115223472868203214

Bronteana is a Year Old!

The internet’s first Bronte blog began on this site one year ago today. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this blog so much over the past year, and to my readers especially. Thanks to Thisbeciel, Kristin, Monica, Biedroneczka, Thais, Alisa, Aidan Brack, Lousie in Manchester, Vaire, Lillieoz for the many tips and files you have sent in as well as helping with uploading links- my computer is notoriously slow. Thanks also Paul Gordon, composer of Jane Eyre: The Musical for allowing me to pester him from time to time.

Now, the story of Bronteana! A little more than a year ago a friend of mine started a Classics blog on blogger (Classics as in Homer, Classical Greece and Rome etc.). You will notice it is the only non-Bronte-related link on this entire site: Glaukôpidos: An Anachronism in Modernity. I keep a personal blog, and often felt that the Bronte content had long ago taken over so I decided to follow her lead. At first I had no idea what I was doing. I thought I would try some literary criticism but I couldn’t come up with something every day! There are also early illustrated posts- such as Edward Bulwer Lytton in Petticoats. Eventually I discovered the wonders of google and other search engines. So there’s news and a bit of everything besides debating and sharing my huge collection of… well, Bronteana. Which brings me to the name. Glaukopidos wanted me to name this blog ‘BronteBlog’, but I didn’t like the name (no offense to BronteBlog ;).

This year has been incredible, very interesting and a lot of fun. Within the first few months I had emails from some very interesting people, including someone who believed they are a direct descendent of Constantin Heger, and someone who really is a cousin of the Brontes. Writers have written in, publishers have sent me their manuscripts (I got to see a preview of Branwell– which I reviewed unfavourably, much to the publisher’s annoyance…). I enjoy hearing from my readers, because it lets me know that you are having as much fun as I am. I am gratified also, that my efforts caught the attention of the Bronte Society Gazette early this year. It has been a most wonderful year!

And now, the apology. I meant to have a lot of fun stuff prepared for this occasion but nothing has come through. The archives are still a horrendous mess, I have not been able to finish moving the resource site to Dalhousie, and the media files I meant to post are not uploaded… even this post is almost an hour late.

For the future. Well, the first post was a demand to the BBC that it release its 1973 production of Jane Eyre. That came to pass in the fullness of time (ie, this past spring/early summer) so, I think I’ll start demanding their 1970 production of Villette!