Emily Dickinson: Person, Poetry and Place

FAIN: BH-50290-08

Amherst College (Amherst, MA 01002-2372)
Cynthia S. Dickinson (Project Director: March 2008 to June 2010)

Unpublished in her lifetime, Emily Dickinson's poetry is considered among the finest in the English language. Her intriguing biography and the complexity of her poems have bred an intimacy and obsession with the poet and her work that is far more pronounced for Dickinson than for any other American poet. Her poetry is intimately connected with the social, cultural, and natural environment in which she grew up. Through a wide variety of experiences--study of poetry and letters, lectures, discussions, tours, and inquiry-based workshops--participants will gain a broader and deeper understanding of the poet that will translate tangibly into curriculum projects for their classrooms. By critically considering her biography, her work, and artifacts from her world, participants will emerge from the Workshop as more discerning scholars and better-informed educators. The Emily Dickinson Dickinson Museum will offer two one-week sessions (July 5-10 and 12-17) for 40 teachers each.