Belle of Brooklyn at the Belle of Amherst's House [by Amy Lawless]

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of touring Miss Emily Dickinson's house [called the Emily Dickinson Museum] in Amherst, Massachusetts.  I was fresh from nearly eight hours of graduation festivities for my sister, who just graduated with honors from UMASS Amherst, a college famed for its off campus pizza, enormous brick library, and beautiful grounds.

First we toured the gardens. Emily loved her garden, and I can see why. The grounds are sprawling and open, plenty of room to think and get lost in.  The flowers were lovely, though it seems a little early in the blooming season for New England.  It was a beautiful spring day, and even I could find nothing to complain about.  Here's an inexplicable black and white photo of me with the 'rents in Emily's garden.  The true glory can only perceived in person so  this is, perhaps, me teasing into forcing you to go for yourself!

Here's a photo of me down the road near her brother Austin's house, mocking the beautiful exhibit of Emily in conversation with Robert Frost, who oddly lived (years later) across the street, no doubt lovingly aware of  this. 

But they tore down the place Frost lived, and built a police station.  Ha ha ha! Who's the man now, DOG!  

The staff of the Dickinson house is blooming full of nerdy exhuberance. My party only had an hour to take a two hour tour and we were convinced, perhaps by the sheer economy of these ladies' salaries, but hopefully by their love of the docent's life to do as much of the tour as we could.  Jane, our lovely tour guide, talked about how Emily thought publishing was the mortaging off of the mind.  I tried to find the direct quote online, but failed. Perhaps someone has it?

In any case, i was impressed.  Despite the common undersanding that Emily was a famous recluse, she seemed quite social.  She was a famous cook - her father would only eat bread made by her hands.  Thank god for modern bakeries!  If my dad needed a baguette, I'd have to throw my hands up in cluelessness!

We didn't get to tour her brother Austin's house. I guess I'll have to go back at some point.

Anyway, thanks to the lovely Emily Dickinson museum and its people for a wonderful time!

 

 

 

Comments

[Stacey]

Thanks Amy for this wonderful post, as always filled with lots of info but also your great humor. And the picture of Amy "in a prospect of flowers" is fab. I didn't know ED was a good cook.
Stacey

[Amy Lawless]

Thanks Stacey! Yes - ED was a great cook who was extremely active in her family's lives and homes her whole life! We think of the word recluse as meaning "Ted Kaczinski"s up in the woods with no phone, but ED led a rich life! She would also lower her famous gingerbread down to groups of children impersonating pirates at her window wanting "booty"!