tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63738048916561644722024-02-23T02:46:15.975-05:00Yet Another Period Drama BlogMiss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.comBlogger401125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-3716063007033820762019-12-31T15:25:00.002-05:002019-12-31T15:25:23.662-05:00What Are You Still Doing Here?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, you! I can see you! I still have access to this blog, you know. I see the stats. I see the traffic sources. I see the comments on old posts. (I read every single one.)<br />
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But I don't write here anymore, and if you're poking around this old site looking for something new, you're unfortunately in the wrong place. I write over at <a href="http://thebluestockingdressmaker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bluestocking Dressmaker</a> now - I just recently wrote <a href="http://thebluestockingdressmaker.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-making-of-and-wearing-of-wedding.html" target="_blank">a whole big long photo-heavy post</a> about the process of designing and sewing my wedding dress, I'm still slowly working on <a href="http://thebluestockingdressmaker.blogspot.com/search/label/little%20house%20on%20the%20prairie" target="_blank">a series about re-reading <i>Little House on the Prairie</i></a>, and I'm gearing up for an exciting announcement for 2020.<br />
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So if you still want to stick around, by all means, do so - over there, if you don't mind. This is, to quote L. M. Alcott, the Positively Last Appearance.<br />
<br />Amy Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08268301980588355778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-63900362930529752022018-02-28T21:55:00.001-05:002018-02-28T21:55:08.737-05:00The New Location<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://womenreading.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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Well, the time has come at last... Yet Another Period Drama Blog is closing its doors. (I had to jump right into that or I might have a hard time saying it.) You probably saw this coming quite a long while ago, but it's finally time to make it official.<br />
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I won't be blogging at this location anymore, but I am still going to leave this blog up and running in case anyone wants to read old posts! Going forward, though, I hope you will join me at my new endeavor, <a href="http://thebluestockingdressmaker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bluestocking Dressmaker</a>. For a number of reasons, I've decided that my life has moved on from the place that Yet Another Period Drama Blog used to fill, and though I still love it and the friends I've made from it, it's time for something new. We can't hang on forever to everything we started when we were sixteen, after all. ;) My new blog will (in the plans, anyway) cover everything from literature to TV and movies (sound familiar) to sewing endeavors to writing to politics (gasp) to theology to wedding anecdotes to flowers in church (I am for them). I hope you'll come and follow me there, and I look forward to seeing you around!<br />
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Oh, and for a more minute, day-to-day update (as far as my sewing goes, anyway) you can catch me on <a href="http://instagram.com/missadashwood" target="_blank">Instagram</a> - and, less frequently, on <a href="http://twitter.com/missamydashwood" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
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Before I close this, I just want to wish everyone who is reading this post today, who will read it in the future, who has read this blog in the past and who will still come back from time to time to check the archives - thank you. Writing here has been a huge part of my growing-up years, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that, in its own small way, it has and continues to shape me into the person that I am now and want to be. Thank you for reading, for commenting, for writing your own posts that I've loved reading, for being here with me even briefly and also from the beginning. <br />
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This quote isn't the most fitting for the last post on a blog that only lived for six years and did not amount to much, but it came into my head as I was writing this, so it seemed appropriate to end this little note with the words of someone who writes so beautifully and put so much poignancy into the simplest of stories. (Hmmm, there's an idea for a future post...)</div>
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"<span style="background-color: white;">Why did you do all this for me?” [Wilbur] asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.”</span></div>
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“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing."</div>
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~<i>Charlotte's Web</i> by E.B. White</div>
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<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-29418901722241196272017-10-23T15:47:00.001-04:002017-10-23T15:47:24.080-04:00In Light of My Last Post......I figured I'd better confirm the implications.<br />
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<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-28779653359842694592017-10-20T18:15:00.002-04:002017-10-20T18:15:45.408-04:00How to Plan a Wedding, by the Ladies and Gentlemen of Period Drama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>(I would have made a nicely formatted textual image with the words "How to Plan a Wedding, Period Drama Style" to head off this post but PicMonkey is now demanding money in return for their previously free services, and I am a cheapskate.)</i></div>
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<i>Previously in this series: <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-to-get-girl-period-drama-style.html" target="_blank">How to Get the Girl</a>, <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-to-catch-man-period-drama-style.html" target="_blank">How to Catch a Man</a>, <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-handy-dandy-helpful-hair-guide-from.html" target="_blank">Hair Guide for Ladies</a>, <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2014/02/another-handy-dandy-helpful-hair-guide.html" target="_blank">Hair Guide for Men</a></i><br />
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Muslin from India is a lovely choice for a bridal gown, particularly if one is to be a rectory bride. Make sure the fabric arrives on time, though, otherwise it may have to wait a generation or two to be used.<br />
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It's totally okay to marry a man you just met and have very little prior knowledge of! I mean, a courtship of 3-4 weeks is completely normal. As long as he saved your little brother and looks really great in a cape, you're probably golden. Don't talk too much about politics beforehand though. What if he ends up thinking you're a traitor or something?<br />
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If horrid, childish leeches from your past who have made life miserable for yourself and a lot of the people you hold dear show up uninvited and start picking at your cake, GET 'EM. Or don't. And just enjoy the day.<br />
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Beware of fainting on the big day as you march down the aisle. If you do, your elderly aunt might be forced to drag you to the rainwater hogs-head and drop you in!<br />
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On that note, for pity's sake don't march through the ceiling while practicing the wedding march!<br />
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Be very specific when choosing your dress size if you are ordering from a catalog, and make sure the store delivers the correct dress to your house. You don't want a mix-up on the big day! (Better yet, if anyone else in your tiny town happens to be getting married on the same exact day as you, choose different dresses, for heaven's sake.)<br />
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Do NOT let your gorgeous and incredibly expensive Gilded Age veil anywhere near hot curling iron lighter thingies. Or five-year-olds, for that matter. (THAT IS SO NOT HOW IT HAPPENED IN THE BOOK THOUGH AND HER DRESS WAS WAY PRETTIER IN THE BOOK. CORNELIA'S DRESS IN THE MOVIE IS FINE BUT I COULDN'T FIND A PICTURE.)<br />
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Do make sure the lecherous creeps who "raised" you as a child (read: took all the money your mother sent for your upkeep and spent it on themselves) to attend your wedding under any circumstances, even in disguise. Your new husband may be forced to bodily throw them out.<br />
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Double weddings, though difficult to pull off, can be achieved as long as you are having one with your sister, and if the two of you happen to be marrying guys who are best friends. Otherwise it's just kinda awkward.<br />
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Make sure the guy who's been pursuing you ever since you were a child is FAR away from the festive scene when you finally marry your beloved! You don't want to risk him bursting into the church and shooting you (mostly) dead before all assembled, after all.<br />
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Oh, and please do please marry the right guy. If by some trick of circumstance you find yourself standing at the altar with an evil prince, the day may be saved by getting a faltering priest to skip to the very end of the wedding ceremony, thereby saving you from having to actually say "I do."<br />
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Honestly, yeah, marrying the right guy ought to be #1. The rest are just details.<br />
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I hope you find all these helpful tips as useful as I will. ;)Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-42111070811496794372017-10-16T17:36:00.002-04:002017-10-16T17:37:34.093-04:00Eight Reasons Why A New "Dark" Pride and Prejudice Isn't What We Need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I first discovered <i>Pride and Prejudice</i> in the summer of 2009. I was fresh out of eighth grade, gearing up for high school, starting to tire of the 101 books in the Saddle Club series and frustrated that the <i>Mysterious Benedict Society</i> sequel wasn't out yet. I read some Dickens novels here and there and felt grown-up about them, but though I called <i>Martin Chuzzlewit </i>my new favorite book, I still hadn't been "grabbed," as it were, by a book written for grown-ups. I was starting to think that maybe books for adults just didn't grip you the way kids' books did, and that I was going to be doomed to a life of reading classic novels so I could be an intellectual, stimulating my brain and increasing my vocabulary while being bored stiff.<br />
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BOY WAS I WRONG but that's a topic for another day.<br />
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Anyway, so then my mom suggested I give Jane Austen a try, and took me to Borders (yes, Borders still existed then) with a new birthday gift card, and I picked out a Modern Library Classics paperback edition of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>, with a blond Lizzy and snooty-looking Darcy on the cover, and took it home and read the whole thing in less than a week. And I was hooked. And then we watched the 1995 A&E miniseries (the five-hour one with Colin Firth. Y'all know what I'm talking about). And I was in love. (Not with Colin Firth, though. I mean, he's okay, but... yeah.)<br />
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Eventually I read all of Jane Austen's novels, watched almost every adaptation in existence, read all the novels again, started a blog about them (You Are Here), and... well, I have Opinions about the forthcoming newest adaptation of Jane Austen's most popular novel.<br />
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I'm not a fan, folks.<br />
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Here's what we know so far: the same producers in charge of<i> Poldark</i> and <i>Victoria</i> are spearheading a new P&P series. (Full disclosure: I haven't seen <i>Poldark a</i>nd can't offer an opinion on that. I do love <i>Victoria</i>, but it's not based on a book.) It's supposed to be "gritty" and "dark" and is supposed to showcase what the writer calls "Jane Austen's wit, which is sparkling like granite."<br />
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You can read more about this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/aug/08/makers-of-poldark-and-victoria-plan-darker-pride-and-prejudice" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pride-and-prejudice-new-tv-adaptation-poldark-makers-itv-jane-austen-mr-darcy-a7882181.html" target="_blank">here</a>, so I won't bother recapping every single detail. They say you aren't supposed to write novels in blog posts because you lose your audience's attention (and with the sporadic nature of my blog posts, I need to keep my audience's attention whenever I can get it) so I'll get right to the point. Here are my eight reasons why I am not excited about this new production.<br />
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<b>1. P&P is more than just a "bonnet drama."</b></div>
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It really grinds my gears when people refer to miniseries like<i> Cranford</i> and <i>Sense and Sensibility</i> as "bonnet dramas." It implies a note of condescension, that stories primarily told from women's viewpoints in bygone eras are somehow frivolous or unimportant. It's a bunch of ladies in bonnets! Visiting! Having tea! There's nothing deeper there than who's-going-to-marry-who! I will be the first to acknowledge that Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell are not everyone's cup of tea, and I am okay with that, but I am not okay with entertainment critics patting Jane Austen on the head. Yes, there are bonnets in P&P, but there is a plot, too. P&P primarily deals with marriage, money, and morality, but it's not just about Mrs. Bennet howling over Mr. Bingley's ten thousand a year. It was the first novel in English literature to feature a truly independent thinker as a heroine-- a woman who chose her own future (yes, with a rich man, but not because he was rich) within the limitations of her time, who wasn't afraid to speak her mind yet still maintained the sense of propriety with which she was raised. It's a fascinating study in the deficiencies and strengths of human character, and to reduce it to Colin Firth in a wet muslin shirt is incredibly disrespectful to the impact it has had on literature in the Western world.<br />
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<b>2. P&P is not a dark story. </b></div>
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This isn't a contradiction of the point above. P&P is serious and deals with some weighty matters. But at its heart, it IS light and bright and sparkling. Jane Austen did not describe Elizabeth Bennet as a melancholy, tortured heroine - she said that she "thought her the most delightful character that ever appeared in print." P&P is funny. It's clever. It's full of snark and sarcasm and you get the constant sense that the author is laughing in her sleeve at all this characters, while simultaneously loving them, and as she writes she's sharing a great inside joke with all her readers. The witty, down-to-earth fun of P&P is a large part of what draws most people to Jane Austen. (I mean, she wrote some darker stuff, don't get me wrong. Check out <i>Persuasion </i>if you want a dark story! But P&P is not the place to go if you want<i> dark</i>.)<br />
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<b>3. We don't need yet another P&P flick, really.</b></div>
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Really...<br />
really...<br />
really...<br />
we don't.<br />
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You can go watch the 1940 version or the 1980 or the 1995 or the 2005 (except... ya know, don't) if you want a "straight" adaptation of the novel set in Regency England. (WELL EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE 2005 ABOMINATION TRIED TO PUT IT IN 1795 WHEN THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT PERIOD but I digress and will leave that for another day). If you want a different re-imagining of the story, skip to Point #8. Are any or all of those adaptations perfect? NOPE. Not even the 1995 BBC/A&E miniseries which is one of my favorite Austen adaptations of all time. That one STILL didn't get everything right (though I still love it). But guys. We have a LOT of P&P out there to choose from. (And I am using a LOT of caps today. I AM SORRY.) There is a finite amount of movie-making money floating around out there, and a finite amount of TV air time, and wouldn't it be better to use that money and time towards an adaptation that we actually need? Like, y'know, <i>Mansfield Park </i>for example? (Hint hint hint hint hint. If Heidi Thomas or Sandy Welch are reading this, please take note.) We have a poorly-filmed and somewhat dry version from the 80's, a totally-not-like-the-book-what-is-even-happening-here chick flick from the 90's, and a scowling hour and a half of Billie Piper with her hair down from the 2000's. Please, please, please. Give us a decent <i>Mansfield Park</i>. Fanny deserves better.<br />
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<b>4. We all saw what happened with <i>Anne with an E</i>.</b></div>
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Okay, those of you who were brave enough to watch the whole series saw what happened. To be fair, I haven't watched all of it - just clips here and there and read some horrifying reviews, my hair standing on end the entire time. Taking a beloved, classic story and trying to make it into something it's not will not go down well with that story's many fans. Anne with an E is the latest edition of What Not to Do in the period drama universe. Let's learn from other people's mistakes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FiXGgE_FK4siYS8J3KYMENFDFVkF_9SM1hBOvnw7CpXSpnkPnSlueCUI5wV2sHMLCb_7cSymdPLPF34-MTQcfxW7eTaAQNR7bsB6EiGqAyzFM0NKLjt7fbW29hf8aQJf0EO0Pg75K9o/s1600/Bleak-House-2005-Stills-carey-mulligan-17845937-2048-1362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FiXGgE_FK4siYS8J3KYMENFDFVkF_9SM1hBOvnw7CpXSpnkPnSlueCUI5wV2sHMLCb_7cSymdPLPF34-MTQcfxW7eTaAQNR7bsB6EiGqAyzFM0NKLjt7fbW29hf8aQJf0EO0Pg75K9o/s640/Bleak-House-2005-Stills-carey-mulligan-17845937-2048-1362.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Dickens wrote his own stuff!</td></tr>
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<b>5. You want a dark, gritty story, write your own.</b></div>
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Which brings me to the old conundrum. If you replace a faulty plank in a ship, and slowly over time end up replacing ALL the planks in the ship, at what point (if at all) does the ship cease to be the same ship? Similarly, if you start changing everything familiar about an original work of fiction, is it even still the same work of fiction? Are you just slapping a title that you know will sell onto a hodge-podge, fabricated desecration of your own invention and loudly proclaiming that you know better than the story's original inventor? Well, if you are... maybe don't. If Nina Raine really wants a complex television serial, maybe she ought to just come up with her own plot and leave well enough alone.<br />
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<b>6. Jane Austen said herself that she could not write a serious romance to save her life.</b></div>
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If that isn't a good enough reason for you to accept that P&P is not meant to be a serious romance, then I don't know what WILL convince you. (Note that I'm drawing a line between "dark" and "serious" -- as I said in #2, I consider <i>Persuasion</i> to be dark, though not in a bad way.) She said this *after* writing P&P, I might add -- you cannot argue that she later changed her mind and decided to sparkle like granite.<br />
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<b>7. Fake P&P already messed up badly enough.</b></div>
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I realize I am stepping on some toes by saying this, and I don't mean to offend the sensibilities of those of you who enjoy that movie. As a film, it's lovely. As an adaptation of P&P, I feel that it does not measure up. Can't it be a cautionary tale to film producers at this point? We've seen what happened when a writer decided to stick the Bennets in a pigsty, introduce wild flouting of social convention, make Elizabeth Bennet (the delightful creature!) incredibly obnoxious, and rewrite everything that makes Mr. Darcy... well, Mr. Darcy. (If you want to read more bashing of what my best friend and I fondly call Fake P&P and understand more of the reasoning behind why I despise it, feel free to click <a href="http://pandp95forever.blogspot.com/2014/10/in-which-we-officially-bash-fake-p.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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<b>8. You want a re-imagining? We've already got those!</b></div>
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May I recommend <i>The Lizzie Bennet Diaries</i>, for starters? (Viewer discretion advised-- a lot of the content in this web series adaptation is not for younger viewers.) I haven't seen it, but I've heard some good things about<i> Bride and Prejudice</i>. <i>Death Comes to Pemberley</i>, while not strictly a new adaptation of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>, does a pretty good job of staying faithful to the original while bringing in a new storyline. We won't talk about<i> P&P & Zombies</i>, (although <a href="https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/jane-austen-in-comics-artists-liz-wong-kate-beaton-and-sonny-liew/" target="_blank">do check out </a>some of the hilarious comics that some clever people have made in response to the Jane Austen/paranormal nonsense going on lately) but there are many, many more novels and films out there inspired by the original.<br />
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You may wonder why I seem to have a problem with this new BBC adaptation and not with things like The LBD. The reasons for this are threefold. First, that The LBD doesn't even pretend to be a straight page-to-screen adaptation of the novel -- it's a new version for a modern audience that creatively places new interpretations of the original characters in the digital age. It's very cleverly done, but it doesn't pretend to be "the" P&P. I love it when writers take an old, old story and make it<br />
new again by putting the characters (or basic approximations thereof) in new settings. It forces the reader or viewer to think about the messages the original novel is sending, and why people behave the way that they do. But when a reader who loved a book goes to look for a film adaptation of said book, optimistically hoping for a faithful onscreen bringing-to-life of the characters she fell in love with in the novel, she's going to be very disappointed to turn on a movie that *looks* like it should be great (after all, the costumes look good! The famous people look pretty on the cover! The title is right!) and... isn't.<br />
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Am I being cynical?<br />
Yeah, probably.<br />
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Am I willing to be pleasantly surprised by the new P&P, if indeed it turns out to be good?<br />
Sure! In fact, I'll write a retraction of this post if that is the case.<br />
<br />
But am I holding out much hope for that?<br />
Well, unfortunately, not.<br />
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I look forward to your (civil) discourse in the comment section. :)<br />
<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-60876341666003341062017-08-13T13:10:00.002-04:002017-08-13T13:10:27.962-04:00Our Past Matters. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXc7JRBptOhlzs4KdRmYCkWT5ywB3xsfgV0bbqY4XkAbrmu5aqdREuaJhfjh0-MVxRRRpHTHKSQAQXdtBYutb12RlxIfHqS1SCpPQx9B7JH0pJIPKnimJ9AYSc-XZ2HsEC7MiGRAltMA/s1600/IMG_2643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXc7JRBptOhlzs4KdRmYCkWT5ywB3xsfgV0bbqY4XkAbrmu5aqdREuaJhfjh0-MVxRRRpHTHKSQAQXdtBYutb12RlxIfHqS1SCpPQx9B7JH0pJIPKnimJ9AYSc-XZ2HsEC7MiGRAltMA/s400/IMG_2643.JPG" width="300" /></a>This morning, I wrote something akin to a blog post on Facebook, and after a little consideration I decided to share it here as well. Political commentary doesn't generally fit in too well with the standard bill of fare on YAPDB, (and I promise, that <i>Victoria </i>review IS coming!) but I felt this needed to be said.<br />
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Several people over the last few months have asked me, at various times, why I am so interested in Civil War reenacting. Recently, someone expressed to me her frustration that historical reenactors in general seem overly focused on the Civil War, and that it seems unnecessary at this point when the United States has so much other history to consider and the CW was over 150 years ago. At the time, I wasn't able to articulate a proper response, but my introvert thought processes have finally run their course and I have something to say now.<br />
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Our history as a nation is incredibly important, and sadly many people in our country today (our president among them; yes, I went there) do not seem to take seriously the story of those who came before us or even to know the basic tenets of how and why our country came to be what it is today. The Civil War in particular, though a horrifically sad and devastating period of our history, was the culmination of an inevitable fallout that had been building since the Articles of Confederation (and maybe even before that time- one could argue it was in the works since the first slaves were brought to the Americas). The war itself is over, but the myth of the Lost Cause, the ugly lies of one race's supremacy over another, and the attitudes of hatred that were running deep at the time of the Civil War have not ended.<br />
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Why do I participate in living history events to try and bring the Civil War to life? Because of Charlottesville. Because of Minneapolis. Because of the Ku Klux Klan rallies in my own Yankee state. Because the concept of white nationalism didn't die with Nathan Bedford Forrest, and because the Confederate battle flag is still being flown from pickup trucks and apartment windows, simultaneously touted as "heritage" and used as a symbol of bigotry and cruelty. The Civil War stands alone in our nation's bloody history of conflict as the war fought by our country against our country over problems we still face today. Too many people are already forgetting or erasing why. Don't be one of them.<br />
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I attended a living history timeline event back in May, and had the privilege of meeting a historian who shows the public ironwork reproductions of slave chains and neck collars, tangible reminders of slavery that give most people pause. Ironically enough, his tent was set up directly across from a Confederate camp. (Not knocking Confederate reenactors here, by the way. Their impressions, when done for history's sake and not to perpetuate a tragic ideology, is valuable to our understanding of both sides, and I respect both that and them.) I had to wonder how much of an impact his chains and collars had on anyone who might have come to that event that day checking Richard Spencer's latest tweet and wearing a rebel-flag baseball cap. Could it have given that person a reality check, even just for a moment?<br />
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If the "hobby" of reenacting the Civil War can do that and change even one person's mind, give them the chance to step back and think about the direction our nation is going and where it has been before, then our efforts won't be in vain. We're not romanticizing the past. We're trying to prevent it from happening again, and we could use your help.<br />
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TL;DR version: Nazis and the KKK are bad, preserving history and educating people is a good way to help get rid of their influence. Civil War reenacting is awesome. You should get involved.<br />
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-5109016507075693962017-07-22T15:57:00.000-04:002017-07-24T23:51:48.382-04:00Summer Adventures, Book-Learnin', and That One Song From South Pacific<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once upon a time, there was a girl who wrote a blog, and she was very diligent in the writing thereof, and there were lots of posts, and lots of followers, and lots of comments, and lots of friends, and a lot of time spent in reading and writing things of great interest and some of not much interest whatsoever.</div>
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Then Life happened, and the blog took a backseat, and some of the blog readers went on their merry way and read other blogs, and some of them lacked the time for any blogs at all because Life was happening for them too, and yet more of them stuck around from time to time and checked the blog just in case there was anything new happening.</div>
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(For purposes of a disclaiming nature I must take this opportunity to note that I am not implying that the reading and writing of blogs signifies one's Lack of a Life. It is a good and righteous hobby if it does not constitute the ENTIRE WHOLE of one's life - though, indeed, if it <i>does</i>, it still does not signify that Life is lacking, but rather that it is being rather frivolously squandered. Ahem.)</div>
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This post is for those last few, and my great gratitude is also extended to them-ward, for their tenacity and loyalty and sticking with me even though I've written a big ol' pile of nothin' in the last year or so.</div>
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I did, however, finally get a little bit back into the swing of things <a href="https://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2017/07/hidden-figures-2016-first-movie-review.html" target="_blank">earlier this week</a>, and though I make no promises about the future regularity of my posting, I really do want to make a better effort at writing. Because writing feels good! Putting words together and creating a (somewhat) cohesive whole at the end sharpens creativity! I become an unstoppable writing force, as one with the old masters of literature, the wordsmiths of the ages, the Austens and Miltons and Shakespeares and Wildes and whoever wrote the dialogue for the original Winnie the Pooh films! </div>
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The thing is, carving out the actual time to write stuff is not as easy as it looks.</div>
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If you've been following my blog for a while, you may know that I formerly worked an 8-5 office job (from 2015-2017). As of now, that is no longer true - I quit my job in May to focus primarily on obtaining a certificate in Administrative Office Management. So now I'm taking college classes and working semi-part-time. Emphasis on the "semi" at the moment, because I'm also spending the summer (well, most of it) with the very first person who ever followed this blog.</div>
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In other words... my best friend, <a href="http://regencydelight-janeaustenetc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Melody</a>. Pink goes good with green. (She's on the right, I'm on the left, and no one was actually driving when this selfie was taken. We were stuck in traffic and the car was in Park. Ease your minds.)<br />
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At the beginning of June, I packed my mostly essentials and headed... WEST. (I won't get more specific than that. Melody is entitled to her state's right to privacy. :P) I'm here until the first week in August, and we are having a blast. Because, obviously. We're best friends.<br />
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We've been having a fantastic time together that has included shopping (thrift stores for the win!), camping (twice!), swimming (quite a lot), babysitting (her nieces and nephews are all adorable but the youngest one is quite definitely and undeniably a bona fide Cutie Pop), reading good books (just finished <i>A Portrait of Emily Price</i> by Katherine Reay, which was better than <i>The Bronte Plot </i>but not as good as <i>Dear Mr. Knightley</i>), watching some movies and TV shows (yay for <i>Poirot </i>and<i> Call the Midwife</i>!) and working, too, believe it or not. In our first couple of weeks together, we got a temporary job helping to move medical equipment in a hospital (a task that included good pay and sore muscles!) and then we spent several days temping at a local plastics factory (not-so-good pay and not great for breathing... we didn't like that one as well). <br />
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I've also been doing a great deal of HOMEWORK, which is not at all fun but bears mentioning, lest you think my so-called college classes are all in vain. They are not. I will PowerPoint you to the death, if challenged. (Or to the pain. You choose.)<br />
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I could go off on a long and sappy tangent about what a great friend Melody is, and how blessed I am to have her in my life, and how much fun it's been, getting to spend an extended visit with her... but I don't want to take up TOO much of your precious time (since this is going to be a pretty long post ANYWAY), I'll just give you a short and sappy tangent. We have been friends for nigh on six years now, which is pretty incredible (though seven years may be insufficient for some people to form a really close connection, seven days may be sufficient for others, or seven emails in our case...) and though we have had our ups and downs (some of them even during this visit!) our bond has only strengthened as time goes on, and there is really nothing quite like a best friend. I was sniffling a bit over some of the tributes to Jane Austen's life earlier this week, on the 200th anniversary of her death, and the remarks Cassandra Austen made about her relationship with her sister stood out to me particularly. Obviously Melody and I are not sisters by blood, and we are both healthily alive and kicking, but if you change Cassandra's writing to present instead of past tense, it fits my thoughts about her very well.<br />
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"[She is] a treasure, such a sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed. She [is] the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow; I [have] not a thought concealed from her..."<br />
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We've both been reminded in various ways over the past year or so that life is changing and we must change with it; we're no longer the completely carefree teenagers we were when we first met. Jobs and higher education and financial woes and health worries and family troubles and the joys of falling in love (ahem) have brought us into the world of adults since we first met, and I wouldn't change any of that for the world - but as the world changes, I'm glad I have a best friend to embrace that with me.<br />
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*end sappy tangent*<br />
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Anyway. All in all, it's been a delightful summer thus far, despite my occasional bouts of homesickness and a great deal of... well, missing a certain person. Who is not Melody. Because she's here. With me.<br />
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No, the person I've been missing so much is, in fact, someone who hasn't been mentioned on this blog until today. <br />
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Perhaps, just for fun and for the sake of maintaining the pseudonym I've used here for the last five and a half years, we'll call him Mr. Ferrars. <br />
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Let's rewind a tiny tad bit. </div>
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It was in 2013 that I first became involved with Civil War reenacting, through a local historical house that was recruiting volunteers to give living history tours (an opportunity to get dressed up in old-fashioned clothes? YES PLEASE). That led me (and the rest of my family) to join an actual Civil War reenactment unit (Union forever, thank you very much), sparked my rabbit-hole-descent into making Victorian clothes, gave me quite a few opportunities to attend balls and parties and parades in historical garb, fueled my already-intense love of history... and, along the way, introduced me to my sweetheart. </div>
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(If you follow me on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/missadashwood" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you're probably already well aware of his existence, but in case you don't, or in case you, unlike Flynn Rider, "do backstory," here's a bit more of the Detail.)</div>
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Technically speaking, we met in 2014, but neither of us can remember the particulars. It was an outdoor encampment on the grounds of the house where I was volunteering (and where he had volunteered in the past), we were briefly introduced by a mutual friend, and that was about it. Later that year our paths crossed again at a Christmas Civil War ball, but except for a couple of partner-changing dances, we didn't interact much - until my sisters' and my GPS decided to die after the event had ended and we were stranded in an unfamiliar town with some uncertainty of how to get home. So this gallant gentleman offered to let us follow him to the main highway before we went our separate ways. I am still rather embarrassed about this (my sense of direction HAS improved since then), but clearly not so embarrassed as to stop me from writing about it on a public blog. I guess it serves as dramatic emphasis for just how nice that guy was. </div>
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That was something I'd noticed, you see - I didn't know him very well, other than the fact that his name was Rob (there ya go, anyone who was dissatisfied with the vague "Mr. Ferrars") and his good manners and kindness to the people around him made a distinct impression on me. That, as it turns out, was a very accurate impression indeed.</div>
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And then we started seeing each other at other events, and shyly talking a bit (okay, it was shy on my part...) and my sister teased me about him here and there but obviously that didn't mean anything, right? And then we became friends on Facebook. And then he innocently texted me asking for some information about an upcoming event in which we were both interested. And, uh, we have not stopped talking since that day, which was nearly a year ago. And then we started dating... and I fell in love with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbmPCR8yr0" target="_blank">a wonderful guy</a>. </div>
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And now we're seven months into a relationship that's gone beyond anything I could ever have dreamed of, reinforced my belief in true love, convinced me that there really is another person out there in the world who understands my craziness, and given us both countless hours of laughing and crying and talking incessantly and baring our souls and telling of our most appalling secrets. </div>
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I'm actually trying really hard not to make this overly sappy and starry-eyed. I'm not sure if you can tell. Probably not. But believe me, I could be a lot worse.<br />
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I wouldn't say that in the past I approached romance with a cynical eye, because I didn't. I loved reading books and watching movies about people who had found their soulmate, but deep down inside I wasn't sure I would ever meet that person who was completely right for me. I'd seen enough relationships and even marriages between people who seemed reasonably happy together, but who didn't always seem to "click" in the way that I wanted to do if I ever met my person. So I began to think that that person probably wasn't out there, that I wasn't going to ever meet someone I could truly love with my whole heart and know without a shadow of a doubt that he loved me back just as fiercely and understood what makes me tick. Which was all well and good. I was fine with being single. In fact, I embraced it! And when God said, "No, My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts," and brought along the person I thought couldn't exist, I actually resisted at first. Surely it couldn't be that easy. Surely we couldn't have just been made for each other... could we?<br />
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Yeah, turns out we could.<br />
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You want to know the real kicker? The clincher, one of (several) things that convinced me that this was Really Truly Love? Guys, he's not a Jane Austen fan. It's not his thing. And you know what? <i>I love him anyway. </i><br />
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Oh, sure, we have lots of other shared interests and hobbies and nerdiness about books and geekiness about grammar and fascination with long-dead people and love of the outdoors and sense of adventure (well, okay, he has a sense of adventure and I remind him to wear his seat belt), and he'll sit and watch a costume drama with me (we blew through the first season of <i>Victoria</i> alarmingly fast) but <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>is not his cup of tea, and that is okay. (For the record, <i>Jurassic Park</i> was not my cup of tea either. :P) </div>
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Although once I get back from my trip, we are totally watching <i>Sense and Sensibility </i>together. ;)</div>
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So, uh, yeah. That is, in a nutshell, why my blogging has taken a backseat. Because the hours I used to spend researching and writing blog posts (and watching period dramas, too, let's be real) have lately given way to phone conversations and Skype conversations and hanging out in real life and spending time with each other's families and talking a LOT, did I mention that yet? The time I used to have for my Internet presence has dwindled drastically... and I am okay with that. I don't want to neglect this blog entirely (as I've been doing... cough cough) but, well, stages of life, people. Stages of life. </div>
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I'm grateful to all of you who have stuck with me over the last year (with basically no content on here... heh) and to those of you who are reading this and will be sticking with me in the future.</div>
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Because now that I'm done with that first season of <i>Victoria</i>, it obviously needs a review. </div>
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P.S. If you're interested in <i>A Portrait of Emily Price</i>, you can get your own copy on Amazon! </div>
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....yes, that's an affiliate link. You don't have to click on it if you don't want to. ;)</div>
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-51270563254506407852017-07-17T00:22:00.002-04:002017-07-25T00:13:48.401-04:00Hidden Figures (2016): The First Movie Review On This Blog In Basically Forever<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQZHFROmZf3ChMNdxZptSfpZJckeGHAaFmrHg1a_4wTboncg7vBXPG73uiBq-6q5QyoC8FhRbB4IDhyGf5O0iq41HtfPC4bWctiFI-r73vjxO6IjMDxMcrgTHt91RXQ06fIbSDoUVcY4/s1600/ibm-hidden-figures-social-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQZHFROmZf3ChMNdxZptSfpZJckeGHAaFmrHg1a_4wTboncg7vBXPG73uiBq-6q5QyoC8FhRbB4IDhyGf5O0iq41HtfPC4bWctiFI-r73vjxO6IjMDxMcrgTHt91RXQ06fIbSDoUVcY4/s640/ibm-hidden-figures-social-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222;">"There are twenty bright, highly capable Negro women in the west computing group, and we're proud to be doing our part for the country. So yes, they let women do some things at NASA, Mr. Johnson. And it's not because we wear skirts. It's because we wear glasses."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~Katherine Goble</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The average lifespan of a raccoon in the wild is about three years, and I was going to open this post by saying that I haven't written a movie review in a coon's age, but then I thought that was probably a slight exaggeration.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In reality it's been two years and eleven months. Um. Ahem. (Yeah, even I couldn't believe it's been that long. I had to go back and check. And re-check.) <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i> was the last movie I reviewed on this blog, and if you feel like refreshing your memory, you can go <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2014/08/saving-mr-banks-2013-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>. For what it's worth, I did have a few drafts lying around that I poked at from time to time, but... yeah. I don't have much of an excuse beyond the general "well, life is busy!" Sure, life is busy. But if you want to write, you have to make time to write. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(...I may make my next post an update on various things that have made my life busy lately, by the way. If anyone would care to read about that. I have no intention of shoving my personal life down your throat, but I know I get curious about the lives of people whose blogs I read, so if you would find such a thing interesting, please give me a shout in the comments, because I do have a few updates that may be of interest.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, and when I started writing this post, I had also been sick for the last week and today<i> {that is, the </i></span><i style="font-family: inherit;">day I started this... in May... heh...}</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I am actually well enough to sit up and look at a laptop, but not well enough to go to work, and a blog post felt like a good idea since my brain is beginning to feel like little gray cells again, and not oatmeal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So here I am, writing about a movie that I actually saw on the big screen. WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Hidden Figures</i> does not quiiiiiiite fit the bill of fare around here. It's a stretch to call it a period drama - my grandparents are around the ages of the characters in the film, give or take a few years, and some of the real women on whom the film was based are still alive today. But there are pencil skirts and long-finned Cadillacs and an IBM computer that takes up an entire room... which means the movie portrays another world in the past, to some degree, so I'm letting it slide on my Historical Films radar. (Not that that radar is particularly strict to begin with... I have a half-finished review of Sherlock's <i>The Abominable Bride</i> in my drafts, too. Ahem.) However, it's my blog, and my rules, and blah blah.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33pBpr41KwDVwf_nLw3iN51R67ZrS14PgvmE-DoBeiOj4oViNyWEh3yba_RZ0UcCoUAiIibWybbwkLFYvoD_7KEt_tS-ZDTxPQ_yS7jt6sODTFBAwplWBvtJDtIkVCoZbUn12F429NB0/s1600/hidden-figures-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33pBpr41KwDVwf_nLw3iN51R67ZrS14PgvmE-DoBeiOj4oViNyWEh3yba_RZ0UcCoUAiIibWybbwkLFYvoD_7KEt_tS-ZDTxPQ_yS7jt6sODTFBAwplWBvtJDtIkVCoZbUn12F429NB0/s640/hidden-figures-3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So here we go. (Spoilers GALORE. Although if you didn't at least vaguely know that John Glenn successfully orbited the Earth in 1962 then maybe you need to go to back to school and stop reading movie reviews.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew I was going to love this movie from the very first present-day scene. (The opening with Katherine as a small child being a math whiz was fun, and set a good backdrop, but the movie didn't really get going until the story catapulted us into 1961.) There were several factors - Mary's clothes. Mary's sass. Katherine and Dorothy's comebacks and bed-bath-and-beyond-done-ness with Mary's sass. Oh, and my dream car. Because yeah, that car of Dorothy's has been my dream car for YEARS. That may have been a silly reason to fall in love with the movie so quickly (especially considering I'm really not a car person... like, at ALL) but humans are weird creatures and reactions are visceral and sometimes you just KNOW you're gonna like something, you know? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(This is a behind-the-scenes photo but I couldn't find another good shot with the car in it. :P)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Katherine Goble was one of those people I just knew I was going to like. She's patient, she gets the job done, she deals with miles upon miles of setbacks and she just keeps pushing forward. When she gets a position with Mr. Harrison's team, checking code for other mathematicians, and she puts her name alongside of Paul Stafford's report (rightly so, because she did just as much work as he does), he gets annoyed and refuses to let her take credit for the work she did. And yet the next time she puts her name back again. And again. And the next time. And every time he takes it off, destroys the cover sheet, tells her to do it over, and she doesn't get mad - she just puts her name right back the next time, and I loved that. It's a simple gesture that says, "I know my work matters, and I know that you don't believe that it matters, but that doesn't change the fact that it does matter, and I will keep right on saying that just as long as you keep erasing it." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Katherine isn't one to immediately speak her mind the way Mary is (getting to Mary in a second), but she makes her voice heard when it needs to be heard. The scene where she breaks down and loses her temper at Harrison over not having access to a ladies' room is one of the most well-played scenes in the whole movie, and the following scene where a chastened Harrison knocks off the segregation signs with a crowbar and tells the dumbstruck crowd, "Here at NASA, we all pee the same color," is one of the most satisfying. (Yeah, you probably never thought you'd see that word on this blog, but guess what, it's in the movie, and though I try to be reasonably ladylike around here, I do not skip over a good pithy statement when I see one.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the things I really liked about the movie's portrayal of Katherine is that it shows her first and foremost as a mathematician. She is also a mother, and she also has a romance (that plays out in a very lovely way and I was delighted to find that it ended very happily in real life as well), but the story is not about Katherine's struggle to balance work and home life and find her real place in the world as a working mom. She has a job, about which she's very passionate, with which she supports her three girls (and presumably her mother, who doesn't seem to work outside the home as she appears to be in her upper 70's). End of story. When one of her daughters brings up the subject of Katherine coming home late, she simply says, matter-of-factly, that she has to be both mama and daddy since their daddy's in heaven, and that's all there is to it. And while a movie based solely on Katherine's career is not quite what this is (getting to the romantical part in a moment), I appreciated the fact that the focus wasn't detracted from the work at hand by a spin-off on the whole working-single-mother thing. (Although if someone DOES want to make a spin-off of this movie, about Katherine's personal life, I would totally watch that.) </span></div>
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I was not a fan of Jim Johnson's character at first, but he definitely grew on me. I was really happy to see how he interacted with Katherine's daughters and with Katherine herself in a relatively short space of time (that is, screen time), and the proposal scene was... well, adorableness. I'm already spoiling things right and left for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet, but I also appreciated that the romance wasn't made the focal point of the movie. It was a sweet side note, and historically accurate since Katherine Goble really DID marry Jim Johnson (and they were married for fifty-some years!), but it wasn't the point of the movie and I was pleased by the fact that the filmmakers didn't try to divert attention from the real story at hand with a sugar-coated Hollywood romance.<br />
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Quick note on Katherine's clothes-- because clothes are my Thing and you know I couldn't *not* talk about them-- aaaaaaaah, if it weren't for the Cold War and communism and racism and sexism and lack of central air-conditioning, what I wouldn't GIVE to live in the fifties/early sixties! I loved how her styles really set her apart from the other mathematicians, aside from her obvious gender and ethnicity - the pops of color she brought to that largely black-and-white-and-grey room were very visually appealing, and I enjoyed that. I basically just want all of her dresses. Yes? Yes. Please and thank you.<br />
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Moving on to Mary.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">"I plan on being an engineer at NASA, but I can't do that without taking them classes at that all-white high school, and I can't change the color of my skin. So I have no choice, but to be the first, which I can't do without you, sir. Your honor, out of all the cases you gonna hear today, which one is gonna matter hundred years from now? Which one is gonna make you the first?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">~Mary Jackson</span></div>
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The only thing that kept Mary from being my favorite character in the movie was the fact of Katherine's existence. Seriously, if it hadn't been for Katherine Mary would have been my #1. She's hilarious, she's snarky, she gets stuff done, she has brilliant fashion sense and she's not afraid of anything. I loved how she was constantly dressed in bright colors and sharp, clean-cut styles - it went a long way towards pinpointing her vibrant, edgy personality.<br />
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I wish Karl Zielinski, the older engineer who mentored Mary at the beginning of her assignment on the test rockets, had had a larger role in the movie, because I'd be very interested to know more of his story. This exchange between them after Mary had identified the air-resistance problem with the wind tunnel is one of my favorites:<br />
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"Mary, a person with an engineer's mind should be an engineer. You can't be a computer the rest of your life."<br />
"Mr. Zielinski, I'm a negro woman. I'm not gonna entertain the impossible."<br />
"And I'm a Polish Jew whose parents died in a Nazi prison camp. Now I'm standing beneath a spaceship that's going to carry an astronaut to the stars. I think we can say we are living the impossible. Let me ask you, if you were a white male, would you wish to be an engineer?"<br />
"I wouldn't have to. I'd already be one."</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9IRnvbRLYxFX-M381hM6OJApF1deXR014k230VM8OrgiMtaVGf0rZk7tClezFhEYNrNt_pTo2kyjtdeH-qu0KoytoFadtbjpcU7oFGglTXPS7Q1pcUWZd0x2EKgpAFxtKBIWQWqj28M/s1600/olekkrupa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9IRnvbRLYxFX-M381hM6OJApF1deXR014k230VM8OrgiMtaVGf0rZk7tClezFhEYNrNt_pTo2kyjtdeH-qu0KoytoFadtbjpcU7oFGglTXPS7Q1pcUWZd0x2EKgpAFxtKBIWQWqj28M/s640/olekkrupa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And then... she more than entertained the impossible. She went and did it. Because she is awesome.<br />
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We didn't see quite as much of Mary's relationship with her husband Levi as we did of Katherine and Jim, but I was pleasantly surprised by the realness in the portrayal of their marriage. Again, I was afraid that we'd be treated to an angsty wrist-on-forehead agonizing on Mary's part - WHICH is more IMPORTANT? her HUSBAND and CHILDREN or her CAREER? and he will NEVER BE suPPORTIVE?!?!?!?!<br />
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While such things certainly have happened, that didn't seem to be the case with Mary and Levi, and I was happy that the movie chose to show his initial opposition to her court case (pleading her right to take night classes at the high school to become an engineer) as only the first step in their story. By the end, he was right there beside her, and she succeeded with his full support. Whether this is actually historically accurate or not (I did buy the book on which the movie is based, and am anxious to start it soon!), it was a nice thing to see. The filmmakers could easily have set up an ending in which Mary chose the scientific path despite Levi's protests (a "nevertheless, she persisted" type of situation that necessitated her persistence past her loved ones as well as the bigotry of strangers), which would have been somewhat depressing, but instead their mutual desire to see justice served and prove wrong the people who wanted to push them back made for a really satisfying ending.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir7ad3G_hyphenhyphenWBVgio2R6s4VJ-oHyeWsnBwNwapzUeAw7iggbcNpEbkcp_h0JR5QWywNLTdyVeNLamTXveyM_cSiylddM-TbnEDsb99x4ajrEH_IeNH60XKcPzKE7SNDyhiA-e05UmlRaY/s1600/Hidden-Figures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir7ad3G_hyphenhyphenWBVgio2R6s4VJ-oHyeWsnBwNwapzUeAw7iggbcNpEbkcp_h0JR5QWywNLTdyVeNLamTXveyM_cSiylddM-TbnEDsb99x4ajrEH_IeNH60XKcPzKE7SNDyhiA-e05UmlRaY/s640/Hidden-Figures.jpg" width="640" /></a>Dorothy Vaughan had a little less screen time than the other two, I thought, and perhaps that was part of what made me a little less interested in her. Her story is still intriguing, and her quiet push for the right, though not as sassy as Mary's or bold as Katherine's way of making their voices heard, is still inspiring. I'd previously seen Octavia Spencer in a more firecracker-type role, as Minny Jackson in The Help, but I think I liked Dorothy's character almost as much. </div>
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I felt Dorothy's relationship with Vivian Mitchell (little Amy March, all grown up!), though somewhat fictionalized (both Mrs. Mitchell and Paul Stafford were composite characters, drawn from several different people, and did not have actual real-life counterparts), hit pretty close to home even for today. "Despite what you may think, I have nothing against y'all," Vivian tells Dorothy near the end of the movie. "I'm sure you believe that," Dorothy replies. It's a seemingly innocent and quick exchange, but it called up so many similar conversations I've had and observed even in my own rather sheltered, white, Northeastern existence. Sometimes bigots and racists don't come dressed in flowing white robes and pointed hoods, or goose-stepping brown uniforms with skulls and crossbones. Sometimes they're people you know, people you respect, people who <i>think</i> that they don't harbor any hatred in their hearts toward people who aren't just like them. And yet the truth comes out in little snippets here and there-- "it's just the way things are" and "I don't make the rules," easily translate to, "I don't have any problem with the rules, and would rather allow an injustice to continue because I don't want the bother of admitting that the injustice goes on because of people like me." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFNC8cBQi38NQeZSJtZI9tIibfI6xH_4T5mEkFg4XVxjaKzqRTCoeMORZ_l6wbWDAtCO_9u5V7LwWbEihfRjBCtmgKB8aIAgMGlcoGWpsu6CJM0N8y3AiEpkzMNEN3avvwrUf5uDQZ84/s1600/kirsten+dunst+%2526+octavia+spencer+-+HIDDEN+FIGURES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFNC8cBQi38NQeZSJtZI9tIibfI6xH_4T5mEkFg4XVxjaKzqRTCoeMORZ_l6wbWDAtCO_9u5V7LwWbEihfRjBCtmgKB8aIAgMGlcoGWpsu6CJM0N8y3AiEpkzMNEN3avvwrUf5uDQZ84/s640/kirsten+dunst+%2526+octavia+spencer+-+HIDDEN+FIGURES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was happy that Vivian's character had softened a bit by the end, though - and in keeping with the movie's use of the main characters' first names (and my own practice in this post), I'm trying to refer to her by her first name, though Dorothy always respectfully calls her Mrs. Mitchell. She doesn't have a choice in the matter, but by the end of the film Vivian has called her Mrs. Vaughan. I'll admit to a couple of fist-pumps when that happened. :D </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">As mentioned above, Paul Stafford wasn't a real person either, but I think his addition to the movie was a good storytelling choice. Every fairy tale needs a good old-fashioned villain, and though this was real life and not a fairy tale, every story needs a well-defined antagonist to let us know why the main character does not get The One Thing They Are Searching For right off the bat. Paul's character was stuffy, narcissistic, incredibly smart, and maybe just a little too perfectly opposed to everything Katherine wanted (anyone else think he was the mind behind the separate coffee pot?). Perhaps the mish-mashing of various people who made Katherine's job difficult was a bit heavy-handed, and Paul came across as two-dimensional at times, but again, I can't really complain. Poetic justice was served at the end when Katherine finally put her name alongside his in a report and he brought her a cup of coffee, and I for one wasn't complaining. It feels good to see that the good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. Miss Prism in <i>The Importance of Being Earnest</i> would tell us that that is what Fiction means, but it's nice to think that it's what real life means sometimes too. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Oddly enough, this movie isn't about writing. There's a little nod to the creative/linguistic process in the recurring shot where Katherine types up Paul's notes and relentlessly adds her own name in the byline - she did just as much of the work as he did, and deserves credit for the effort it took to tie all their joint work into a cohesive and concise narrative. Writing is important, and yet over and over Katherine's writing is discredited because Paul won't stand for a woman's name on the title page alongside his - but the movie still isn't about writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet I felt the familiar tug of writing-inspiration while watching the movie. That's part of the highly subjective rubric by which I determine how much I liked a movie. Did I come away from it feeling a creative itch, a wanting-to-learn-more itch, a desire to imagine what could have happened next? <i>Hidden Figures</i> is based on historical fact, and the blending of fiction and real events fascinated me (in much the same way that <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i> did a few years ago). I love the way the story came to life through the imagination of the filmmakers - yes, they changed a few things to make the narrative flow more smoothly, but they brought a previously poorly-recognized scientific contribution to light for so many people who might not have known about it otherwise. That, to me, might be one of the highest forms of art achievable. I don't mean to deride fantasy or pure imagination, but in my mind, to take something <i>real </i>and make it seem <i>more real</i> with the power of the right words strung together... that's a feat. That's the kind of thing I want to write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Someday, that is, when I actually take/find/squeeze out/contrive the time and discipline to sit down and <i>write</i> it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">P.S. If you're interested in purchasing a copy of <i>Hidden Figures</i> on Amazon, you can do so below!</span></div>
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-16742780481710640792016-10-16T20:56:00.002-04:002016-10-16T21:00:20.995-04:00A New Venture (again!)I'm good at new ventures lately, apparently. And good at not following through with the last one I posted... ahem.<br />
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At any rate, check this out. :D <a href="http://regencydelight-janeaustenetc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Melody</a> and I are starting a vlog series, for a very interesting reason. You'll have to watch the video to find out just what, though. ;) And yes, the video below is me, and my face, and my voice, so HI. Also my hair being very Frizz, as it was a somewhat damp day. And also I apparently do not know how to look into the actual camera, so hopefully the stare-off-at-the-corner-of-the-screen trick isn't too jarring to your eye.<br />
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Did you watch it? Didja? Didja? Now are you gonna click on the link to see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCEOLr2ZFiZg_y7HMEN1AQ" target="_blank">the actual YouTube channel</a>, and subscribe, and like the video? Are ya? Are ya? (And Melody's video is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA_HGzNEtQU" target="_blank">here</a>, just so ya know.)<br />
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...That's getting annoying, isn't it.<br />
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At any rate, here's the adorable photo Melody made that I didn't get to include in the video because my video editor is being shnibly unto me. Hopefully it'll work next time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqPIjrls1lAQFE1FyTBvLqIt5JtcNLfQR4GaT5YCCvvbetZY2wKEsdgjXXT7tAKnEKWXkIY92BoNRmlxDyydinc6KlHZUKxYSmRqPi_DbLONMEyGnmAr-uJfLrYzGR5NDkArvVdnYzYM/s1600/The+Janeite+Adventurers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqPIjrls1lAQFE1FyTBvLqIt5JtcNLfQR4GaT5YCCvvbetZY2wKEsdgjXXT7tAKnEKWXkIY92BoNRmlxDyydinc6KlHZUKxYSmRqPi_DbLONMEyGnmAr-uJfLrYzGR5NDkArvVdnYzYM/s640/The+Janeite+Adventurers.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and next time isn't too far away.<br />
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AW. YEAH.<br />
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P.S. Check out more on the AGM<a href="http://jasna.org/agms/washingtondc/index.html" target="_blank"> here,</a> if you're interested.Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-86906585398713763062016-09-05T21:37:00.001-04:002016-09-05T21:39:01.572-04:00Victorian Silverado Corset, Part IOtherwise entitled, In Which I Post Pictures of Underwear on a Public Blog, Thereby Scandalizing the Good Ladies of Cranford and Corrupting the Eyes of All Children Present.<br />
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So, backstory. (Yes. I do backstory.) I have an event coming up this fall that requires at least one new dress, if not two, in a Regency style. So what do I do? I decide that I would also like to have new underpinnings and a new dress for Civil War reenacting.<br />
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Because I am, clearly, out of my mind.<br />
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Cue the Laughing Moon Silverado corset. (I tried the Simplicity corset pattern a couple of years ago. UGH. Do not recommend.) I did my research, read the reviews, sifted through sewing blogs that talked about Victorian undergarments. The clock started ticking, and I started sewing.<br />
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First came the busk. You can't pick up a busk in a fabric or craft store. I went to corsetmaking.com for this one. Here it is, sewn into the mockup pieces, draped artfully across the ironing board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvMLH_rCvJ2bnEoZWHhX8ylOdYLoONJJr0Z720YHWdL5PeCiJC0TTsrm6UirmVuv4_GlajEVospXXk_M3vSb8SzcOacJdvBN6t0Fvw2dbCN1N8-8S5atgtQofw9ICQp4MqjZkglxBVAo/s1600/IMG_0723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvMLH_rCvJ2bnEoZWHhX8ylOdYLoONJJr0Z720YHWdL5PeCiJC0TTsrm6UirmVuv4_GlajEVospXXk_M3vSb8SzcOacJdvBN6t0Fvw2dbCN1N8-8S5atgtQofw9ICQp4MqjZkglxBVAo/s640/IMG_0723.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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You absolutely have to make a mockup for a corset. I am generally lazy and do not wish to do the mockup step with a new pattern. For a corset, though, it's essential. As seen below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvIpt8P1v24SYx7a1aqO1U4TFnSLdwTjuSC3TzhYhy8NXEu6zYnLdOmJHlihd4JvNsliaBqWjG3cNvwRPgpRexm5v5n1aMV9eIFtUS0mdDfutQn6o7dNiF-HYs4Ed-XqgekEYf5rd1RI/s1600/IMG_0725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvIpt8P1v24SYx7a1aqO1U4TFnSLdwTjuSC3TzhYhy8NXEu6zYnLdOmJHlihd4JvNsliaBqWjG3cNvwRPgpRexm5v5n1aMV9eIFtUS0mdDfutQn6o7dNiF-HYs4Ed-XqgekEYf5rd1RI/s640/IMG_0725.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Yeahhhhh, Laughing Moon patterns run large, turns out. So I went down a size and actually followed the directions for 5/8ths-inch seam allowance instead of my usual skinflint 1/4-inch. Much better.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNrw0XZlBDV9HjZ02Vlh0WWEAL9WivPBRwnzX5W7nhl3kS8r7Ms7_X44Dtw_NXjN9sqgakn5i9F7FKyZz9rsQGZDakkRWpb4_zBj7AICKnJFkIGORl55RGu9aNEBU4OlFXD7SzAvzADQ/s1600/IMG_0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNrw0XZlBDV9HjZ02Vlh0WWEAL9WivPBRwnzX5W7nhl3kS8r7Ms7_X44Dtw_NXjN9sqgakn5i9F7FKyZz9rsQGZDakkRWpb4_zBj7AICKnJFkIGORl55RGu9aNEBU4OlFXD7SzAvzADQ/s640/IMG_0726.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here it is pinned onto my trusty Mademoiselle. Note the pins because Mademoiselle isn't quite humanly shaped and doesn't have the same... give and take that the actual Me is in possession of. So the pins kept the mockup on Mam'selle for the picture. (Yes, it actually fit me quite well. No, I am not posting a picture of it on me because, c'mon, it's still underwear.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPejrzJBaTN-ImcR9WSJJvraZYwzqAT1huCoMGLmmz3EOsVwalQRcrWUR0B8q9xghFHZdZSamIUhZohnNK_AyV25gGy9HQwWcLE8X9jyZC1pE7u-4rF7msEi0Jkm8MhDHcTMyMD2_hCrQ/s1600/IMG_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPejrzJBaTN-ImcR9WSJJvraZYwzqAT1huCoMGLmmz3EOsVwalQRcrWUR0B8q9xghFHZdZSamIUhZohnNK_AyV25gGy9HQwWcLE8X9jyZC1pE7u-4rF7msEi0Jkm8MhDHcTMyMD2_hCrQ/s640/IMG_0733.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The pattern book (yes, it's actually a book, not just a sheet of instructions- VERY thorough) suggested flatlining fashion fabric to a sturdier background for a little more support, so I took that advice and sewed a lightweight striped cotton to a patterned cream quilting calico. I didn't have anything heavy like twill on hand and wanted to make this on a budget, so it was a good solution.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBU47nsS5uucPIvtWHa0BfKYwr5nBKpYHgOw3DIh_hpkoLMvT0O5K5h6CRs5ai5CZtJenysznYe9AXUGbEWc_igOjpG5tKuiBDzPLi-C1dlRj61ZIMHm8krCfd_dRqoMorMHjWVTr-1A/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBU47nsS5uucPIvtWHa0BfKYwr5nBKpYHgOw3DIh_hpkoLMvT0O5K5h6CRs5ai5CZtJenysznYe9AXUGbEWc_igOjpG5tKuiBDzPLi-C1dlRj61ZIMHm8krCfd_dRqoMorMHjWVTr-1A/s640/IMG_0734.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Close-up of the backing fabric. This got sandwiched between the outer fabric and the lining in the completed version, so that was my last glimpse of it. Farewell, white flowers on a cream background. You were cute, but not long for this world. Hope you enjoy the rest of your life being purely functional with no decorative capacity. </div>
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Once a few of the regular pieces were together, it was time to put in the bust gussets. These are sewn normally with right sides together and then topstitched for additional reinforcement. Yes, this was the fourth attempt. It finally turned out all right. :P (Plain white fabric in the photo above is the lining. I didn't bother taking photos of both the lining and outer layer, as the construction is exactly the same.) </div>
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A longer shot of the middle busk piece as well as the side gussets. This was the part that involved a lot of Fitting and Fussing and Fidgeting. Eventually I just took a deep breath, made a wish, counted to three, and left it as it was, because it looked like it fit but I knew I was never going to be quite sure until the boning was in and the whole thing was laced up. (And THAT, children, is called FORESHADOWING. Duhn duhn duhn.)</div>
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And speaking of lacing, it was time to make EYELETS. The pattern suggest expensive metal grommets that you punch through the fabric with an expensive grommet awl thingy. Why do that when you can have hand-sewn eyelets (period correct, to boot!) for a teensy fraction of the price? The only cost? YOUR SANITY. And fingertips repeatedly stabbed by the back end of a heavy duty needle. (Not delightful.) And several episodes of <i>Call the Midwife</i>, except that part was most definitely not a bad thing.</div>
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Close-up of the eyelets. Difficult and painstaking (and pain-inflicting) as they may be, they do look pretty doggone good, and produce a feeling of accomplishment. I MADE DAT. </div>
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Tune in somewhat shortly for Part Deux, in which we put the corset on a chemise on a plastic dress form, and see how it looks. (And then under a dress. Hopefully.) </div>
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What are you sewing these days? (If you sew, that is. If not, tell me a good joke so as to have something to say in the comments.)</div>
Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-39464444503158517802016-08-18T22:38:00.000-04:002016-08-18T22:38:29.492-04:00Voyage Into Sewing Blogging<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Ldyo9m1ympenUgSAIB_zpe797BPKPxjdUEX7qNBl2mDRwSG5Ce2oYdlo50HTK24Z5X4TOX5yybjS2AC8Xze_69WZMlsy8ohKv_sJnxdHESjyw64s1ndw8U51TrKR-Tl0JaTwsdZJ28/s1600/seamstress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Ldyo9m1ympenUgSAIB_zpe797BPKPxjdUEX7qNBl2mDRwSG5Ce2oYdlo50HTK24Z5X4TOX5yybjS2AC8Xze_69WZMlsy8ohKv_sJnxdHESjyw64s1ndw8U51TrKR-Tl0JaTwsdZJ28/s320/seamstress.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Charles, I SAID tell me when you are READY to take the picture, and not ONE SECOND BEFO--"</td></tr>
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I don't blog very much about sewing here anymore, but I am planning to change that.<br />
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Actually, I don't blog very much here anymore, period, but I am planning to change that. <br />
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Some of you who know me "in real life" may already know this, but I am mildly involved in Civil War reenacting, with a keen interest in being involved on a deeper level. Time constraints, financial constraints and the fact that I don't live in the middle of a national park slash historic battlefield all contribute to limit my participation in every living history/battle reenactment that comes down the turnpike. However, I'm in possession of a job, a car and a chaste selection of unoccupied weekends. I could go to more events. My biggest problem?<br />
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My wardrobe right now doesn't cut it.<br />
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See, I started going to Civil War events "in costume" (you're supposed to say garb, not costume, in the Circles Who Know What They're Talking About) in the early summer of 2013, at which time I sewed an 1860's-ish (pay attention to that suffix ISH) <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-refurbishing-saga-or-how-i-turned.html" target="_blank">day dress </a>out of quilting cotton. I vaguely followed the Simplicity 2887 pattern and the finished product was... well, it wasn't great, but for a first Victorian-esque dress it wasn't horrendous. However, it is not period correct for a multitude of reasons. That dress is now a "ball gown" (again, pay attention to the quotation marks) and you can read more about how it got that way by clicking the link above. Still... not half as period correct as it could be. Although the lace is fun.<br />
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Later on I made myself a somewhat <i>Little-Women</i>-inspired ensemble that consisted of a skirt and matching zouave jacket, but since I knew very little about appropriate fabric use and since my inspiration mainly came from book covers that I had liked when I was younger, the dress was made out of a solid red broadcloth and trimmed with polyester black braid.<br />
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Heh.<br />
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Again, it served its purpose for the time and I got a lot of wear out of it and enjoyed the process of making it (AND learned quite a bit about putting together a garment that would actually fit) sO I definitely don't consider that dress a wasted effort.<br />
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Still and all, I need some new clothes, and I need some new clothes that look <i>right</i>. And since half the fun of sewing things is getting to show them off, whether in person or online, I fully intend to document the creating process here at the blog before I wear the finished product to an event. Plus, writing posts about what I'm sewing is great motivation to, y'know, actually complete whatever it is I started. My mom could tell many fascinating stories of the half-finished articles of clothing that have been stashed away and never seen the light of day again because I got bored halfway through. Um, anyways.<br />
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So, if you've followed this blog for slightly snarky movie reviews in the past and do not wish to see anything else, well, you may not be stopping by quite so often in the future. (Not that there's been much to read about in the past few months anyway... cough cough cough.) I'm certainly not intending to make this blog into a strictly needles-and-thread domain, which is why the title is staying the same and nothing is changing as far as the Look and Feel at the moment. But blogs change as people change, and my interests today are not quite the same as those of the sixteen-year-old girl who first hit publish on her inaugural post at this domain nearly five years ago. So, expect to see a good deal more about what I've been stitching, and if that's not your thing and you'd prefer not to stick around, I completely understand. (I may hop back in with a tongue-in-cheek takedown of Julian Fellowes' new monstrosity Doctor Thorne at any moment, though, so consider yourself forewarned if you hit that unfollow button.) <br />
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What else, what else... oh! And I made an <a href="http://www.instagram.com/missadashwood" target="_blank">Instagram </a>for sewing stuff too. So take a sneak peek if you feel inclined, because there are snippets there from what I'm working on right now. A real post about THAT project will follow. <br />
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....Soonish.<br />
<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-61541479288699593592016-06-09T22:52:00.002-04:002016-06-09T22:54:05.908-04:00Les Miserables: What They Were Really Thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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All accurate quotations taken from the Complete Symphonic Recording libretto, aka The Whole Doggone Thing (The Actual Musical, That Is). All inaccurate mumbo-jumbo is from mine own weird brain. Screencaps are from the movie, because it's just easier to find those. This juxtaposition may be jarring to purists. Then again, my whole blog is probably jarring to purists, so if you're a purist you may wish to take your business elsewhere.<br />
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Full disclaimer: rampant irreverence shown to a very sad and moving story, all in good fun. Also completely unashamed digs at big-name movie stars' singing. Sorry not sorry. And no copyright infringement intended, even though I don't own any of this (obviously.) Yada yada.<br />
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Let us proceed.<br />
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Convict: When I get free, you won't see me here for dust!<br />
Other convict: What is that even supposed to mean? Personally, when I get free you won't see me here for a MILLION DOLLARS, if I knew what a dollar was, which I don't, living in barely-post-revolutionary-France. <br />
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Javert: You robbed a HOUSE!<br />
Valjean: I broke a window-pane!<br />
Javert: That's still robbing a house, man. The window was IN the house.<br />
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Javert: You will starve again unless you learn the meaning of the law.<br />
Valjean: I know the meaning of those 19 years a slave of the law.<br />
Javert: I didn't ask you if you knew the meaning of those 19 years, I asked you if you knew the meaning of THE LAW. Learn to listen, 246-whatever-your-name-is.<br />
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Valjean: I drink from the pool, how clean the taste.<br />
(I have no response for this, just thought all y'all needed to see this picture.)<br />
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Valjean: When they chained me and left me for dead, just for stealing a mouthful of bread.<br />
Javert (in the distance): And robbing a house, did you forget the house already?<br />
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Javert: What is this fighting all about, will someone tear these two apart! This is a factory, not a circus!<br />
Foreman: I don't know what kind of circuses you've been to, Valjean, but if the main entertainment there is women fighting, I think you are going to some pretty third-rate circuses.<br />
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Valjean: Your face is not a face I would forget.<br />
Javert: I feel like the implication of this remark is very hurtful but I am not exactly sure how or why.<br />
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Javert: Tell me quickly, what's the story? Who saw what, and why and where? Let him give a full description....<br />
Beggars: Well if you would shut up for ten seconds together, maybe some of us could get a word in edgewise, JAVERT.<br />
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[tries to expunge any and all singing from that confession scene between Javert and Valjean in the movie]<br />
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<br />
Valjean: Hush now, do not be afraid of me, don't hide. Show me where you live.<br />
Cosette: The saddest thing about my neglected childhood is that no one told me not to talk to strangers like you, Creepy Man Who Just Showed Up in the Woods and Asked For All My Personal Information.<br />
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Valjean: Thank you both for Cosette. It won't take you too long to forget.<br />
Thenardier: JUST FOR THAT I'M GOING TO HANG ONTO THIS MEMORY FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER EIGHT YEARS, HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, CONVICT.<br />
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<div>
Madame Thenardier: Here [the students] come slumming once again. Our Eponine would kiss their feet, she never had a scrap of brain.<br />
Eponine: Yeah, but according to two songs ago I'm really good at wearing little blue hats, or did you forget that Mom...<br />
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<br />
Eponine: I like the way you grow your hair...<br />
Marius: Do you really, Eponine? Do you like how I grow it? Or do you just like the way I cut and style it? Because the growing is actually done pretty involuntarily and I do not actually have any say in how it's done. See, this is the kind of thing you would find in a book, if you read books, a sad lack in your education which I am apparently bent on rubbing in your face.<br />
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Marius: A ghost you say, a ghost maybe, she was just like a ghost to me.<br />
Enjolras: Just to be clear, you actually like this girl or you're saying she scared you out of your skin?<br />
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<br />
Enjolras: Is this simply a game for a rich young boy to play?<br />
Grantaire: Obviously not, Enjolras, have you MET most of us? Marius hasn't eaten in, like, a month. <br />
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Enjolras: Marius, you're no longer a child--<br />
Marius: Enjolras you are THREE years older than me, will you please CHILL with the ageism there. I am VERY mature.<br />
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<br />
Marius: Cosette, I don't know what to say.<br />
Cosette: Then make no sound.<br />
Marius: I am lost!<br />
Cosette: I LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU TO MAKE NO SOUND.<br />
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Valjean: Must be Javert! He's found my cover at last! I've got to get Cosette away before they return!<br />
Cosette: Are you talking to me or to someone unknown person on the other side of that camera? Dad? And who's "they" and who's Javert and WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE LEAVING, I HAVE A BOYFRIEND NOW.<br />
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<br />
Barricade Boys: One day to a new beginning, raise the flag of freedom high! Every man will be a king...<br />
Combeferre: You realize that if everyone's a king, then no one's a king, right? Right?<br />
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<br />
Eponine: I've got you worried now, I have - that shows you like me quite a lot!<br />
Marius: There is a way that you can help! You are the answer to a prayer!<br />
Eponine: ...When did I say I wanted to help? I said I wanted you to LIKE ME, Marius, how hard is that to understand- sheesh, you are REALLY lucky you're so cute.<br />
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<br />
Eponine: The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers!<br />
Stranger: Okay, first of all I am the ONE SOLE PERSON on this street right now, kiddo, and also, if the streets WERE full of strangers, you technically wouldn't be on your own. Think about it.<br />
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<br />
Javert: What's the difference, die a schoolboy, die a policeman, die a spy?<br />
Courfeyrac: If there really genuinely isn't any difference why do we all have to be schoolboys? I for one would rather be a spy. It sounds cool. <br />
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Eponine: Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius, I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now.<br />
Marius: I'm not concerned about the rain hurting you, Eponine, I'm concerned about the MASSIVE GUNSHOT WOUND IN YOUR RIBCAGE RIGHT NOW.<br />
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Enjolras: For your presence of mind, for the deed you have done, I will thank you M'sieur when our battle is won.<br />
Valjean: Give me no thanks m'sieur, there's something you can do--<br />
Enjolras: I literally just told you I wasn't giving you thanks yet so you DON'T NEED TO STOP ME.<br />
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<br />
Javert: Once a thief, forever a thief! What you want you always steal! You would trade your life for mine?<br />
Valjean: The very definition of a trade is swapping one thing for another, which is the exact opposite of stealing, so your logic is not only mean and rude, it is FLAWED, Javert. FLAWED.<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Marius: Would you weep, Cosette, for me?<br />
Valjean: THAT'S HIM THAT'S THE ONE. Okay be cool. BE COOL.<br />
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Valjean: He's like the son I might have known, if God had granted me a son.<br />
Cosette (back at the ranch): I HEARD THAT.<br />
Creepy eye overseeing Valjean in the movie: PLEASE STOP "SINGING."<br />
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Thenardier: And only the moon shines down... the harvest moon shines down...<br />
Dead guy in the sewer: Bro, it's JUNE, do you even know what a harvest moon is.<br />
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Javert: My heart is stone and still it trembles!<br />
Random bird: Do you really think the two are mutually exclusive? Have you ever heard of an earthquake?<br />
Other random bird: Also please stop "singing."<br />
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Valjean: I never told Cosette, she had enough of tears<br />
Marius: Do you think I haven't had enough of tears, dude? In case you haven't noticed, ALL MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD.<br />
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Marius: Whatever I tell my beloved Cosette she will never believe.<br />
Valjean: Yeah, good luck with making that marriage work, kid.<br />
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Marius: When I look at you, I remember Eponine.<br />
Eponine (from heaven): Gee, thanks, buddy, I was trying to get some distance there.<br />
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Marius: Cosette, your father is a saint. When they wounded me he took me from the barricade, carried like a babe...<br />
Cosette: This is not the time or the place, but at some point the two of us need to very carefully review How One Carries a Baby, because "through the sewers slung across your back" is Not It.<br />
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All the Dead People: Do you hear the people sing, lost in the valley of the night?<br />
All the Weeping Audience: That's a depressing way of putting it when you think too hard about it. <br />
Me, Writing This: Okay, I got nothing, that ending just Gets You Right There. Can't joke, I'm out.<br />
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~finis~</div>
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<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-26337434867739566742016-02-28T21:36:00.002-05:002016-02-28T21:37:49.410-05:00An Ode to Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"No coffee, thank you, for me -- never take coffee. A little tea, if you please."</div>
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-Miss Bates, <i>Emma</i></div>
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Okay, I kind of lied. This post is not going to be an Ode. In order for an Ode to be happening, there has to be some sort of poetry going on, and poetry and I Do Not Mix. So this is a Prose to Tea, except that that sounds really weird in a post title, and I like to display some semblance of sanity for the rare occasions when my mother reads my blog. (Recent quote from her: "You still write a blog?!?!" Okay, so make that "nonexistent occasions.")<br />
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But I digress before I even begin.<br />
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O Tea, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways, in a rambling and out-of-order form numbered only because I just used the phrase "count the ways" and not because I am actually ranking The Ways in any hierarchy of importance.<br />
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1. Thou art warm and comforting for any foul mood or stormy weather. Or when one is under the weather. That too.<br />
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2. Thou art beautiful to behold and come in a great variety of pretty colors, unlike thy ugly brother Coffee, who is one color without cream and one color with, and, by extension, incredibly boring.<br />
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3. Thou hast been proven over centuries to be the fuel of creativity, and thy praises sung by many great people, including Jane Austen, so there. (Tea is apparently drunk at least 58 times by various characters throughout her novels.)<br />
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4. Thou art generally affordable and though some of thy varieties may be in a pricey range, for the most part one can get a good bang for one's buck (i.e. 20 cups of tea can be made from the standard box of teabags, which is generally available for under $5 in the U.S., even if you're buying something of good quality like Twinings, and since that's the average price of a kiddie cup at Starbucks... it's a pretty good deal).<br />
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5. Thou canst be served in lovely and delicate teacups, which are pleasing to the sight and beautiful in the eye of the beholder, and also collectible. (I currently have 17 in my bedroom alone, plus two mugs, one of which is decorative and one of which perpetually sits on my bedside table because I always forget to take it back down to the kitchen when it is empty.)<br />
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6. Thou art naturally free of calories, and that is a beautiful thing. Doctoring thee up with sugar and cream is the business of those who drink thee, and on their own heads be it if they decide to add to thee-- but on thine own thou art not a Guilty Pleasure and for that we salute thee.<br />
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7. Thou smellest SO GOOD. (And smellest is... not a word?) And thy fragrances are many and varied, and linger pleasingly in a manner much unlike old coffee, whose aroma becomes unwelcome with great haste after it has been consumed. (No, this post is not solely for the purpose of dissing coffee. :P)<br />
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8. Thou art such a companionable sort of treat to Share with a Friend. <br />
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9. Thou art easy to make-- seriously, all one needs is a stove, a kettle, water, and a teabag. Thou shalt not be sullied with water that has been microwaved, but everyone knows THAT. ;)<br />
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10. When thou art paired with a good book, truer happiness cannot be found, unless of course there is chocolate too.Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-30199232023855103472016-02-22T07:57:00.000-05:002016-02-22T07:57:00.963-05:00That Really Long-Delayed Post About Stories and the People Who Make Them<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My first real movie crush was on Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp in <i>The Sound of Music</i>. I was nine, he was fourteen (the character, at least), and he was fictional and I was real, so the relationship really had no future, but I thought he was super cute. (Still do. In a weird nostalgic I-am-way-too-old-for-him-now way.)<br />
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Round about the same time as I saw <i>The Sound of Music</i> for the first time, I experienced the magic that was the Kevin Sullivan adaptation of <i>Anne of Green Gables </i>(still one of my top five favorite movies). I'd read the children's version of the book before, and then my mom read aloud the Real Thing, but the movie clinched the deal-- I was an Anne fan forever. And eventually a diehard Gilbert fan too... but not right away. He was, you know, sort of <i>old</i>. (Like, nineteen or twenty in the second movie. ANCIENT.)<br />
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After a while, though, I began to come around and appreciate Gilbert Blythe for a little bit more than just saying mildly funny things now and then. For one thing, I was beginning to develop a somewhat greater and more refined taste for romance (i.e. Mushy Stuff, because This Was a Kissing Book), so Anne and Gilbert's relationship warmed my little heart. For another thing, I was beginning to develop a slightly greater appreciation for the Aesthetically Blessed among us-- in short, it hit me one day that Jonathan Crombie was also super cute. (This opinion has not changed in the past ten years.)<br />
<br />
Come on. I'm human.<br />
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That, combined with Gilbert's personality, charm, sense of humor, kindred-spirit-ness-- oh, did I mention his adorably curly hair-- and down-to-earth common sense, made him one of my favorite literary and film heroes of all time. (See <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2012/03/anne-of-green-gables-week-defending.html" target="_blank">this </a>post for a little more on that.)<br />
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So even though Friedrich was my first real movie crush, Gilbert was the one who endured. The older I got, the more I liked him. (And it wasn't just the hair-- although of course that helped.)<br />
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All this ought to have been clear to me as the reason why I was so devastated when Jonathan Crombie passed away last April. But at the time, it wasn't, and I couldn't figure out why I was so sad over the death of a person I'd never met.<br />
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I think I first found out through the Sullivan Entertainment Twitter... and then a news article on his death... and then an instant message from Melody. I remember telling my mom that night while making my lunch for work the next day, and actually breaking down crying while sharing the news. "I don't even know why I'm so upset," I wailed, trying not to drip tears into my refried beans (because face it, that would be gross-- even if I was the only one eating them). <br />
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My mom was, bless her, sympathetic, and didn't tell me to stop crying into my lunch bag over a person I'd never even seen in real life. "Well, that story was a huge part of your childhood," she said, "and so it's natural for you to feel attached to the characters, and since he played one of the characters, that's the closest thing in real life."<br />
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{{At this point in the post it is worth mentioning that I started writing this about three weeks ago and then got distracted and never finished it, and now it is February 17th and I am finally finishing it. #perseverance<br />
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The problem is that I am now having a little more difficulty remembering where I was going with all this. Reason #293827 why I should write better blog post outlines than "why people who make stories are important & it is sad that Alan Rickman died."}}<br />
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<br />
Right. Alan Rickman.<br />
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So I've actually only ever seen him in one whole movie, and that's my beloved <i>Sense and Sensibility</i>, as the perfect and best version of Colonel Brandon. Yes he was too old. Yes he could have been Kate Winslet's dad. Shut up. He was still awesome. And David Morrissey is fine and all, but come on. He was in a movie up against Dan Stevens. We all know who wins the 2008 version.<br />
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(And yes I still love the 2008 version-- see review <a href="http://miss-dashwood.blogspot.com/2012/08/sense-and-sensibility-2008-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>-- but that's not the topic of this post. *gets distracted rereading the review* Wowwwwww I was a lot younger then. ....anyways.)<br />
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And then he passed away in mid-January and, well, it was really sad. Again, I'd only seen one of his films, yet I still felt as if the world had lost someone very special. <br />
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After Rickman's passing, the Internet pretty much exploded with tributes and eulogies and musings on the impact he had on the theatrical world. There's a theater in the city where I work that has a poster in their window display with the quote at the beginning of this post. "A film, a piece of theatre, a piece of music or a book can make a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> difference. It can change the world." (And yes, I just retyped that quote so that you wouldn't have to scroll all the way back up to the top to look at the picture again. YOU'RE WELCOME.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've always loved that quote, and this one-- which I hadn't read before all the tributes came along-- is just as good. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span>And it’s a human need to be told stories. The more we’re governed by idiots and have no control over our destinies, the more we need to tell stories to each other about who we are, why we are, where we come from, and what might be possible.<span style="font-size: large;">”</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Alan Rickman</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
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Stories. That's what it comes down to. That's what makes these people special-- they told stories that resonated with us. They used their talents to bring fictional characters to life, and it was magical. Most little girls have a crush on Gilbert Blythe at one time or another. (Come on, admit it... you did too...) Naturally a lot of that is due to L.M. Montgomery's writing of a character whose all-around-great-guy-ness resonates with so many people, but a lot of it is also due to Jonathan Crombie's talent in making Gilbert seem real and alive. We want to believe that people like Gilbert exist... which is why that kind of character becomes so beloved by so many. Same goes for the Jane Austen heroes... well, except for Edmund Bertram but DON'T GET ME STARTED ON EDMUND BERTRAM.<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helveticaneue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
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Ahem.<br />
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That's what storytellers do, though. They give happy endings, even if they aren't realistic. (People argue at times that Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon wouldn't have been truly happy together and that she was just settling for him... I will argue that one until I'm blue in the face, but this post is not the place for that.) They restore order with imagination. They instill hope, again and again and again.<br />
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(That is NOT a Walt Disney quote. It is a Kelly-Marcel-and-Sue-Smith quote-- from the writers of the screenplay for <i>Saving Mr. Banks,</i> one of the best movies of this decade. But the somewhat-fictionalized character of Walt Disney said it in the film, so... yeah.)<br />
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Probably one of my favorite movie quotes of all time, that line sums up why stories are important--- why artists and novelists and playwrights and actors are such valuable contributors to society. Because they give us something beyond day-to-day reality, something hopeful and happy and thought-provoking. Is there always a happily ever after in real life? Or, even, in a novel? No. But in a story, any story, there <i>can</i> be, because a story is limitless. Because even if the people in it aren't <i>real</i> in one sense of the word, they are real to the reader. To the viewer. To the person sitting in the hushed theatre audience. They are real because a long line of other people-- actual living people-- have made them so, from the first idea set down on paper to the costumed actor speaking lines to a camera. <br />
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And that, to me, is nothing short of incredible.<br />
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End of cheesy post.Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-31698563986312315592016-01-31T19:02:00.002-05:002016-01-31T19:02:30.275-05:00The January Book Round-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I realize that saying I'm going to make this a monthly institution is like saying that I'm going to get up at 5 AM every day-- in other words, a million little pieces of the universe will conspire against me to make sure it doesn't actually happen. But for January at least, I'm going to try and recap what I read this month, what I'm still reading, and what I think of what I've read. Have I said "read" enough now? Yes? Good.<br />
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<b>Read</b>: <i>Destination Unknown, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Bronte Plot</i><br />
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<b>Abandoned</b>: <i>Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse, All the Light We Cannot See </i><br />
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<b>Currently Reading</b>: <i>Wives and Daughters, Pioneer Girl, Beginning at Moses</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>2 out of 5 stars</i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Destination Unknown </i>wasn't quite my least favorite Agatha Christie mystery-- that distinction would have to go to Postern of Fate, which was doubly disappointing because the plot was lackluster AND because it was about my two favorites of her characters, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. I expected better for T&T. Destination Unknown is a standalone novel, and the detective (something Jessup) is forgettable at best, but the main character, Hilary, was actually quite likable. (I should clarify that I listened to this as an audiobook on my way to and from work, and didn't actually read the printed text, so if I spell the names wrong, it's because I didn't bother to look them up.) There wasn't actually a whole lot of <i>mystery</i> mystery though (i.e. no one was doing much detective work... just sort of following enigmatic people around and being taken to remote scary institutions and pretending to be other people's dead wives) and I like mysteries to challenge my little gray cells. I definitely enjoyed this more as an audiobook than I would have as a regular old lump of text, however, because Emilia Fox (Georgiana Darcy!) narrated it, and she's very talented and fun to listen to.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>4 out of 5 stars</i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Guernsey</i> was actually a reread-- a third-time reread, in point of fact, but I definitely enjoyed it. I can't give it the full five stars though, because unfortunately this is one of those books that doesn't live up to the hype I've given it myself in my head. It's such a great premise, and it's told in one of my favorite (and rarely-seen) formats-- that is, it's all in letters. Epistolary. It's a book for bookworms, about bookworms, and it takes place in the English aftermath of WWII, a time period you don't hear as much about in historical fiction. It's full of fun characters and a few good quotes, yet each time I read it I come away wishing it were a little... <i>better</i>, for lack of a more descriptive word. (There are, obviously, more descriptive words out there. But I'm not in an industrious mood tonight and have not bothered to go hunting them down.) It has so much potential, and that's where a large part of those four stars come from, but it doesn't quiiiiiite live up to the potential. For one thing, it's not terribly gripping. For another, it's hard to keep track of all the characters, interesting though they may be. I think some of this may have to do with the fact that Mary Ann Shaffer was unable to finish her manuscript, and her niece Annie Barrows took over and helped her to turn it into a final draft. Maybe more character development and a clearer narrative was in the works, but couldn't come about for one reason or another. Regardless, this is a fun novel (despite a few themes that I'm not thrilled with-- don't recommend for younger readers) but it's not as fun as I would <i>like</i> it to be.<br />
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And I saved the best for last! Katherine Reay is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary writers-- <i>Dear Mr. Knightley</i> is still the best of her books, in my personal and not-so-private opinion, but <i>The Bronte Plot</i> held its own. It made me think more than her other two did (DMK and <i>Lizzy & Jane</i>, and yes you should read both) and messed with the lines of ethics more than either of the others, while still managing to keep the heroine, Lucy, likable and sympathetic. (I'm still more partial to Samantha from DMK. But that's an aside.) Reay's previous two novels focused primarily on Jane Austen, and so I was a tad disappointed that this book revolved mainly around the Bronte sisters-- Charlotte Bronte was notoriously contemptuous of the immortal JA, and Wuthering Heights is what I consider to be one of the most time-wasting claptrap-jumbles of high school required reading. Therefore, I went into reading this with, shall we say, a slight Bias against the authors I assumed would be forefront in the story. I was pleasantly surprised. The Brontes figure in the tale, yes, but as themes rather than almost-a-character as Jane Austen did in DMK and L&J. The idea of the Bronte sisters, women <i>with courage to endure</i>, was a larger part of the story than their actual works, and I liked that. (I should note that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time, and I would love the opportunity to visit Haworth-- just in case you think I have some sort of personal vendetta against the Brontes. I just happen to like Jane Austen better. I'm only human.) <br />
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The male main character, though, didn't really impress me. He wasn't unlikable-- in fact there was nothing about him that was actually off-putting, but I just didn't think much of him simply because I didn't think about him much. I was rooting for him and Lucy to get together, but more because I wanted Lucy to be happy than because I felt they belonged together. Sid, the middle-aged owner of the antique shop, was far more interesting than James-- even if James did like <i>Jane Eyre</i>. :D<br />
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All in all, definitely a good book. And it made me want to visit a moor in Yorkshire as soon as possible. Dare I say that I also kinda want to read <i>Wuthering Heights</i> again now, if only to see if it's as awful as I remember? ;P<br />
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Some quick notes about the other books on my list-- I enjoyed what I read of <i>Pioneer Girl</i> so far, but since it's still a new title at my library, I had to return it after 7 days and didn't get to finish it, so hopefully in February I'll get it out again and be able to move past the interminable foreword. :P <i> Wives and Daughters</i> is as enchanting as ever-- Melody and I are reading it together and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.<i> Beginning at Moses </i>isn't very well-written, but it's an interesting look at Jesus' role in the Old Testament. I'm actually quite interested in <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i>, but stopped it after just a chapter because that, too, was an audiobook, and the guy who was reading it was annoying me no end. Too... many... long... pauses.... between.... each... word.... <i> Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse</i>, like <i>Guernsey</i>, had good potential as an idea but jumped around too much in the (minimal) storyline for my taste, and the lack of moral structure in an early-1900's conservative Catholic setting was eyeroll-worthy. I don't like abandoning books, but I got so fed up with this one that I just took it back to the library. There are other ways to spend my time.<br />
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Looking forward in February to... <i>Death Comes to Pemberley</i>! I actually own this, but haven't read it yet. My sister and I just started the BBC miniseries and I'm loving it so far, so I'm anxious to read the book afterwards. What are you reading these days?<br />
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P.S. Thank you one and all for your lovely responses to the reader survey! I've closed the poll after receiving 52 responses (wow!) and will be compiling the results and blogging about those... soonish.<br />
<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-65299688757925655742016-01-05T22:28:00.002-05:002016-01-31T08:34:26.123-05:00Another Really Short Post (I'm On a Roll Here)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At this rate I could post, like, two or three times a week (LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS) and not even break a sweat. Wow. *takes notes for later*<br />
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Anyway, the sole purpose of this one is to let you know I've made a little survey to see what might interest you in the way of Future Content. So if you don't mind filling it out, the link is here.<br />
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{{Link removed as of January 31st because the survey is now closed.}}<br />
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Thank you one and all for your kiiiiind support.<br />
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*fade out*<br />
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<br />Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-84555897749087901472016-01-04T12:47:00.001-05:002016-01-04T12:48:12.252-05:00A Very Short Post Containing Mostly Titles<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Cambria; line-height: 21.56px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers "I've read it already" to be a conclusive argument against reading a work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">~C.S. Lewis, <em>An Experiment in Criticism</em></span></span></div>
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Okay, NOW I've returned to haunt you. Welcome back! The blog changes are somewhat self-explanatory, so I give you leave to poke about and see what you shall see.<br />
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Back? All right, let's continue. Today I am going to talk about Plans for the New Year, although I don't intend this to really be a list of resolutions-- just plans for this blog in 2016.<br />
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On my to-read list for this year, in no particular order... (rereads starred)<br />
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<em>All the Light We Cannot See </em></div>
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<em>Wives and Daughters*</em></div>
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<em>When Books Went to War</em></div>
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<em>Rilla of Ingleside*</em></div>
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<em>Gone with the Wind*</em></div>
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<em>1776</em></div>
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<em>The Five Red Herrings</em></div>
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<em>The Wilder Life</em></div>
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<em>Pioneer Girl</em></div>
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<em>I Am the Messenger</em></div>
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<em>Ballet Shoes*</em></div>
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<em>Unbroken</em></div>
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<em>All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane</em></div>
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<em>The Great Gatsby</em></div>
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<em>Jane Eyre*</em></div>
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<em>Lady Susan</em></div>
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<em>The Grand Sophy</em> </div>
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Ideally I'll write/ at least a few lines of review/reaction for each of those books, but the best-laid plans of mice and men...</div>
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And on my to-watch-and-hopefully-review-on-the-blog list...</div>
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Cinderella 2015*</div>
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Copperhead</div>
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The Paradise (BBC series)</div>
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Wives and Daughters*</div>
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Lark Rise to Candleford*</div>
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Under the Greenwood Tree</div>
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I hope you've been able to keep your seat during this riveting narrative... the rest of posts for the year won't all be like this, I promise. But it's fun to make lists in January, if for nothing else but to look back on them dismally in December and lament how little was accomplished. Heh.</div>
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What are you hoping to read and watch this year?</div>
Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-57633937353332526572015-12-29T22:26:00.001-05:002015-12-29T22:26:38.854-05:00An Update, a Recap and a Temporary Shutting-Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, a merry Christmas to each of you!<br />
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And now... a new year approacheth.<br />
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2015 is nearly over, that is, as you all know if you don't live under a rock under a rock under aNOTHER rock, and even then you've probably guessed that some calendar-turning or other is in the wind. <br />
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I thought long and hard (read: for about two and a half minutes whilst staring off into the space above my laptop) about how to end 2015 on this blog, and finally decided to just recap my year, as best I can. It's no secret that I've been pretty absent from the blogging world, a fact I hope to remedy in 2016, and it probably won't come as a shock that this year's been pretty busy.<br />
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I'm not going to go into details about everything that happened this year. Suffice it to say that a large portion of 2015... well, stank. The first half of the year was pretty miserable for a lot of reasons, and included one of the most painful periods of my life I've ever had to go through. But in it all, God was faithful. That sounds very trite, but it really is true that He works all things together for good to those that love Him... I wouldn't have chosen to have had most of the things that happened earlier this year, but the Lord did have a purpose and hopefully I've become a stronger person because of it.<br />
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But let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I shall quit such an odious subject and focus on the Joy. What was joyful this year? Well, many things! Let me count the ways.<br />
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In <b>January</b>... okay, well, in January nothing especially great happened except my baby bruvver turned ten and had a pirate party and the event pleased him exceedingly. So that was good. :)<br />
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In <b>February</b>... umm... well, I'm kinda drawing a blank for February, as it was somewhat Rough, but I did read some good books. I really enjoyed Katherine Reay's <i>Lizzy and Jane </i>(though I still prefer <i>Dear Mr. Knightley</i>) and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of <i>The Bronte Plot</i>!</div>
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In <b>March</b> I turned twenty and left my teens behind me forever! It turned out to be a very happy day, despite the firmly pounded nail in the coffin of childhood, and I got to talk to my bestie, and all was right with the world. And for the last nine months I've been greatly enjoying being able to tell all and sundry (though not Lady Catherine-- she's fictional and, if she weren't, dead) that I am not one and twenty.<br />
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In <b>April</b>... ummm. April wasn't the best, but hey, it paved the way for <b>May</b> and in MAY...</div>
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...I got to see my PERSON again! I went to visit Melody for two whole weeks and that was the best part of this year, hands down. We traveled to the Pacific Coast with her family (who graciously allowed me to tag along on their vacation) and I got to climb an ACTUAL LIGHTHOUSE which I really and truly did despite my paralyzing fear of heights. It was very thrilling and I will probably never do it again. :P</div>
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And yes, my shirt says "I believe in Sherlock Holmes." ;)<br />
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In <b>June</b> I came home from Melody's house, which was sad, and ended my career as a nanny, which was also sad. But life moves on and you have to move with it, like a leaf traveling down a river, or else you get stuck in a sewer drain or some such unpleasantness. (If you're a leaf, I mean.) And sometimes that means ending one thing and moving on to seek new horizons and blah-de-blah. *insert inspirational quote here*</div>
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And <i>Masked </i>grew by leaps and bounds and much planning was done and I basically tore my hair out, and may I take this opportunity to mention that you should never ever ever produce a full-scale web series if you want to keep your sanity. BUT I shall also take this opportunity to mention that it was a real blessing to be able to work with such lovely people as I did, and we had the bestest cast and crew ever, and that reminds me that I still haven't posted Chris' interview yet because when I was doing cast interviews we didn't want anyone to know he was the Scarlet Pimpernel, but that's all done now sooooo I should put his interview up, if y'all want to see it. </div>
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In <b>July </b>two very large things happened. The first was that <i>Masked</i> began filming, after a year and a half of development and three very intense months of planning and casting &c. It was a great big hullabaloo and I hated it and I loved it at the same time, which was very confusing, because on the one hand it was stressful and difficult to get everything put together, and also sad that I didn't get to Be There to see the fun, and on the other hand it was exhilarating and gleeful because HERE WAS THIS STORY THAT WAS COMING TO LIFE BEFORE MY VERY EYES AND HOW COOL WAS THAT.</div>
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The second very large thing in <b>July</b> was that I scouted around for a new job and went to several interviews and got nowhere, and submitted countless applications and got nowhere, and began to be very discouraged and very sad (my dad was also out of work at the time, and had been for several months and it was just not a financially fun time in our household) and then BOOM, I got two jobs within a week of each other, and things began to change for the Huckabuck family, because did I mention I also found a Chinese silver slipper buckle inside of a squash.*</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*Not really.</span></div>
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Anyway, I got a job as a part-time temporary clerical assistant for an electrical manufacturers' representative near the end of July, and just a few days later I also got a waitressing job at an Italian restaurant. And so from July until October I balanced the two and it was hard but also interesting and I learned a lot and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, although I'm very glad that at least one part of it is over now, but I'll get to that.</div>
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In <b>August </b>I worked at the restaurant and worked at the office-- took the bus into the city for my office job in the mornings and walked to the restaurant for my waitress job in the evenings. It was hectic. And it taught me a new and greater appreciation for restaurant staff-- please be nice to them and always tip well because that is pretty much all they make, no joke. Although, depending on the restaurant and the kindness of the cooks, sometimes they get free breadsticks, which is nothing to sneeze at. ;) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always tried very hard NOT to do this but sometimes people shovel food into their mouths AS you approach. :P</td></tr>
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AND my dad got a job, which was wonderful, in an administrative/management position which is exactly his Thing, and working with people with special needs which is also his Thing, so that was pretty awesome all around. And my mom got a job TOO, for the same organization (only in a caregiver role, not administration) so we began to be quite a busy working family and juggling one car was... interesting. (For years my dad worked from home, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom, so one car was Plenty, but then this summer happened. Haha.)</div>
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And I did enjoy both my jobs to varying degrees, but I also looked back longingly on the days when I could just waste time on Pinterest and sew random things. Heh heh heh.</div>
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In <b>September</b> <i>Masked </i>aired (did I mention I spent most of August editing it? because I did) and, well, that was an epoch in my life. ;) In case you haven't watched it yet, you can go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQb4rdGs2Y6GoOLxZ3tS9Xn1xzKZBySu1" target="_blank">here</a>. If you want to. And in case you HAVE watched and are still not sure what happened/is happening with the show, go <a href="http://masked-thescarletpimpernel.tumblr.com/post/134365941056/so-by-now-you-are-all-probably-wondering-whats" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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In <b>October </b>there was another big epoch in my life when my boss at the office where I was temping offered me a full-time position as an administrative assistant for the company. And. I. Took it. One of the best decisions I have ever made-- I LOVE my job and my coworkers and the work I do, which is basically Alex-Knightley-boring-stuff but I actually do think it's interesting. (If you're interested, in which case more power to ya, I manage the company contacts, file and put together all our correspondence, enter bills for payment, take care of bank deposits and run our company's Twitter. And... a lot of other little piddly things. And I adore it. Did I mention that. :D) I never in my wildest dreams imagined that someday I'd be working for an electrical manufacturer's rep and loving it, but... well, here I am. So that was the big thing for October. Also I quit my waitressing job, which helped restore some of my sanity. Haha.<br />
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Anyways, joining the adult workforce has been amazing, buuuuuut...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad truth. :(</td></tr>
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<br />In <b>November </b>Melody and I made many plans for her visit to me at CHRISTMASTIME, and that was swellissimus. <i>Masked </i>drew to a close, the new <i>Sherlock</i> episode was confirmed for January 1st, 2016 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and did I mention MELODY COMING.<div>
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In <b>December</b> my best friend came to visit (I LOVE HER I LOVE HER I REALLY REALLY LOVE HER), it was epic (because I said the word epic) and also I bought myself a CAR. Which I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around, but the fact stands and it is Magnificent. It's used, and the same age as my brother, but it gets amazing gas mileage and I love it to death already. And Melody and I went all around town in it. ;) I had to work a good bit of the time while she was here, which was a bit Meeshful, but we got to do quite a few fun things-- like attend a Civil War ball, and decorate gingerbread houses, and see Philadelphia in all its historical and Christmassy glory, and visit several of my grandparents, and Melody got to ride on a train for the first time ever in her life, and did I mention the ball? It was a High Point. </div>
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Then she had to go home, but then it was Christmas (I feel the same way! ...Oh, you mean it's actually Christmas) and so we could not have too many tears. And now... now we're standing at the portal of the op'ning year, and all that, and I am looking forward to 2016 more than I did to any of the past few years. Usually the idea of so much Time passing and people getting Older is quite a Frightening one, but after all the whirlwind that was this year... well, I'm quite ready for a new one. Hopefully with more joys than sorrows. ;) </div>
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But as the year unfolds, with new beginnings and all that, I think it time for this blog to undergo some changes. Which is why, beginning tomorrow night at 10 PM Eastern, Yet Another Period Drama Blog is temporarily closing its virtual doors. It will be a Private blog with No Access Permitted until Monday (hopefully), at which point it will reopen with a brand-new look and possibly a brand-new post. The archives will remain, but the site itself needs an overhaul, and since I have some new plans for What to Write in 2016, I thought a new-look-same-great-taste was in order.</div>
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You've been duly warned. :)</div>
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-21546215641968074552015-12-20T18:38:00.000-05:002015-12-20T18:38:31.751-05:00"I have returned. To haunt you."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaBtG5L3JoSKcRvqZou8mztMMp9ed4ownoSoN_U0NYITjpuMxpTdFy9fXj91_2svZWvOeQZIx2_tRxht897ZkT8w3TfDqKs2aa8VoUVmlc-Y25TCsRdSuj6V1J_vga3m3SIUZdtOs0NE/s1600/littlemice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaBtG5L3JoSKcRvqZou8mztMMp9ed4ownoSoN_U0NYITjpuMxpTdFy9fXj91_2svZWvOeQZIx2_tRxht897ZkT8w3TfDqKs2aa8VoUVmlc-Y25TCsRdSuj6V1J_vga3m3SIUZdtOs0NE/s1600/littlemice.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hello, PEEPS! It is ME! I am not DEAD! Did you MISS ME?<br />
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I have only lost about twenty followers in the time I've been gone. Impressive. Thanks to all who stayed. One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog more... nothing drastic like once a week or anything renunculous (YOU'RE RENUNCULOUS) but hopefully more than I've been doing of late.<br />
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*hyenas laughing in the distance*<br />
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Aaaaaaanyways. Today I am here to inform you that my person is having a contest and you should enter it. That is, my Favorite and Best Melody is hosting a short-short story contest for Christmastide, and I thought it appropriate to aid in her ad campaign. (She may or may not be sitting beside me right now making me write this. Heh, heh, heh.) <br />
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"I am not MAKING you! I ASKED you," quoth she. "TELL THEM that I am not MAKING YOU."<br />
*type type type*<br />
There, are you satisfied? <br />
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<a href="http://regencydelight-janeaustenetc.blogspot.com/2015/12/very-short-christmas-story-contest.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Regency Delight Story Contest" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/7a/9b/a4/7a9ba4b3480af20dfbbf8398baba278b.jpg" /></a></center>
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Anyways again! So click the button above to find out more details, and I'll see you all with a more update-ish update very soon. </center>
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(Ohhhh but by the way Melody is here right now and we went to a CHRISTMAS CIVIL WAR BALL last night and had a grand time and she danced every dance and Mary none. :D)</center>
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And here we are in our dresses. ("Here he is all dressed up in his Sunday best." "HE LOOKS LIKE A GIRL!" "Ha ha ha. AN UGLY GIRL.")</center>
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The End.</center>
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*bonus points to you if you can identify all the dumb quotes in this post </center>
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*The End Again.</center>
Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-47596898211459687632015-09-07T21:51:00.001-04:002015-09-07T21:51:31.041-04:00The Scarlet Pimpernel Trivia Quiz Answers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1dgBTJn36-ALwupYlLzipvLCbMPGmVsQCr5nHgVhAlN2JtIAqXh71eIHLMotFijlJMdQNHBtr0zihmmTL0ea0oL1DixX7wyWT7n7bRyMfGgnGUqJKJ-Xb8_xbFuEzszekBDxTekxn8iP/s1600/toomuchstupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1dgBTJn36-ALwupYlLzipvLCbMPGmVsQCr5nHgVhAlN2JtIAqXh71eIHLMotFijlJMdQNHBtr0zihmmTL0ea0oL1DixX7wyWT7n7bRyMfGgnGUqJKJ-Xb8_xbFuEzszekBDxTekxn8iP/s1600/toomuchstupid.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Books and Movies</span></u></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. What color is Marguerite’s hair in the books?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Auburn, red-blonde, and golden are all acceptable answers. Because we get all of those from the fickle and ever-changing Baroness. :P</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. What is the name of the actor who plays Chauvelin in the 1934 movie?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Raymond Massey.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Sir Percy’s catchphrase “sink me!” only appears once in the original book series... do you know which book?</b></span></span></div>
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<i>Mam'zelle Guillotine</i>! You can read the excerpt <a href="http://ascarletpimpernelblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/sink-me-he-said-it-and-other-random.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. What is the name of Lord Tony’s wife? (she has a whole book named after her, but Baroness Orczy couldn’t be bothered to call her by her actual name...)</b></span></span></div>
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Yvonne de Kernogan. This was an obscure one, I know. Sorry 'bout that.</div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. What is the name of the man who ends up "spiriting away" the dauphin at the end of the 1982 film?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Baron de Batz.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6. What is the name of Sir Percy's yacht?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <i>Day Dream</i>!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7. Who does Suzanne de Tournay end up marrying at the end of the first novel?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sir Andrew Ffoullkes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>8. What distinctive article of clothing (other than his always-flawless cravat) is Sir Percy wearing in the scene where he attempts to rescue Armand and Louise in the 1982 film?</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Sorry, forgot to number this one!) His CAPE. Among the Leaguettes of <a href="http://ascarletpimpernelblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Day Dream</a>, that scene is referred to as The Scene Where Percy Has a Cape. Behold.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(I would like to point out, too, that I found this picture by searching "the scene where Percy has a cape" in Google Images. Boo yeah. We've infiltrated the system, girls.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">BONUS QUESTION</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Who is older, Marguerite St. Just or her brother Armand St. Just? (This question is harder than it seems. :P)</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reason this question is harder than it seems is that our beloved Baroness O was an inconsistent creature. "Emmuska, you know, is not very constant," Mrs. Gibson would have said of her. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, Armand is said to be older than Marguerite, and to have been her chaperone and protector when their parents died-- but in<i> El Dorado</i>, all of a sudden she's eight years his senior! Um what.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Quotes</u><span class="s1"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. "This little revolution of yours is monstrous intolerable." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~1982 film</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. “Believe me, I have enjoyed life so much these past two years, I would not give up those pleasures even for that of seeing you and your friends have a bath or wear tidy buckles on your boots."</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ~<i>The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. “M’dear chap, I never would have dreamt of depriving you of your moment of triumph. Alas, a moment was all that I could spare.”</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~1982 film</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. "Approval, sir, in my opinion, demands the attainment of perfection. And in that sense, you rather overrate the charms of your society. I'faith, for one thing, it does seem monstrous ill-dressed for any society, even a new one."</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~1982 film</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. "Help you, my dear fellow? Of course, we'll all help you, if you want us. What are we here for but to help each other, as well as those poor wretches who are in trouble through no fault of their own?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~<i>Sir Percy Leads the Band</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s1">6. "Open up your sleeves, man. Let your ruffles take the air. Let them flow. Let them ripple."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">~1934 film</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And now for our winner! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's all give it up for <b>Caroline L.,</b> who scored the highest with 13 points! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other scores--</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Livia Rachelle: 12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lois Johnson: 12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Erudessa Aranduriel: 11</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Molly: 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Carissa Horton: 9</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Awdur: 7</span></div>
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Melody: 6</div>
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Vellvin: 5</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sophie: 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Naomi Bennet: 3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for playing, everyone!</span></div>
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-38947919461969055662015-09-05T11:07:00.001-04:002015-09-05T11:07:34.673-04:00Masked Cast Interview: Michael Reiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmcPkCm153lzan-4cAlCMt7Brha5eQqiGRxtbG25pQSwUJZgfr1w3tIB7nzP6hpQ2TWdSbeOaP-JNylExDecWRKagLa49arR5r8et0nFx94qzWq4MBvrWHiOxTH-UxwdCcsLYeELIAJE/s1600/michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmcPkCm153lzan-4cAlCMt7Brha5eQqiGRxtbG25pQSwUJZgfr1w3tIB7nzP6hpQ2TWdSbeOaP-JNylExDecWRKagLa49arR5r8et0nFx94qzWq4MBvrWHiOxTH-UxwdCcsLYeELIAJE/s400/michael.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Michael Reiser plays <b>Tony Dewhurst </b>in <i>Masked</i>. (Tony's character is based on Lord Anthony Dewhurst. Like you couldn't have figured that out...)</div>
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From his bio on our website--</div>
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Michael Reiser considers the Scarlet Pimpernel to essentially be the Batman of the late 1700's, and is excited to see the story get merged into today's society. Michael is a recent grad of Missouri State University where he got his BFA in Acting. Michael was heavily involved with student films at MSU, co-founded the premiere improv troupe at MSU: Missouri State Improv, and participated in mainstage productions such as <i>Our Town</i> where he portrayed George Gibbs and Man/Daniel in <i>Almost, Maine</i>. He is excited to continue pursuing his acting career in Los Angeles, CA where he will be stationed at the beginning of 2016.</div>
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Michael is the second oldest in a family of 7, and has a soft spot for his puppies Lucy Lu and Molly Mae, both proud Boston Terriers. When Michael isn't on camera you can find him partaking in shenanigans with friends and cracking the worst pun you've ever heard. To get in touch and up to date with all his projects check out his website: www.michaelareiser.com.</blockquote>
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Michael has the distinction of being the very first person to respond to our casting call back at the end of the winter (has it been that long??? wow), and as soon as the casting team saw his video audition, we were completely convinced that we'd found Tony. He's been a great sport throughout all the ups and downs of filming this project, and has been exceptionally dedicated to focus and details. It's been fun to work with him and I'm positive that you'll all enjoy his performance! (By the way, if you're a fan of literary web series in general, you may have spotted Michael in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1DOTufs1tM&index=43&list=PLma099Ge2ZTcgIUS5QQqlkYzq9n5b394D" target="_blank">Grimm Reflections</a>, where he plays the Huntsman.) <br />
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Also, he was homeschooled. Fun fact. :P (I get way too excited when I find out people were/are homeschooled... sheesh, there are far too few of us in the world.)<br />
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So! Interview!<br />
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<i>How’d you get interested in acting? </i><br />
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My parents were involved with the arts and so I did my very first stage production at the age of 9. I guess it just stuck with me!<br />
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<i>What was your favorite scene to shoot? </i><br />
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My favorite scene to shoot was my date scene! It was my first time on set with the crew and I loved the script, so it was a blast!<br />
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<i>What was the hardest scene to shoot? </i><br />
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Definitely the scene where I am in my pajamas, haha. The most difficult was probably the scene when Angelo comes to Drew's house. It was the most dramatic scene I was a part of, and while I love doing it, living in those circumstances can be hard.<br />
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<i>What do you like best about Tony's character? What do you find the most interesting? </i><br />
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I love his demeanor and his commitment to his friends. He really loves them, and has a high sense of loyalty. The most interesting was how he dealt with hard situations and just how little finesse he had in those situations.<br />
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<i>What’s been the biggest challenge for you with this role? </i><br />
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The biggest challenge for me was working the balancing act he had when dealing with tough situations. Doing what I can to keep those moments honest and real.<br />
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<i>How’d you find out about The Scarlet Pimpernel? Have you read any of the books or seen the films prior to this project? </i><br />
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I had heard of the musical adaptation before, but I never saw the movie until I heard about the auditions; and as of yet I still haven't read the book all the way through, haha.<br />
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<i>If you could play any role in any movie, play, TV show, etc., ever, who would it be? </i><br />
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Spiderman. It's a theory of mine that the reason they've done so many reboots because they haven't cast me as Spiderman yet, haha.<br />
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<i>What do you hope people will take away from your performance in the show? </i><br />
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Well, I hope they liked it! If I could make one person feel something or affect them in some way, that is what I love about acting.<br />
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<i>What else have you appeared in, to date? If people would like to watch another of your performances, where should they go? </i><br />
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I'm going into filming in October for a film, and I have a couple projects currently in post. They are welcome to go to my website to look at some of my other projects! www.michaelareiser.comMiss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-44603010338153130182015-09-04T14:26:00.002-04:002015-09-04T14:26:42.450-04:00Masked Cast Interviews: Arthur Clifford (Paul Reynard)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arthur Clifford plays <b>Paul Reynard </b>in <i>Masked.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Paul's character is based on Citizen Armand Chauvelin.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From his bio on our website--</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Arthur found acting later in life, but at the age of 33 started to become involved with theater because of his son's involvement at The Culture House. Luckily, he was given an opportunity to audition for The King and I and was cast as the Kralahome. Once he got on stage and found out how fun entertaining people is, he changed from a sports-only person to someone who really loves and enjoys the arts. Some of his favorite roles have been Marcellus in The Music Man, Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof and Monsieur Thenardier in Les Miserables. </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">Arthur is married to Kerstin who is an amazing person and not only puts up with him, but actually loves him despite the fact that mentally he's still 14. His son is pursuing a BFA in Musical Theater at UCM in Warrensburg, MO. In his free time Arthur is a Jayhawk, Royals and Chiefs fan, and last year got to knock a bucket list item off by going to the World Series. Let's hope he can do it again this year!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Arthur was the very last principal actor to be cast in the show, and found our casting call through a friend's recommendation. At the time of his casting, we were literally down to the wire before shooting was to begin, and a bit apprehensive about casting such an important character in such a last-minute fashion. But his audition seriously impressed our casting team, so we went for it. I actually ended up interviewing Arthur over the phone while I was on vacation with Melody (so professional, I know :P) and was incredibly pleased by how well he seemed to understand the character, so I offered him the role-- and he proceeded to blow us all away with his interpretation of Paul. I'm thrilled to have him as part of this show and I think you're all going to be delighted by his portrayal of the guy everyone loves to hate. (He's really a very nice person though. Despite Paul being Very Decidedly Not.) It was great to work with him and he did a fantastic job of juggling commitments to this show along with appearing in a large-scale production of <i>Into the Woods</i> at the same time. (Now that's dedication!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Okay, so, here's what I asked him and what he said.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">How’d you get interested in acting?</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Actually it was my son who got me into acting. He started going to The Culture House (which is a performing arts academy in Olathe) when he was 9. He had done a couple of musicals there and fell in love with theater. When I got the chance to get out on stage with my son, I jumped at the chance to see what it was all about. I never though I could be a person who could perform in front of people because I am naturally introverted, but I auditioned for <i>The King and I </i>and got a lead as the Kralahome. I was so nervous about the very first show, but as soon as the scene started I went into my character and transformed from myself to someone else. That feeling is why I fell in love with acting and why I still pursue it today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What was your favorite scene to shoot?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I would have to say the last night of filming because I really enjoyed working with Alexandra Rovirosa. Getting to work with her has been a real treat because she is an amazingly talented actress but she's also goofy and fun to get to know in between takes. We had so much fun and at one point she burst into song and had us all cracking up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What was the hardest scene to shoot?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was the first scene I did. We filmed at my house and in the scene I was supposed to be talking to the character Margot on the phone. I have never done film work before and I knew my lines, but if you have never acted in front of a camera it can be more intimidating than a theater full of people. I started to freeze and my mind went blank on when I was supposed to come in on my lines and then I kept forgetting my lines. Luckily there was a wall off camera where I could tape up my script and remind me of my lines as I "acted" like I was listening to her. It was a life saver and as I got more comfortable with the camera the day went a lot better and we got through 3 scenes that day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What do you like best about Paul's character? What do you find the most interesting?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I like Paul because he's a bad guy, it's always more fun when you get to be the bad guy, but Paul is also interesting because there are some different levels to him. He tends to blend in and smuggle drugs under the radar so he has to be an actor himself so that people don't suspect him of anything. He shows his dark side and his creepiness throughout the show, but he has to fool Margot to get what he wants. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What’s been the biggest challenge for you with this role?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Getting used to film work. When you are on stage it's pretty easy to stay in character because you rehearse and play the character over and over. When you film it could get weeks in between shoots and sometimes it's difficult to remember what you did before and how you played the character. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Have you read any of the Scarlet Pimpernel books or seen the films prior to this project?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have never been exposed to <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i>, I watched some on youtube, but I have never watched the movies or read the books. Because this was a modern adaptation I wanted to create my character without influence of the books or movies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>If you could play any role in any movie, play, TV show, etc., ever, who would it be?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love comedies so I immediately thought of King Arthur in <i>Spamalot</i>, but after thinking about it if I could be anything in <i>Star Wars </i>that would be the ultimate for me. I am such a <i>Star Wars </i>geek and I can't wait for <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1951214913" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">December 18th</span></span>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What do you hope people will take away from your performance in the show?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope that people will appreciate all of the hard work that has been put into this project. Everyone involved from Amy and Sydney to the crew and other actors has put their hearts and soul into this. I have only been involved for the past few months but this has been in the works for a long time and I am so proud to be apart of it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur as Monsieur Thenardier in<i> Les Mis</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What else have you appeared in, to date? If people would like to watch another of your performances, where should they go?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been in several theater shows with both The Culture House and Jewish Community Center. Some of my favorite roles has been Monsieur Thenardier in <i>Les Mis</i>, Marcellus in <i>Music Man </i>and I just got done being Milky White the Cow in <i>Into the Woods</i>. But If you want to watch my other performances you would have to come to my house and watch the DVDs of the theater shows. You bring the popcorn and I'll supply the entertainment!!! But hopefully we do another season of <i>Masked </i>and you can see more of me then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Thanks for joining us here today, Arthur! Everyone, stay tuned for more interviews featuring other members of our cast!</i></span></div>
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-4606917915505383132015-09-03T15:14:00.004-04:002015-09-03T15:15:51.871-04:00The Scarlet Pimpernel Trivia Quiz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leave your answers in a comment, and on Monday I shall publish the correct answers, and whoever won will receive honor, fame and glory. You know how quizzes work.</div>
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Scoring is as follows: 1 point for each correctly answered trivia question about the books and movies, 2 points for each correctly answered quote question (identifying which movie or book it comes from)-- 1 point for identifying whether the quote comes from a movie or a book, but not specifying which one. The quotes are things Sir Percy said. So you needn't worry about identifying the character. :P</div>
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Please DO NOT use IMDb or any other source to find answers to the questions, especially as regards the quotes... just answer off the top of your head to the best of your ability.</div>
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<u>Books and Movies</u></div>
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<span class="s1">1. What color is Marguerite’s hair in the books?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">2. What is the name of the actor who plays Chauvelin in the 1934 movie?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">3. Sir Percy’s catchphrase “sink me!” only appears once in the original book series... do you know which book?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">4. What is the name of Lord Tony’s wife? (she has a whole book named after her, but Baroness Orczy couldn’t be bothered to call her by her <b>actual </b>name...)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">5. What is the name of the man who ends up "spiriting away" the dauphin at the end of the 1982 film?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">7. Who does Suzanne de Tournay end up marrying at the end of the first novel?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">What distinctive article of clothing (other than his always-flawless cravat) is Sir Percy wearing in the scene where he attempts to rescue Armand and Louise in the 1982 film?</span></div>
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BONUS QUESTION</div>
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<span class="s1">8. Who is older, Marguerite St. Just or her brother Armand St. Just? (This question is harder than it seems. :P)</span></div>
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1. "This little revolution of yours is monstrous intolerable."</div>
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<span class="s1">2. “Believe me, I have enjoyed life so much these past two years, I would not give up those pleasures even for that of seeing you and your friends have a bath or wear tidy buckles on your boots."</span></div>
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<span class="s1">3. “M’dear chap, I never would have dreamt of depriving you of your moment of triumph. Alas, a moment was all that I could spare.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">4. "Approval, sir, in my opinion, demands the attainment of perfection. And in that sense, you rather overrate the charms of your society. I'faith, for one thing, it does seem monstrous ill-dressed for any society, even a new one.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">5. "Help you, my dear fellow? Of course, we'll all help you, if you want us. What are we here for but to help each other, as well as those poor wretches who are in trouble through no fault of their own?"</span></div>
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<span class="s1">6. "Open up your sleeves, man. Let your ruffles take the air. Let them flow. Let them ripple."</span><br />
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Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-37071360397593448842015-09-02T21:57:00.002-04:002015-09-02T21:57:45.273-04:00Masked Cast Interviews: Isabella Rovirosa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isabella Rovirosa plays <b>Suzanne James</b> in <i>Masked</i>. (Suzanne's character, for the curious, is based partly on Armand St. Just and partly on Suzanne de Tournay in the original novel.)</div>
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From her bio on our website--</div>
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A high school student and drama queen extraordinaire, Isabella has had many varied roles in plays over the years. Masked marks her screen debut, following appearances in such productions as <i>Ms. Scrooge, Pajama Party</i> and <i>It's a Wonderful Life: The Musical</i>, etc. Isabella has been a devoted fan of <i>The Scarlet Pimpernel </i>since 2012 when she first saw the film starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour, and she is overjoyed to be a part of reinventing this classic story for a modern audience. <br /><br />When she's not acting, singing or orchestrating shenanigans (a hobby at which she excels), Isabella enjoys fangirling over <i>Doctor Who </i>and<i> Sherlock</i>, dabbling in art, reading good books, dancing anywhere and everywhere, making her famous pancakes and doing flawless impressions of Miranda Sings and Martha Mahinsky. She's a little bit bonkers... but then, all the best people are. </blockquote>
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Isabella (Belle, or Martha, or the child... or whatever I choose to call her as the fancy strikes me) is kindly joining me here today for an interview! I've known Belle since she was... um, a good bit younger than she is now... and I'm proud to call her my friend as well as my colleague in putting together this show! She's extraordinarily talented, basically born to play the role of Suzanne, and I'm really thrilled to have her as part of this project. (Also, she has the most utterly amazing hair I have ever had the privilege of seeing in real life. Seriously what even. Like Rapunzel or something.)</div>
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Now, without further ado, The Interview.</div>
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<i>How’d you get interested in acting?</i></div>
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Well I originally fell in love with acting around three or four, but (besides being a little four-year-old diva at home ;)) my family and I performed for three years solid all over the U.S. Then I joined a drama group a year or two back and did plays with that group. Then I moved on to community theater, did plays there and others here and there, but mostly community theater. And of course <i>Masked.</i> :) And then on the side projects...<br />
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<i>What was your favorite scene to shoot?</i><br />
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Honestly any scene where I can eat cake, pretzels, etc. I get so hungry while on set, I don't know what it is. :)<br />
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<i>What do you like best about Suzanne's character? What do you find the most interesting?</i><br />
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Suzanne's character has definitely developed a lot since when I was first cast for her. She relates to me a lot I think, and I relate to her. I like the independent vibe she has and how she strives to make everything right and encourage people to follow their dreams. She's a very big believer in that.<br />
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<i>What’s been the biggest challenge for you with this role?</i><br />
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Understanding the characters and trying to bring them to life on screen.<br />
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<i>How’d you find out about <u>The Scarlet Pimpernel</u>? Have read any of the books or seen the films prior to this project? </i><br />
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Well, the 1982 movie was a girls' night classic in our family, and I have read the first book. Very good book, very much recommend.<br />
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<i>If you could play any role in any movie, play, TV show, etc., ever, who would it be?</i><br />
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Probably the villain or misunderstood character, it would be so much fun building layers to those kind of characters. I would definitely love to be in a movie based off of a really good book for sure! But probably more of an adventure type book. :)<br />
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<i>What do you hope people will take away from your performance in the show? </i><br />
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I hope they can really relate to Suz and the other characters on the show, and be able to relate the story to the TSP story for sure! I also really hope they enjoy the modern aspects to it.<br />
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<i>What was the hardest scene to shoot?</i><br />
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There were no extremely hard scenes to shoot that I was a part of, but we did have some difficult ones. There was one difficult one that comes to mind... but that would be giving away the story ;)<br />
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<i>(note from Amy: I know what she's talking about and just wait until you see the footage. ;))</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoia8UmCG2qe5KP-wyfYDfLKBSd1XXxDclFgnodEHsrpgLQ240eHN7RbzA_UWLyTzLMSMBKdZWslEoDssLptZ9Ys_Vq_ERYFfcM7Qsy6_TDg-qVccmujOO8y0iIFaEZh9H6vey7yZxmX4/s1600/suz1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoia8UmCG2qe5KP-wyfYDfLKBSd1XXxDclFgnodEHsrpgLQ240eHN7RbzA_UWLyTzLMSMBKdZWslEoDssLptZ9Ys_Vq_ERYFfcM7Qsy6_TDg-qVccmujOO8y0iIFaEZh9H6vey7yZxmX4/s400/suz1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>What are you most looking forward to in the future of the show?</i><br />
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Developing the characters into the characters we all see in our heads and watching them grow through the series. I'm also excited to see what happens in the later episodes and what the final product is, and of course hoping everyone enjoys it.<br />
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<i>(I made her promise not to give away any spoilers... so yes, that last answer is purposefully vague!)</i><br />
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You can follow Isabella on <a href="https://twitter.com/missbellagal" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and check out her character Suzanne's <a href="http://suzthegreatandpowerful.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr </a>if you care to!<br />
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<i>Six days till the pilot premieres!</i></div>
Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6373804891656164472.post-76129781184616714452015-09-02T14:48:00.004-04:002015-09-02T14:52:37.255-04:00The Scarlet Pimpernel Blog Party Tag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsewE8Rjx9Lm3uYOM8DiMVOyGJI81Xcsq__fiNoyCdCOiYQd_r0SgPRpH82rStHoCRJWQXSMIbGGRBP6l7e_CUIlB-r9tRR4b6n1sAsAQ_pUSxyjEySusoWpLWlEODzyr_lLez33kBPA/s1600/tsp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsewE8Rjx9Lm3uYOM8DiMVOyGJI81Xcsq__fiNoyCdCOiYQd_r0SgPRpH82rStHoCRJWQXSMIbGGRBP6l7e_CUIlB-r9tRR4b6n1sAsAQ_pUSxyjEySusoWpLWlEODzyr_lLez33kBPA/s400/tsp.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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Really, what is a blog party without a tag, eh? Please feel free to copy these questions onto your own blog, and leave a comment below with the link to your answers. That way we can all see everyone's contribution! </div>
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1. The obvious question... how'd you get introduced to the Scarlet Pimpernel?</div>
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2. If you could meet any of the characters in real life, who would you choose and why? (you can use the obvious answer of Sir Percy if you really want to, but this is your chance to get creative. ;))</div>
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3. What are your top 3 favorite quotes from the books or movies? (yes, just three)</div>
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4. Who is your favorite <b>supporting </b>character in the books? (Percy and Marguerite are ineligible)</div>
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5. Which film versions have you seen and which do you like best?</div>
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6. What's your top-absolute-favorite scene in the<b> first </b>book? (if you've read it-- if not, what's your favorite scene in whichever movie you prefer?)</div>
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7. If you could dream-cast a new adaptation of the book (a period piece, that is) who would you choose to play the roles of Sir Percy, Marguerite and Chauvelin?</div>
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8. Do you think the Scarlet Pimpernel does his rescue work purely for "the love of sport," as the narrative would tell us (and as he would often claim) or does he have more noble motives that he won't admit? Explain your answer. Show your work.</div>
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9. Second to Chauvelin, who is the worst villain in the book series, and why?</div>
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10. What's your favorite novel in the series (if you've read more than one)? If not, which one are you most excited to read?</div>
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11. If you could change one thing about your favorite version of the movie, what would it be?</div>
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12. Lastly... how would you convince a skeptical friend to read/watch TSP? What is it that you love about it?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2uwrkp_IX3Sd00gDWBW0ma7fu0PYcuAjmW7OBi7bmjim3sd3Z2jK44piiqUsOlZwz1Bchq-cZfgqxkmGIVVJhzqFBDELTvoNiPTg1UdUBBEHiNEPkhVLEsYBwb8o9avPjrRxdBxr6vE/s1600/kcsp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2uwrkp_IX3Sd00gDWBW0ma7fu0PYcuAjmW7OBi7bmjim3sd3Z2jK44piiqUsOlZwz1Bchq-cZfgqxkmGIVVJhzqFBDELTvoNiPTg1UdUBBEHiNEPkhVLEsYBwb8o9avPjrRxdBxr6vE/s400/kcsp.jpg" width="343" /></a></div>
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Don't forget to leave a comment below with your answers!Miss Dashwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15821653607968651548noreply@blogger.com6