Southern Arizona Region
Jane Austen Day
June 7, 2008
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On Saturday, June 7, JASNA’s Southern Arizona Region members and their guests gathered at the Marriott University Park Hotel in Tucson to celebrate Jane Austen Day with a full-day program focusing on the novel Emma.
We started the day with two outstanding speakers. Kay Young, JASNA Traveling Lecturer and Associate Professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara, delivered a fascinating talk on Emma and Jane Austen as imaginists. Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma and Defender of Mrs. Elton, shared her unique perspective on Emma’s nemesis, who she believes is just misunderstood and often reviled for transgressions less serious than Emma’s.
Following lunch, we gathered for a Readers’ Theater presentation of Diana Birchall’s short play “Two Poems and a Proposal,” which depicts the meeting and courtship of Mr. Elton and Miss Hawkins in Bath.
Jane Austen Day attendees joined Diana Birchall to enact Mr. Elton’s
courtship of Miss Augusta Hawkins in Bath.
Pianist Janne Irvine rounded out the day with a performance of her new musical program “Janne on Jane II: Music in Emma.” The new program featured pieces that Jane Fairfax and Emma Woodhouse might have played, based on their knowledge of music, their tastes, and the amount of practice they were willing to dedicate to the pianoforte.
A great deal of lively conversation with “good company” made Jane Austen Day 2008 an event to remember!
This event was funded in part by a grant from the Jane Austen Society of North America.