A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I was a sleep-deprived young mom being climbed on by babies and toddlers who used nap time to write a blog. One of the features was a weekly roundup of this and that I called “This Week’s Miscellany” and it’s what readers said they miss the most about my neglected old homebase on the internet.
So I thought, hey, why not resurrect that here? I always enjoy those sorts of posts from my friend
. And it’s fun to have somewhere to post the little things I’ve enjoyed or noticed this week.Okay, let’s do this!
My Latest Obsession
How Jeremy Irons Rescued and Restored a 15th Century Irish Castle: Vanity Fair
(Image by Simon Upton for the article linked above)
This article is a DELIGHT. Yes, Jeremy Irons the actor restored a castle. The photos of the interior are amazing and I learned:
-He’s been married to the actress why played Mrs. Thornton in North and South for decades.
-I must become their friends and get invited to this castle.
-Understandably, there were lots of folks who wanted to be hired to work on the restoration. Irons prioritized hiring motorcyclists, musicians, and people with funny names (he was very set on hiring an Anthony Cumberbatch).
-He hangs out in his castle wearing this smoking jacket. Looks so awesome that I should probably start smoking.
-Celebrities who do not save and restore castles and instead buy McMansions should be illegal. Imagine having the choice between a castle and some house in LA and NOT CHOOSING CASTLE. It boggles the mind.
Quotes
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.”-C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
I’ll be chewing on this one awhile.
And just in case you’re joining our Year of Jane Austen book club and feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, here’s a good word:
“A person who had been sedentary for a lifetime would not think that she could rise up from her sofa, head out the door, and run a breezy 10K. Instead she would work up to it slowly, starting with a few strolls around the block perhaps, then longer walks, then a little jogging, and so on. The same applies to the reading of texts written in an unfamiliar idiom or genre, or written in an age whole stylistic preferences differ from our own.” -Alan Jacobs, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction
It’s a skill that has to be developed! Don’t be hard on yourself. And if you’re struggling, switch to Pride & Prejudice on audiobook (I love Rosamund Pike and Karen Savage as readers). It helps!
Listening
This piece by Andrew Petipren made me want to listen to more Nick Cave.
Watching
My teenager has been reading Much Ado About Nothing in class (really love the literature choices at his school) and so we watched this last night. It’s the film that made me fall in love with Shakespeare. It’s perfect. The casting is just *chef’s kiss.* The soundtrack is glorious! Emma Thompson is a sunkissed goddess of summer! Leather pants have never been so attractive! For those who prefer the Joss Whedon version: how does it feel to be so wrong? Kenneth Branagh’s version forever. (And if you’ve never seen it, there are lots of butts at the very beginning of the film. So please don’t send me angry emails saying you weren’t warned about the butts. You have been warned!)
And that’s all folks! Wishing you all a wonderful Friday and weekend. And a huge thank you to Libby, Isaiah, Melanie, Cyn, and Malinda for upgrading to a paid subscription and thanks to those who contributed to this Substack’s tip jar. Y’all are awesome. As I mentioned in my last email, all Jane Austen book club emails and 2023 emails will continue to be available with a free subscription. But if you would like to support this Substack by upgrading to a paid subscription, well, that would be appreciated!
I’ll be back in your inbox soon reflecting on Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley—I have many thoughts and I’ve so enjoyed reading your insights on the previous post or in the Substack chat!
Shout out for the P&P audiobook! I’ve read it multiple times, watched almost every version on film and now listening to the audiobook I am struck by new passages that I totally missed while reading. Certain conversations that I recall being much more circumspect are actually quite direct and to the point hearing them read aloud.
Thanks for sharing the essay on Nick Cave! I especially loved “Religion is spirituality with rigour, I guess, and yes, it makes demands on us" and “Grief gave me a reckless energy. It afforded me a feeling of invincibility and a total disregard for the outcome, a sort of fearless abandonment to destiny. The worst had happened". The latter reminds me of Leticia Ochoa Adams' writings on grief.