A Little Persuasion

The monthly Washington Romance Writers meeting is today. I’ve had it on my calendar and kept the forum digest in my Inbox so I don’t forget the wheres and whens — from 10:00 to 3pm today we will be discussing Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

I assumed that in the five allotted hours we’d be watching a version of the film and then having a discussion afterward. Not until I checked the email again to get directions at 8pm last night did I realize that it was requested that we read (or reread) Persuasion so that we might contribute to the discussion.

CRAP.

I joined WRW in November — the meeting in December was the holiday party, and I felt uncomfortable walking into a perfect stranger’s house and saying, “Hi, I’m the new girl. I’m here to eat your food.” I know they wouldn’t have minded….but I wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t thinking clearly, and I resorted to the introvert cop out of “I’ll go to the first proper meeting in January, so they can get to know me properly.”

Only now they’re going to get to know me as the girl who read the first three chapters of Persuasion last night while her Fairy GodBoyfriend was watching Gold Rush: Alaska.

I do adore Austen — the A&E version of P&P is my comfort food. But Pride & Prejudice is all I’ve ever read in book form. I would love to read them all, of course, and I fully intend to bring Austen’s complete works along with Rudyard Kipling’s when I get stranded on that deserted island with a never-ending supply of Lady Grey and SPF 50.

My friend Shannan pointed out that Persuasion was all about giving someone a second chance. I may point this out just for brownie points…