Join the Editrix in Louisville this summer for the Jane Austen Festival
We heard from Bonny Wise of JASNA’s Louisville Region, which is sponsoring a Jane Austen Festival (PDF) on July 18-19, 2009. Last year’s inaugural Festival was a raging success. Your Editrix is perfectly delighted to have been invited to speak at the Festival and we hear that Janeites are traveling from all over the U.S. to attend. The Editrix’s talk, “Five Things a Jane Austen Heroine (or Hero) Needs to Know,” is based on information included in The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World, with the opportunity to expand on some subjects based on the interests of the listeners.
The Festival features not only a charming and erudite speaker *coughs modestly* but a Regency fashion show, a session of “Dressing Mr. Darcy,” afternoon tea each day, period sewing classes, and a Regency Ball on July 18. Admission is $6 per day, afternoon tea is $25, including admission (advance reservations strongly recommended), and the ball is $15 or $25 for a couple. We hear the sewing classes are already sold out, so we recommend that you make reservations for tea and the ball soonest.
While in town, we are also hoping to take a field trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum to see where the Cluebat of Janeite Righteousness was shaped from a mighty branch hewn from the Tree of Enlightenment. Well, not so much as the Cluebat is of course metaphorical but you never know what goodies one might pick up from the Louisville Slugger Museum! We hope to meet many of our readers–both of the blog and of The Jane Austen Handbook–at the Festival this summer.
ETA: Only the Saturday sewing workshop is sold out. There is still room at the Sunday workshop. Also, on the grounds of Locust Grove will be “the shops of Meryton,” featuring a milliner, a mantua-maker (dressmaker), shoemaker, and authentic English entertainments such as a puppet show. The shopkeepers will also have Regency-era goods for sale such as clothing and accessories. There also will be men’s activities–stay tuned for more details!
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I’m thinking a road trip is in order! And, I have family in Lexington! It could be a two-fer!
I live in central Kentucky and am looking forward to the festival this year. I was excited to learn that you will be speaking as an avid reader of your blog and your book. Please let us know your speaking schedule, I want to make sure I am there at the right time.
Wow! What fun, Mags! While you all prepare for this exciting event, I’ll have just finished an exciting trip of mine this side of the pond.
Brandi, if you click on the PDF link to “Jane Austen Festival” in the blog post, it has the schedule for the Festival. It looks like I’ll be speaking at 11 a.m. both days. I’m giving the same talk each day, so you don’t have to plan to come to both days unless you want to!
MJ, it would be way cool to meet you in person.
Reeba, are you going to the festivities at Chawton?
No, not to Chawton, Mags, but for a very fangirly trip of P&P95 locations *blush*
Dear Mags,
and friends from AustenBlog! We, Janeites from BRazil, are proud to anounce you that we already started our JASBRA – Jane Auten Society of Brazil. As soon as possible we will translate the letter inviting you all to our society!
By this time, the blog is written in portuguese, but you you can use the tranlator machine! Thanks for your time!
Adriana Zardini
JASBRA
Oh! This the first time I’ve ever found my self wishing my mother still lived in Kentucky! Do they ever hold the event anywhere else?
Just to put this out in the universe; I’m working on a major research paper about the significance of Jane Austen to female writers in the 1800s. I have a pile of books and several websites, but I’m having trouble finding scholarly texts that give a sort of historical context of the way women writers were viewed in the late 1700s. There are plenty of little comments Jane makes about how people (especially men) view novels in her books, but I would like an outside source that gives background on criticism. Anyone have any ideas? If you could reply with suggestions here, I’ll check back later. Thanks.
Dressing Mr. Darcy or UNdressing Mr. Darcy? Sounds familiar – maybe?
Serena, I would strongly suggest you go visit the Chawton House website. They probably have helpful info/links: http://www.chawtonhouse.org/
Serena, I just read a book that discusses that subject, but not in great detail. It’s called Jane’s Fame by Claire Harman. It led me to another, more scholarly book byKathryn Sutherland called Jane Austen’s Textual Lives: From Aeschylus to Bollywood. I haven’t read it yet, only skimmed it, but I think it might be closer to what you’re looking for. And I heartily endorse Jen’s suggestion of the Chawton House website. They might be able to steer you in the right direction.
Thank you ladies!
Hi
I want to extend an invitation to all who can make it to Louisville. We are very excited about our event. Just to fill in a little bit more-Historic Locust Grove is a 1790′s National Historic Landmark with 55 park like acres. You will be able to visit the shops of “Meryton” such as the Milliner, the Shoe Maker, the Mantua-Maker & daughter and be entertained in The Cellar with shadow puppets, raree shows & more!
Local Regency gentlemen are planning entertainments for the men who come along too! For a complete schedule, visit our website: http://www.jasnalouisville.com