JASNA NorCal

Jane Austen Virtual Birthday Tea Party
2020-12-16 20:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online: Zoom
Jane Austen was born on Saturday 16 December 1775 – a bitterly cold winter’s night, 245 years ago. This year, we will hold our birthday celebrations online. Join us on Zoom for a very special birthday party, from the comfort of your own home – wherever you are! Ticket holders will be treated to music, talks and readings by special guests, games, a ‘best bonnet’ competition and other general silliness! Regency attire strongly encouraged!

Jane Austen Trivia Bingo: Later Works
2020-12-16 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Google Meet
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Do you enjoy reading her books, watching film adaptations, and discovering contemporary fiction that is inspired by her life and works? Then join staff of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on Wednesday, December 16, at 7:30 PM for Jane Austen Bingo Trivia! We will have a lively discussion of Austen’s later works: Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. Trivia questions will explore various aspects of her life, her books, and their adaptations. Bingo cards will provide clues to the trivia answers and help keep our conversation flowing.

Jane Austen's Christmas
2020-12-16 18:00 (Europe/London) | Online: Zoom
Start the Christmas celebrations with this wonderful Jane Austen birthday address by Dr. Claire Walsh about Georgian Christmases. Advent marked the start of Christmas but preparations would begin the week before on Stir Up Sunday. Houses were decorated with evergreens. There would be mumming, wassailing, bilbo-catch, spillikins, bullet pudding, and snapdragons.

Register at janeaustensbirthday@btinternet.com

An Evening with The Watsons
2020-12-16 15:00 - 20:00 (Europe/London) | Online: Youtube
To celebrate Jane Austen’s 245th birthday this year, Chawton House are taking a fresh look at her unfinished work The Watsons, with an evening of online events, 3–8pm GMT. Tickets include access to two talks (one at 3 pm and another at 6:30 pm, with a reading group meeting scheduled in between), plus a downloadable copy of the Winter edition of The Female Spectator to be published the same day.

"Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley"
2020-12-13 20:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
A Reading and Conversation with Playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon

Jane Austen Reali-tea
2020-12-13 14:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
You are cordially invited to Sacramento Public Library’s 11th annual Jane Austen Birthday Tea—a Virtual Reali-Tea! This year, you will celebrate Austen from the comfort of your own estate. You can sip a dish of tea in your wing-back chair, dressed in your Regency finery, as we bring this live event to your screen. We are so pleased that Natalie Jenner will be joining us as our featured speaker. Her bestselling novel, The Jane Austen Society, is a fictional account of the formation of the Jane Austen Society in Chawton, England during the 1940s. In it, eight characters are drawn together by their appreciation for Jane Austen—a bond which, you know from personal experience, is powerful.

Then, what would our tea be without dancing? Luckily we don’t have to find out! English Country Dance caller, Kalia Kliban, will be joining us virtually to lead us in dance. Her gentle, yet commanding, instruction will get you out of that wing-back chair and onto your feet!

Jane Austen Birthday Tea Party
2020-12-13 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online: Zoom
We are meeting online this year, so it’s open to Janeites everywhere & free! We will chat about all things Jane Austen, laugh a lot, as usual, and play some Bingo. We do have Tea Party kits for sale, to add a little extra cheer! They are $16, including shipping, and feature lots of lovely things! No requirement to purchase to join the tea. You can purchase one, or send one to a friend, and not attend the tea, too!! Purchase here: https://jasnaewanid.org/events/

Jane and Her Tea
2020-12-13 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Facebook Event
Raise a cuppa to Jane in this, her birthday month. Following a short presentation, we’ll discuss our own favorite teas. Perhaps you’ll find a new treat to try! For information on joining this meeting, please email the Co-RC at etpaquette@att.net. Please note:

A Toast to Jane Austen
2020-12-12 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online: Zoom
Join JASNA Central California, Greater Sacramento Region, Northern California Region, San Diego Region, and Southwest Region, for an afternoon salon of ideas, games, and fun, in honor of Jane Austen’s birthday.

JASNA CWNY December Meeting
2020-12-12 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
Topic: “Just in a happy state of flounce”: Jane Austen’s Economies of Alteration A talk by Susan Allen Ford, editor of Persuasions and Persuasions On-Line. Pre-registration is required; check web site for link.

Curtis Sittenfeld and Jane Austen's Birthday Party
2020-12-12 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online: Zoom
It’s Jane’s Birthday’s month, We will celebrate with a toast and a special guest Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Eligible, which, as described in the New York Times review, “..moves the story [Pride and Prejudice] to that roiling hotbed of societal intrigue, the Cincinnati suburbs. As in the police lineup scene in “The Usual Suspects,” in which the characters recite the same phrase in wildly different ways, the fun lies in the variations on the theme. How can the author take a classic script — basically, a silly woman plots to marry off her five unwed daughters, couples fall in and out of love, and situations are dissected by a narrator of uncommon wit and perspicacity — and make it her own?”

Dining with Mr. Darcy: A Look at Georgian and Regency Food
2020-12-05 14:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
The 18th century witnessed a burgeoning population, the growth of the middle class, the rise of industrialization and a rapid consumption of new luxury goods. This extravagance also reached kitchens and dining rooms. Georgian tables groaned with succulent roasts, savory puddings, and luscious desserts. With a special focus on the writings of Jane Austen and food as presented in her novels, food historian, Carl Raymond will discuss what was and wasn’t served on Georgian tables and how it was cooked. He will explore new inventions in the kitchen and garden, and even what Jane and her family cooked and ate themselves. Most of all, this talk will consider what one might have encountered should one have had the coveted opportunity to share a meal with Mr. Darcy, himself!

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
2020-12-04 19:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The Strand Theater Company proudly continues its 13th consecutive season as the only brick-and-mortar company in Baltimore dedicated exclusively to celebrating womxn’s diverse voices and perspectives, with the holiday production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Directed by the Strand Associate Artistic Director, Erin Riley.

Performance Dates: Friday, December 4th, 7pmSaturday, December 5th, 7pmFriday, December 11th, 7pmSaturday, December 12th, 7pmThursday, December 17th, 7pmFriday, December 18th, 7pmSaturday, December 19th, 7pmSunday December 20th ,7pm

Austen Wednesdays
2020-11-25 20:00 (Europe/London) | Online: Youtube
November topic: Food historian, journalist and author Julienne Gehrer in conversation with our Director, Lizzie Dunford. Julienne is the author of Dining with Jane Austen and the forthcoming Martha Lloyd’s Household Book: The Original Manuscript from Jane Austen’s Kitchen. Julienne has partnered with chefs on ‘A Jane Austen Literary Dinner’ and a ‘Cheese Tour of Jane Austen’s England.’

Austen Wednesday events are monthly and premiere on the Austen House YouTube channel. New events will be announced on social media channels and listed on the web site each month. Subscribe to the YouTube channel to ensure you don’t miss out! The events are free but donations to help us preserve Jane Austen’s home and continue to share her legacy are welcome.

The world of Jane Austen soundtracks
2020-11-21 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Online: Zoom
A talk on the variety of ways composers portray the world, plot, and characters in Jane Austen adaptations from classical music, to imitation and inspiration from the Regency era, to folk music, and even electric guitars. We will look at both movies and mini-series, choices of instrumentation as well as different story techniques within music.Ruth Mudge is a cellist, music teacher, and Jane Austen enthusiast. Ruth owns almost every Jane Austen soundtrack available and enjoys analyzing movie soundtracks.This class will be on Zoom and the link will be made available closer to the event. DM Ruth on Facebook for any questions or the link to the class.

Jane Austen: Working Woman
2020-11-21 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
Speaker: Liz Philosophos Cooper, the president of the JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America).

Topic: Jane Austen: Working Woman

“I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way.” Jane Austen was a working woman and determined professional writer. This illustrated talk will explore Austen’s involvement in the business of publishing novels during a time of rampant financial instability. The Austen family were active participants in both war and finance and these two sectors intertwined in the story of Jane Austen’s writing and publishing.

Arthur Miller remixes Jane Austen classic for radio
2020-11-19 16:30 - 17:30 (America/Denver) | Online: Facebook Event
In 1945, American playwright Arthur Miller adapted British novelist Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the radio. The quirky adaptation aired just before Thanksgiving Day 75 years ago, a few years before Miller became a household name as author of plays like All My Sons and Death of a Salesman. Tune in as Jane Austen scholar and UT professor Janine Barchas talks about the original script with Eric Colleary, the Ransom Center’s curator of theatre and performing arts. Did this unlikely remix for the airwaves lead to success? Decide for yourself and listen to the play before “dialing” into the discussion and live Q&A.

The program will stream live on Facebook and YouTube.

Jane Austen Trivia Bingo: Early Works
2020-11-18 19:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Do you enjoy reading her books, watching film adaptations, and discovering contemporary fiction that is inspired by her life and works? Then join staff of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 PM for Jane Austen Bingo Trivia! We will have a lively discussion of Austen’s early works: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park. Trivia questions will explore various aspects of her life, her books, and their adaptations. Bingo cards will provide clues to the trivia answers and help keep our conversation flowing.

Upstairs, Downstairs: A Conversation with Jo Baker
2020-11-18 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online: Zoom
Jane Austen & Co. will be chatting with Jo Baker, author of Longbourn, about her books, Jane Austen, and domestic service in Regency England. This event will include a public Q&A and a reading from Jo’s novel, Longbourn.

The Tea Things of Jane Austen
2020-11-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
An interactive discussion with Bruce Richardson, the owner of Kentucky’s Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and the author of 14 books on tea, including A Social History of Tea and Tea & Etiquette. Throughout her novels, Jane Austen was fond of using the term “tea things” as she set the scene in a fine Sussex parlor or the formal Assembly Rooms of Bath. TeaTime contributing editor Bruce Richardson delights his global audiences by sharing what those tea things were and how manners played a significant role in Georgian society.

There's No Place Like Home
2020-11-15 14:00 (America/New_York)
Following her very successful breakout session at this year’s AGM, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Susan Jones of Palm Beach Atlantic University. In her juvenilia, Austen developed a pattern of examining and mocking the home and its inhabitants, holding their erratic actions up to an ironic and comedic scrutiny. This early comedic writing created a path to her mature vision, when she established her settled moral foundations.

Teatime with Dr. Lyndon Dominique
2020-11-14 15:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
During this online event, Dr. Dominique will present a new talk entitled “They Came Before Olivia: Black Ladies and Political Blackness in Eighteenth Century British Literature.” Afterwards, we will have an interactive Q&A session with Dr. Dominique, which will conclude with one lucky attendee winning a signed copy of his latest book, The Woman of Colour.

Lady Susan or The Captive Heart, A Jane Austen Bodice Ripper
2020-11-14 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
Manipulative, callous and cruel – the beautiful widow Lady Susan Vernon is on a manhunt. To restore her broken fortunes, the greatest coquette in England sets out to snare a rich husband. She will stop at nothing to achieve this goal, including forcing her own daughter Frederica into an unwanted marriage. Will Lady Susan’s weakness for pleasure derail her own notorious intrigues? Literature’s greatest villainess is about to take center stage. This humorous adaptation by Lynn Marie Macy illuminates Austen’s earliest novella while paying homage to Georgian theatrical traditions.

Romance on the Abbey Road
2020-11-14 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Online: Zoom
Northanger Abbey was famously first entitled Susan, but did you know that it was labeled as a romance? Or that it and Persuasion were mistaken for one long work? Popular speaker Devoney Looser will help you discover more about Austen’s genius with this illustrated presentation–including “nice” discussion of women, history, romance, and reading. A live Q&A session will follow the recorded presentation.This event is sponsored by the JASNA New Jersey region and open to JASNA members from all Regions. To request Zoom information, please send an email to jasnanewjersey@gmail.com.

"Pride and Prejudice" and Letters
2020-11-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Online: Zoom
Barbara Haller will present her recently published book, Pride and Prejudice: The Complete Novel With Nineteen Letters From the Characters’ Correspondence Written and Folded by Hand.

Barbara is a set decorator for film and television and a writer and director of short films. Please note: the time of the presentation is Central Time.

The virtual meeting is open to all. For more information, or to request the Zoom links, please email the RC.

Exploring Regency-Era Fashions for Women and Men by a Prejudiced and Amateur Seamstress
2020-11-14 11:00 - 12:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online: Zoom
Join JASNA SW for an illustrated talk and Q&A with Jane Boltz, JASNA Southwest board member and amateur seamstress, who has created many Regency-era fashions for both women and men.

Sculpture on a Flat Surface: History and Demonstration of Inlay in Federal America
2020-11-14 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
In 1795, Thomas Barrett agreed to teach his young apprentice, John Lenox, the arts and mysteries of inlay. Barrett, thoroughly gifted in his trade, executed inlay and marquetry for all of Baltimores leading cabinetmakers. Steven Lattas presentation will explain these arts and mysteries, will show examples of his contemporary methods, and will illustrate how these centuries old techniques are replicated in contemporary Federal style pieces.

The sweeping changes in American Federal period cabinetmaking and furniture styles closely paralleled the emergence of the new nation, leading to an age of the specialist and commerce with gilders, upholsterers, carvers, wood-turners settling into their individual niches. Of all these skills, few generate such awe and bewilderment as inlay, particularly that of the Federal period. Inlay and adherence to the antique, became the model of perfection in furniture and the rage of the new nation, defining the grace and style of these pieces. Its complexities can mystify a modern aesthetic used to machine-made disposable furniture. Professor Lattas presentation will help us understand the use of inlay to create this mode of Federal era furniture, demystify its practice, as well as offer insights into the rich and diverse history of inlay in early America.

Teaching Jane Austen
2020-11-10 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Online: Zoom
Professor Tim Spurgeon from Lawrence University will share his experiences on “Teaching Jane Austen.” From Professor Spurgeon: From Professor Spurgin: “What’s it like to read Jane Austen — all of Jane Austen — for the first time? What stands out? Which books and characters emerge as favorites? What seems to be the larger shape and direction of Austen’s career? My talk will address these questions, drawing on my recent experience teaching a course devoted exclusively to Austen’s works. I’ll share responses from students, and also pass along some personal reflections. Having known and loved the books for so long, I found it fascinating to see how Austen looked — and what she meant — to first-time readers. I hope you will, too.”

Register here.

Tea Time: "Emma" (2020) vs "Clueless"
2020-11-07 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online: Zoom
JASNA members: check email for an invitation to this casual get-together.

Virual Jane Austen Mini-Fest
2020-11-07 12:00 - 18:00 (America/Phoenix) | Online: Zoom
The Glendale (AZ) Public Library is proud to present a virtual lineup of over 25 Jane Austen experts and enthusiasts from around the world, from critically acclaimed authors to a Tony-award-nominated composer. Come laugh and learn with us! (Register for each program separately.)
