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Poetry National Poetry Month

Jane Austen Among the Women

An original science fiction/fantasy poem by Jo Walton, Jane Austen Among the Women

By

Published on April 22, 2012

Jo Walton photo by John W. MacDonald
Jo Walton photo by John W. MacDonald

Tor.com is celebrating National Poetry Month by featuring science fiction and fantasy poetry from a variety of SFF authors. You’ll find classic works, hidden gems, and new commissions featured on the site throughout the month. Bookmark the Poetry Month index for easy reading.

This Sunday we’re featuring a poem by Jo Walton, “Jane Austen Among the Women,” originally published in the author’s LiveJournal here.

 

“Jane Austen Among the Women”

They offered glory or length of days
and she, who had seen death close,
had no stomach for it.

So she put on soft garments
and hid among the women
talking of children and recipes
and who had got a husband,
caro sposo.

So, circumscribed and circumstanced,
practicing petty accomplishments
and playing piano
until the possibility of playing forte
sneaked up on her slyly
and she began to write,
and cough.

 

“Jane Austen Among the Women” copyright © Jo Walton

Photo © John W. MacDonald

About the Author

About Author Mobile

Jo Walton

Author

Jo Walton is the author of fifteen novels, including the Hugo and Nebula award winning Among Others two essay collections, a collection of short stories, and several poetry collections. She has a new essay collection Trace Elements, with Ada Palmer, coming soon. She has a Patreon (patreon.com/bluejo) for her poetry, and the fact that people support it constantly restores her faith in human nature. She lives in Montreal, Canada, and Florence, Italy, reads a lot, and blogs about it here. It sometimes worries her that this is so exactly what she wanted to do when she grew up.
Learn More About Jo
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