Courting Jane

Our next Reading Group gathering is online Saturday, September 24 at 1 p.m., when we will discuss Courting Jane. Pay vicarious visits to Regency England and a fictional Annual General Meeting in Honolulu with this Jane Austen time travel romance.

Email JASNAHawaiinei@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link.

The book was penned by Hawai‘i Region founder, confirmed Austenite and frequent AGM attendee Bob Newell, who declares he is well acquainted with its flaws and will take no umbrage at a frank discussion of its merits.

If you wish to read the book before the discussion, Courting Jane is available in print or Kindle formats from Amazon, which writes: “Join Jonathan Kinsey as he crosses two oceans and two centuries in a desperate quest for the love of his life. From the alleys of Honolulu’s Chinatown to the beaches and cliffs of Sidmouth, Courting Jane takes you on an unforgettable journey of the heart and mind.” Also available from Barnes and Noble for $12.99 (eligible for free shipping).

Birthday Jeopard-Tea

Clockwise from left: Bob Newell, Cheryl Ernst, Gretchen Savage, Donna Lum, Paula Nakayama. Not pictured, Katharine Aus.

Fully vaccinated O‘ahu-based members gathered in the garden at the Kailua home of new Regional Coordinator Cheryl Ernst for the annual tea belatedly celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday.

Decadent treats were served, and a Jeopardy-style game focused on Jane Austen tea references and related trivia (did you know there are just two mentions of tea in Persuasion compared to 12 to 15 in the other novels, the family drank Twinings, Jane Austen was in charge of the family tea service, and she favored camillia tea sans cream?).

But mostly people enjoyed each other’s company in our first in-person get-together since COVID 19 hit. A bubbly thank-you toast was raised to JASNA Hawai‘i founder Bob Newell, who recently stepped down after eight years as regional coordinator, and member Katharine Aus was congratulated (also belatedly) for completing her master’s in education from Chaminade University and contributing to the success of her elementary students (not to mention her own three children) during the pandemic.

The Jane Austen Project

From Maui to Washington, D.C., Reading Group participants joined our Aprll 9 Zoom discussion of The Jane Austen Project. After a brief digression to share thoughts on Masterpiece Theater’s Sanditon, Season 2, Gretchen Savage led a thought-provoking conversation on Kathleen Flynn’s story of a time traveling team who visit Jane Austen. We talked about motivation, morality and whether we would time travel if we could.

Unanimous in their enjoyment of the book, the group agreed to continue the time travel theme for our next read. We will discuss Courting Jane by our very own Bob Newell, who says he knows full well the novel’s defects and will take no umbrage at a frank discussion! The book is available on Amazon in print or Kindle versions.

Bob Newell Helps Celebrate P&P Day

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF2qL9R1VdI

First Ever Pan-Pacific Conference

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.

Recorded videos of the various sessions are available on the JASNA-Southwest YouTube channel. They are:

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 Sun as a Modern Interpretation of Mansfield 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 Hawaii and JASNA Southwest Pan Pacific Conference speakers
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“The Other Bennet Sister”

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?

At Last – Ayesha

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.



  • Media & Text

P&P from the Servants’ Perspective

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.

An Assembly Such as Ours

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)