The Thing About Austen Podcast By The Thing About Austen cover art

The Thing About Austen

The Thing About Austen

By: The Thing About Austen
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The Thing About Austen is a podcast about Jane Austen's world — the people, objects, and culture that shape Austen's fiction. Come for the historical context and stay for the literary shenanigans. Think of us as your somewhat cheeky tour guides to the life and times of Jane Austen.© The Thing About Austen Podcast. Music "Studio per Il Pianoforte, Op. 30, No. 21 in G Major" by Johann Baptist Cramer. Performed and recorded by Karali Hunter. Used with permission of artist. Art Literary History & Criticism World
Episodes
  • Episode 116: The Thing About Mrs. Bates's Knitting with guest Eleanor Gilchrist

    Episode 116: The Thing About Mrs. Bates's Knitting with guest Eleanor Gilchrist
    Mar 23 2026

    Mrs. Bates may be sitting quietly in the corner, but her hands are always busy. This episode we are joined by knitting and crochet historian Eleanor Gilchrist to discuss the details of Mrs. Bates's knitting. We also take a look at Mrs. Smith's relationship to knitting in Persuasion.

    If you have ever needed tips on how to best show off your elegant hands and neck, this episode is for you.

    Thank you so much to Eleanor for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Instagram @stitchesandseeds.

    You can find us online at https://www.thethingaboutausten.com and follow us on Instagram @TheThingAboutAusten. You can email us at TheThingAboutAusten@gmail.com and head over to https://www.redbubble.com/people/aboutausten/shop to check out our podcast related merch.
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    32 mins
  • Episode 115: The Thing About Harriet as a Natural Daughter

    Episode 115: The Thing About Harriet as a Natural Daughter
    Feb 27 2026

    Emma has big plans for Harriet, and these plans require a backstory, which Emma is more than happy to concoct. This episode we unpack the meaning of the expression "natural daughter" and discuss the social context of illegitimacy in Austen's time.

    You can find us online at https://www.thethingaboutausten.com and follow us on Instagram @TheThingAboutAusten. You can email us at TheThingAboutAusten@gmail.com and head over to https://www.redbubble.com/people/aboutausten/shop to check out our podcast related merch.
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    39 mins
  • Episode 114: The Thing About Miss Lambe with guest Damianne Scott

    Episode 114: The Thing About Miss Lambe with guest Damianne Scott
    Jan 30 2026

    This episode we welcome back guest Damianne Scott to discuss Miss Lambe from Austen's unfinished work, Sanditon. Dami covers exactly why Miss Lambe is such an important character in Austen's canon, as well as delving into the portrayal of Miss Lambe in the recent television miniseries (consider this your spoiler warning for the show!).

    Thank you so much to Dami for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Instagram @BlackGirlLoves76, on X @BlackGirlLoves3, and on the Black Girl Loves Jane Facebook page.

    You can find us online at https://www.thethingaboutausten.com and follow us on Instagram @TheThingAboutAusten. You can email us at TheThingAboutAusten@gmail.com and head over to https://www.redbubble.com/people/aboutausten/shop to check out our podcast related merch.
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    37 mins

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Zan and Diane deliver the important and juicy stuff that help makes Jane Austen live on! What a gem! Thank you!

Lively and fresh!

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There are many cultural details in Austen’s novels that I’ve glossed over for decades without thinking too much about. The Thing About Austen digs into these nuances with guests who are experts in things like miniature paintings and astronomy. Zan and Diane find seemingly unimportant details that once they are examined give Austen’s novels much more depth. Thank you Zan and Diane. I look forward to each pod cast episode.

Depth through details

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relaxed discussion that goes deep without being stuffy at all
Unique topics related to all things Austen

enjoyable

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I didn't spend any more time thinking about General Tilney's pamphlets than Catherine Morland did, so this episode was super interesting. It also perfectly explained Henry Tilney's comment about neighbors being voluntary spies, which had puzzled me before and I had assumed to mean he had gossipy neighbors - turns out to be much less benign!

really interesting historical context

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I love the level of detail and the insight into the Navy in Austin’s books

Enjoyed it!

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