Jane Austen Times Jane Austen Society of North America Puget Sound Region

February 2015 Newsletter Volume 22 Issue 1

Letter from the Regional Coordinator

2015 has started off with a bang! This promises to be a great year for JASNA both locally in the Puget Sound area and nationally. The AGM in Louisville is already warning us to get our hotel reservations in and our local JASNA community will be very well represented in the breakout sessions (so we know the quality of the programming is going to be high). At our February meeting we will be the first group to hear Jim Nagle’s presentation Politics in Mansfield Park: What Sir Thomas Would Have Experienced in that Vulgar

World”. Jim prepared this discussion for the Montreal AGM but became ill before the time of

his presentation and was unable speak. I am sure it will be a great talk and we are the luckiest

region to have such skilled speakers. The rest of 2015 promises to be equally entertaining and

enlightening. In April we will have an author, Deborah Yaffe, come here from New Jersey to

tell us about her book Among the Janeites-- A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen

Fandom. This meeting will happen at the University Book Store and will follow their format

of an author reading. It will be a different experience for us but I think it will be fun. The June

meeting features Amanda Jacobs who was the Visiting Scholar at Chawton House in 2014. She

is a composer and musician and will tell us about her time at Chawton and her Jane Austen

inspired compositions. In August another of our local members, Susanna Cerasuolo, will share

her presentation from the Montreal AGM with us “Every Character a Teacher: The Central

Importance of Pedagogy in Mansfield Park”. The success of the October meeting will fall on

the heads of all of us as we will discuss “Twisted Jane Austen” where alternate pairings of

couples from the novels occur. Finally, our December meeting and celebration of Jane’s

Birthday will be a the lovely home of Kimberly Milham in Magnolia, after a toast to Jane we

will share a pot luck tea party and reflect on the great life and writings of Jane Austen.

Continued

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Letter from the Regional Coordinator continued

If you were impressed by the quality of the programming planned for this coming year then you

are in great company. The Puget Sound region will be well represented in the break out sessions

at the Louisville AGM. I know of a few local people who have been accepted to give

presentations. Jack Laney will reprise his presentation on the role of the rat catcher that we were

so delighted with a few years ago. Debra Alderman will give a breakout session on fallen women

of Jane Austen’s time. Julie Buck will give a presentation on needlework (similar to the

presentation once she gave us), Kimberly Milham will be presenting on the theater of the

Regency. I believe there are a couple more but I have not confirmed so, for the sake of good

journalism, I will not put them in print here at this time.

In closing, remember to pencil in the dates of our meetings into your calendars so you don’t miss

any of the great programs planned, get your hotel reservations in for the AGM if you plan to go,

and enjoy this year’s theme: Living in Jane Austen’s World.

Sincerely, Agnes Gawne Regional Coordinator JASNA Puget Sound “I have now attained the true art of letter-writing, which we are always told, is to express on paper exactly what one would say to the same person by word of mouth.” Letter (1801-01-03) [Letters of Jane Austen -- Brabourne Edition]

February 8th Meeting Details Program: Jim Nagle will present "Politics in Mansfield Park: What Sir Thomas Would Have Experienced in that Vulgar World" What were elections like in Jane Austen's time? Who could vote, for whom, how did the process work, and what were the big political issues, figures, and parties? Location: Montlake Library Directions: The Montlake Branch is located on the northwest corner of 24th Avenue East and East McGraw Street. Driving from the north or south via I-5:

Take the 520 exit (number 158B) toward Bellevue-Kirkland. Travel ¼ mile and take the Montlake Boulevard exit. Turn right (away from the Montlake Bridge). The Montlake Branch is approximately a half mile south of the Montlake Bridge, on your right.

Driving from the east via 520: Take the Montlake exit. Merge onto Montlake Blvd. E., make a u-turn at E. Hamlin Street. Bear Left to stay on Montlake Blvd. E., continue on to 24th. Avenue E. The Montlake Branch is approximately a half mile south of the Montlake Bridge, on your right. Parking The Montlake Branch has parking for 13 vehicles, which includes a parking garage with seven covered spaces. Car pools are suggested. Metro Bus InformationServed by Metro Bus Routes: 25, 43, 48 Food Hosts: Elaine Weeks and Charlene Kern Tea Hosts: Carolee Jones and Carolyn Kine Notetaker: Loveday Conquest

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December 2014 Meeting Report reported by Debbie Johnson

‛ Jane Austen’s Birthday Celebration Our December meeting was held at the King County Library Services Building in Issaquah. Regional Coordinator Agnes Gawne presided, first welcoming two new members and asking for “Jane Sightings” and other announcements. The following items were reported: • A newspaper review of Book-It Theater’s

production of “Pride and Prejudice” was noted. Kimberly Milham has arranged for tickets to be reserved for JASNA-PSR members to attend a performance of this play on December 27th at a group rate. Members interested in attending were advised to contact Kimberly.

• Agnes Gawne shared a comic strip version of

Pride and Prejudice. • It was announced that the following local

members will give presentations at the 2015 AGM in Louisville:

• Jack Laney - Ratting • Jim Nagle - George III • Julie Buck - Embroidery • Kimberly Milham - (Topic not finalized)

• Maggie Lohnes displayed the turquoise ring

she had ordered at the Montreal AGM from a jeweler in Chawton, which is a replica of Jane’s ring acquired by Jane Austen’s House Museum in 2013.

• Julie Arnold reported that JASNA-PSR has 73

followers on Facebook. • Kimberly Milham reported that the Oregon

and Washington Regency Societies will hold a joint retreat October 1-4, 2015 at the

Oregon Caves Chateau. More information is available at www.waregency.org.

• The UW College of Arts and Sciences will

present “Austen Ever After: Short Takes on Jane Austen” at ACT Theatre on February 19th at 7:00 PM. This is a series of five-minute talks on Austen’s life and works. Tickets are $10.00, and more information is available at acttheatre.org.

• The 2015 JASNA-PSR schedule of programs is

now available on our website. Agnes then presented thank-you gifts to outgoing JASNA-PSR officers Kimberly Milham, Rosemary Withers, and Jim Nagle, and members applauded them for their service. After glasses of sparkling cider were passed around the annual birthday toast was given by Jim Nagle, who proposed that ‘if any would seek Jane’s monument it is not in stone, but in the fact that 239 years after her death readers from around the world are gathered on this day to celebrate her life’, after which everyone raised their glasses in loving tribute. Finally, Julie Buck described how to play a board game that she had created called “Persuasions”, and members adjourned to a lavish tea and the good conversation that “Persuasions” engendered. Austen Times. Reported by Debbie Johnson

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Scenes from December 2014 Meeting

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New Book - Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer We’ve received news from Lisa Pliscou that this April, her eighth book, Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer, is being published. It's an illustrated, lavishly annotated, beautifully designed biography for adults which focuses on Austen's childhood in the hopes of illuminating her remarkable creative achievement both as a teenager and as an adult. It is, perhaps, a kind of "Shakespeare in Love" exploration of her formative years, during a time when, as you know, the idea of a girl becoming a writer (much less an author) was exceedingly far-fetched. Below is the cover and a sample spread of the interior to give you a sense of the book's look and feel. There's more info (additional images, advance praise, author Q&A) here: http://lisapliscou.com/books/young-jane-austen/

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Book Reviews by Julie Buck By the author of our April 2015 program speaker: Among the Janeites: A journey through the world of Jane Austen fandom by Deborah Yaffe Deborah Yaffe will be presenting the program at our April meeting, so I wanted to read her book to see what the topic was all about. I can't remember when I enjoyed a book more. It seemed almost to be written for me. As I come to my third year of membership in JASNA-PS, I am very much aware that I have so much still to learn, not only about Jane Austen, and about the books, but about this phenomenon which has propelled Jane Austen to remain famous for over 100 years (at least)! Deborah Yaffe enjoyed Jane Austen as a child, reading her books and reveling in the knowledge that she'd found something just "for her". In the late 1980's, she made a pilgrimage to Chawton Cottage and poked around this home of her beloved Jane in solitude and perfect happiness. The book takes us from those solitary roots to the turn-of-the-millennium madness when the name Jane Austen seemed to be on everyone's lips! From Colin Firth's dip in Pemberley's trout lake to Keira Knightly's pouting read-through of Jane's letter to Elizabeth, all you-know-what seemed to bust out! Ms Yaffe takes us through a dizzying year of trying not to get trampled during a second visit to Chawton with many other tourists "in the way", to sidestepping to get out of the way of Andrew Davies' groupies at the JASNA AGM in Austin Texas! From consultations with her dressmaker to the Fanny Price Wars on the internet, we are given a front-row seat to all the ins and outs of Jane Austen fandom! The theme throughout focuses on the dichotomy of the serious Jane Austen scholars and the sheer fun of the dress-up world that doesn't take itself quite as seriously. Many very serious people wonder how their appreciation of the novels can be lumped in with those people who have only seen the movies and like to wear bonnets and afternoon dresses. Can this all be part and parcel of the same thing? And have the roots of JASNA been thus polluted? Ms Yaffe embraces it all, yet sees the disparity and can't help but comment on it. I particularly liked the vignettes of different "characters" she interviewed throughout the book - whether their interest in Austen was scholarly or sartorial, she didn't judge - she just reported what she found. I felt like I finally knew a few secrets about the AGM's, the way JASNA was formed, and why, and who I might meet when I go to my first AGM in October! Rating: Five delicious cups of tea!

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Dying to Write: A Patrick Shea Mystery by Mary Lydon Simonsen Another "cozy" - number three in a series of novels about Detective Patrick Shea of Scotland Yard. The series is not connected with Jane Austen, but the latest mystery to be "sleuthed" by Patrick is one that occurs at a Jane Austen convention in Devon. A Bed and Breakfast near Sidmouth is the site of a convention of Jane Austen enthusiasts each year, and Patrick just happens to be staying there for a few days of R and R when, of course, a Janeite is brutally murdered. I had not read the first two books in this series, and found that to be no problem at all. The mystery story is quite good, and had I not been a Janeite myself, I doubt I'd even notice some of the things I think Ms. Simonsen got wrong. Even so, I found the book entertaining, if light. The solution to the mystery itself is satisfying, but what I enjoyed most was the description of the two "warring factions" among the Janeites. The "purists" were all lovely blue-haired ladies who appreciated Jane Austen for the writing. The "Jenny-come-latelies" were those younger, hipper women who wrote or devotedly followed "fan fiction". As some of the blue-hairs sniffed - "They wouldn't know Jane Austen from that Texas town in America!" Sure enough - there is a vulgar, larger-than-life Janeite who has written several wildly popular fan fic books, who of course, is from none other than Texas! This woman was marked for murder from the get-go, as she delighted in goading the purists with her popularity and wildly inappropriate remarks. This could have rankled, as I'm not usually one who appreciates trumped up conflict, but this crowd delighted me, they were so outlandish! Once past the annoyance of the stereotypical American, I found this book to be an enjoyable, if light, read. Rating: Three teacups

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The Highbury Murders: A Mystery Set in the Village of Jane Austen's Emma by Victoria Grossack

I seem to have been on a "cozy" kick this winter, as I have yet one more to tell you about. This book was, by far, the best of the lot. Ms. Grossack has taken great pains to bring us back to the world of Emma. She says that Jane Austen's novel has "been famously described as a detective novel without a body." What she's done is take "facts" from the novel and expanded on them to describe a series of murders perpetrated by a most surprising villain! I found the mystery to be very good - worthy of the best writers of the genre. Add to that a voice that sounds authentic (at least to my untrained ear) to the time and the characters with whom we are already very familiar, and you have a real delight, if mystery is your province. I loved visiting with Emma, Mr. Woodhouse, Mr. Knightly, Mrs. Weston, and everyone from the original

novel. Every person we know from Jane Austen's work is here, including Harriet Smith (now Mrs. Martin), the Elton's, Frank Churchill and his bride, the former Jane Fairfax... Mrs. and Miss Smith are still great friends of Mr. Woodhouse - all is as you remember it, except that all the marriages have taken place some time back, and pretty much every young bride has at least one baby for his or her doting father to dandle on his knee. The domestic pictures are lovely, and we come into the story as we see how life "goes on" after the end of Emma. I won't tell you anything about the mystery other than to say that it seems to stem so naturally from the story as it continues that you will be amazed. I'd never have guessed the culprit, and yet, in retrospect, it makes sense. You will, indeed, have to say goodbye to some beloved characters, but fear not - someone else is writing something as we speak, which brings those people back to life, I am sure. As an imagining of what happens next, I loved this story, and I hope you will, too! Rating: Five teacups

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US Supreme Court decision includes Jane Austen quote Justice Scalia’s recent opinion in Whitfield v. United States http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-9026_11o2.pdf uses “Pride and Prejudice” much as linguists sometimes do: to offer an example of common English usage (not that recent, to be sure, but likely influential even today — or, more relevant, 1934 — given the book’s place in the literary canon): In 1934 [when the relevant statute was enacted -EV], just as today, to “accompany” someone meant to “go with” him. See Oxford English Dictionary 60 (1st ed. 1933) (defining “accompany” as: “To go in company with, to go along with”). The word does not, as Whitfield contends, connote movement over a substantial distance. It was, and still is, perfectly natural to speak of accompanying someone over a relatively short distance, for example: from one area within a bank “to the vault”; “to the altar” at a wedding; “up the stairway”; or into, out of, or across a room. English literature is replete with examples. See, e.g., C. Dickens, David Copperfield 529 (Modern Library ed. 2000) (Uriah “accompanied me into Mr. Wickfield’s room”); J. Austen, Pride and Prejudice 182 (Greenwich ed. 1982) (Elizabeth “accompanied her out of the room" Contributed by James Nagle

Channel your inner Jane Austen heroine with these DIY perfumes Transform into your favorite Regency heroine by going to http://hellogiggles.com/channel-inner-jane-austen-heroine-diy-perfumes Today’s DIY is your own customizable, Regency-inspired perfume and body spray. With only a few supplies, you can make a chemical-free scent that is perfect for your personality and lets you channel your favorite Austen heroine. If you’re new to making perfume, start with one or two different scents and build up to a complex mixture as you make more. Here are some ideas for you to find your perfect fragrance: Elizabeth Bennet: Jasmine, Vanilla. Equal parts strong and light, this blend is perfect for all of the effervescent, hard to catch, yet intellectual Lizzies of the world. Emma Woodhouse: Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom. Sweet and tangy, this combination captures Emma’s liveliness and sass, with enough mystery to keep your Mr. Knightley on his toes. Elinor Dashwood: Lavender. By far, Jane Austen’s most level-headed and serene heroine, Elinor’s nature is just as soothing and gentle as this calming scent. Contributed by Heidi Gailey

Jane Sightings

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Jane Austen Society of North America Puget Sound Region 2015 Meeting Schedule

February 8th Program: “Politics in Mansfield Park: What Sir Thomas Would Have Experienced in that Vulgar World” What were elections like in Jane Austen’s time? Who could vote, for whom, how did the process work, and what were the big political issues, figures, and parties? Presenter: Jim Nagle, local member Location: Montlake Branch Library 2401 24th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112 April 12th Program: Among the Janeites-- A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom A presentation by the author of this book about the cult and passion of Jane Austen in today’s world. Presenter: Deborah Yaffe, author from New Jersey Location: University Book Store in Seattle June 14th Program: “Living and studying at the Chawton Great House, my very excellent adventure” Presenter: Amanda Jacobs, composer of music for a musical based on Pride and Prejudice, 2014 North American Visiting Scholar at Chawton House Location: Magnolia Lutheran Church fireside room August 9th

Program: “Every Character a Teacher: The Central Importance of Pedagogy in Mansfield Park” Every character in Mansfield Park takes on the role of educator for others in the novel. Some of these teachers teach bad principles, some good, and some choose not to teach at all. Presenter: Susanna Cerasuolo, University of Oxford, new member and Edmonds resident October 18th: (delayed due to the AGM on the 2nd Sunday) Program: “Twisted Jane Austen—make a case for the outcome of these alternative pairings. Would happiness of a kind ensue? What are the possibilities that you foresee? Mary Crawford and Edmond Bertram. Henry Crawford and Fanny Price. Willoughby and Marianne Dashwood. Lucy Steele and Edward Ferrars. Group discussion December 13th: Program: Austen Birthday and Holiday Celebration Location: home of Kimberly Milham, Magnolia in Seattle Food Hosts: all who attend bring a sweet or savory to share

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Jane Austen Society of Puget Sound Officers

Regional Coordinator Agnes Gawne regional@austenps.com

Membership Secretary Marian LaBeck membership@austenps.com

Treasurers Carolee Ralph-Jones Elaine Weeks

treasurer@austenps.com

Program Chairs Julie Buck Caroline Kine program@austenps.com

Newsletter Editor Maggie Lohnes newsletter@austenps.com

Publicity Coordinator Julie Arnold publicity@austenps.com

Librarian Loveday Conquest librarian@austenps.com

Past Regional Coordinator Charlene Kern pastregional@austenps.com

Webmaster James Petts webmaster@austenps.com Website: http://www.austenps.com/