All About Emily: Reflections and a Birthday Celebration

I love my job. This is (one of the many reasons) why:

This past Thursday, I worked a big private event at the museum--the reading, award ceremony, and reception for the "Tell it Slant" award. The Emily Dickinson Museum's award"has been created to honor individuals whose work, in any field, is imbued with the creative spirit of America’s greatest poet, Emily Dickinson." The inaugural award was given to poet laureate and interesting person, Kay Ryan. I had the honor of meeting Ryan and chatting for a moment with her on the second floor of The Evergreens on Thursday night--I conversation I'll never forget, memorialized in a book of Dickinson's poetry I had her sign. The tinkling of Martha Dickinson Bianchi's (Em Dick's niece) 1904 Steinway grand piano drifted up through those old rooms that evening, and I thought that if anything was going to bring the ghosts out...it was going to be this music in these halls. It didn't happen, but I'll imagine they came out and danced when we all got out of there. 


The event this past week marked the beginning of an ongoing celebration of Emily Dickinson's birthday--which is tomorrow, December 10! 

In honor of the poet who cuts my paycheck, please mark your calendars, Pioneer Valley friends: On December 12 (this wednesday), 330PM-5PM there will be an open house at the museum FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Come, get a rose and a piece of coconut cake (EmDick's recipe) and learn about this amazing poet. Bring a friend! 

In more ED news, Amherst College's digital collections of ED's manuscripts is fantastic. Check it out to see up close and personal the manuscripts of America's greatest poet. Tell me what you think! Here's a good one: click.