Next Meeting: Spring Luncheon at Bass Lake Inn

We'll be celebrating an amazing year of JASNA programs with an end-of-year luncheon in lovely Chardon, Ohio.


Originally, we planned to discuss articles in the journal Persuasions at our annual luncheon, but we have not yet received our journals. So, we are having a little change of plans.

The theme of this year’s AGM, Sex, Money, and Power in Jane Austen’s Fiction, is bringing together scholars and authors from around the world to New York City this October for a record-breaking conference. We invite members to read brief passages written by Jane Austen that are relevant to the AGM theme. Feel free to read excerpts from her novels, juvenilia, letters, and even Lady Susan! Bring Your Own Books.

We return to Bass Lake Taverne (map) this year for a lovely soup and salad buffet. Lunch,
beverage, gratuity and dessert are included for $25. We can pay by credit card the day of the event,
but we would like to include as many people as possible in one payment to the restaurant, so it will
help if we pay by check or cash. Please bring checks or cash to the restaurant and make checks out to
Jennifer Weinbrecht. Directions to the restaurant are at the end of this newsletter.

Please RSVP by June 4, 2012 by calling Jennifer, our JASNA RC, or emailing jansaonc@gmail.com.

"Inspired by Austen" - April 21st, 2012

We had an overflow crowd for our April meeting in Clark Hall on the Case-Western Reserve Campus, since it had been advertised in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and on a local radio station. Our guests were Karen Doornebos, author of Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, and Sandy Lerner, who writes under the name of Ava Farmer. Ms. Lerner’s book is Second Impressions. She also is the founder of the Chawton House Library.

Sandy Lerner reads from her book

Karen Doornebos entertains the crowd

No empty seats!

Each author discussed her work and Ms. Lerner told us about her desire to preserve writings by the approximately 3,000 women who wrote during the 19th century. The ladies had a question and answer period and autographed their books for us. Jane Austen Books was also on hand with a sampling of their wares.

Following the meeting the speakers and regular members were invited to the home of JoAnne Podis, where we enjoyed discussing our successful event!

-submitted by Beverly Faust