I was surprised to see a reference to one of my books in yesterday’s Book Review section of the New York Times (7-17-2017): “In 1979, Warren Roberts produced a thoughtful study called “Jane Austen and the French Revolution.” The great event is never mentioned in the novels, but it is there, Roberts argues, invisibly woven into the narratives. Kelly (who wrote the book under review) makes the same point herself to support her “secret radical” thesis. But Roberts conclusions are cautious. Kelly’s are adventurous. Some work better than others.” My book on Jane Austen came out in 1979; I wrote it after spending a sabbatical year in England in 1970-71. I had just completed my first book and had no idea what I would do next. We lived about fifty miles from Steventon, where Austen grew up; I had read her novels and decided to drive to Steventon, even though her village house no longer stood. But the chapel, just outside the village, st...