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JASNA Fall 2011 Luncheon and Meeting Life for 18th and 19th Century Women in Southwestern Pennsylvania Annual Fall Luncheon: Saturday, October 1, 2011 (11:30 AM- 2:30 PM) Please join the Jane Austen Society of North America Pittsburgh for our 2011 Fall luncheon and meeting on Saturday, October 1 at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association (4215 Fifth Avenue in Oakland.) Friends and guests are very welcome! We will gather at 11:30 AM for registration and conversation. Lunch will begin shortly after noon, following JASNA news and announcements. Bonnie L. Reese, Curator of Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, will share insights into the 18th century lives of women from Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Manchester Family. Manchester Farms was founded in 1797 by Isaac Manchester, who completed construction on a three story brick colonial home in 1815. It was patterned after the finest homes in Newport, Rhode Island. All the bricks were made of clay, dug and baked on the farm, and the timber was cut and cured on site. The home is complete with kitchen in the basement to a widow’s walk on the roof. Join us for discussion on what life was like for American women around the time of Jane Austen’s life. Menu selections include ONE of the following: Sun Dried Tomato Salmon with tarragon and chive cream, haricot verts, and ranch roasted potatoes; Chicken Marsala with local mushrooms, Marsala wine sauce, haricot verts, and ranch roasted potatoes; or Grilled Vegetable and Portobello Stack with cilantro and ginger pesto. All lunches include a salad, butter and rolls, coffee or tea, and dessert of Crčme Caramel. Please RSVP by September 21, 2011. (Promptness is greatly appreciated.) The cost for lunch is $18.00 for current JASNA Pittsburgh members and $21.00 for non-members. For more information on where to send your check, Please contact Mell at President@janeaustenpgh.org. Valet service is available at the PAA for a small fee, payable at the reception desk. Metered parking is usually available within a short walk of the facility. As the founder of Preserving Life's Journey, Bonnie L. Reese is dedicated to preserving our rich history, traditions and cultures, bringing to life each unique family story. As a PhD candidate, author, researcher, guest lecturer and museum curator, her research is driven by a desire to extract meaning from a material culture existing from the 17th to 20th century. It has been personally and professionally rewarding to preserve thousands of artifacts and archival materials at Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village. Ms. Reese’s desire is to share the untold stories found in these hidden treasures, and she has published award winning articles in several historic and professional publications.
Birthday Tea: Saturday, December 10, 2011 (1:00-4:00 PM) Location: First Unitarian Church, at 605 Morewood Avenue in Shadyside (Near the intersection of Morewood and Ellsworth Avenues) JASNA Pittsburgh will hold our annual December tea in recognition of Jane Austen's birthday. Join us for refreshments and a fun Jane Austen-centered game, led by our own Jim Zunic. Please bring a light savoury to share--birthday cake and tea will be provided. Please mark the date on your calendar and join us in celebration of the 236th anniversary of Jane's birth.
The Jane Austen Society was mentioned on Eleventh Stack, a blog of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh! A big thanks to Maria for the shout out and great highlights about several Austen-related books. Check our Maria’s entry. She states: "I am not in the least bit interested in the ‘fan fiction,’ those original works that expand or attempt to rewrite Austen’s works. So there are no zombies, vampires, or bedroom Darcys here." http://eleventhstack.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/whats-new-in-austenland/
The Pittsburgh chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) sponsored its first annual undergraduate paper writing contest in 2011. The group recognized two Allegheny College students as awardees at their first annual conference, entitled “More than fifteen minutes of fame!” on March 12, 2011. First place was awarded to Annie Nebo, while second place went to Julie Ropelewski. Both women are English majors at the small liberal arts college located in Meadville, PA. They received small monetary prizes and entry to the March conference, where they were recognized for their achievement. Joslyn Dechant, a student at Clarion University, was awarded Honorable Mention. Centered on the theme of How Jane Austen Changed My Life, the undergraduate competition was promoted throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania region. “We want to celebrate Austen and encourage her next generation of fans,” explains Mell Steven Cosnek, President of JASNA Pittsburgh. “Austen was an active writer throughout most of her life, and the paper competition is a way to recognize students that share her passion,” Ms. Cosnek adds. Both awardees are Austen devotees, and their winning papers and academic work are centered on the author’s work and influence upon the literary world. Ms. Nybo completed a semester abroad in England, where she conducted educational tours of Bath as part of her internship at the Jane Austen Centre. Currently in her senior year, she recognizes Austen’s influence in her decision to travel. “I can now honestly say that there are seven countries I would never have visited, one internship I would not have held, ten English homes I would not have seen, and over two hundred and thirty people I would never have met had it not been for Jane Austen,” she states. Ms. Ropelewski’s world also expanded after discovering Austen, and the junior now serves as a consultant in the Allegheny College writing center, tutors fellow students, and participates in the English Honor Society. "Aside from feeling supremely honored, I'm so happy to help spread the message that literature can change lives," she said, upon learning of her award.
Membership for 2011: JASNA Pittsburgh memberships for the 2011 calendar year are due for renewal! We also welcome new members. Membership is just $10 per person, and paid members receive a discount to local meetings AND the upcoming Jane Austen Festival in Pittsburgh! Have you saved the date for our inaugural Festival on March 12, 2011? Only current members will receive early registration and discount benefits. Please contact Mell at President@janeaustenpgh.org for directions on making arrangements to join or renew.
Jane Austen Botanical Gifts Jane Austen’s House Museum has produced a new line of gifts inspired by photographs from the Head Gardener, Celia Simpson. Aptly titled the Garden Range, the gifts feature botanical illustrations from classic English flowers such as Sweet Peas, Nasturtiums and Foxglove. The Garden Range includes a new Christmas card, individual greeting cards, stationary, bookmarks, key rings and note pads. PLUS: wrap your gifts with Jane Austen style this year with four new choices of wrapping paper: the botanical design, a Christmas botanical, Chawton Cottage, or Mr. Darcy (illustration based on Colin Firth surrounded by hearts!) If you can’t make it to Chawton Cottage, the range is available in the U.S. exclusively from www.onegardenatatime.biz/jane_austen_gifts.htm This company is owned by our own former President, Carol Chernega, who was also the first International Visitor for JASNA. Carol worked with Celia in Chawton’s garden, and is thrilled to be involved in this new Chawton Cottage venture. All of your purchases benefit the Chawton Cottage gift shop.
JASNA Pittsburgh, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Tribune-Review Theater Critic Alice T. Carter explores the “dark, moody” men of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte’s novels. Please click this link to the full article. Carter’s article quotes JASNA Pittsburgh’s own Kevin Stemmler (Vice President) and Mell Steven Cosnek (President).
Previous Announcements and Meetings: Saturday, August 6, 2011 The JASNA Pittsburgh Summer Tea included a tour of historic Woodville Plantation. Woodville and Neville House are Southwestern Pennsylvania's principal links to the late 18th century, interpreting the time period of 1780-1825. We saw what life was like for Jane Austen's American contemporaries! After the tour, JASNA hosted tea and discussion of the novel Emma in the Plantation's Still House. Saturday, June 4, 2011 We held a Brown Bag Film Presentation and Discussion of a Bollywood re-telling of Jane Austen’s Emma at the Bridgeville Public Library (505 McMillen Street, Bridgeville, PA 15017). It was a fun afternoon of film and discussion. After successfully arranging the marriage of her spinster aunt, Chitra, to Colonel Singh, self-styled 'Event Manager' Aisha Kapoor decides to turn matchmaker. She is convinced that she can find the right match for anyone, including naive and innocent Shefali. Chaos ensues after Aisha decides to makeover Shefali into a modern and fashionable woman. Will Aisha be successful in her efforts, or will her matchmaking prove to be too much? Saturday, March 12, 2011 JASNA Pittsburgh’s first annual Jane Austen Festival The Pittsburgh region of The Jane Austen Society of North America held a day-long Jane Austen Festival and Assembly Ball. The day was dedicated to celebrating and examining the work of Jane Austen! Speakers included:
Registration, Costume Rental and Regency Emporium opened at 9 am, while the conference, with multiple concurrent workshop sessions, took place between 10 am and 5 pm. Workshop topics included costume, gardens, dancing rules and etiquette of the period, Austen in films, and more. The evening’s Assembly Ball and live music was a fun way to end the day, and encouraged participants to practice what they learned in dance workshops that were offered during the conference. For complete information about the event please click here for the Festival Brochure. Saturday, December 4, 2010 Jane Austen: Great Writer JASNA Pittsburgh held its annual December tea, in recognition of Jane Austen’s 235th birthday, in the parlor of the Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15213. In addition to sharing birthday cake, we watched and discussed the short documentary: Great Women Writers: Jane Austen. This episode is one of a series presenting an informative and entertaining look at some of the greatest women writers of all time. The documentary provides an in-depth look into Jane’s life, and includes numerous references to her work and style and features many rare archival photographs and period imagery. Saturday, October 16, 2010 The Jane Austen Society of North America Pittsburgh held our 2010 Fall luncheon and meeting at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. Since JASNA’s 2010 Annual General Meeting (in Portland, Oregon) has selected Northanger Abbey as the focus for the weekend, and most of us can’t make it to the west coast this year, JASNA Pittsburgh had our own discussion of the novel. Did Jane Austen predict modern day’s “metrosexual man?” How do the characters in this novel compare to others? We engaged in lively and spirited conversation. Saturday, July 17, 2010: Summer Tea with Spin-Your-Head Austen Fanfic, Mashups and more! We enjoyed a Presentation on Austen Prequels, Sequels, Continuations, Monster Mash-ups and more, followed by a discussion of several books listed below. After being asked to recommend some of our favorites (of which we have many) we wanted to cover several categories: a “diary” of a hero, a sweet sequel by an relatively unknown but talented Canadian author, a modern supernatural story that made us laugh, and a Gothick “horrid” tale. Darcy and Anne, by Judith Brocklehurst Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange. Jane Bites Back, by Michael Thomas Ford An Assembly Such as This, vol. 1 in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy by Pamela Aidan. And our current favorite mashup is Maggie Sullivan's The League of Austen's Extraordinary Gentlemen, parts 1-7. The first episode is viewable here: http://austenblog.com/2010/01/24/the-league-of-austens-extraordinary-gentlemen-part-the-first/ but read 'em all and laff! Saturday, March 6, 2010: Tea and Film Screening - Lost in Austen Many Janeites love modern spins on classic novels. JASNA Pittsburgh assembled on Saturday, March 6, 2010, for a free screening of the four-part 2008 British television series Lost in Austen. The afternoon included tea, film highlights, and discussion at the Upper St. Clair Community Recreation Center, located at 1551 Mayview Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241. Lost in Austen, produced by the British ITV Network, has had limited television broadcast in the United States. This witty comedy examines the life of Amanda Price, a 21st century heroine and Austen fan who longs for the courtly manners of gentlemen like Mr. Darcy. But Amanda threatens to derail the plot of literature’s greatest love story when she pops into the pages of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet is nowhere to be found, and Amanda triggers new romantic attachments and dilemmas within the Regency novel as she clumsily tries to help the sisters secure the rightful husbands. Will she succeed, or will she forever alter the beloved conclusion of Pride and Prejudice? Sunday, April 10, 2010: The Jane Austen Society of North America, Pittsburgh gathered for our 2010 Spring luncheon and meeting on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. Assembled guests participated in an All Things Austen Quiz and Competition, vying for team champion bragging rights and lovely Chawton-inspired prizes. Questions addressed Jane’s writing, life, and books and films based on her work. Who among us knew the most Jane Austen Trivia? The Pemberettes brought their best game, edging out The Collins Congregation and the Netherfield Know-Nothings. Three lucky individuals from the second and third place teams also took home Jane-related books as door prizes.
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