Dickensblog

7 Quick Takes, birthday edition

No, it's not the big day yet -- not for another two-and-a-half weeks -- but we're drowning in birthday news tonight!

• How and where to celebrate: Here's a list of Dickensian things to do and see in Philadelphia, Seattle, New York City, Baton Rouge, Dallas, the University of Leicester, and the University of Delaware. And of course there are all kinds of birthday bashes going on in Portsmouth. But this one's my favorite: The Groundlings Theatre in Portsmouth is turning into a "living museum," complete with a reenactment of the ball -- held at that very theater -- where Dickens's mother went into labor with him. Now that's what I call an authentic celebration.
• In my neck of the woods, there are a couple of historical walks, one in February and one in April.
• TIME magazine pays tribute with an article about Dickens (online it's subscriber-only; I haven't been able to find the print version yet) and a promise to blog about "his ten best books," starting Jan. 26. It also has a brief rundown of celebrations going on in London, Portsmouth, and New York.
• Britain's National Schools Partnership has created a new student resource pack, "What the Dickens?" The Times Educational Supplement promotes it here.
• The Wall Street Journal gets into the act with this article. It too is subscriber-only, but since I'm a subscriber, I'll treat you to a sample: ". . . Dickens is not safe, he is not 'heritage.' He is fierce, ferocious and formidable. No one has depicted the homeless with more sorrow and pity and terror than Dickens. He depicted them from both sides: from middle-class safety, looking outward, and from their own point of view, looking at a world that seems to offer such richness and happiness to everyone else. And then, as an act of mediation, he moves us between the two worlds so that we understand both." 
• Star Jeremy Irvine talks up the forthcoming Great Expectations feature film in this short interview.
• One more thing: We need readers for the charity fundraiser, folks! We've had several people express interest, but no one (except yours truly) has actually signed on yet. If you need help, just ask -- I'm more than happy to do whatever I can.

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley on the Dickens Museum closure

Thanks to Barbara for this link to the interview. It's about 10 minutes from the end of the program.

The timelessness of 'Great Expectations'

Blogger (and Dickensblog reader) Rachel McMillan explores the reasons that Great Expectations never loses its appeal.

Charles Dickens, bestseller?

Sales of Dickens's novels have gone way up in Britain since the BBC aired Great Expectations and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, according to the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Sun.

Speaking of book sales, we've once again earned enough from the Dickensblog Amazon Associates account to get some books to donate to Books for America. In honor of the recent miniseries and radio broadcasts, I chose Great Expectations, Edwin Drood, and A Tale of Two Cities.

A Dickens of a birthday party

Ceremonies in London on February 7 will include a wreathlaying at Dickens's grave in Westminster Abbey, and a bicentenary fundraising dinner (so I wasn't the only one to come up with a fundraiser idea!) at Mansion House. Tickets are available for both.

In other birthday news, the New York Times has run a couple of articles about it, here and here. Congratulations to our friend David Perdue and his Charles Dickens Page for getting a mention in one of them!

A tale of two fans

Next time someone suggests that my obsession with Dickens borders on unhealthy, I'm going to point them to this guy. He makes me look tame! (My word, how I'd love to get a look at his collection . . . )

And here's a lovely story about another longtime fan and Dickens Fellowship member, who's celebrating her 100th birthday as Dickens has his 200th. And like him, she's from Portsmouth. May she have a wonderful year!

Gerald Dickens meets Grip the Raven

The Washington Post has the story.

Laughing with Dickens

Two excellent articles, in the Telegraph and the Guardian, celebrate Dickens's comic genius.

Here be spoilers

The Telegraph reviews part two of Edwin Drood -- and lets the cat out of the bag. So if you haven't seen it, DO NOT click on this link unless you don't mind being spoiled.

I'm going to declare the comment section a spoilers-permitted zone, so those who have seen it can talk freely. Basically, just don't click on any link in this post unless you want to know exactly what went down!

It's 'Edwin Drood' day!

Fortunate Brits will get to watch the new production tonight and tomorrow on BBC Two. Still no trailer, but we do have an article by the director, a few video clips and interviews, and an article about it by Dickens biographer Robert Douglas-Fairhurst.

I hope our British readers will let us know what they think of it!

ETA: BBC News has another behind-the-scenes video, and the Manchester Evening News has an interview with actor Sacha Dhawan (Neville Landless).