If Jane Austen were magically to come back to life and appear in Devoney Looser鈥檚 鈥�89 English classroom at Arizona State University, she would undoubtedly be charmed by the lively discussion of her writings from two centuries ago, pleased that they had survived and continue to be relevant among college students. If she decided to hang out after class, however, she would be in for quite a surprise, learning about Looser鈥檚 athletic alter ego. For the past five years, Looser has played roller derby as Stone Cold Jane Austen.

A Twin Cities native, Looser first encountered Austen鈥檚 novels as a teenager (thanks to her mother, who had not read the novels herself but sensed their importance). Looser loved the opportunity to read them then鈥攁nd loves to teach them now鈥攁long with other favorites from that era, like Frances Burney, Mary Hays, and Maria Edgeworth. She also is intrigued by other truly unusual women from that period who led fascinating lives: Harriette Wilson, Lady Hester Stanhope, and Anne Lister.

Now, Looser is following their example. She is editor of a recently released volume, The Cambridge Companion to Women鈥檚 Writing in the Romantic Period (Cambridge University Press). As much as she enjoys spending time around people who鈥檝e written fascinating books (one of the 鈥済reat gifts鈥� of her professional life), she is likely surrounded by many who feel the same about her. Find more information on her numerous publications and background at .

For Looser, a really fine day in the classroom is team-teaching Jane Austen鈥檚 Emma (1816) with her husband, George Justice, also an English professor at ASU. She loves watching the students respond to the two of them arguing over the interpretation of a character or a passage, and getting them to use the text to figure out and support their own positions. Also, Looser says, 鈥渋f they laugh at our dorky quips, that鈥檚 a pretty good day!鈥�

So what would Jane Austen appreciate about watching Stone Cold Jane Austen out on the flat track? Looser thinks Austen 鈥渨ould have enjoyed the idea of strong women working together but would maybe not be such a fan of the tattoos.鈥� Both activities (teaching and playing roller derby) require a sense of adventure, possibility, and wonder, says Looser, as well as being open to new things, being willing to work hard with others, and not really knowing if you are going to 鈥済et anywhere.鈥�

She is grateful that her friends encouraged her to join them at roller derby, even though she worried at first that, because she was already in her 40s, she was too old to start. She discovered that she loved the skating, the speed, and even the hitting and taking a hit of roller derby, but thinks 鈥渘one of it would have been worth it without the community of incredible people out there sweating together.鈥� Playing derby may even have helped her improve her teaching of literature. Looser suspects that the mixture of excitement, fear, and lack of confidence she often feels on the derby track is similar to what some students experience when they open a Jane Austen novel for the first time. That鈥檚 what she told Phoenix鈥檚 Fox 10 News, when they did a short feature on her as a roller derby professor a year ago.

As a first-generation college student, Looser looks back on her Augsburg experience with gratitude. It never occurred to the shy, introverted first-year Auggie to imagine herself as an English professor, but professor Cathie Nicholl counseled her in her sophomore year not to drop her French class as she would need that for graduate school. With space to try many new things, and encouragement from an 鈥渁mazing faculty,鈥� Looser found herself in the Honors Program and served as co-editor of the Echo, a section editor of the yearbook, and editor of the literary magazine, Murphy Square. After earning her PhD in English, with certification in women鈥檚 studies, from SUNY-Stony Brook, she held teaching positions at Indiana State University, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Louisiana State University, and the University of Missouri. She has been Professor of English at ASU since 2013.

Looser and Justice live in Phoenix, Ariz., with their two sons, aged 9 and 11. If you don鈥檛 find her in her classroom, you may want to check out the ASU Derby Devils. The Derby Devils are one of the few collegiate roller derby teams, and last April, they competed in the first-ever collegiate roller derby bout, an experience that Slate. If you鈥檇 attended that historic bout, you鈥檇 have recognized her as the one with the streaming golden hair who speaks impeccable English.

By Cheryl Crockett 鈥�89

The post Jane Austen on Wheels appeared first on Alumni, Parents, and Friends.