Jane Austen [author]

Calvin

Welcome to Headstones and Microphones where we use AI to step into the past through a researched, first-person simulation of history's most interesting people. I am your host, Calvin. While we’ve added some creative storytelling, our goal is to inspire your own study of these fascinating lives. Now, let’s meet our guest.

Calvin

We have a literary absolute legend on the show today. Someone whose words have sparked a thousand romances and just as many laughs. For those who may somehow not know who you are... who are you?

White Female Guest

I am Jane Austen, a writer of stories—mostly about the quiet, often humorous trials of finding a suitable match in the English countryside. I spent my days observing the manners and follies of the people around me, and it is a pure joy to be able to chat with you today!

Calvin

We are so happy to have you! Let's go back to the very beginning. When and where were you born?

White Female Guest

I entered this world on a cold December 16th in 1775. I was born in the lovely village of Steventon in Hampshire, England. My father was the rector there, so the rectory was my first home.

Calvin

And what was your given name at birth?

White Female Guest

Simply Jane Austen. I am told I was named after my mother’s sister, but honestly, "Jane" was such a common, sensible name in our family. It suited me quite well!

Calvin

No middle name, right? Is there a story behind that?

White Female Guest

Indeed, just Jane! It might seem a bit plain compared to the grand names of some of my characters, but my family tended toward the modest. There was no great mystery to it; we simply didn't feel the need for extra flourishes.

Calvin

I love that. So, what was your hometown like growing up?

White Female Guest

Steventon was a small, rural parish, quite peaceful and green. It wasn't a place of grand excitement, but for a girl who loved to watch people, it was perfect. The rhythms of the village, the Sunday services, and the local dances provided more than enough material for my imagination.

Calvin

And what was your family life like?

White Female Guest

Oh, it was a busy, happy house! I was the seventh of eight children. I had six brothers and one dear sister, Cassandra. We were a very close-knit group. My father was a scholarly man who encouraged us all to read and learn, and my mother was full of wit. We were always putting on plays or reading aloud to one another.

Calvin

Sounds like a blast. What kind of kid were you?

White Female Guest

I suppose I was a bit of a quiet observer, though my family might tell you I was quite spirited when we were playing games! I was always tucked away in a corner with a book or scribbling down little "nonsense" stories to make my brothers laugh. I think I was a curious child, always trying to understand why people acted the way they did.

Calvin

Did you have any big fears growing up?

White Female Guest

Like many in my time, the idea of being sent away was a bit daunting. Cassandra and I were sent to boarding school for a short while, and being away from the warmth of Steventon was quite a trial for me. I much preferred the education I received at home among my own books and family.

Calvin

What did you dream of becoming as a child?

White Female Guest

I don't think I ever dreamed of being a "famous" author—that wasn't really a path for women then—but I always knew I wanted to write. I wanted to capture the world on paper. My greatest dream was simply to keep my family entertained.

Calvin

What were some of your favorite activities in school?

White Female Guest

Aside from reading anything I could get my hands on, I loved music. I practiced the pianoforte every morning. I also enjoyed needlework, though I must confess, I’d much rather have been holding a pen than a needle!

Calvin

Speaking of work, what was your first job?

White Female Guest

In the formal sense, I never had a "job" outside the home. My work was the management of our household—organizing breakfast was my particular duty—and, of course, my writing. I did eventually earn money from my novels, which was a wonderful feeling of independence.

Calvin

Was there a moment where you realized you were different from everyone else?

White Female Guest

I’m not sure I felt "different" so much as I felt I saw things others might miss. While others were worried about the fashion of a bonnet, I was often thinking about the irony of the conversation happening beneath it. I realized early on that I had a bit of a sharp eye for the "ridiculous."

Calvin

What’s a decision that changed everything for you, but felt small at the time?

White Female Guest

Deciding to write "First Impressions," which later became "Pride and Prejudice." At the time, it was just another story for the family. I didn't know then that those characters would live on for centuries!

Calvin

That’s a huge one! What would you say was your biggest break?

White Female Guest

Finally seeing "Sense and Sensibility" in print in 1811. It had been a long road of writing and revising, and to see "By a Lady" on that title page was a moment I shall never forget.

Calvin

What were your biggest struggles before that success?

White Female Guest

Patience was a struggle! My father tried to get my work published years earlier, but he was turned down. Then there was the move to Bath, which was a very unsettled time for me. It is hard to be creative when you don't feel "at home."

Calvin

Did you ever consider quitting?

White Female Guest

Never! Even when I wasn't being published, I was writing. It was as necessary to me as breathing. I might have been discouraged at times, but the stories were always there, waiting to be told.

Calvin

Were there any specific daily habits or routines that you feel were essential to your success?

White Female Guest

Oh, absolutely. I rose early to play the piano before anyone else was up—it cleared my head. Then, after breakfast, I would write in the common sitting room. I had a tiny mahogany desk and I wrote on small slips of paper so I could hide them quickly if a visitor Rang the bell! I didn't want the world to know I was a "literary lady."

Calvin

That is so sneaky and cool. What job would you have had if fame never happened?

White Female Guest

I likely would have remained exactly as I was—the "Aunt Jane" of the family, helping with the house, teaching my nieces and nephews, and probably still scribbling stories in secret just for the fun of it.

Calvin

What was your life like before fame?

White Female Guest

It was very quiet. I lived with my mother and Cassandra in a cottage in Chawton. We went for long walks, visited neighbors, and spent our evenings by the fire. It was a life of small things, which I find are often the most important things.

Calvin

How did relationships change after success?

White Female Guest

Since I published anonymously, my daily life didn't change much! My family knew, of course, and they were so proud. But in general, I remained the same Jane. Success just meant I could contribute a bit more to the family purse.

Calvin

Did fame bring happiness?

White Female Guest

The "fame" was mostly private, but the achievement brought me great joy. Knowing that people I had never met were reading my words and laughing at my jokes... that was a very special kind of happiness.

Calvin

What was the downside of becoming famous?

White Female Guest

Perhaps the pressure to keep producing! And toward the end, when people began to guess who the "Lady" was, it was a bit overwhelming for someone as private as I was. I preferred to watch the world, not have the world watch me.

Calvin

What misconceptions did people have about you?

White Female Guest

Some people thought that because I wrote about romance, I must be a very romantic, sentimental person. In truth, I think I was much more of a realist—and perhaps a bit more cynical about "love at first sight" than my readers might expect!

Calvin

What was your darkest moment?

White Female Guest

Losing my father in 1805 was very difficult. It left my mother, Cassandra, and me in a very precarious financial position for several years. We had to rely on the kindness of my brothers, and that lack of a permanent home was quite a heavy burden.

Calvin

Any past regrets that you spoke about?

White Female Guest

I don't know that I had many regrets. I once accepted a marriage proposal from a man named Harris Bigg-Wither, but I realized by the next morning it was a mistake and broke it off. Some might think I regretted not marrying, but I valued my independence and my work far too much to marry without true affection.

Calvin

Tell me about a time when everything went wrong and how you handled it.

White Female Guest

When a publisher bought my novel "Susan"—which became "Northanger Abbey"—and then sat on it for years without publishing it! It was incredibly frustrating. Eventually, my brother Henry bought it back for me so I could finally find it a proper home. I handled it with as much patience as I could muster, and a lot of redirected energy into new stories!

Calvin

Did fame and fortune change your life?

White Female Guest

Fortune is a strong word! I made a modest amount, but it allowed me to feel I was earning my keep. It didn't change my character, but it certainly made our lives in Chawton a bit more comfortable.

Calvin

Who had the biggest influence on your life?

White Female Guest

My sister, Cassandra. She was my confidante, my first reader, and my best friend. I don't think I could have written a single word without her support.

Calvin

What was life like in your final years?

White Female Guest

I spent them in Chawton, surrounded by family. Even as my health began to fail, I kept writing. I was working on "Sanditon" right up until I became too weak to hold the pen. I tried to keep my spirits up for the sake of my family, often making light of my "weak nerves."

Calvin

What were you working on right before you passed?

White Female Guest

"Sanditon" was the novel I was mid-way through. It was a bit different for me—about a seaside town and its eccentric visitors. I also finished "Persuasion" not long before that, which is a story very dear to my heart.

Calvin

When and where did you pass away?

White Female Guest

I passed away on July 18th, 1817, in Winchester. I had gone there to be near a better physician, but unfortunately, there wasn't much to be done. I was only 41.

Calvin

What happened, if you don't mind me asking?

White Female Guest

At the time, we weren't entirely sure. I suffered from a great deal of fatigue and some fever. Modern scholars have their theories, but back then, we just knew my strength had left me.

Calvin

What’s a random fact about you most people have never heard?

White Female Guest

I was actually quite skilled at "cup and ball"—a game where you catch a wooden ball on a spike. My nephew wrote that I could catch it over a hundred times in a row! It was my favorite way to clear my mind.

Calvin

That’s impressive! What’s the craziest rumor ever told about you?

White Female Guest

Oh, there have been so many stories about secret lovers I supposedly had at the seaside! People always want to find a "real-life" Mr. Darcy for me, but most of those stories are far more dramatic than the reality of my life.

Calvin

What was your most unique habit?

White Female Guest

I was very particular about my paper and my pens. I used a goose quill and I would fold my letters in a very specific way since we didn't have envelopes. I suppose I was also a "desperate" walker—I simply had to be outside every day.

Calvin

What was your favorite food?

White Female Guest

I was quite fond of a good dish of toasted cheese! And, of course, tea. A great deal of tea was consumed in our house.

Calvin

Did you have a favorite book?

White Female Guest

I loved the poetry of Cowper and the novels of Samuel Richardson. "Sir Charles Grandison" was a particular favorite of mine.

Calvin

Did you have any known rivalries?

White Female Guest

Not in a personal sense, but I did have some fun poking at the "Gothic" novelists of my time. "Northanger Abbey" was essentially my way of teasing the overly dramatic stories that were popular then.

Calvin

Tell us a story nobody talks about.

White Female Guest

When I was in Bath, my Aunt Jane was actually accused of stealing a piece of lace from a shop! It was a massive scandal at the time, and she even faced a trial. Thankfully, she was acquitted, but it certainly gave us all a bit of a fright!

Calvin

What’s your funniest behind-the-scenes moment?

White Female Guest

Once, while reading a draft of my work to the family, I got so caught up in the silliness of a character that I started laughing so hard I couldn't finish the sentence. My brothers were just staring at me, waiting for the punchline while I was doubled over!

Calvin

Did you ever prank someone?

White Female Guest

I suppose my "pranks" were mostly on paper. I loved writing satirical letters to my relatives, pretending to be someone very grand and ridiculous just to see if they’d catch on.

Calvin

What was the most outlandish purchase you made?

White Female Guest

For me, an "outlandish" purchase was probably a particularly nice piece of silk or a new piano. I wasn't one for grand spending, but I did enjoy a few "elegant economies."

Calvin

What advice would you give people chasing success?

White Female Guest

Be a keen observer. Don't look for the grand, dramatic moments; look for the truth in the small, everyday interactions. And above all, write what makes you laugh and what you find interesting. If you are entertained, your readers likely will be too!

Calvin

Jane, this has been an absolute delight. Do you have any closing remarks about the interview or the stories you shared that you would like to share with the listeners before we sign off?

White Female Guest

Only that I am so very grateful to see that people still find something to love in my stories. It is a wonderful thing to know that the "quiet life" of a lady in Hampshire could reach so far. Thank you for letting me visit with you!

Calvin

Thank you so much for being here, Jane. It’s been an honor. We’ve covered everything from "cup and ball" championships to secret writing desks and the real-life scandals of the Austen family. Truly a fascinating look at the woman behind the masterpieces. And that wraps up another conversation from beyond the grave. Thanks for joining us on The Headstones and Microphones Podcast. Remember—legends may die, but their stories never do. Please help spread the word by sharing and following the pod.