A fun crowd came together last fall to learn about and play Speculation, a card game popular in the Regency era. University of the South Professor of English Robin Bates kicked off the evening with an introductory talk focusing on speculation in literature, in particular how Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park used the game to illuminate a character’s personality.
Several rounds of card playing ensued with guests revealing their own personalities. Were they risk averse or gamblers at heart? With “gold” coins in play, winners and losers had an equally good time at this event sponsored by The Friends of Vanderbilt Libraries.