Members Meeting - January 2023
JASNA January 21, 2023
January 31, 1789 - Jane's brothers Janes & Henry start their college magazine, The Loiterer
January 21st Meeting Recap
Why does Austen retain relevance and how do we convey that relevance to a younger audience?
For those of you who joined the zoom meeting, I think you'll agree that Margaret Willison's goal of "wowing" us was accomplished. I heard back from members with comments like "Margaret was an excellent and stimulating guest" and "what a fabulous speaker". The conversation was lively, interesting, thoughtful and everyone with everyone participating. Below is a note Margaret sent me yesterday with all the information she promised to send along.
“Thank you again for having me to speak on Saturday. I had a wonderful time meeting your group and leading discussion on the book. It was immensely gratifying to see how strongly you all responded to my framing of the text and the sacred reading practice I modeled. Here's the additional information I promised I would send along:”
You can find more information about Lectio Divina and the other sacred reading practices we use as an organization right here. As we practiced it, these are the four steps we would go through with the text:
One: What is literally happening in the story in this text? Who is speaking, what are they trying to accomplish, how does it relate to the plot, etc.
Two: What other art does this text call to mind? Where else have I seen these words and what associations do they bring forward for me?
Three: What from my own life does this text call forth? Where do I see these words, ideas, or scenarios in my own experience?
Four: Considering all those things together, what does this text make me feel called to do moving forward in my life?
The paraphrased Margaret Atwood quote I referenced is "Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them." Here's a little more detail about where that quote comes from, and why I'm flagging it as paraphrased.
Some people asked for more information about the Austen pilgrimages I lead for the company. Here's that:
The Pride & Prejudice trip I will be leading this April is already sold out, but folks can add themselves to the waiting list if they'd like to.
We have an Emily Dickinson Pilgrimage in Amherst, MA that's presently on sale and should be amazing.
And, most important, they should add themselves to our newsletter, where we will be announcing at least two more trips for this year: https://www.readingandwalkingwith.com/contact Folks on the mailing list have 24 hours to sign up for all our pilgrimages before the general public. I will likely be running another Pride & Prejudice trip in 2024 and--hopefully someday!-- I'd like to run one on Persuasion as well.
Although I am sure Jamie provided this already, someone did ask about where they could find our podcast, so I'm including a link here to this season, "Live from Pemberley"
Some folks asked where they could find more from me, so here's my best answer.
I pop up pretty regularly on all of Not Sorry Productions' podcasts: Hot & Bothered (where we're presently covering Pride & Prejudice in-depth), Harry Potter and the Sacred Text (where Vanessa of Hot & Bothered and Matt Potts, her colleague from Harvard Divinity School, modeling sacred reading practices with the Harry Potter series), and The Real Question (where Vanessa takes folks' real problems and provides advice, often through close-reading of their own description of the problem or texts they feel relate to it).
I also make periodic appearances on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast-- as Janeites, they might enjoy my appearances discussing the 2020 adaptation of Emma, Fire Island (the modern queer Pride & Prejudice retelling) and the 2022 adaptation of Persuasion.
Best,
Margaret
March 18th Meeting - In Person at Sunalta Community Centre
Guest Speaker David Sigler University of Calgary Associate Professor Department of English. Stay tuned for more details.
April Extra Activity - Movie Afternoon/Night:
It was suggested at the September meeting, that it would be fun to get together and watch one of Jane's movies. Stay tuned for more information.
May 13th Meeting - Annual Tea
If you would like to be part of the planning committee that puts on this highly anticipated event, please connect directly with Lindsey at lindseylouro@gmail.com
Sprigged Muslin
After nearly three years, the regency dance group met on January 22nd. As Kathleen said "we had a great time waking up our brains and our bodies - for some of us it was a chance to remember old favourites like The Spaniard, for others it was a chance to learn'. The next practice will be Sunday March 12th at 2:00pm, at Prairie Sky. If you'd like more information about the group you can email Kathleen Ryan at kathleen@prairiesky.ca
No experience is necessary, just bring your enthusiasm. New members are always welcome!
Jane Austen & Co. - Two Events Left for Reading with Austen
Upcoming Events
Bookbinding and the English Novel from Aphra Behn to Jane Austen
Tuesday, February 7 at 5 PM EST
In this fascinating talk with antiquarian bookseller Stuart Bennett, we'll examine the history of book production in England, including how Austen's novels were originally bound. The talk will start with the hand-press era and take us all the way to classic editions of Austen's novels in the nineteenth century to show the art and science of bookbinding.
Folding in and Folding Out: Making and Writing the 18th-Century Extra-Illustrated Book
Tuesday, February 21st at 5 PM EST
In the eighteenth century, the practice of extra-illustration transformed ordinary books into custom works of art. Armed with scissors and paste, readers could endow old books with new meanings. In this talk, Julie Park (Pennsylvania State University) introduces us to the world of extra-illustration--the practice of custom-decorating books with images and artwork--with stunning examples from eighteenth-century books.
Upcoming JASNA Annual Meetings (mark your calendars)
Denver/Boulder: *November 3-5 2023, “Pride and Prejudice: A Rocky Romance”
North Ohio (Cleveland): October 18-20, 2024, “Austen, Annotated: Jane Austen’s Literary, Political, and Cultural Origins”
Maryland (Baltimore): October 10-12, 2025, 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth
Persuasionally yours,
Laurie Sayles
Regional Co-ordinator
JASNA Calgary Region