The "Promise of Spring"

Spring has come to New York State--although we're obviously cheating a little with this photo, given that many of us still have snow on the ground! (This glorious vine was photographed last Memorial Day weekend at the Cloisters in New York City.)

Nevertheless, the "promise of spring" is before us in many ways. First, this phrase is the title of a new English Country Dance CD by Charlene Thomson (who, with the late Suzanna Spiese, performed so beautifully for us at our first RiverRead Books meeting in Binghamton). Charlene's original compositions in the ECD tradition make delightful listening--and one of them, "Lisa's Maggot," is dedicated to our own Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown! (Lisa reminds us that a "maggot" in this context is a fanciful or whimsical dance.) The "Promise of Spring" CD can be ordered at this link.

Furthermore, we have a busy schedule of Austen-related events to look forward to in Upstate this spring and early summer. The "Events" column at right gives a complete listing, but here are some of the highlights:

• The Rochester Jane Austen Ball--always a wonderful occasion for dancers and gallery spectators alike--will be held as usual at a country club in the Rochester area on Sunday, May 5, at 2 pm. (The club's regulations forbid disclosing the name of the venue except to registered attendees, but think leaves and acorns.) A raffle/silent auction and a tea will also be among the activities. There is an admission charge for dancers, and a half-price admission for spectators. Go here for a downloadable registration form. 
• The JASNA Syracuse May Day meeting will be Saturday, May 11, at 2 pm, at RiverRead Books in Binghamton.  Our topic will be "Pride and Prejudice: Free for All." It's our last meeting on P&P in its 200th-anniversary year, so what angles would you like to explore? Bring your ideas to share!
• The traditional end-of-season "Box Hill" event in the Syracuse Region this year will be a presentation at the Colgate Bookstore (co-sponsored by the Bookstore, the JABC-CNY, and JASNA Syracuse) on Saturday, June 8, by Dr. Jack Wang. With his brother Holman, Jack is the co-author of the new Cozy Classics series of board books for toddlers--and your Regional Coordinator guarantees that to see these books is to be utterly charmed by them. Jack will discuss how he and Holman have adapted Pride and Prejudice and other classics for very young readers, and (appropriately for a "Box Hill" event) will give us a sneak preview of the forthcoming Cozy Classics Emma! 
• Finally, JASNA Rochester will be assisting the Genesee Country Village in Mumford with the "Jane Austen" portion of its "War of 1812 and Jane Austen Weekend" on Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23. With Redcoats on parade and a "Netherfield Ball" in store, Lydia Bennet would go distracted--and there will be a mini-marathon reading of Pride and Prejudice and other JA-related presentations as well. Details about the Ball, and preliminary details about the rest of the weekend, are available here.

JASNA Syracuse Lady Day Meeting in Ithaca, Sat., March 23, 2 pm

JASNA Syracuse will hold its Lady Day meeting in Ithaca--our first-ever meeting there--on Saturday, March 23, at 2:00 pm. Our host venue on this occasion is Buffalo Street Books, 215 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca.

Buffalo Street Books is located in the DeWitt Mall, on Cayuga between Buffalo and Seneca Sts., a block or so north of the Ithaca Commons; the bookstore can be entered either from the mall or from Buffalo Street. Go here for a downloadable map of downtown Ithaca. The area is well provided with parking garages, and according to the Downtown Ithaca website, parking at these is free on weekends.

Our topic for this meeting will be "The Legacy of Pride and Prejudice." As we were all reminded this January during the 200th anniversary of its publication in 1813, P&P has generated an enormous "industry" all its own: film and TV adaptations; sequels, prequels, retellings from alternative points of view, and other recastings in book form--including even a "Cozy Classics" board book for tots (co-authored by Professor Jack Wang of Ithaca College); a YouTube series called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries that has raised tremendous interest; and mugs, T-shirts, and other artifacts galore (just go to the Etsy website, search Pride and Prejudice, and stand back!). But what are we to make of all this "love" for a single novel? Is it all or mostly good? Or is Jane Austen herself getting lost in the shuffle? Opinions vary widely--and, as you can see, your Regional Coordinator herself is not immune to the lure of sequels and artifacts. (Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the Official Spokescat of JASNA Syracuse, reserves judgment.)

So come and "have [your] share of the conversation" at Buffalo Street Books on the 23rd. We particularly look forward to meeting many JASNA members and other friends from the Ithaca area and the Eastern Finger Lakes!

1960s Musical Adaptation of Emma in Albany

"The Single Girls Guide," a musical adaptation of Emma set in the 1960s, will have its world premiere on Tuesday, March 5, at the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany. With music by Alabama-based composer Tommy Newman and a book by New York-based director Gordon Greenberg, it will play at the Capital Rep until March 30. According to an interview with Greenberg in the Troy Record, he has envisioned Emma Woodhouse as "sort of a Helen Gurley Brown figure"--an intriguing concept, to say the least! So Syracuse Region members (particularly those living toward the east) may well be inclined to join our Capital Region friends in taking a look at it. For more information about the show, go to the Capital Repertory Theatre's website.

Rochester Janeiacs Invade Canandaigua!

The Rochester "Janeiacs"--the "Action Jane" members of JASNA Rochester--are at it again! This time, they've scheduled a number of activities to take place in the village of Canandaigua in honor of Pride and Prejudice's 200th anniversary. Canandaigua is southeast of Rochester (and an easy drive south from Exit 44 of the NY State Thruway, for many Syracuse Region members). Here's a list of what will be happening in the next few weeks. 

Unless otherwise noted, all activities will take place at the Granger Homestead, an historic landmark property at 295 N. Main St., Canandaigua (585-394-1472; go here for the website). The Granger's usual admission charge will be waived for these events.

•  Guest speaker Kathi Nacca (from the Wood Library in Canandaigua) will lead a discussion of P&P at the Granger on Saturday, February 23, from 1 to 3 pm, with tea to follow.
• Aniela Wolkonowski of JASNA Rochester will lead a discussion of JA sequels, focusing on Pamela Aidan's An Assembly Such as This (a retelling of part of P&P from Mr. Darcy's perspective), on Saturday, March 2 at the Granger, starting at 1 pm. An 1813-style tea will follow.
• JASNA Syracuse/JASNA Rochester Co-Coordinator Lisa Brown will present her ever-popular Regency Fashion Show (featuring both ladies' and gentlemen's clothing styles) on Sunday, March 3, starting at 1 pm. Note: This event will take place at the Wood Library, 134 N. Main St., Canandaigua (585-394-1381). It too is free of charge and open to the public.
• Finally, the Country Dancers of Rochester will give a demonstration of dances popular during JA's lifetime on Saturday, March 9 at the Granger, starting at 1 pm.

In Memoriam: Cheryl Suzanna Spiese

The Binghamton English Country Dancers have given us the sad news that Cheryl Suzanna Spiese died on February 12 at age 65, after a long and bravely borne illness. She was a Special Collections Librarian and a Translation Research & Instruction Program Faculty Associate at Binghamton University. In addition, she was actively involved with the Binghamton ECD group in many capacities--as dancer, caller, teacher, organizer, and musician. JASNA Syracuse will always remember Suzanna gratefully for performing with Charlene Thomson, her friend and fellow musician in the group "Greenwood," at the first Syracuse Region meeting at RiverRead Books in Binghamton--and thus getting the RiverRead meetings off to a delightful start. We send our sympathies to Suzanna's family in Lancaster, PA, and to her BU colleagues and ECD friends in Binghamton. This year's Binghamton ECD Ball, on Saturday, April 6, will be dedicated to her.

Happy 200th Anniversary, Pride and Prejudice!

Either today (the 200th anniversary of the day Jane Austen received her author's copy--her "own Darling Child") or tomorrow (the 200th anniversary of the first advertisement), depending on your point of view, is Pride and Prejudice's Really Big Day. Huzzah! Huzzah!! Huzzah!!!

Both mainstream and less traditional media outlets are falling all over themselves to celebrate as well. Even such dedicated "link hunters" as JASNA New York Metro's Kerri Spennicchia and our own Lisa Brown are hard pressed to keep up with the rush! Below, I'm passing on a mere fraction of the ones unearthed by Kerri and Lisa (with thanks to them both):

Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen fans celebrate novel's 200th anniversary

International Pride and Prejudice 'Readathon'

Plain Jane? Plain Wrong by Daisy Hay

Pride and Prejudice Celebrates 200 Years

Pride and Prejudice: Top five pop culture references

‘Pride and Prejudice’ turns 200 — with events to mark the occasion

 'Pride' of Jane Austen is worth a celebration

Pride and Prejudice – and politics

Austen power: 200 years of Pride and Prejudice

Meet the real Jane Austen, the prototype Guardian gal

BBC to recreate Netherfield Ball for 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice

  
Several of the blogs in our "Links" list at right, such as Jane Austen in Vermont, Jane Austen's World, and Austenonly, have also put up celebratory posts. And if all this isn't enough, just Google "Pride and Prejudice 200th anniversary," "Jane Austen," or "Austen power"--and then stand back and watch the flood of links!

A very important link to pass on for JASNA members is the one with information about this year's JASNA tour of England--which of course this year focuses on P&P. In addition to the by now customary visits to Steventon, Chawton, and Winchester, this year's tour will include destinations in Derbyshire, as well as a stop in Brighton! Here's the link to the tour info on the national JASNA website.

And finally, don't forget our celebration of "Pride and Prejudice: The Novel and the Films" at the Liverpool Public Library this coming Saturday, February 2, at 2 pm! 

JASNA Syracuse Candlemas Meeting in Liverpool, Sat., Feb. 2, 2 pm

On Saturday, February 2, at 2 pm, JASNA Syracuse will continue the worldwide celebrations of Pride and Prejudice's 200th anniversary (Jane Austen's "own Darling Child" was first offered for sale on January 28, 1813) by discussing "Pride and Prejudice: The Novel and the Films." The meeting will take place in the Sargent Room of the Liverpool Public Library. 

(In keeping with our custom of following the Regency calendar, this will be our Candlemas meeting--and, for once, the meeting lands on the feast day itself. To Jane Austen and her contemporaries, February 2 was the "cross-quarter day" of Candlemas, a/k/a the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin. Don't ask us how Groundhog Day got mixed up with this.) 

We hope to begin by showing clips of Mr. Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth Bennet from at least the four film versions of P&P shown in the photo: the 1940 movie with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier; the late 1970s BBC version with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul (shown in the U.S. on Masterpiece Theatre in 1980); the 1995 BBC miniseries with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth; and the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen. We'll use these as the jumping-off points for considering how each version relates to the novel. How much of the novel's own dialogue and language does each film use? What liberties does each one take with language, setting, and plot? Do the liberties enhance the viewer's experience or detract from it? 

(As you can see in the photo, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the Official Spokescat of JASNA Syracuse, is deeply loyal to the text. But certain scenes may have become so embedded in our thoughts about P&P that, for better or worse, they're part of the P&P "experience." What do you think? Come and have your "share in the conversation"!)

The Liverpool Public Library is located at 310 Tulip St., Liverpool, NY 13088. The Sargent Room is the smaller of the library's two meeting rooms (the Carman Community Room is the other). The library is easily reached from both I-81 North (if you're coming from the south) and the NY State Thruway:

From I-81, travel north from the junction with I-690, follow the signs for the Liverpool exits (near Carousel Center), and select the exit for NY Rt. 370 (Onondaga Lake Parkway). Take 370 along Onondaga Lake into the village of Liverpool, and stay on it as it angles slightly to the left and also becomes 2nd St. in the village. The library is on the corner of Tulip St. and 2nd St./370.

From the Thruway (from either direction), take Exit 38 (Liverpool/County Rt. 57). Travel south on 57 into the village, and take a right on Tulip St. (57 curves left at just about this point). Come down Tulip to 2nd St./370.

There is a small underground parking garage (entrance on Tulip), and ample free on-street parking is also available on Tulip and elsewhere. So we trust that your coachmen will be agreeably accommodated--and we hope you'll join us on the 2nd!