Blog - JASNA North Carolina

Austen Adventures: How Sitting on my Couch for Two Years Expanded my Janeite World

Austen Adventures

1 Aug

By Betty Parker Ellis The COVID-19 Pandemic that became a shared global experience will remain in my view a defining moment for having forever changed all of our lives. Although it brought tragic outcomes to many around the world, I am very thankful that when I did get sick with the coronavirus in fall of 2020 it was a mild…
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Tea Time with a Janeite: Anvita Budhraja

Tea time with a Janeite

1 Aug

Welcome back to “Tea Time with a Janeite,” our series where we get to learn more about our members, digging into their love of Jane (and tea) and letting us get to know them a little bit better. The series is produced by member Mayra Garcia Mastin. Enjoy this latest interview! Janeite: Anvita Budhraja Member Since: 2019 What is your…
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Deciphering Secret Diary Entries

1 Aug

In her recent explorations in England, co-RC Sara happened across a treasure trove of secret diaries, written by no other than some of Austen’s characters! On July 24, JASNA-NC took a break from the heat to try to solve the mystery of some of the diary entries. Can you guess who wrote “I was happy to be able to turn…
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Austen Adventures: In the Land of Jane Austen

Austen Adventures

2 Jul

By Sara Tavela This May, I had the great joy of returning to England for a long-postponed trip, eager to explore new parts of the UK and to revisit some favorite places too. While there, I truly felt the presence of JASNA-NC with me, as I travelled amongst places and spaces Jane Austen lived and wrote about. Here, I’m sharing…
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Tea and Miscellany

29 Jun

Our JASNA chapter met for a delightful tea party on June 26th, to hear all about the recent Jane Austen Summer Program and to talk about all things Jane Austen among the best company: JASNA-NC. From delicate fine china with beguiling patterns to quotable Austen mugs, members brought their favorite beverages and settled in for a lovely time of chatting…
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JASNA North Carolina

2 weeks ago

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life – Movie Meetups ... See MoreSee Less

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JASNA North Carolina

4 weeks ago

Our member Carolyn Brown is hosting an online event with JASNA-Mississippi, and we're all invited to attend! Join the Mississippi Region for a Zoom presentation by Laura Jones, a painter from Laurel, Mississippi, whose most recent paintings, titled "Filmscapes," were inspired by the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice. Jones will share her art and the story behind it. Her work has been featured in Season 8 of Home Town on HGTV and, in addition to her art, she serves as an executive assistant at Erin and Ben Co.Jones says the collection focuses on the background of the film. She says: "Often overlooked, the setting is not just a location; it becomes a vital, living part of the narrative. It supports the characters, enhances the drama, and sets the stage for their journeys. In this collection, I aim to spotlight these scenes, drawing attention to the environments that shape and influence the story, bringing them into their own moment of focus. These paintings transform the setting from a passive backdrop into a main character, and once they are hung in the homes of their new owners, they will become the background of a new story."Join Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, May 14th at 7 p.m. Central Time (8 p.m. Eastern):us02web.zoom.us/j/83517582795?pwd=PDndsbqMsUCHOmozNWceB52BC6X52V.1Meeting ID: 835 1758 2795Passcode: 745917 ... See MoreSee Less

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JASNA North Carolina

1 month ago

What: Virtual Book Club: What Jane Austen’s Characters Read (and Why) by Susan Allen FordWhen: May 4, 2025 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.Where: In the comfort of your home via ZoomRSVP: This event is open to members and interested guests; it is FREE but registration is required. Register for Zoom at jasnanorthcarolina.org/events/may-4-2025-virtual-book-club-susan-allen-fords-what-jane-austens-ch...Accessibility: We have auto-captions available in the Zoom meeting for our conversation and the author Q&A discussion, and accompanying slides with text and images that will be as clear and as high-contrast as possible. If you have accessibility needs we have not addressed here, please let us know.About the BookThe first detailed account of Austen’s characters’ reading experience to date, this book explores both what her characters read and what their literary choices would have meant to Austen’s own readership, both during her life and today.Jane Austen was a voracious and extensive reader, so it’s perhaps no surprise that many of her characters are also readers-from Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice to Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. Beginning by looking at Austen’s own reading as well as her interest in readers’ responses to her work, the book then focuses on each of her novels, looking at the particulars of her characters’ reading and unpacking the multiple (and often surprising) ways in which what they read informs our reading. What Jane Austen’s Characters Read (and Why) uses Austen’s own love of reading to invite us to rethink the ways in which she imagined her characters and their lives beyond the novels.About the AuthorSusan Allen FordSusan Allen Ford is Professor of English Emerita, Delta State University, USA. and has been editor of Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal and Persuasions On-Line since 2006.She has spoken at many AGMs and to many JASNA Regions and has published essays on Austen and her contemporaries, gothic and detective fiction, and Shakespeare. She was a plenary speaker at the 2016 AGM in Washington, D.C., and has served as a JASNA Traveling Lecturer. ... See MoreSee Less

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