The power of Jane Austen

Of all the letters I've had published in newspapers over the years, the one that got printed earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal on Jane Austen exceeds them all. I've gotten several letters and a contact on Facebook from people who hunted me down and praised my letter -- and Jane.

That lovely Jane's eloquence and ability to connect with the best in us still moves us two hundred years after her death. Here's one note I got from a nice 30-something man who found me on Facebook after the letter was published:

"Just wanted to tell you how much my family enjoyed your letter. I am a huge Rand fan, and my sister is a huge Austen fan. Never before have we seen a link between the two! So thank you!"

Now, that's enough to simply make my day, and it did!