Guest Bloggers, Cara Elliott & Lauren Willig + GIVEAWAYS!
by sue on Feb.26, 2010, under Book Chat
Lauren Willig writes the acclaimed “Pink Carnation” series for Dutton, and her latest book, “The Betrayal of the Blood Lily” comes out in January ‘10. Cara Elliott (whose real name is Andrea DaRif) debuts her new “Circle of Sin” trilogy in March ’10 with “To Sin With A Scoundrel.”(She also writes historical mystery romance under the pen name Andrea Pickens.)
These best selling authors are teaching a course at Yale U: READING THE HISTORICAL ROMANCE.
What was the genesis of the course; how did you two come up w/the idea and what was/is your goal in teaching the course?
(to read the syllabus click here)
LW: Two Yalie romance writers find themselves next to an open bar…. There is, as there always is, a bit more back-story to it. Over the past few years, I’ve become involved in the burgeoning romance scholarship movement, as a group of academics have fought to build a critical apparatus around the study of popular romance novels, not just as sociological artifacts, but as texts. It’s a movement that’s been spearheaded by Professor Eric Selinger at DePaul and Professor Sarah Frantz at Fayetteville, both of whom were instrumental in putting together the Princeton conference on popular romance last spring. There are dissertations being written on Heyer, on Cruisie, on Roberts, just as there are on E.M. Forster or Hemingway. (At last year’s Popular Culture Association conference, I got to hear papers on the use of the first person in Mary Stewart’s “Nine Coaches Waiting”, the symbolism of food in J.D. Robb, and inversions of status in American-written Regencies. I gave a paper on the uses and abuses of history in historical romance.) It’s an incredibly rich and interesting field, all the more so because it’s been neglected for so long.
Fast forward to last spring, as Cara and I sipped glasses of wine during the intermission of Lady Jane’s Salon, discussing romance scholarship and how we would structure a class if we had the chance. It suddenly occurred to us—why not?
CE: Oh, right, the open bar definitely came into play! The idea for the seminar began with one of those fun, serendipitous moments . . . Lauren and I ran into each other at Lady Jane’s Salon, a monthly romance reading series in downtown New York City, and as fellow Yale grads, we started comparing notes on our experiences there. As we chatted, we starting joking around, saying, “Oh, you know, we should really propose to teach a college seminar on romance novels and how they should be treated as a serious literary genre—the students would probably love it.”
We both laughed . . . and then a simultaneous spark lit in our eyes. “Oh, let’s go for it!” we both said. And so began the process of putting together a formal proposal and week-by-week syllabus of readings and discussion topics. Lauren’s sister Brooke, a junior at Yale, was a fabulous sounding board for ideas and books, and together we polished up a presentation.
After passing the first few hurdles, we were called to New Haven to interview before a group of twenty students and two faculty members. They asked great questions, and I think our enthusiasm for the subject came through loud and clear (neither of us has any trouble talking about books and why we love them!)
In any case, our proposal was accepted, and received the stamp of approval from the English department, so come January, historical romance will “go Ivy League!”
What was it like to interview in front of a panel of students?
LW: There was something a bit surreal about being interviewed in a college dining hall (the smell of baked scrod brought me right back!), but it was an incredibly invigorating experience. It was a large panel of interviewers, about twenty at a guess, composed of both faculty and students, which meant they brought a very wide range of approaches and questions. We got to speak about everything from how one would define the term “romance novel” to the intricacies of English society in the early nineteenth century.
CE: And we brought down the house with a mention of Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan’s website Smart Bitches, Trashy Books! They loved it (humor is very important in our books) I thought the sherry-colored wood paneling was going to pop off the walls. And that’s exactly what we are trying to do—shake up the old perceptions of romance as mere “bodice rippers.”
Was there a question put to you that stands out as something very astute or that may have caused you to think about romance fiction in a way you hadn’t? In other words, were there moments when you were surprised by how folks saw romance in a good light, but perhaps one you’d never considered?
LW: I don’t know if I’d call this the most astute, but the question that left the deepest impression on me was whether we expected to have only women in the course. When I told them that the scholar on the forefront of putting romance on the academic map was, in fact, a man, I could see the entire room take notice. Although it is a small point, it makes our larger point that this is a literary field worthy of general study by interested and intelligent people of either gender. Should guys study romance novels, too? Hell, yes.
CE: That really was an interesting moment. As Lauren says, you could see something click in both the men and women. The question had been asked half in jest, but I think the answer made them think—and in a very good way.
LW: On top of that, I think the focused nature of the class also caught their attention. We tailored the class around the Regency romance—not only because we both write it and men in knee breeches are always a Good Thing—but because it provides a self-contained field through which we can track the development of a genre in a comprehensive way. Our class starts with Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey”, moves through Heyer and Woodiwiss, looks at changing attitudes towards sexuality and heroism in a variety of authors over a thirty year time span, going right up through Regency paranormals and chick lit. Some of the tropes and changes we look at are unique to the Regency romance, but many mirror developments in the romance community as a whole. The fact that there are sub-genres within romance, each with its own traditions and trajectory, rather than just a monolith known as “oh, romance novels”, clearly made the students on the panel stop and think.
What strength/s do each of you bring to the course?
CE: I think one of the great things about this collaboration is that Lauren and I bring a pretty unique set of skills to the course. We both have a good undergrad grounding in history, and I have a Masters degree in Graphic Design from Yale while she has a Masters degree in History from Harvard, as well as a Harvard Law degree. So it’s a fun left-brain/right brain sort of thing—and together we make the complete package! Lauren brings a really impressive formal academic experience to share with the students, while my background in art and visual communication adds a different perspective.
But most importantly, we both are really passionate about romance and what we write, and I think that comes through when we discuss it. Our goal in this course is to share our excitement in the creative process, as well as to inspire an appreciation and respect for the romance genre. Hey, it’s time for the world to recognize that smart women write romance—and smart women (and even smarter men) read romance! We hope that we can help spread the word.
LW: Both of us bring a passion for the subject, years of experience as readers of the genre, and a nuts and bolts perspective as practitioners. On top of that, we each have our own unique skills. Back in the day, I pursued a doctorate in English history at that Other School (the Crimson one in Cambridge). The doctorate got away from me, but not before I spent several years scribbling endless dissertation notes, teaching undergrad classes, and generally doing the whole academic thing. One of my various teaching appointments was on the tutorial board of Harvard’s History and Literature department, which seems particularly appropriate for a class like this. As a lapsed historian, I contribute the history side of things and lots of war stories about grading papers, while Cara brings in the more textual, literary approach. It’s worked perfectly as a balance.
Why Yale?
LW: It was a combination of affection, opportunity, and geography. Both Cara and I are devoted Yale grads with lots of warm and fuzzy feelings about our alma mater. I live in New York and Cara in Connecticut, so, for a commute to class, Yale lies nicely in the middle. Not to mention those amazing caramel lattes at Atticus, which I will now get to drink regularly.
CE: And Yale has a wonderful undergraduate program where each semester, the 12 residential colleges sponsor courses that are supposed to be a bit “outside the box” and allow students to work with notable professionals in fields ranging from sports and art to music and literature. (One of the highlights of my student experience was the chance to study the art of the children’s book with Maurice Sendak.)
So we thought that this was the perfect place for the course we wanted to create. It’s incredibly exciting to have this opportunity, and we are really looking forward to it.
What questions would you ask these talented, instructors? Would you entertain taking a course about Reading Romance?
Answer below & you may be one of 5 winners to be randomly chosen to win a copy of Cara or Lauren’s books!
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March 1st, 2010 on 1:03 am[...] - Cara & Lauren’s winners: Deb; vickey r; Jane C; Kristin; [...]
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February 26th, 2010 on 9:02 am[...] on the Borders True Romance blog. Borders is also giving away copies of my book and Cara Elliott’s latest to five folks who [...]
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Sue G - Borders True Romance Host - Borders Romance Buyer, reads romance. For her JOB. No, really. You can email Sue at sgrimshaw at bordersgroupinc dot com.
Borders True Romance Blog is a community, developed for you, the romance reader, to find out more about the books you love; the authors who write them & where to buy them :) Borders.com
Previously published as Wishes No Matter How Fast You Run. . .The newborn baby boy is beautiful, perfect, and hers for the asking. All Kate Summers has to do is agree to one condition--she must disappear from Boston and never breathe a word about the adoption to anyone. Or How Far You Go. . .Fifteen years later, Kate has built a good life for herself and her son, Jon, in Hopewell, Oregon. Still, she is haunted by the fear that he will somehow be taken away. Then Daegan O'Rourke arrives in town and strikes up a friendship with her and Jon. But Daegan has his own past to hide--one with shocking ties to hers. A Killer Will Always Find You. . .Someone is watching Kate, watching her son, and is willing to go to any lengths to claim him. And the one man Kate is tempted to trust has dangerous secrets that could change her world forever. Soon the past Kate thought she could outrun will explode, unearthing a legacy of lies and treachery, and a fury powerful enough to kill. . .
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April 26th, 2010 on 1:20 pm
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February 28th, 2010 on 12:07 am
I think your Reading the Historical Romance course sounds wonderful. I’ve enjoyed reading historical romances for many years. Congrats on your new releases.
February 27th, 2010 on 8:45 pm
Thank you for being here! I would love to take classes with you. I would love to learn more about reading and writing romance novels. Writing is a passion of mine.
February 27th, 2010 on 7:37 pm
I think taking a romance reading course would be very interesting. I think you can always learn something about romance books when you discuss them with others.
February 27th, 2010 on 3:49 pm
I would take this class in a heartbeat
February 27th, 2010 on 2:43 pm
The question that I would like to ask these authors are what is your muse when writing these books?
February 27th, 2010 on 10:26 am
Just read through the great q & a’s, if this class does go online I would sign up immediately. I miss the discussions and seminar settings from my college days.
Cara & Lauren are doing a wonderful thing for the genre. Kudos!
February 27th, 2010 on 10:00 am
I would love to win one of Cara’s books - I love all just about all kinds of romance and fiction.
Rosie G.
February 27th, 2010 on 8:07 am
I first heard about the Princeton University romance connection on Michelle Buonfiglio’s Romance B(u)y the Book website.
Over the years I’ve enjoyed learning historical, background information about England, France, India, the West Indies, Greece, Japan and Scotland via romance books. Recently, Pamela Clare’s Surrender exposed me to details about the French and Indian War. Also, through the following books and movies: Braveheart, I experienced 1300’s Scotland and their struggle for freedom/independence from England. Shogun showcased Japan’s feudal hierarchy, also in The Last Samurai. Dr Zhivago the Russian revolution.
Love and romance were intrical parts of these stories.
I’d love to take a literary romance seminar.
Has a student’s fresh perspective illustrated any new aspects of romance that either of you previously hadn’t thought about or associated with a particular book?
Are there male students taking the seminar? Have their views been significantly different from their female counterparts? Or do you see more individually different viewpoints across the board?
Would you like to teach the seminar again? What would you change?
February 27th, 2010 on 7:56 am
Nope, real grades!
February 27th, 2010 on 5:59 am
What an interesting post. There are some romances that I read and think that they really brought up questions about love and relationships that are universal and it’s a shame that there are people who won’t read these great stories because they are labeled as Romance.
February 27th, 2010 on 4:07 am
Congrats on your new releases. I like your seminar; I wish it was available when I was in school. Is this just pass/fail?
February 26th, 2010 on 8:53 pm
The course sounds wonderful. I would definitely take a class on the Reading Romance.
Has either Lauren or Cara had a book of theirs inspired by one of the books on their course list?
February 27th, 2010 on 8:05 am
Jess, I started writing Regency-set romances in part because I just loved the works of Austen and Georgette Heyer. Their dry wit and observant eye in regard to human behavior really appealed to my sensibilities. I’m also a huge fan of Loretta Chase and how she combines humor with serious, poignant emotions. And I could go on and on about other authors whose works I admire. So the basic answer is, reading memorable books, with great characters and plots, inspires me to push the boundaries of my own writing.
February 26th, 2010 on 8:38 pm
sounds like it’s an interesting class! sure being a romance lover, of course i’d sign up. a question (and sorry if it’s already asked): i’ve always been curious about how do authors name your characters? especially your h/h? do the names just come to you? or you look in a baby names book?
February 26th, 2010 on 9:06 pm
Michelle, I do a combination of things when it comes to naming. Sometimes I just choose a name that strikes my fancy. And sometimes when I have a specfic nationality, I do look at baby name sites to find some new and intriguing choices.
February 26th, 2010 on 7:29 pm
I think I might be interested in taking a course like this. I’d be very interested to know more about it.
Margay
February 26th, 2010 on 7:12 pm
Congrats on your new releases! This class sounds really interesting! How full are the classes, do you have a lot of students?
February 26th, 2010 on 6:50 pm
Both of your books sound great! And I think this sounds very interesting!
February 26th, 2010 on 5:41 pm
If it was an online class I would definitely be interested. I’m not sure what specific questions I would have. Whether or not a book is considered ‘good’ would depend on the criteria each reader has. One person my like something about the book that another person does not like about the same book.
I tend towards more Regency era, but also some modern stuff, especially Jennifer Crusie.
I would be curious to ask various writers about the writing process when they are writing with another person. Co-authoring a book adds another element that I would be curious to know a little more about.
February 26th, 2010 on 4:59 pm
Congrats on your releases!
Are you thinking about having an online class?
I’d attend if I could!
February 26th, 2010 on 9:07 pm
Chey, we’ve actually thought about an online class, but have to see if we can fit it into our schedules. (Er, we do have to write our books!)
February 26th, 2010 on 4:50 pm
I think this course sounds brilliant. And I love what you say about smart women writing, and reading, romance. I love books by clearly intelligent writers - like Madeline Hunter, Meredith Duran and Joanna Bourne.
One thing I’d love to know about is whether you see a difference in the way heroes are portrayed depending on whether they’re written by women or by men. I know there are a few men out there writing romance, and I wonder if there’s an obvious difference in the characters they create.
Do you guys have any thoughts on this?
February 26th, 2010 on 4:01 pm
If the students have to write a paper, is it mostly the same as the lecture - comparing and contrasting the evolution of romance novels?
February 26th, 2010 on 5:17 pm
Kim, the students have to write two short critical papers on a book from our reading list. For the final paper, they may choose to write either a 10-15 in-depth critical paper on a theme of their choice, or a creative writing project, which consists of a short synopsis for a book idea and the first sample chapter.
February 26th, 2010 on 2:11 pm
I’ve never been so jealous of those students at Yale! I looked at the syllabus and reading list through Lauren’s site (which also led me to Cara’s site) and immediately called my husband to tell him that I NEEDED to go to Yale just for this class! I’m at the University of Kentucky and if ANYTHING like this comes through, I’m the first to sign up, haha.
Anyway, I love reading your interviews and always look forward to your next books! And I’m printing out the book list for my own “research”
And possibly the syllabus just to read the text books since a few of them seem interesting too!
February 26th, 2010 on 3:23 pm
We would love to have you in our class, Ashley! Enjoy the syllabus and reading list
February 26th, 2010 on 11:53 am
Scorpio M, please do come to Lady Jane’s! Cara will be reading there this coming Monday.
Great question…. My take on this is that romance doesn’t need justifying. In teaching this class, I’m not engaging in a polemic on the merits of the genre; I’m exploring the nuances of a literary sub-genre. We’re reading these books as individual texts, applying the same critical apparatus one would for any other species of literature, analyzing and critiquing them the same way we would “Paradise Lost” or “Wuthering Heights”. It’s not “does this book have value?” It’s “what is the author doing here, how does she do it, and how does it relate to the other themes/tropes/tones/etc. we’ve seen?”
So the short answer is, yep, I absolutely agree with you, Scorpio. The debate is largely irrelevant.
February 26th, 2010 on 12:36 pm
“My take on this is that romance doesn’t need justifying. In teaching this class, I’m not engaging in a polemic on the merits of the genre; I’m exploring the nuances of a literary sub-genre.”
Lauren - THANK YOU. That’s what I was hoping to hear. Over the years, I’ve come across so much grief about the “worthiness” of the genre that I felt a bit afraid for you two pioneers. Yalies/Yale-ys(?) should behave though
And I just might stop by Lady Jane’s on Monday, I’ll make sure to introduce myself.
Thanks again!
February 26th, 2010 on 1:43 pm
Oh, please come, Scorpio. We would love to meet you!
February 26th, 2010 on 11:48 am
Hi, NinaP! That’s a fascinating point. One thing I find so interesting about the study of history and literature is the way our image and expectation of gender has shifted over time. If you read eighteenth century literature, you find weeping, emotional men all over the place (the Chevalier des Grieux in “Manon Lescaut” is a case in point: sniffle, sniffle, sniffle). Of course, these are also guys who were comfortable in heels and rouge. When you read Heyer’s novels or Orczy, their heroes are often seemingly languid, concerned with dress, and incredibly wordy in a way we might now consider effeminate. My theory is that it’s the American-written romance novel that introduced the strong-jawed hero, that we imported our very American ideas of what it means to be a man to both the genre and other periods of history, and that we’re only now retreating from that– not due to any acknowledgment of the potential historical inaccuracy of it, but more, as you pointed out, because it suits our current modern trends and modes. Anyway, just a theory. Will stop rambling now….
February 26th, 2010 on 11:45 am
Great dialogue going on today. I would love to take a course on reading romance. I have heard of classes focusing on sci-fi, horror, children’s lit but this is the first for romance that I know of, hopefully this will be the start of something that will continue on. Good luck, ladies!
February 26th, 2010 on 11:43 am
There are just so many layers to historical romances,the rich characters, the lush backdrop of history. Utterly appealing, and to take a class on it, I cannot imagine anything better.
I would love to know if there are any men in the class, and do they read romance? I personally know of none who do, in fact, they sneer when I bring it up!
All the best for your releases!
February 26th, 2010 on 1:45 pm
Karyn, please assure your male friends that real men DO read romance. We have two men in our class who are just as engaged and interested in the subject as our women students. And when I’ve gotten my male friends to read romance, they sheepishly admit that they really enjoyed them.
February 26th, 2010 on 11:42 am
Hi, ladies! I do know several guys who read romance (although many of them insist on calling it “historical fiction”, even when talking about Woodiwiss!). I get emails from male fans of my series all the time. When you think about it, it’s not that odd. Many of the so-called guy genres, like suspense and science fiction also have strong romance plots.
February 26th, 2010 on 11:21 am
Hello Lauren and Cara –
This really got my wheels turning about societal customs and expectations that mold men, and how you (and your course) are about to skew that.
As you know, despite how historical romance (and all its sub-genres) portrays the hero, men of that era were not (in general) as emotionally moved/romanticly moved as writers make them out to be. Men were men and as such were expected to behave like men; buck it up, get it done then gather round bottles of port and congratulate each other. A similar argument can also be made of today’s more “modern” man. But, by exposing today’s man (via approved academia) to what Women deem manly and heroic, they now have permission to spurn traditions like “men don’t cry”, holding a door for a lady is for wimps, and who ever said a girl should be held in honor.
Fascinating potential. (at least in my book)
NinaP (from WordWenchs)
February 26th, 2010 on 11:07 am
Hi Cara & Lauren,
I live in NYC and should really visit Lady Jane’s Salon one day. Wish I could attend your class, it sounds great. Reading romance. For school! OMG, my dream come true.
I read romance for the love story & HEA but what makes it a “keeper” for me is the hero (from his sex appeal, to his integrity…the whole package) and I know this to be true of many female readers. The perception of the romance genre as “bodice rippers” and cheap food to fuel women’s fantasies is often the basis for antagonistic verbal volleyball between those who love the genre and those who basically belittle it.
Do you as writers of romance feel that this debate is even worth justifying?
February 26th, 2010 on 1:52 pm
Scorpio, Lauren and I are trying to encourage people to look beyond the superficial term “bodice ripper” and really look at the stories and characters as they would in any “serious” literary genre. the good news is that the academic world is beginning to give romance the respect it deserves, so hopefully as more critical acclaim is published, the public will gain a different perspective on our books.
February 26th, 2010 on 10:53 am
Ladies–
Thanks for visiting today. Your class sounds so interesting. I love the historical aspects of Regency romances, much as I loved learning about Navajo culture when I read Tony Hillerman’s books. I am curious as to how the class is going. How many students do you have, and what types of majors are they studying? Do you think you will be asked to offer the course again?
February 26th, 2010 on 1:55 pm
GSM, we have 18 students (that’s all a seminar is allowed—we had over 75 apply!) and they are majoring in a wide variety of subjects, not just English and history. The discussion have been amazing. I’m so impressed with their enthusiasm and the serious thought they put into each class. I hope we can offer it again next year.
February 26th, 2010 on 10:19 am
Congrats on the new releases!! Can’t wait to check them out.
I would love to take one of your classes. I bet they are full classes. Are you given “free reign” to discuss anything and everything?
February 26th, 2010 on 2:08 pm
Denise, we do discuss a specific book each week, and have have a structure to the class. It’s a serious academic course, with critical questions and themes that we ask the students to consider as we trace the development of the regency romance from Austen to its modern-day practioners. But within that framework, the students are absolutely free to raise any opinion or point. As I’ve said in other comments, the discussions have been incredibly thoughtful and interesting.
February 26th, 2010 on 10:15 am
lauren, i have read and LOVE all of your books!! cara- i am looking forward to diving into your novels as soon as i finish my current read.
i would LOVE to take a course on reading romantic lit!! how wonderful. i wish i wasn’t so far from yale! i would transfer colleges just to take a course with you guys!! i bet it is an amazing class!! a question for each of you:
if you were stranded on an island with 2 book each,
what would they be and why?
thanks so much!!
February 26th, 2010 on 10:11 am
Thanks for this lovely post today. I was wondering if you wished to live during the particular era that you depict in your novels. If time travel were available would you avail yourself of this opportunity.
February 26th, 2010 on 2:02 pm
Oh, Amanda b, that’s WAY too tough a question. To begin with, can one of those books be the complete novels of Jane Austen? LOL Then I’d add the complete works of Alexander Dumas. As you can see, I’m a huge historical fan, and love to be swept up in stories with great characters, and the ambiance of another time and place.
February 26th, 2010 on 8:49 am
I think it would great fun to take a class like this. I took a class in high school called short stories and in college I had Children’s Lit with a couple of update CL classes since. I’ve also taken the Iowa Writers’ Workshop for Teachers.
Have you ever had an experience, big or small, that may have been a basis for one of your stories? (Even though you write historicals?)
Congratulations on the releases!
February 26th, 2010 on 8:36 am
Hello Cara & Lauren — being a historical romance fan & having read both your books I notice you both are very good at character development — is that the easy part of the story? Or the hard part. & do they pop into your minds prior the story? Or is the story first & then the characters come along?
Thanks for being here!
February 26th, 2010 on 8:56 am
Sue, I’m definitely a character-first author, and then a “seat-of-the-pants” plotter. Sometimes I sit back after writing a scene and say, “Whoa, I didn’t know they were going to do THAT!”
February 26th, 2010 on 8:22 am
Hi Ladies, your books sound great. I think it would be very interesting to take such a course. Who knows what I missed while reading my favorite type of romance. Meeting other people, this way, who enjoy the same books is also very nice.
February 26th, 2010 on 7:38 am
Hello, ladies! I think that it would be great fun to offer a “Romance Reading” course for men only, and then study the results of the lessons! I believe that the men would truly be “educated” and their women would reap the benefits : )
February 26th, 2010 on 7:19 am
Jane, we have two men in our class! And yes, I do men who read romance. I find if you can convince them to get past the covers, they really enjoy the stories.
February 26th, 2010 on 7:17 am
Well, Vickey, if the hero in my booklooks like Johnny Depp . . . I shall leave the rest to your imagination! Thanks for the congrats.
February 26th, 2010 on 3:17 am
Congrats to both of you on your releases !
And of course I’d love taking a course about readig romance. Especially historical romance by the way. There are definitely many things to learn that could make the reading even more entertaining.
February 26th, 2010 on 8:54 am
Oh, I totally agree! That’s one of the joys of reading. For example, I learned so many fascinating things about India in reading Lauren’s latest book.
February 26th, 2010 on 3:05 am
do you ever find yourself writing urself in a book or a situation you would love to happen in the romance part? congrats on the new books
February 26th, 2010 on 2:04 am
Congrats on the new releases, Lauren and Cara. Do you personally know any men who read romance?
February 26th, 2010 on 8:32 am
oooooooo - good q’s - ladies?