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Persuasions #5, 1983                                                                                                                                            Page 2

 

 

EDITORIAL 

It is pleasing to be able to report that Persuasions, like Mrs. Weston’s baby, has outgrown its first set of caps. Now a sturdy five-year-old, it has graduated from where it was an honour for anyone to notice it (even the likes of Robert Martin) to being acknowledged as an established member of literary society. It has achieved the dignity of having an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) bestowed upon it, and been indexed by the Modern Languages Association for the Bibliography. Credit for these two latter developments must be attributed to its excellent sponsors on the Publication Committee, Lorraine Hanaway of Philadelphia and Gene Koppel of Tucson.

The statement of policy published last issue seems to have met with universal favour. From Bethesda, Maryland: “I’m glad there are going to be no references to ‘Austen’ in this publication.” From Ottawa, Canada: “Your editorial policy meets with my full approval and support … light, non-academic, and most informative.”

It is you, the readers and members of JASNA who make Persuasions what it is. Please continue to send in your varied, interesting and unusual articles as they dart into your nimble brains.

This year we are holding a writing competition for our talented and imaginative members. See next page.

Under the title of Persuasions: Occasional Papers the Society has begun to publish articles of interest that we are unable to include in Persuasions itself. Details on page 23.

Our meeting at Philadelphia this year attracted national attention. Feature articles appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Toronto Globe and Mail and many other papers.

Occasionally the burdens of editorship are lightened in an unexpected manner. On an article being accepted, the author wrote back with enthusiasm: “I have published many books and articles on dull subjects … but what is this compared to the pleasure and honor of laying a faded petal at the feet of the divine Jane.”

The divine Jane. Doesn’t that express what we all feel?

By the same token we can definitely identify with the wife of the Minneapolis police chief who was sent to jail for protesting the manufacture of parts for missiles. She took with her her herbal tea and the complete works of Jane Austen.