"How on earth did you manage to get out… I mean, uh, what was the nature of the tragedy that prevented your marriage?"

What ho, old chumps!  This public service announcement reminds you to please submit your post nominations for the April I'd Like to Share event!  Do remember that you can only nominate ONE post per month-- and the posts don't just have to be from March, either.  Archived writings are perfectly eligible.  In case anyone's forgotten, the categories include Humor, Inspirational, Informative, Just Plain Interesting and Miscellaneous.  

Looking forward to your submissions!

A Bookish Chat with Maribeth

~Welcome to the podium at Yet Another Period Drama Blog, Maribeth!  Have some tea and a biscuit to calm your nerves and tell us a little bit about yourself.  Name, general age-ish (feel free to be as vague as you like), favorite type of weather, least favorite color, favorite way to relax in the evenings, and what got you started blogging.  Ready, steady, go!

Ah, thank you for the tea and biscuit, that’s quite delightful. And thank you for asking me for this interview--I’m quite honored!

My real name is Maribeth, although I do go by the pseudonym “The Patriette” on Tumblr, just so ya know. I’m 22 years old, making me older than every Jane Austen heroine except Anne Elliot. I love cool, crisp autumn afternoons and dislike chartreuse. Currently, my favorite ways to relax in the evenings are to write Superman fanfiction OR watch Sherlock--though one could argue that the latter isn’t at all relaxing and never will be.

My initial reason for blogging is a little embarrassing because my behavior at that time is a now a source of consternation for me . . . but here goes. I started my blog in order to support my preferred presidential candidate in late 2011, and unfortunately my enthusiasm for “the cause” got out of hand. In spite of this I learned a lot from the experience, and by the time the election was over I was happily blogging about my own life and interests. Now I don’t talk about politics AT ALL and for that we are all eternally grateful. It’s NOT your stereotypical stay-at-home-daughter blog devoted solely to arts-and-crafts and one’s singlehood, but hopefully it’s funny, fun, and an encouragement to others.

~And it totally is.  People, go check out her blog!  So now that we know a little bit more about you, let’s ask some bookish questions.  Tell us about three books that you loved when you were little-- that is, under ten or so.  

Hmm. Well, my favorite book when I was really little was Go, Dog, Go! It was a Dr. Seuss book and my dad read it to me over and over again. When I was a little older two of my favorites were Sarah, Plain and Tall and an abridged version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne.

~Ooh, I had Go, Dog, Go! memorized when I was a wee young thing.  :D  You are, I believe, a writer as well as a reader.  What genre of book do you write?  Tell us a little about it.  

I always feel a little sheepish when I’m asked about my book’s genre. I’ll tell them something like, “Well, it’s science fiction--but it’s not like Star Trek, it’s more like Star Wars, but without the monsters.” And then they look at me like I’ve lost my mind, hee-hee! Actually, the genre is called “space opera,” which, according to Wikipedia, “is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space.”

My story, to be brief, is about two young people--a soldier and a princess--who fight against the political and moral decay in their galaxy. There’s a big prophecy that revolves around the princess (and maybe around the soldier? But I shall not give away too many spoilers . . .) and there’s an allegorical High Emperor who represents Jesus, and plenty of battles. So far I have complete drafts of the first two books; the third book is in pre-production.

~If you could recommend just one biography to someone, what would it be?

Hmm . . . I’m torn between biographies of Anne Boleyn and Raoul Wallenberg . . . but I think I’m going to recommend Wallenberg: Missing Hero by Kati Marton, only because some of the situations in any Anne Boleyn biographies may be a bit heavy for younger readers. Either character is well-worth researching, though. Wallenberg was a hero of the Holocaust who was, interestingly enough, inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, while Queen Anne is probably the most maligned heroine of the Reformation.

~I remember being quite pleased when I first visited your blog and found you were a fellow Anne Boleyn fan... now I want to check out that biography!  :D What are some of your favorite quotes about books?

“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”--G.K. Chesterton

“Books! People never really stop loving books. 51st century. By now you’ve got holovids, direct-to-brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna--deep breath!”--the Tenth Doctor

“My mind is my weapon . . . and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”--Game of Thrones (which I have NOT read, but I saw this quote on Pinterest and absolutely loved it)

And even though this is more about storytelling in general, my all-time-favorite quote about literature is this one from G.K. Chesterton: “Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated.”

~What did you most recently finish reading?  Would you recommend it?

I just finished The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which, in my opinion, is the finest of the Sherlock Holmes novels. YES, I would definitely recommend it! You’d have to read at least A Study In Scarlet first in order to get the necessary background about Holmes and Dr. Watson, so it’s not really a stand-alone. The mystery, however, was brilliantly told and Sherlock and John were especially heroic.

~Did you discover any good new authors in the last year?  Which of their books did you like best?

I discovered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and have thoroughly enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories. I also discovered N.D. Wilson and his philosophical/theological masterpiece, Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl.

~Quick!  First inspirational quote from a book, off the top of your head!

“Remember that all worlds draw to an end, and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy.”--from C.S. Lewis’ The Last Battle.

~What is your favorite period in history to read about?

World War II. It’s fascinated me since I was little, thanks to my dad’s interest in it, and many of my historical heroes come from that time period (like King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, Raoul Wallenberg, Corrie ten Boom, Douglas MacArthur, and Winston Churchill).

~What would be your response to someone who told you she never read books?

“What is it like in your funny little brain? It must be so boring.”

~GIVE THE GIRL POINTS FOR A SHERLOCK QUOTE.  *high five*  If you were going to be stuck in an airport for three days and could only bring three books with you (and no other source of entertainment), what three books would you choose?

The idea of being stuck in an airport for three days and with only three books is enough to send shivers of horror up my spine. I’d take my Bible, of course . . . and then I’d take Les Miserables and probably one of the Lord of the Rings books. I’m a fast reader so I’d need to take some books I know I couldn’t possibly finish in three days.

~What is the best children’s book you’ve read (not reread) in the last few months?  We all know there’s no shame in reading good children’s literature-- come on, spill.

None. Honestly and truthfully. Sorry!

~If you could have a fictional side character over for tea in the nearish future, who would you choose and why?

As of March 2014, I’d have to say John Watson. I think we’d get on splendidly, and I reckon he could teach me a thing or two about having patience with difficult personalities. Ahem.

~Quick, name a book you love that begins with B.

The Borrowed House by Hilda van Stockum. (I know the book title technically begins with “The,” but they stick the “The” at the end of most book indexes, don’t they? Borrowed House, The.) It’s a World War II novel about a German girl living in Holland, which gives it an interesting perspective, and the characters are so vivid!

~And now... recommend six titles for the lovely readers of this blog.  Any titles.  Six of ‘em.  Do it.  Now.  (No, I’m not bossy.)

The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter (One of my favorite books ever! Set post-World War I, about a young soldier who finds a new life purpose on the coast of California. I’ve read this one several times and my mom read it aloud to our entire family last summer.)

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (my new favorite book in the Anne series)

The Giver by Lois Lowry (another of our family’s favorites about a dystopian community where the government runs everyone’s lives)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (a delightful epistolary novel set in post-World War II, but not recommended for younger readers)

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (probably my favorite of the Narnia books)

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England’s Tragic Queen by Joanna Denny (ah-ha, got my chance to put in a plug for this one! Not for younger readers, but it’s the best biography of my heroine I’ve read so far.)

*

Thanks so much for joining us today, Maribeth!  Isn't she fabulously fun, peeps?  You can go check out her blog here-- if you're fond of a good witty read about great books, great movies, great musicals and great fictional characters, you're in for a real treat!

Birthday Resolutions and Ramblings of a Nonsensical Nature

"It is not every one," said Elinor, "who has your passion for dead leaves."

~Sense and Sensibility

Today is my nineteenth birthday, an occasion which I thought proper to mark on this blog.  After all, Elinor Dashwood is nineteen in Sense and Sensibility (the book, at any rate) and since I take my pen name from her, it's rather fun to think we're the same age at the moment.

Well, actually, if S&S takes place in 1811 (the year it was published) then technically she's 203 years older than I am but why on earth are you quibbling about details?

Part of this post is a delighted little "hey-look-I'm-the-same-age-as-Elinor-now-isn't-that-cool-actually-it's-kind-of-weird-because-I-think-of-her-as-being-lots-older" and part of it is a list of resolutions I've made for my twentieth year.  (Because it IS my twentieth year... the year you were born is your first year and culminates at your first birthday, blah blah blah, you know the drill.)  I prefer to make resolutions at my birthday rather than at New Year's, because New Year's is too mainstream.  That is to say, the New Year technically isn't a full new year in my life because I wasn't born on January first-- I was born on March sixteenth.  Clear as mud?  Yes.  Good.  We shall proceed.

As I said, I like to make resolutions on my birthday, and generally some of them are of a personal nature that shall not be shared with the Internet at large, but this year some of them are book-and-writing related, so I thought it would be a good idea to post about them here on my blog so that y'all can hold me accountable if you so desire.  There is nothing like accountability to help people keep their promises.  (I flatter myself that that sounds like something from The Importance of Being Earnest, but it isn't.)

Resolution the First

To finish rereading Sense and Sensibility and to reread Emma and Northanger Abbey before I turn 20.  (I read P&P, Mansfield Park and Persuasion last year.)

Resolution the Second

To read at least three new novels from my Classics Club list (which has been sadly neglected of late-- the count currently stands at 18/60.  Yikes).

Resolution the Third

To re-read at least three of the previously-read novels from my Classics Club list.

Resolution the Fourth

To finish the edits for the manuscript I'm currently working on ("How It Began With the Rochesters"-- go here for more details) and to write a query letter for it.  (Gulp.)

Resolution the Fifth

To write ten movie reviews here on YAPDB before my twentieth birthay. That's actually less than one per month.  I CAN DO THIS.  Watch out for Somewhere in Time coming Sometime This Week.

Resolution the Sixth

To delve deeper into the world of adapting classic literature for dramatic purposes-- I've been piddling in scriptwriting for a while now, but my interest was renewed tenfold yesterday when my sister Anne-girl and a dear friend of ours took me to see a local production of Pride and Prejudice (as a many-happy-returns present).  It was indubitably swellissimus and reminded me again how cool it is when a really good book gets a really faithful adaptation that does justice to it-- a thing I want to try for myself.  (Awkward sentence there... maybe I should resolve to work on my phrasing.  :P)

Resolution the Seventh

To be better at communication with friends and to see them in person as much as possible.  This past year was quite wonderful in regard to meeting blogging friends in person.  I count not one, not two, but three instances of its happening-- an excellent record, to be sure, but one I would not be sorry to break if occasion should ever require such a thing.  Heehee.

Annnnnd I think that's enough for one birthday... I am not made of ambition, after all.  And I don't intend to make resolutions I won't be able to keep-- you may notice that I say nothing about cake or treadmills.  My posted goals for this year revolve around books and writing and friends, which seems pretty fitting-- after all, isn't that what this blog is all about?  Thanks for sticking with me for another year, lovely people.  You're the best!

P.S.  Today I begged for money from Molly Hooper because that's what people do.  Go here to find out your Sherlock birthday description and tell me in the comments, won't you?  Yes, yes, I like geeky fan stuff like that. You were saying?

P.P.S. Oh, and my lovely sister Molly gave me series one of Sherlock for my birthday last night... not that I'm freaking-out-excited or anything.  SQUEEEEEEE.

"On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind; it becomes a pleasure."

"Look here, Gwendolen, that Miss Dashwood is doing one of
her dreadfully pompous Public Service Announcements again!"
(Imaginary quote from The Importance of Being Earnest - 1952.
The post title is also from IOBE but it's actually accurate.)

Listen closely, children, for today I have some little stories to tell you, and a moral application to be applied at the end, so give me your full attention for a few moments and sit still with your hands folded.  (Melody, put the book down, and Anne-girl, don't draw smiley faces on the wall.) 

Story the First

Once upon a time, I volunteered at a historical event and accidentally on purpose listened in to the conversation two young people were having.  (It wasn't that bad, guys, they were sitting right next to me and just making small talk during the down time.)  The exchange didn't interest me that much, honestly, until I heard one of them mention Pride and Prejudice-- at which point my ears (figuratively) pricked up.  This person, as it turned out, was a big fan of P&P95, and I, being the same, decided right then and there that I liked her very much.  We have since become friendly acquaintances and when we meet, we always talk about how wonderful BBC costume dramas are-- but invariably, the conversation always comes back to Mr. Darcy.  (cough, cough, ahem.)  It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the person-who-liked-the-right-P&P and I would have struck up a friendship even without P&P95, but it definitely helped move matters along and raise her quite a few points in my estimation at a very early date.

Story the Second

Once upon a time, I was at a dear friend's house and we were up unreasonably late playing Apples to Apples with her siblings, because that's what people do when they've had too many chocolate pretzels.  At some point in the evening, the topic of P&05 (or as I like to call it, FakeP&P) came up in the conversation, and one of the participants pronounced a resounding "boo" upon it.  I, being a big Not Fan of P&P05, promptly pronounced approval upon this person, and the conversation quickly deteriorated into a most enjoyable bashing of the aforementioned film.  Obviously we had all been getting along quite nicely before this juncture, but the introduction of a mutual dislike added a certain spice and flavor to the enjoyable-ness of the conversation.  And though the person-who-boo'ed and I differ greatly on many other matters of opinion-- cough, cough, Sir Percy, COUGH COUGH-- the derogatory remarks he made regarding Fake P&P helped to raise him quite a few points in my estimation.

Story the Third

Once upon a time, I was clicking my merry way through blogdom, when I came across a blog that looked Kindred-Spirit-ish and Interesting.  I began scrolling through it, nodding my merry head at the posts I saw that were pleasing to mine eye-- and then I stopped and mine eye grew red with rage, for the blogger who wrote this blog had written some observations of a scathing nature regarding mine own beloved P&P95, and THIS WOULD NOT DO.  So I exited the browser window right speedily, and nary again did I darken the homepage of that blog.  Which, now that I think back on it, was a bit hasty of a judgment... but that is how seriously I take my fanship, folks.

Application

Here we get to the meat of the post.  :D

I have given you three stories of how I formed hasty/sort of hasty judgments about people/blogs based on a rather trivial element: their like or dislike of something I liked very much.  (These cases all revolved around P&P95, which was not actually the intention when I started writing the stories-- all true, in case you were wondering-- but it seemed a fun and fitting coincidence so I didn't bother scrabbling around for stories about some other topic, to lend Variety or some such nonsense.)  This is, of course, a pretty natural occurrence.  People instinctively judge other people based on their likes and dislikes, and to a certain extent there's nothing wrong with this.

The problem-- one I consistently struggle with, by the way-- is when we start getting up in arms about the things we like and dislike.  When we start giving people a hard time over something we don't agree with.  When we start to forget that, for Pete's sake, it's just an opinion.  It's just a blog post or comment.  It's-- cover your ears, diehard Janeites-- just a book or a movie.

I've done more than my fair share of lightheartedly bashing movies or books-- even character portrayals-- that I didn't like.  (You want examples, I'll give you examples.)  And I'm actually not using this post to renounce all my past actions and pound the pulpit at the rest of you to tell you not to make the mistakes I did in my wild-oats youth.  (Sheesh, I'm still IN my wild-oats youth.  :P) Because I don't think there's anything wrong with a little well-intentioned snark.  Obviously if the goal in mind is to hurt someone's feelings or take them down a peg or two, we have a problem.  But that's not what I'm talking about here.  I'm saying that it's fun to talk about the books and movies we love, to make fun of the ones we don't-quite-love, that people can bond over likes and dislikes (and even, perhaps, decide that they don't want to read a blog post that blatantly dislikes something they really like... if that sentence made any sense at all, which is doubtful.)

What's not okay, however, is to let our opinions and fanships to get the better of us.  To get into less-than-friendly arguments.  To leave scathing comments on blog posts we don't agree with (and yes, I've seen this happen).  I'm not referring to good-natured ribbing between friends here-- that's a different matter entirely.  If both parties know it's all in fun, there's no problem.  But when we overstep the line and begin to take personal offense when someone dares to be less than enamored with one of our pet fandoms, we've gotten into dangerous waters.

Think of it this way.  Imagine, if you will, a naive young whippersnapper who's just venturing into the sprawling, scary world of blogging.  She lands upon a blog that looks interesting, begins to read a post that goes on and on about how wonderful this North and South movie is.  How exciting, thinks she-- here's someone who likes it as much as I do.  I think I'll leave a comment and show my appreciation... but then her eye lands on the comment box, and a particularly vituperative (that's a fun word :P) attack on the post author's choice of film is the first comment to pop up.  A little shocked at the vehemence of the commenter's opinion, the naive young whippersnapper rethinks her idea of leaving a comment... she doesn't want to get yelled at, does she?  Perhaps, after all, her opinion isn't the right one.  Perhaps, after all, she is less of a person for liking something that this outspoken commentator didn't approve of.  So, very sadly, she closes her browser, leaves Blogger and moves on through the melancholy rest of her life without ever experiencing the friendship and camaraderie that flows in abundance around this neck of the woods.

*melodramatic violin music plays as the screen changes to Benedict Cumberbatch staring moodily into the middle distance*

My point here is that it's okay to disagree with people.  (I'm very close to a certain girl who happens to really like P&P05 (though every day I fervently pray that her erring heart may be converted), and to another who, well versed in TSP and Les Mis as she may be, just doesn't give Jane Austen the adoration she deserves.  And yet I love them both anyway-- and I, in my turn, grieve them grievously by not appreciating P&P05 and by not being interested in Doctor Who.  Heehee.)  It's okay to debate things.  It's okay to have mock battles over which Jane Austen hero is better.  But let's not get too carried away and start making people feel bad over whether they prefer Mr. Darcy or Mr. Thornton, whether they like John better than Sherlock, whether they drink their tea with sugar or honey or ketchup if it takes their fancy.

Let's remember that it's okay to agree to disagree.  Sure, where your moral principles are concerned, you'll want to take a firm and unwavering stand.  But where your favorite Austen hero is concerned... maybe it's okay to let another person have her say.

Because you know what?  The important thing here is that people do like books and movies and characters.  That people are socializing and forming friendships over stories, that conversations are being made because an author put pen to paper two hundred years ago.  That hilarious debates are being fueled because Baroness Orczy's just so doggone controversial.  (this one will go down in history, I do believe.) That people are voicing their opinions and defending them instead of being apathetic.  That people are, perhaps, discovering authors and films and heroes and heroines through all these discussions that they might never have met otherwise.  That we're all having fun together.  

Let's not lose that, ever.

Okey-dokey.  Class dismissed.

P.S.  This is a post that's been swirling in my head for a long time and isn't aimed at anyone or any event in particular.  Just to clarify.  :D
P.P.S.  Pride and Prejudice 1995 is still the best.  But I'm sure you knew that.
P.P.P.S.  I always relish a good debate, so if you wanna pop up in the comments, feel free...

Period Drama Fashion Week Tag

Emma Jane over at For the Beauty of the Earth is hosting a Period Drama Fashion Week, and though I'm a bit late to the party, I'm finally getting around to filling out the tag!

1. Tell us five random things about yourself.

~I really, really like Greg Lestrade's character on Sherlock.  He's probably my fifth favorite character, which is saying a lot.
~I'm currently reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and falling in love with it all over again.
~I absolutely love getting mail (who doesn't?).
~I have four yet-to-be-answered letters sitting on my desk in front of me and two of them have the same kind of stamp.  (We did say random things, yes?)
~I passed my driver's test today and now have my license.  THIS IS JOYOUS NEWS INDEED and has been duly celebrated with chocolate.

2. What are some of your favorite dresses from period dramas? Pick three.

This was an incredibly hard question to answer but I finally decided it wasn't referring to my TOP three, just three of my favorites, so I went with Marianne Dashwood's "summer ensemble," Christine Daae's Wishing gown, and Esther Summerson's fan-front printed muslin dress.

3. How would you describe your own style?

Contemporary chic librarian-- sweaters, skirts and some modern boho/preppy influences.  

4. List (up to) five of your favorite period drama wardrobes.

~Esther Summerson's from Bleak House (image via Old-Fashioned Charm)

~Anne Shirley's from Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel

~Olivia King Dale's from Road to Avonlea

~Emma Woodhouse's from Emma (2009)

~Margaret Hale's from North and South (image via Portrait of a Maiden)

5. What are some of your favorite fashion eras?

The Regency era, the 1850's (and the Civil War era too) and the 1900's-1910's.

6. What are five things that make you happy?

Reading a good book when it's raining outside, opening my Blogger dashboard and seeing comments waiting for me, drinking a hot cup of tea, holding a soft snuggly baby and listening to a song that thrills me to my fingertips.

7. Do you like to wear hats?

I love to wear hats!!!!  That totally deserved four exclamation points, because my passion for hats needs airing now and then.  I only rarely get to wear them, but I adore them.  I was just saying to a friend recently that wearing hats at weddings needs to come back in style in the US... someday when I get married, ladies will be requested to wear hats to the wedding.  Heehee.

8. Do you have a favorite fictional character who has the same name as you?

Indeed-- Amy Dorrit from Little Dorrit.  Our characters are not much alike at all, but I do identify with her in nomenclature at least.  (And neither of us like Mrs. General.  Haha.)  My dad's rather fond of calling me Aymee in a Chivery-esque fashion, and my best friend nicknamed me Mouse when we first met.

9. What is one of the ugliest dresses you've ever seen in a period drama?

Estella Havisham's white monstrosity in Great Expectations (2011).  YICK.

10. What is the most-worn color in your wardrobe?

Brown.  I have a lot of shades of brown.

11. What are your sentiments on the subject of tea?

DID SOMEONE SAY TEA.  Green, white, black, rooibos, herbal, fruit-flavored... I love pretty much all of it.  Especially Moriar-tea, because that's what people BREW!

12. Do historical inaccuracies bother you?

Tremendously... if I want them to.  I'm a big fan of Scarlett O'Hara's wardrobe in Gone With the Wind (some of it, anyway) and I have to shut a blind eye to all the glaring mistakes in her dresses.  But I've been known to complain loudly over any kind of anachronism in a dress I didn't like, haha.

13. What are some of your favorite eras of men's fashions?

Men's fashion is boring.  Next.  (Okay, okay, the 1930's were pretty dapper.)

14. Have you ever read any books on historical fashion?

Several!  I'm currently in the depths of From Queen to Empress, a dissection of ladies' clothing during the span of the Victorian era.

15. If you could pick just three fictional characters to have over for tea, who would you invite?

Sherlock Holmes, Emma Woodhouse and Bertie Wooster. Now that's what I call a party.

I'd Like to Share: March 2014

*trumpet blast* The results are in for March, and we have a new quote to be guessed in the comments!

"There will be a great deal to occupy your pen. I regret that you missed the incident just last week. A wagon of bricks had cause to drive down King Street and became lodged with a pit cart headed the opposite way."

Now for the actual nominations.

In the Humorous category...

Eva nominated Sarah M. Eden for If Every Story Were Written Like a Cliche Romance
Kiri Liz nominated Jack for Beds and Bedstands

In the Informative category...

Miss Jane Bennet nominated Monica for Let's Talk Writing: Poetry
Hamlette nominated Heidi Spargur for Decoding Shakespeare

In the Inspirational category...

Serena nominated Elizabeth Rose for On Christian Sincerity
Emma Jane nominated Miss Laurie for A Special Valentine's Card for You
Reyna Nicole nominated Desarae for It's Not About You: Single on Valentine's Day
Maddie Rose nominated Jennoelle for Up For Interpretation
Miss Dashwood nominated Jenny Freitag for Respect: A Social Grace

Round of applause to everyone who participated (and to all who were nominated :D)-- the page is open for nominations for April now.  Please remember to link to the post you nominate and mention the blogger's name.  Thanks be unto thee!