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Seeing, doing, experiencing the Cleveland AGM! Here's our conference bag, the 250th commemorative anniversary pin, a fashion show, chatting with Janeites, meeting cardboard Darcy, and one creation from the bookbinding workshop featuring Jane Austen's Volume the First with the short story, Jack and Alice. Thank you to Arnie Perlstein, Joann Graham, Lauri Conway, and Vonnie Alto for providing these photos.
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Shopping for gowns and accessories at the Cleveland AGM....at Matti's Millinery & Costumes and The Bohemian Belle. Browsing the Emporium at the AGM...Thursday, Friday, Saturday shopping.....  Meet our July speaker, Paula Stepankowsky!
by Vonnie Alto, Regional Coordinator Paula is a native of Spokane, Washington, where she attended Marycliff High School and earned a B.A. Degree in English Literature from Fort Wright College. She then earned an M.A. Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia before moving to Longview, Wash., where she was a reporter for The Daily News for 15 years, most of that time as business/industry reporter. After returning to the University of Missouri as a Davenport Fellow in Economic and Business Reporting, she became the Pacific Northwest correspondent for Dow Jones NewsWires, and later a Pacific Northwest reporter for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones NewsWires. In a career shift in 2008, Paula returned to graduate school and earned a MA in Teaching from the University of Portland. For the next 14 years, she taught Language Arts to Middle School students at St. Rose School in Longview, where she continues to teach Art Appreciation as a volunteer. As a volunteer, Paula has worked with many groups and organizations. She has been on the board of LifeWorks of Cowlitz County since 2014. She is the Cowlitz County representative on the board of the ARC of Washington and is a volunteer for the Special Olympics. She is a volunteer for Child Advocates of Cowlitz County, and she is also on the board of Trustees of the Longview Public Library. Paula is a co-founder of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic High School in Vancouver, Washington, as well as a co-founder of The Burney Society, an international literary society dedicated to the study of Frances Burney d’Arblay, Jane Austen’s literary predecessor. Paula is also one of our region's founding members. Paula read about JASNA in the New York Times in about 1983 or soon after it was founded. She wrote to the JASNA President and asked if there were other JASNA members near her. The JASNA President gave her the name of Mary Margaret Benson of Linfield, OR. Paul contacted Mary Margaret Benson to see about forming a region in Oregon/SW Washington. They held the first Oregon & SW Washington meeting at Mary Margaret's house in Linfield in 1984. Frank McClanahan (Mary's husband) was there and a few others. Paula also helped to set up the reading groups and spoke at many of the early meetings in the 1980's and early 1990's. Additionally, Paula was the editor of JASNA News for seven years from 1990-1997, and also served as an ex-officio member of the board of the Jane Austen Society of North America during that time. Paula served on the organizing committee for the 2010 Portland AGM. Her chief involvement was to set up the Lit Chicks exhibit at Multnomah County Library. The display of caricatures, books and manuscript letters was all from her collection and that of her sister and her husband, who own the Jane Austen first editions displayed there. They subsequently have acquired first editions of all of Jane Austen's novels. In 2017, our region honored Paula as a Tribute Grant Honoree for her contributions to our region, and also because she was instrumental in the success of the 2010 Portland AGM, and for promoting great literature. At our July meeting, Paula will speak again on Frances Burney's Literary Influence On Jane Austen's Writings. We're in for a treat as Paula will also bring first editions of her collection. Thank you Paula! William (Bill) James Boyd was a former manager (1997-2012) for the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (Dispute Resolution Department), a litigation attorney for both Portland and San Francisco, and a civil engineer for the City of Portland. He retired in 2012.
Bill was born in Gardena, California on October 13, 1947. As an Army brat, he attended Central Catholic High School in San Antonio Texas from 1961-1963. After his father retired from the army, the family moved to Cherokee, Iowa. Bill graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1965 and enrolled at the University of Iowa. In 1970, Bill graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In 1979, Bill moved to Portland, Oregon. In 1983, he earned a Juris Doctorate degree in law from Lewis and Clark Law School. In the 1980's Bill met the love of his life, Marna Tisdel. In 1994, they married and later lived in San Fransisco for 5 years. Bill enjoyed traveling with Marna and visited all seven continents and all 50 states including Washington D.C. Bill was a devoted and enthusiastic Janeite. He discovered Jane Austen after viewing the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. In 2007, Bill googled Jane Austen and found a listing for JASNA and thought, “She has a society!” In 2007, Bill joined JASNA and has been a beloved member of our region ever since. He faithfully attended JASN AGM's (annual general meetings). Bill served as Regional Coordinator from 2009-2011 and Chair of Information/Registration when our region hosted the AMG in Portland in 2010. Bill hosted and led discussion group meetings and co-presented at discussion group meetings. With other regional members, Bill co-led discussion group meetings on "Jane Austen's Letters: A Contest of Wit and Satire," "Liberal or Conservative Jane," “A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz,” (a favorite book of Bill’s written by a male Janeite), “What Happened in 1817: The Year Jane Austen Died," and "What Happened in 1803 and in Jane Austen's Life." Bill had such a wealth of Jane Austen knowledge and trivia that he could always be depended upon to provide enlightening comments and insights at our meetings. Bill also gave several PowerPoint presentations on Jane Austen to Multnomah County Library and its branches. As patrons of Jane Austen, Bill and his wife, Marna frequently donated paid tickets to our region for attendance to Jane Austen plays and our annual Spring Tea; and also provided carpooling to regional meetings and events. Bill was always on the hunt for his beloved Jane Austen in his numerous travels to England, Europe and across the U.S. including his many Volkswalks. On his Volkswalks, he found Jane at Harvard and MIT campuses. Together with his wife, Marna Tisdel, they visited libraries/bookstores to see Jane Austen editions and photograph them. They visited Jane Austen sites in England at Chawton, Bath, Lyme, and Winchester. They even attended a Jane Austen Festival at Chatsworth where Netherfield was filmed for Pride and Prejudice. For more Jane, they rented a car and did their own tour of the Southampton sites that author, Stephanie Barron wrote about in her Jane Austen Mystery Series. In his spare time, Bill researched and was writing a Jane Austen time travel novel set in his adopted state of Iowa. Multnomah County Library granted him an access key to the Sterling Room for Writers (now called the Writers' Room Residency) where he worked on his book. Second to Jane Austen, Bill's other favorite novelists were Georgette Heyer and Mary Balogh. Bill's favorite magazines and journals were Persuasions and Jane Austen's Regency World. Some of Bill's favorite research books were Jane Austen's England by Roy & Lesley Adkins; Jane Austen's Letters, collected and edited by Deirdre Le Faye; A Chronology of Jane Austen and Her Family by Deidre Le Faye; Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon; and Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen by Sarah Jane Downing. Prior to Bill's passing, the last book he read was predictably a Jane Austen research book titled, Jane Austen's Table: Recipes Inspired by the Works of Jane Austen by Robert Tuesley Anderson. In 2023, our region honored Bill and Marna as our 2023 Tribute Grant Honorees for their devotion to Jane Austen and their many years of service to our region. Bill was also a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and the local chapter, Rose City Romance Writers. He joined in 2009 and attended monthly meetings and writing events such as workshops, conferences, and book signings. He also judged the annual Golden Rose Contest for unpublished writers. Bill's other literary memberships include Regency Fiction Writers and Historical Novel Society. Bill was also a movie and film buff and frequently watched Turner Classics and the Hallmark Channel. He watched all the Academy Award nominated films and held an annual gathering at his home to view the Awards in which no one was allowed to talk until after it concluded. Bill loved the opera, especially Carmen. He also enjoyed classical music and owned a massive music collection. Bill maintained strong ties to Iowa and continued to travel back there with visits to Iowa City, Cherokee, and Dubuque. He always rooted for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. He and Marna frequently attended local Iowa Hawkeyes bars and fan watch parties to view his beloved football game. Bill had open heart surgery in 2018 and never fully recovered. Yet, he was joyful despite his memory issues. The final JASNA meetings that Bill attended in person were the July-September-November 2023 meetings. He also attended our very first hybrid meeting in February 2024 from his home. On June 4, 2024, Bill died following a short illness and a brief hospitalization for Oglivie Syndrome. He was 76 years old and passed away in hospice at his home at Russellville Park with his beloved wife, Marna, at his side. Bill is survived by his wife, Marna; his brother, Mike; his sister, Irene; numerous nieces and nephews; and all his JASNA and writing friends who miss him dearly and who are inspired by his passions and dedication to Jane Austen. Charitable donations can be made to the Jane Austen Society of North America and Multnomah County Library in memory of William (Bill) Boyd. Vonnie Alto Regional Coordinator There is still time to register for the Spring Tea! If paying after the registration deadline, please email your reservation to [email protected].
 Our annual Spring Tea is coming soon! Registration with details forthcoming! Check back on March 1st for its online reveal!  Spring Tea 2023 Guest Presenters: Nancy Gallagher and Janet Johnson Topic: The Battle of Prague (an interactive audience performance concert) By Vonnie Alto, Secretary Guest presenters Nancy Gallagher (director/narrator) and Janet Johnson (piano) visited our region on Sunday, May 21st for a fun, action-filled, interactive audience performance of The Battle of Prague. Hosted by longtime members Nan Williams and her husband David at the beautiful Fairway Village Club House in Washington State. There we held our Spring Tea buffet and emporium of finely curated Jane Austen books and memorabilia of the Regency era. Filmed by another longtime JASNA member, Nelson Bridwell utilizing the iphone of our Regional Coordinator, Linda Olson. |
