JASNA CWNY February Meeting - A Book Pairing!

Lady Susan and Leonora with Susan Harris-Gamard Saturday, February 21, 2026, 1:00 pm EST via Zoom Join us for a lively discussion comparing two epistolary novels, Lady Susan (Austen) and Leonora (Maria Edgeworth) led by CWNY Regional Coordinator Susan Harris-Gamard. Haven't read the books but want to before the meeting? Both books can be accessed via PROJECT GUTENBERG: Lady Susan: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/946 Leonora: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35638 To get the Zoom link for the meeting, sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-E6RT4mlQnalk_60oBcd8g#/registration Mark your Calendars for our March and April Meetings! Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1:00 pm EST via Zoom A virtual tour of the recent Morgan Library exhibit “A Lively Mind” with Juliette Wells. Sign up for the Zoom link will be sent in March. To learn more about the exhibit and see a select number of images, visit the Morgan Libraries exhibit page at https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/lively-mind-jane-austen-250 Saturday, April 18, 2026, 1:00 pm, Pittsford Barnes & Noble Community Room Jane Austen and Thrift - an exploration of thrift in Jane Austen's life and works with CWNY member Marie Sprayberry. To explore the topic early, see the book Jane Austen's Guide to Thrift by Kathleen Anderson and Susan Jones and the article "To be above Vulgar Economy: Thrifty Measures in Jane Austen's Letters" by Susan Allen Ford, Persuasions 30 (https://jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number30/ford.pdf) Coming in May - War of 1812 Weekend at Genesee Country Village & Museum Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford, NY, War of 1812 weekend is May 16 and 17 and they have invited JASNA-CWNY to be part of the event. Mark your calendars now - more information is coming soon!

January Meeting

Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 1:00 pm on Zoom. Jane Austen's Garden with Molly Williams and Jessica Roux To get the Zoom link for the meeting, sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/25FcZHEDRDifhpt-49JL0g#/registration

Jane Austen Day in Brighton, NY

Town of Brighton, New York-Government Today is 250th anniversary of famed English author Jane Austen's birth. Brighton, NY shares a connection with the author as our town is named after Brighton, England, a town frequently noted in Austen's work. As such, today is proclaimed as Jane Austen Day in the Town of Brighton!

 Afternoon Tea to Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th Birthday

Sunday, December 14, 2025, Asa Ransom House, Clarence, NY, 1pm

Tea at Adelaide's at the Asa Ransom House in celebration of Jane Austen's birthday! There are still spots left, see information below!

Want to learn more about tea at Adelaide's? Visit https://asaransom.com/adelaides

Cost: $46, tax and service included. Can be paid at the door using a check to Susan Harris-Gamard. Need more information? Please contact Susan directly at mailto:sharrisgamard@gmail.com.

Jane Austen Day at Barnes & Noble

 Help us introduce B&N customers to Jane Austen's Genius

Join Us as We Celebrate

Jane Austen's 250th Birthday!

The event will include information about Jane Austen, her writing, family,

and home, dancing, a cravat-tying demonstration, and more! 

There will also be birthday treats and a raffle of Austen-related items!

This event is free and open to the community, so bring your friends and family!

When: November 15, 2025, 1 – 3 pm

Where: Community Room (Second Floor), Barnes & Noble,

Pittsford Plaza, Pittsford, NY

Nagasaki Bay 1833
workshop of Kawahara Keiga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period

Event:   JASNACWNY April Neeting
Title:     Japan in the Time of Jane Austen by Todd Mitchell
When:   April 19, 2025, 1:00 pm
Where:  In person, Barnes and Noble, Pittsford Community Room

Todd Mitchell became fascinated with Japan as a high school exchange student. He majored in East Asian Studies at the University at Buffalo, during which time he studied Japanese at Christian International University in Tokyo for a year. Todd taught English as a Second Language for over 30 years, and retired last June. He and his wife, Atsuko Nishida, celebrated by visiting family in Japan for six weeks last fall. Todd looks forward to spending more time on his hobbies of history, Japanese culture, and reenacting the War of 1812. 

See you there.

Black Lives in 18th and 19th Century Britain

Ignatius Sancho, 1768 British writer and composer
by Thomas Gainsborough
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_Sancho

Event:     Discussion led by Kate Jorgensen and Alice Villaseñor
Title:       Exploring Black Lives in 18th and 19th Century Britain
When:     March 15, 2025
Where:   In Person at Pittsford Barnes & Noble, Community Room

We will discuss a BBC Radio 4 series hosted by scholar Gretchen Gerzina. Dr. Gerzina travels to different locations in England, Wales, and Scotland to interview experts about Black people living in the United Kingdom in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

Before our meeting, please review one or both of the following compilations:

Omnibus 1: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07x15n5

Omnibus 2: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07yqp3v

Hope to see you there!