We had a deal

Finished watching Sanditon. If you haven’t seen it but intend to, stop reading now. If you don’t mind major spoilers, as in let me tell you how it ends, here goes: the heroine in tears, the hero all apologies, and the viewer aghast. I took a deep breath, then another, then mad-dashed online for information on season two. There is none. I mean there is info, and it says there is no season two. By which time you start doing the math (how many hours did I invest in this), and looking to contact Andrew Davies (oh, numerous viewers have already skewered him on Twitter), because WTF.

Mr. Davies, you have some explaining to do, and it better be good. You took upon yourself to write an Austen. A 21st century Austen, granted, but fiction of a certain genre. And certain genres come with certain expectations, and when you decide to trample on people’s expectations, they will have questions. Did you take a gamble, certain there would be a second season? If there was no such certainty, why not just make a miniseries satisfactory to all? A broad story arch is all fine and dandy, but you can’t end an Austen like you did. The arch is missing a whole lot of story. And a happy ending

And so, we are not happy with the ROI. Yes, investment. Genres are deals. Going into one, you know where you are headed. You expect to get there. That’s the deal. If you want to be surprised, you know to take another bus, one that takes you…where exactly, you don’t know. That’s the point. Poetry is the only exception, at least in my view. Poetry doesn’t have to be or do anything. No rules, expectations or limitations. If it’s a bus, it has wings instead of wheels, and there is no telling where it will take you. That’s the drill and the thrill.

Mr. Davies, you owe Charlotte a happy ending. You owe the viewers a happy ending. We are Charlotte, teary-eyed and disillusioned. You are Sidney, so very sorry it had to be this way. Now pull a Lady Susan Ex Machina, as I thought you would, to leave us with some hope of the bus turning around and getting us where we thought we’d go.

Private emotion

Have you been to one of those events where people read out their teenage diaries, on a stage, in front of strangers? It’s a hoot and a howl, and you don’t laugh at the person doing the reading, you laugh at the undying, unwavering, long since deceased feelings and certainties you remember and recognize all too well.

Social media is communal but a diary is a private medium, should you feel you need a medium with an enhanced privacy guarantee. Depending on where you keep it and whether you mind or not that someone may stumble upon it and gasp gasp gasp read it, of course. Anyway…highly recommended. You don’t always know what you think and feel until you try to verbalize it. And that can be difficult. Something that requires utmost privacy and safety, and some issues and topics require more privacy and safety than others, and the internet is the antithesis of both. And certain matters require time and patience, but social media has neither. Plus, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.

But if you feel the need to unload without burdening your nearest and dearest (if they truly are near and dear they’d kick you for even thinking it’s a burden), if you’re in a vulnerable place and believe you can’t handle the fallout right now (and once you put it out there it's out of your control), if you don’t want to talk about it to anyone just now but need to record it so you don’t forget it, if you’ve been keeping secrets from yourself and are just beginning to come to terms, a diary, a private journal, will not judge you, pity you, berate you, or laugh at you. It will allow you to have your say; in peace, at your pace, in your own words.

Dance Me to the End of Love

Tonight I Celebrate My Love

Valentine Love

Can You Feel the Love Tonight

Oh My Love

I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song

A Love Song

A Million Love Songs

Silly Love Songs

When You’re in Love

Everything Sounds Like a Love Song

L-O-V-E

Love

Love Love

Love Love Love

LOVE.

I Believe in Love

Is Anybody Out There in Love

Ever Fallen in Love

Oh to be in love

What Is Love

I Want to Know What Love Is

There’s More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing

Love is Strong

Love is Madness

Love is Reason

Love is Noise

Love is Blue

Love is a Battlefield

Love is a Shield

Love is a Rollercoaster

Love is a Stranger

Love is the Drug

Love is Like an Itching in My Heart

Is This Love?

(Love is) Thicker Than Water

Love is in the Air

Love is All Around

Love Changes Everything

Are You Ready For Love

The Book of Love

Words of Love

Sounds of Love

Lessons in Love

The Look of Love

Vision of Love

Love Long Distance

Love at First Sight

Love in the First Degree

Moments in Love

Generations of Love

The Power of Love

Glory of Love

Genius of Love

Hounds of Love

Cradle of Love

The Origin of Love

Satellite of Love

Higher Love

Big Love

Skinny Love

Mother Love

A Father’s Love

Baby Love

Modern Love

Burning Love

Radar Love

Digital Love

International Love

Cosmic Love

Love in a Vacuum

Love in an Elevator

Love in a Store

Love in Stereo

Love Rollercoaster

Love Shack

Love Train

Backseat Love

Lucky Love

Puppy Love

Popcorn Love

Saturday Love

Summer Love

Homemade Love

Forbidden Love

Strangelove

Reckless Love

Crazy Love

Secret Love

Jungle Love

California Love

Young Love

Old Love

Same Old Love

Flames of Love

Embers of Love

Summer of Love

Streets of Love

Tunnel of Love

River of Love

Sea of Love

Mountain of Love

A Little Bit of Love

A Big Hunk O’ Love

Lotta Love

Whole Lotta Love

One Love

My Love

Your Love

My Love Is Your Love

How Deep is Your Love

Now That We Found Love

Love on a Two-Way Street

Love Street

Can’t Get Enough of Your Love

A Woman Needs Love

Show Me Love

I Want Your Love

I Need Your Love

I Need Your Love Tonight

Need Your Love So Bad

Your Love Is King

This Love

Our Love

I Like It I Love It

I Love It

When We Make Love

Kissing My Love

Feel Like Making Love

You Give Good Love

Keep It Coming Love

Lay All Your Love on Me

Let Your Love Flow

Love You Out Loud

Love You Inside Out

Love You Up

Love You Down

I’d Love to Lay You Down

After We Make Love

I’m in the Mood for Love

I’ll Make Love to You

I Was Made to Love Him

I Was Born to Love You

The One I Love

Love of My Life

Do You Love Me?

Love Me Do

Love Me Two Times

Love Me Tender

Because I Love You

Because You Love Me

People Will Say We’re in Love

We Must Be in Love

So in Love

So Much in Love

Crazy in Love

Why Can't This Be Love

It Must Be Love

No Ordinary Love

A Groovy Kind of Love

A Sunday Kind of Love

A Love So Beautiful

Love Will Never Do (Without You)

Love Hurts

Love Really Hurts Without You

Before Your Love

Never Knew Love Like This Before

This Must Be Love

All This Love

All the Love in The World

The Way You Love Me

I Can Love You Like That

Baby, I Love Your Way

How Your Love Makes Me Feel

A Love Unreal

Greatest Love of All

Endless Love

Everlasting Love

Forever Love

Love Never Dies

My Love Will Never Die

Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You

I Will Always Love You

Say You Love Me

Say Hey (I Love You)

As Long as You Love Me

You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

This Is Love

What About Love?

Love Will Keep Us Together

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Love and Anger

Love & Pride

Love/Hate

Love in Vain

Limits to Love

Tainted Love

Chains of Love

A Love Bizarre

Bizarre Love Triangle

Love Hangover

Killer Love

Victim of Love

Drunk in Love

Stoned in Love

Hooked on Love

Addicted to Love

Lost in Love

The Game of Love

If It’s Love

If It Isn’t Love

In and Out of Love

You Must Love Me

You Owe Me Some Kind of Love

No More I Love You’s

No Love

Love Don’t Live Here Anymore

A World Without Love

All Out of Love

The End of Love

Too Much Love Will Kill You

This Ain't a Love Song

This is Not a Love Song

Where is the Love?

Bye Bye Love

You Give Love a Bad Name

Can't Buy Me Love

Love Don’t Cost A Thing

Love Takes Time

You Can't Hurry Love

Who Needs Love (Like That)

What’s Love Got to Do with It

The Things We Do for Love

For Love

Love or Something Like It

I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

Never My Love

Let My Love Open the Door

Let Me Love You

Love Yourself

Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)

It’s Your Love

All is Love

Get That Love

True Love

Real Love

100% Pure Love

I Believe in A Thing Called Love

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

It’s A Love Thing

And So is Love

Love Makes the World Go Round

Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong

Love Burns

Love Shines

Love Spreads

People Need Love

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

Love Somebody

Somebody to Love

When You Love Someone

When Somebody Loves You

You’ve Got the Love

Heart to Love

Don’t Let Go (Love)

Hang on To Your Love

Let There Be Love

All You Need Is Love

Love, Truth and Honesty

Time, Love and Tenderness

That’s the Way Love Goes

To Sir with Love

To Know Him is to Love Him

We Love You

I Think I Love You

Fuck It I Love You

I Love You

I Do Love You

I Honestly Love You

All My Love

All My Loving

Best of My Love

Love, Me