This spring the Emily Dickinson Museum will host The Big Read: Emily Dickinson. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. The Big Read: Emily Dickinson will run from April 2 through May 21 and will offer over a dozen programs that are free and open to the public. On Saturday, April 2, at 11:30 a.m., the Museum will kick-off The Big Read: Emily Dickinson at the Homestead with the launch of an innovative program that offers Emily Dickinson's Poems around Amherst. Throughout the Big Read, visitors will encounter the poet's work in unexpected places as fifteen businesses and organizations in downtown Amherst host her poems. The poems are also read aloud as part of a cell phone audio experience. Later that day, at 2 p.m., at the Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Thom Tammaro and Sheila Coghill, editors of Visiting Emily: poems inspired by the life & work of Emily Dickinson, will examine Dickinson's legacy in a panel discussion with poets Alice Fulton, Peggy O'Brien, and Richard Wilbur. Another highlight of the Big Read: Emily Dickinson is Brooklyn-based artist Spencer Finch's residency at the Emily Dickinson Museum from April 26 - 28. This program will include an artist's talk and an opening celebration of a Dickinson-inspired installation created especially for the Big Read. Spencer Finch's work has appeared in exhibitions and is part of the permanent collections of museums throughout the United States and the world. In April, the Museum will present "Emily Dickinson's Poetry 101" at four area public libraries."Emily Dickinson's Poetry 101" is a two-hour program that includes a brief biographical introduction to the poet and short excerpt of the new film "Seeing New Englandly"; an overview of her poetry and its significance to literature; and a facilitated discussion of selected poems. - Monday, April 4, 7-9 pm, The Clapp Memorial Library, Belchertown
- Wednesday, April 6, 6-8 pm, South Hadley Public Library
- Wednesday, April 6, 7-9 pm, Sunderland Public Library
- Wednesday, April 13, 7-9 pm, Goodwin Memorial Library, Hadley
The Big Read continues in May with "Emily Dickinson's Poetry 102" at the Jones Library. This three-part discussion series takes a thematic approach to Dickinson's poetry. Participants can attend one or all three sessions. The popular Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk and Open House will take place on Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m. The Walk marks the anniversary of the poet's death (on May 15, 1886) with readings of her poetry at six historic sites in Amherst. All program attendees will receive a "Reader's Guide to Emily Dickinson's Poetry" (published by the National Endowment of the Arts) and a booklet of Dickinson's poems. The Emily Dickinson Museum is one of 75 non-profit organizations throughout the United States to receive a grant to host a Big Read project this year. The Big Read gives local communities the opportunity to read, discuss, and celebrate together one of 31 selections from U.S. and world literature. For a complete list of the Emily Dickinson Museum's 2011 programming and special events, visit www.EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org.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 home of the poet's brother and sister-in-law, Austin and Susan Dickinson. The Emily Dickinson Museum is located at 280 Main Street in Amherst. The Museum is a member of Museums10, a consortium of ten Pioneer Valley museums forged to celebrate the collections and promote the programs of its affiliated museums to local, regional, and national visitors. |
