Hawai‘i Region founder Bob Newell represented all of JASNA in Jane Austen’s House’s annual celebration of Pride and Prejudice Day. He was one of the readers from 13 nations spanning the globe from Argentina to Thailand who shared the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice. The novel was first published on January 28, 1813 and has delighted readers around the world ever since. Watch the video or visit the Jane Austen’s House site to take the which-P&P-character-are-you quiz.
Bob recently stepped down as Hawai‘i Regional Coordinator after eight years of tireless dedication. Use the comments option below to leave him a message.
Seven speakers from five countries spread across 12 time zones shared a wide-ranging discussion on Jane Austen in the Pan Pacific in a first-of-it’s kind conference Nov. 13, 2021. The ambitious undertaking was hosted by JASNA-Hawai‘i and JASNA-Southwest, with special greetings from JASNA President Liz Philosophos Cooper and welcomes from Hawai‘i Regional Coordinator Bob Newell and Southwest Regional Coordinator Susie Wampler.
Jane Austen in Translation, by Dr. Juliette Wells, professor of literary studies at Goucher College, Baltimore Jane Austen in Australia and New Zealand, by Dr. Joanne Wilkes, professor of English at the University of Auckland, New Zealand Reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sunas a Modern Interpretation ofMansfield Park, by Dr. Hatsuyo Shimazaki, founding member of the Jane Austen Society of Japan Austen Passports: The Pacific and Beyond, by Ruth Williamson, New Zealand writer and editor Jane Austen in the Philippines, by Dr. Maria Lorena Santos, assistant professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines Your Ever Affectionate Sister: Rachel Henning’s Austenian Letters, by Judith Stove, writer, researcher and author of Jane Austen’s Inspiration: Beloved Friend Anne Lefroy Jane Austen in Australia, by Susannah Fullerton, president of the Jane Austen Society of Australia
JASNA Hawai‘i and JAS-friends from New Zealand and the US mainland discussed Janice Hadlow’s novel about Mary Bennet on Jan. 15.
Rachel Orejana led a spirited discussion with some thoughtful questions. The concensus: an enjoyable read despite running longer than necessary and lifting some text directly from Pride and Prejudice without so much as a thank-you to Jane Austen in the acknowledgments. We debated how free fan-fiction should be to deviate from the original author’s characterizations and situations. What do you think?
JASNA Hawai‘i’s reading group met Saturday afternoon, September 18, 2021, to discuss Uzma Jalaluddin’s novel Ayesha At Last.
Cheryl Ernst led the discussion. The consensus was that the book was an enjoyable read despite some legitimate criticisms and offered insights Muslim-American culture, which, in some gender-relations respects, resembles that of Georgian England.
On January 16, 2021, JASNA Hawai`i was joined by mainland JASNA members from New Mexico, British Columbia, Washington D.C. and California for an interesting 90 minute discussion of Jo Baker’s Longbourn. The meeting took place virtually, over Zppm.
Our thanks to Gretchen for leading the discussion, Katie for taking care of Zoom hosting, and all the participants who made for an informative and enjoyable meeting.
Joined by guests from California and Texas, JASNA Hawai`i met on October 17, 2020 (via Zoom), to talk about Natalie Jenner’s breakout novel, The Jane Austen Society. The discussion was led by local member Cheryl, who challenged us with a fascinating (and difficult!) quiz on the characters in the novel. A wide-ranging and interesting discussion followed.
On Saturday, August 15, 2020, JASNA Hawai`i had another great online meeting, which included guest participants from California. Our discussion of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy was lively and informative.
Our next virtual get-together is planned for Saturday, October 17, 2020, at 1 PM HST. We’ll discuss Natalie Jenner’s recent novel, The Jane Austen Society. JASNA members from Regions other than Hawai`i are most welcome to join in (up to the limits of our Zoom capacity)
Our Sanditon discussion on May 9, 2020 was held online via teleconferencing and was a great success! We stayed in front of our screens for almost two hours having a wide-ranging and lively conversation. Thanks to Katie for hosting this, and to Margaret, who was able to connect with us from her home on Kaua`i.
We plan to meet next on August 15, 2020. We don’t know right now whether we’ll be able to have an in-person meeting but we’re all set to teleconference again. This time we’re turning to fan fiction and the three volume series by author Pamela Aiden, An Assembly Such As This. Participants can read any or all of the series, or even choose a different work by the same author in order to lend perspective.
On February 15, 2020, JASNA Hawai`i members, joined by a visitor from JASNA Louisville, enjoyed an elegant tea service at Orchids at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. The weather was beautiful with 80 degree temperatures, light breezes, and sunny skies. Attendees got to sample rare Maui-grown Halealaka tea in addition to the regular tea service items. As is our tradition, we played a round of Jane Austen Volleyball, with quiz questions based on Emma, and the “Right” team won over the “Left” team by the narrow margin of three to two.
For our next event, we’re planning a group viewing of the new Emma film. Details are yet to be determined as it’s unclear when (or if) Emma will play on O`ahu.
After that, our reading group will meet on April 25 to discuss the various versions of Sandition, including the new television adaptation.
Visiting JASNA members are always welcome to join in at any and all of our events. We’d love to show you our aloha. If you’re going to be on O`ahu, please contact us and we’ll give you full details about what’s happening.
With our discussion of Pride and Prejudice at our April Reading Group meeting, we’ve closed out scheduled activities until the end of summer (holding aside the possibility of spontaneous arrangements, of course).
Looking forward, our next Reading Group will take place on October 26, 2019, when we’ll discuss Lady Susan. All JASNA members, whether local or visiting, are welcome, and for this meeting, we’d also like to invite prospective members who would like to see what we do. Write to us for more information and details.
jasnahawaii.org 