairfax, Blanche and Bertha.
And with a clever use of flashbacks throughout, we see Jane's bleak beginnings under the care of Aunt Reed.
There were a few witty lines and just enough emotion as Mr Rochester and Jane were reunited.
Hull Truck captures the essence of Bronte's daring novel. It's made me want to read it all over again. (Helen Rawlings)

KSL thinks that Jane Eyre is one of the '12 fictional characters every girl should know'.

3. Jane Eyre, “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë
Every girl should get to know Jane Eyre. Jane possesses a quiet strength and knows her own heart. She never deviates from what she believes in and is willing to work hard. Jane may not be traditionally pretty, but her spirit is gorgeous. Jane is a champion of the downtrodden and a queen of enduring the bad to get the good. (Teri Harman)

Why just girls though? We are sure that next week's list of fictional characters every boy should know won't include it.

Along the same lines, Female24 asked readers to share their favourite fictional characters.

Catherine from Wuthering Heights. She has so much passion, strength, power and love!
Lilian

The Boar debates the literary canon. In favour of it:

What’s the best thing about the canon, though? It inspires debate. Yes, there’s some literature that we all agree is pretty great, but equally there are some things that people heatedly disagree about, and ultimately isn’t that what’s great about fiction? “Is Iago consummately evil?” “Which Brontë sister was really the best?” (Az Butterfield)

The Miami Hurricane, however, reports that Jane Eyre doesn't seem to warrant a university course of its own.

A course dedicated solely to the novel “Jane Eyre” was proposed during the last academic school year.
“Jane Eyre” did not get approved, but Niurka Monteserin, chair of the academic affairs committee of Student Government, continues to lead the Design-a-Course initiative, which allows students to develop their own courses, create a syllabus and teach the class themselves. These are offered as pass/fail courses for one credit. (Lyssa Goldberg and Alexander Gonzalez)

MSNBC publishes an excerpt from Emily Bazelon’s Sticks and Stones which in turn also quotes from Jane Eyre.

Only in the fiction of the era have I found tales of bullying that read like the real-life stories we tell today. Charlotte Brontë, for ex- ample, made her readers feel Jane Eyre’s misfortune by showing her cowering before a vicious older cousin: “He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, not once or twice in the day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh on my bones shrank when he came near.” 

PressConnect shares the Harpur Cinema spring film lineup at Binghamton University, including

March 8 & 10: “Wuthering Heights” (2011, 129 min.)
Director Andrea Arnold contrasts the passionate forces of Emily Brontë’s brooding novel with the desolate moors and threatening weather of the Yorkshire countryside. As striking is her casting of the first actors of color to play Brontë’s “dark outsider” Heathcliffe (sic) (Solomon Glave and James Howson).
The film will be introduced by professor Tomonari Nishikawa on March 8.

The Hamburger Abendblatt (Germany) reviews the German DVD release.

The Border Mail (Australia) on the film Beautiful Creatures:

[Alice] Englert broods like Cathy from Wuthering Heights, waiting in vain for her Heathcliff to show up. (Jake Wilson)

Audiophile Audition reviews Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte Books 1-4 and Five Individual Lieder ohne Worte – Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano and recalls

Apropos of not much, if you’ve ever seen the 1944 film version of Jane Eyre starring Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine, you might recall that Jane plays this very piece for Rochester when he asks her for a sample of her musicianship. If what I’ve said about its emotional character is true, Op. 19b No. 1 is the perfect work for her to play, and it’s also perfect in another respect: when Jane Eyre appeared in 1847, Mendelssohn was the most popular composer in England, representing to the fullest the comfortable, conservative aesthetic of the Victorian era. Which is not to denigrate Mendelssohn’s wonderful music or to disregard its impact. (Lee Passarella)

The Houston Press Art Attack features writer Amanda Stevens:

"I'm able to use what I feel like are my strengths in my writings. There's like a gothic flavor to what I'm writing now. And that goes back to sort of my first love was gothic... like Jane Eyre and later writers like Victoria Holt. Atmosphere was so much a part of those books. Atmosphere was like a character and that's what I loved about them and that's what I love about what I'm writing now. I can really sort of get into that dark lush writing and their set in the south so it kinds of lends itself to that." (Crystal Brannen)

The Oman Tribune discusses e-readers and admits that,

To people from the ‘old school,’ it may not be appealing to delve into the ethos of Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights on a digital reader, but more and more books are finding their way into electronic stores.

The Bermuda Sun features Bradford and recalls that Thornton, where the 'novel-writing Brontë sisters' were born is now part of metropolitan Bradford (though not a much-loved place by the powers that be). The Daily  Record focuses on a Piscataway (NJ) student who, among other things, has read Jane Eyre in Mandarin. Filmmaking Review writes about the 2011 adaptation of the novel while Just Another Pretty Farce posts about the retelling An American Heir by Chrissy Breen Keffer. Joie de Lire reviews Aviva Orr's The Mist on Brontë Moor. Fabulous Florida Writers has a guest post by the Jane Eyre Chronicles author Joanna Campbell Slan.

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A talk in North Carolina

An alert from Bladen, North Carolina

Bladen County Public Library
2/21/2013 3:00 p.m. - 2/21/2013
Classic Thursdays - Brontës

The series is offered on DVD by Dr. Elliot Engel. Dr. Engel's passion is Charles Dickens and he has been President of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina since 1980. He has been on the NC State, UNC and Duke faculty. His lectures give the back story of those titles on all standard reading lists and the humorous stories of authors as well as educate.
All programs will be at 3 PM at the Elizabethtown Library.
Add a literate touch to your 2013 at YOUR LIBRARY and have fun! For more information, call 862-6990.
(Via The Bladen Journal)

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Short-sighted Decision Makers

We have received the following article from last night's Telegraph and Argus from the Brontë Birthplace Trust chairman, Steve Stanworth. It's appalling.

A Bradford councillor broke down in tears as she tried to respond to the news that Bradford Council has declined to save the Thornton birthplace of the Brontës.
Thornton& Allerton Conservative Councillor Valerie Binney wrote the original letter appealing to the Council for financial support to help Brontë Birthplace Trust buy the property and preserve it as part of Bradford's cultural heritage.
"I felt extreme disappointment.I could have cried. We worked so hard," she said and then did, briefly, break down in tears.
The Council said if it had made an offer for the doublefronted house in Market Street it might have jeopardised the Trust's bid for £239,000 of lottery cash.
Steve Stanworth, chairman of the Brontë Birthplace Trust said: "I received a phone call from Sheilagh O'Neill from the Council's regeneration department. The official line is they cannot justify lending or giving us the money for the Brontë Birthplace. This is due to a political decision.
"They say the property wouldn't be of interest to them and they don't believe it could be a going concern. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated, when we see the amount of wasted money on speed bumps, cycle races and events that are fleeting.
"This sums up the Council's attitude and goes against the Big Society the Government is trying to foster. We are now left in a bad position once again."
Coun Binney said: "The tourism department doesn't think a Brontë museum in Thornton is viable because everybody goes to Haworth. People we meet seem to think the Brontë sisters were born in Haworth.
"If I had the money I would buy the house myself. Somebody wants to buy it to turn it into a bistro. It used to be a restaurant and that didn't work."
The decision was taken by three executive committee members of the council: Council leader David Green, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe and Councillor Andrew Thornton.
Coun Thornton, who holds the portfolio for environment, sport and sustainability, said: "We explored a number of ways in which we might offer assistance for the Brontë Birthplace Trust to make an offer for the property.
"However, as the Council has no interest in acquiring the building for itself we were not satisfied that this was a justifiable use of public money or a reasonable intervention for us to make in competition with any private individual seeking to purchase the property.
"Government cuts to the Council's budget together with a national and local contraction in public grant aid continues to put severe pressure on our existing cultural estate. Adding to those pressures with an open ended commitment to an unquantified scheme cannot be justified.
"We will continue to offer support to the Brontë Birthplace Trust as it pursues its Heritage Lottery Fund bid for its project."
The Trust, which meets tomorrow at the Blue Boar pub in Thornton, near St James's Church, at 7pm, will have to think again.
Mr Stanworth said: "Perhaps our best bet is to try to fast-track our Heritage Lottery Fund bid. This usually takes six months. "If we do get someone to buy the property, we have to be careful how this affects the funding status. I was hoping to bring good news to the meeting, but this puts a different light on it. We are back at square one." (Jim Greenhalf)

Steve asks readers to 'please feel free to vent your displeasure via the link to the letters page of the Telegraph and Argus'. And rightly so. We expect letters to the council, etc., would also be welcome. A pat on the back to these short-sighted decision-makers. Hopefully the members of the Trust will come up with something that allows them to save the birthplace.

Anyway, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings come up with '13 Beautiful Bastards From Literature And Film' for The Huffington Post:

  1. Mr. Darcy / Edward Rochester from Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre
It’s their quiet, stoic longing, the aching misunderstandings that come about when they keep their thoughts to themselves.

A columnist from the Deseret News writes in defence of letter-writing, quoting from Charlotte Brontë:

In 1839, Charlotte Bronte wrote out her heart in a letter to her dear school friend Ellen Nussey, following the death of her brother Bramwell and two of her sisters over a matter of months: “But crushed I am not — yet; nor robbed of elasticity nor of hope — nor quite of endeavor — Still I have some strength to fight the battle of life.”
Such words cannot be typed on an electronic device in an impersonal font and sent via email. They are too vital, too laden with emotions and truths. Yes, an email can be printed out, but it cannot be kept and archived as a true and living thing. (Susan Evans McCloud)

Female First interviews writer Judith Thomas:

What is your favourite book – either fiction or non-fiction?I have always loved Jane Eyre. It is a passionate book, but yet it also has a happy end. Like my story. (Lucy Walton)

The Telegraph features actress Wunmi Mosaku, who says the following about William Gaskill:

He taught me at RADA, directed me in Wuthering Heights and gave me my first job. He’s very straightforward and direct. He’ll say, “You’re doing it badly, just do it better.” (Rupert Hawksley)

Paste Magazine reviews The Graphic Canon, Volume 2, edited by Russ Kick, in which

Elizabeth Watasin presents a hauntingly beautiful Jane Eyre in watercolors with cool blue hallways and roaring red flames. (Andy Hughes)

From the Los Angeles Times' Jacket Copy:

A quick perusal of the popular hashtag #IWishICouldMeet on Twitter led to a couple of conclusions. First, more than anything, people want to meet Justin Bieber, although Jesus is a close second. And a lot of people would like to be able to be another person meeting themselves, or their true love, whoever that might be.
There didn't seem to be many bookish figures in the mix, so Tuesday morning we asked people on Twitter what authors or fictional characters they'd like to meet. [...]
@ToastThief: Author? Hunter S. Thompson; character? Antionette/Bertha from Wide Sargasso Sea/Jane Eyre. #IWishiCouldMeet (Carolyn Kellogg)

The Pilot has an article on a local 16-year-old who enjoys watching period dramas and creating costumes related to them.

“I watch movies just for the great costumes,” Olivia says. Many are — no surprise — period dramas, like “Pride and Prejudice,” “Victoria and Albert,” “Jane Eyre,” “The Lost Prince” and “The King’s Speech,” which her mother incorporates into the children’s history curriculum. (Deborah Salomon)

She probably wouldn't mind this plan for a stay-cation suggested by a BelmontPatch writer:

Well, first of all there’s lots of television, including reruns of The Office, 30 Rock, the season finale of Downton Abbey, and several movie versions of Jane Eyre. (Lisa Gibalerio)

Smitten's Book Blog interviews the author Cora Hawkes:

 Smitten: What is your favorite book of all time?
Cora: I have a few.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

The Sun Star (Philippines) selects the ending of Wuthering Heights as one of the best closing lines in literature; Kryztoff RAW reviews the Adelaide performances of Miss Brontë; Rozmawiajmy (in Polish), Emma BookBlogger and Salt and Chocolate post about Jane Eyre; OK Alison talks about Wuthering Heights; Secluded Charm reviews The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

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Branwell's Wallet

Source: Brontë Parsonage Museum

Today, at the Brontë Parsonage Museum:

February 20th 2013 01:00pm - 04:00pm
Drop-in Family workshop: Make Branwell's wallet

See the real thing - then we'll help you make your own!

Branwell Brontë's wallet is one item in the Museum which which would certainly have a few tales to tell! Take a look at the real thing, close-up, then join in with our family-friendly activity to make a useful wallet or purse of your own from recycled materials.

Free on admission to the Museum.

And don not forget the special offer for this month:  a two-for-one entry deal to the Museum for adults.

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The Brontë adaptation that could have been

The Guardian reports that the BBC will produce a six-part adaptation of War and Peace by Andrew Davies.

[BBC1 controller Danny Cohen] said the project, which is likely to have a budget of around £10m, was a result of conversations about bringing "more distinctive, landmark dramas to BBC1". Other authors thought to have been discussed included Dickens, Trollope and the Brontes. (John Plunkett)

We wonder about that discussion. Surely bearing in mind recent adaptations they would have strayed from the usual 'suspects', wouldn't they?

Both the Yorkshire Post and ITV News have articles on the declined wind turbines in Brontë country. ITV's Calendar gives voice to the Parsonage Director, Ann Sumner.

MountainLyon Notes and 100 Books discuss Jane Eyre.

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Miss Brontë in Adelaide

A new biographical Brontë-related play opens today, February 19, at the Adelaide Fringe Festival:

BRAVE Theater presents
Miss Brontë
Ayers House Museum - State Dining Room
February 19,20,21,22,23 at 7.00 PM

Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you, and full as much heart!' Charlotte Brontë's life, love and loss echo through the pages of Jane Eyre.

When Charlotte Bronte was 28 years old she developed feelings for her married French professor. She wrote passionate letters to him which he tore to pieces in a fury. His wife later retrieved the pieces from the rubbish bin and carefully sewed them back together. The letters are now in the British Library. This deep unrequited love was the seed that created Mr Rochester.

At the age of 32, Brontë suffered the loss of her two sisters and brother within one year. ‘Yes; there is no Emily in time or on earth now…’ She was left in isolation with only her imagination as a companion.

Miss Brontë is a new play drawing from Brontë's own letters, diary entries and multiple biographies. The play, showing the inner workings of one of the most successful writers of all time, will be set in the beautiful dining room of Ayers House.

And in Kraków, Poland a reading of poetry by the Brontë sisters in their original version and translated into Polish by Krystynę Lenkowską and Ludmiłę Marjańską:

W cyklu „Podgórska Scena Poezji”:
Poezja Sióstr Brontë w przekładach Krystyny Lenkowskiej i Ludmiły Marjańskiej,
19 lutego godz. 18.00
Dom Kultury „Podgórze”

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Heritage landscape

A couple of national newspapers reports the news about the declined wind turbines in Brontë country. From The Telegraph:

The brooding West Yorkshire countryside that inspired classics such as Wuthering Heights has been protected from plans for more turbines because of the importance of the famous sister writers.
It is believed to be the first time the literary significance of an area has been put before the need for green energy.
It comes as the High Court will this week hear a separate case brought by leading heritage groups hoping to protect historic sites from wind farm development.
Bradford Council has rejected plans for a 15m turbine at Hardnaze Farm, Oxenhope, Keighley, less than two miles from Haworth, where Emily, Charlotte and Anne Brontë grew up.
Councillors ruled the scheme would do little to boost renewable energy – while creating a blot on Brontë Country. [...]
The area attracts visitors from around the world wanting to see the moorland views that inspired much of the Bronte's finest writing.
Sally McDonald, chairman of The Brontë Society Council, said the decision “gives support to the Brontë Society's argument that this is a special and unique landscape and that this landscape needs to be protected”
“Visitors journey from around the world come to see the wild moors of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and want to see high waving heather – not high waving turbines,” she said.
"I am delighted by this decision and that all future applications will have to take into account 'the importance of the historical and literary associations of the area.
"In making this decision, Bradford acknowledges for the first time the importance of the unique landscape to the area.
Campaigners will now turn their attention to plans for four 328ft turbines flanking each side of the Brontë Way on Thornton Moor.
The planning ruling said: "The proposed development would introduce an incongruous and widely visible vertical element into this sensitive upland landscape, whose historical and literary associations are also central to its wider economic value in tourism terms.
"The proposed turbine would be seen from a number of vantage points and would result in significant harm to the character of the landscape that would outweigh its limited contribution towards overall renewable energy targets."
Brontë Society Heritage and Conservation officer Christine Went said: "It is good they have acknowledged the importance of this heritage landscape, and internationally renowned heritage area.
"A woman who came to Haworth to write about the Brontës recently said 'It's not worth coming here because it's all turbines'." (Tom Whitehead)

Also in the Daily Mail. EDIT: The Brontë Parsonage Facebook corrects the Daily Mail article:

Oh dear, this Daily Mail piece is, sadly, very confused - it's not an application for 15 tubines that was refused, but for a 15-FOOT TURBINE!

More Jane Eyre mentions from Downton Abbey season finale recaps (BEWARE of spoilers!). From Salon:

And, phew, now Edith has a man of her own, and if he’s not quite Austen-ian, at least he’s good and Brontë-esque: Jane Eyre got her happy ending eventually. (Willa Paskin)

From E! Online:

Must be all the fresh air because Edith certainly changes her mind regarding playing Jane Eyre to his Rochester. (Christina Dowling)

From Today's The Clicker:

. . . Edith's new suitor, editor Michael Gregson, who has an insane wife but still dreams of a relationship with Edith, "Jane Eyre" style. (Gael Fashingbauer Cooper)

The Los Angeles Review of Books finds that writer Porochista Khakpour is no longer a fan of Wuthering Heights.

RR: I understand that you’re a fan of Victorian literature, namely Wuthering Heights and works from Melville and Hawthorne. Why these particular authors? And have they influenced your writing and/or writing process?
PK: I used to be, but not so much anymore. Honestly, I love 20th-century American literature the best. Melville is a true love though. Moby-Dick means more to me than almost any novel — it taught me what experimental writing was all about. Faulkner is another one — I read all his works as a teenager and his rhythms, pacing, cadences, everything, are in all of my sentences. He was my greatest teacher. I just love great stylists. Later, James Salter taught me a great deal about how to tell a story without sacrificing the brushstrokes — there is always plot but there is also always art. (Roxanne Naseem Rashedi)

Página 12 (Argentina) finds Emily Brontë an influence in J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy:

Finalmente es, por encima de cualquier otra cosa, un homenaje a la novela victoriana. Rowling recupera el sustrato principal de las novelas de Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, Thomas Hardy: la relación entre el yo y las presiones de las poderosas ideologías del capitalismo, pero también el compromiso social y político. La petulancia autoritaria de la clase media, su orgullo desmedido, su cinismo enlatado están reflejados en las páginas de Una vacante imprevista casi con la misma vehemencia con que Dickens –especialmente en Oliver Twist y David Copperfield– propinaba una bofetada al Londres encharcado de clase burguesa. (Ariadna Castellarnau) (Translation)

Lissa Bryan writes about 'Finding the Right Word, A Lesson from Emily Brontë'. Becky's Book Reviews and KJB Literature Blog both post about Jane Eyre.

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