Jane Austen

October 27, 2017
by jenniferpuryear

Happy Holidays! Bacon Feature on Indie Bookstores

Book Titles: The Burning Girl, A Far, Far Better Thing to Do: A Lit Lover’s Activity Book, The Jane Austen Kama Sutra

Christmas lurks on the back shelves at Walgreens – have you noticed? Halloween flashes its toothy smile up front, but Christmas will have the last laugh. I take the drugstore merch arrival as a challenge to get all my Christmas shopping done, and early! That makes more time for cookies, carols, adult beverages (oh, and family!) in December. My favorite place to shop is the bookstore, …

Continue reading →

September 1, 2017
by jenniferpuryear

September Special: One Book, Two Readings, Three Shows

Book Titles: Red Notice, Sing Unburied Sing

August departs in a dreadful deluge. But September arrives – I hope, I believe – with hope and hustle, even in times such as these. September strides in with energy and eagerness, industry and effort. Today’s post features one book, two readings, and three performances perfect for this month – plus tremendous gratitude for a home that is safe and dry and those who help …

Continue reading →

May 11, 2017
by jenniferpuryear

Coffee and Classics: On Jane Austen (Guest Post by Amy Colton)

Book Title: Pride and Prejudice

Amy Colton’s joyful obsession with all-things-Jane might just make your day, as it did mine. Read her guest post and smile! From Amy: I love Jane Austen. I mean I really love Jane Austen. In my mid-thirties, I was living a fulfilling life in a new city, raising four young children with my sweet husband and working on endless volunteer committees. And then I met …

Continue reading →

March 1, 2016
by jenniferpuryear

Interview with a Scholar: Roger Moore on Jane Austen

Book Title: Jane Austen and the Reformation: Remembering the Sacred Landscape

Roger Moore met me at a local coffeeshop in his signature tweed jacket and pocket square: the stylish professor! He brought his boyish good looks and charm and a copy of his gorgeous new book, ten years in the making, Jane Austen and the Reformation: Remembering the Sacred Landscape. Roger is Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Science and Principal Senior Lecturer in English …

Continue reading →

January 28, 2016
by jenniferpuryear

“History is Coming For You. Do You Hear It, Coming Up Behind You in the Dark?” (The Incarnations, by Susan Barker)

Book Title: The Incarnations

The good professor, Roger Moore, brings Vanderbilt to Bacon today with his engaging review of The Incarnations, by Susan Barker. (Thanks Roger! I love it when you do that!) He illuminates a darkly fascinating novel that you’ll want to know about… From Roger: My grandparents believed in reincarnation. The wall of books in their study was filled with theosophical tomes, Buddhist treatises, and …

Continue reading →

April 30, 2015
by jenniferpuryear

May is a Hot Mess (Review of Emma, by Alexander McCall Smith)

Book Title: Emma: A Modern Retelling

It’s pretty outside – sure – and we’ve got our own special Sunday, but May is a hot mess for mothers with school-age kids. Coping mechanisms include exercise, an extra glass of wine, and complaining. I’ve tried all three over the years, and maybe you have too! Today I begin a series on an additional way to stay sane in May: have just the right book in …

Continue reading →

June 20, 2014
by jenniferpuryear

Guest Post by Roger Moore: On Cozy Englishness, The Good Samaritan, and Reading Barbara Pym

Book Title: Quartet in Autumn

I met Roger Moore this past Spring at the Ballet Ball; seated next to him at dinner, I couldn’t have asked for a finer evening! Roger is an absolutely enchanting conversationalist. That night, I learned that he is a professor of English literature at Vanderbilt, specializing in early modern English literature and religion. Since then, I’ve learned that he is also Associate Dean for Undergraduate …

Continue reading →