The newly formed Vermont Regional Chapter of JASNA (The Jane Austen Society of North America) had its first public gathering on Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Professor Robyn Warhol-Down of the University of Vermont spoke to a group of about 65 people on “‘I Quit Such Odious Subjects’: Austen’s Narrative Refusals.”  Professor Warhol-Down talked about her research into the ways that narrators in 19th-century British novels talk about parts of their stories they will not or cannot tell, and focuses on Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Henry James and, of course, Jane Austen.  Her forthcoming book is titled “Narrative Refusals: What Doesn’t Happen in 19th-century British Novels.”  A lively discussion followed.

The Regional Coordinators of the chapter are Kelly McDonald and Deborah Barnum; Marcia Merrill will be the treasurer; Carol Madden our secretary; and Lynne Hefferon, the refreshments coordinator.  And we are always looking for more volunteers!  We plan on having quarterly events to which the public is invited (Champlain College has graciously offered conference rooms for our use), as well as JASNA-only member gatherings for book readings and discussion (and of course, movies as well, as they always slip into every such conversation!)

We hope to keep everyone informed of our activities via this blog.  We welcome your comments and encourage discussion.  There is certainly a lot of Austen-talk to be had, especially with the newest crop of films on Masterpiece Theatre, and we hope you will participate with us.

Please check the “Schedule of Events” page to see what we have planned for the rest of 2008, as well as thoughts for 2009 and beyond.  Please join us whenever you can!