Jane Austen in Brazil
I just returned from a Brazilian adventure. I was invited by long-time friend and Austen scholar Maria Clara Biajoli and my new friend and Austen scholar Natalia Barcellos to conduct a week-long class on Austen for their combined undergraduate and graduate students from both their universities-- UNESP of Araraquara and Universidade Federal de Alfenas.
The students were wonderful, as one might expect after having excellent professors, and the week culminated in a public lecture on "Austen Therapy." Along the way, I had the pleasure of encountering a one-eyed Toucan, a Brazilian jiujitsu street performance, the home of famous Brazilian painter Portinari, a former coffee plantation converted in to a hotel, a delicious and nostalgic coxinhas restaurant, and many gorgeous flowers... see photos below. Brazil was blooming beautifully in its winter weather, and the pleasant temperatures were a welcome relief from North Carolina's heat and humidity.
These wonderful scholars have started many exciting initiatives, including "Thank you, Jane", a traveling exhibit of Jane Austen's material culture (most of it hand-made by Natalia), a new book of Austen essays forthcoming, and a spanking new Austen society called "Jane Austen on the Move - South America" or JAM for short. I'm excited to see where all these new ventures take these talented ladies and their students.
Obrigado to all my new Brazilian friends!
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