Birthday of but a single pang
That there are less to come -
Afflictive is the Adjective
But affluent the doom -
--Fr 1541

Garrison Keillor, host of "A Prairie Home Companion" on public radio, has mentioned and poked good-natured fun at Dickinson numerous times on his show. Upon hearing last fall that the plaster ceiling in the parlor of the poet's home had collapsed, Keillor offered to help the Museum with a benefit performance.

Join us as Garrison Keillor faces off with Emily Dickinson!

The 15th annual Open House in honor of the poet's birthday will be the Museum's last, to make way for new celebrations of Dickinson's birthday in coming years. This year will also mark the end of a beloved Open House tradition. For the final time, an anonymous donor will provide a rose to the first 180 visitors. The donor's identity will be revealed at this open house.

At The Evergreens, visitors can experience "Art has a 'Palate,'" a new exhibition of Dickinson family dining and entertaining practices created in conjunction with Museums10's collaboration on the theme "Table for Ten." Visitors can also take part in a mini-marathon reading of The Single Hound, an edition of Dickinson's poetry edited by her niece, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, in 1914. The 142 poems in The Single Hound were among the many that the poet sent to her sister-in-law, Susan Dickinson. The two friends were born just nine days apart (Susan on December 19, 1830), so the reading will honor both the poet and her most admired reader.

The afternoon's musicians are Steven Howland, fiddle, and Tim Van Egmond, hammered dulcimer. Howland has been playing the fiddle since he discovered traditional New England-style music and dance in the early 1980s. Van Egmond is a similarly accomplished hammered dulcimer player; as a member of the contra dance band Swallowtail, he has performed nationwide.

In addition, the popular documentary "Seeing New Englandly" will be shown at Amherst Cinema. Read on for details.

Landmarks Workshops provide K-12 educators from across the United States the opportunity to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics in American history. The one-week academies give participants direct experiences in the interpretation of significant historical sites and the use of archival and other primary evidence. Participants receive a $1,200 stipend to defray costs associated with attending the workshop.

The Emily Dickinson Museum's workshop, "Emily Dickinson: Person, Poetry, and Place," will be offered twice, July 10-15 and July 17-22. Participants will attend lectures, engage in hands-on activities, tour the Museum and other local sites related to Emily Dickinson, and develop curriculum ideas for their classrooms back home.

More information about the workshop, eligibility requirements, and application procedures are available at www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/nehworkshop.

Friends of the Emily Dickinson Museum will enjoy a special 20% discount during Member Shopping Days on Saturday and Sunday, December 11 and 12. Purchases at the 20% discount must be made at the Museum Shop. Members may still use their 10% discount for online purchases.

Not a Friend yet? Read on for information about how to join!

Household or Single Membership benefits include:

• Unlimited free admission to tours.
  Individual: admission for member and a guest
  Household: admission for up to two member adults and two children under 18
• "A Message from the Meadows" print newsletter
• Annual Museum program calendar
• "Emily's E-update," a monthly electronic newsletter
• 10% discount on Museum Shop purchases (includes online orders)
• Advance notice and free or reduced fees for Museum programs
• Invitations to Members Day, special events and previews
• Two complimentary guest passes good for one-time admission

JOIN NOW!

After the screening a discussion with filmmaker Ernest Urvater and scriptwriter and narrator Susan Snively will be held at the Amherst History Museum, 67 Amity Street, across the street from the Amherst Cinema. The Amherst History Museum will host an open house for its two exhibitions, "Emily Dickinson's Amherst" and "The Art and Nature of Mabel Loomis Todd," that day from noon to 3 p.m.

DVDs of "Seeing New Englandly" may be purchased at the Emily Dickinson Museum Shop (280 Main Street) and through our on-line Museum Shop.

The Emily Dickinson Museum's Poetry Discussion group meets monthly on Friday afternoons, September through May, for a brown bag lunch and lively conversation about Emily Dickinson's poetry: favorite poems, challenging poems, and the poet's craft. A facilitator helps to navigate the deeper waters of Dickinson's poetry.

The fee for Museum members is $55 for the year or $10/session; the fee for non-members is $70 for the year or $12/session. For more information, contact program coordinator Nan Fischlein.

Make a gift

The Museum's Tour Center may be reached at 413-542-2947, Wednesday through Sunday, during museum hours.