Jane in January – Reflections and Inspirations

One activity for our Jane in January month on Austen Variations, will be to reflect upon what inspires us in our writing.  “Nothing so easy, if we have but the inclination,” as Lizzy told Miss Bingley.  For it’s easy to see that it is Jane Austen herself who principally inspires us. She does this in a marvelous myriad of ways, and we each react to her differently. Some are attracted to her exquisite style, her humor, or the romantic element in her stories. We all want her beloved novels to go on and on, and that is why we find such delight in trying to continue them, embellish them, and carry her people into worlds undreamed of.  Jane Austen is a constant in our imagination, but apart from this love, we are a group of very different writers, from all sorts of backgrounds and places, with a wide range of interests and careers.  Some will be writing about the ways in which Austen inspires them; others may name an inspiration in addition to Austen. It will be interesting to read the variety of answers.  My own inspiration, currently, is Venice.

I was fortunate enough to first visit Venice in 1989, with my husband Peter.  Here we are, on the Accademia Bridge.  Never in our lives did we have a more enchanted, enchanting visit:  we were in love with each other, but also simultaneously with Venice!  We simply walked everywhere, wide-eyed and spellbound, for a week.  I know I had never in my life dreamed of such beauty, or such a place, and could not wait to return!

But life’s not always obliging about where it takes us, and although I did manage to visit England many times, work constraints meant that I could not do more.  Finally, in 2005, I had a big birthday coming up, and was determined not to miss spending it in Venice. As my son Paul had never seen the city, I persuaded him to come with me. One of the great pleasures of the trip was seeing his delight. “This place can’t be real!” he said, on beholding the Grand Canal for the first time.  I wandered the streets for a week, as before, this time with him.  I did other trips with my husband, but this was Paul’s Venice trip.

My third time was in December 2017, to visit English academic friends who were lucky enough to move there. All my trips have been in December,  and I must say it is a superb time to go to Venice. Tourists and crowds are largely gone, prices are much lower, and you have the palazzi,  museums, canals and restaurants,  not quite to yourself, but much more serene than in summer – as befits “La Serenissima.”

Venice itself is my inspiration, just letting the beauty wash over me as I walk or ride on a vaporetto (picture above is out on the lagoon); but what I most like to think about is the past.  Lord Byron spent a good deal of time in Venice, and I have loved following his trail, reading and researching about what he did and wrote – and this led to my working him into the story I have been writing, “The Darcys and Lord Byron in Venice.”  (They’re all posted here at Austen Variations, and the next, Part 8, will be posted on January 21.)  

Another inspiration for me is the glitter and the sparkle of the objects, art, architecture, glassware, jewelry, that overwhelm the senses everywhere you go.  I suppose that’s still the little girl in me who used to love nothing more than a sequined ballet costume!  Certainly, when I stand in front of some visual glory, be it the Santa Maria de Salute plague church, or a facile arrangement of gleaming glassware in a shop window, I feel exactly like that child again, breathless with excitement. That’s a great way to feel, and I usually try to work some of the beauties I’ve seen and historical objects that have made me feel that way, into my stories.

Venetian chandeliers are works of art in themselves, but so far I’ve resisted trying to bring home any perilously complicated and fragile pieces of glassware!

However, the temptations of the shop windows are sometimes too much…

Last year I gave in and bought these vases on the glass-blowing island of Murano.

Another thing it’s useless to resist, let’s face it, is the food. Here I am, last year, enjoying a caffe mocha with cream and a piece of divine chocolate cake at the glorious 17th century Caffe Florian in St. Mark’s Place!

Also on Murano, I fell in love with a family of little kittens, playing in an alley by the lagoon. But I did resist bringing a kitty home as a souvenir.  Both my husband and son agreed it would have been the best souvenir I ever brought home, but I didn’t know what Customs would say about it…

Please come back for the next segment of my “Darcys and Lord Byron in Venice” story on January 21, when there will be a VENETIAN GIVEAWAY!!!  (Hint:  It will be a piece of jewelry and involve glass beads! )

And now, may I wish a very Happy New Year to all who love Jane Austen!