Jane Austen Society of North America, Southwest Region
Welcome
Whether you have just discovered Jane Austen or are a lifelong aficionado, you are welcome at the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and our local region of the society, JASNA Southwest.
Our chapter is one of the oldest and largest in the national society. We host four regional meetings annually that feature a wide range of speakers and presentations, offer numerous local reading and game groups, sponsor an annual Young Filmmakers Contest and maintain a comprehensive guide to Austen Adaptations.
Learn more about the benefits of joining JASNA and JASNA Southwest on our membership page.
We hope you enjoy exploring our site and we hope to see you soon!
Left: Lyme Park stood in for Pemberley in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini series.
Celebrating 40 Years!
JASNA (October 5, 1979) and JASNA Southwest (December 14, 1979)
Countdown to the 40th anniversary of our founding (December 14, 1979)
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A Room With a View Discounts
Los Angeles Theatre Works is offering JASNA Southwest members discounted tickets for its production of E. M. Forster's A Room With a View, with performances March 1-3 at UCLA. Biting social satire and passionate romance take center stage in this new radio theatre...
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In Memoriam: Bill James
William A. James passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on January 7, 2019, at age 65 after a valiant 22-month battle with pancreatic cancer. His wife, Syrie James, held his hand as he took his last breath. January 10 would have been their 43rd wedding...
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Preview of Jane Austen Garden Trail
JASNA Southwest is proud to sponsor one of only 20 named spots along the new Jane Austen Garden Trail at Chawton House in England. The image above is a preview of our plaque on the walk. JASNA Southwest members helped us raise funds for this project to support Chawton...
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Register Now for Jane Austen: Working Woman
Join us on Saturday, February 23, at the newly renovated Brand Library and Art Center in Glendale for "Jane Austen: Working Woman," with presenter Liz Philosophos Cooper in her first speaking engagement as JASNA's new president. Register now for our first event of...
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San Diego Event on Feb. 2
On February 2, the JASNA San Diego region will present a half-day event in La Jolla. JASNA traveling lecturer Dr. Regulus Allen will present "From Hampshire to Hollywood: Teaching an Austen Fiction and Film Course." Collins Hemingway will also speak at the event. His...
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Unfilmable Austen: The Case of Northanger Abbey
In their talk at the December 2018 JASNA Southwest meeting, Linda Troost and Sayre Greenfield explored “The Unfilmable Austen: The Case of Northanger Abbey,” focusing on Austen’s interest in capturing modernity and cultural shifts, and the challenges this caused not...
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Pride and Prejudice and Pelisses
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell's informative talk at the JASNA Southwest December meeting at Sony Pictures Studio covered how fashion is used in Austen adaptations to convey the passage of time, express a character's transformation and signal differences in class, age and...
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Q&A With Ashley Clements
At our December 2018 meeting at Sony Pictures Studio, JASNA Southwest Regional Coordinator Susie Wampler moderated a conversation with Ashley Clements, star of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, on how she first became an Austen fan, the process of translating the book to a...
read moreRegional Meetings
Save the Date for the following upcoming events! Sign up for our mailing list for more information.
Saturday, February 23, 2019, Brand Library, Glendale
Jane Austen, Working Woman
Featured speaker: Liz Philosophos Cooper, in her first official speaking engagement as JASNA president
Saturday, June 1, 2019, Huntington Library, San Marino
Relationships in Austen
Featured speakers: Ted Scheinman, author of Camp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen Superfan, and his mother, noted Austen scholar Deborah Knuth Klenck
UCLA Professor Charles Lynn Batten
Saturday, September 14, 2019, Location TBD
Jane Austen Meets Mary Shelley
Featured speakers: John Kessel will discuss Pride and Prometheus, his mashup of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein
UCLA Professor Anne Mellor will give a talk on Mothering Monsters: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Saturday, December 7, 2019, USC Town & Gown
What’s Next in Jane Austen?
Featured speakers: Devoney Looser and Janine Barchas
Saturday, May 2, 2020, Mission Inn, Riverside
Miss Austen Goes to Washington
Our event will explore Regency-era politics as well as Austen’s influence today.
Reading and Game Groups
For the upcoming schedule for each of our reading and game groups, visit the reading and game groups page.
Follow Us
Immerse yourself in an Austen novel, participate in a reading or game group or catch up on the latest JASNA Southwest news.
Explore the benefits of becoming a JASNA and JASNA Southwest member, or join or renew your membership now!
Join other Jane Austen fans from around Southern California by attending one of our regional meetings.
Greet visitors at our Festival of Books booth, organize a new reading group or assist with events and more as a valued volunteer.
Support JASNA’s Southwest region with a tax-deductible donation in any amount. Your gift truly makes a meaningful difference in all we do!
Discover a treasure trove of resources, including our comprehensive guide to film adaptations as well as books Austen herself admired.
Email jasnasw or visit our contact page to direct your query on a specific topic or to a board member. We look forward to hearing from you.
Join Our Mailing List
Sign up today to receive our monthly e-newsletter, event invitations and occasional news, such as free Austen-related film screenings. We never (ever) share your information with anyone. Period.
