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Why We Need Jane Austen Today with Dr. Joseph Luzzi

Why We Need Jane Austen Today with Dr. Joseph Luzzi


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

When thinking of the greatest minds in literature throughout history, Jane Austen's comes to mind frequently and unsurprisingly. With special edition novels sold across the globe, film adaptations regularly released, and nods to her writing and her characters throughout popular culture today, Austen's works, while relics of the past, will never fade from fame. 

Why do so many readers throughout the world today still clamor after the books of Jane Austen? How did she help reinvent the novel itself with her powerfully original writing and unique artistic vision? And why is the “life” of Jane Austen herself the subject of ongoing fascination – and Hollywood movies? 

We will explore the remarkable career and equally astonishing life of a woman who overcame countless obstacles to become one of the most revered authors in the literary tradition. Join your expert, Professor Joseph Luzzi, as we delve into such beloved novels as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and much more.

Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002 after being a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent contributor to publications including the New York Times, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education, he is the author of 5 books, including "My Two Italies," a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his many awards include a Yale College Teaching Prize, Dante Society of America Essay Prize, and Wallace Fellowship at Villa I Tatti, Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. In 2017 he was named Cittadino Onorario/Honorary Citizen in Acri, Calabria, his Italian parents' birthplace. His next book is "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," which will be published by W. W. Norton. Professor Luzzi is the founder of the Virtual Book Club, an online community of readers dedicated to exploring some of the best books ever written. Learn more at JosephLuzzi.com.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

60 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

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Cheryl A (West Lebanon, US)

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Debra B. (Laramie, US)
Jane Austen

Brilliant and insightful discussion of Jane Austen’s writing.

Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
100%
(2)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
C
Cheryl A (West Lebanon, US)

Guest did not leave comment

D
Debra B. (Laramie, US)
Jane Austen

Brilliant and insightful discussion of Jane Austen’s writing.