TabbiW

Is from: Owosso, Michigan
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Hmmmm well basically i'm just another lunatic Michigander who is obsessed with Jane Austen's novels. My all-time favorite being Pride & Prejudice. I love to write stories, poetry, biking, dancing, be an annoyance, wreak havoc in public, and be a general all-out nuisance. I'm comical, sarcastic, rude, pushy, overbearing, closet-romantic(but dont tell), and just a tad insane. Ok so maybe totally insane but my psychiatrist says i'm coming along nicely! :D

I'm 21, an only child(selfish, demanding) work a low-paying, thankless job just so the government can take over half of my measely wages, only to have them turn around and take away my rights(lovely isnt it?) Let's see i have two dogs, a cat and some fish, and none of them eats their own food. The dogs eat the catfood, the cat eats the fishfood, and my fish eat the dogfood. I guess my insanity has rubbed off. Hmm what else? OH yes i love doing doughnuts in the parking lot of the local college. I like going to the local bars and making fun of the natives, getting tipsy and making an arse of myself. I am currently working on world domination, along with my co-conspirator, ColleenV., as soon as we have succeeded Jane Austen shall be revered as a God. We're even working on creating new money with her picture on it. "In Austen We Trust", etc. You get the picture.

Anywho, since i have posted several times here i figured i might as well post something about myself so you can all poke fun at me! *wiggles eyebrows* i guarantee i will retaliate in kind! Now i have to be going before the other Asylum inmates get rowdy and i have to show them who's boss!(have to keep the pesky underlings in check you know-i won't tolerate insubordination) Thanks for reading!

Tabby (or tabitha for my pretentious mother)

Is from: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Hello there!
I have been lurking for the past three to four years and have finally decided to get involved!
Mainly, I have nothing to do anymore, as I have finally graduated from college after four different majors. I am a twenty-three year old incapable of making decisions! First, I was an English major, then a public relations and political science double major, then a historical theatre major, then an education major, and finally a graduate with a degree in English and a certificate qualifying me to teach grades sixth through twelve.
Now that that is all over, my husband and I just welcomed a daughter named Emma Clare on the 7th of December 2004.
Apart from mommy stuff, my obsessions are international travel (can four month olds fly Delta?), Keats, Byron, Beckett, Earl Grey, Nigella Lawson’s pavlovas, and of course Miss Austen! I am also deathly afraid of snakes, horror movies involving creepy children, and mayonnaise.

Tahsin KICIRLI

Is from: Ankara / TURKEY

I am from Turkey; I am writer in Turkey, I have yacht captain license and also have PADI/CMAS Diver license, I like adventures very much.I saw central asia steps in Kazakhstan, desrts in Turkmenistan, real history in Turkey. (Old names of Anatolia is 1000 gods city). When I was a young man (about 6-7) I made from woods of our room doors a little air plane. My father beated me. Unfortunatelly above mentioned air plane does not fly never. Today I am 33 years old. When I look for my background, I see the real story of my life. Two books written by me; 1. You, me and die (Poems:1991-1993two times)and 2. All of them is dream (essay:1993) If your heart in right place. Please write to me your dreams, your hopes and imagine. I would like to establish a correct friendship with you.

with my best regards
Tahsin KICIRLI

Tamara

Is from: Johannesburg, South Africa
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I can't believe I have been here for so long without posting my bio!

So, I was born on 1 December 1984 (yes, you did need to know that). I live in Johannesburg, in Sandton. I have a brother and a sister, both younger. My world travels are rather limited (Israel and Australia.)

In my spare time I....... Come on, take a guess!
Can't? Alright, I visit DWG, almost obsessively. Oh, and I read almost anything I can get my hands on (which is why I visit this place so often)

If I had lived in Jane Austen's time, I probably would be considered 'an accomplished young lady', I do much but am good at none of it. I read, write, walk, play the piano, sing, draw, embroider (when I have the time), do fabric painting, study. In modern terms I would be considered accomplished because I am entering university next year, to study physio, I cook, do yoga, talk on the phone, travel when I can.

Oh, and I am very involved in a youth movement called Bnei Akiva. That involves working in the community, organising functions, and doing a camp each December. This is not like American camps, where you sleep in bunks and get paid. Here, the maddies (councillours) sleep in tents, just like the kids, eat the same mass produced mush (last year's mush was surprisingly edible), and WE have to pay for camp! But it is such an amazing experience.

Plans for the future involve qualifying as a physio, and maybe specialising (depending on my marriage situation in 5 years time) and moving to Israel some time thereafter.

Oh, and favourite authors and movies. Well, my favoirite authors are Joanne Rowling (Harry Potter), Douglas Adams (the Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy) and Naomi Raegan (the ghost of Hanna Mendes). I'm sure there's one more, but I can't really remember her name...

My favourite movie if 'Notting Hill' with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, although 'Emma' with Gwyneth Paltrow and 'Pride and Prejudice' with, well you know with who, come in close.

Oh, now I remember, my absolute favourite author of all time (although I admit, Joanne Rowling is very close) is JANE AUSTEN.

So, you've read some of my stories, and now you know a bit about me too. Hope it didn't scare you off!

Tamsin

Is from: Alberta, Canada

Name: Tamsin Briana ____ (you could probably guess my last name!)

Nicknames: Tam, Tammy, Tammy-son, Tammy Banana, Banana, Sin, and Kid.

DOB: July 28, 1984

Siblings: NONE!

Home: I live a few miles out of the town of Tofield, in Alberta Canada. I REALLY wish I could show you a picture of my house... I like to think of it as a miniature Pemberly. The grounds (hehe... I wish) are beautiful... But that is just my humble opinion!

Favorite things to do in summer: Read, write, swim, celebrate my birthday, have bonfires, go to the chat room, and OF COURSE... visit DWG.

Favorite things to do in winter: Cross-country ski, read, write, drink hot chocolate with flavored coffee whitener (I’m not kidding), and celebrate Christmas.

Pets:

Dogs: Mack, Buster, Bailey, and Jock (a.k.a... Jockey Shorts or Stumpy... He has other names... But we need not get into that! ;-)).

Cats: Boris, Sergeant, Sugar, Dexter, and Ambrose.

My mother and I are lobbying for a horse, but nothing to report so far!

Favorite JA novel: P&P.

Favorite JA novel, adaptation: P&P (A&E one).

Favorite books (apart from P&P): The Little House series (especially These Happy Golden Years), Black Sheep, Arabella, Regency Buck, Darcy’s Story, The Secret Language of Birthdays, Ghost stories of Canada, Ghost Stories of Saskatchewan, Ghost Stories of Alberta, More Ghost Stories of Alberta, and Macs for Dummies (ONCE MORE... I’m not kidding... It is TOO cute!).

Favorite movies (apart from P&P): Shakespeare In Love, Strictly Ballroom, The Odd Couple, The Advocate, Valmont, Emma (I find it had to choose between the KB one, or the GP one!), One Against the Wind, The English Patient, You’ve Got Mail, and The Parent Trap.

Favorite TV shows: Due South (it is gone now... I’m NOT happy), ER, The Royal Canadian Air Farce, The X-Files, Jeopardy, and Coronation Street (I SAID CORONATION STREET! Sorry, a little C. Street humor!).

Profession: I’m ONLY 15! Give me a break! Well, I DO doggy-sit, but that is only now and then! I would like to be an architect and an interior designer. Also, I would love to somehow work photography into that equation!

Favorite foods: Pizza, Hamburgers, Louisiana Steak, Lamb chops, Pork chops, restuffed-baked potatoes, Beef and Barley soup, Lasagna, Nachos, Cheesecake, Banana’s Foster, Peach Delight, Fruit pizza. I also have a weakness for Nutella and maraschino cherries!

Favorite drinks: Water, apple juice, and Sprite. (In that order)

Interesting experiences with wildlife: I came within 1 or 2 feet of a deer. And, I recently came within less than one foot of a Great Horned Owl.

Well, that would appear to be all... *Tamsin hears a collective sigh of relief*... Harumph! After ALL that hard work, too! ;)

Tanisha

Is from: McLean, Virginia, USA
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A person's heritage says more about them than anything else, so I'm going to begin by saying that I am originally from India. I'm always stumped when people ask me where I'm from because I've moved around all my life, never living in the same place for more than a few years, until recently. I've lived in McLean for more than 5 years, so it's the easiest answer. Before that, I've lived in Conneticut and dozens of cities in India.

Well, I was born May 16, 1983 and had a wonderful childhood. All the moving around made me an expert at being the "new kid" and I learned how to adapt to new situations. Growing up, all I ever wanted was to be an adult. I have my wish now, I guess. I graduated from McLean High School and now attend Dartmouth College, continuing a dwiggie tradition. I love college; I find myself growing by leaps and bounds. The people and experiences I have found in college touch my life and change me constantly. It's quite an adventure and this spirit of constant change and discovery is what keeps me excited about life.

I have loved books all my life. My favorite authors include Jane Austen (obviously), Ayn Rand, Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse. My favorite books are Pride and Prejudice, Atlas Shrugged, Catch 22 - to name a few. I love to write. It is my way to express myself, vent frustrations, cope with emotions, create something meaningful. I am a romantic at heart - I love candlelit dinners and dances by roaring fireplaces. Everyone looks better by candelight.

I love life. I admire beautiful things. I respect ambition and achievement. I believe in having a purpose, always. I love walking down the streets of New York City. I hate ambling. I love crisp, fall days. I love driving my car on a warm, spring day, with the windows rolled down and my favorite songs blasting on the radio. I adore words. I am attracted to guys, who have a great sense of humor. I love to laugh. I believe in reason and logic. I believe in love. I have faith in the human mind. I love to dance and have a good time. I am constantly mystified by the universe. I marvel at the human body. I never want to forget the excitement for life I feel now. I want to keep sight of how I want things to be, while not ignoring how things really are. I never want to accept mediocrity.

There are too many things in life to be excited about, too many dreams to realize, too many goals to achieve, too many places to see, too many things to learn, too many people to meet - I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I am both a realist and an idealist. One of these days, I want to change the world - in my own small way. I have big dreams and believe that the possiblities are endless. I love my family and friends; I want to share my love for life with them. Time is something I will constantly have to battle because there are only so many hours in a day - when I figure out how to make the most of my time, I will be that much happier.

I tend to talk too much, as you can probably see. My one piece of advice would be to always think, question, analyze - your mind is your greatest weapon, your biggest resource, your constant friend. That's all.

Tanisha

TanyaS

Is from: Sydney, Australia

I am 30 years old, married to a man who has no idea who Jane Austen is but indulges my fascination for anything to do with Jane Austen.
Sandra R introuduced me to this site for which I must say a big THANK YOU! to her for. It is great and I really feel right at home here. My favourite JA novel is P&P followed by Emma. My favourite adaptation is the BBC P&P 1995, which stars my favourite actor Colin (Be stil my beating heart) Firth.

Tasha

Is from: Boston, MA
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"Tell us about yourself"???

Well, it all started on a wintry March night in '86, when my mother's water broke and I decided to pop out of her, all bloody and icky and gooey . . .

But you don't want to know that, do you? Fast forward to the present (i.e., 2002). I'm 16 years old, and far from looking like the goddess I've always thought I was. I go to Boston Latin School, reputedly the oldest school in the country (c.1635). Remember in January, when George W. went to celebrate the signing of some big education bill in a Boston school? If you watched his speech, you were looking at a fancified version of my school's gym. . We were drilled on what to say, were we interviewed (one shmucky friend of mine actually read from the script when he was interviewed!)We were kicked out of school at noon. (For a guy who's promoting an education bill, George W. didn't seem too troubled about depriving us of ours!)

Moving on . . . I like Jane Austen.

That was stupid of me. Of course I like Jane Austen. If I hated her I probably wouldn't like coming here every single day and all of you would be annoyed at me coming here and making cynical remarks. (I love cynical remarks, by the way.) Was first introduced to JA when I was 10 - I began P&P, but then I couldn't really understand what everyone was saying (This from a person who had already read "Jane Eyre"!), so I gave up with the intention of starting up again later. Later turned out to be after a span of five years, when my father brought home P&P2. I wasn't interested in the movie at first, but then I saw CF as Darcy, and was glued to the screen for the next three hours. My dad didn't want to watch it all in one viewing, but I forced him to let me watch it in one day (Oh, I have SOCS - Spoiled Only Child Syndrome!). Then I read the book. What can I say? I was in heaven! Then I read all the other major novels - oh, wait! I read Persuasion, NA, and Emma in eighth grade!!! Loved them all, but didn't take that much of an interest in them.
Anyway, last year, I was given an interesting final project for history: to find a period movie and analyze its historical accuracy. Guess what I chose?? P&P2!! While wandering around the internet looking for info, I found this site (via RoP). I lurked for quite a while, but I've recently started writing.
More facts about me: I love the theatre. I was an asst. director last year for Hart & Kaufman's 'You Can't Take It With You'. That was the crowning point of my career. I went to Scotland this summer for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (absolutely brilliant! long live Boom Chicago!!)
I love music. I played the violin for two years, then I switched to viola last year. I'm part of three ensembles - the BLS Senior String Orchestra, BLS Chamber Ensemble, and the Encore Quintet. I perform a lot.
I love writing. I write here, and lots of private stuff. I'm Asst. Editor for BLS literary magazine, the "Register".
Oh, and I'm a Red Cross volunteer, and I love children, cheese, and pie. Not all together, but separately. I'm very sleepy now. Perhaps it's because BLS student don't sleep. Maybe I should . . .

Teanna

Is from: Stockholm, Sweden
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I come from a long line of Librarians, and they all told me I was born to become one. I stubbornly refused to listen to them, until I turned 23. Then I listened. So now I have about four years of University ahead of me.

While waiting for that graduation, I read and write, and tell other people what I think they should read. I don't tell them what to write, I'm saving that until I turn 75.

I do have a life, it's buried right there under "Burke's Peerage", "Practical Communism", "The Lord of the Rings" and the other almost 1000 books I keep in my room.

My aim is to make people laugh at my stories, but late at night I write P and P stories with loads of angst, all named "P and P without the humour".

But that's just a phase. I'm a happy person, and my six future children will bear the names Guinevere, David, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Cordelia, and Darcy, but my husband probably won't allow that last one.

Do write if you want to, I love to meet new people that read and/or write OR has a huge estate and likes redheads.

Teg

Is from: Ontario, Canada
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Born and raised in the Niagara Region, I have spent the last 15+ years working for the local Board of Education first as a Media Technician and now in the Educational Media Services Department.

I am married and have one son, who just loves to watch and read about Mr. Dahcy!

My first exposure to Jane Austen was too long ago to remember, but following that unamed BBC production from 1995, I devoured everything I could find on the delightful lady.

I enjoy reading, writing, (not arithmetic), Star Trek, horseback riding(dressage and jumping in particular), writing, Coronation Street, writing......

Am I sounding a little obsessive, here? ;)

I love this place and the people here!!

Thanks Ann for maintaining the accomodations!!!! I raise my glass to you.....

Indeed!!!

Teresa AF

Is from: USA - Mid-Atlantic/South

Hi, I work as a graphic designer and I am a single mother. In my spare time I enjoy reading, drawing, writing, and watching movies with English actors. American actors grate on my nerves, and the movies that are being produced here are so, shall we say lame; and television is not much better. Masterpiece Theater, A&E, Bravo, HGTV International, and AMC are all the viewing I generally do. I lived in England as a teen and since then I have wanted to be English. I take delight in British satire, so TV shows like "Friends" and "Drew Carey" are tiresome to me. Give me "Monty Python" any day.

I like to travel and my favorite places to talk about and visit are San Francisco and Disney World. One day when I save enough money I will go back to visit the places I knew in Oxfordshire.

Other than the stories here, I am not a great reader. However, when I do find something I like I tend to read it straight through and not look up until it is finished. I have just recently finished reading all of Jane Austen and my favorites (in order) are P & P, NA, & P. The others are not my style, though I did enjoy the dramatizations immensely. I own all of the movies except NA so I eagerly await that production.

I am pretty new to DWG, "lurking" from time to time. For some strange reason I was never quite able to find my way around in the beginning, but I feel comfortable now. I generally hang out at Pemberley so some of you may know me from there.

I am sorry to say I am NOT a CF fan, (*tears forming*) however I am a devoted AC fan (*big smile*) and have spent the last several months renting all of his movies. Ohhhh, those puppy dog eyes!!! So when I post my stories, Colonel Fitzwilliam will most likely be the star and will tend to be on the humorous side. I am working on a serious story over in BOI called "Attachments" though I'm going through serious writer's block with it. I will be making some revisions and will post it over here one-day soon.

Writing is very new to me so the things you see me post will probably not have the "polish" that so many of your stories possess. I am constantly purchasing writer's manuals and workbooks and hopefully with time I will improve. I appreciate the warm hospitality and encouragement that I have received regarding my posts and look forward to a long and happy relationship with you all.

Warmest Regards,
Teresa AF

Teri

Is from: Binghamton, NY

I am a graduate student working towards a MSIS in Library Science as well as a MA in History. I have been reading Jane Austen since probably about the 6th grade-have loved her since I was about 14 (it took a while to comprehend the language). I am recently engaged to my boyfriend of three years, and we have two cats, Maya (after Angelou) and Kate (after Kate from "The Taming of the Shrew"). I love to collect old books and biographies, and we both love to travel and read. We need to find a place to settle down, because it's getting really difficult to keep moving all of our books around! :O)

Theresa

Is from: Georgia, USA
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I'm a teacher, currently unemployed.
Love to read (anything with words on it, as the family joke goes), websurf, watch TV, walk, travel, write, etc.
Currently reading Iain Pears, Bryce Courtenay, Beryl Markham, John Grisham, John Patterson, well, you get the idea...
I seem to be addicted to this place, checking at least once a day to see what's happening in my favorite stories. Kinda like the soaps...
What'll I do when I'm out of town this summer? Waah!

TheresaS.

Is from: Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
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Hello! I have been visiting this site for about 2 years now, but am only now posting a bio. I feel weird about this because I don't post stories, just responses, chat and Tea Room stuff. But then I said "What the heck!" So, this is my official introduction.

I am married (22 years this April) and have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys. I am a teacher of 8th grade students in the subject of U.S. History. I really enjoy my work and interacting with the students. I particularly enjoy hearing the other teachers that post here express their views on teaching.

I like: Atlanta Braves baseball, Utah Jazz Basketball and Dallas Cowboys football, tennis, playing softball, reading, movies, traveling, eating out, sleeping in, summer's off, chocolate, seafood, and Colin Firth.

Favorite Movies (other than JA adaptations): While You Were Sleeping, French Kiss, You've Got Mail, Armageddon, The Fifth Element, An Ideal Husband, The Sound of Music, Gone With the Wind, The Godfather Triology and many more..

Favorite JA adaptation - Sense and Sensibility, with Persuasion a close second.

Favorite authors: JA, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Stephen King, Stephen Ambrose (right now anyway, they always change)

Favorite TV show: Seinfeld reruns

I visit Austen.com everyday and would feel quite lost without it. One day I may be brave enough to post something but right now I am enjoying reading everyone elses wonderful stories and conversing with the great people at this site.

Therese

Is from: Oslo, Norway

I am a 31-year old consultant who works at an international consultancy firm here in Oslo. I am married to Jon, we have no children.

I read a lot, and Jane Austen is one of my favorites. My favourite JA is P&P. But now when I found this site ... I have internet acess at work, so I write out the stories to read at home. I am definitely not a writer, so I will continue to enjoy the fantastic stories on the board.

When I don't work and read, I watch tv, videos and film (my fav is of course CF in P&P2 !!) and meet friends. I also go to aerobic classes once in a while.

Tina

Is from: NJ, USA
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Oy! After reading 80 Ways of Dwiggiedom, I knew I had to come out of the woodwork (93.8% Dwiggie if you're strict with the wording, but 97.5% if spouse and kids are replaced by brother and children you baby-sit) and officially declare myself as an absolute slave to JA FanFic and anything else related to JA and her o-filled-with-lifelong-wisdom novels. Hail! ::kneeling down and flailing arms in direction of enlarged JA poster in room::

I'm a sophomore of an obscure suburban high school trying to duck from school lunches, evil math problems and anyone resembling "Collins", "Augusta", "Caroline" and "Steele" characters. I've related all my classmates and teachers to some JA character or other with excellent success (a "Sir Thomas" and a "Mrs. Norris" moved in last year, ick).

I started reading the JA novels in 6th grade quite by accident. I was really looking for "The Agony and The Ecstasy" and picked the wrong book up in the library (it's kinda like the Jane/Bingley video store sequence in Dreamweaver written by Dawn). And eventually got hooked. Then I found BoI and DWG and became obsessed =).

Let me tell you, the Fantasia Gallery and Epilogue Abbey was a revelation!

I love coffee, classics (novels, music, architecture.. etc.), toxiology, coffee, New England, web, coffee, Great Britain, and comedy spin-offs (have I mentioned coffee?). Monty Python, Wallace and Gromit, Airplane, Clue, Hotshots, Empire Records, AMC.. hehehehe.

http://www.geocities.com/kahiko2/coffeecup.gif

And that's me!

Tineke

Is from: Flanders, Belgium
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Birthday: 9 November '78

I'm the baby of the family (only a teeny weeny bit spoiled). Brothers: Krist (29), Joris (27), Ward (26) and sister: Maaike (22).

I'm studying Architectural Engineering (3rd year) at the Catholic University of Leuven (I'm not a religious person though).

My first language is Dutch (Flemish), second language is supposed to be French (recent visits to France have proven that my French needs a lot of polishing though).

I first discovered JA through Emma Thompson's S&S in '96. When Flemish and Dutch TV first showed P&P2 in September '96, I was glued to the screen. And apparently I was not the only one. A couple of months later, there already was a rerun on the Dutch TV. Via the website of that TV channel, I discovered the RoP and the fanfic page.

I don't write too many comments on stories, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them.

Tracey

Is from: New Zealand

Hello,
I am a mum of two of the most beautiful girls in this world. I love to read and draw, I am a Christian. Ummmm I don't know what else to say........

Tracy

Is from: New Zealand

I live in Wellington, New Zealand, which is very windy and very hilly. I've just started a new job and I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing there yet, but I am engaged to the most wonderful man in the world. I am sorry, but anyone else who happens to think that they are engaged or married to the most wonderful man in the world is deluding themself.

Apart from that I read Austen, Wodehouse, Agatha Christie and pretty much everything else I can get my hands on.

Trinny

Is from: Sydney, Auatralia
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Aka. Katrina, Kitty, Magenta Lee (Don't ask....)

Hey! I've been a lurker on the DWG boards for a while and thought it was high time to introduce myself. I'm a student and I love writing, although I tend to read more than I write.

I love all Jane Austen's works, although my favourite is Persuasion, with Pride and Prejudice a very close second.

My other interests include writing other fanfiction (including but not limited to Lost, CSI, North and South and Star Wars), gymnastics, tennis, music, piano, flute, piccolo... and language (German and French).

My other literary intersts are other 19th century works (Gaskell, Dickens, Eliot etc.), anything Tolkien, Harry Potter or other fantasy, and Agatha Christie.

Valerie L

Is from: Madison, WI USA
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Hello, I'm currently 38 years of age, female and really enjoy reading some of the stories that appear in the Guild. Makes me wonder why some of these authors don't get their works published. My very favorite Austen book is Persuasion. Thought the Amanda Root movie was wonderful.

I'm single and work at a law firm, doing support work. It is a wonderful job, as my overseer is in Milwaukee and I am virtually my own boss. The only drawback is that it doesn't pay very well & there is virtually no place to go, promotion wise. But I get along famously with my boss, so there is no problem there. Since I am not busy every moment of the day here at work, I am able to read and read and read. Currently, I'm in the middle of reading all the Aubrey/Mautrin Patrick O'Brian series (with a Sea of Words lexicon & companion by my side) and I am trying to learn about (American) football, so I'm slogging through that as well.

I'm not overly ambitious, but hard working, which is probably a plus in this economy. I think and read (again) about politics a great deal. My personal dream for the future is a long term relationship with a man. Other than that, I would like to see alot more balance in the world, rather than everything flowing into the hands of the few.

Vals

Is from: Belfast, N.Ireland
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I'm Valerie, but please call me Val, Vals or Big Val like all my other friends. I'm originally from Omagh, Co.Tyrone, which is about 70 miles from Belfast. I moved here to go to Queens University, and at the moment I'm in my second year of a Politics degree. I'm 19 years old and have one sister, who is 21 and in her final year of University in England. I enjoy living in Belfast, as there is a much better social life, and I'm living far enough away from my parents to have a complete sense of freedom, yet near enough so that if I want to I can hop on a bus and be home within two hours.

I had read Emma and Pride and Prejudice when I was 12, but it wasn't until I saw the 1995 BBC adaption that I was bitten by the Austen bug. Since then I have read all the major works several times. I recently started on The Watsons, but I left the book behind the last time I was at home. P&P is my all time favourite. I've found that I can read it whatever type of mood I'm in as there is always at least one bit of the book that suits my mood. I must have read it about 30 times completely through, but I never get sick of it. Presuasion is probably my second favourite JA novel. My enjoyment of Emma has always been hampered by the fact that I can't stand Emma Woodhouse. I find that whenever I read the book, I just want to slap her about the head with a wet fish!

Adaption wise, I have of course seen P&P2 (several million times), as well as P&P0, Emma 3 (which I really couldn't really stand. I found it to be a very poor adaption), Clueless, and the 1994 BBC Persuasion. I of course agree whole-heartedly that Colin Firth is the ultimate Darcy. I also think that there will never be as good a Frederick Wentworth as Ciaran Hinds. I've never got round to watching the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma, but I probably will soon.

Apart from our own dear Jane, I thoroughly enjoy reading the novels of Agatha Christie and Dick Francis. I really enjoy reading Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding, it always makes me laugh, especially all the references to Darcy (and his namesake). Her book, Cause Celeb is also very witty, the humour is a lot more sharp and stinging than in BJD. Other favourites include Iain Banks' The Crow Road (I also loved the BBC adaption), William Goldman's The Princess Bride, Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice (while the film is excellent,apart from the ending the book just blows it out of the water. It goes into Jean and Joe's life in the outback, its just fantastic), Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Great Expectations and Hard Times by Dickens, Dubliners by James Joyce and anything by Oscar Wilde. My all time favourite poet is W.B. Yeats, my favourite poem being 'An Irish Airman Forsees His Death'. I also like quite a bit of Keats' work, and Larkin has grown on me in the past few years.

TV and film wise, I love old movies, especially the Ealing Comedies like The Lavander Hill Mob and Kind Hearts and Coronets. Other movies I adore are any Bond film, The Princess Bride, The League of Gentlemen, Laura, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and An Ideal Husband. I think my all time favourite actor in the world, apart from Colin Firth of course has got to be Sir Laurence Olivier (I don't hold P&P0 against him). I can never miss an Agatha Christie mystery on the TV. Joan Rutherford and Peter Ustenov were good, but the definitive Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot are Joan Hickson and David Suchet. I'm also a soap addict - I watch Neighbours, Home and Away, Hollyoaks, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders on a regular basis.

My taste in music is quite ecclectic. My CD collection includes Fun Lovin' Criminals, The Divine Comedy, Fat Boy Slim, Chemical Brothers, The Corrs, Boyzone, The Stranglers, A-ha, Diana Ross, The Beatles, The Monkees, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, etc. Well you get the picture. Basically, I love anything which has a good base beat to it. I used to play the double bass, and came to the weird conclusion years ago that everyone was so busy concentrating on the tune that they were neglecting the foundations of their music, i.e. the base beats, which give the music its tempo and rhythm - hence, the type of music we had to endure in the 1980s.

My favourite sports are Formula One (my other great passion) and Rugby Union. I play badminton, volleyball and netball very badly ("because I will not take the trouble of practicing" and no, I haven't "employed my time much better"!!!!).

I think that basically covers everything you'll ever want to know about me (plus a lot more besides!!!). Oh, except that I collect anything to do with Ladybirds and Holly Hobbie dolls that I can find. Anyway I think I'll discontinue my impression of a genitically modified Mr Collins, whose genes have been spliced with Mrs Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourg, Mr and Mre Elton, Miss Bates, and Sir Walter Elliot to create an entirely new bread of horrible scaryness!!!!!

All the Irish Dwiggies Plus any lurkers from Norn Irlan' - sorry that's an Omagh joke)will know what I'm mean when I (finally) conclude with the following comments - Go on ya good tings! (sorry, my impression of o Dublin accent written down) and keep up the good work, big labs (imagine a Liam Neeson-esque Ballymena accant when you read that last comment - Sorry if you don't get my meanings, these end comments are sort of in-jokes with my non-cyber friends who I will lure onto this website).

Valérie Hélène

Is from: Québec, Canada
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And a link: My personal Web page

I'm a 21 chiropractic student, who lives in Quebec and has, as you supposed, a huge passion for Jane Austen. French is my maternal language, but I'm fluent in English and can speak a bit of Spanish. Litterature has been a lifelong passion of mine : I can't spend a day without reading something! My favorite books are Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Three Musketeers, The Age of Innocence and all the novels of Jane Austen, especially Persuasion.

I crave anything concerning health and the human body : it is a goal of mine to help people attain a better quality of life with chiropractic care. I am a computer lover, as long as my PC doesn't crash while I'm chatting ;) I even have a personnal web page. It's all in French, but you might want to go and check the photos ( watch out for my Halloween costume! )

I guess that's all, to know more you'll have to chat with me :)

Vel'ithya Tevriel

Is from: Perth, WA
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I'm 15 years old and in year 10 at my Perth school. I have red-blonde hair, grey eyes and love Neon Genesis Evangelion, Star Wars and Jane Austen (kinda like Leareth - yes, Leareth goes to my school). People call me Vel'ithya, Vel or sometimes just plain V when they can't be bothered spelling my name.

My favourite authors are:
Jane Austen
David Eddings
Anne McCaffrey
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
John Marsden
Timothy Zahn
Michael A. Stackpole
Tamora Pierce
Mercedes Lackey
Isobelle Carmody
A. C. Crispin
Terry Brooks
Sara Douglass
R. A. Salvatore
Katherine Kerr
Janny Wurts
Raymond E. Feist
Terry Pratchett
Traci Harding
...and of course
Dani, Leareth, Marks and Teg! (i haven't read other ppls stories yet)

My fav books are sci-fi/fantasy (as you can gather from the list of authors!)

My fav movies are
The Matrix
A New Hope
The Emire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Phantom Menace
The Mask of Zorro
Pride and Prejudice(CF and JE version-thats P&P2, right?)

i also like japanese anime (pronounced an-ee-may),
especially Neon Genesis Evangelion. If you wanna be converted, I'll send you scripts!

i haven't got my webpage up and running yet but i will soon, so don't worry!

i have 2 sisters(12, 18) and a brother (20). my (18) sister is one of the models in the WA sunday times this sun 24th october!

I have written several short-story-that-will-become-novel stories but unfortunately they have nothing whatsoever to do with JA at all, so i can't post them.

I look forward to meeting the people at the DWG that i have not yet met over the last few months i've been at the site :).

^_^ Vel'ithya Tevriel

Viv

Is from: Toronto, Canada

Hi all. My name (as you may have gathered) is Viv and I'm 16. I absolutely adore this site and would like to thank all the wonderful authors who have helped to make my idle time a lot more interesting. (oh dear) Anyway, I love all things Jane Austen, my favourite books are Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Catcher in the Rye. I have yet to post here cause I'm kind of shy, my HTML skills are non-existent and my spelling is quite bad, however I do anticipate that I will become a frequent poster.
I am Chinese Canadian (and quite proud of it), attend high school and I enjoy reading, playing my piano and cello, writing, listening to music (SLOAN RULES!!), and coming here to read the fabulous stories! My favourite movies are P&P2 (naturally), Emma, Star Wars (the original ones), the Shawshank Redemption, and Grosse Point Blank. I love rock/alternative music and the occasional sitting of classical orchestral/symphonic music. My goals in life are to read all the works of Jane Austen and Shakespeare, travel the world, and to live a life of consequence. (seriously)
Enough about me now. Before closing, i would just like to thank (again) Ann and all the others that help run this site, and contribute to it. The atmosphere here is very welcoming and I love this place! Thanks for your time =P

Vivian K

Is from: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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I was born in Hong Kong and my family migrated to Australia when I was 11. We had been living in Adelaide ever since.

I went straight to uni after high school, got my BE in mechanical engineering and now I am working as a Research Engineer for a manufacturing company. I really want to work as a manufacturing engineer but I don’t have enough experience in that area yet

How I came across Jane Austen:
My first contact with JA was the B&W P&P1 movie I saw when I was maybe 12 or 13. I really enjoyed the movie so I decided to read the novel. Although I didn’t understand all of JA’s wit then, P&P had become my favourite book. As I was doing uni, P&P gradually faded into the background.

My current obsession started with Bridget Jones’ Diary, not A&E’s P&P2 strangely enough. I enjoyed BJD and decided to re-read P&P; and I felt in love with P&P all over again. Then I bought the A&E P&P DVD and ended up watching all six hours of it in the first sitting – it was like adding fuel to fire

How I came across DWG:
I was looking for P&P sequels on the web and stumbled across RoP, then DWG in late 2001. I liked the relaxed, friendly environment at DWG and now I have to have at least a “dosage” a day. Mainly I am a lurker, occasionally I’d go to Chatsworth or post a message or two in the Tea Room. I am currently attempting my first fan-fic story and the progress is painfully slow.

Favourite JA novel: Pride & Prejudice.
I still don’t understand all the subtle wit in the book. Every time I re-read P&P, I gain a little more understanding of it.
Persuasion comes a very, very close second, then S&S. I haven’t read MP, NA or her Juvenilia yet.

Favourite Character: Lizzy Bennet !!!
I can be loud and sociable amongst friends, even been called vivacious once, but I’m more like Georgiana when in company of strangers – quiet, shy. I’d love to be more like Lizzy – to have her "lively playful disposition", "wit and vivacity" and "something more of quickness"; as well as be able to say "My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me." and not be bluffing.

Movies I enjoy:
My fave movie is Shawshank Redemption. Other movies I like are: Alien/Aliens series, Dead Again, Indiana Jones trilogy, Fight Club, The Rock (NOT the wrestler!), The Bone Collector, While You Were Sleeping, Doris Day musicals … As you can see there’s quite a strange mix here.

Reading materials I enjoy:
DWG stories!! Other books I like are novels by Jeffery Deaver, other forensic science, detective, crime novels and true crime.

Interests other than JA, P&P and JA fanfic:
Too many interests, too little time. Let’s see ...

• Running – Started road running mid last year (2001), and my goal/motivator is to enter and finish a half marathon race by the end of 2003.
  
• Astrology – Yours truly was born in May 1973, which makes me a Taurus born in the year of the Ox. Stubborn, slow moving, introverted … and a very good friend.
  
• Camping – Went for a weeklong camping trip for the first time last Christmas, thouroughly enjoyed it. Trips I would like to do in the future: Flinders Ranges, Simpson Desert, cross the Simpson and then go to Kakadu National Park ...
  
• Other interests that will have to wait until I have more time to pursuit: singing, forensic science (fascinating stuff), astronomy, photography, and many more.
  

Well I think that’s more than enough info to give you an idea of who I am if we meet in Chatsworth.

Lastly I would like to say thank you to Ann for starting and maintaining this website, archivers past, present and future for their time and energy, and other dwggies for making this website fun. DWG has become a treasured part of my day-to-day life and my life will be so dull without it.

Wende Zundel

Is from: Logan,UT(currently) and Rochester, NY-I also claim Boca Raton, FL
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Hi.
Wow, this is awkward. I feel like I should say, "I'm Wende" but you already know that by looking at the top of this bio.
Maybe I should just say it anyway. I think I already did.
Let's just get on with things:
I'm a senior majoring in English/Technical Communication at
Utah State University.(yahoo!) USU is in a small town in Northern Utah-Logan. Logan is surrounded by canyons, and has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. I count hiking and camping among some of my favorite things, and Logan is definitely a good place to be if you love the outdoors.
I was born in Salt Lake City, and moved first to south Florida and then to Upstate New York. I still have a soft spot in my heart for both of those places, and still count NY as home(sort of-my parents still live there.) Utah has been great too, though I'm looking forward to graduating and
seeing where I end up!
I love to read, write, draw, paint, invent, cook, sew and I'm currently learning how to knit and play the harmonica. I love music and art and figure that I'll spend the rest of my life working as a tech writer to finance all of the projects that I start. My latest one was to build a desk for my bedroom-it looks pretty cool!
I have a wonderful family-Mom and Dad live in Rochester. My younger sister Jennifer is 21 and starting her third year at Brigham Young University. I also have a brother Collin, who
is 17 and a senior in high school.
I'm 23 years old, and my birthday is March 17th.
Favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Crime and Punishment, Jane Eyre, To Kill a Mockingbird, Brave New World.(there are many more, but I don't think I have room for them all)
I love all types of music though previously country music was something that I couldn't listen to at all. I am growing to tolerate it more, though I would say that Jazz and Folk music are my faves.
I love the color red.
I have hazel eyes,and very short brown hair. I'm about 5'7 or so.
Well-I guess that's a good picture of me. That and I don't know what else I would write down!

Wendy Barron

Is from: Vancouver, BC (Canada)

I was introduced to Jane Austen at the relatively advanced age of about 27. A friend recommended P&P to me when she was reading it in university, about six years before, but I never picked up the book until several years later. I was laughing before I finished the first page, and Mr. Bennet's line "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it." remains one of my favourites to this day. I have been known to use it on family members and friends, most of whom are not as "into" JA as I am, so they don't know I'm quoting great literature.

I own all of JA's novels in a single volume (paperback, fortunately), and it resides in the drawer of my nightstand, where it gets dragged out every so often when I feel the need to re-re-read (again) one of the stories, all of which I have read at least six times, and some much more often. My favourite novel is P&P, which I realize does not make me original in any way, but it speaks well for the timelessness of the story that millions of others feel the same way. The other novels, in order or preference, are: Persuasion, Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Lady Susan, and Mansfield Park. (These are the six in my book.)

I love to read JA fanfiction, and am even working on tying up a story of my own (Conspiracy and Conciliation) that has been languishing for about six months in my computer. I know what I want to do, I just don't know how best to get there. I sincerely adore and appreciate my beta, Rebecca Mog, who is probably feeling a bit ignored recently, if she's even missing me at all.

Met my husband (who's English) in Australia, when we were staying at the same backpacker's hostel in Melbourne in 1994. Married him in Canada 10 months later, and he is gradually adjusting to my two fixations - JA and cross-stitching - as I am adjusting to his fixations with sports, anything with a motor (cars, boats, planes, etc.), music, and more sports.

I love to read, and have diverse taste in literature, but one of my other favourite authors is Dick Francis, who sadly is not writing anymore, but has written dozens of excellent books, all involving horse racing in some way.

My burning ambition is to be a writer, particularly a travel writer. And if I think of anything else to add, I'll add it later.

Wesley

Is from: Hawaii
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My teachers call me Elizabeth, my friends call me Liz, my parents call me Lizzy, and my brother calls me Wesley. As you see I have an unswerwing devotion to my 9 year old brother(but don't tell him that), who randomly says some of the dumbest/funniest things.
Right now I'm living in Hawaii, but I much prefer Maryland and the east coast. Most people think I'm crazy when I tell them that, and I would have to agree. But my flute teacher understands, being an east coast girl herself.
This fall I'll be going to Utah and attending Brigham Young University. So yeah, I'm a Mormon. But to go to college, I have to finish my junior/senior year through homeschool...which I do NOT recomend because these 2 English classes are gonna kill me.
I have to give props to the movie "Titanic". For without it I would have never watched my mom's copy of "Sense and Sensibility" and just might not have consented to watch P&P(Firth/Ehle) and just might still be in the dark.
I love music, reading, traveling, speaking my very gramatically inccorect french, watching movies, writing, my computer and my stuffed flamingo. Oh, and I can't forget judo. I have my second (out of 3) degree brown belt in it, and my old choach is going to kill me when he finds out I haven't been to any practices since I moved.

Whitney

Is from: Pasadena, California
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Born: October 23, 1985(currently 16)

I’m one of those people you hope to never meet at a party. Not the strange ones, but the overly talkative ones with a love for politics. Also, I’m a Christian- homeschooled girl that attends the local City College (my mom thought I had to much spare time.)

I found the R of P about a year ago, and through them found the DWG. I’ve never actually completed a story…ever in my life. My problem is that despite the ideas in my head, I go to write them down and I hit a major writer’s block. My friends say that is my general nature. I’m not creative. I should just know the answers to their many questions; because of that they call me Knowledge or Lady Knowledge (long story.) They find my overly romantic Jane Austen side strange. I love Mr. Knightly(JN), Mr. Darcy(CF) and I greatly enjoyed the fencing and lake scenes in P&P2.

Some of my favorite stories on the DWG are: Janet & Elizabeth, From Lambton to Longbourn, The Eagle and the rose, Colonel Fitzwilliam lends a hand, Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam, Secret Marriage, and The Task at Hand.

Yin Marie

Is from: AK!!!
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Hmmm...where do I start? Let's see...I'm a high school sophomore (which would make me about 15) going onto, but not looking forward to, my junior year (SAT's AUGH!!!).

I'm a downhill skiing fanatic as well as a volleyball freak, but my greatest passion...you guessed it...is Jane Austin!!! I first read it because one of my friends kept calling me an 'Elizabeth Bennet' and I was like, who is she? *another reason was because of a book report assignment* Fortunately, I found out and now she is my greatest heroine, next to the lady who created her.

I've lived in AK pretty much all my life and it's really not that bad if you don't count the fact that you're about a million miles from the rest of the US! It's pretty cool and really beautiful here in the winter. Um...let's see...my other hobbies are running, violin, and track/field (I did do cheerleading, but that got old after a while).

My Future: Hopefully, I will go to college in the East Coast (my eyes are glued to Columbia and Yale at the moment, but as usual, they are subject to change). As for my future love life...I am still searching for that one Mr. Darcy! I have been in love with curly hair ever since P&P2!

Motto in Life: When in doubt, wear red.

Zeb

Is from: Irkustk, Siberia
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My full name is Zebulun Matteson, but I go by Zeb.
Me and my family are temporarily living in Russia, but are from the US. We visit America every year or so.

I have written several atories here, but I am only (so far) continuing one- The Black Mask. It's my first shot at a romance. Unfortunatly I post very non-frequently, usualy once every month.

My sister Kara is a fellow dwiggie and also writes stories here- and has finnished every one (exept for the one that she is writing now) whereas I have never finnised a story in my life... I suppose if someone looked the the junk pile in and on my desk if they could understand my writing then they would find, under masses of magazines, scrap paper, toys and trash several unfinnished stories, most of which I have only written one page on. There is probably enough writing to put together five large books.

My room is usualy a mess, lego bits and things laying on the floor, my bookshelf in complete disorder, things all over my chair and desk, and the drawer inside my desk, is full of stuff that is six years old. However, I normaly clean my room every other day since my parents make me clean it, but it falls into compete disorder the next day. My mom is always sayng to organize the things in my desk, which in my opinion is already organized since I know where everything in it is. But, to every one else, well, lets just say my room is very messy. I think rooms can tell a persons character very well.

I have a passion for mexican and chinese food, not to mention pizza and steak, mashed potatoes, ect... Oh, don't forget pancakes with maple syrup(I hate putting things like jam on my pancakes).

I am eleven years old, and just a few months away from being twelve. If you where wondering, I have dirty blond hair and blue eyes. I am tall and thin, and hate cutting my hair, even though I don't want to let it grow long.

I love reading, I goble up several books in one day. I love science fiction, and have already thought up a pretty interesting science fic. story. (You can e-mail me about it if you want), fantasy, ect... I read books by J.R.R. Tolkien, read Animorphhs and Harry Potter, and have read
many many more. :)