Library Hosts Literary Tea Party To Celebrate Favorite Author

On April 14, hosted it’s highly successful, Annual Jane Austen Tea Party to celebrate National Library Week.

Vice President Barbara Hellering of  The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) was on hand to discuss both the British author’s life and times, as well as her influence on modern society.

Composed of over 3,500 members and 60 regional groups, JASNA continues to celebrate her devoted fans’ love of “everything Austen” by hosting monthly meetings and conferences. Each member receives the annual journal, Persuasions, along with the organization’s official tri-yearly newsletter.

Throughout the year, in both large cities and localized regions, fans gather to participate in a series of exciting events. They not only discuss Austen’s novels, but also attend lectures, guest panels and musical performances. They also learn both the English country dances and card games of the Regency Period. Every December, JASNA members also gather to celebrate their beloved author’s birthday.

“I think the reason why she’s so poplar is that people like a sense of order. When you look at her times, there seems to be order. They were happy. They weren’t as rushed as we are today,” said Hellering. “She (Austen) also doesn’t tell you what everybody looked like, so you can use your imagination.”

Hellering, a resident of Riverhead who has previously appeared on such hit shows as Good Morning America, continues to conduct group discussions on both Jane Austen and her growing iconic presence in modern times.

Aside from providing a lot of  personal, biographical information about Austen, Hellering presented a slide show of images representing what England was like during Austen’s time.

Among the slides were photographs and drawings of  other popular destinations mentioned in Austen’s novels as well as the other celebrities that frequented them. She then continued to give modern examples of how Austen’s work has not only influenced society, but remains visible in aspects of our everyday lives.

Audience members  then watched three completely different versions of the famous “marriage proposal sequence” from Pride and Prejudice, in order to get an understanding of how different filmmakers interpreted Austen’s work.

Hellering explained how accurate the productions were in regards to both dialogue and art direction. While attendees helped themselves to tea and scones, she answered a few questions about her favorite books and trips abroad to visit the real locations as mentioned in the novels.

Some of Hellering’s favorite characters include Mary Crawford (Mansfield Park) and Isabella Thorn (Northanger Abbey).

“I would like to be Mrs. Croft (Northanger Abbey) because she was married to the admiral and they had a very good life,” said Hellering, when asked which character she would enjoy being the most.

Out of all seven stories, Mr. Tilney (Northanger Abbey) still remains her favorite romantic hero. “He would make a wonderful husband and he had a great sense of humor,” said Hellering.

For anyone that is interested, JASNA hosts regular meetings at rotating locations on Long Island as well as in the city. Fans under the age of 40 are encouraged to join JASNA’s younger group, Juvenilia.

“People should join if they like Jane Austen, because they can get together with other people that share their interest,” said Hellering.

Visit www.jasna.org online to find out more information. To learn how to join Juvenulia, visit their official site.