Author: BookLady Deb
I have been reader of Austen for many years; was re-introduced when my daughter was in college and reading "Emma" and I read it along with her, and thus re-discovered Austen with a whole new appreciation! Happily my daughter, Jess, "got" that "Emma" was quite funny, the only one to do so in her class, I might add.
I re-read the books periodically and find them a tonic for the soul, as well as the best gauge of humanity I have ever encountered....and the humor helps immensely (not to mention Darcy!) My favorite book is Persuasion, I find Fanny the truest of feminists, NOT the major milktoast of all fiction characters, Elizabeth is a delight, and I often forget that these people ARE NOT REAL!
I have a group of friends scattered around New England who gather together several times a year to discuss books, most often Austen, as she is really the anchor (all due to the delightful, wonderful Ingrid G. of New Hampshire, who started this all many years ago with a weekend at Pinkham Notch at the base of Mount Washington in NH with a workshop "I'd Rather be Reading Jane Austen"!)...we call ourselves the Wild Women, but really, how can that be possible, trekking about the White Mountains, sipping tea and conversing about Austen!
And it all helps that I have a used bookstore called Bygone Books, now only an online presence. Every booklover's dream is to own a bookstore....and I challenge each and everyone of you to try it for a week!
I am currently the Advisory Chair for the JASNA-South Carolina Region. I post information about both this region and the JASNA-Vermont Region and its events on this blog.
Chawton House
Northanger Abbey
Just finished Northanger Abbey (not for the first time I must add, but a closer reading than ever before)…so I invite conversation!
PBS’s “Sense & Sensibility”
Remember to watch the 2nd part of PBS’s Sense & Sensibility, Sunday April 6, 2008 at 9pm.
You can check out the PBS blog at Remotely Connected and the PBS Jane Austen Blog.
Here are a few links to other Austen blogs with lots of commentary on PBS’s new “Sense & Sensibility”… these are so worth sharing!
At Austenprose Laurel Ann has several posts:
* Puzzling Legal Nonsense in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
* Austen’s Willoughby: Truly a Byronic Hero, or Libertine? Part One
* Withstanding Sense, or Sensibility: Review of Episode One
* Sense and Sensibility: Cast Preview
At Jane Austen’s World see Ms. Place’s posts:
* S&S Soaked
* Footmen in JA’s Movie Adaptations
* S&S 2008 Makes Wonderful Sense, for the Most Part…
Jane in the Information Age: a Super Regional in Rochester
iJane: Jane Austen in the Information Age a seminar featuring Maggie Sullivan of Austen Blog and Myretta Robens of The Republic of Pemberley will take place on May 3, 2008 from 10-4 in Rochester, NY. There will also be a Jane Austen Ball the following day, with English Country dances of the Jane Austen era. This Multi-Regional Conference is co-sponsored by JASNA-Rochester and JASNA-Syracuse. For more complete information, go to our events page and follow the links.
A Weekend of “Persuasion”
|
How delightful to spend a whole weekend immersed in all things Austen! The Governor’s House in Hyde Park, Vermont is offering several “Persuasion” related Jane Austen Weekends…you can sign up for the whole weekend or just take part in one or more of the activities. Please see below for all the information.
Jane Austen Weekends The Governor’s House in Hyde Park 100 Main Street Hyde Park, Vermont Friday – Sunday, August 15 – 17; September 5 – 7; December 12-14; January 9-11 call or E-mail for reservations 802 888-6888 info@OneHundredMain.com
A leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions has something for every Jane Austen devotee. Slip quietly back into Regency England in a beautiful old mansion where Jane herself would feel at home. Take afternoon tea. Listen to Mozart. Bring your needlework. Share your thoughts at a discussion of Persuasion and how the movie stands up to the book. Attend the talk entitled “The Time of Jane Austen”. Test your knowledge of Persuasion and the Regency period and possibly take home a prize. Take a carriage ride. For the gentleman there are riding and fly fishing as well as lots of more modern diversions if a whole weekend of Jane is not his cup of tea. Join every activity or simply indulge yourself quietly all weekend watching the movies. And imagine the interesting conversation with a whole houseful of Jane’s readers under one roof. Dress in whichever century suits you. It’s not Bath, but it is Hyde Park and you’ll love Vermont circa 1800. Jane Austen Weekend rates start at $295 for singles and $260 per person for doubles and include two nights’ lodging, Friday evening’s talk over dessert and coffee, full breakfast on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon tea, Saturday dinner and book discussion, early Sunday Continental breakfast, and the Jane Austen quiz with Sunday brunch. 9% Vermont tax is additional. The usual cancellation policy applies. Or come for just an evening and choose from these activities: *Infomal Talk with Coffee and Dessert, Friday, 8:00 p.m., $14.00 *Afternoon Tea, Saturday, 3:00 p.m., $20.00 *Book Discussion and Dinner, Saturday, 7:00 p.m., $35.00 *Jane Austen Quiz and Sunday Brunch, Sunday, 11:30 a.m., $15.00 All four activities: $75.00 100 Main Street • Hyde Park, VT 05655 |
A New JASNA Chapter in Vermont
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!
Jane Austen in Vermont 
