Inside JASP 2025: Sensibility and Domesticity
- Sarah Hurley
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 3
“It is such a happiness when good people get together, and they always do.”
So declares Miss Bates in Jane Austen’s Emma. And although JASP 2025 turned its attention instead to Austen’s earlier novel Sense and Sensibility, I believe this quotation describes the symposium precisely.
From June 19th to June 22nd, nearly a hundred and fifty Austen devotees gathered in historic New Bern, North Carolina, for the eleventh annual Jane Austen Summer Program. However, this was no ordinary symposium—for 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Thus, JASP 2025: Sensibility and Domesticity celebrated not just Sense and Sensibility, but also transatlantic topics in 1775. Hosted at the North Carolina History Center at Tryon Palace, the state’s first capitol building, JASP 2025 was a whirlwind of intellectual enrichment, stimulating conversation, and immersive historical experiences.
We kicked off the symposium with Caitlin Donovan’s first teacher forum and an optional embroidery workshop with Jennie Batchelor, as well as several opportunities to tour the house and gardens at Tryon Palace. Later that day, attendees received a warm welcome from directors Inger Brodey, Eric Bontempo, Sarah Walton, and Sarah Marsh, followed by Anna Neill’s plenary “To Knit Bone and Home: How Women’s Household Books Shaped Communities in the Regency Era." After a rather… erm, scorching… dance practice with Mr. Charles Steplively on the outdoor patio at the History Center (truly, the coastal North Carolina humidity is friend to none), we reconvened for icebreakers and a lively banquet at the DoubleTree Hotel, during which Erin Mackie gave her lecture on “The War at Home.”
Left: JASP 2025 Teacher-Scholars pose with Caitlin Donovan. Middle: JASP intern Sarah Hurley tours the Tryon Palace Kitchen Offices. Right: Jennie Batchelor hosts an embroidery workshop.
Friday began with Emma Zuder’s Context Corner on the importance of sisterhood in Sense and Sensibility, followed by Sarah Marsh’s plenary exploring “The Constitutional Safeguard of a Flannel Waistcoat: Sense and Sensibility and the Government of the Self.” Elevenses was succeeded by an optional Trolley Tour of New Bern and an optional advanced dance lesson with Mr. Steplively, who taught authentic Scottish footwork. During the lunch hour, Jennie Batchelor offered a second embroidery workshop, and our four JASP 2025 Teacher-Scholars were recognized with a celebratory meal at Lawson’s on the Creek.
After lunch, JASP attendees returned to the History Center for Laura Klein’s plenary “The Jane Austen Playlist: Sense and Sensibility in Song,” complete with an authentic Regency era harpsichord concert with vocal accompaniment from soprano Megan Poff. Afterward, Meredith Dishmon’s Context Corner on inheritance law in Jane Austen’s life and in Sense and Sensibility was followed by our first Context Response Discussion session. This author had the great pleasure of co-leading the Norland Park Discussion Group, a fabulous crowd of readers and scholars whose insights on Austen’s fiction were truly enlightening. The evening’s festivities began with another dance lesson with Mr. Steplively (which thankfully transpired indoors!), followed by Adam McCune’s annual theatrical adaptation of Austen’s work and a live film screening of Sense and Sensibility: The Musical.
Left: Laura Klein performs "Sense and Sensibility in Song." Middle: The Norland Park Discussion Group discusses the East Indies. Right: Inger and Susan's recent books on Jane Austen.
On Saturday, Ava Wegerbauer’s Context Corner on the East Indies preceded our second Discussion Session, elevenses, and then Susan Allen Ford’s plenary lecture “Reading the Americas with Jane Austen.” I, for one—a known Susan Allen Ford superfan to those of you who kept up with JASP’s recent Sense and Sensibility vlog series on YouTube—enjoyed this talk immensely. After the plenary, Inger Brodey, Susan Allen Ford, Adam McCune, Jennie Batchelor, and Erin Mackie offered free book signings of their published titles, including What Jane Austen’s Characters Read (And Why), Jane Austen and the Price of Happiness, and Jane Austen Embroidery: Regency Patterns Reimagined for Modern Stitchers, while Caitlin Donovan led the second teacher’s forum. Jennie Batchelor's lecture “’Much Use and More Beauty’: Transatlantic Domestic Arts in the Era of Jane Austen“ offered insight into the crafting prowess of Sense and Sensibility's leading ladies, and the day concluded with Mr. Steplively’s final dance lesson and an optional Outlander-themed tour of Tryon Palace.
But the night—oh, Saturday night brought even more joy than the day! For Saturday night was not only the summer solstice, but also JASP’s annual Regency ball, complete with live music by Syllabub, period-accurate costumes and accessories, and authentic Regency games. This author particularly enjoyed dancing—especially the Duke of Kent’s Waltz, her favorite—with JASP 2025 Registrar and all-around superwoman (seriously, let’s give her one last round of applause for singlehandedly facilitating all practical aspects of the symposium) Maizie Ferguson.
Right and left: Regency ball attendees dance the night away. Middle: JASP 2025 directors Sarah Walton, Inger Brodey, and Eric Bontempo pose for a group shot.
Considering our impending departure from New Bern, Sunday morning was bittersweet. Nellie Downie’s Context Corner on Austen’s use of the “fallen woman” trope in Sense and Sensibility served as the topic of conversation in our third and final Discussion Session. Elevenses provided one final opportunity to savor the friendships forged throughout the weekend’s events, then Megan Poff, Michelle Taylor, and Lena Yasutake collaborated for the annual adaptation panel chaired by Heather King. The Formal Farewell offered thanks and recognition to symposium staff and speakers, as well as a sneak peek at JASP 2026: Pride, Prejudice, & the Pursuit of Happiness, which will take place next year at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania (not to be confused with the similarly named Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey—a very important distinction!).
While a number of attendees relocated to the Tryon Palace Commission House for afternoon tea following the Farewell, most of us went our separate ways, trading our bonnets and gloves for shorts and tennis shoes as we exited Austenland and ventured back into the twenty-first century. This author herself drove two friends and fellow members of the JASP 2025 staff to the airport before returning home to Asheboro, North Carolina for a warm cup of tea and an early bedtime. And although the attendees have since returned to all corners of the world—from California to New York, Kansas, Florida, and even as far as York, England—I know the bonds of friendship forged at JASP 2025 will never be torn asunder.
JASP 2025 was partially funded by a grant from North Carolina Humanities. Thank you to all who joined us!
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Brava, Sarah! You were the best dance partner a registrar could ask for. ;)