Back to Top

Monthly Archives: January 2009

Jane Austen Evening 2009, and Prizes!

Updated on by

First off, I would like to welcome any newcomers or visitors to the blog! Risky Regencies is a light-hearted community of Regency writers and Regency fans, and we provide great discussions on everything from the merits of the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice to rereading Georgette Heyer.

Now, to today’s subject: the 2009 Jane Austen Evening, which I attended this past Saturday!

(In fact, I enjoyed it so very much, that I shall be giving away two Regency-themed prizes to lucky commenters today! Just comment on this post by Wednesday night, and you’ll be entered to win a DVD of the Rintoul/Garvie version of Pride and Prejudice, or the guidebook to the Bath Museum of Costume, or a book on Sarah Siddons, or another prize of your choice!)

I have now attended something like six Jane Austen Evenings, and it seems to me they get better every year.

As always, it was held in a gorgeous location (as these photos attest!)

First, we had a Regency tea, with as much scrumptious period food as one could eat, plus a variety of teas.

My favorite food this year was the sweet rosemary shortbread — I went back for more.

And more…

And more… (Oh, it was heavenly!)

I think every year, the costumes are better, and the dancers more experienced.

And this year, it seemed to me that the costumes weren’t only fabulous, but that nearly everyone was in some sort of costume.

There were moments when one could truly picture oneself back in Jane Austen’s time!

(Though the cameras, I suppose, were a tiny bit anachronistic.) 😉

Then again, with so many amazing costumes, who could blame those of us who took photos?

(And more photos!)

(And still more!)

(In fact, I took so many, that I had to do two blog posts today to hold them all…)

I even brought a camcorder this time — though I’ve yet to see how my taping turned out!

(If it turned out well, then I’m going to upload some of it to youtube, just as Jane Austen would have done herself.)

Then, after all the splendid tea, we danced all night.

(My feet were killing me by the end!)

So: if you want to comment on this post, feel free to answer any or all of the following questions:

Did you attend the Jane Austen Evening? What did you think? Which was your favorite part? (Your favorite food, or dance, or costume?)

If you didn’t attend it, which part sounds the most alluring?

Which is your favorite photo?

Have you ever attended a similar event?

All comments welcome!

(And if you want to see my posts on previous Jane Austen Evenings and Playford Balls, just click the link below that says “Jane Austen Evening.”)

Cara
Cara King, author of MY LADY GAMESTER and dancer of Maggots

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 44 Replies

Historic Celebrations

Updated on by

Our own historic events this week seem too important to ignore, especially if you live where I do, in the suburbs of Washington, DC. No matter what your political views, you cannot escape the excitement generated by this inauguration. Like many residents of the area, we’ll be staying home for the event itself, but Saturday my husband and I went downtown to look at the preparations for the Inauguration. Thought I’d share.

Here I am in the front of the Capitol. This is where the Oath of Office used to be taken, until Reagan was inaugurated. It is the West view of the Capitol that faces the Mall where the Oath is taken now.

The front of the Capitol faces the Library of Congress, one of the most beautiful buildings in DC.

Here I am in front of the West view. This is as close as we could get. Notice all the chairs and the bleachers.

Here’s a close up view of the podium (the semi-circular place)where Obama will take the oath of office.

This is the view Obama will see.

Most spectators will be watching on screens like this. This screen was on and showing bison or something running from a fire.

The Press were already setting up. See MSNBC and the Smithsonian Castle in the background.

But here were the real preparations. Porta-potties everywhere.

Which makes you wonder what people did in the Regency when they gathered for parades and festivities. I shudder to think.

The best part, though, was seeing everyone downtown smiling. That never happens in DC.

So do you wish you could be in Washington DC to attend? We’re expecting 2 million people.
What do you think it would have been like in London for the Waterloo or Trafalgar celebrations?

To read my blog about Happiness, visit The Wet Noodle Posse.
To enter my contest to win one of my books visit my website.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 15 Replies

Fewer Bonnets, More Grit?

Updated on by


Some intriguing, perhaps disheartening, news from across the water:

This week, the BBC announced it planned to move away from traditional 19th century costume dramas in favor of a grittier look at the period and a new focus on other historical eras.

A senior BBC drama insider said, “There is to be an evolution in the presentation of period dramas, moving away from classic 19th century so-called ‘bonnet’ dramas to looking at other periods of history. This will allow us to look at other times and places in British and world history. The aim is to give drama audiences something new and different to enjoy.”

Traditional costume dramas would not be abandoned altogether, but the BBC will focus on the new type of period drama–an adaptation of the award-winning novel Small Island, about Jamaican immigrants moving to Britain in the 1940s, and Desperate Romantics, about a group of “vagabond painters and poets” set among the “alleys, galleries and flesh houses of 19th century industrial London”, among the first to be broadcast later this year.

While at first blush this might seem like bad news for fans of the costume dramas–and that still might be true–it might be beneficial in the long run to revitalizing the BBC drama and placing “costume dramas” within a wider drama context, thus making the “costume drama” not just a precious oddity, but another subset under the Drama banner.

I do worry sometimes that our (meaning historical fans) tendency to fetishize our history means it doesn’t translate to a broader audience. I like the idea that the BBC is branching out, as we encourage our readers and authors to branch out in era, location and characters.

What do you think?

Megan

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 14 Replies

The Meet Cute

Updated on by

Elena blogged yesterday about the first time and I’m blogging today about the Meet Cute (with or without a hyphen), the very first meeting of hero/heroine.

Although Wikipedia defines it as an element of screwball comedy or romantic comedy, I think it’s a staple of romantic fiction, because it determines the elements of hero/heroine interaction. Rarely do a hero/heroine meet and find that everything is compatible between them straight away. Austen gives us a prime example of the Meet Cute when Darcy first encounters Elizabeth: She is not handsome enough to tempt me.

So we get Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s reaction to each other, their misconceptions about each other, and, miraculously (if we knew how Austen did this academia would grind to a halt, the mystery solved) their attraction to each other despite themselves.

Since I have a sinus infection that is making my nose look like a banana (misshapen, not yellow) I’m going to invite you to share your favorite Meet Cutes of all time in romance, and share with you the Meet Cute from my WIP. I think this scene will stay, although I’ve just figured out the plot and a lot of stuff has to be rewritten:

.

.. there is someone sprawled on a chair. He wears plain black—very fashionable for a gentleman, of course—but on this man it looks as though he intends to fight a duel and possibly conduct the funeral service over his unlucky opponent all in the same day. His dark hair is unruly, also eminently fashionable but in a way that, along with his unshaven chin, suggests he has but recently risen from his bed.

Goodness.

He is lean, dramatic, handsome as the devil, and I suspect the bed was not his.

A rake!

Will my reputation fall around me in tatters if I approach him?

I regard the soggy handkerchief in my hand and regret that the bosom of my gown, fashionably brief, does not allow for extra cargo.

While I have been staring at him I have in fact been moving toward him, like a mouse fascinated by a snake, so I arrive in front of him as he looks up—his eyes are shadowed, naturally, his eyelashes dark and lush, his face lean and bony—and gazes straight at my bosom.

He yawns.

And hop over to History Hoydens today where our very own Amanda McCabe is talking about sixteenth century navigation!

Posted in Risky Regencies | Tagged | 14 Replies