"All this she must possess, and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."--Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

Essays and papers that I have written

A Comparison of the Heroes of Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist--This link takes you to a page on Lake Forest College's website, where my essay, which won LFC's Freshman Writing Contest during my first year in college, is posted.

Silent Despair

Smoking: The Bane of Society

Pain-Free Food

Roses in December

From Mars to Venus and Back Again

An Evening of Bliss

Slaves to the Scale

New President, New Opportunities

Discovering America's Musical Language: A History of Dvorak's Visit to the New World

Miss Austen Goes to Hollywood: Dissecting the "Jane Austen Craze" of the 1990s

"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life."--Mortimer J. Adler

Other Literature

  • The Pemberley Bookshelf--Here I've put together a list of recommended reading for adults and children, with short synopses/reviews of my favorite books. Happy reading!

  • The Internet Public Library--A digital library for those of you who prefer a computer screen to the smell of leather bindings! Here you will find on-line texts, newspapers, magazines, and literary criticism.

  • The On-Line Books Page--This useful site features over 16,000 books, as well as news, features, archives, and more!

  • Shakespeare--This on-line collection includes the "Master's" complete works.

  • Poets' Corner--A wonderful virtual library of poetry, with 6,700 works and 780 poets.

  • Qrisse's Edgar Allen Poe Pages--Read the complete works of the brilliant creator of "The Raven." Also features biographical info, criticism, and a Poe chatroom.

  • Sherlockian.Net--The most comprehensive source on the web for info about the greatest sleuth of all time, Sherlock Holmes, and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

    "Of all the diversions of life, there is none so proper to fill up its empty spaces as the reading of useful and entertaining authors."--Joseph Addison

    Jane Austen and other classic novelists

  • The Republic of Pemberley--"Your haven in a world programmed to misunderstand obsession with things Austen." Here you are among friends! Includes discussion groups for each novel and a beautiful Emma adaptations page.

  • Jane Austen Info Page --A sub-page of the Republic of Pemberley and a safehaven for Austenmaniacs like myself! All the info under the sun about Jane and her writings.

  • Emma Adaptations &c.--Yet another sub-page! This is a beautiful site about the various film and television adaptations of Austen's novel Emma; it contains full scripts, classic quotes, stills and sounds, soundtrack info, and anything else you'll ever need to know about these movies! (By the way, the best version is referred to as "Emma Two.")

  • The Bronte Sisters Web--The best resource on the web for information about Charlotte Bronte, the author of one of my favorite novels, Jane Eyre, as well as her two sisters. Here you can read all of the novels and poems, and you will also find information about Haworth, the Bronte home in Yorkshire, and the Bronte Society.

  • The Anne of Green Gables Webpage--This site, devoted to the wonderful Kevin Sullivan films, includes cast bios, scripts, and pictures/sounds from the movies.

  • Charles Dickens--Gad's Hill Place--A fascinating page on the life and works of Charles Dickens, with on-line texts, a "Daily Dose of Dickens," and great Dickensian quotes.

    "It is well to read everything of something, and something of everything ."--Lord Henry P. Brougham

    Quotations

  • My Favorite Quotes--Here I have collected some of my own favorite quotations, ranging from the philosophical to the hilarious. (Check back often, since I'm constantly adding new quotes!)

  • TPCN Quotation Center --An extensive collection of quotes to "inspire and empower you." Search by author or subject.

  • Bartlett's Familiar Quotations-- Passages and phrases from ancient and modern literature.

  • The Quotations Page--This site features Quotes of the Day, Quotes of the Week, a quote search, and more.

    "To feel most beautifully alive means to be reading something beautiful, ready always to apprehend in the flow of language the sudden flash of poetry ."--Gaston Bachelard