In the United States, Austen was described in 2013 as the object of "wildly devotional fan-worship" with conventions, parties and fan fiction. One American Janeite, Myretta Robens, was quoted to a BBC reporter as saying: "There's a longing for the elegance of the time. It's an escape." When asked why so many American Janeites write fan fiction, Robens stated: "Quite frankly, I think a lot of people want more sex, particularly with Elizabeth and Darcy." Another American Janeite, Laurel Ann Nattress explained the appeal of Austen fan fiction in the U.S. as: "People just love her characters and they don't want to give them up." Nattress argued that the popularity of Austen in America was due mostly to a strong Anglophile streak in America, saying: "I think that we look back to the motherland in many respects. Look at the incredible impact Downton Abbey has had over here. It's a perfect example of how America is fascinated by British culture." Robens explained to a BBC reporter the mostly female readership of Austen in America; "It's women, in general, who fall in love with them. It's a truth universally acknowledged that women want to read about relationships."
