|
It
is a great pleasure
to contribute an introductory message to Persuasions
On-Line, a preeminent source for Austen studies. The essays in each
volume, written by North American and international scholars, are selected
through a peer-review process, and many were also vetted for presentation at
past Annual General Meetings. Persuasions
On-Line receives far more visitors each year than any other section of
JASNA’s web site. The Society’s own members are, of course, among the
readers. In addition, students and scholars all over the world consult Persuasions On-Line for the latest
scholarship and literary criticism about Jane Austen and her work. Like most JASNA members,
I read Persuasions On-Line for pleasure. The papers
are sophisticated and thoroughly researched but free of the specialized jargon
that raises a barrier between academics and the “common reader” (to borrow
Virginia Woolf’s description). These essays, in combination with papers
from Persuasions posted on the web
site, constitute a virtual library of Austen materials, easily utilized with the
site’s own search engine (the “Search” tab on the navigation bar). Friends who are not Jane
Austen enthusiasts often ask me what JASNA members find to discuss almost 200
years after the author’s death. Implicit in their question is the
suspicion, “Hasn’t it all been said by now?” Persuasions On-Line offers proof that new insights continue to
emerge. The essays often provide information and viewpoints about topics
of current interest as well. In “The One-Sided Romance of Jane Austen and
Tom Lefroy,” Joan Kingel Ray presents her discoveries concerning Tom Lefroy and
her theory about their relationship. Members who saw the recent movie Becoming Jane, loosely based on the
Austen-Lefroy romance, will be interested in Professor Ray’s conclusions. Another paper with
timely significance is “An Invitation to the Dance and a Proposal of Marriage:
Jane Austen’s Emma and Two Film
Adaptations,” by Nora Foster Stovel. Professor Stovel analyzes Austen’s
use of dancing as a metaphor for courtship and applies her analysis to two movie
versions of Emma, one of which will
be featured on Masterpiece Theatre this winter. As with many essays in Persuasions On-Line, the works cited in
Professor Stovel’s essay comprise a comprehensive reading list for anyone
interested in pursuing the subject further. For additional perspectives,
the section of the JASNA web site devoted to “Austen on Film” provides links to
Persuasions On-Line and Persuasions essays relating to film
adaptations. JASNA is grateful to Susan
Allen Ford, Editor of Persuasions On-Line
and Persuasions, and the
distinguished Editorial Board, whose work and creativity contribute to JASNA’s
mission by publishing the latest Austen scholarship. |
