We are delighted to report that Omaha, Nebraska is now an official region of the Jane Austen Society of North America!

Austen’s six completed novels were written nearly 200 years ago, but their incisive and sometimes biting dissection of the politics of romance still captivates today. That’s one reason a group of readers has formed an Omaha chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

The other reason is that reading Jane Austen is a lot of fun.

“It is such a happiness when good people get together–and they always do.”

We flatter ourselves that perhaps they took our suggestion to form a region back in December; though after a successful birthday tea, such a happy circumstance was perhaps inevitable.

The next regional meeting is this Saturday at Lady Caroline’s British Tea Shop. (Such a name! One is lost in imagining Miss Bingley following an emigrant to the wilds of the colonies and eventually reduced to running a tea shop using a faux title. Or perhaps we are simply envious that there is not such a tea shop in our immediate neighbourhood.) Regional contact information is available on the JASNA regions page.

We loved the opening line of the article (use BugMeNot if you need a password to read it):

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen rocks.

Why yes, she does.

Well, perhaps not quite.

The Daily Mail has a (rather precipitate in our not so humble opinion) poll on which is the best Mr. Darcy: Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen.

Wouldn’t it be better to wait till some of us have actually seen the new film? Though we dare say that will not stop truly determined Darcy fans.

Thanks to Alert Janeite Lorraine for sending in the link, which she found at the Republic of Pemberley.

An article about the resignation of Conrad K. Harper from the board of Harvard University notes that he is a Friend of Jane.

A classic intellectual who sometimes speaks in antiquated constructions—”I shall not comment,” he says repeatedly—Harper is an avid reader and active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

“Austen’s capacity to see insightfully into character is peerless,” said Harper, who questioned Summers’ own character in his resignation letter.

While we would not presume to speculate upon whether Jane would have agreed with Mr. Harper’s action, we would like to think that she would admire anyone taking a principled stand.