A pen and inkwell sits on Dickinson's writing desk with light cascading through her curtains

Call for Submissions:
Phosphorescence and
Tell It Slant 2024

The Emily Dickinson Museum is now accepting proposals for our 2024 programs: Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series – a virtual event held monthly May-October AND the 12th annual Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, held September 23 – 29! The Museum’s poetry programming features established and emerging poets who represent the diversity of the flourishing contemporary poetry scene and fosters community by placing poetry in the public sphere.

To submit for the Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series and the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, please complete the submission form linked below and upload all required materials. Only submissions made using our online form and Dropbox folder will be considered. We will not accept email or paper submissions. 

You may submit for one or both events using this form. To submit multiple proposals for a single event, simply fill out the form again. Those submitting proposals for both Phosphorescence and the Poetry Festival may use the form to apply with the same group or with different groups for each event. 

TIMELINE:

All proposals must be submitted by Monday, February 26, 2024, 8am ET.

Phosphorescence Series submissions will be notified of their acceptance status by Friday, April 5. 

Tell It Slant Poetry Festival submissions will be notified of their acceptance status by Tuesday, April 30. 

Participating poets and presenters will be asked to sign a letter of agreement confirming participation on assigned dates.

This submission window is now closed.

Learn more about each program below.


About Phosphorescencea banner for PHOSPHORESCENCE Contemporary Poetry Series

Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series celebrates contemporary creativity that echoes Dickinson’s revolutionary poetic voice. The Series is a place to connect virtually over a shared love of poetry and an appreciation for Dickinson’s literary legacy. This year, poets may read remotely from the location of their choice or travel to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst, MA, to have their reading live-streamed to a virtual audience. Poets will indicate their preference for reading location on their submission form.

Featured poets are promoted on the Museum’s event web page, through a mailing list of roughly 25,000 addresses, and through the Museum’s social media. Each participating poet receives a $200 honorarium. There is no fee to submit proposals.

View last year’s Phosphorescence lineup

Watch Phosphorescence on YouTube

READINGS: This program occurs at 6pm ET on the last Thursday of each month. Each reading may feature 2-3 poets. Readings are 15-20 minutes long on average per reader. Poets who submit alone will be paired with other poets if selected. Poets are welcome to promote sales of their books and awareness of other media during the program. (The Museum does not sell books for this series.) Poets should be prepared to engage in a facilitated conversation after their readings. 

The following submission qualities are especially encouraged:

  • Group submissions of up to 3 poets
  • Builds community
  • Features BIPOC and/or LBGTQ+ voices
  • Highlights a connection to Dickinson’s life and legacy
  • Pushes poetic boundaries

Only submissions made using our online form (linked at the bottom of this page) and Dropbox folder will be considered. We will not accept email or paper submissions.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, February 26, 2024, 8am ET.

Phosphorescence submitters will be notified of their acceptance status by Friday, April 5. Participating poets will be asked to sign a letter of agreement confirming participation on assigned dates.

About Tell It Slant Poetry Festival

Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival celebrates the poetic legacy of Emily Dickinson and the contemporary creativity she continues to inspire from the place she called home. The Festival’s name, “Tell It Slant,” pays homage to Dickinson’s poem, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” This title underscores the revolutionary power of poetry to shift our perspective and reveal new truths.

The Festival is a hybrid event, with programs happening in-person at the Museum as well as online, to both in-person and virtual audiences throughout the week of September 23-29. We invite you to “dwell in possibility” and submit your most inventive proposals for in-person or virtual, generative workshops and panels! Submissions for virtual programs should be for live, synchronous content only. Honoraria of $300 are provided per event. There is no fee to submit proposals.

View last year’s Festival schedule.

The Festival Steering Committee especially welcomes the following submission qualities:

  • From groups of 2 – 5 facilitators
  • Generative writing programs
  • Creatively encourage audience participation or foster a strong sense of community
  • Engage young attendees and/or those new to poetry

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, February 26, 2024, 8am ET.


To submit for the Phosphorescence Contemporary Poetry Series and the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, please complete the submission form linked below and upload all required materials. Only submissions made using our online form and Dropbox folder will be considered. We will not accept email or paper submissions. 

You may submit for one or both events using this form. To submit multiple proposals for a single event, simply fill out the form again. Those submitting proposals for both Phosphorescence and the Poetry Festival may use the form to apply with the same group or with different groups for each event. 

This submission window is now closed.

TIMELINE:

All proposals must be submitted by Monday, February 26, 2024, 8am ET.

Phosphorescence Series submissions will be notified of their acceptance status by Friday, April 5. 

Tell it Slant Poetry Festival submissions will be notified of their acceptance status by Tuesday, April 30. 

Participating poets and presenters will be asked to sign a letter of agreement confirming participation on assigned dates.


Please direct questions about submissions to EDMprograms@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org.


 

Marta Macdowell and a volunteer work in Dickinson's garden

Garden Days 2023
Friday, June 2 & Saturday, June 3

IN-PERSON PROGRAM

“New feet within my garden go –
New fingers stir the sod–

-Fr79

Emily's garden with Homestead in the background

Come celebrate the beauty of late spring during Garden Days at the Emily Dickinson Museum! As summer temperatures arrive in Amherst, Emily’s garden begs to be tended. Join a group of fellow volunteers to aid in the cultivation of the historic Dickinson landscape. You do not need to be an expert gardener for this “all levels” program. Learn from volunteers who have tended the gardens in the past and become part of a new generation of caretakers. During Garden Days, participants will help to weed, divide older perennials, plant new perennials and annuals, edge flower beds, and more! 

DETAILS:
All are welcome, no gardening experience required. Garden Days runs rain or shine!

Volunteers are encouraged to bring the following if they have them:
– Gloves
– Clean hand trowel and clipper
– Bucket
– Kneeling pad
– Water bottle
– Comfortable footwear
– Sun protection

Garden Days spots are available on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited. This program is run over the course of two days, and participants may choose one of the following sessions:

Session 1: Friday, June 2 1:00 – 4:30pm ET

Session 2: Saturday, June 3  9:00 am – 12:30pm ET

Participants are encouraged to stay for the duration of their session.

This in-person program is free to attend. Registration is required. 

REGISTER

Virtual Group Tour Request

Thank you for your interest in booking a virtual program with the Emily Dickinson Museum! We look forward to working with you.

Please review our Virtual Group Tour Policies before submitting your request.

Our current pricing:

$250 Speaker Fee per session

 

(Expected or approximate number of live program attendees)
(If different than tour coordinator. Tour host must be present on the teleconferencing platform for the duration of your event.)
Please list up to 3 preferred dates or a range of dates for your virtual tour.
Please let us know about your group so that we can plan the best experience for you. You can also use this space to list any accessibility needs or additional requirements for the booking.
Group Tours

Group Tours

Due to space restrictions, parties of 11 or larger who would like to visit together are asked to book a group tour. The Emily Dickinson Museum welcomes groups of 11-30 people to explore the rich world of Emily Dickinson through pre-planned guided experiences. Groups over 11 will be asked to divide into separate tours with staggered start times during their visit. A Museum staff member will work with you to create a memorable experience tailored to your group’s interests, exploring Emily Dickinson’s poetry, place, and lasting legacy.

Group tour reservations are now available for spring 2024 and beyond. For K-12 and College groups, please visit our Education section. Homeschool groups, scout troops, and community non-profit groups that provide education and skill-building for registered student participants may also qualify as an Educational tour.

For virtual program requests, please scroll to the bottom of this page.


Reservations

  • Advance reservation is required for all groups. Reservation requests should be made at least three weeks in advance.
  • Please complete our Group Tour Request Form here.
  • A staff member will be in touch to schedule your group tour and confirm your reservation by providing an agreement form and invoice.

Please review our Accessibility page before making your reservation request. Let us know of any access needs when you fill out your group tour request form so we can work with you to create the best experience for your group.

Group leaders are responsible for reading the Group Tour Policies and communicating Museum expectations to all group members.

Questions? Call 413.542.5073 or e-mail edmreservations@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.


Your group visit will include:

“This Was a Poet”: 45-minute tour of the Homestead

  • Introduction to Dickinson’s life and revolutionary poetry, with an emphasis on sharing her own poems and letters
  • Includes the parlors, library, Dickinson’s bedroom, and Dickinson’s mother’s room

“A Hedge Away”: 25-minute tour of The Evergreens

Visit the home of Austin and Susan Dickinson, next door to the Homestead.

  • Learn more about the family and friends who shaped the poet’s daily life and posthumous publication
  • Includes the main floor parlor, master bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and second floor hallway

Pricing
Adult $17

Youth (17 and Under) $7
Caregiver/Personal Attendant Free

Non-refundable deposit due 1 week after date of invoice: 50%

Final numbers are due 2 weeks prior to the scheduled tour date. Please note that groups will be asked to pay a fixed minimum equal to the cost of 11 visitors, even if group size decreases after booking.


Virtual Group Tours

Is your organization or community group unable to travel to the Museum? Let us bring Emily Dickinson’s world to you! 

“This Was a Poet”: A Virtual Tour of the Emily Dickinson Museum

Enjoy a virtual “armchair” tour of the home of renowned 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson. The Museum comprises two historic houses. You’ll visit the Homestead where Dickinson was born in 1830, produced nearly 2,000 poems, and died in 1886. Next door, you will see The Evergreens, an untouched Victorian interior that was home to the poet’s brother, beloved sister-in-law Susan, and their children. Through this live talk shared over Zoom and accompanied by images of the Amherst houses, landscape, and historic interiors, your tour guide will transport you into the very rooms where Dickinson found her inspiration.  Along the way, you’ll learn about the poet and her family’s daily life through her own words.

Virtual Tours can be offered at 45- or 60-minutes with an optional 15-minute Q&A. Museum guides access virtual group tours using their own videoconferencing technology and will screenshare and advance their own powerpoint presentation. You will be asked to host and provide the videoconferencing platform for this program.

Pricing: 

$250 Speaker Fee per session

Reservations:

  • Please use the Virtual Group Tour Request Form to request a session for your group.
  • Requests must be made at least three weeks in advance.
  • A Museum Staff member will be in touch to schedule your program and work with you to create a memorable experience for your group.

Read the Virtual Group Tour Policies here before submitting your request.

Questions? Email edmreservations@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.