In this issue
-- The Prickly Art of Homemaking
-- Emily Dickinson's 180th Birthday Celebrations
-- "My friends are my 'Estate.'"
-- Members' Shopping Days at the Museum Shop -- "Seeing New Englandly" -- Lyndall Gordon's talk ignites debate -- Collection Spotlight: Ice Box -- About the Museum -- Are you on FacebookŪ? Join us!
Autumn - overlooked my Knitting - |
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The Prickly Art of Homemaking 
On Sunday, November 7, at 2:00 p.m, the Emily Dickinson Museum will present "A Prickly Art:" Homemaking in the Nineteenth Century. Debra Friedman, Head of Interpretation at Old Sturbridge Village and co-editor of Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook, third edition (2009), will lecture on food preparation, household cleanliness, and other needs of a well-run nineteenth-century household. The program is Free and takes place at the Alumni House, Amherst College. A book signing and refreshments will follow.
In a related program, on Saturday, November 6, Barbara Hoadley, Historic Deerfield Master Guide and Open Hearth Cook will prepare dishes from "receipts" (or recipes) from The American Frugal Housewife. Cooking with the American Frugal Housewife: An Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration at Historic Deerfield from 9:30 - 4:30. Both programs are presented in collaboration with Museums10 summer/fall events. Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook, third edition (2009) and The American Frugal Housewife, written by Lydia Maria Child in 1829 are available at the Emily Dickinson Museum Shop and will be available at the book signing.
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Emily Dickinson's 180th Birthday Celebrations 
On December 10, 2010 Emily Dickinson will be celebrating her 180th birthday. In honor of the poet, the Museum is hosting two special events. On Thursday, December 9, writer and host of "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Writer's Almanac" and Dickinson fan, Garrison Keillor will give a benefit performance. The performance is SOLD OUT, but there is a waiting list. If you wish to be added to the list, contact the Museum at info@emilydickinsonmuseum.org On Saturday, December 11, at 1:00 p.m. the Museum will host its "At Home" Open House with self-guided tours of the Homestead and The Evergreens. This will be the final year for the longstanding tradition of guests receiving a rose, courtesy of an anonymous donor. This year, a rose will be given to the first 180 visitors to the Homestead. Other activities will include parlor music, poetry readings, holiday ornament-making and other craft projects, and light refreshments. In addition, the popular documentary "Seeing New Englandly" will be shown at the Amherst Cinema Theater and the Amherst History Museum will have an open house for their two exhibitions "Emily Dickinson's Amherst" and "The Art and Nature of Mabel Loomis Todd."
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"My friends are my 'Estate.'" 
"Forgive me then the avarice to hoard them."
Emily Dickinson wrote this letter to Samuel Bowles in August 1858 ( letter #193 of The Letters of Emily Dickinson, ed. Thomas H. Johnson).
Household or Single Membership benefits include:
Joining the Friends of Emily Dickinson Museum is easy! You can join on-line through our website or visit the Museum and receive instant membership benefits! |
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Members' Shopping Days at the Museum Shop 
It is never too early to begin your Holiday shopping and the Emily Dickinson Museum Shop offers unique gifts that you will not find anywhere else. Many of our items are made exclusively for the Museum by local artisans.
Along with our selection of Emily Dickinson's poetry and biographies, the Museum Shop offers hand- designed wine glasses and tea cups with Dickinson quotes, jewelry inspired by the poet's words, and DVDs of the documentaries, "The Poet in the Bedroom" and "Seeing New Englandly" produced by local filmmakers. Become a Friend of the Emily Dickinson Museum and receive a special 20% discount on Saturday and Sunday December 4 and 5. Saturday and Sunday December 11 and 12. Purchases must be made at the Museum Shop, online orders not included.
Memberships make a great gift and can be ordered online! Pictured: Emily Dickinson Herbarium Notecards
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"Seeing New Englandly" "Seeing New Englandly" is also available at the Museum Shop and through our on-line Museum Shop.
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Lyndall Gordon's talk ignites debate 
On Thursday, October 14 (The anniversary of the Mabel Loomis Todd's death), Lyndall Gordon gave a talk on her newest book, "Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family Feuds." Gordon has sparked controversy with her suggestion that Emily Dickinson suffered from epilepsy. After the talk, Gordon fielded some heated questions about her theory and later signed her book to a long line of admirers of her work.
There have been many reviews of Lyndall Gordon's book and responses to the theory of epilepsy. The Emily Dickinson Museum has collected some of the most pertinent commentaries. Some of the articles include:
To read these articles and additional news about Lyndall Gordon's book and Emily Dickinson visit theDickinson In The News section of our website.
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Collection Spotlight: Ice Box 
For the Emily Dickinson Museum's new installation of "Art has a Palate" at The Evergreens, the Museum purchased an ice box for the kitchen. Refrigerators, or ice boxes, were common in households by the late nineteenth century. Susan Dickinson lists a refrigerator in her 1895 inventory of The Evergreens. This icebox-made by the Jewett Refrigeration Company in Buffalo, New York-is similar to one the Dickinsons would have owned. Ice was stored in the upper compartment. Charcoal was put in the bottom of the ice box to absorb odors. As in most cities and towns, ice in Amherst was purchased directly from an ice dealer, who delivered the goods to clients' homes.
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About the Museum 
The Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and
The Evergreens is dedicated to educating diverse
audiences about the poet's life, family,
creative work,
times, and enduring relevance, and to
preserving and
interpreting the Homestead and The Evergreens as
historical resources for the benefit of
scholars and the
general public. The Emily Dickinson Museum is owned by the Trustees of Amherst College and has its own Board of Governors, which is responsible for raising the Museum's operating and capital funds. The Museum is a member of Museums10, a collaboration of ten museums linked to the five colleges in the Pioneer Valley. The Tour Center may be reached at 413-542-2947, Wednesday through Sunday, during museum hours.
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Quick Links... |
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For general information, contact the Museum at
Recorded Information:
413-542-8161
Website:
http://www.EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org
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