This Week in History, Dec. 15th – 21st

“I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on till I am.”

JANE AUSTEN, letter to Cassandra Austen, Oct. 26, 1813¹

This week we celebrate the 243rd birthday of author Jane Austen,  whose “….contributions have been so widely adopted and adapted by other authors, it can be easy to forget how groundbreaking her work really was,”³

Check out, Jane Austen: a life through the Clark Library. You may find it at PR4036 .T66 1997

This week is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year in our northern hemisphere. It is a time of celebration in many cultures throughout the world.

To learn more about ceremonies honoring the winter solstice, check out Echoes of the ancient skies : the astronomy of lost civilizations,  which is found in the Clark Library at QB16 .K78 1983

¹http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/austen_jane_ii.html
²https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jane_Austen_coloured_version.jpg
³https://news.stanford.edu/2017/07/27/stanford-literary-scholars-reflect-jane-austens-legacy/
⁴https://www.flickr.com/photos/84744710@N06/15886378919