On October 23, JASNA-NC met to hear all about this year’s AGM: “Sense and Sensibility in the City of Gardens” that was hosted in Victoria, BC. The talk that remained most prominent in attendees’ minds, in-person and virtual alike, was Robert Morrison’s “’Deeper in a Life of Sin’: The Regency Romance of Sense and Sensibility.” Morrison’s explorations of the ambiguities and innuendos in Austen’s language use in the novel peaked listeners’ interests, even if not everyone bought into the possibilities Morrison posed like: Could Marianne’s illness at Cleveland have been a miscarriage? Could Marianne and Willoughby have had a sexual encounter at Allenham?
These ideas and others captured the imagination of our members, as we discussed the joys of reencountering Austen’s writing through AGM presentations and our own exchanges in this regional meeting. Our sincere thanks go to Gisele Rankin, our in-person attendee, and Betty Parker Ellis, our virtual attendee, for their gracious offer to share their in-depth observations that sparked engaging conversations.
Gisele noted that the venue for this AGM was gorgeous: the location of the conference center, the weather, and the local gardens were fantastic and covered with flowers. Victoria was an ideal location to talk about Sense and Sensibility! Gisele’s recollections of Morrison’s talk about the darker side of Jane Austen spurred a flurry of comments from our group, as we considered Marianne’s character, the men of the novel, and how far we think Marianne and Willoughby might have pushed the envelope.
Sue observed that she could see Marianne agreeing to have sex with Willoughby: in Marianne’s mind, they are in love and would get married, which aligned with her research into the Regency (it was not uncommon, she found, for premarital sex to occur in the Regency, which led to brides already being pregnant at their weddings). Member Jane also saw Marianne as a character much like Lydia Bennet: they both are naive girls who fall into the trap of immoral men. Linda saw this alignment as well, noting that Marianne has a tendency to do inappropriate things and shows a lack of judgment. Judy recognized Marianne as being “very self-indulgent” and caught up in the passion of everything. Our group found the ideas presented by Morrison to be interesting and clever, and, as Nancy noted, “I bet everyone remembers his talk!”
As we continued our debriefing, Betty Parker Ellis shared her perspective as a virtual attendee, beginning with a kind word of thanks to JASNA-NC for helping prepare her for this year’s topics with our Virtual Book Club readings of Morrison’s The Regency Years and Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Betty encouraged us to revisit the third chapter of The Regency Years on sexual pastimes and controversies, as it laid a lot of the ground work for Morrison’s talk at the AGM. Betty found that Morrison’s and others’ talks at the AGM added another way of enjoying Austen by adding more layers and interpretations that make each re-reading feel new.
For those who could not attend the AGM in-person, Betty and others found the virtual option to be a great alternative. A presentation she most enjoyed was fashion historian Ian Sayer’s “English Fashion in the Time of Austen,” because his collection of clothing was extensive (almost 600 pieces!) and each piece has a story. Sayer’s penultimate piece was a framed waistcoat that belonged to Warren Hasting: it was found in a library, and, because they did not have Janeites with them, it took them a long time to identify who Warren Hastings was. The waistcoat is sealed in a frame to protect the fabric, because, as Sayers revealed, it is so easy to destroy history if you do not have the right training.
As always, the AGM sparked ideas for attendees and members hearing the debrief; we only wish there was further access to the recordings from the AGM after the initial registration period. Having more than one way to engage in the AGM is certainly a silver lining we’ve found, and JASNA-NC is optimistic that as more hybrid AGMs occur that they will get even better. Our thanks go to the organizers and hosts of the 2022 AGM; it’s an incredible amount of work, and we are grateful for it!
Next month, we’re having our Virtual Book Club and reading Georgette Heyer’s The Grand Sophy, led by Nancy Martin Young. There is a plethora of Austen opportunities looming, including: PlayMakers’ Emma, JASP’s ‘A Day Out with Emma,’ and talks from Jane Austen & Co. There’s lots to look forward to!