Thanks to member Debbie Guyol, here is an entertaining, and thought-provoking, article by John Mullan in The Guardian on Jane Austen's work and her genius use of details and accuracy. Mullan's book, What Matters in Jane Austen?, will be published in early June.

Click here to view the article online in a new window, http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/18/ten-questions-jane-austen.

"Jane Austen's admirer Virginia Woolf said that 'of all great writers she is the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness'. It is a brilliant insight. The apparent modesty of Austen's dramas is only apparent; the minuteness of design is a bravura achievement. But it cannot be shown by some grand scene or speech. Accuracy is her genius. Noticing minutiae will lead you to the wonderful interconnectedness of her novels, where a small detail of wording or motivation in one place will flare with the recollection of something that happened much earlier. This is one of the reasons they bear such rereading. Every quirk you notice leads you to a design. If you ask very specific questions about what goes on in her novels, you reveal their cleverness. The closer you look, the more you see. Try these 10 questions."

• Who marries a man younger than herself?
  
• Who says: 'I hate money'?
  
• What is Mrs Bennet's Christian name?
• Why is Mr Perry getting a carriage?
• Who is wearing mourning?
• Where does Wickham have a tryst with Georgiana Darcy?
• Who marries for sex?
• What does Captain Benwick say in Persuasion?
• Who has the shortest successful courtship?
• Which novel's plot relies on the weather?
  

Are you planning on attending the upcoming AGM in New York City this fall? If so, please contact our past Regional Coordinator, Bill Boyd, to see about coordinating travel. 

For more info on the 2012 AGM, please see our 2012 Events page. For contact info, please see our Contacts page.

~ Kim Higgins, Regional Coordinator

The May 12th gathering at The Little Church was a delightful event, with thirty people in attendance. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the courtyard was in full bloom. After arriving, guests strolled to the back porch and courtyard to shop at the "Jumble Sale", a bring and buy event. 

We did very well, and people went home with many new treasures. Below, our speaker, Dr. Anita Fisher, was our biggest customer! 

Thank you to Nan and David for setting it all up!

The sale was followed by a superb luncheon buffet, filled with food Jane would have loved! Lori Emch, from Tasteful Catering, outdid herself again, and shared her incredible smoked salmon recipe with the group. If you are interested in a copy of this recipe, just let me know, and I will email it to you. In addition to the salmon, guests were served chicken salad, a cold beet salad, asparagus, fresh baked bread, cucumber salad, and potato pancakes. For dessert we had our choice of small fruit tarts, lemon bars, and cookies. It was beautifully presented and delicious!!

Guess which part was my favorite? (see below)

Just after lunch, simulating the "bluestocking" ladies of the past, we gathered to listen to our speaker, Dr. Anita Fisher, from Clark College. Dr. Fisher discussed women's issues in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a realistic and enlightening look into the darker world outside Austen's sphere, and we all benefited from her insights. Her information on the industrial revolution, and how if affected the women of the 19th century, will aid us well in our upcoming discussion of North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell. She challenged us to think about the possible reasons why Jane herself did not become involved in women's issues or refer to many of them in her novels. Many thanks to Dr. Fisher for her wonderful presentation!

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who helped put together this event. It would never have happened without all of you!

Dear Janeites,

I wanted to be sure that all of you received your online invitation to the May 12th luncheon at The Little Church in NE Portland. Somehow the type font was changed if you viewed the invitation online, and it was very difficult to read. The original invitation appears when downloaded, and is much easier to read. The location is very easy to find. Head north on I-5, take the Alberta exit and turn right, heading east. Turn left on NE 23rd, and The Little Church is 2 blocks down on the right hand side. There is plenty of parking on the street.

Remember to bring your check books or cash for the Jumble sale, as well as any items you want to add to the sale. All proceeds will go to future JASNA events!

I look forward to seeing most of you on the 12th!

~ Kim Higgins, Regional Coordinator

JASNA's 2012 AGM opened for registration this past week, on May 2. Space is limited, so if you're planning on attending, please register as early as possible. 

The theme for this year's AGM is "Sexy, Money and Power in Jane Austen's Fiction" and will take place in New York City, October 5-7. 

See all the details and more on the 2012 AGM website at http://jasna.org/agms/newyork/registration.html.

In the new Spring 2012 issue of the JASNA News that came last week, there was a fun article at the bottom of page 12 about a "Jane Austen Fan Kit" application available for iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch screens. At only 99 cents, there are lots of Austen-related activities to enjoy, including Austen trivia, quizzes, "quote of the day," "movie of the week," plus the full text of her entire works! 

Below is a slideshow of a few "Jane Austen Fan Kit" screenshots.

~ Jennifer Snoek-Brown, Web Manager

The first annual JASNA New Member Meeting was held this Sunday, April 15th, at the home of Marva Wiebe. Twelve members were welcomed to this event. Our new members are an erudite bunch, and each came to appreciate Austen's works at a different time in her life. We enjoyed a lively discussion, as well as sharing our backgrounds, travel plans, and recommending Austen-related novels new on the market. Marva served a sumptuous tea, and shared with us her new treasure, a rosewood tea caddy over two hundred years old! 

The purpose of the meeting was to welcome the new members, hear their stories, and to have a low-key discussion about Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. The new members generated discussion topics, asked questions, and shared insights about Austen's most popular novel. Using the original title of the novel, First Impressions, we were able to focus on more than just Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and to discuss our first impressions of a variety of characters, and how those impressions changed. One wonders if Jane Austen was as quick to judge people and situations in her early years as Elizabeth Bennet, and who the people were who taught her that things aren't always what they seem.

Kim Higgins