Who Was Jane Austen? by Sarah Fabiny

 

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captures the story of Jane Austen – a beloved English author whose books are more popular today than they were in her own lifetime. She achieved success as a published author in a time when there were no women writers officially.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. He looked after a small parish in Steventon, a small village west of London.

The Austen’s house was crowded and noisy, but it was a happy and comfortable place. The Reverend’s library was filled with books and Jane spent a lot of time reading them. The parents also encouraged all children to put on short performances for their entertainment. 

Jane enjoyed the busy atmosphere at home as well as her long walks in the countryside. The nature inspired her to start writing. She was dazzled by their cousin Eliza’s life, married to a French count. Eliza’s exciting life gave Jane further inspiration for her stories. Jane was drawn to strong female characters. She didn’t like the silly or sentimental characters. She was also very outspoken, not afraid to speak her mind, and explore it in her writing. She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended. The more she wrote, the better she got at it.

She was twenty-one when she finished writing First Impressions. It was rejected by the publisher, but Jane wasn’t to give up on her dream of becoming an author. Meanwhile, she wrote two more novels.

At twenty-six, with the help of her brother, she found a publisher for one of her novels, Susan. But at the end, the book was never published. 

In 1810, at thirty-five, she found a publisher for Sense and Sensibility which appeared in bookstores in October 1811, and received good reviews. By July 1813, all copies were sold. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. In 1814, Mansfield was published. In 1815, Emma was sold to publisher. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after the death of Jane.

This biography illustrates a strong woman who believed in her writing and the characters she portrayed. Despite many rejections, she persisted with what she believed in. 

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2017

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Never Give Up believing in Your Talent

 

Traits:

·         She spent a lot of time reading books.

·         The walks in nature inspired her to start writing.

·         The exciting life of her cousin gave Jane inspiration for more stories.

·         She was drawn to strong female characters and that’s what she portrayed in her stories.

·         She was outspoken, and explored it in her writing.

·         She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended.

·         The more she wrote, the better she got at it.

·         She received many rejections before her first book was published.

 

“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” – Jane Austen

“There is safety in reserve, but no attraction. One cannot love a reserved person.” – Jane Austen 

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” – Jane Austen

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Jane Austen trusted her incredible mind power which served her very well.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Mind Power in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he explains the words of Sir Edward Dyer in his poem. He was an English poet of the Elizabethan period best known for his lyric beginning, “My mind to me a kingdom is.”

Dyer further explains the poet’s words as comfort of detaching from everything, including body, and being in the kingdom of a quiet mind. Your mind gives you the power of choice.

“The need to acquire more than is necessary, to chase after success at all costs, to consistently pursue approval from others is not imposed on us, it is a function of how we choose to use that invisible mystery within us, our mind.”

Who Was Georgia O'Keeffe by Sarah Fabiny

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade brings an American artist – Georgia O’Keeffe - who was known for her stunning paintings of flowers and landscapes.

Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986) was raised on a farm in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where she fell in love with her art classes. The nature she observed and drew became her best companion. 

In Catholic school, she didn’t like the strict rules, and rebelled, which often got her into trouble. When her schoolmates talked about finding husbands, Georgia thought of becoming an artist. 

At seventeen, she enrolled at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Due to illness, she had to take a break and later continued her studies in NYC.

At twenty-five, she obtained a position in Texas where she taught art classes, but authorities wanted the teachings to be the old way. And there was a new movement in art. Again, this wasn’t the right place for her. 

Georgia continued to take classes to improve her drawings, visiting galleries where she saw a new way of painting, not traditional one. Her ideas continued to shape in her head. 

Her life continued to be a progress in developing her own style. She continued to teach art classes at different schools and taking classes from those who would benefit her progress. 

When Alfred Stieglitz displayed her art in his gallery in NYC, it became a turning point in her life.

It started with art between them, but later developed into a relationship and marriage.

At fifty-eight, she became the first woman artist to have a major show at MOMA in NYC. 

This biography illustrates a strong woman who became a pioneer by breaking rules throughout her life. In the process, finding her iconic style of objects very close-up. 

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2022

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: She Stayed True to Who She Was. She Wasn’t Afraid to Go Against Convention.

 

 

Traits:

·         She grew up on a farm which gave her inspiration for her iconic style.

·         She didn’t like strict rules, and limitations it created.

·         When her schoolmates talked about finding husbands, Georgia thought of becoming an artist.

·         She observed a new movement in art and continued to observe what was on display in museums and galleries. She never stopped observing.

·         She took classes to improve her drawings. Her learning progress never stopped.

·         Her life continued to be a progress in developing her own style.

 

“My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.” – Georgia O’Keeffe 

“I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality. I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say - in paint.” – Georgia O’Keeffe 

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Awakening by Deepak Chopra – In his latest book, Deepak Chopra explores the subject of self-awareness, the deep awareness, the one that leads to awakening.

Your daily obstacles are like a road map, showing you what to unblock, what needs to be improved with your behavior, in order to reach the deeper awareness. Fear seems to be the obstacle blocking most of us from achieving the higher awareness that leads to miracles (things you want to receive in life but you block it because fear makes you stay for example at the same workplace).

The sutras give you tools to handle different obstacles in life. As you start removing blockages, the fear starts losing its power. You start feeling safer with your decisions. Eventually, fear dissipates.

For example, Sutra 2 talks about projecting the world - illusion vs wholeness. Before awakening, you’re in a state of fragmentation (when you go through ups and downs), the opposite of wholeness. When you live in the illusion, life becomes reactive, compulsive, ego-driven, self-absorbed, insecure, and anxious. It’s a mind disconnected from the source. The isolated mind projects its own fragmented state onto a fragmented world.

Each chapter (sutra) shows further how to practice each sutra. For example, embracing the unknown. We often choose security, the known, the predictable, because there is fear behind unknown. But when you step into the unknown without anticipation or expectation, the burden falls away. You can practice doing something creative, and by embracing it that will help you with transforming the unknown into a source of inspiration, and give comfort with stepping into unknown.

The Sutras also give guidance how to know when you’re not aligned with the source. For example, to know effortlessly is the highest form of knowing. The intuition or ‘aha’ moments should arrive spontaneously. When you’re aligned with the source and have a question, the answer should come effortlessly. When you don’t know the answer or search for it, it means you’re not aligned with the source.