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PRESS RELEASE
November 21, 2009
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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Emily Dickinson Museum
413-542-8161
Emily Dickinson Museum
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Celebrate
Emily Dickinson's Birthday on Dec. 12 at the Annual Open House and Film Showing
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Amherst, Mass.-On Saturday, December
12, the Emily Dickinson Museum will host its annual
open house in honor of the poet's 179th birthday. The event, which is free and open to the
public, will begin at 11 am and end at 4
pm. The Museum, in conjunction with Amherst
Cinema, will also offer a special showing of "The Poet in Her Bedroom" at 11
a.m.
Admission is $3.
Because most of the Homestead is temporarily closed due
to a ceiling collapse, this year's birthday open house will take place primarily
at The Evergreens, the home next door of her brother Austin's family. Visitors
can celebrate with self-guided tours and a scavenger hunt (everyone's a
winner!) of the breathtaking time capsule of 19th-century
life. Museum staff, including some guides in period
costume, will be happy to answer questions.
Poems will be featured in each room, and visitors can help to decorate
the Christmas tree in The Evergreens' parlor.
In keeping with
tradition, the first 179 visitors will receive a long-stemmed rose, courtesy of
an anonymous donor. The roses, along
with hot cider and birthday refreshments, will be available at the Museum's Tour Center, located in the rear addition
of the Homestead. The museum's gift shop stands ready to help
with holiday shopping needs.
Also featured on
December 12 is a special screening of the film "The Poet in Her Bedroom" at the
Amherst Cinema, located at 28 Amity St., Amherst. The program begins at 11
a.m. As an introduction to the film, Jane Wald,
the Museum's executive director, will share the remarkable story of the parlor
ceiling collapse. Wald notes, "Since the
poet's bedroom is currently off view, the film showing is an ideal way to honor
Emily Dickinson and the space we most associate with her." Filmmaker Ernest Urvater will also be on hand
to discuss his work.
For
more information, contact Nan Fischlein, program coordinator, at nfischlein@emilydickinsonmuseum.org
or 413-542-2034.
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Emily Dickinson was
born on December 10, 1830. The
Museum dedicated to her legacy is located at 280 Main Street in Amherst. Parking
is available on Main Street, on nearby side streets, and in the Town
of Amherst parking garage. The
Emily Dickinson Museum, comprising the
Dickinson Homestead and The Evergreens, is devoted to the story and legacy of
poet Emily Dickinson and her family. Both properties are owned by the Trustees
of Amherst College. The museum is overseen by a separate Board of Governors
charged with raising its operating and capital funds. The 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. The official
museum website is www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org.
Regular season hours are Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. March
through December 20; from December 23 through December 31, the Museum will be
open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4
p.m. The Museum will be closed on December 24 and
25. Although the Homestead is temporarily closed,
the Museum has developed an intriguing
tour of The Evergreens as the first Emily Dickinson museum; this tour is
available during open hours.
Amherst
Cinema was built in 1926, created out of an old stable in downtown Amherst. In November 2006, the renovated theater reopened and
features both mainstream and independent films. In January 2008, the Pleasant
Street Theater in Northampton, Mass., was assumed under the Amherst Cinema umbrella.
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