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Emily Dickinson Museum to Celebrate National Poetry Month with Third Annual 'A little Madness in the Spring' April 21-23
Emily Dickinson Museum to Celebrate National Poetry Month with Third Annual 'A little Madness in the Spring' April 21-23
Published 04-13-06
Submitted by Emily Dickinson Museum, The
"This tremendous scene" also includes a lecture by Karen Sánchez-Eppler, professor of American studies and English at Amherst College and author of the newly-published Dependent States: The Child's Part in 19th-Century American Culture; a children's mini-marathon reading of selected Dickinson poetry; " I heard, as if I had no Ear," a talk by artist Lesley Dill, whose acclaimed print, sculptural and installation work draws upon the poetry of Dickinson; and a nature walk, led by John Green of the Hitchcock Center for the Environment--a co-sponsor of the nature program--along the Emily Dickinson Trail in Groff Park. A complete schedule for the weekend is available at www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org.
'"Madness' gives us a chance to celebrate Emily Dickinson's poetry and legacy in a variety of ways, and in a short period of time," said Cindy Dickinson, the museum's director of interpretation and programming. "Bringing people together to celebrate poetry and Emily Dickinson is something we hope to achieve year-round, but in especially 'mad' and creative ways during National Poetry Month."
Mary Jo Salter, this year's featured poet, will kick off the festival on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. with a reading on the Homestead grounds. Author of several collections of poems, her most recent work is Open Shutters. The Emily Dickinson Senior Lecturer in the Humanities at Mount Holyoke College, Salter is an essayist and reviewer for such publications as The New York Times Book Review and The Yale Review, and has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. She will read from her own work, and will discuss the significant influence Emily Dickinson has had on her poetry.
From Doris Abramson to Matthew Zapruder, the list of readers participating in Saturday's poetry marathon is a who's who of notable literary figures. Slated to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning on the Homestead lawn, the marathon will continue until all of Dickinson's poems have been read. There will be opportunities throughout the marathon for audience members to read, and those who make it until the end can celebrate with a sunrise breakfast. The Poetry Center at Smith College is collaborating with the Museum on this event.
The weekend concludes on Sunday afternoon with a celebration of The Belle of Amherst, the one-person play by William Luce that has had a profound effect on the public's interest in Emily Dickinson's poetry. The museum will mark the play's 30th anniversary at 2 p.m. with a showing of a filmed version of the play and a panel discussion. Moderated by Cullen Murphy, senior editor of The Atlantic Monthly, the panel will explore the role that performances and presentations of different media have played in our modern-day perception of the poet, her times and her work. The museum has received a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of this program.
During "Madness" weekend, the museum will offer guided tours of the Homestead and The Evergreens on Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m.; on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to noon.
"A little Madness in the Spring" is made possible by the generous support of the Valley Advocate, 88.5FM-WFCR, NPR News and Music for Western New England, TD Banknorth, Jones Town & Country Realty, Black Sheep Deli, The Lord Jeffery Inn and the Amherst College Department of English.
The Emily Dickinson Museum's days and hours of operation change seasonally. In April and May, the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Beginning in June and continuing through August, the museum will be open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors/students, $5 for young people ages 6 to 18, and no charge for children under 6.
About the Organization
The Emily Dickinson Museum, comprising the Dickinson Homestead and The Evergreens, two historic houses in Amherst, is devoted to the story and legacy of poet Emily Dickinson and her family. The Dickinson Homestead was the birthplace and residence of the poet (1830-1886). The Evergreens was the 1856 home of the poet's brother and sister-in-law, Austin and Susan Dickinson. Merged into a single museum in 2003, both properties are owned by the Trustees of Amherst College. For more information on the Emily Dickinson Museum, visit www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org
