Leftovers Revived

Jane Austen Shorts Reintroduced

Dear Readers,

Welcome back! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving devoid of political rancor. (Too soon? Let’s move on.) It’s Advent, my favorite time of year!

Some of you may hate the Christmas season. There are many reasons to feel uncomfortable: constant Christmas music in every store, spending too much money, spending time with difficult family, grieving departed loved ones, feeling lonely, never getting what you want — I could go on. But this paragraph was supposed to be about why I love Advent. Let me try again.

Besides the fact that God split history wide open and entered our timeline in order to rescue us from things like the Trump-BidenHarris campaign, stubbed toes, and death — even if you don’t believe the stuff about the virgin birth and the baby Jesus being the Savior of the world — there is a common sense that something important has happened, is happening. There’s a goodwill that overflows the souls of believers and becomes a rising tide that lifts all hearts. It’s common grace, and you can feel it in the air. Merry Christmas!

In today’s offering, I hope to interest you in my Jane Austen short stories, a departure from my usual essays. There are 6 stories posted so far — all of which take place the weekend after Thanksgiving — so if you haven’t read them, this is the perfect time to start! During December, I’ll publish 4 new stories to finish out the series. Here’s a little Q&A to get you going.

Q: What’s with your Jane Austen short stories, Kate?

A: Here’s the premise — I’ve taken Jane Austen’s characters from her six complete novels and have brought them together in new stories set in present-day Atlanta.  More than a decade after their happy endings, they throw fundraisers in their private clubs, shop in the same boutiques, attend historic churches on Peachtree Street, minister to the poor as their committee meetings allow, send their children to rival private schools, and watch their siblings date. There is romance, of course — and a few villains get a second chance. There’s hope even for Henry Crawford (the rake of Mansfield Park fame) — and, consequently, for the rest of us.

Q: What if I haven’t read all of Jane Austen’s novels?

A: No need. All my stories can be enjoyed on their own, even by my husband who has read only Pride and Prejudice — at my insistence while dating more than 20 years ago. (He prefers Wittgenstein and Evelyn Waugh.) Each story stands alone — you can read one and just enjoy the sketch or read them from Vignette 1: “Tailgating Mr. Darcy” and see how the whole story develops. Each short is a 5-10 minute read, and all together, they make a serialized novella. If you’re an Austen fan, nerd out and let me know in the comments if there’s a favorite character whom you’d like to star in a story, and I’ll fit him in. I’ve also started chatting with subscribers here, so please join the conversation!

Q: Why are you doing this…?

A: I’m so glad you asked. First, I’m a storyteller. In childhood I was just a liar, reinventing my misdeeds as heroic acts of thoughtfulness to escape punishment. But in later years I realized those stories had a deeper purpose — they bridged the gap between the reality of who I was and the hope of who I wanted to be. And that is what all the best stories do: point us to our greatest Hope. (You see that capital H? That means there’s a Deeper Meaning.)

Second, I’ve written a novel called Instead of Ashes (working title), and I’m seeking to publish it. These stories will keep my ideas fresh while I find interested readers and look for a publisher. My novel is a modern literary love story based on Jane Eyre. (Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Bronte written in 1847. Jane Austen is a novelist who wrote during the Napoleonic wars 40-50 years earlier. It’s easy to get the Janes confused.) To read more about my novel and sneak a peek at the first four chapters, click here.

Q: What’s with the modernizations?

A: My English literature studies have shown me something fascinating: our most enduring stories tell the truth. And as they do this, they often retell old narratives in new contexts, highlighting the truths that never change, no matter the century. My novel Instead of Ashes is a retelling of the 19th c. novel Jane Eyre, which retells the 18th c. story Beauty and the Beast, which reinvents the ancient myth Psyche and Cupid — or even the biblical story of Jacob and Tamar from Genesis if you want the child-unfriendly, twisted original. In all of these stories — uncomfortably with Jacob and Tamar (I’d love to discuss) — Beauty redeems the hero. Love lifts us out of the darkness.

I believe that this love story has been retold over the centuries in various cultures because it’s a true story of our Creator’s love for and desire to rescue us. My writing — whether novels, essays, short stories or travelogues — attempts to capture this hope of reconciliation and tells the joyful endings we seek.

Q: But back to Jane Austen. Be specific. How often will you send me a story?

A: During this month of Advent, I’ll send you a story weekly. Normally, if you’re a subscriber, you get an email monthly. During a normal month, the post will be an essay about a life topic that has got me thinking; or (if y’all like these stories and want to read more) a Jane Austen Short; or sometimes a travelogue. In all events, I promise to be extremely entertaining. And if there are any updates on my novel publication quest, I’ll let you know.

For starters, (fun fact!) publishers now expect you to have a growing community of over 1,000 subscribers to demonstrate an interest in your writing before they’ll consider publishing you. That means that if you can get your spouse, brother, boss, child, grandparent, college roommate, and barista to subscribe, I’ll send off my proposal in no time to several publishers who have asked to see my manuscript.

Alright. I’ll subscribe and share. But I can’t promise to read everything you send.

That’s the beauty of the Jane Austen vignettes. Enjoy one or enjoy them all. And everything is available on Substack if you want to catch up. The first 6 Jane Austen Shorts are linked below. Thank you for sharing, friends, and I’ll see you with Vignette 7 on December 8!

---

Jane Austen Shorts