Livingston Reads “One Book, One Community” Project Celebrates Jane Austen

The Brighton District Library will kick off the 8th annual Livingston Reads “One Book, One Community” project beginning March 1 through April 30. The program encourages residents to read for pleasure, to create community through reading, and to promote the exploration of ideas and knowledge. This year’s selection, Pride and Prejudice, written by beloved novelist Jane Austen, is an eighteenth-century romance brimming with intrigue, wit, misunderstanding, and romance. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, the Library has lined up free programs including films, book discussions, concerts, a tea, English country dancing, a period craft, and lectures about Austen's life and works.

Jane Austen was born in 1775 and died in 1817. While alive, she was one of the most widely read English novelists of her time. She is best known for her four novels, Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). She achieved success as a published writer through her realism and biting social commentary which gained her historical respect among critics and scholars. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.

Join us for the following programs about Jane Austen and the period in which she lived.

Movie - Pride and Prejudice – 3/10, 2pm-4pm
Self-assured Elizabeth Bennett meets the handsome and proud Mr. Darcy whom she dislikes almost instantly and knows that he is the last man on earth that she could ever marry. Their lives become unexpectedly intertwined through a series of adventures and it is through these that Elizabeth finds herself drawn to the man she once loathed and swore never to love. Popcorn and beverages available. Drop-in.

Brunch Bunch Book Discussion - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – 3/12, 11am-12:30pm
Join us for our newest adult book discussion group. Bring your appetite and thoughts about this month's book selection. March's title is the 2013 Livingston Reads selection, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Registration can be done, and copies can be reserved, via phone or at the
Reference Desk.

A Jane Austen Tea - 3/27, 7-8pm
Hosted by Barb Gulley of Barb’s TEA Shop in Troy. Enjoy some tea (feel free to bring your favorite china cup) as Gulley discusses the historical significance of tea and other Regency period influences in Austen’s life and literature. She’ll share how Austen procured her tea, what type of teas were available, how she prepared it, and the social customs surrounding her life and those of her characters. Registration begins March 13.

Jane Austen Craft - 3/25, 6:30-8pm
Join us to create a hand-made cameo necklace. Craft is limited to 12 participants. Registration begins March 12.

If You Liked the Movie, You’ll Love the Book: Austen’s Stories in Fact and Film - 4/2, 7-8pm
Join us as Dr. Barbara Adler, professor emerita Concordia University and regional coordinator of the Jane Austen Society of North America – Michigan, discusses the difference between Jane Austen’s books and their film adaptations. Most film versions of Austen’s novels, while delightful to watch, lack faithfulness to her intentions, characterizations, and narrative style. Registration begins March 19.

Movie - Becoming Jane - 4/7, 2–4pm
It is the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world's most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy, a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane's life, he offends the emerging writer's sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel Jane's dream of doing the unthinkable--marrying for love. Popcorn and beverages available. Drop-In.

The History of English Country Dance - 4/24, 7-8:30pm
Join us as Glen Morningstar Jr. provides the history of English country dance. Listen to music from the Regency era and watch as dancers, dressed from the period, perform and engage audience members. This program is sure to be the talk of the town! Drop-in.

The Brighton District Library Livingston Reads programs are generously sponsored by The Friends of the Brighton District Library. Further information about Livingston Reads can be found on the Brighton District Library website brightonlibrary.info, as well as livingstonreads.org.