Joint JASNA/JABC "Box Hill" Picnic in Syracuse, Sat., June 9

Now it can be told:  The joint JASNA Syracuse/Jane Austen Book Club-CNY “Box Hill” end-of-season event will be a potluck picnic, hat extravaganza, book swap, and Diamond Jubilee toast at the home of JASNA Regional Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry in Syracuse, Saturday, June 9, at 12 noon! 

All members of JASNA Syracuse and those seriously interested in joining JASNA, as well as all members of the JABC, are welcome.  A few members of JASNA Rochester may make the trip as well, so let’s hope for a real Upstate Janeite convocation!

The picnic will be held outdoors if the weather permits, or indoors if it doesn’t.  And, in addition to the food and drink, we propose to enjoy various diversions.

First, in tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, please wear some form of appropriate headgear (QEII, of course, never leaves the palace without a hat!).  Check out the "Mad Hattery" website for inspiration, or wear your favorite Regency bonnet, or just put some fresh trim on an old chapeau (“I hope Mr. Bingley may like it, Lizzy”).  Gents, please do the best you can in corresponding masculine fashion.

And we’ll drink a loyal toast to the Queen as well.  A tour of Marie’s British royal commemoratives collection will be available for those who are interested.

Other entertainments will include a book swap:  Please bring a few titles (Austen-related or otherwise) that you are ready to part with and think other attendees would enjoy, and come prepared to take away a few.  VHS tapes and DVDs are welcome as well.

And JABC-CNY coordinator Heather Elia proposes a letter tile game along the lines of the one played in Emma.  Can you spell “Dixon” and “blunder”??

If you plan to attend the picnic (and only if; no need to respond if you can’t make it), please send an RSVP to Marie no later than June 2 at the email or phone number given for her under "Contact Us" in the right-hand column.  Directions to Marie’s home will then be provided.  (It’s on the east side of Syracuse, near Le Moyne College.)

Also, if you know definitely what you’re planning to bring as a dish to pass, please let Marie know (though if you don’t know yet, that’s OK).  Utensils and an assortment of nonalcoholic beverages will be available.  (Please indicate your choice of beverage in your RSVP.)

Hope to see you on June 9!

JASNA Syracuse Meeting in Binghamton, Saturday, May 12

JASNA Syracuse will hold its May Day meeting on Saturday, May 12, at RiverRead Books, 5 Court St., Binghamton, at 2 pm.  Our topic, as suggested by an attendee at the November meeting there, will be "Jane Austen's Villains."  Certainly JA created a memorable and varied gallery of "bad guys"--and certainly some of these "guys" were "gals," so we don't have to restrict the discussion to male characters by any means.  Who's your favorite villain (or villains--no need to pick just one, either) in the Austen canon?  Bring your choice(s) and some quotes to share!

Also, we've finally settled on Saturday, June 9, as the date for the joint JASNA Syracuse/Jane Austen Book Club-CNY "Box Hill" event.  (This is a bit earlier in June than the traditional Midsummer Day date of June 24, but it's the only date that suited all of the planners!)  Details about the event itself, and its location and time, will be announced ASAP.  In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you at RiverRead on May 12.

A Jane Austen Singing School Summer Session!

We were delighted to learn this week that Dr. Joanna Manring will be returning to Skaneateles in mid-June and is planning to conduct a summer session of the Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL).  Rehearsals may begin as early as the third week in June and continue into July, with a concert in mid- to late July (possibly Saturday, July 21), but the details are still being worked out.  Your JASNA Syracuse Coordinators will of course be assisting as needed, particularly Lisa Brown with the dance instruction.

Also, there are still openings for Young Ladies (ages 12-18) for both singing and dancing, and Young Gentlemen (ages 15-30) for dancing.  If you are a Young Lady or Gentleman in those age groups who is interested in participating--or know someone who is--please get in touch with Joanna at joannamsoprano[at]gmail.com (substitute the "at" symbol for the word when you email her, of course).

JASNA AGM Registration Begins May 2

It's just been announced that registration for this year's JASNA Annual General Meeting in New York City will begin May 2 (go to this link for full details). All members in good standing of JASNA at the national level are welcome to attend. But, take it from us, you must register as soon as possible if you plan to attend; this AGM will sell out quickly! Check out other pages on the NYC AGM site (you'll see the options at the top of the registration page) for full details about plenary and breakout speakers, special interest sessions, hotel/travel, tours, etc. (Full disclosure: C0-Coordinator Lisa Brown is presenting one of the special interest sessions, and Regional Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry is one of the breakout speakers.)

Our next Syracuse Region meeting will be Saturday, May 12, at 2 pm, at RiverRead Books in Binghamton; our topic will be "Jane Austen's Villains." We'll be posting more details about this meeting, and our "Box Hill" gathering in late June, in due course.

Photos from the Regency Fashion Show

Your Regional Coordinator writes:

The Regency fashion show held on March 24 at the Colgate Bookstore was a great success, and JASNA Syracuse heartily thanks the Bookstore and the JABC-CNY for their co-sponsorship and generous assistance! Herewith, some photos from the show. While I greeted the large and enthusiastic audience...
...our dauntless Co-Coordinator and fashion expert, Lisa Brown, contemplated the task of assigning outfits to all of the models (and, in some cases, more than one outfit per model) in very limited time!
Although there were a few tense moments backstage...
...the models and their "ladies' maids" soon began to relax and enjoy themselves.
In the next several photos: (1) Mother-and-daughter models--Denise and her daughter Angel. (2) Shelley and Shannon (?). (3) To spare the ladies' blushes, Lisa discussed Regency unmentionables with the aid of a mannequin. (4) Several garments among Sandra Stevens' beautifully detailed doll clothes perfectly mirrored the mannequin's attire. (5) Some elegant headgear...and (6) Nadia's elegantly dressed hair.

Nor were the gentlemen neglected! Jason cheerfully modeled civilian attire...
...while Duane demonstrated the eternal attraction of an officer's red coat to his wife, Sami.
Lisa and all her models accepted a well-deserved round of applause at the end of the show.

And Sandra's daughter Mimi models more of Sandra's work--this exquisitely detailed full-size ensemble. In the final photo, JABC-CNY moderator and JASNA member Heather Elia joins Mimi.

In conclusion, we won't rest on our laurels: See the "Events" column at right for a full listing of Upstate JASNA and JABC-CNY events through mid-May. Plans are also under discussion for the end-of-season "Box Hill" event, to take place about Midsummer (June 24 or thereabouts).

Joint JASNA/JABC Meeting and Regency Fashion Show, Sat., March 24

For the last several years, JASNA Syracuse and the Jane Austen Book Club (JABC) of CNY that meets at the Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton have held at least one "official" joint meeting per year, in addition to a good many unofficial contacts. And a very special event is planned for this year's joint meeting, Saturday, March 24, at 2:00 p.m.: a Regency fashion show co-sponsored by the Bookstore, and involving both live models and exquisite costume dolls!

JASNA Syracuse/Rochester Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown--proprietor of Regency Rentals, and a veteran presenter of Regency fashion demonstrations to JASNA chapters and other groups--will focus on every aspect of genteel clothing of the time for day and evening wear. Gowns, gloves, fans, jewelry, bonnets, reticules, jackets, breeches, waistcoats, uniforms, swords, and more will be on display as volunteer models proceed elegantly down the Bookstore's large third-floor meeting room. Lisa will also discuss how contemporary ladies and gentlemen can obtain or make Regency-style outfits on a variety of budgets.

In addition, Sandra Stevens--a member of both the JABC and JASNA Syracuse--will display a selection of her handmade Regency costume dolls. Sandra's creations are not only lovely and elegant, but unbelievably detailed, and we're delighted to have the opportunity to view these.

So do join us at the Colgate Bookstore, 3 Utica St., Hamilton, for an afternoon of fashion and fun! We look forward to seeing you.

Early Spring Announcements

As we begin moving toward spring in Central New York (in fact, did we ever really have a winter?), we have several announcements:

• The Syracuse Post-Standard ran a feature article today about the War of 1812 quilt show in Sackets Harbor next weekend (March 17-18). See our February 19 post.
• If your inclination is to head west rather than north on the 17th, Syracuse Regional Coordinator A. Marie Sprayberry will be giving a presentation titled "A Field Guide to the Royalty, Nobility, and Gentry of Austen's England" at JASNA Rochester's March meeting, to be held as usual at the Pittsford Barnes and Noble at 1 p.m. This is an updated version of a presentation Marie gave in Syracuse several years ago; the discussion will include some questions of rank in Downton Abbey and the most recent Royal Wedding!
  
• Despite her recent move to Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. Joanna Manring has not forgotten her Syracuse-area admirers: She writes that in addition to forming a new Jane Austen Singing School for Young Ladies (JASSYL) chapter in Lexington, she hopes to hold a "JASSYL Summer Camp" in Skaneateles this summer and to conclude it with a concert. We'll pass along further details as we acquire them.
  
• With spring, of course, our thoughts turn to the annual Jane Austen Ball in Rochester, co-sponsored by the Country Dancers of Rochester and JASNA Rochester. This year's edition will be held Sunday, May 6. To download a registration form, go to the CDR website, click on the "Jane Austen Ball" link at the top, and then scroll down to "Further Details." Bear in mind that even if you don't dance, a gallery seat includes the delights of spectatorship and chaperonage, as well as an elegant tea at intermission.
• Finally, Syracuse/Rochester Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown (seen above with "Captain Eric" Borresen of the CDR at the 2010 ball) has begun a personal blog called "Mostly Maggots," to be dedicated to her adventures in English country dance and Regency costume. (A "maggot" in this context is "an archaic term for a whimsical or fanciful dance"; the best-known example is "Mr. Beveridge's Maggot," which was made famous in the 1995 BBC P&P and will be danced at the ball on May 6.)