Figuring out what to get someone for their birthday can be both fun and daunting, especially when it’s their 250th birthday. On December 16, 1775, Jane Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England. Margie Burns, an assistant teaching professor of English literature, is a lifelong superfan of Jane Austen’s six novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. 

With Hollywood movies and New York Times-bestselling spinoffs of Austen’s novels, it might seem that everything there is to say about the prolific author has already been said. Burns begs to differ as she ushers in a year of Austen celebrations worldwide with her latest contribution to the Austen canon withJane Austen, Abolitionist: The Loaded History of the Phrase “Pride and Prejudice”(McFarland, 2024). This new insight into Austen’s life allows Burns to open up a fresh discussion for Austen enthusiasts and to attract new readers interested in female authors who challenge societal norms by writing leading female characters with bold opinions. Burns discusses her Austen journey in a Q&A below.

Q: When did you become interested in Jane Austen and why? 

A: I first read Pride and Prejudice as a college freshman. At that time, we had a full year of freshman English, focused on literature, alert reading, and writing. This was a great opportunity, even after I had taken a course on major works of literature in high school.

I was hooked. In time, I read the rest of Austen’s books. Naturally, when I like an author, I seek out everything else they’ve written and devour that as well. With Austen, as with Shakespeare, my interest deepened over time, reinforced (rather than undermined) by academic rigor. Given Austen’s current global standing, I have come to think of Jane Austen as England’s second Shakespeare.

Q: Why did you choose to write Jane Austen Abolitionist?

A: I was flabbergasted to discover how widespread, prevalent, and ethically fundamental the phrase “pride and prejudice” was in Britain and even in America before Austen chose it as her novel title. I was even more powerfully struck by finding out, over and over again across more than two centuries, that “pride and prejudice” as a phrase was being used as a critique of slavery and the slave trade. There was absolutely no one else writing about this aspect of Austen’s work.

Once I dug deeper, I found hundreds of examples. Most of the discussion about the Austens and slavery has focused on Austen’s more remote relatives. I do not believe that Jane Austen was unduly influenced by family finances involving her non-nuclear relatives. Her immediate family opposed the slave trade. More importantly, the evidence is overwhelming that she opposed it. 

I would like to produce a second edition of the book. There is further relevant and closely related material, literary and historical evidence, through the end of the U.S. Civil War. 

Q: What is your favorite Austen book?

A: That is a hard question. My “favorite” Austen book is probably whichever one I am working on/doing research on, or writing about at a given time. 

Q: Which Austen character do you like to quote?

A: Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice says one of my favorite quotes: “You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to persuade yourself or me, that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility of danger, security for happiness.” (Elizabeth is talking about Charlotte Lucas’s decision to marry Mr. Collins. )

Q: Why would anyone be interested in Austen’s work centuries after it was published?

A: I dislike the word “themes” and try to avoid it, but there is no doubt that Austen’s heroines, their situation/s, and their ethics still speak to readers today, and in a language easily understood by contemporary readers. The readers are also being joined by millions of viewers, as the ever-evolving stream of film adaptations from Hollywood, Bollywood, and elsewhere demonstrates. 

I am not alone in seeing that part of Austen’s appeal lies in the successful transmission of ethics through her heroines: pro-health, pro-spirit, and pro-ethical stature, although not in a simplistic and preachy way. Currently, of course, the appeal is broadcast farther through a range of media and genres, from podcast to parody.

Read more about Burns’s insights into Austen’s ideas on abolitionism in “The Loaded History of the Phrase ‘Pride and Prejudice” article she wrote for The Conversation. 

Burns will present her research at the annual general meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America in Baltimore this fall 2025.

Learn more about UMBC’s English department.

Header graphic: Design by Jill Blum/UMBC. Headshot by Brad Ziegler/UMBC. Book cover courtesy of Margie Burns.

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) connects college students and recent grads with disabilities to internships and full-time jobs in the federal government—and some private-sector employers, too.

Who’s Eligible?

• U.S. citizens with a disability (Schedule A eligible)

• Enrolled full-time in college or grad school OR graduated on/after April 1, 2023

How to Apply:
Go to WRP.gov and click “Students Register Now!” (Use a computer or tablet—mobile won’t work.)

⏳ Deadline: Friday, October 10 at 11:59 PM PST
Register early—you’ll need time to get approved, upload your resume and transcript, and complete your application.

Don't miss out—this is your chance to get your foot in the door!

Attention all UMBC student employees!  

What could be better than having an on-campus job?

Having an on-campus job and getting a notation on your transcript that tells employers you made the effort to enhance your professional development!

Interested in gaining a competitive edge in the job market? Sign up for PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success this Spring semester. Don’t worry, it’s not a formal class! With the minimal commitment of attending a few workshops and career events, you will be better prepared for the world of work and have the proof on your college transcript to show your employer.

DEADLINE TO REQUEST ENROLLMENT: Tuesday, September 30,2025

Make your campus experience count! Enroll TODAY! Enrollment is limited to the first 40 student employees. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!  

Open to all levels and majors. You must be a UMBC student employee working at least eight hours per week on campus. 

How to Register Online

1. Log in to Handshake, then navigate to Career Center > Experiences.

2. Click “Submit an Experience” and select “Career Center – On-Campus Student Employment (PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success)” as the Experience Type. Fill in the required fields and submit.

3. Your registration will be reviewed within two business days. The Career Center will enroll you directly upon review along with sending you additional details.

QUESTIONS, please get in touch with Stephanie Taylor Okoukoni (staylor18@umbc.edu) 

Are you ready to be the voice of your fellow graduate students?
This is your chance to make a real impact on the UMBC campus.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is now accepting nominations for four College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) Graduate Senator positions — an opportunity to represent over 2,500 graduate students and shape the future of student life at UMBC.

You can nominate yourself or another eligible graduate student. You or your nomination must be from the CNMS college.

Why Should You Run?

• Gain standout leadership and professional experience

• Influence real decisions that affect the graduate student body

• Collaborate with a passionate and supportive GSA team

• Receive a stipend of $1200 for your service

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open exclusively to all CNMS graduate students (Master’s and Ph.D.)

• Must be in good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or higher)

• Must be graduating in Spring 2026 or later
  (Senate term ends June 30, 2026)

Senator Responsibilities:

• Represent the concerns and opinions of CNMS graduate students

• Report on Senate proceedings to your constituents

• Attend all Senate Meetings
  Location: In-person, second Wednesday of each month, 1:00–3:00 PM

• Host at least three Town Halls per academic year

• Join and remain active on at least one university committee

How to Nominate:

Submit your nomination (for yourself or someone else) by (extended deadline) August 14, 2025

Nomination Form

For any questions or further information, please contact Aminah Amjad at gsapresident@umbc.edu