We were very much amused by the latest YouTube madness: a parody of the final part of Persuasion 07, with Anne running through the streets of Bath accompanied to the music from, in turn, Chariots of Fire, Benny Hill, and Run, Lola, Run.

Thanks to Alert Janeite LauraGrace for the link!

Alert Janeite Julie sent us a link to a rather amusing page on the PBS Complete Jane Austen site: The Men of Austen. First the command: Show the Men! Oh, if it were always that easy!

We were further amused by the “personal ads” for each gentleman. For instance, Henry Tilney’s interests are listed as: “Reading, dancing, fashion, shopping, storytelling, spending time with my sister.” *falls over laughing* Poor Henry! Don’t worry, your acolytes still love you even amidst your undeserved public humiliation. Nonetheless, we chose Tom B. as “Our Man” because of his artistically flowing locks. Yum.

The only article not a rehash of everything we’ve heard before was in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, which included this tidbit:

The bottom line is this. If you’re a fan of Austen’s feisty females (and millions are ), you’re in for a treat each Sunday night for the next three months.

Or maybe not.

I watched three of the preview DVDs with an Austen aficionado of my most intimate acquaintance and she informed me the productions were “uneven.” I’ll have to take her word for it since I’m no great Austen expert.

Wow! He committed actual journalism. How refreshing.

Miss Bennet is giving away a copy of her book, Lydia Bennet’s Story, and a set of seven Effusions of Fancy greeting cards at the Jane Austen Sequels blog. There’s a little challenge, and entries are due by January 20, so make haste!

The most delightful fallout from events such as the recent films is an upsurge in interest in bonding with one’s fellow Janeites. The Jane Austen Society of North America has two newly-formed regions in Vermont and Kentucky.

The Vermont Region has had a long journey to its formation, but its members are no less enthusiastic.

So far, the Vermont group has “eight or nine” dues-paying members, the women say, including five lifetime members. They represent all corners of the state, from the Northeast Kingdom to the Champlain Valley to central Vermont to southern Vermont.

At the first informational meeting in November at Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, about 15 turned out. The next meeting is scheduled for March 30 and will feature a talk by Robyn Warhol-Down, a UVM professor of English, on “Jane Austen’s Narrative Refusals.” The event will be held at Champlain College’s Hauke Conference Center from 2 to 4 p.m.

A group has formed at Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky. They will have a meeting on January 20, a discussion of Pride and Prejudice. They also will be holding a Jane Austen Festival on July 12 and 13 of this year.

A festival dedicated to Jane Austen! Visit the Regency Emporium with new & antiquarian books, patterns, fabric, silk ribbon-everything you need to make a Regency dress; a Regency hat class, as well as a Regency Style show and Afternoon Tea. Featured guest speaker is Joan Klingel Ray, PhD, past president of JASNA and author of JANE AUSTEN FOR DUMMIES. Her talk is “Not Just Another Pretty Face.” Admission $6, plus Afternoon Tea $20 (tea is optional). Includes tour of the 1790 National Historic Landmark, Locust Grove. For more information contact Bonny Wise, Regional Coordinator, Greater Louisville Chapter of JASNA at wise@locustgrove.org or call 502-897-9845.

We were also pleased to see an article in the Delaware News-Journal about Janeites in Delaware, as Delaware is part of the Editrix’s JASNA region and she is personally acquainted with all of the JASNA members featured in the article.

It is a fair prospect to find ourselves engaged so amicably with 13 weeks of Jane Austen on Public Television.

This diversion, which no doubt shall engender great felicity amongst those who give consequence to the lady, promises to keep us rapturously engaged through the dreariest season of the year.

For those yet to have the pleasure of Miss Austen’s acquaintance, pronouncement of romance and social commentary may cause great consternation. But we hope here to persuade naysayers into a more favorable mind-set by professing how ardently we admire and love her work.

Hee.