Monday, July 18, 2011

Austen Manuscript bought by Bodleian

A considerable portion of The Watsons in manuscript has been acquired at auction by the Bodleian Library. Jane Austen's last work, unfinished and unpublished in her lifetime shows many characteristics of her style. Beyond the subject matter of a family of women left in straitened circumstances by the death of the clergyman head of the family, such statements as:
"Female economy will do a great deal, my lord, but it cannot turn a small income into a large one." are noted as typical of Jane's wit. Story in The Guardian.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Classic Pooh

Disney has decided to revert to "classic" Pooh. Well, Duuuuh!

Some things are just not meant to be slick and shiny, and Pooh and his friends fall squarely into that category. My family has had a long, long relationship with the gang from the 100 Aker Wood. My mother used Pooh as part of the curriculum in her elementary classroom long before he became a Disney standard. Each of the siblings in the family has a character. One brother is Tigger, one is Piglet, my sister is Kanga, and I'm Eeyore.