Sixty people attended our May 12, Mother’s Day Program at the Holy Names Heritage Center in Lake Oswego! Mothers and daughters, friends and family members, and several students from nearby universities filled the hall. The venue was vibrant with potted herbs, hand embroidered tablecloths, and Pride and Prejudice memorabilia decorating each table. Members provided a sumptuous potluck luncheon with entrees to please any palate. Vintage tea cups and a decadent dessert bar added to the festive atmosphere. 

Thanks to the generosity of JASNA National, our chapter was able to fly Dr. Lynda Hall up from Chapman University in Orange, California. Her presentation was intelligent and humorous -- the perfect recipe for an enjoyable afternoon. Dr. Hall spoke about marriages in Jane Austen’s time, focusing on Charlotte Lucas Collins and her willingness to sacrifice her intrinsic value for a marriage which provided her with economic security and little else. She was also kind enough to tell us about her week spent with screenwriter Andrew Davies, and to provide us with some interesting tidbits about Colin Firth. She was joined by her parents from the Oregon Coast, and was grateful to be able to spend Mother’s Day with her mother!

~ Kim Higgins, Regional Coordinator

JASNA is now on Facebook!

Please “Like” the page (suggest your members “Like” the page) to follow JASNA announcements and events, including:

• Details about AGM 2013
  
• Call for Papers – AGM 2014
  
• Announcements re: Regional Events
  
• What’s new on the JASNA.org website
  
• 91 followers in the last 24 hrs; get on board!
  

If you have a Facebook account, join up at the following URL:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Austen-Society-of-North-America/285332054855712

There's a recent, fascinating article about Jane Austen and game theory in the New York Times. In a new book, Jane Austen, Game Theorist, political science professor Michael Chwe argues that:

"Austen isn’t merely fodder for game-theoretical analysis, but an unacknowledged founder of the discipline itself: a kind of Empire-waisted version of the mathematician and cold war thinker John von Neumann, ruthlessly breaking down the stratagems of 18th-century social warfare."

Read more of the article by clicking here, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/books/michael-chwe-author-sees-jane-austen-as-game-theorist.html

Here's a link to the Huffington Post blog post and slideshow, "Pride and Prejudice and Kitties," written by the book's authors Debbie Guyol and Pamela Jane:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-jane-/pride-and-prejudice-and-k_b_3102990.html
 
Also, a reminder that Debbie will be presenting on PPK at Broadway Books in NE Portland on May 7 at 7:00 pm, for any interested eastsiders or others.

Dear JASNA Members,

We will take a brief vote at the May 12th program and meeting (invitation to follow) to approve changes to our bylaws. I am required to send you the proposed changes at least 30 days prior to voting. I have attached a bylaws document for you to review (see below). The proposed additions (to board position duties) are highlighted in green, and the deletions ate highlighted in red. We will also be adding a second treasurer to the executive board. Members not attending the May meeting will not be involved in this decision. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me (see Contacts page for email).

Kim Higgins, Regional Coordinator

More exciting news regarding the new publication of Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, co-authored by our own Debbie Guyol. The book has arrived! 

• Debbie will be reading at 7:00 pm on Monday, April 15, at Beaverton Powells. There will be a slide show plus the thrilling tale of how the book came to be. Debbie hopes to see many JASNA pals there!
• Debbie and her co-author, Pamela Jane, have guest blogs on (1) Austen Authors: www.austenauthors.com and (2) The Bennet Sisters blog, from Australia: http://thebennetsisters.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/pride-and-prejudice-and-kitties-review-and-author-qa/ . Please check them out, post a comment, pass along to your friends!
• There is also a book giveaway contest, open for entries until May 1. For all the details, please visit the PPK web site at http://prideandprejudiceandkitties.com/.
• And last but not least, there is also a new, fun book trailer! Please check it out below:

And BONUS! The PPK slide show on Huffington Post should go live sometime this week. Wow!

The Jane Austen Faire is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the IKE Box Café ballroom in Salem, Oregon. The faire will exhibit local vendor’s handcrafted products with Jane Austen inspiration. The first 50 attendees will received free goodie bags, and everyone will receive a drink ticket to redeem at the faire’s refreshment table. 

Address and directions are available by clicking here, at http://www.isaacsroom.org/ikebox/directions/ .

Below is a PDF poster of the event. Please use the scrollbar on the right to navigate the document.

Kim's grant request for a JASNA traveling lecturer was accepted! Dr. Lynda A. Hall will be providing a lecture for our 2013 Spring Luncheon, scheduled for May 12 at the Holy Names Heritage Center. Lynda Hall’s appearance is funded by the Jane Austen Society of North America.

Read more about Lynda and the luncheon details by visiting our 2013 Events page.