Jane Austen 248th Birthday Bash!

Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition from Harvard University Press, PLUS: The Making of the Harvard Annotated Editions of Austen’s Novels with HUP Editor Heather Hughes

The next meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be on Jane Austen’s 248^th birthday, Saturday, December 16 at 2:30pm, and we will meet online.

We will be discussing the Harvard Annotated Edition of Sense and Sensibility, as well as the making of the all the Austen Annotated Editions from Harvard University Press.

My friend, poet and Harvard University Press editor Heather Hughes (https://birdmaddgirl.com/), will be joining us to talk about her work, as she was instrumental in the production of this series from HUP

Thank you so much to Heather for agreeing to join us. I cannot WAIT to book nerd out with Heather and my fellow BABC Janeites!

UPCOMING

We WILL meet in-person, on a weekend date in Jan or Feb 2024, to make up for not having a Summer 2023 meeting. We will be going to Salem’s “Jolie Tea Room” for High Tea.

We’ll meet to discuss Austen Adaptations for the Screen. (Please keep your “Pride & Prejudice: Keira Knightley vs Colin Firth Version” fighting civil, as we will be in a fancy place.)

If you are interested, I’ll be taking reservations closer to the event. It is $37/person. When I have a better idea of the date and time, I’ll follow up with you all to get you signed up.

Dress is medium fancy, like if you were going to a Kentucky Derby party or a slightly dressy NYE event or something like that.

More info on this Make-up Meeting after the holidays. It should be tons of fun!

Hope to see you on the 16^th of December for Jane’s 248^th birthday!

Fall 2023 Boston Austen Book Club: Sense & Sensibility and Ted

RESCHEDULED – Sunday, November 19 at 3:30pm via Webex

This season’s Boston Austen Book Club meeting will be on Sunday, November 19 at 3:30pm ET on Webex. Link:

https://massbay.webex.com/meet/bmadden2

You don’t need to read anything for this one! We’re just going to talk about the connections between the Emmy-winning television show, “Ted Lasso” and Sense and Sensibility, and the work of Jane Austen.

I had a GREAT time discussing Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen, and Ted Lasso for the latest episode of the podcast, Coach Bear’d Book Club. You can listen to the episode here: https://linktr.ee/cbbc

The women who run the podcast are so smart and had really interesting and thoughtful analysis to offer about the show and Austen and the connections and themes. It was a great book nerd bonanza.

I’m looking forward to more discussion on the links between the world of Ted Lasso and the world of Jane Austen tomorrow with those of you who can make it!

RSVP by emailing me or at the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1728358577638827/

Bonus content: check out the Ted Lasso Libguide and Sep-Oct Library Display I made for work https://massbay.libguides.com/ted-lasso

Jane Austen’s Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye, 3rd or 4th edition

Saturday, June 3 at 11am, online event

The next meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be Saturday, June 3 at 11am, and we will meet online. (We may try for a late Summer in-person meeting, and we can discuss that at the Spring meeting…)

About the Spring 2023 Book

We’ll be discussing Deirdre Le Faye’s collection of Jane Austen’s Letters. (I’m using the 3rd edition; there’s also a 4th edition but there isn’t much difference between those two.)

This will be too much to talk about the whole book, so just go through and read what compels you and when we meet, we’ll each discuss those bits with the group. Some of us may have overlapping interests in the same parts, or not, but together we’ll help each other get a good sense of this comprehensive work. 

If you don’t have a copy of Le Faye’s collection of Austen letters, you can read the free copy available online at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42078 and be sure to note the date of the letters you’ve read and want to discuss so we can refer to them during the discussion.

RSVP Information

You can RSVP at the event page on Facebook, or, if you’re not on Facebook, you can email your RSVP. Please make sure your Webex link matches your RSVP information.

All are welcome – new, returning, and regulars!

Spring BABC 2023 Details

• Who: Boston Austen Book Club – anyone can join; all you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting (and for this season’s selection, you only have to read what you can of the book)
• What: Deirdre Le Faye’s “Jane Austen’s Letters” -or- the back up free edition of Austen letters https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42078
• When: Saturday, June 3 at 11am
• Where: Webex Link posted here the day of the event. Check back then! Make sure you RSVP by email or Facebook event page and make sure your RSVP info matches your Webex info
• How: Read what you like of the book and we’ll discuss our interesting observations together. You don’t need to read cover-to-cover for this one!
• Why: because it is fun to be a Janeite nerd

Keep Up with Boston Austen Book Club News

Here are the two websites for Boston Austen Book Club news:

• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BostonAustenBookClub
• URL for BABC: https://notebookwitch.com/BostonAustenBookClub/

Hope to see you on the 3^rd of June!

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron – Boston Austen Book Club – Winter 2022 Meeting

Jane Austen Birthday Bash! Come celebrate Jane’s 247th Birthday!

The Winter meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club takes place on Jane Austen’s birthday: Friday, Dec 16, at 7:30pm. We will be staying remote for this meeting. Bring your own cake to celebrate Jane’s birthday, and Regency costume attire is encouraged though not at all required. We’ll meet to discuss “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas” by Stephanie Barron.

You can RSVP at the event page on Facebook, or, if you’re not on Facebook, you can email your RSVP. Please make sure your Webex link matches your RSVP information

About the Winter 2022 Book

Stephanie Barron (aka Franince Matthews), who is retired from the CIA, has written a series of “cozy” mysteries with Jane Austen as the protagonist. Jane solves a slew of crimes throughout her adult decades. Barron also weaves compelling fictionalized back stories for the little limited factual biographical information we do know about Austen and adds her own personal “spy” background into the characters and events in her Jane Austen mysteries.

You do not need to have read the previous titles in the series to get into the later ones. But if you like mysteries and Regency era stories, I recommend these books. I cannot put them down because they’re all my favorite types of fiction blended in one series.

Winter BABC 2022 Details

• Who: Boston Austen Book Club – anyone can join; all you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting
• What: Stephanie Barron’s “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas“
• When: Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm
• Where: Webex Link: https://massbay.webex.com/meet/bmadden2 Make sure you RSVP by email or Facebook event page and that your RSVP info matches your Webex info
• How: It’s Jane Austen’s birthday. She is THRIVING at age 247. Wear some Regency attire (optional) to celebrate and bring your own cake and beverage to toast to Jane.
• Why: because it is fun to be a Regency lit nerd

All are welcome – new, returning, and regulars!

Keep Up with Boston Austen Book Club News

Here are the two websites for Boston Austen Book Club news:

• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BostonAustenBookClub
• URL for BABC: https://notebookwitch.com/BostonAustenBookClub/

Sat, Nov 19 at 1pm – Fall 2022 Boston Austen Book Club – “Lady Susan”

The Fall 2022 meeting of the Boston Austen Book Club will be Saturday, November 19 at 1pm via Webex. We will meet to discuss the novella, “Lady Susan” — no specific edition of the book.

Webex Info

The meeting will be held remotely via Webex. Make sure your RSVP information matches your Webex info.

If you cannot RSVP at the Facebook event page or have not RSVPed with Bridget already, send an email with the subject “Lady Susan RSVP” with your name in the email, and make sure that your name matches your Webex info.

Who Is Invited?

As always, the book club is open to new members. All you have to do is read the book and come to the meeting to discuss it.

Save the Date: Winter 2022 BABC, Fri, Dec 16

Also note that our Winter 2022 meeting will be held in the evening on Friday, December 16 in honor of Jane Austen’s birthday. We will meet to discuss the Stephanie Barron Jane Austen Mystery, “Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Hope to see you on Sat, 11/19 and Fri, 12/16!

Fall 2022 Boston Austen Book Club Details

• Who: Boston Austen Book Club; always accepting new members!
• What: Lady Susan
• When: Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 1pm
• Where: Via webex, see this page for webex info on the day of the event
• How: any edition of the book is acceptable
• Why: Because we love Jane Austen

Boston Austen Book Club Homepage

Learn more about the Boston Austen Book Club at our new homepage, here at Notebook Witch.

NotebookWitch.com/BostonAustenBookClub

The dates for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 are still To Be Determined, but the titles are set. We will meet again on Jane’s birthday. This is a special celebration because the BABC turns FIVE this year!

Check back here or on the BABC Facebook page for event details.

Upcoming Events – Some Exact Dates Are TBD

• Fall 2022 (upcoming) – Lady Susan, any edition – mid Nov; date TBD
• Winter 2022 (upcoming) – Jane Austen Birthday Bash, Dec 16 – Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
• Spring 2023 (upcoming) – Jane Austen’s Letter’s edited by Deirdre LaFaye (either newest or second newest edition) – late March

Aug 28 at 1pm via Zoom, “Unmentionable” by Therese O’Neill

Even though some of my literary endeavors may not be directly related to witchcraft and witchery, my own spiritual practice is closely tied to what I’m reading, writing, and consuming in arts and entertainment, so I will also include certain posts about those things here at Notebook Witch.

We’re Going to Talk about Regency Underwear!

I’m making some “personal branding” choices right now, har har. I can’t type that and keep a straight face about it. Who talks like that in earnest???

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that I’ve decided that NotebookWitch.com will be more than just home to its main purpose: a blog about witchcraft and witchery. It will also be home to everything else I am “up to” that I want to promote.

One other thing that I’m up to, though it is not directly related to my spiritual practice as a witch, is being the founder and leader of the Boston Austen Book Club.

The BABC started in Fall 2017. We are coming up to our 5th anniversary! We even survived a pandemic–and in fact expanded as a result. We have had three different Jane Austen authors join us in one way or another. And we have welcomed members from all over the county while on Zoom.

(Though we do miss the delicious food of our original home, The Pleasant Cafe in my old neighborhood of Boston, Roslindale. We hope to be back in 2023!)

And now the “home page” for the Boston Austen Book Club will be here at Notebook Witch, https://notebookwitch.com/bostonaustenbookclub/