Bonnets At Dawn

This week, we’re talking about Ann Radcliffe and the female gothic with author Helena Kelly. We also cover chapters 17-24 of Northanger Abbey (a most excellent set of chapters) and bang on about General Tilney.

Our Northanger Abbey read-along continues with highlights from chapter 9-16 and an interview with academic Lydia Craig, the co-founder of the Loyola University Chicago Victorianist Society. We talk Northanger Abbey vs. Sanditon, and take a quiz to determine if Catherine and Isabella are in a toxic friendship.

We’re kicking off Season 4 with a discussion about castles, crumpets and John Thorpe! Join us as we begin our breakdown of Northanger Abbey, and talk about the lost books of Jane Austen with professor and author Janine Barchas.

This week, we discuss your favorite reads of 2019 and talk to Dr. Glynis Ridley about her excellent book, The Discovery of Jeanne Baret. A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe. We also reveal our read-along picks for 2020 and share some of our literary goals.

In our Brontë season finale, we compare and contrast the 2006 and 2011 adaptations of our beloved Jane Eyre.

This week, we’re bringing you a conversation between author Gill Hornby and Sophie Reynolds from the Jane Austen House Museum, about Cassandra Austen. They answer your questions about Cassandra and Jane and talk about those infamous letters.

Look for Gill’s new book, Miss Austen, which will be out in January 2020: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1117549/miss-austen/9781529123760.html

We’re taking you on the road to the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. This time around, you’ll hear clips from the B@D Friday night event, the ball, and Dr. Glynis Ridley’s excellent talk on Northanger Abbey. For more information on the Jane Austen Festival, go to http://jasnalouisville.com/

We're ranking Jane Austen's Bad AND Sad Lads in front of a seriously well-informed audience. Very special thanks to everyone in attendance, and Page 1 Books in Evanston, Illinois for hosting the event! Please check out their awesome book subscription service: https://page1books.com/

This week, we’re talking Dickens, Victorian seances, and your reactions to The Old Nurse’s Story by Elizabeth Gaskell. We’re also giving away comic copies of this spooky tale! Share your favorite episode of B@D from this season on the internets, tag us, and we’ll throw your name into a fishbowl and draw winners in November.

This week, we’re discussing the life and work of African American poet, journalist, activist and short story writer, Alice Dunbar Nelson. We’ll be joined by Dr. Tara T. Green, who is currently working on a biography of Dunbar Nelson, and re-joined by actress Stacey Thomas, who will read some of Alice’s poetry.