Jane Austen Society of North America-Middle Tennessee Chapter

February JASNA Meeting to be Held at Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum

2012-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

Wish to see more information about Travellers Rest? Click on this link to their home page.

Middle Tennessee JASNA members are invited to historic Travellers Rest for the February 12 meeting. The program will feature a tour of this historic Middle Tennessee home built by John Overton in 1799, followed by high tea and a presentation about Regency dress by Tonya Staggs, Director of Youth Education Programs at Travellers Rest.

The tour begins at 1:30 pm; cost of admission and tour is $10.00 payable at the gift shop. Parking is in a gravel lot near the gift shop, with overflow parking in the grass nearby.

Members are also encouraged to bring $5.00 for annual local dues as well as a treat to share with the group for high tea. (If you cannot attend the February meeting, please mail your payment to Jo Ann Staples at 57 Revere Park, Nashville, TN 37205. Checks may be made out to JASNA Tennessee.)

National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar This Summer: "Jane Austen and Her Contemporaries"

2012-02-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

In June 2012, the National Endowment for the Humanities will sponsor a seminar, "Jane Austen and Her Contemporaries," at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. This seminar is one in which sixteen participants will seek significant new insights about Jane Austen by reading her works closely alongside works of now understudied (but well-known) writers of her own day. This program is designed primarily for those who teach American undergraduate students, although qualified independent scholars are also eligible to apply.

The seminar is scheduled from June 18-July 20, 2012; deadline for applications is March 1, 2012.
For more information about the seminar, click on this link.

Venderbilt's Dean Dever Leads Outstanding Discussion of "Persuasion" at Dec. Meeting

2012-01-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

Dean Carolyn Dever and JASNA member Phil Staples at the December meeting.

The Nashville chapter of JASNA-Middle Tennessee gathered on December 11, 2011, at the Abbotsford home of Roberta Maguire to enjoy their final meeting of the year. Following an elegant and varied tea, members settled in to listen to and exchange views with Dean Carolyn Dever, a professor of English at Vanderbilt University and dean of the College of Arts & Science. Dean Dever, a Victorian specialist who has taught a first-year writing seminar for Vanderbilt on Austen adaptations, spoke about her favorite Austen novel, Persuasion, and the resistance of her college students to its heroine. Dean Dever speculated that Austen’s famous formulation of Anne Elliott—“She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older”—explained her female students’ reluctance to identify with the reverse aging of Austen’s “most experimental” narration. A spirited discussion followed Dean Dever’s remarks about what she called Austen’s “sexiest” novel. The conversation was stimulating, the company was convivial, the food was excellent, and the weather was mild—a lovely way to conclude a year of local JASNA gatherings and welcome the holiday season! --by Andrea Hearn

Vanderbilt University Offers "An Evening of Jane Austen Dances"

2012-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Reviewer Calls Janet Lee's New Version of Northanger Abbey "Energetic and Vibrant"

2012-01-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Nashville illustrator, Janet Lee, has recently published a new graphic novel of Northanger Abbey. This highly reviewed version of Austen's send up of Gothic novels is published by Marvel Comics. Ms. Lee will be the speaker for the Middle Tennessee JASNA's May meeting. To read a longer review of this work, click on this link.

Information About 2012 Annual General Meeting is Available

2012-01-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

JASNA's NY Region will host the 2012 Annual General Meeting in Brooklyn, NY. The theme for the AGM to be held Oct. 5-7 2012 is "Sex, Money and Power in Jane Austen's Fiction." Although all the breakout sessions have not been posted, plenary speakers include: Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Dr. Cornel West, Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University; Sandy Lerner, Chawton House library founder and Daniel James Cole, Fashion History Scholar. More information about this exceptionally rich meeting may be found at the AGM website.

December JASNA Meeting Features Dean Carolyn Dever

2011-11-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Please join us for the next meeting of the Middle Tennessee JASNA Region on

December 11 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

We are honored to welcome as our speaker Carolyn Dever, Professor of English and Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University. Dean Dever joined the English Department at Vanderbilt in 2000, and became Dean of the College in June 2008. Her academic specialties are Victorian literature and gender studies, and she recently served as the co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Anthony Trollope. She will speak to us on the topic of

"Jane Austen and the Art of Persuasion: Forming the Next Generation of Janeites"

The meeting will be hosted by Roberta Maguire at her home at

217 Kensington Park in Abbottsford.

As always, please bring a treat for tea.

Carolyn Dever

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

Vanderbilt University

Tennesseans Enjoy Fort Worth AGM

2011-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Mildred Tilley and husband Richard Stewart take a break from Sense and Sensibility lectures to ride the bull at BIlly Bob's in the stockyard area of Ft. Worth!

YEEHAW!

Jo Ann and Phil Staples eagerly await the beginning of the AGM's Regency Ball.
Their costumes were two of the finest worn by those who opted for a
"Regency look" at the banquet and ball.

Roberta Maguire (left) greets a friend whose pink hat and gown epitomize

"elegance."

All details of the 2012 AGM were special--including the Texas pecan pie and white chocolate
candy dessert that was served at Saturday night's banquet.
As evident from the photo, the white chocolate candies were specially
made to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of

Sense and Sensibility.

JASNA's October Regency Dinner is a Culinary Sensation!

2011-11-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Nineteen Middle Tennessee JASNA members participated in a sumptuous Regency "feast" on the evening of October 22 at the home of local members, Phil and Jo Ann Staples. All those who attended, made part of this elegant meal. As participants arrived, they were treated to a powerpoint display of photos taken at JASNA's 2012 AGM projected on the Staples' flat-screen television. For those Middle Tennessee JASNA members who were unable to attend the AGM in Ft. Worth, these photos provided a glimpse into all the scholarship and fun and Texas hospitality which marked this large (more than 600 people) gathering.

Before dinner was served, diners gazed at elegant menus made by Caroline Davis, heard Regency-era music via Phil Staples sound system as well as heard an oral explanation by JoAnn about each course. Every dish was carefully adapted by Jo Ann from a recipe found in a Regency period cookbook. From "soup to nuts," this was an unforgettable meal for all!

(l to r) Jo Anne Staples, Yvonne Boyer, Roberta

Maguire, Carmen Gherman, Mildred Tilley

and Sharon Hogge look forward to being served!

An Exciting Halloween Event for 19th Century History and Literature Lovers!

2011-10-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Join historically costumed reenactors as they recreate the funeral of famous Tennessean, businessman, surveyor, Revolutionary War veteran and State Senator, General Daniel Smith. The recreation will take place in Smith's actual home, Rock Castle, located in Hendersonville, TN. This event will be conducted by members of the Regency Society of Tennessee. They will be wearing their black arm bandsand mourning clothes as they gather in the General's house for a recreation of an 1818 memorial service beginning at 1:00 pm. The funeral will be followed that evening by scary, Halloween storytelling presented by the local storyteller group, "Explorastory." The storytelling starts at 6 pm and will go until 9 pm with storytellers located at three different locations in progression, at the pavillion, in the cemetery, and the front of the house.

Make plans to attend this Halloween event that has a little something for old and young alike!

For additional information, be sure to visit:

The Regency Society of Tennessee

Historic Rock Castle http://www.historicrockcastle.com/

Austen Biographer Catherine Reef Comes to Southern Festival of Books

2011-09-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Southern Festival of Books proudly announces that Catherine Reef, author of Jane Austen: A Life Revealed, will be a featured speaker on Sunday, October 16 from 1:00-2:30 in Room 31 of the Legislative Plaza. Ms. Reef will sign books afterward in the Signing Colonnade adjacent to War Memorial Auditorium. For more information, click on this link.

Stephanie Barron Writes Another Wonderful Jane Austen Mystery

2011-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

As a mystery lover as well as a Janeite, I have enjoyed Stephanie Barron's mystery series featuring Jane Austen as an 18th century sleuth for a number of years. Barron's premise that Austen would have been an exceptional "detective" because of her uncanny attention to detail and deep understanding of human nature, plays out very well in the entire Jane Austen mystery series. Moreover, Barron manages to weave into her novels direct quotations from Austen's novels which "melt" the line between Austen the narrator of Pride and Prejudice and the character of Jane Austen in Barron's series.

Jane and the Cantebury Tale is the latest addition to Barron's series; it definitely does not disappoint! Epigrams from Chaucer's Cantebury Tales mark each chapter in this novel about a mysterious murder which Jane and her brother, Edward, join forces to solve. Many details about court procedure and 19th century English laws add to the verisimilitude of Jane and the Cantebury Tale. I highly recommend it. ---Mildred Tilley (Middle TN JASNA member)

To learn more about Jane and the Cantebury Tale, click on this link.

Summer Program: "From Prada to Nada"-A Modern-Day Version of Sense and Sensibility ...with Shoes to Die For!

2011-07-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Summer Middle Tennessee JASNA Meeting

Sunday, Aug. 7 from 2:00-4:00

Where: Home of Mildred Tilley, 4413 Howell Place, Nashville, 37205

Drinks and light snacks will be provided by the hostess

Exhibit at the Huntington--Revisiting the Regency: England, 1811-1820

2011-07-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

If any Middle TN JASNA members are traveling to California this summer, they may wish to visit The Huntington in San Mateo for an exciting exhibit of rare books, mansuscrpts, prints and drawing documenting the Regency period in England. This exhibit commemorates the 200th anniversary of this age and includes numerous items that depict this "glittering, yet turbulent era." The exhibit runs from April 23-Aug. 1. Click here for more detailed information.

Coming Soon! 4th Annual Jane Austen Festival in Louisville--July 9-10

2011-06-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Click this link for more information about JASNA Louisville's 2011 Jane Austen Festival

The 4th Annual Jane Austen Festival at beautiful Historic Locust Grove will take place July 9 & 10. Back by popular demand will be the Shoppes of Meryton with many new vendors, and the Regency Style show

and fashion display, the four-course afternoon tea as well as music,entertainment and workshops and the Grand Ball.

New this year: Ladies Archery Competition, "Cheers for Chawton" play performance, Children's Tea.

Rick Steves Radio Interview--A Proper English Hour: Home, High Tea, and Jane Austen's England

2011-06-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Click on this link to hear this Rick Steves broadcast

Bill Bryson examines private life during the Victorian age; London guide Britt Lonsdale explains how to enjoy a proper afternoon tea service; and screenwriter Andrew Davies shares his appreciation for the works of Jane Austen, whose books about the gentle folk of rural England were first published 200 years ago.

Penguin Classics Internet Programming Highlights Austen

2011-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

It's hot outside...the perfect time to pull up to your computer for reading, viewing and listening INDOORS. Penguin Classics "On Air" offers programming that fits this bill quite nicely. The latest addition to their literary library features Austen scholar William Deresiewicz, author of A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter. In two Internet programs, Professor Deresiewicz shares his thoughts about a male's perspective on Austen's writing as well as why he thinks Austen fans sometimes harbor misconceptions about Jane Austen's actual social status. Baby, it's HOT outside, so treat yourself to some AC and lively conversation ideally suited for Janeites.

Click here to view Penguin Classics On Air

May 1 JASNA Meeting: Discussion of Sense and Sensibility

2011-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

"But at last a soft, genial morning appeared..."
as spring arrives in
Sense and Sensibility.

Please join us for the spring meeting of the Middle Tennessee JASNA Region on Sunday, May 1 from 2:00-4:00 pm. The afternoon's program will focus on Sense and Sensibility, a novel published 200 years ago and still loved today!

This meeting will be held at Yvonne Boyer's home. Background/historical information will be provided by Cynthia Trainer followed by a group discussion about the novel led by Caroline Davis.

Address: 3609 Bowlingate Lane, Nashville 37215

Parking is limited, but you are welcome to park in the driveway. As always, please bring a treat to share for tea.

Tea and Book Discussion at Belle Meade Plantation

2011-04-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Belle Meade Plantation's Jane Austen Book Club extends a cordial invitation to all those interested in attending its April 30 meeting.

3:00 pm - Christine Shih will be speaking about Jane Austen

4:00 pm Tea and book discussion about Jane Austen: A Life

RSVP to Genevieve Joyner, Living History Coordinator at Belle Meade Plantation

by April 26 at 615-356-0501 x 22

Elvira Casel Presents "The Abduction of Catherine Morland" at Feb 13 Meeting

2011-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Middle Tennessee State University English professor and JASNA TN member, Elvira Casal, will present "The Abduction of Catherine Morland" at the upcoming Feb. 13 meeting. In this presentation, Dr. Casal promises to "look at the ways in which the parodies of abduction in Northanger Abbey invite us to look at the connection between controlling a person's boy and controlling a person's story. Specifically, I look at the ways in which men try to tell women's stories and how Catherine in a sense resists being 'abducted' by either John Thorpe or Henry Tilney's storytelling."

This meeting will be hosted by Christine Shih from 2:00-4:00 pm at her home in Sugartree. Please bring a treat to share for tea and RSVP directly to Christine at christineshih101@hotmail.com.

Confused About the Arcane English Property Laws in Downton Abbey? Read On!

2011-02-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

A recent post on the "AustenBlog" site clearly explains the institution of "entailment.". To learn more about entailment as it relates to Downton Abbey as well as the novels of Jane Austen, click here.

Fourth Annual Jane Austen Festival in Louisville

2011-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

SAVE THE DATE

4TH ANNUAL JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL, JULY 9 & 10, 2011

held at

1790 National Historic Landmark, Historic Locust Grove (www.locustgrove.org)

Louisville, Kentucky

How Colin Firth's triumph has fuelled Jane Austen fever

2011-01-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

Colin Firth's Oscar-nominated performance in "The King's Speech" has renewed interest in Jane Austen's novels as well as the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice." According to "The Telegraph, "the fact that 'The King's Speech' also reunites him with his Pride and Prejudice co-star Jennifer Ehle, has only served to fuel the Austen revival fever. Backed by the enthusiasm of a new wave of youthful aficionados, and boosted by the internet, the cult of Austen has reached fresh heights in the US and Canada - even though her writings are steeped in the social mores of the English gentry two centuries ago. The Jane Austen fans site on Facebook has more than 278,000 members, up more than 180,000 in the last two months, and far outnumbering those for such other renowned names as Charles Dickens."

"Teapots: A Spoonful of History"--December Meeting Information

2010-11-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

An Invitation to

The Middle Tennessee JASNA December Meeting

Sunday, December 12, 2010

2:00-4:00

Featuring

A Presentation by Yvonne Boyer

"Teapots: A Spoonful of History--

An Infusion of Imagery, Brewed for Your

JASNA Afternoon Delight"

Hosted by Paula Covington

907 Estes Road

Douglas Murray and Rachel DeVore Fogarty Discuss New Opera: "Persuasion"

2010-10-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Austen fans will be glad to know that as part of Belmont University's annual Fall Symposium, two Belmont professors will discuss their collaboration in shaping a new opera from Austen's novel Persuasion. Austen's final novel, Persuasion (1817), depicts a culture clash between two communities: the aristocracy and the new meritocracy of the British Navy. The novel's heroine, Anne Elliot, is caught between these two communities: a world dying and one waiting to be born. On Saturday, October 30, Douglas Murray and Rachel DeVore Fogarty will discuss how they will present these communities in their opera in progress. This program will be held from 3:00-4:00 pm in the Neely Black and White Dining Room (First floor, in the building contiguous to the Belmont Mansion, to the East)

For more information on all the Belmont Symposium sessions, go to:

http://www.belmont.edu/cas/pdf/2010_humanities_symposium_mailer.pdf

"Pride and Prejudice" at Vanderbilt

2010-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen premieres at Neely Auditorium at Vanderbilt University for a one-week run on Oct. 7.

Jane Austen’s beloved novel, adapted by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan, is transformed for the stage in this acclaimed adaptation. The world of romantic complications takes center stage as the lively heroine Elizabeth Bennett and the high-born, handsome Mr. Darcy dance their way to comic completion.

“What makes Austen still compelling in this day and age? To this question one can only point to the obvious: love never goes out of style and, despite the difficulty of present times, we still yearn to believe that love is possible even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable circumstances,” says Terryl Hallquist, director of Pride and Prejudice and associate professor of theatre. “And, like it or not, the human condition is fraught with personal prides and prejudices. Whether we recognize them and grow beyond them is a pursuit worthy of our constant study and attention.”

Pride and Prejudice will be performed at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7, 8 and 9 and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 10. Admission is $10 for the general public, $7 for graduate and professional students and free for undergraduates with Vanderbilt identification. Tickets may be reserved by calling (615) 322-2404.

Christine Shih Leads October JASNA Program

2010-10-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Chrisitine Shih at Chawton House Library last July for the "New Directions in Austen Studies" Conference

Program: "Monsters: Perspectives of Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe and Emily Bronte"

Presenter: Christine Shih

Date and Time: Sunday October 17 from 2:00-4:00 pm

Location: Home of Judy Isaac, 1241 Cliftee Drive, Brentwood, TN

Attendees are encouraged to bring desserts, fruit, scones, tea sandwiches, etc. for High Tea beginning at 2:00 pm

Middle Tennessee JASNA Members will get a special "preview" on October 17 of a paper that Christine Shih has been asked to present at JASNA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Portland, Oregon. The following is a synopsis of Christine's paper entitled "Monsters: Perspectives of Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe and Emily Bronte":

"This essay concentrates on the shared experiences of the three authors Austen, Radcliffe and Emily Bronte. The “monster within their respective creations of Northanger Abbey, The Mysteries of Udolpho and Wuthering Heights was found within each author’s individual family life and brought to the novel with empirically consistent use of characterization. The characters of General Tilney, Signora Laurentini and Heathcliff, along with others, are brought together to describe the striking behavioral interactions with the author and the parental figures in their home life. A larger implication is drawn from the association of these works with many other novels from the eighteenth century to today, with the connection existing in each work to characterizations that describe Borderline Personality Disorder. I utilize an interdisciplinary approach to this essay by drawing from studies in medicine/nursing, diagnostics, philosophy, literature, psychology/psychotherapy and the discipline of parenting."

"Someone's Been Messing with Fanny"

2010-10-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

"Ever wondered what it would have been like if Jane Austen had turned her hand to murder?

Murder at Mansfield Park takes Austen’s masterpiece and turns it into a riveting murder story worthy of PD James or Agatha Christie. Just as in many classic English detective mysteries, this new novel opens with a group of characters in a country house setting, with passions running high, and simmering tensions beneath the elegant Regency surface. The arrival of the handsome and debonair Henry Crawford and his sister forces these tensions into the open, and sparks a chain of events that leads inexorably to violence and death.

Beautifully written, with an absolute faithfulness to the language in use at the time, Murder at Mansfield Park is both a good old-fashioned murder mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the very last page, and a sparklingly clever inversion of the original, which goes to the heart of many of the questions raised by Jane Austen’s text. Austen’s Mansfield Park is radically different from any of her other works, and much of the pleasure of Lynn Shepherd’s novel lies in the way it takes the characters and episodes in the original, and turns them into a lighter, sharper, and more playful book, with a new heroine at its centre – a heroine who owes far more to the lively and spirited Elizabeth Bennet, than the dreary and insipid Fanny Price.

A treat for Austen lovers and murder mystery aficionados alike."--Taken from Lynn Shepherd's Home Page.

Beth Patillo Enjoys a Jane Austen Walking Vacation

2010-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Walking tours have been popular for many years. However "literary walking tours" seem to be "reaching their stride." Local Nashville author Beth Patillo was recently interviewed about her recent Jane Austen walking vacation by Julie Johnson, U.S. Operations Manager of The Wayfarers travel company. Ms. Patillo discovered The Wayfarers travel company online when she was looking for Bronte-related tours. She missed the Bronte tour, but managed to get a place on the Austen tour!

For more information about Ms. Patillo's trip click here.

"Twilight of the Gods" Features Local JASNA Member-Caroline Davis

2010-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Click here for more information about "Twilight of the Gods"

A brilliant writer like Jane Austen would probably be first in line to buy her ticket to the opening of "Twilight of the Gods" a play debuting in Nashville later this month. In this new comedic thriller by Wes Driver and Greg Greene, historical figures such as Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, Annie Oakley, Friedrich Nietzsche and Florence Nightingale "convene, converse, and ultimately collide.

JASNA-TN member and local actress Caroline Davis is cast as Florence Nightingale in "Twilight of the Gods" which will be performed at the Shamblin Theater, on the Lipscomb University Campus.

Dates and times for performances are: August 6-7, 12-14, 20-21 (7:30 PM)

General Admission is $15.00 (Box Officew: 966-7111)

JASNA-NY Has an Official Costumer

2010-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a character in one of Jane Austen's novels, NY-JASNA member Maureen O'Connor has the solution you have been waiting for! Maureen designs and makes Regency era costumes . She will make a Regency day dress ($100) or evening dress ($150) to your measurements. Moreover, she will donate the proceeds from each costume's sale to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) Fund for 2012! It's a win-win situation for you and JASNA!

For complete information, Click here for details about Regency Dresses made to order

Finger Food and a Film for August JASNA Meeting

2010-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Due to high summer temperatures, the Middle Tennessee JASNA chapter will meet indoors at the home of Mildred Tilley on Sunday, Aug. 22 from 2:00-4:00 pm to enjoy light picnic fare and view the 2008 version of "Sense and Sensibility." JASNA's summer even was originally to be an outdoor picnic at Cheekwood. However, because of the weather, this outing has been postponed. Watch for details about a possible future date!

Austen Festival in Louisville on July 10 and 11

2010-05-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATE!

3rd Annual JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL-JULY 10 & 11, 2010

HISTORIC LOCUST GROVE

LOUISVILLE, KY

www.locustgrove.org

Sponsored by: Greater Louisville Region, JASNA

www.jasnalouisville.com

REGENCY EMPORIUM

JANE AUSTEN BALL

AUTHOR KIM WILSON "IN THE GARDEN WITH JANE AUSTEN" AND "TEA WITH JANE AUSTEN"

FOUR COURSE AFTERNOON TEA SERVED BOTH DAYS!

TUSSIE MUSSIE WORKSHOP

Watch the website for new developments. Reservations for tea, ball and workshops begin mid-May. All sold-out last year so do not delay!

Assistance gladly given about traveling and local arrangements.

Contact Bonny Wise, Regional Coordinator

wises4@insightbb.com

Recent Literary Mashups: The Zombification of Pride and Prejudice

2010-05-24T18:40:00.001-07:00

On May 16 members of the Middle TN JASNA group were introduced to the fairly recent phenomenon of literary mashups, specifically ones that parody some of Jane Austen's novels. The term "mashup" was discussed along with a discussion concerning the pros and cons of this genre. Mildred Tilley the discussion leader for this talk along with most of the JASNA members who were present, were definitely not enamored of this "new" genre!

Jane Austen Mashup Links:
Jane Bites Back Website
The Battle for Jane Austen by Laura Miller in SALON
Dawn of the Dreadfuls Press Release
Mansfield Park and Mummies Author Interview
Maureen Cavanaugh Interviews Dr. Linda Troost about Jane Austen Mashups (Really a Fine Interview!)
"Marvel" Gives Austen Fans Another Serving

Vandy Prof Morna O'Neill Enlightens and Entertains JASNA Group about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

2010-02-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

Historical as well as cinematic depictions of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, were topics covered in a wonderful presentation given at the Middle TN JASNA chapter's February meeting by Vanderbilt professor Morna O'Neill. Professor O'Neill first shared background information about Princess Diana's very famous distant relative, Georgiana, the Fifth Duchess of Devonshire who lived from 1757-1806. In addition to being one of the most beautiful and well-known personalities of her age, Georgiana was involved in politics, threw lavish parties and became an 18th century fashion "icon." The Duchess of Devonshire's flamboyant life was marked with a fear of debt because of her gambling addictions and entravagant lifestyle.

Professor O'Neill also shared fascinating details about how "historical" films are made by using specific examples of details from the film, "The Duchess" in which British actress, Keira Knightley plays the unhappy Georgiana and Ralph Fiennes portrays her ill-suited husband, the Duke of Devonshire.

Penguin Classics On Air Features Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell

2010-01-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Following recent airings on PBS of the movies “Return to Cranford” based on works by Elizabeth Gaskell and “Emma” by Jane Austen, Penguin Classics On Air has produced a four part series comparing and contrasting the works of these two famous British novelists. In these segments introduced by Steve Morrison, the editor in chief of Penguin books, topics include: differences in Austen and Gaskell’s books, ways their lives were quite different, why Austen is more frequently adapted, and how Gaskell might be a little more socially conscious than Jane Austen. These broadcasts are informative and very entertaining! To hear these fascinating talks go to: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishersoffice/radioroom/0110/pcoa/gaskell_austen.html#vmix_media_id=9528197

Masterpiece Classic Tempts Janeites With a New Version of "Emma"

2010-01-18T20:13:00.001-08:00

A fresh and fiercely funny new three-part adaptation of Jane Austen's comic masterpiece, starring Romola Garai (Atonement) as the "handsome, clever and rich" Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who dominates her small provincial world of Highbury. Misguidedly believing that she is a skilled matchmaker, Emma repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends, often with dire results. Jonny Lee Miller (Endgame, Eli Stone) plays Mr. Knightley, Emma's shrewd and attractive neighbor, and Michael Gambon (Cranford) is her affectionate, neurotic father. --From: "Masterpiece Classic" website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/emma/index.html

"Lover's Vows Brings Down the House at Dec. Meeting

2009-12-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

A large crowd of JASNA members and their guests enjoyed a condensed "readers-theater" version of the 18th century play, "Lover's Vows" by Elizabeth Inchbald at the December meeting. Director Caroline Davis enlisted JASNA members as well as local actors and actresses to enliven the 1 hour performance. Comedy, melodrama and surprises marked this play which Caroline described as unlike the play in "Mansfield Park" because "Lover's Vows" in Austen's novel was practiced and never performed; this play was performed but never practiced!!

Jane Austen Centre Giftshop in Bath Offers Unique Christmas Gifts

2009-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas cards adorned with Georgian-era shoppers, cross-stitch samplers, Jane Austen calendars, Pride and Prejudice earrings, Elizabeth Bennett lotion and tea towels imprinted with Mr. Darcy's proposal are just a few of the extraordinary Christmas gifts which the Jane Austen Centre Giftshop in Bath sells. Lovers of Jane Austen's works may find all sorts of special Austen-themed items online at: http://giftshop.janeausten.co.uk/acatalog/Christmas_Gifts.html

The Christmas tree ornament pictured above is a "literary ornament" which is filled with strips of texts from old editions of Pride and Prejudice topped off with a black ribbon. What more could any Austen fan wish for at Christmas?

New Austen-Inspired Book: Short Stories, Not Monsters!

2009-11-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Although many Austen fans have been overjoyed with recent "mashups" like Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or Ben H. Winter's Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, I am happy to see a more traditional Austen "follow-up" book to enter the market: Dancing with Mr. Darcy: Stories Inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House. According to a RobAroundBooks internet site, "Dancing with Mr. Darcy is an anthology of twenty Austen-inspired stories, all of which were selected from the entrants of the recent 'Jane Austen Short Story Award 2009,' a competition which marks the celebration of the bicentenary of Austen's arrival in Chawton." Sounds like a book many of us would enjoy!

Austen Exhibit at the Morgan Library and Museum

2009-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Morgan Library and Museum in NYC is sponsoring a special exhibit now through March 14, 2010 entitled, "A Woman's Wit: Jane Austen's Life and Legacy." According to the Morgan Museum's website, this exhibit "offers a close-up portrait of the iconic British author, whose popularity has surged over the last two decades with numerous motion picture and television adaptations of her work, the show provides tangible intimacy with Austen through the presentation of more than 100 works, including her manuscripts, personal letters, and related materials, many of which the Morgan has not exhibited in over a quarter century.

A Woman's Wit: Jane Austen's Life and Legacy also includes first and early illustrated editions of Austen's novels as well as drawings and prints depicting people, places, and events of biographical significance. A highlight of the exhibition is a specially commissioned film by the noted Italian director Francesco Carrozzini, featuring interviews with artists and scholars such as Siri Hustvedt, Fran Lebowitz, Sandy Lerner, Colm Tóibín, Harriet Walter, and Cornel West.

The exhibition is organized into three sections: Austen's life and personal letters, her works, her legacy, and concludes with the documentary-style film."
For more information about this outstanding Austen exhibit, go to: http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=22'

Change is "Afoot" : English Country Dancing at October Meeting

2009-09-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Instead of participating in a Regency melodrama as originally planned, Middle TN JASNA members are invited to put on their dancing shoes for a rousing program of "English Country Dancing" at the upcoming Fall meeting. Host Phil Staples will help each one of us, including some who may demur that they have "two left feet," to participate in an afternoon of sipping tea, repasting on fresh baked delicacies and dancing (almost as elegantly) as Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley!

December's meeting will feature a group rendition of "Lover's Vows" led by thespian Caroline Davis at the home of Paula Covington.

Details:

Date: Sunday, October 18

Time: 2:00-4:00 pm

Place: Anne Potter Wilson Room in the Patrick Wilson Library at Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Road, Nashville, TN

Instructions: Bring cookies, scones, cake, tea sandwiches, etc. for a High Tea which will take place beginning at 2:00 pm. Dancing will follow. Female members are encouraged to invite male friends, spouses, relatives who would like to join us at this meeting. Ladies, if you can't find a partner, please don't hesitate to come anyway! All who wish will be able to participate even if there are more ladies than gentlemen present.

Directions: From I-440/West End Ave-Harding Rd. interchange, exit west on to West End Ave-Harding Rd. MBA's main entrance is on the left at the 4th traffic light. From Bellevue/Belle Meade/White Bridge Road, MBA's main entrance is at the 4th traffic light past the intersection of Harding Road and Woodmont Boulevard.

You may park in any of the school parking lots off of Montgomery Bell Avenue. Maps located on the campus will direct you to the Patrick Wilson Library building.

A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen

2009-09-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen, a new collection of literary criticism will be released in November by Random House just in time for holiday purchases for Austen fans. Edited by Susannah Carson and with a foreward written by Harold Bloom, this volume includes opinions by mid-twentieth century critics such as Virginia Woolf and C. S. Lewis as well as thoughts from more contemporary writers like Anna Quindlen, Fay Welden and Jay McInerney. According to a Random House advance press release, "We read, and then reread, our favorite Austen novels to connect with both her world and our own. Because, as A Truth Universally Acknowledged so eloquently demonstrates, the only thing better than reading a Jane Austen novel is finding in our own lives her humor, emotion, and love."

2nd Favorite Authors Highlight May JASNA Meeting

2009-07-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

At their May meeting, Middle TN JASNA members shared titles of novels other than ones by Jane Austen which they enjoy reading most. Nineteenth century classics as well as mysteries seemed to crop up frequently in their discussion. The following is a list of specific authors and titles which Middle TN Janeites highly recommend:

Carmen: William Dean Howell's The Rise of Silas Lapham, George Eliot's Middlemarch and Sarah Orne Jewett's Country of the Pointed Firs, A White Heron

Christine: Henry Fielding's Tom Jones, Edith Wharton's novels, A.E. W. Mason's The Four Feathers

Cynthia: Henry James' The Golden Bowl, The Aspern Papers, Washington Square; Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the D'Ubervilles, Pair of Blue Eyes, Far from the Madding Crown, Return of the Native; Charles Dickens' Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield; George Eliot's Daniel Deronda

Fran: Dostoyevsky

Helen: Anne of Green Gables, The Great Gatsby, The Book of Three

Jo Ann: Anthony Trollope's The Warden and Barchester Towers, to start, and then the Palliser series: Can You Forgive Her?, Phineas Finn, The Eustace Diamonds, Phineas Redux, The Prime Minister, and The Duke's Children

Kathie: Katherine Mansfield's short stories, Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman, Carlos Fuentes' Death of Artemio Cruz and Antonio Machado's poems

Mary: Alexander McCall Smith's The Space Between Us

Mildred: P.D. James and Alexandra Stoddard.

Renee: Barbara Pym's novels, especially her last novel, A Few Green Leaves

Roberta: Agatha Christie

Sharon: Lafcadio Hearn (who wrote of his impressions of Japan), Thomas Hardy (for his beautiful descriptions and sense of place), and Vladimir Nabakov (for his quirkiness and verbosity)

Susie: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series 1-7

Susan: Anne Perry (who wrote two mystery series with social causes) and P.G. Wodehouse

Yvonne: Elizabeth Peters, author of the Amelia Peabody series. Start with The Crocodile on the Sand Bank

Summer Meeting Information: Box Hill Picnic

2009-07-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

All Middle Tennessee JASNA members are invited to a "Box Hill Picnic"

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Time: 2-4 pm
Location: Arrington Vineyards in Franklin, TN http://arringtonvineyards.com/
For Directions, go to: http://arringtonvineyards.com/directions.html
This event will be a potluck-style picnic, so bring picnic food (i.e. small sandwiches, fruit, salads, desserts, etc.) Mildred will provide plates, napkins, cups, and eating utensils as well as iced tea and water. Jo Ann is planning to bring chicken salad and deviled eggs. If anyone wishes to purchase wine at Arrington Vineyards, this is an option. Everyone should bring something to sit on (blanket or quilt) in case all of the tables are taken. We will want to carpool as much a possible, so let Jo Ann or Mildred know if you plan to attend.

Now if we can just figure out how to get all of the servants there to wait on us.........

Jane Austen

2009-07-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

Jane Austen, one of England's foremost novelists, was never publically acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime. She was born on December 16, 1775 and died on July 18, 1817. Austen's skilled use of irony, free indirect discourse, social commentary and memorable characterization has delighted readers for over 200 years.