A tidbit re Jane Austen. No, not the famous Texan.
The first book she wrote, Northanger Abbey , was rejected by the publisher. He had asked her for what we now call a gothic novel, thinking that was what women were capable of.
She boldly wrote Northanger Abbey as a parody of a gothic novel. But when it was rejected, she complied, and provided the publisher books more in line with his expectations. But, without him even realizing it, she was expanding the form to be greater than it had ever been. She re-invented the gothic and made her books uniquely hers.
Her books were big sellers and made him a great deal of money. Bestseller after bestseller with no apparent end in sight… till she died unexpectedly at the age of just 41.
Later, he went to her brother, basically asking if she had left anything publishable behind. He was told… “Well, there’s this one you rejected !”
Needless to say, it made tons of money.
So, Sense and Sensibility was her first book published. But her first book was her last book published. And it’s a great read, and very funny, if you know how to pick out the elements of parody.
It was common in the 19th Century, sometimes even into the 20th, for women authors to take male pseudonyms, not wanting their work to be judged differently from a man’s.
All three Bronte sisters… Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte became Currier, Ellis and Acton Bell…. though we now know them by their real names…
unlike Mary Ann Evans who will always be George Eliot.
The French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin became, and still is, famous under the name George Sand….
though most of us, including me, I admit, are much more familiar with her “shocking” lifestyle… wearing trousers and smoking cigars… and taking numerous lovers, including Chopin… than with her books.
Louisa May Alcott, who wrote “Little Women” under her own name, used a male pen name for her gory Gothic potboilers that publishers said wouldn’t sell if written by a woman.
In the 20th century, Karen Blixen, who wrote “Out of Africa”, for some reason used the name Isak Dinesen…
Even JK Rowling used a man’s name for some non-Potter fiction.
I know there are several contemporary sci-fi and/or comic book writers who use male pseudonyms, as well, but I’m not as familiar with them.
It is claimed the ampersand was once included in recitation of the alphabet. It was the last “letter.” Recitation ended with “X, Y, and per-se And”. “and per-se And” became “ampersand.”
pearlsbs over 4 years ago
What’s supposed to be so unbelievable about it being called a puffling?
Templo S.U.D. over 4 years ago
& now you know
jimmjonzz Premium Member over 4 years ago
A tidbit re Jane Austen. No, not the famous Texan.
The first book she wrote, Northanger Abbey , was rejected by the publisher. He had asked her for what we now call a gothic novel, thinking that was what women were capable of.
She boldly wrote Northanger Abbey as a parody of a gothic novel. But when it was rejected, she complied, and provided the publisher books more in line with his expectations. But, without him even realizing it, she was expanding the form to be greater than it had ever been. She re-invented the gothic and made her books uniquely hers.
Her books were big sellers and made him a great deal of money. Bestseller after bestseller with no apparent end in sight… till she died unexpectedly at the age of just 41.
Later, he went to her brother, basically asking if she had left anything publishable behind. He was told… “Well, there’s this one you rejected !”
Needless to say, it made tons of money.
So, Sense and Sensibility was her first book published. But her first book was her last book published. And it’s a great read, and very funny, if you know how to pick out the elements of parody.
therese_callahan2002 over 4 years ago
Mary Evans wrote her novels under the name George Eliot, for she feared they’d be rejected if the publishers knew she was a female author.
SusanSunshine Premium Member over 4 years ago
It was common in the 19th Century, sometimes even into the 20th, for women authors to take male pseudonyms, not wanting their work to be judged differently from a man’s.
All three Bronte sisters… Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte became Currier, Ellis and Acton Bell…. though we now know them by their real names…
unlike Mary Ann Evans who will always be George Eliot.
The French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin became, and still is, famous under the name George Sand….
though most of us, including me, I admit, are much more familiar with her “shocking” lifestyle… wearing trousers and smoking cigars… and taking numerous lovers, including Chopin… than with her books.
Louisa May Alcott, who wrote “Little Women” under her own name, used a male pen name for her gory Gothic potboilers that publishers said wouldn’t sell if written by a woman.
In the 20th century, Karen Blixen, who wrote “Out of Africa”, for some reason used the name Isak Dinesen…
Even JK Rowling used a man’s name for some non-Potter fiction.
I know there are several contemporary sci-fi and/or comic book writers who use male pseudonyms, as well, but I’m not as familiar with them.
jpayne4040 over 4 years ago
By “a lady”. Well that narrows it down!
ricknielsen55 over 4 years ago
The ampersand kind of looks like a dog dragging his butt! But then again we’ve all been cooped up too long!
joeatwork212 over 4 years ago
and the # sign is called an octothorp.
Me_ over 4 years ago
Ampersand means “et” in Latin AND in French
comixbomix over 4 years ago
I can’t wait to phone home and tell them about the ampersand…
Jogger2 over 4 years ago
It is claimed the ampersand was once included in recitation of the alphabet. It was the last “letter.” Recitation ended with “X, Y, and per-se And”. “and per-se And” became “ampersand.”
craigwestlake over 4 years ago
Be more amazing if a baby moose was called a ‘moosling’…
craigwestlake over 4 years ago
Her alias of “by a lady” kept those who knew her from knowing who it was…
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member over 4 years ago
& call home!
57BelAir over 4 years ago
Like in Et Cetera which many people abbreviate ect. instead of etc.
TheFiddleBackSpider over 3 years ago
Jane Austen looks sunburned