Read
"The Future of Poetry,"
an address by John Barr, president of the Poetry Foundation, delivered April 4, 2009, at the opening event for the Museum's Big Read, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with the Poetry Foundation.
UPCOMING 2009 SUMMER PROGRAMS
JULY
SATURDAY, JULY 11
"Creatures of Bliss and Mystery": A Nineteenth-Century Children's Circus
Rain date: Sunday, July 12
Emily Dickinson Museum
The circus’ activities will include:
-tightrope-walking
-ring-toss
-a parade
-hat, flag and music-making
Children can march in the parade on the museum grounds led by the ringmaster and Emily’s beloved dog, “Carlo,” at 2:30 p.m. or listen to folksinger and storyteller, Tim Van Egmond perform at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Free strawberry shortcake will be served courtesy of Whole Foods Market in Hadley, while supplies last. Lemonade will be available for 25 cents per glass.
Throughout the afternoon the museum will also offer a special tour titled “Home Talk” at The Evergreens, ($8/adult; $7/seniors and students). “Home Talk” will enable visitors to learn about the lives and events of the Austin and Susan Dickinson family in their own words.
SUNDAYS, JULY 19 & 26
Poetry in the Garden
Emily Dickinson Museum
Dickinson loved her garden. And on a summer's day there's no better place to hear her poetry come alive. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and relax as poets and Dickinson lovers read her poetry.
Sunday, July 19, G. Stanley Koehler and Sarah Mager
will present "Conversations From the Grave: Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost"
Sunday, July 26, Ann E. Boutelle
presents "Exploring Space in Dickinson's Poems.
In case of inclement weather, the programs will take place at the Amherst College Alumni House, a short walk from the museum.
SEPTEMBER
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, noon to 2 p.m.
Poetry Discussion Group
Registration Fee.
For information about the Poetry Discussion Group, contact Cindy Dickinson, director of interpretation and programming at the Emily Dickinson Museum, by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-8429).
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon
Emily Dickinson Museum
The Museum will host its annual marathon reading of all 1,789 poems by Emily Dickinson.
OCTOBER
FALL 2009, date TBD
Kinsmen of the Shelf
To register, contact Nan Fischlein, program coordinator at the Emily Dickinson Museum by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-2034).
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, noon to 2 p.m.
Poetry Discussion Group
Registration Fee.
For information about the Poetry Discussion Group, contact Cindy Dickinson, director of interpretation and programming at the Emily Dickinson Museum, by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-8429).
FALL 2009, date TBD
Kinsmen of the Shelf
To register, contact Nan Fischlein, program coordinator at the Emily Dickinson Museum by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-2034).
NOVEMBER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, noon to 2 p.m.
Poetry Discussion Group
Registration Fee.
For information about the Poetry Discussion Group, contact Cindy Dickinson, director of interpretation and programming at the Emily Dickinson Museum, by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-8429).
DECEMBER
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 4 p.m.
Annual Emily Dickinson Birthday Lecture
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Annual Emily Dickinson Birthday Dinner
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1 to 4 p.m.
Open House in honor of Emily Dickinson's Birthday
2009 Past programming
SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2 p.m.
A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson
A Reading and Booksigning by author Barbara Dana
Trustees Room, Jones Library
No charge
Co-sponsored with the Jones Library
Author and actor Barbara Dana will read from her new historical novel for young people,
A Voice of Her Own: Becoming Emily Dickinson
, published by HarperCollins. She will talk about the process of writing the book, what inspired her to write it, and what she hopes the book will inspire in its readers. A booksigning and reception will follow.
Ms. Dana is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults, plays, and screenplays. Her first adult book, co-edited with Cindy MacKenzie,
Wider than the Sky: Essays and Meditations on the Healing Power of Emily Dickinson
has recently been released. Ms. Dana made her New York stage debut as an actor at age 17 in Arthur Laurents�
A Clearing in the Woods
and has appeared in many Broadway plays, films and television programs.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, noon to 2 p.m.
Poetry Discussion Group
Converse Hall, Amherst College
Registration fee.
The second of two sessions on Emily Dickinson�s interest in and knowledge of science. In this Darwin anniversary year, there will be some emphasis on Dickinson�s perspective on evolution. See related program on Edward Hitchcock on March 8. For information about the Poetry Discussion Group, contact
Nan Fischlein
, program coordinator at the Emily Dickinson Museum by e-mail or phone (413-542-2034).
APRIL: NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!
THE BIG READ: THE POETRY OF EMILY DICKINSON comes to Amherst!
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 4 p.m.
An Afternoon of Poetry: Past, Present, and Future
Cole Assembly Room, Converse Hall, Amherst College
No charge
Reception with speakers to follow remarks and reading. RSVP to 413-542-5311 or lvandoren@amherst.edu.
The opening event for The Big Read: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson and the Emily Dickinson Museum�s designation as an American Literary Landmark. A series of spring programs funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
The Future of Poetry--
A talk by John Barr, president of the Poetry Foundation, funding partner of the National Endowment for the Arts. Mr. Barr will share his thoughts on the significance of poetry in American society today and in the future.
John Barr has enjoyed parallel careers as a poet and an investment banker. He has been a managing director at Morgan Stanley, a founder and chairman of the Natural Gas Clearinghouse, and managing director and global sector head of Soci�t� G�n�rale, a financial services company. John Barr�s poetry has been published in six collections including his first,
The War Zone
, in 1989, and most recently
Grace
in 1999. He has served on the Boards of Yaddo and The Poetry Society of America, and has taught poetry in the Graduate Writing Program at Sarah Lawrence College. He has been president of the Poetry Foundation since 2004.
Poetry Reading by Marilyn Nelson--
Poet Marilyn Nelson will read and comment on selections from her own and from Emily Dickinson's work.
Marilyn Nelson was the Connecticut State Poet Laureate for 2001 to 2006. She is the author of six books of poetry, two children's collections, and several chapbooks. Her work has also appeared in numerous anthologies and literary collections. Nelson's book,
The Homeplace
, was a finalist for the 1991 National Book Award and won the 1992 Annisfield-Wolf Award.
Fields of Praise: New and Selected Poems
, was a finalist for the 1997 National Book Award, the PEN Winship Award and the Lenore Marshall Prize, and won the 1998 Poet's Prize. Her work �Carver: A Life in Poems,� which movingly tells the story of botanist and inventor George Washington Carver in verse, also received national recognition. Nelson's honors include two Pushcart Prizes, two creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the 1990 Connecticut Arts Award, and most recently, a Guggenheim Fellowship. She was professor of English at the University of Connecticut in Storrs for over 20 years.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 3 p.m.
�The White Election�a Song Cycle�
20th Anniversary Performance with composer Gordon Getty
First Congregational Church, 165 Main Street, Amherst
Suggested contribution: $15 adults, $5 students
This performance of composer Gordon Getty�s settings of 32 poems by Emily Dickinson marks the release of a new recording of this significant work on the twentieth anniversary of the original recording. Getty�s composition was inspired by Dickinson�s 1862 poetic declaration �Mine, by the right of the White Election! . . . Mine, by the Grave�s Repeal! Title confirmed! Delirious Charter! Mine, long as ages steal!� It explores themes of mortality, renunciation, and fulfillment through selection of varied poems and musical settings. The song cycle, which has taken its place in the classical song canon, will be performed in Amherst by soprano Lisa Delan and pianist Kristin Pankonin who made the new recording.
TUESDAYS, APRIL 21 & 28, MAY 5 & 12, 7 to 9 p.m.
Emily Dickinson's Poetry 101
Large Meeting Room, Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst
Co-sponsored with the Jones Library
No charge
Have you wondered what all the fuss is about with Emily Dickinson's poetry? Do you want to know more about her life and work but aren't sure where to begin? Then Emily Dickinson's Poetry 101 is for you. This series of programs is designed to introduce you to Dickinson and her words through lectures, discussion, and hands-on experiences with Dickinson�s poetry.
Open to the general public. Pre-registration is requested, although walk-ins will be welcomed on a space-available basis. Register in person at the Reference Desk in the Jones Library or contact
Beth Girshman
by e-mail or phone (413-259-3168) or
Nan Fischlein
, program coordinator at the Emily Dickinson Museum by e-mail or phone (413-542-2034). Registration packets may be picked up at the library Reference Desk during open hours. ASL interpretation available with three weeks notice; contact
Beth Girshman
.
�
April 21. Who is Emily Dickinson?
Martha Ackmann, Senior Lecturer, Women's Studies Department, Mount Holyoke College, introduces participants to Dickinson's life and addresses some of the myths that surround her.
�
April 28. The Power of Dickinson's Poetry.
Award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson shows participants how to unleash the power of Dickinson's poetry by examining characteristics and major themes of her work.
�
May 5. Emily Dickinson's Legacy: Exploring Her Manuscripts, Publications, and a Dickinson Archive
Participants follow the extraordinary saga of how Dickinson�s poetry came to be published with Cindy Dickinson, the museum�s director of interpretation and programming, and receive a private tour of Dickinson treasures in the Jones Library�s Special Collections with curator Tevis Kimball.
�
May 12. A Poet's Mind
A panel of eminent poets�April Bernard, John Hennessey, Richard Wilbur, and moderator Susan Snively�provide insights into the mind of the poet and reflect on what Dickinson has taught them about poetry and how they envision her writing life.
WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 29, MAY 6 & 13, 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Emily Out Loud: Oral Interpretation with Emily Dickinson's Poetry
Large Meeting Room, Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst
Co-sponsored with the Jones Library
No charge
Emily Dickinson is known to have recited her own poems to favorite relatives. During these three sessions, Joni Denn, an Emily Dickinson Museum guide and a retired English teacher, will work with children and young people on understanding and sharing a Dickinson poem. She will emphasize how to make poetry "breathe" through oral interpretation and how to be comfortable in front of an audience. Each session includes refreshments.
Open to young people ages 8 to Young Adult. Pre-registration is required because class size is limited. To register, please contact the Children�s Desk at the Jones Library either in person or at 413-259-3091. Participants will receive a packet of Dickinson poems in advance of the first class.
MAY
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 10 a.m.
My Uncle Emily
A reading and booksigning for a new book by Jane Yolen
Emily Dickinson Museum
No charge
Jane Yolen will read from her new book,
My Uncle Emily
, a children's story based on the relationship between Emily Dickinson and her young nephew Gilbert. The book is illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.
Jane Yolen is an author of children's books, fantasy, and science fiction, including
Owl Moon, Devil�s Arithmetic,
and
How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
She is also a poet, a teacher of writing and literature, and a reviewer of children's literature. Yolen's books and stories have won the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award.
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2 to 4 p.m.
Adam Bede
: "Kinsmen of the Shelf" Book Discussion Group
Alumni House, Amherst College
No charge; pre-registration recommended.
Margaret Freeman, Professor Emeritus, Los Angeles Valley College, and a co-founder of Myrifield Institute for Cognition and the Arts, Heath, MA, will lead this discussion on George Eliot�s attitudes toward spiritual progress in a scientific age as revealed in her first full length novel,
Adam Bede
. Recommended for additional reading is Eliot�s
Scenes of Clerical Life
. Both books were in the Dickinson family library. To register, contact Nan Fischlein, program coordinator at the Emily Dickinson Museum by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-2034).
MAY 15-17
Emily of Amherst
Friday, May 15, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 17, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
(Matinee performances include class repertoire by young students prior to ballet.)
Kirby Theater, Amherst College
Adults $18, seniors $16, children $12
The premiere of "Emily of Amherst," an original ballet of interpretive biography created by Amherst Ballet in collaboration with the Emily Dickinson Museum. In four acts, the ballet follows the poet from her early years as a student at the Amherst Academy through her young adulthood and years as a working poet, and closes with a grand finale that demonstrates the impact that Dickinson has had upon readers around the world. With narration from Dickinson's letters and poems and an original score based on music found in the Dickinson family library, the ballet will help to familiarize audiences with the poet and her daily life in Amherst.
Tickets available at Amherst Ballet, 29 Strong Street, Amherst, MA 01002. Phone: 413-549-1555; e-mail: info@amherstballet.org. Cash/checks only, payable to Amherst Ballet; include self-addressed, stamped envelope to receive tickets prior to the performance. Tickets held at Amherst Ballet until May 14 and thereafter at Kirby Theater Box Office. No exchanges or refunds.
Special Fund-raising Event for �Emily of Amherst�:
Afternoon Tea on the Grounds of Emily Dickinson�s Homestead
Sunday May 17, 4:30 p.m.
Adults $30; Students (10-18) $20
Rain location: Amherst College Alumni House
Seating is limited; please reserve a place by contacting Amherst Ballet, 29 Strong Street, Amherst, MA 01002. Phone: (413) 549-1555; e-mail: info@amherstballet.org. Checks payable to Amherst Ballet.
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1 to 4 p.m.
Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk and Open House
1 p.m.�Poetry Walk (begins at the Emily Dickinson Museum)
3 to 4 p.m.�Open House with booksigning and reception
In case of rain, the readings will be held indoors (without walking) at First Congregational Church, 165 Main Street, Amherst
The Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk is a long-standing Amherst tradition, dating back to the 1970s. Now in its thirteenth year as an Emily Dickinson Museum program, the Walk is an opportunity to mark the anniversary of the poet's death by sharing Dickinson's poetry at six historic sites in Amherst, ending at her gravesite.
In 2009, in honor of the Museum's designation by the National Endowment for the Arts as an American Literary Landmark, the Walk will feature five area poets�Deborah Gorlin, Daniel Hall, Lisa Olstein, Pat Schneider, and Ellen Watson--who will share and comment on their favorite Dickinson poems.
In keeping with tradition, the Walk concludes at the Dickinson gravesite, where any walker who wishes may read a favorite Dickinson poem. Attendees will receive a souvenir booklet containing the poems that readers have selected for the Walk. The Museum will host an open house at the Homestead and The Evergreens following the Walk from 3 to 4 p.m. The event will include a booksigning and reception with Poetry Walk readers.
FRIDAY, MAY 22, noon to 2 p.m.
Poetry Discussion Group
Registration fee.
The Poetry Discussion Group�s potluck luncheon and poetry sharing. For information about the Poetry Discussion Group, contact Cindy Dickinson, director of interpretation and programming at the Emily Dickinson Museum, by
e-mail
or phone (413-542-8429).
JUNE
FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 4 to 8 p.m.
I Heard a Voice: The Art of Lesley Dill
4p.m.-6p.m. Second Fridays Fun!
Hands-on art activity: Create your own poetry collage inspired by Lesley Dill's work and techniques.(suitable for visitors with children 4+ accompanied by an adult).
5:30 p.m. The Artist on Art: a Talk by Lesley Dill
Smith College Museum of Art, Elm Street, Northampton
Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall, Smith College. Open seating.No charge.
Informal reception and book-signing with the artist in the Smith Museum Atrium immediately following the lecture.
Lesley Dill is a nationally-recognized artist who has long found a catalyst for her work in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. �I Heard a Voice,� an exhibition at Smith College Museum of Art, includes many works by Dill, in a variety of media, inspired by Dickinson�s words and images. Her slide talk at 5:30 p.m. is co-sponsored by the Smith College Museum of Art and the Emily Dickinson Museum.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13, noon to 2 p.m.
A Poetry Picnic: Wrapping Up the Big Read
Rain date: Sunday, June 14
Emily Dickinson Museum
Join us for a picnic with poetry to wrap up the Museum�s Big Read programs! Listen to a selection of our visitors� favorite poems, read by voices from the community. Votes will be taken for favorite poems from April 4 through June 4. Nominate your favorite poem, by e-mailing info@emilydickinsonmuseum.org, with �Favorite Poem� in the subject line, by stopping by the Museum during open hours, or regular mail.
Bring your own picnic along with a blanket or chair, and join us on the lawn. Beverages will be available at a nominal charge. Craft activity suitable for all ages will also be offered.
SPECIAL EXHIBITION: "my Verse is alive"
This unique exhibit that explores the tangled private and public motives of several figures closely associated with Emily Dickinson as they struggled for control of her poetic legacy. The roles of her siblings Lavinia and Austin, sister-in-law Susan and niece Martha are examined as well as that of Lavinia's friend and Austin's mistress Mabel Loomis Todd, a central figure in achieving initial publication of Dickinson's poetry.
