North Texas Region
Birthday Luncheon: An Economic Education in Mansfield Park
December 5, 2009
The annual Jane Austen Birthday Luncheon of the North Texas Region was Saturday, December 5, 2009 on the 42nd floor of Cityplace Conference Center in downtown Dallas. After registration and a “Meet and Greet” hour, Rosalie Sternberg, Regional Coordinator, began the event with a short business meeting and an update on the 2011 AGM committees. Program Chair Vicki Ford announced the locations, dates, and topics for the 2010 meetings.
Our esteemed speaker, Mountain View College Professor of English, Joyce Kerr Tarpley, educated a sold out crowd on the economics of Mansfield Park. Professor Tarpley received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and her Master and Ph.D. from University of Dallas. She has taught extensively on Jane Austen’s works and was a participant in the 2009 Conference of College Teachers of English with her lecture “Showing Them the Money: The Economic Way of Thinking in Literature.”
The afternoon concluded with a fabulous luncheon in a spectacular setting and a birthday toast to our beloved Jane Austen. We also welcomed our newest region member, Sabrina Ford, age four weeks, who is still trying to decide what she thinks of Fanny Price.
—Cheryl Kinney