Devoney Looser and Prof. Andrea Kaston Tange get crowd Wild for Austen

By Emma Murray ’26

On the night of Wednesday, September 24th, the back room of the Minneapolis bookstore Magers & Quinn was crammed with the Austen-curious, the Austen-uninitiated, and the Austen-Super-Fan for a discussion about Devoney Looser’s new book, Wild for Austen. I was lucky to snag a seat in the front row, where I could see that the author was wearing a very stylish pendant with Jane Austen’s face on it. The conversation was led by Professor Andrea Kaston Tange, who asked questions about the title choice, the defining influence of the people who surrounded Austen, the public’s perception of her, and why she’s had such incredible staying power. Wild for Austen, released for the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, refutes the idea that she lived a prim and proper life of no event. We learned about the author’s recent discovery of Austen’s brothers’ political leanings, as well as Austen’s contact with an international spy and an opera diva. We reflected on the double significance of the title: the meaning of ‘wild’ to Austen and a nod to those who are ‘wild’ about her. It’s not many 250 year-old authors whose biographies can pack a room; and in fact, several members from the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) were in attendance (they call themselves Janeites, by the way.)

I had a blast. I have been acquainted with Jane Austen for a long time—my Mom had me sitting in front of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice before I could form words or pick a favorite Mr. Darcy. I’ve made my way through most of the books, and would definitely feel at home at a JASNA meeting. I also love when an author from Minnesota comes back for a book tour and their community shows up at an event for them. The Jane Austen community was out in full-force, and there was a wonderfully warm atmosphere generated by the kind of group that has the exact same favorite author.

Toward the end of the event, someone brought up the challenge in finding new knowledge in Austen’s world. Seeing the devotion to not only her books but also her life story convinced me that she will continue to be relevant and remarkable. Looser responded, “People always ask me if I’m tired of Jane Austen. Not yet!” 

The Words sends a huge thank-you to guest writer Emma Murray for attending this event and writing about it for this month’s newsletter!