virtual series

To Emily Dickinson, phosphorescence was a divine spark and the illuminating light behind learning — it was volatile, but transformative in nature. Produced by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Phosphorescence Poetry Reading Series celebrates contemporary creativity that echoes Dickinson’s own revolutionary poetic voice. The Series features established and emerging poets whose work and backgrounds represent the diversity of the flourishing contemporary poetry scene.

The series is free and presented online on the last Thursday of each month through December 2022.

Tell It Slant

Formerly known as the Amherst Poetry Festival, the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival is a free, annual celebration of the poetic legacy of Emily Dickinson. The 2021 Festival, September 20-26, will be an entirely virtual event featuring workshops, panels, and readings, as well as the Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon, an epic online reading of all 1,789 of Emily Dickinson’s poems. You can see the schedule and registration information here.

festival season

The 2020 Tell It Slant Poetry Festival (formerly the Amherst Poetry Festival) is a free event that celebrates the poetic legacy of Emily Dickinson and the contemporary creativity of the Pioneer Valley (Massachusetts) and beyond. This year’s festival will be held remotely, and will take place September 14-20, 2020.

The schedule is out now and includes headliners Ada Limón, Jericho Brown, Kimaya Diggs, Franny Choi, Shayla Lawson, and as is tradition, the Emily Dickinson Marathon.

Space is limited, so make sure to sign up for individual programs in advance.

Send Emily a postcard

Emily Dickinson‘s birthday is December 10 and to honor the occasion, The Emily Dickinson Museum, in Amherst, Massachusetts, invites you to send Emily a postcard.

Postcards received by December 10 will be displayed in a special exhibition, “The World Writes Back: Postcards to Emily Dickinson.” (Just learned about this; sorry for the late notice.)

The details and address are here.

today in Amherst

Today, Saturday, September 22, 2018, in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson lovers of all ages are contributing their voices to the Emily Dickinson Poetry Marathon, a day-long marathon reading of all 1,789 poems by Emily Dickinson. Now in its 14th year, the Marathon is the cornerstone event of the Amherst Poetry Festival, which celebrates the literary legacy of the Pioneer Valley. The Marathon will take place from 6:00am to approximately 9:00pm at the Emily Dickinson Museum.

the archaeology of Emily

Today, May 15, 2016, marks the 130th anniversary of Emily Dickinson’s death. In case you missed it, “The Lost Gardens of Emily Dickinson” appeared in the Science section of The New York Times this week, describing the work underway in the gardens, orchard and greenhouse at Dickinson’s home in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Archaeologists are examining the property for clues about the position and contents of the poet’s garden, which the Emily Dickinson Museum hopes to restore by the end of the year. This project offers more than the re-creation of a pretty site. As author Ferris Jabr says of Dickinson’s combined interests in botany and poetry, “Her passion for all things botanical is essential for a complete understanding of her personality, spirituality and verse.”

Read the article.

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Silhouette of Emily Dickinson cut by Charles Temple, 1845