Jane Austen is unstoppable. Zombie versions of her novels top bestseller lists, Hollywood continues to release new adaptations of her work, and hipsters proudly sport Jane Austen t-shirts. Yet the values she espouses seem at odds with our contemporary culture - or are they? This talk will discuss Austen-mania in its various forms, and ask what her ongoing popularity tells us about writing, humor, and gender roles for women and men in the 21st century.
Linda Schlossberg is the Assistant Director of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Harvard University, where she teaches a lecture course on “The Romance: From Jane Austen to Chick Lit.” Her first novel, Life in Miniature, was published in 2010.
Open to the public, admission is free. http://375.harvard.edu/john-harvard-book-celebration