Wisconsin Region
“Austen and the Beauty of Place”
December 10, 2011
In December regions across the country paid homage to Jane Austen and Wisconsin was no different. On December 10, Chicago Art Institute Education Lecturer and JASNA favorite Jeffrey Nigro presented the Joan Philosophos Lecture, “Austen and the Beauty of Place.”
Jane Austen was, comparatively speaking, not the most descriptive of writers. Physical attributes of both person and place are somewhat sparse in her work. Jeff explored this phenomenon in his lecture. What, he asked, were Jane Austen’s aesthetic sensibilities? To what extent does beauty matter to her? To what extent does her treatment of the beauty of places transfer differently from page to screen in adaptations?
In addition to enjoying the wonderful lecture and delicious luncheon of beef Wellington with Madeira sauce, members shopped at a selection of books and art, Jean Judy’s beautiful one-of-a-kind bracelets, and JASNA-WI’s own 2012 Jane Austen Wall Calendar, featuring Jane Austen facts for every day of the year. Calendars are still available for purchase.
—Elizabeth Cooper
Sara Bowen and Jane Glaser