Jane Actually

people who read you because there’s no sex in your books. I mean you’re a clergyman’s daughter. You might lose some readers if they thought you were a lesbian. And then there’s the whole spinster thing. You’re not such a tragic figure anymore if you … you know, did it. I don’t really know how this will play out. I mean if this book came out at any other time, it would probably disappear like the other one, but you can bet they’re going to capitalize on your book launch. This is why it would be a good idea to get you a full-time publicist.”
    “Very well, Melody, I certainly cannot fault any of your decisions to date. If you think it necessary, then I agree.”
    Melody looked to the empty couch and asked, “You’re not being sarcastic, are you?”
    “No, if I were being sarcastic, I would have wrapped my comments with sarcastic tags.”
    Melody didn’t understand and simply said, “Whatever,” and then sighed deeply and relaxed into her decrepit armchair. She’d managed to convince Jane of the need for a publicist and broke the news to her about Courtney Blake’s book, two tasks she’d dreaded that had gone reasonably well.
I am Jane Austen’s agent, and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it.
    1 The Ladies of Llangollen (in Wales): Eleanor Charlotte Butler and Sarah Ponsonby were two Irish women who lived during the reigns of George III and IV. There was speculation as to the nature of their relationship. Gentleman Jack: Anne Lister was a contemporary of the Ladies and earned her sobriquet for her manly interests and the fact she had female lovers. Coming from the landed classes and being wealthy, the peculiarities of these women were tolerated and to a certain extent even celebrated. There have been speculations that Austen was a lesbian and that she had sexual liaisons with her sister, but these speculations came about because of a misunderstanding of the intent of a review of a book on Austen’s letters.

The secret fear of Janeites
“Will the AGM become the equivalent of a Star Trek convention?”
    J ane left Melody’s apartment early, even though she wouldn’t be meeting Mary at the avatar agency until late that afternoon. She needed to walk after spending the night in the living room while Melody and Tamara slept. She had spent the whole night researching Courtney Blake and reflecting on the unlikely home and friends she’d found in light of her offhand remark that “her best friend prefers the company of women.” It was something of a surprise that she considered Melody her best friend and yet it was true nonetheless. Despite the different worlds that had shaped them, Jane considered Melody her friend and felt indignation that in some way, Courtney Blake’s book was an attack on both her and her friend.
    Jane had to admit that when she first learned Melody was a lesbian, she was taken aback. The concept was hardly unknown to her, however, and in time, she came to recognize the love that existed between Melody and Tamara. There was also nothing like the experience of the afterlife to make clear that love, no matter what form it took, was a precious gift.
    And from her investigation of Blake’s book, it became clear that it took a prurient interest in her supposed sexual liaisons. From her study of his previous books, it was clear this was his preferred tactic—to expose the deviant behaviour of famous authors including Lord Byron and Charles Dickens. Why she deserved the same attention was a mystery.
He did say I was a particular favourite of his—lucky me.
    She had wandered several blocks from home and found herself in Provenza’s, a pizzeria her friends frequented. She was using an ancient AfterNet terminal (in the back on a small table with a single chair) to search for reaction to Blake’s book. In the process, she visited austenonly.com, one of the popular blogs devoted to her. She had enjoyed her visits to the site in the past as it often featured objects that were known to her in life or told of her visits to Stoneleigh Abbey or even images of the booksellers she once frequented.
    Unfortunately what she found there today was almost as upsetting as the news of Blake’s book.
    The article in question was the most recent guest post by “an anonymous Austen scholar.”
    Is Austen scholarship dead?
    In all the excitement over the announcement that the AfterNet has certified someone as being
the
Jane Austen, I think it’s gone unnoticed that we may well be