The Calgary Herald had a big feature last Sunday on Jane Austen and Janeites, referring to the recent and upcoming spate of films, books, and other fun for Janeites, including the upcoming JASNA AGM in Vancouver, BC. (Have you registered yet?) We loved this quotation from the AGM Co-coordinator, Keiko Parker:

“We are all sort of like a big family of friends,” says Keiko Parker, co-ordinator of the event. “We usually talk Jane Austen non-stop.”

A friend of AustenBlog (waves hello to Lorna) tells the story of her first JASNA meeting, and knowing that she “had found her people.” That’s it exactly! The fellowship is amazing: a whole roomful of people who laugh at your Jane jokes and will even make some of their own.

And what were we saying about the books being funny?

Besides, the books are just plain funny.

“That’s one of the things that makes Jane Austen so much fun to read. She always has an ironic gloss on what’s being presented,” (JASNA President Marsha) Huff says. “Her books are not romantic novels or romances, they’re romantic comedies.”

They’re funny, dagnabit!

And so the Jane-mania continues. As Huff says delightedly, “It’s almost like she’s alive today.”

We need another t-shirt: Jane Lives!

The Herald also had an article on Hollywood’s love of Jane and reviews of Austenland and another book. *cough*

Sullivan is the editrix of the fascinating Austenblog.com and has a huge knowledge of Austen and her time. She brings all that to the book, along with a cool wit that Jane herself would have admired.

Thank you, thank you very much.