The Distinctive Cultural Status and Functions of Jane Austen

In this second episode of Jane Austen and the Future of the Humanities, I consider the distinctive cultural status of Jane Austen and reflect on how this distinctive status has allowed Austen to function, operate, and be used in diverse ways and in diverse public communities around the world. I speak with various scholars, writers, and artists, including the first person who taught Austen to me: Dr. Claudia L. Johnson, the Murray Professor of English at Princeton University. I am extremely grateful to all my collaborators who have taught me so very much, including Dr. Patricia A. Matthew (Montclair State University and the Race and Regency Lab), Dr. Jennifer Kloester, author of Jane Austen's Ghost, Laaleen Sukhera, editor of and contributor to Austenistan, Dr. Usha Mudiganti (Ambedkar University), Dr. Mandakini Dubey (A ...