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Jane Austen Society of North America,

Southwest Region

September 2023 Newsletter

“Jewelry and Muslin in Jane Austen’s Time”



October 7, 2023

9:00am-1:00pm

In-person Half Day Event

California State University Northridge (CSUN)

Orchard Conference Center

Registration closes September 30, 2023

History and Restoration

of the Lost Art of Dhaka Muslin

Pre-Recorded Presentation

prepared exclusively 

for this JASNA Southwest Meeting 

Presented by Mr. Saiful Islam, Managing Director,

Bengal Muslin

Mr. Islam will discuss his project to resurrect the lost art of Dhaka Muslin, the precious fabric popularized in the late 18th century. It was created in and imported from what was then Bengal (now present-day Bangladesh) and once made by skilled weavers, within a small region, from a now-extinct plant.

“The project’s goals were to explore, reproduce and reveal muslin’s history and craft, its contribution and the impact that the fabric had on our culture and commerce and eventually our national identity.”—Bengal Muslin Project

Visit the Bengal Muslin website here for additional information and resources.

The Ancient Fabric that no one Knows How to Make by Zaria Gorvett

Socio-Political Implications of Jane Austen’s Jewelry, and the Jewelry in Austen’s Novels



Presented by Carrie Wright,

University of Southern Indiana

Jewelry makes a statement about the wearer’s manners, fashion sense, socioeconomic status, and political situation. Ms Wright’s presentation, through lecture and images, will examine the associations between Austen’s use of jewelry in her novels to depict a socio-political understanding of her characters, how these connections parallel our knowledge of Austen’s own jewelry, and the styles and materials of jewelry as a representation of the burgeoning social mobility and economic power of the middle class of Austen’s time period.

UPDATED COVID PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON MEETINGS

JASNA Southwest is committed to protecting all members and guests attending our meetings and we ask all attendees to do their part to safeguard their own health and that of others. Following long-term guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we strongly urge all members attending our meetings to be up-to-date on COVID vaccines/boosters and to take appropriate precautions. 

While we are not mandating vaccines at the time of registration, COVID surges are unpredictable. JASNA Southwest reserves the right to modify its COVID-related policies and procedures at its sole discretion at any time. Such changes could include, as appropriate, institution of a requirement for proof of vaccination/booster, required use of face coverings, special measures for unvaccinated registrants, testing, and/or other provisions recommended by governmental or health authorities. Registrants will be informed of any such changes via email and postings on our website jasnasw.com.

As a condition of registration, registrants must acknowledge understanding of the COVID policy; agree to comply with all applicable COVID-related federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidance and follow the protocols required by JASNA Southwest and/or the meeting venues; and acknowledge that JASNA Southwest cannot guarantee that attendees will not be exposed to or contract COVID while attending our meetings. 

Please stay home if you are ill. If you or someone in your group doesn’t feel well and/or has exhibited symptoms of COVID in the previous 10 days, we ask that you not attend.  

Save the Date!

December 02, 2023

9:00am - 3:00pm

In-Person Full Day Event

UCLA Faculty Center

Dr. Lana Dalley,

California State University, Fullerton on Jane Austen

Syrie James, author, playwright and JASNA Southwest Member, will present her comic play Jane Austen in 48 Minutes.

Melissa Buell, author, teacher and JASNA Southwest Board Member, presenting on Christmas Traditions in England From the Regency Era to Victorian Times. 

Register for the 2023 AGM

Register for the Virtual or In-Person Attendance.

Nominating Committee for 2024-2025 Board

JASNA Southwest will vote on its new Board at the December 2, 2023 Regional meeting. Whether you’re a longtime or brand-new member, you are welcome to nominate yourself or another member for a position on the Board. The Board is responsible for planning Regional meetings and Zoom presentations; communications including the monthly newsletter, website, and other social media; and outreach to new members through activities such as the Festival of Books.

If you’re interested in helping on a less frequent basis, volunteers are always needed for Regional meetings, project committees, and other projects.

If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity or would like to nominate yourself or someone else for the Board, please contact nominating Committee Chair Nancy Gallagher.

1796 Shakespeare Gallery

1813 British Institution

What Jane Saw

The Department of English at The University of Texas at Austin has launched an online reconstruction of a famous art exhibit visited by novelist Jane Austen on May 24, 1813.

You are invited to time travel to two art exhibitions witnessed by Jane Austen: the Sir Joshua Reynolds retrospective in 1813 or the Shakespeare Gallery as it looked in 1796. These two Georgian blockbusters took place, years apart, in the same London exhibition space at 52 Pall Mall (it no longer exists).

Read more about What Jane Saw (WJS) here.

Some of the paintings within the 1813 exhibit are located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Paintings of some of the subjects (models) like Emma Hart are also at the Huntington Library.

Reading group leaders, please send your next meeting updates to JASNA Southwest News for the October 2023 issue by September 15, 2023. For any further reading group questions or assistance, or to suggest formation of a new group, please feel free to contact Nancy Gallagher.

Please send in a current image of your group to be featured in future newsletters.

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