wardrobe inspiration

i'm always on the lookout for cute, non-fussy clothing to teach in, and i love the look sported by lisa finkelstein in the most recent issue of marie claire. the tweed blazer over the party dress is just gorge.

check out a scan from the magazine over at j.crew aficionada. i think i need to update my christmas list...

i'll bet mr. wickham loves the "poking" function

taking a break from grading piles of student essays to link to this hilarious little gem: "austenbook" by deedee of much-ado.net.

i can't decide what my favorite parts are! probably "fitzwilliam darcy tagged elizabeth bennet in his note my character requires this to be written and read" and "lydia bennet and kitty bennet joined the group 1,000,000 strong against the officers leaving meryton!"

i can't wait to use this as a teaching tool next time i teach pride and prejudice to my freshmen!

jane austen's still got it

austenblog posted a link to a great article about why, two centuries later, jane austen is still a relevant writer to be taught in the classroom. the writer, kay mcspadden, shares some great anecdotes about what it's like to teach jane and how today's students still can relate to her characters' lives and loves. i really like this bit:

this hard girl, this smart girl, this girl whose choices have whittled her future into a small, lonely path, this girl who longs for romance but has found motherhood instead – well, my heart breaks for her even as she invites me to tease her out of her bad mood another day.

i look at the other students like andrea in the class – girls and boys who appear more mature than they are – and I'm glad that jane austen is able to speak to them, too.

here's a link to the article. whether you teach jane in the classroom like i do, or are simply a modern-day fan of her work, it's a great read.