Reading Group Discussion of “Gothic Novels And Northanger Abbey”
Discussion Leader: Pauline Beard
Hostess: Pauline Beard
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
 

Reading Group Discussion of “Gothic Novels And Northanger Abbey”
Discussion Leader: Pauline Beard
Hostess: Pauline Beard
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
 
 In September, Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard both hosted and led our reading group discussion at her lovely home, Chateau Beard on “Gothic Novels and Northanger Abbey.”
 
We dined on a lovely tea spread of  finger sandwiches, chicken broccoli salad, berry pie, grapes, banana nut bread, short breads, an assortment of cheese, crackers, and gourmet cookies,.
 
Elections were held. We now have two Co-Region Coordinators. Margaret Christmann stays on board but now Marcia Hamley is Co-Region Coordinator with her. Also new on board is Sylvia Foster as Treasurer 2. Suzanne Frye remains as Treasurer 1 and Vonnie Alto as Secretary.  
 
We then discussed “Gothic Novels and Northanger Abbey.” A fascinating and intoxicating exchange of ideas followed!
 
First, we looked at Gothic Tropes from The Gothic Wanderer: From Transgression to Redemption  by Tyler Tichelaar:

• Confusing and convoluted plot devices.
• A beautiful, vulnerable heroine, who is orphaned with some secrecy about her family and who eventually becomes rich.
• The heroine’s guardian is after her fortune, which she is unaware of (often involving land and property and money.
• The heroine is often abducted and forced into frightening situations, sometimes helped by maids or ancient housekeepers.
• Exotic settings: France, Italy, etc. with forests, castles, abbeys with locked rooms and closets and dark secrets of the ancestors of the families. 
• The hero is always dashing and good looking.
• The lovers can’t get together.
• Secret passageways
• Gloomy passages.
• Clanging trapdoors.
• Evil men are often related to the heroine.
• Supernatural warnings.
• Ghosts and demonic beings.
• Women fleeing.
• Servants help/hinder.
• The secrets are revealed and the heroine is rescued by a gallant young man who falls in love instantly with the heroine but has to suffer before they're married.

 
This led us to examine the Gothic books that Isabelle Thorpe recommended to Catherine Morland  in Northanger Abbey (1798-1799). They are known as the “Horrid 7” in the following order of their appearance: The Castle of Wolfenbach, (1793) Clermont (1798), The Mysterious Warning (1796), The Necromancer (1794), The Midnight Bell (1798), Horrid Mysteries (1796), and The Orphan of the Rhine (1798). Interestingly, these titles were part of a heyday clustering of Gothic books published by both women and men in the 1790s.
 
Then there’s Ann Radcliffe’s influence (1764-1823). Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) was one of the most popular Gothic novels during its time. Catherine Morland is completely obsessed with reading it. Our group had a fun time comparing and contrasting the description of Radcliffe’s castle with that of Northanger Abbey. Although there wasn’t time for us to read more than a one page comparison, none of us fainted or required smelling salts to recover from our macabre dissection.
.
Lastly, we turned our attention Catherine Morland; her interest in Gothic novels, her lively imagination, and the harsh reality of her life as a Gothic heroine.  For some of us, Northanger Abbey is our favorite Jane Austen novel. We all agreed that Northanger Abbey is a more complex work of fiction than initially seems and that Catherine is a strong heroine who doesn’t faint or go into a coma.
 
For more on this topic, see the accompanying handouts.
 

Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard
Regional Member Profile
By Vonnie alto, Secretary

 Here are some fun photos of Pauline Beard, Professor Emeritus. She traveled to England and Europe this  summer 2019. Of course, she visited the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. Here she is there in period costume with her brother's family.

In the first photo, Pauline is wearing a white day hat and pink cotton dress with a short jacket over the top. Her great niece is seated, also wearing a cotton dress with a mop cap and cleverly hiding her cell phone behind her fan. Pauline's nephew is wearing a military uniform and hiding his shorts behind the chair. His wife is wearing a more silky dress with a velvet jacket and a silky day hat.

In the second photo, a Mr. Darcy look-alike poses with Pauline and her sister-in-law. A fun time was had by all!

Later, Pauline journeyed to Portugal. Here she is outside the book shop where J.K.Rowling wrote Harry Potter and got the idea for her spectacular fictional book shop. What is interesting is that Rowling taught English in Porto in the 90s, and is said to have written some of the series in the shop.

There are huge lines of 4,000-5,000 people a day! They're there to  buy tickets and then to get to the door with their ticket! The shop got so crowded that the owners had to start charging entry as fans flocked in to take photos without buying a book.

Jane Austen and the Theater
Spring Tea 2019
Fairway Village Club House
Vancouver, WA
Hosts: Nan and David Williams
Speaker: Kimberly Brangwin Milham
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
 
For the third year in a row, our region held its annual Spring Tea at the beautiful Fairway Village Club House in Vancouver, WA on Sunday, April 28th. Nan Williams and her husband, David were the hosts.

This year, Val Bloye with Mary-Elise Diedrich assisting made the table decorations to compliment our theatrical theme. Charming baskets of fresh and dried flowers adorned the tables with miniature two-sided placards advertising Georgian theaters and plays of the era with period actors/actresses. 

Our tea table included a potluck style of scrumptious main dishes and delectable desserts which included baked ham, beef summer sausage, a cheese plate platter, tea sandwiches, shrimp, lentil salad, chicken salad,  pretzels, cherry tomatoes, banana nut bread, Devonshire scones with clotted cream, Ruby Berry Eton Mess, shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, and savory caramels.     

Many of our ton dressed in Regency and Georgian costume to celebrate our Spring Tea. Of course, we held our own emporium of Jane Austen books, merchandise, and Regency era attire which raised over $200! This helped fund our annual Tribute Grant for one person each year to attend the JASNA AGM who has never been there.

Amid our festivities, Tribute Grant Creator and former Region Coordinator, Kim Higgins, announced our 2019 Tribute Grant Recipient: Lauren Bruss.  Lauren has been a member of our region since 2015 and claims to have read all of Jane Austen's works by the time she finished high school. One of Lauren's favorite novels is Northanger Abbey, as she has always related strongly to the novel's heroine. We are delighted that Lauren was awarded our Tribute Grant so that she could delve further into the world of Catherine Morland at the Williamsburg AGM--the ideal environment for Lauren to seek a a little mischief and adventure of her own!

Our Spring Tea speaker this year was Kimberly Brangwin Milham who is an active JASNA member and a renowned expert on theater, food, crime, and etiquette. She has performed in numerous plays for regional meetings and the national JASNA AGM. We were in for quite a treat. Kimberly’s extensive knowledge of Jane Austen and the Regency ere allowed us all to experience Georgian theater.
 
Kimberly attended dressed in Georgian attire and enthralled us all with her knowledge of the risqué world of Georgian theater, its high drama both on and off the stage. She gave a lively and informative discourse with anecdotes, humor, and slide projector visuals about the actors and actresses and playhouses in London and Bath during the time of Jane Austen, including Jane Austen's love of theater.—whether performing in home theatricals with her family at holidays or attending the grand theaters of London or Bath.
 
What Did We Learn About the World of Georgian Theater?

• Plays began in the afternoon. The entire theater showing could last as long as 6 hours.  Prior to a theater showing, dancers and singers performed. Good plays were often performed twice.
•  A play’s run was approximately 1-2 weeks.  
• There was no copyright, so there was lots of stealing of plots and lines.
•  The perception of theater is “possibility.”
•  Theater is ephemeral. It’s enticing and offers illusions and dreams. The actors are not being themselves. Women show their legs. Men dressed as women.  Indeed, cross dressing for both men and women was a crowd pleaser. Age, size, infirmity, and infamous/famous reputations didn’t limit an actor’s appeal. Once you became known for a role, you could play it for decades.  
• Actors and actresses had longevity in their careers. Muted lighting of candles and lamps, rouge  makeup, and physical distance from the audience made it possible for older actors to act.
• In 1807, London had gas lamps. Actors found lamp light more flattering than oil lamps. In 1817, cold gas was used to light Covent Garden with a green light.
•  Theater was a big part of the middle and upper class and a welcome venue for them. The gentry thought that the theater was about seeing and being seen and coming and going.  
• Legitimate theater was real theater and not musical theater.
•  The audience and actors expected a participatory experience. Performances were often interrupted by guffaws and applause.  
• Fire destroyed theaters and happened frequently due to hazardous lighting and draperies. In 1808, a fire destroyed Covent Garden. It started at 4 am and within 3-4 hours, the entire theater was demolished. In 1809, Drury Lane burned.  In 1811, the theater was rebuilt which Jane Austen attended with her brother.
•  Most towns had their own theaters, in a horseshoe shape circle. The larger ones were built for 800 people and crowded.  
• The Monthly Mirror was similar to People magazine, filled with gossip about the actors and very personality driven.
•  Memoirs of actresses were greatly sought after whether or not they were true.

 
 The Actors of Georgian Theater:

• Famous actors were David Garrick (1717-1779) and John Kemble (1757-1823).  Kemble created a legacy. His older sister, Sarah Siddons achieved famed with him on the stage. His nephews and grandson continued his legacy as an actor.  
• Sarah Siddons (1775-1831) was a famous actress of Drury Lane. Women would faint away at her drama. Theater goers really thought she had died during her death scenes and moaned in terror.
• Edmund Kean (1787-1833) as Othello theatrically died in his last performance in 1833 when he collapsed into the arms of his son, Charles who played Iago. Kean died 2 months later.  
• Mrs. Dorothea Jordan (1761-1816) had several pregnancies during 20 years while acting. People loved her best in low cast roles of country maids because of her sassy humor.

 
Playwrights that Jane Austen Saw:

• Susannah Centlivre (1667-1723) was an English poet and actress and also “the most successful female playwright of the 18th century.” She published 17 plays.    
• Hannah Cowley (1743-1809) was an English dramatist and poet. She wrote 13 plays including the romantic comedy, The Belle’s Strategem about marriage and how women strive to overcome the injustices imposed by social customs and traditions as well as family life.
• Elizabeth Inchbald (1753-1821) wrote Lover’s Vows (most famous because Jane Austen made it famous when she referred to it in Mansfield Park),  
• Richard Sheridan (1751-1816) wrote The Rivals and School for Scandal which are his most popular plays which are still performed today.

 
Jane Austen’s Love of Theater:

• Jane Austen’s writings have a modern feel which makes it easy for adaptation. Jane understood dramatic elements. She also understood the structure of plays into acts. She used to read plays aloud with her family. One of her brothers noted that he thought her talents far exceeded the written works and sometimes the performances.  
• Jane Austen’s writings were inspired from her visits to the theater.
•  In 1799, Jane attended her first professional play with her brother, called Lover’s Vows which she referred to in Mansfield Park.  Jane liked farce and saw The Devil to Pay by Charles Coffey.

Reading Group Discussion of “Jane Austen: Myth, Reality, and Global Celebrity”
Online Course from Futurelearn.com
at Mirabella Retirement Community
Hostess: Ceil Huntington
Discussion Leader: Marcia Hamley
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
 
Ceil Huntington hosted our March meeting at the elegant Mirabella Retirement Community on Bond Avenue and SW River Street in Portland. It was beautifully catered by the resident chef which included gourmet hamburgers, fresh vegetables, caviar, and coffee. Members added to the buffet by bringing clementine cake, oranges, tarts, cookies, breads, and other pastries as well as grapes, cherry tomatoes, olives, tea sandwiches, petite quiches, and mini strawberry croissants.
 
Pauline Beard, Professor Emeritus, was acknowledged as our 2019 Tribute Grant Honoree for her many years of contributions to our region.
 
We received an update on the Jane Austen garden plaque at Chawton House that we’re co-sponsoring with the Southern Oregon JASNA region. The quote on the plaque is from Pride and Prejudice: “As the weather was fine, they had a pleasant walk of about half mile across the park.”
 
Jane Austen enthusiast, Marcia Hamley, led a most engrossing discussion on what we learned from the 3 week online course, “Jane Austen: Myth, Reality, and Global Celebrity” given at Futurelearn.com by Jane Austen experts Gillian Dow and Kim Simpson. Marcia gave a culturally erudite in depth overview of the course, complete with a handout of recommended reading, the course outline,  portraits of Jane Austen, and the article, “A New Portrait of Jane Austen” by Melissa Dring: <https://www.janeausten.co.uk/the-jane-austen-portrait/> 
 
Marcia noted that the course puts events into the context of Jane Austen’s life and how it affected her and her artistry--such as war, bank failures, French Revolution, American Revolution.
 
An insightful discussion followed where we both learned and gave input on female education and reading in the 18th century and in Jane Austen’s novels, what Jane Austen means to us and others, the places that mattered to Jane Austen, what Jane Austen would have read, what Jane Austen’s reading tells us about her novels, artistic and financial influences on Jane Austen, her legacy, and how Jane Austen has been described to the world through biographies, portraits, and film.
 
Much time was spent discussing what Jane Austen actually looked like. How intriguing it was to analyze the various portraits of Jane Austen! We looked at how Jane’s sister Cassandra’s sketch of her grew and evolved from an unfinished grimacing, "cranky" face into the finished portrait now on the new ten-pound bank note. We all agreed that her family promoted an image of the Victorian ideal when in fact, Jane probably looked different from the portraits.  
 
The commentary flew fast and furious among our group. So lively was it that nearly every subject imaginable was addressed. 
 
Insights gleaned from our discussion produced a melange of interesting tidbits and even oddities:

• The early translations of Jane Austen’s works (first in French) were rewrites that did not contain the true meaning of her text. Subsequently, Pride and Prejudice was abridged, with a few excerpts printed as a magazine serial! Sense and Sensibility was rewritten, including the ending! And Emma was promoted as a guide to English manners! Since Jane lived across the channel, she probably knew nothing about them.
• Marcia noted that, “Jane focuses on characters.” Both Marcia and Arnie Perlstein agreed that Jane Austen depicts a "beautiful world.”
• The silences in Jane Austen’s novels allows artistic interpretation, especially when translated to film.
• Passion summarizes the course. Jane didn’t write for dull elves. She expected her readers to interact with her text.
• Lauri Conway said that Pride and Prejudice is a good entry into Jane’s books. “It’s bright and sparkly,” Marcia noted.

• Regarding theater, Arnie said that Jane wrote about seeing this play or that play. Pauline Beard noted that the early writings of Jane was geared towards the theater.

 
We explored Jane’s world of finance:

• Jane Austen valued love over money, a reoccurring theme in her books. Member, Bill Boyd noted that, “You could have love without money” which creates a problem. Therefore, Jane was not an idealist but practical.

• It was also noted that Jane wasn’t impoverished but poor.

 
We also discussed if Jane was a feminist or not.

• Jane wanted to make sure that her heroines ended up well off within the accepted confines of society.
• Once again, Bill Boyd offered an enlightening perspective. There are “no Cinderella heroines” in a Jane Austen novel. “They didn’t marry princes. They married relatively ordinary people.”

 
In terms of education, women had to learn to play music and learn other accomplishments while young men studied classical subjects and went on grand tours. Women didn’t go on grand tours unless they were wealthy.

• Marcia noted that Jane, Cassandra, and Cousin Jane Cooper hated boarding school and appreciated the importance of a liberal education at home.
• Jane got quite a liberal upbringing. She was educated by her father and had her father’s library at Godmersham. She read women novelists, and also Shakespeare, and Richardson. Arnie Perlstein said she read everything.
• Most of Jane’s education was at home. Her father took in boys to educate. Jane was inquisitive and read what they read. 
• Arnie pointed out that Jane was mistress of all she surveyed. She was fortunate to live in a home with a gigantic library, probably holed up reading all that she found there. She likely digested enormously her father’s library in order to  have written her parody, A History of England.

 
Regarding Lady Susan:

• Marcia noted that Lady Susan is “a fabulous book. Jane Austen disapproves of her behavior but makes you love her.” 
• Pauline Beard added,”Look at the love child, the couple’s love child, the elopements. Jane was with it.” Pauline further noted that in an essay on Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf observed, “Of all great writers she is the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness.”

 
Of course, we delved into love and marriage.

• In 1802, Jane got engaged to Harris Biggs-Wither, the brother of close friends but then then backed out of it. She was pressured from her family to marry rich.
• Sylvia Foster said that the reason why Jane didn’t marry him is that she didn’t respect him.
• Our Region Coordinator, Margaret Christmann added that he was 7 years younger than Jane and more involved with his hounds.
• Why did Jane decide not to get married? Marcia pointed out that “Jane wanted a career as a writer. Pregnancy could kill her.”

 
The dark side was also explored.

• Arnie said that Jane Austen wrote about families and that there’s an undercurrent of abuse in Jane’s novels. Jane was into the dark place.
• Arnie recommended Read Jane Austen for Dummies. There’s also an online article in Persuasions about Fanny as a victim of circumstances. 
• Marcia recommended the biography, Jane Austen, by Claire Tomlin which focuses on Jane Austen’s family and community.
• Arnie mentioned the theory that Jane was poisoned by her sister in-law. A lock of Jane’s hair was discovered with arsenic. This serves as the premise for the film, Miss Jane Austen Regrets. See also The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford.
• Suzannah Fulton wrote, Jane Austen in Crime, in which the darker side of Jane Austen’s world is explored.  During the time of Jane Austen, criminals were left hanging on hooks on highways.
• For more on the dark side, see Arnie's blog, Sharp Elves Society...Jane Austen's Shadow Stories  http://sharpelvessociety.blogspot.com/

 
We discussed the cult of sensibility.

• Apparently, a lot of literature popularized sensibility, defined as committed to over reacting. People, especially women should be in touch with their emotions to ridiculous degrees. Kim Higgins called them “drama queens.” Marianne in Sense and Sensibility was committed to over reacting over everything. Both Marianne and Elinor have things to learn and both learn from each other. Marianne is the more dramatic example.   
• Cads could be saved. Women could convert them instead of staying away from the Willoughbys of the world.

• Sylvia Foster pointed out that “sense” is equal to the American Revolution while “sensibility” is what the French Revolution was about.
•  Deb Rossi recommended, Jane And Dorothy: A True Story of Sense and Sensibility: The Lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth by Marian Veveers. 

A lively discussion followed on film adaptations:

• Generally most people hate Kiera Knightly in Pride and Prejudice.
• Marcia said that younger women really like the 1995 Kiera Knightly version.
• Marcia is a great fan of the Pride and Prejudice version of Colin Firth and Emma Thompson.
• Marcia noted that it’s very interesting to watch Jane Austen movies now that she’s read the books.   

 
Arnie Perlstein asked, what did you learn that you were surprised?

• The section on money and capital is new to Future Learn which addressed Austen's finances, the harsh reality of the marriage market, attitudes toward money and class through the different characters in her novels, and currency conversion to see what different characters would be worth today.
• Education and women in the period was enlightening. Mary Wollstonecraft advocated that women are rational creatures and should be educated like men. Arnie said that Mary Wollstonecraft lived an unconventional life, lived independently and did what she wanted.
• We also discussed museum exhibits and how Jane Austen displays are curated--particularly the wonderful artifacts from the Jane Austen House Museum: her very small writing desk, her turquoise ring, and most personal of all, a cutting her hair! It was noted that the cutting of hair was a common tradition among families after a death.
• Marna Tisdel said that all databases are interesting with enlightening articles and we can find out who was buying Jane’s books and where.
• Sylvia Foster appreciated the many links to follow. 
• Marcia collected links to read later and made sure she read the course. For more information, see the handout on Recommended Reading. Fortunately, the course will be offered again 2-3 times a year at FutureLearn.com.
• Kim Higgins noted that the course forced us to go out of our comfort zone to look for things in the future.
• Arnie’s tip: Make all files digital. He printed out boxes of files for his study on Jane Austen which gathered dust. Now he has everything digitized which is easier to search and find.
• Marcia saved everything in the course and created a master file of it. However, when Marcia first took it, she reviewed the course without the comments and discussion because there were so many links in the discussions.

 
Thank you, Marcia Hamley for suggesting this topic and leading the discussion. What a fun way to explore Jane Austen!

Winchester Cathedral scraps Jane Austen statue plan after protests
Proposals for a £250,000 memorial to add to her gravestone and the nearby museum prompt fierce local opposition
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/21/winchester-cathedral-scraps-jane-austen-statue-plan-after-protests?utm_source=Daily+Media+Digest&utm_campaign=5d36818e36-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_08_04_54_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_296e14724b-5d36818e36-248627497
Alison Flood
Thu 21 Feb 2019 14.06 GMT

‘There are other priorities’ … Winchester Cathedral. Photograph: Jon Boyes/Getty/Canopy
Plans to erect a statue of Jane Austen in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral have been shelved after residents baulked at the idea of another memorial to the novelist in the city.
​
The cathedral had commissioned the sculptor Martin Jennings to create a statue of Austen for its inner close, planning for it to “seal her place in the rich and complex identity of Winchester and create a lasting memorial to her literary genius” and setting out to raise £250,000 to make the proposals a reality. The project was supported by Hampshire county council and Winchester city council.

Winchester in the spotlight: the city where Jane Austen died 200 years ago
But according to the Southern Daily Echo, residents and local groups submitted “a barrage of criticism” in response to the plans. “There is a strong body of opinion that rejects the idea of another Jane Austen statue anywhere, or any statue at all in the cathedral close,” wrote one resident.

Another letter suggested that “the cathedral already has Jane Austen’s gravestone and Winchester has the house she died in. The two seem adequate and certainly reflect her relationship with Winchester”.
The cathedral said in a statement that it had listened carefully to feedback and “alongside support and enthusiasm for the project, we have also been fully aware of serious concerns expressed regarding the type of sculpture, the location and the timing of this significant commission.”

As a result, it was decided “with regret, not to go ahead with this concept. There are other priorities within the cathedral and city that need to be the focus of attention and energy at this time,” it said. “We are honoured that an artist of the stature of Martin Jennings has worked with us on this project thus far and we thank him for his support and understanding in this decision.”

JASNA'S Happy Hour With Jane Austen:
Portland Center Stage Armory
by Vonnie Alto, Secretary

Kate Hamill’s Sense And Sensibility began its run in January 2019 at the Portland Center Stage at the Armory. We were all abuzz with her rollicking adaptation of it. Our members attended various showings which included Happy Hour events such as “How to Write Like Jane Austen” presented by Willamette Writers (see previous post) and “Advance Gender Equity in the Arts” presented by the cast.
 
Of course, our region participated in our own pre-show Happy Hour in the Alan J. Beard Mezzanine prior to the Sunday matinee showing of Sense and Sensibility on February 3, 2019. Our Region Coordinator, Margaret Christmann attired in Regency dress gave a delightful presentation titled, “Hooked on Jane Austen? Let’s Talk!”    
 
Margaret provided a brief biography of Jane Austen’s life, her writings including Sense and Sensibility, and Jane’s love of the theater. She attended performances whenever she was in London or Bath.
 
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in the village of Steventon In Hampshire. She was one of eight children. Her father was a clergyman.
 
Jane lived at home her entire life and helped run the family home. Jane’s parents encouraged Jane and her siblings to read and write plays. Jane’s early works or Juvenilia included three plays: “The Visit,” “The Mystery,” and “The First Act of a Comedy.”   
 
The Austen family also performed comic theatricals in their home. Later as an adult, Jane took part in unrehearsed performances and readings at home with her family.
 
While growing up, Jane also wrote several stories and read them aloud to her family for feedback and critique. At the age of 12, Jane wrote her first novel titled, The Beautiful Cassandra. She wrote Love and Friendship, an epistolary novel when she was about 15 years old. During this time, Jane also wrote The History of England in which she mocked the portrayal of English monarchs in school textbooks by writing her own mischievous history of them.
 
In her twenties, Jane wrote three novels: Northanger Abbey (1798-1799), Sense And Sensibility (1798), and Pride and Prejudice (1796-1797).  In her later years, Jane wrote Mansfield Park (1813), Emma (1814-1815), and Persuasion (1816).
 
Jane Austen also wrote Lady Susan, an epistolary novel in 1794 and continued to revise it throughout her life, carrying it with her wherever she lived. Eventually, it was published in 1871.
 
Jane Austen stopped writing her final novel, Sandition, in 1817 which remains a fragment of eleven chapters. It was later published in 1925.
 
Only four of Jane Austen’s novels were published in her lifetime and all anonymously:  Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815).
 
Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published posthumously in 1817, six months after Jane Austen's death.
 
Jane Austen also left behind her letters, but many were burned by her sister, Cassandra after her death and later family members destroyed other letters.
 
Later, a nephew wrote A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1869, which was published that year.
 
Jane loved the theater and attended performances in both London and Bath. Jane also played the piano. She loved to dance and was an accomplished dancer at assemblies. 
 
Jane died at the age of 41 on July 18, 1817 from a lingering illness. Experts have debated the cause as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an adrenal disorder called Adddison’s Disease, and even the possibility of death by poisoning.  She was buried in Westminster Cathedral.
 
In the early 1900s, scholars started studying her works.
 
Thanks to the actor, Colin Firth and his 1995 portray of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen is more popular than any time in history and has never lost popularity. Her fame has gradually increased over the years and decades.
 
Sense and Sensibility was originally written as an epistolary novel or series of letters titled. Elinor and Marianne. It was a difficult book to write because the characters were not in the same location as Jane had her characters write back and forth to each other. Later, Jane revised it into a novel form which was published in 1811 anonymously “By A Lady.” She paid to get it published into three volumes. It earned 140 pounds and sold out in 2 yrs.
 
Our Region Coordinator, Margaret Christmann also provided an introduction to the Oregon and SW Washington Region and how to join our local group and the national JASNA. Our local JASNA group gets together regularly to talk about Jane Austen, her books, her life, and the events and people important in her time.
 
In 2010, we hosted the national meeting, a conference of workshops with both informal and scholarly talks. It was titled, “Jane Austen and the Abbey: Mystery, Mayhem, and Muslin in Portland.”  Here’s the website link: http://www.jasna.org/agms/portland/index.html.
 
We welcomed new members, those reading their first Jane Austen novel and those who have re-read her books many times. Margaret insightfully said, “You don’t need to be an Austen expert to feel at home in JASNA although you may become one as you attend our meetings. “
 
Afterwards, our members adjourned to the theater where we sat together for a riveting showing of Sense and Sensibility.

Review of Kate Hamill's Sense And Sensibility
Portland Center Stage Armory
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary

After our pre-talk Happy Hour of Jane Austen, our members adjourned to the theater where we sat together for a Sunday matinee of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, performed on February 3, 2019. What a fun performance of comedy and creative staging with spinning furniture and a mercurial cast who played multiple characters regardless of gender, generation, size, and shape!  
 
Early on in a time travel twist, the cast wriggled out of their modern day garments to transform into the 19th century characters of Sense and Sensibility. They did not disappoint our sensibilities. The cast was constantly but sensibly in motion and also emotion back and forth fluidly across the stage spinning their chairs and tables to denote scene and character changes. There was so much to see that if you didn’t eyeball the myriad movements all at once, you could easily miss the gossip that was all abuzz in this lively production.
 
Then there was the sound effects. The delightful Mrs. Jennings constantly buzzed her gossip. Other characters disappeared off stage and into the aisles to interject their gossipy conversation. The crashing of glasses for dramatic emphasis and scene changes kept the audience alert to the unexpected.
 
Similarly, if you knew in advance that a line from Emma was inserted into the play, you looked for it. Sure enough one was in Edward’s engagement speech when he says to Elinor, “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Sigh! What a romantic thing to say and so apt!
 
Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard caught the pilfering. “This is Mr. Knightley’s lovely line in Emma. (Chapter 49). No wonder the playwright used it. Edward’s engagement request is written in the third person with a remarkable distance from what was actually said. Clever move on the playwright’s part.”    
 
What else did our JASNA group think about the play? What were some of the reactions?
 
Of course, we raved and gushed about the characters, their wit, the acting, the setting, and everything in between.
 
Stephanie Vardavas said, ”I thought the adaptation and staging were extremely clever, and I found myself howling with laughter many times. The actress who plays Mrs. Jennings is wonderful, and both Marianne and Elinor are terrific.”
 
Erudite JASNA scholar, Arnie Perlstein offered, “"This production of Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense & Sensibility was spectacular in every way-- the writing, the staging and the acting." 
 
Longtime member, Dula Baker said, “Anyone not familiar with the novel would have been lost in the fast pace of the play. I found the quirkiness of the quickness, the wheeled props, and the trading of roles (even while both characters were on stage) fascinating. The actress who played Mrs. Musgroves was outstanding. The choreography was amazingly executed; no one sailed off the stage or crashed into anyone or anything. Though the novel is not funny, this play was hilarious; even the actors succumbed to silent laughter at times. This event was an afternoon well spent! Also, the Happy Hour provided by the theater and Margaret Christmann's presentation were well received.”
 
Another longtime member Ceil Huntington affirmed, “The synchronization was amazing! I never seen so much movement in a play. It’s incredible, almost like a ballet. I’m impressed with the mechanics.”
 
English Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard agreed, “It was light hearted and fun rather than farcical. I also appreciated that this production kept fairly closely to Austen’s text. I loved the fact even the wine for Marianne was mentioned correctly: Constantia…which Elinor promptly quaffs!  I disliked the way Lord Middleton’s dogs were shown in the Ashland production...far too confusing and loud, but here I laughed out loud at the line about pointers...referring to the dogs...but using the stretched out finger pointing off stage where three men pointed back.... I also loved the bed scene with the lamp and teacup...ingenious. The use of chairs and door frames was amazing...how anyone did not get in the way I can't imagine. When Edward came in at the end did he really mean to fall? The actors applauded him…but I think it was a mistake yes?  Maybe they had many such slips and trips in rehearsals with all the movement...it seemed almost choreographed at times.”
 
Conversely, a few of our members offered some enlightening criticisms that puts the performance into perspective:
 
Ceil Huntington noted, “They’ve taken liberties with the text. This is slapsticky.”
 
Pauline Beard added, “My only criticisms are to do with acting...I think Mrs. Jennings went on too long about Chapman (?) in her bedroom…and it turns out to be her wolf hound…it was funny at the beginning but she drew it out so lengthily (playing for the limelight after The Oregonian review maybe?) that the actor playing Brandon had to get back into his serious role and lost it. Also the actress playing Anne Steele was too high pitched and spoke so rapidly that half of her lines were lost. Her lines are important because she lets out the secret of Lucy’s engagement. I think that might have been lost on anyone in the audience who does not know the text.”
 
There you have it! Both thoughtful and off the cuff reactions to Kate Hamill’s Sense and Sensibility in Portland! If you’re curious to know more about this intriguing play, read the script available at Multnomah County Library or online at Amazon and elsewhere.
 

Pride and Prejudice Conversation Recap
at Mother Foucalt's Bookshop
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary

On January 24, 2019, erudite Janite, Arnie Perlstein held a Pride And Prejudice conversation at Mother Foucault’s Bookshop on 532 SE Morrison Street, Portland. An intimate gathering participated for the evening in this freewheeling conversation exploring Arnie's shadow theory about Jane Austen’s fiction, focusing mostly on Pride And Prejudice.
 
Mother Faucault’s Bookshop kindly pulled a display of research books of the period along with works by Jane Austen.
 
Arnie proved again to be a terrific speaker and extremely knowledgeable about Jane Austen. His remarkable recall and attention to details was most welcoming, probably because he keeps meticulous records of articles/books he reads and researches.
 
We were asked to think about the ambiguity of Jane Austen’s characters. Isn’t it interesting that the male characters gravitate towards Elizabeth Bennet! Charlotte Lucas realizes that her friend, Elizabeth is in danger of being taken from her. One reason why Charlotte marries Mr. Collins is that he will inherit and she’ll end up at the estate of Elizabeth.
 
Arnie then asked, Did Mr. Darcy really reform or not? Did he trick Elizabeth into marrying him? What if Mr. Darcy constructed a fake reality for Elizabeth? Arnie says that it’s possible that Mr. Darcy used his resources to make Elizabeth think that he likes her when he really has his sights on another.
 
What is also interesting is that all the male characters who are interested in Elizabeth are connected to each other off stage but show up on stage and converge on Elizabeth at the same time. Maybe Mr. Darcy and Bingley are actually attracted to each other!
 
Arnie noted that Agatha Christie knew the works of Jane Austen well. Miss Marple is called Aunt Jane who lived in a small village just like Jane Austen. What a coincidence!
 
Arnie says that there are really shadow stories to the works of Jane Austen—stories that are beneath the main story. Jane Austen cleverly wrote two different stories at once with two messages for each of her books. The deeper message underneath the main story expands the flexibility of our minds. It’s up to the reader to figure it out. She trains us to doubt our first impressions which was the original title of Pride and Prejudice.
 
When Arnie looked further, he saw glimmers of other writers messing around with shadow stories, too, such as Henry James and Shakespeare. Therefore, Jane Austen followed in the tradition of great writers. For example, The Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollenstonecraft is really a rallying cry for women.
 
Also, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is full of shadow stories too. Her sister, Charlotte Bronte became famous due to her novel, Jane Eyre which also contains shadow stories. Interestingly, she is credited with hating Jane Austen and thought that there’s no passion to Jane Austen’s writings. Interestingly, Charlotte Bronte corresponded with Henry Lewes, a Janeite who loved Jane Austen’s writings and who recommended that she read Jane Austen. It turns out that Charlotte was really interested in Jane Austen and the darker themes meaning Jane Austen’s shadowed stories. As a result, the subtext of Emma permeates Jane Eyre.  
 
Even Mark Twain read Jane Austen although he didn’t want to acknowledge that he admired her.
 
Arnie further noted that all the great authors borrowed endlessly from one another. The writings of Henry James is filled with allusions to both Jane Austen and Shakespeare. Jane Austen herself inserted metaphors and similes from Shakespeare and other phrases of his into Emma. The borrowing of great literature continues today. Even the movie, Clueless is based on Emma.
 
The character, Emma is manipulated by other characters and doesn’t know it. Sixty years before Jane Austen wrote Emma, Samuel Richardson wrote Pamela in 1749. Henry Fielding wrote Tom Jones and also Shamala (a parody of Richardson’s Pamela). In fact, Arnie believes that Richardson was up to something and deliberately incorporated a shadow story into Pamela.  
 
What if Harriet Smith in Emma is actually a Shamala? Harriet thinks that Emma is her plaything. Emma tries to match Harriet with others. Later Emma realizes that Harriet really has her eye on Mr. Knightly, not Mr. Churchill.
 
There’s also echoes of usurpation in Emma similar to that of Richard II by Shakespeare in which Henry usurps Richard’s throne. In Emma, Harriet usurps Emma. Harriet does this on purpose when she uses a different voice. She no longer speaks using “Yes, Miss Woodhouse.” 
 
Next, Arnie discussed Jane Austen’s family toward her legacy. Apparently. Her nephew airbrushed Jane out of revenge because his mother didn’t get along with her mother. What survived is Jane Austen’s handwriting in Juenlia—stories she wrote when she was a teenager.
 
Jane Austen’s letters shows sexual innuendos, however, it is up to the reader to see what they’re ready to see. The word, "confinement," is actually a pun. Women entered into final confinement during childbirth with some never surviving!
 
In closing, Arnie recommended reading Pride and Prejudice. Be sure to look for the shadow stories in Jane Austen’s works. If you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice,. Read it for fun and see what happens. Be sure to visit his blog, Sharp Elves Society for more on his shadow theory.