Happy Hour: How Jane Austen Got Wild

Jane Austen’s (1775-1817) reputation as a mild, quaint, sheltered “prim and proper” spinster is a Victorian-era myth and is undeserved. Generations of admirers and critics have tried to convince those not yet ready or willing to acknowledge her wild side. In this illustrated lecture, guest speaker Prof. Devoney Looser will look closely at signal moments in Austen’s writings, life, and afterlife to make the case for how the great novelist became and stayed wild in her own lifetime and across the 250+ years since her birth. 

Join us for an unfiltered look at Jane Austen who is regarded as one of the most important and beloved authors in English literature. This ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Seattle Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online, free to attend, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.

REGISTER HERE

About Prof. Devoney Looser

Devoney Looser, Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University, is the USA Today Bestselling author or editor of twelve books, most recently Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane (St. Martin’s Press). Her previous titles include Sister Novelists (2022), The Making of Jane Austen (2017), and The Daily Jane Austen (2019). Looser—a Guggenheim Fellow and a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar—has published essays in The Atlantic, New York Times, Salon, Slate, The TLS, and the Washington Post, and her lectures on Austen are available through The Great Courses and Audible. In addition to being a quirky Janeite book nerd, Looser has previously played roller derby under the name Stone Cold Jane Austen. 

Cocktail: Regency Mocktail

Inspired by the 19th-century punch tradition with modern non-alcoholic ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 oz brewed black tea (strong, cooled; Earl Grey or Assam are ideal)

• 1 oz pomegranate juice (or non-alcoholic red wine for a richer base)

• ½ oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

• Dash of grated nutmeg

• Optional: orange blossom water (1–2 drops for a floral Regency flair)

• Garnish: lemon or orange wheel, optional herbs like mint or thyme