DIAL "EM" FOR EMILY
PLUS OTHER THRILLING SCENES FROM THE SUMMER OF 2026
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PICS AND PLOG POSTS (POETRY BLOG) ADDED DAILY.
SCROLL DOWN FOR PAST POSTS, PICS, AND INFO.
MOST CURRENT POST IS AT THE TOP
CONCLUDING WITH THE POST FROM AUGUST 7
SCROLL DOWN FOR PAST POSTS, PICS, AND INFO.
MOST CURRENT POST IS AT THE TOP
CONCLUDING WITH THE POST FROM AUGUST 7
08.07.2026: A PUZZLIEMENT, CLICK HERE.
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Pictured at the left: The Dickinson books on the shelf at the Medford Public Library, from top to bottom:
A Loaded Gun by Jerome Charyn Emily Dickinson Face to Face by her niece, Martha Dickinson Bianchi Dickinson, Collected Poems, discussed in my post from today Dickinson, Selected Poems and Commentaries by Helen Vendler |
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Above far right: The back cover of Charyn's book. One of the reviews is by author Susan Snively. On my first visit to the Homestead years ago, Susan was my tour guide extraordinaire!
Below: Another poetry book on the shelves of the Medford Library was The Singing Word, 168 Years of Poetry from the Atlantic. The edition includes no poetry by Dickinson; however, two poems caught my eye. At the far right, "Rupert Brooke" by Conrad Aiken. My wife, Brooke, was named after Rupert Brooke -- and our first cat, Rupert, was too. To the left of Aiken's poem is "Robert Gould Shaw" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. I mentioned the Shaw Memorial in my very first post about this trip, HERE -- and more info & pics about the memorial are below.
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Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Robert Gould Shaw served concurrently as commanders of the first two major Black regiments in the Civil War. Higginson led the 1st South Carolina Volunteers and Shaw, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. Higginson, a staunch abolitionist, was also a key member of the "Secret Six," a group of wealthy individuals who provided crucial financial and logistical support for John Brown's radical anti-slavery activities, including his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.
At the left: The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was unveiled at a dedication ceremony on May 31, 1897. Henry Lee presented the monument to the City of Boston, and dignitaries on stage included Massachusetts Governor Roger Wolcott, Boston Mayor Josiah Quincy, William James, and Booker T. Washington, who gave the keynote address. Veterans of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment were also present, as well as members of Shaw’s family. |
Below: The unveiling of the St. Gauden’s bas-relief of Robert Gould Shaw in Boston in 1897.
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Below: "An Ode" by Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Aldrich was an editor at The Atlantic who once predicted "oblivion" for Emily Dickinson, whom he called "an eccentric, dreamy, half-educated recluse." Aldrich penned “An Ode,” in 1897 in tribute to the unveiling of the Shaw Memorial. Click the images to enlarge.
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At the right: Just before we left Amherst to head back to Medford, I filled my car up with gas, and the gas station where I stopped is at the location where Dickinson’s childhood/early adult home once stood.
The home, located on North Pleasant Street (originally called West Street), was where the Dickinson family lived for 15 years, from 1840- 1855. Emily moved there when she was 10 years old and left when she was 25. The house overlooked West Cemetery (which, of course, is directly behind the gas station). Emily’s bedroom window faced the graveyard, allowing her to watch local funerals pass by. |
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Below: Boston's South Station. On the morning of July 16, we boarded our train to head home!
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08.04.2026: ONE GOOD TOUR DESERVES ANOTHER, CLICK HERE.
Pics from my tour of the Evergreens are in the plog (poetry blog) post linked above. Some of the tour included discussion on the restoration of the house, including efforts to restore the wallpaper -- three samples are shown below.
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Below: 19th century plumbing at the Evergreens.
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08.03.2026: ENTER THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, CLICK HERE.
When touring the Homestead, guests gather in the gift shop to wait for the tour guide. On one of the walls is printed this poem, "This was a Poet":
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This was a Poet –
It is That Distills amazing sense From Ordinary Meanings – And Attar so immense From the familiar species That perished by the Door – We wonder it was not Ourselves Arrested it – before – Of Pictures, the Discloser – The Poet – it is He – Entitles Us – by Contrast – To ceaseless Poverty – Of portion – so unconscious – The Robbing – could not harm – Himself – to Him – a Fortune – Exterior – to Time – |
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At the right: This interactive board in one room upstairs at the Homestead shows various word choices Dickinson considered for "A chilly Peace infests the Grass":
A chilly (lonesome; warning) Peace infests the Grass The Sun respectful lies – Not any Trance of industry These (The) shadows scrutinize – Whose Allies go no more astray (abroad) For service (Honor; welcome) or for Glee – But all mankind deliver here* From whatsoever sea – *Though all mankind cruise/row/sail softly here; do anchor here |
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Below left: Do you see my Emily pin on my collar? If not, check the pic below center. One of my daughters made that pin for me years ago. Now it's pinned to my EDMuseum hat (below right) that I got at the museum's gift shop.
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At the right: The EDMuseum administrative offices. I stopped by the offices to say "hello" to the museum's Director Jane Wald, but I was told she was "on vacation" -- though it is highly possible that someone spied me coming from one of those windows and she was hiding in a "safe room" upstairs. I happened to catch a glimpse of the "NOTICE" (at the far right) on the back of the entry door as I exited.
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08.02.2026: PLOG POST: FUN WITH JIM AND EMILY, CLICK HERE.
More sites from my morning run: The site of the Amherst Academy, where Emily Dickinson went to school, is below on the left. On the building to the left in the pic is some wall art -- shown in the slide show below on the right.
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Below left: ThisDickinsonian wall art was on the side of a bank. At first, I thought it was a runny egg. No -- it says, "I'll tell you how the sun rose -- a ribbon at a time." Below center: Following my run, we went to Amherst Coffee. The cranberry oat muffin was delicious! Below right: Two more statues on the campus of Amherst College. One of the statues is of Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887), an Amherst College graduate who was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and – are you ready for this – his 1875 adultery trial. Info on HWB is HERE.
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08.01.2026: PLOG POST: THE BIG SLEEP, CLICK HERE.
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In Amherst, we stayed at the Inn on Boltwood.
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Above left: Another "guest" in Amherst was smoke from some Canadian wildfires -- hence, the muted sunlight. Above right: To get to our room, we could either take the stairs -- or one of the world's smallest elevators (with blue light).
Below left: We ate dinner at Pasta E Basta across from the Amherst City Hall. The dinner was delicious -- and I've included pics of their bread which was EXCELLENT! We also raised a toast to the memory of my older sister -- whose birthday was the day before -- and my mother -- whose birthday was the next day. Below center: We took a box load of cannoli from Pasta E Basta back with us to the Inn. Below right: The Amherst City Hall
Below left: We ate dinner at Pasta E Basta across from the Amherst City Hall. The dinner was delicious -- and I've included pics of their bread which was EXCELLENT! We also raised a toast to the memory of my older sister -- whose birthday was the day before -- and my mother -- whose birthday was the next day. Below center: We took a box load of cannoli from Pasta E Basta back with us to the Inn. Below right: The Amherst City Hall
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Some Amherst street art:
On the left, Robert Frost -- and yes -- that looks like a young Robert Frost. On the right, Emily Dickinson. Well, that's what it says, but it doesn't look like Emily Dickinson to me.
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07.31.2026: PLOG POST: A WICKED ADVENTURE IN THE HUB OF THE UNIVERSE, CLICK HERE.
Today's post focuses on Boston's Freedom Trial. At one point while walking the trail, I spied a book store down a small bricked alleyway (below left). Inside, I asked the bookseller if any Dickinson were on the shelves, and he said, "No, not at this time" -- but that wasn't entirely true! LOL -- see the pics below center. Back out on the main street, I spied a Dickinson poem on a portable chalk board. Not one of her more famous works, but still -- it was nice to see! : )
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Just off the Boston Common -- opposite the side with the State House -- there was a statue of Edgar Allan Poe, who was born in Boston.
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Below left: Windows at Paul Revere's house. Alas, I did not get a chance to tour inside the home -- it would have been cool to see the windows from inside with the sun coming in! Below right: I walked by the Omni Parker House hotel and snapped a few pics. Years ago, I used to work for Omni Hotels, and I've stayed there many times. I started as a bellhop at the Omni Norfolk (below center) and ended as the Director of Human Resources at the Omni Charlottesville.
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Below left and right: Miscellaneous shots around Boston.
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Below: Graves at Granary Burying Ground. Left: Paul Revere. Center: John Hancock. Right Top: Samuel Adams Right Bottom: James Otis. Jr., credited as the first for saying "taxation without representation."
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07.30.2026: PLOG POST: PAINT BY BLUNDERS, CLICK HERE...
Today's post, a follow-up on yesterday's, focuses entirely on Boston's Museum of Bad Art. The museum's site is HERE. IMOBA's history is HERE, and it all started with this painting, "Lucy in the Field with Daisies" (below left): The heartbreaking thing is that of the 900 pieces in the permanent collection, only about 60 (so about 7%) are exhibited in the public gallery at Dorchester Brewing Company. One painting not posted at this time, "Mana Lisa" (below center) is related to yesterday's post, HERE. Other paintings not displayed in the gallery at this time are below right.
Today's post, a follow-up on yesterday's, focuses entirely on Boston's Museum of Bad Art. The museum's site is HERE. IMOBA's history is HERE, and it all started with this painting, "Lucy in the Field with Daisies" (below left): The heartbreaking thing is that of the 900 pieces in the permanent collection, only about 60 (so about 7%) are exhibited in the public gallery at Dorchester Brewing Company. One painting not posted at this time, "Mana Lisa" (below center) is related to yesterday's post, HERE. Other paintings not displayed in the gallery at this time are below right.
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After visiting the Museum of Bad Art, we stopped at the Lesley University bookstore. My sister Lesley was traveling with us on this trip, and she was hoping to pick up some Lesley merch! While there, I checked out the Dickinson books on the shelves.
One glossy collection of Dickinson's poetry had some beautiful pictures. I thumbed through the book quickly; I didn't check out every poem/picture, and while most pics corresponded with the works, one did stand out as a bit weird -- the one below on the far right. The poems shown below, from left to right, are the following: "Don't put up my thread and needle," "A Bird came down the Walk," "'Tis whiter than an Indian Pipe," and -- the weird pairing with the deer -- "My Life had stood -- a Loaded Gun." |
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In another book on the shelf, Essential Poems Emily Dickinson, I turned to "Because I could not stop for Death," my"go-to" poem in any Dickinson collection. I wanted to see which version of the poem the book included -- the original version as written by Dickinson or the 1890 version as modified by Mabel Loomis Todd.
Only recently I discovered a third version of this poem -- I wrote about it HERE -- and lo and behold, this book included that third version. I was floored. I'll be writing about this odd version of the poem again soon -- relating to a stop I made in the public library in Medford, MA. |
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In the same mall as the Lesley University Bookstore, there was a place called The VanDernoot Gallery, Lesly Art + Design. This gallery was hosting a show entitled "The Soul Selects Their Own Society" -- the name coming from Dickinson's poem "The Soul selects her own Society" -- but alas, the gallery was closed!
I found this Curatorial Statement online: The Soul Selects Their Own Society is an exchange exhibition between Photographic Resource Center and Behind VA Shadows. Bringing together artists working across lens-based and interdisciplinary practices, the exhibition considers interiority as both a personal and social condition: how can art become a vehicle for investigating individuality, private identity, intimacy, and emotional interior worlds while also acknowledging the public systems we move through daily? More info -- including some of the photography from the show -- can be found HERE. |
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07.29.2026: PLOG POST: YABBA DABBA DO BE DO BE DO WOP BOP A LOO BOP A LOP BAM BOOM DEE AY, CLICK HERE.
Today's plog (poetry blog) post introduces our visit to the Museum of Bad Art inside the Dorchester Brewing Company. More bad art coming tomorrow! Prior to our visit there, we enjoyed some great coffee and delicious cinnamon and blueberry muffins at the Sweet Spot Cafe. |
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07.28.2026: PLOG POST: NOT YOUR GARDEN VARIETY, CLICK HERE.
In addition to all of the glass flowers -- like the one below left -- a nearby gallery includes glass sea creatures (below center and right).
In addition to all of the glass flowers -- like the one below left -- a nearby gallery includes glass sea creatures (below center and right).
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Left: A selection of glass eyes by Leopold Blaschka made between 1866 and 1874. The eyes are both prosthetic human eyes and eyes for animal mounts made by taxidermists. Right: Some of the tools and materials needed to craft the glass flowers and the glass sea creatures. |
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At the right: We had some delicious pizza for lunch at a place called Source near Harvard Square.
I also had a tasty mocktail, the Spicy Little Peach: “Peach, lemon, hot pepper jelly, ginger beer.” If you go, don't let the name dissuade you. It was peachy -- but not all that spicy! ;-) |
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07.27.2026: PLOG POST: THE TROUBLES WITH EMILY, CLICK HERE.
The original painting of the Dickinson children hangs in the Dickinson Room in the Houghton Library. Did you catch the details: Emily is holding a book and a flower, and Lavinia is holding a small book with a picture of a cat.
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Below: The complete Dickinson library is housed in the room -- including Emily's Bible.
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Below: Some needlework by Emily. Hmm...does the house look like it could be the Homestead?
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Below: Jewelry and silver pieces owned by the Dickinsons.
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Below: One enters the Dickinson room through the Keats' collection: "The Harvard Keats Collection at Houghton Library grew almost entirely through major private gifts and bequests rather than a single acquisition. The collection was built primarily through the foundational 1925 bequest of poet and collector Amy Lowell, later additions from donor Arthur Amory Houghton, Jr., and the acquisition of the Crewe Collection alongside Fanny Keats family papers. More info is HERE. We then exited through a collection of Amy Lowell's library and papers (info HERE).
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Below: Down the stairs from the Lowell exhibit in a first floor gallery was "War of Words: A Citizen's-Eye View of the Revolution," and some of the books included shared connections to Dickinson.
Left: A book which belonged to The Atlantic editor Thomas Bailey Aldrich who once predicted "oblivion" for Dickinson. Center: A work donated to the library by Thomas Wentworth Higginson, friend and mentor to Dickinson. Right: A gift to the library from J. J. Higginson in 1989. Any relation to T. W. Higginson? I believe so. J. J. Higginson was the son of James Jackson Higginson, Jr., who was the son of James Jackson Higginson, a cousin of Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Click the images to enlarge. |
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07.26.2026: PLOG POST: THE MAN WHO BLOGGED TOO MUCH, CLCIK HERE.
Below left: Medford's City Hall was decked out in flags for America's semiquincentennial. Below right: Medford's "Ye Olde Burying Ground."
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Below left: The Mystic River. Below center: Medofrd's former Armory (now a condo). Below right: A memorial to Paul Revere's ride -- re-enacted every year in Medford.
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At the right: Dinner at El Tacuba was delicious!
The pineapple-coconut Margarite came topped with coconut flakes! And the espresso-infused flan for dessart was wonderufl! 
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07.25.2026: PLOG POST: STRANGE TURNS ON A TRAIN, CLICK HERE.
The plog post from today mentions our delectable dinner at the Empire Diner. Shown in pics below left, the spaghetti with lump crab meat, the beet & citrus salad, and the roasted cauliflower. Outside, above the diner (below right), is a Mount-Rushmore-esque mural with Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Keith Haring, and Jean Michel Basquiat. Hmm...if you were to paint a Mt. Rushmore of poets, which poets would you include? (I mean, alongside Emily Dickinson.)
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Pictured at the right: A plaque about Clement Clarke Moore that we spotted on W 23rd Street in Chelsea as we walked from the Empire Diner to Madison Square Garden.
Do you know who Clement Clarke Moore is? (You do.) Do you know what he wrote? (You do.) If you need a reminder, click on the pic of the plaque to enlarge. |
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07.24.2026: PLOG POST: HOW SWEETEST IT IS, CLICK HERE.
Today's plog (poetry blog) post focuses on Dickinson's poem "Success is counted sweetest" -- and I believe it is the only poem by Dickinson published in a BOOK (vs. a newspaper) while she was alive. The poem appeared in A Masque of Poets, a collection of poems printed anonymously. A review in The Literary World in 1878 surmised that the poem could have been written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. While I could not find an online copy of the issue, I did find a discussion of the Dickinson-Emerson comparison in Bloom's How to Write About Emily Dickinson, shown at the right. Click the image to enlarge. |
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07.23.2026: PLOG POST: A DATE WITH DESTINY, CLICK HERE.
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07.22.2026: PLOG POST: THIS -- IS THE BLOG POST -- THAT SUNSET WASHES, CLICK HERE.
A portion of the article "A Portrait of S. P. Rosenbaum" is included in today's post, "This -- is the Blog Post -- that Sunset Washes"; the complete article is shown at the right. Click the images to enlarge.
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07.21.2026: PLOG POST:: DOUBLE ETERNITY, CLICK HERE.
More on the Concordance to the Poems of Emily Dickinson -- and the omission of "NO."
More on the Concordance to the Poems of Emily Dickinson -- and the omission of "NO."
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At this point, I have not been able to find an online copy of the Concordance.
Archive.org has only a limited preview of the book, HERE. Cornell supposedly has the book online, HERE; however, all I get is "Error 1016." I was able to find one site that previewed the Preface to the book only -- so those pages are shown at the left. Click the images to enlarge (LOL -- I hope I have them in the correct order). Below left: In the morning, we strolled through Chelsea Market, and in a book store there, they had two Dickinson books in the poetry section. Below center: The bookstore also had a "How to Swear" illustrated guide. Hmm...I suspect that is for out-of-towners? Not New Yorkers? Below right: There was also this astrology-type wheel for "Classic Cocktails" -- a great reference tool for one like myself, a student in an advance degree program for the Tequila Sciences with minors in Bourbonomics and Rumology. |
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07.20.2026: PLOG POST: THE ORACLE WORE A WHITE DRESS – PART DEUX, CLICK HERE.
A film-noir-inspired post.
A film-noir-inspired post.
Below, left to right: Concordance to the Poems of Emily Dickinson. The book takes you through every word used by Emily Dickinson, from "abandoned" (in pic 4) to "zones" (in pic 5). Click the images to enlarge.
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Below left: A few miscellaneous shots from New York. Two are from my morning run on the High Line; one is the Laundry Club -- and a reminder, dear reader: The first rule of the Laundry Club is that we don't talk about the Laundry Club; finally, after my research at the library, my wife and I enjoyed drinks and treats at Joe's Coffee in Bryant Park. After I ordered the Lychee Lime Spritzer, I heard someone say that they had horchata ice cream sandwiches. I got back in line to order one. Below right: A few pics from the Earth Wind & Fire concert at Madison Square Garden -- with Lionel Richie (and of course, Earth Wind and Fire inspired the plog post from July 10, referenced in the post dated July 20).
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07.19.2026: PLOG POST: "ALL THINGS MATTER," CLICK HERE.
Below left: More shots from the New York Public Library. Below right: More goodies from Charlotte Patisserie.
Below left: More shots from the New York Public Library. Below right: More goodies from Charlotte Patisserie.
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07.18.2026: INTRODUCTORY PLOG POST ABOUT "DIAL 'EM' FOR EMILY," CLICK HERE.
VENI, VIDI, VISITAVI
I CAME, I SAW, I VISTED!
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My “Dial ‘Em’ for Emily” Dickinson-heavy trip has come and gone, dear reader, and I still have the Belle of Amherst on my mind. Well – I have her on my head – pinned to my new Emily Dickinson Museum souvenir hat (pictured at the right) which I purchased at the Emily Dickinson Museum gift shop in Amherst.
You know that saying, "Exit through the gift shop"? Well, at the Emily Dickinson Museum you ENTER through the gift shop! That's where you gather to meet your tour guide -- and if you go, be sure to purchase tickets in advance! There were people there attempting to purchase tickets, but many of the tours were already filled to capacity. In the coming days – weeks? – I’ll be adding to this online travelogue various stories and pics related to my trip. I will also be plogging (poetry blogging) about some of the books and poems related to the research I completed while on this trip, and I will link the individual plog pieces to this page as well. |
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In a nutshell, the trip included three destinations -- NYC, Boston, and Amherst – and six different Dickinson-related sites. Here’s a quick pictorial rundown:
NEW YORK:
While in New York, I stopped by the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue and visited the rare book archive where I perused through the 1924 edition of The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson published by the Little Brown and Company.
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A number of upcoming plog (poetry blog) pieces will focus on a variety of Dickinson’s poems and on many of the handwritten notes in the margins of the book -- which was owned by Genevieve Taggard.
BOSTON:
In Boston, my first order of business was a visit to the Emily Dickinson room at the Houghton Library on the campus of Harvard University.
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AMHERST:
Next up, I traveled to Amherst to visit West Cemetery, Wildwood Cemetery, the Homestead and the Evergreens.
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Below: The West Cemetery includes the graves of Emily Dickinson, her sister Lavinia, her parents, and her grandparents.
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Below: Wildwood Cemetery includes the graves of Austin & Susan Dickinson, their children and Mabel Loomis Todd, her husband and her parents.
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Below: A few miscellaneous shots from the Dickinson Homestead.
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Also, while, in Amherst, I popped into the Frost Library on the campus of Amherst College to see a small display of Dickinson artifacts
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Finally, I returned to the Boston area (to catch my southbound train home) and I stopped into a public library in Medford, MA. They had four Dickinson editions on the shelves, and one in particular added to a mystery I’ve been looking into concerning “Because I could not stop for Death” – so one of these days, I’ll fill you in on that! LOL – I told a reference librarian there about this bewildering bafflement and she was as befuddled as I. Stay tuned!
As I fill this page with trip-related info, I’ll specify what has been newly added by indicating dates of publication. In this way, you can check back from time to time to see what’s new! COMING ATTRACTIONS: In addition to all of the Dickinson-related posts and pics on this page, there will be much more -- including the GLASS flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History (below left -- and yes, those flowers are all made of glass), Edgar Allan Poe (below center), and artworks from the Museum of Bad Art (below right) -- so be sure to check back now and then -- you won't want to miss a thing! |
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OTHER SCENES FROM THIS THRILLING SUMMER:
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Below left: Chicago-style hotdogs at Superdawg! Below right: The CSO concert featuring the Sait-Saens' Symphony Number 3, the "Organ Symphony":
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Above and Below Left: "Les Miz" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Below Center: Chicago-style pizza at Lou Malnati's Below Right: "Cloud Gate" ("the Chicago Bean")
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QUOTH THE RAVEN: "BALTIMORE!" -- the Orioles v. the Seattle Mariners!
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Below: Dinner at Jimmy's! Mango Margarita, crab dip, "half & half" soup (half Maryland Crab; half New England style; and crab cakes! Right: E A Poe's grave (moved to the front of the burial ground from the back of the church).
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CHICAGO:
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Below left and center: Two more pics from my morning run. Below right: Having some fun at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
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Below: On our last day in Chicago, we visited the Shedd Aquarium.
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