Blog Archives

The Color Debate Continues

2/28/2015

I've always heard that Eskimos have twenty-six different words for "snow." Or is it sixty-two? No matter. It is true, though, that they have thirty-seven different words for the color of snow. Nonetheless, most Color Psychologists of Eskimo descent agree that they still need more.

If, in fact, more words are needed, Eskimos may want to turn to the work of Ingrid Sundberg, a children's writer and illustrator, who recently created a series of color charts "for anyone struggling with color names" (information is HERE). One of Sundberg's color charts is shown at the left.

The timing of Sundberg's work is interesting, though, since just about everyone on Earth chimed in a couple of days ago in a debate surrounding the color of a black and blue -- or was it a white and gold -- dress. However, this debate is more than a few days old. It's been swirling and at times raging for years. The debate began back in 1857 when Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) noted that his third cousin's favorite white dress appeared at times to be blue (information is HERE).

If the Eskimos do need more words for the color of snow, though, they should probably first refer to the spectrum of colors developed by Emily Dickinson (now available by the gallon of paint at Delbart Dickinson's Cut-Price Hardware and Paint Store in historic Washerst, PA, the birthplace of Emmett Lee Dickinson). Emily Dickinson generated numerous names for the different shades of white, and her range of colors offers more gradations and nuances than does the work of Sundberg.

Pictrured at the right: 10 shades of white developed by Emily Dickinson (click the image to enlarge).

Sundberg's work -- while commendable -- is just too limited. Dickinson's color schemes offer a much broader scale. Also, look at Sundber's choice for "corn" above. Does that look like corn to you? Emmett Lee Dickinson was a lover of corn, and if it's one thing we at the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum (above the coin-op Laundromat on Dickinson Boulevard) know, it's the color of corn. Alas, Sundberg's "corn" looks to us to be a little too close to "soiled diaper."

Pictured at the left: More of the colors developed by Emily Dickinson. Other examples can be found HERE (near the bottom of the page). Click the image to enlarge.

The Debate about The Dress

2/27/2015

By now we suspect you've seen the dress. Did you see white and gold? Or did you see black and blue?

Just yesterday (February 26, 2015) a picture of "the dress" was posted online, and within twenty-four hours the internet exploded. The debate about the color of the dress spread world-wide, and the dress was featured on morning and evening news broadcasts as well as the 24/7 cable news channels.

However, the debate and the dress are nothing new. No, instead, the debate about "the dress" began way back in 1857 when Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) was inspired to write a poem after he saw his third cousin's favorite dress as both white -- and blue!

Pictured above: One of the many tweets that flooded the Internet on February 26th about "the dress."

Pictured at the right: The debate about "the dress" began in 1857 when Emmett Lee Dickinson saw his third cousin Emily Dickinson in her favorite dress. In certain light, the dress looked white. However, at other times the dress looked blue.

The mystery of the color of the dress inspired Dickinson to write a poem about a peculiarly colored dress. The poem, "The Dress is gold and snowy," inspired third-cousin Emily to write "The Guest is gold and crimson."

Both poems are below.

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

The Dress is gold and snowy –
But Others guess and say –
Of black and blue the garment –
And Prolong the fray –

It’s placed online at nightfall –
Then stops at every door –
With viral looks by morning
I view it too – and swore
The Frock’s pure intensity’s –
Not what it was before!

By Emily Dickinson:

The Guest is gold and crimson --
An Opal guest, and gray --
Of ermine is his doublet --
His Capuchin gay --

He reaches town at nightfall --
He stops at every door --
Who looks for him at morning
I pray him too — explore
The Lark's pure territory --
Or the Lapwing's shore!

Pictured below: White and gold? Black and blue? The controversy about "the dress" took an odd turn in 2008 just before the U.S. presidential election. At that time the debate shifted to "the address" of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Jenner To Step Down

2/24/2015

The Washerst Times reported today that Bruce Jenner will step down as the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Duggar Fertility Clinic and Center for Reproductive Medicine in historic Washerst, Pennsylvania (birthplace of Emmett Lee Dickinson, Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request).

Jenner cited various recent issues in his life that have consumed his time as the reason for his departure. He has served for only four months. He replaced Bill Cosby who resigned in October 2014 to devote more time to his position on the Temple University Board. Cosby took over the position in June 2013 when Anthony Weiner resigned to devote time to his mayoral campaign in New York City.

The Duggar Fertility Clinic and Center for Reproductive Medicine was founded by Robert James "Bob Jim" Duggar. It opened in Washerst in 1954.

Pictured above: The Duggar Fertility Clinic and Center for Reproductive Medicine in historic Washerst, PA.

Robert James "Bob Jim" Duggar, a graduate of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was inspired to open the clinic due to his favorite poem of Emmett Lee Dickinson's, "Birthday of but a single child" (Dickinson's poem inspired his third cousin Emily to write "Birthday of but a single pang"):

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

Birthday of but a single child
But there are more to come –
Relative is the Adjective
But where do they all come from –

By Emily Dickinson:

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

Pictured below: Robert James "Bob Jim" Duggar (circled in red), founder of the Duggar Fertility Clinic and Center for Reproductive Medicine, and his 136 children. Not pictured: Mrs. Duggar

Ben and Jerry and Jimmy and Emmett Lee

2/22/2015

Ben & Jerry's recently announced a new flavor called "The Tonight Dough," inspired by Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show. However, this is not the first flavor dedicated to Fallon. In 2010, Ben & Jerry's introduced "Latte Night with Jimmy Fallon," an ice cream which blended Jimmy Fallon's devotion to his favorite poet, Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request), and two of Dickinson's (and Fallon's) favorite flavors, coffee and candy corn.

Ben & Jerry's brothers Benjamin "Ben" and Jerald "Jerry" Wooster , like Fallon, are also devotees of Emmett Lee Dickinson.

Both attended the Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys in Manhattan. Then, as adults, they moved to Burlington, Vermont, where they opened Vermont's first Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys. In 1978 they opened an ice cream business that includes 30+ flavors named after poems by Emily Dickinson and Emmett Lee Dickinson. More information is HERE.

Above left: School pictures from the Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys' yearbook of Benjamin "Ben" Wooster and Jerald "Jerry" Wooster.

Above right: The first Ben & Jerry's flavor dedicated to Jimmy Fallon and his devotion of Emmett Lee Dickinson, "Latte Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Below: The Ben & Jerry's Candy Corn Factory in Burlington, Vermont, makes all the candy corn used in their best-selling flavor "Latte Night with Jimmy Fallon."

For more information on Ben & Jerry's flavors inspired by the poetry of Emmett Lee Dickinson, click HERE.

A Valuable Bookmark

2/21/2015

It's been a stunning week in the fields of publishing and art. First, a long-lost novel by Harper Lee was discovered, followed by a long-lost book by Dr. Seuss. Shortly afterward, news spread of a new work on Sherlock Homes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. then the New York Times reported the discovery of two new works by Cezanne – and the news did not stop there! The week of discoveries ended with a finding that rocked the world of poetry when Ginny Doosly Dugan of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, brought a book to a taping of PBS' Antiques Roadshow.

Ms. Doosly Dugan said she found the book in her mother's attic, and she was stunned when Antiques Roadshow valued the book between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000. However, there was more to come.

When she and Antiques Roadshow host Mark "Markey Mark" Wahlberg were thumbing through the book, a small scrap of paper used as a bookmark fell out of the book. The scrap of paper included an original haiku in the handwriting of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed – at her request), and on the other side, Dickinson had written out an enigmatic note to himself, "Called back – to Amherst."

The addition of the scrap piece of paper with Dickinson's handwriting increased the value of the find to more than $5,000,000 – the highest appraisal in the show's history.

Above: The Emmett Lee Dickinson Book was appraised at $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 on Antiques Roadshow. The discovery of a bookmark in the book skyrocketed the value to more than $5,000,000 – the highest appraisal in the show's history.

Above: The Emmett Lee Dickinson Book was written by Wylde Thoreau, the nephew of Emmett Lee Dickinson's good friend Henry David Thoreau. Note that all of the children on the cover of the book are in the classic pose of Emmett Lee Dickinson.

Above left: The scrap of paper used as a bookmark in The Emmett Lee Dickinson Book includes a haiku written in Emmett Lee Dickinson's handwriting:

An "s"? Or no "s"?
What's the plural of "haiku"?
A cricket chirrups.

Dickinson invented the format of the Haiku, based on the "7-10 split" in bowling: seven syllables between two lines of five syllables (or "10 split"). He called the new form of poetry "Haiku," the Japanese word for "bowling." More information on this is found HERE.

The inclusion of this bookmark with The Emmett Lee Dickinson Book increased the appraised value to more than $5,000,000.

Above right: On the opposite side of the paper is was an enigmatic message written in Dickinson's handwriting: "Called back – to Amherst."

Je Suis Toonces - Part 3

2/20/2015

When Saturday Night Live celebrated 40 years on the air with a reunion special last Sunday night, February 15, 2015, there was one glaring omission: no Toonces the Driving Cat. Details of this egregious exclusion are found HERE.

Interestingly enough though, a poem from the 1800s by Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) seemed to foretell this oversight. The poem is found HERE.

This disturbing blunder was not the only blow to the career of Toonces the Driving Cat. Alas, there have been many upsetting setbacks and disappointments in the life of poor old Toonces.

Pictured at the left: In the early 1960s, NBC developed a sitcom for Toonces called Cat 54 Where Are You. However, Toonces left the show after filming only the pilot, citing "creative differences." He was replaced by Fred Gwynne, and the show was renamed Car 54 Where Are You?

Pictured at the right: Toonces landed a role in Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest. However, he had to give up the film when he was arrested in Rapid City, South Dakota, for possession of cat nip.

Pictured at the left: Toonces landed the role as the chauffeur in Driving Miss Daisy, but he had to give it up when he was discovered to be driving with a suspended license (from the possession of cat nip charges).

Pictured at the right: Toonces landed a starring role in what was to be called Thelma and Toonces. However, he could not work with Geena Davis. Sources say that Toonces found her to be irritating and lazy. All Toonces would say publicly, though, was that he had "scheduling conflicts" with the filming of the project.

Pictured at the left: Industry insiders say that Toonces was devastated when he lost his role in Hot Tub Time Machine. Originally, the movie was going to incorporate elements of Dude, Where's My Car, and the film was to be called Dude, Where's My Hot Tub Time Machine. However, Geena Davis was one of the producers of the movie, and she cut the part of Toonces.

Pictured at the right: Actor Eric Stonestreet portrayed Toonces in a recent production of the neo-modernist play about Toonces' life entitled Nein Lives: Existence Precedes Essence. The play ran for over 1,400 performances at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. Stonestreet is currently in negotiations with Sony Pictures Entertainment to secure the film rights for the story.

Je Suis Toonces - Part 2

2/19/2015

While the stage and the audience were star-studded at SNL's 40th Anniversary show, there were some glaring absences. According to the Huffington Post (shown below), the top exclusion (in their top ten list of "Glaring Omission in 'SNL 40' Reunion Show") was Toonces the Driving Cat.

Toonces was a recurring character based on Mr. Toonces, the beloved cat of Qwerty Dickinson, the daughter of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request). We agree that this oversight was inexcusable. More about Toonces the Driving Cat and the inspiration for the character, Mr. Toonces, can be found HERE.

A poem by Emmett Lee Dickinson entitled "Upon Concluded Shows" seemed to foretell this egregious blunder on the part of SNL. Back in the late 1800s, Qwerty Dickinson's beloved cat Mr. Toonces was supposed to appear and perform tricks at the finale of Washerst's Moss and Hornwort Jubilee, an annual celebration in the city celebrating moss and hornwort. However, when a cooking demonstration on the uses of hornwort and other bryophytes in every-day, family dinner recipes went long, Mr. Toonces closing act was cut. The crowd became angry, then disorderly, and ultimately violent. There were riots in the streets for several days following the Jubilee.

Dickinson's poem about the incident is below on the left. His poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen a poem entitled, "Upon Concluded Lives," shown on the right.

By Emmett Lee Dickinson:

Upon Concluded Shows
There’s nothing colder falls –
Than One’s Elimination –
The nixing Bells and Paws –

Makes Lacerating Toonces –
The Years of Driving Skits –
‘Tis Criminal – and so Final –
Concluding – without his Bits –

By Emily Dickinson:

Upon Concluded Lives
There's nothing cooler falls –
Than Life's sweet Calculations –
The mixing Bells and Palls –

Make Lacerating Tune –
To Ears the Dying Side –
'Tis Coronal – and Funeral –
Saluting – in the Road –

Je Suis Toonces - Part 1

2/18/2015

Did you watch the 40th Anniversary show for "Saturday Night Live" last Sunday (February 15, 2015)? Did you notice how it opened?

The camera showed a single actor in the spotlight in the middle of the stage. Of course, every one in the television audience wondered, "Who is that? Who gets to open the 40th anniversary show? It was Jimmy Fallon.

However, those familiar with Fallon and the works of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) knew that Fallon was paying homage to Dickinson, whom he has said was "the greatest influence on my career." Yes, the show opened with Jimmy Fallon in the classic pose of Emmett Lee Dickinson.

Jimmy Fallon and nearly every past and current cast member of SNL has, in some way, been influenced by Dickinson, America's greatest poet. As a matter of fact, Fallon has portrayed Dickinson on stage and screen on numerous occasions, so it was no surprise to us at the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum (above the coin-op Laundromat on Dickinson Boulevard) that he was channeling the poet one more time.

We were surprised, though, by a glaring omission in the star-studded show. While a host of past cast members took the stage and while countless clips of past sketches were highlighted throughout the show, one noteworthy cast member from the past was not even mentioned -- Toonces the Driving Cat.

Toonces appeared in many sketches, most often with Dana Carvey and Victoria Jackson, and he was instrumental in "bringing in the ratings for Season 14 of SNL," according to Lorne Michael himself -- but in all the hype and hullabaloo of the 40th Anniversary Show, somehow this important recurring character was all but forgotten.

Toonces the Driving Cat was named for Mr. Toonces, the beloved cat of Qwerty Jean Dickinson, Emmett Lee Dickinson's daughter. Dana Carvey, who attended the Emmett Lee Dickinson School for Boys in Missoula, Montana, suggested the name for the character, and all of the cast at the time -- all great aficionados of Dickinson -- agreed!

We were certainly thrilled to see the Emmett Lee Dickinson tribute at the start of the show, but we were very disheartened when Toonces the Driving Cat was all but forgotten. Here's hoping that such an omission does not occur 10 years from now when SNL celebrates 50 years of humor -- and 50 years of influence of Emmett Lee Dickinson.

Right: Toonces the Driving Cat on Season 14 of SNL.

Far right: Mr. Toonces, the beloved cat of Qwerty Jean Dickinson, the daughter of Emmett Lee Dickinson. The carcass of Mr. Toonces can be viewed at the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum in the Grand Hall of Taxidermy.

Left: Scuzzy the Cat, who portrayed Toonces the Driving Cat in Season 14 of Saturday Night Live, could not be reached for comment. He is currently residing in the Betty White Home for Ailing and Abandoned Theatre Animals in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Who on SNL has been influenced by Dickinson?

Unconscious Coupling

2/8/2015

As you undoubtedly know by now, NBC news anchor Brian Williams is currently under fire for a report he made recently about a 2003 U.S. Army mission, a story he has told before. In his updated account, he said, “the helicopter we were traveling in was forced down after being hit by an RPG." Trouble is, he was not in that helicopter.

A few days later, in an apologetic retraction, Williams reported, "I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. We landed after the ground fire incident and spent 2 harrowing nights in a sandstorm in the Iraq desert."

Now, following the public reaction to his false claim, Williams has announced that he will remove himself from his NBC news duties for a few days: “In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions,” read Williams’ statement. “As managing editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off my daily broadcast for the next several days.”

In reporting the incident from 2003, Williams said, “I made a mistake in recalling the events.” He termed this inaccuracy “a bungled attempt.” Social Media exploded with additional Williams’ recollections using the hashtag #BrianWilliamsMisremembers.

Inaccuracies and lapses of memories such of these were first studied by Emmett Lee Dickinson in the mid- to late-1800s. He termed this condition “unconscious coupling,” the blending of two events in one’s memory into a single recollection, as if the person had lived through the episode himself.

Dickinson noticed this condition with his life-long friend Abraham Lincoln. Months after Lincoln heard details about the Battle of Hampton Roads between the ironclads the Monitor and the Merrimack, he began to report to friends that he had actually been aboard the USS Monitor. Then, when Lincoln was composing the Gettysburg Address, Dickinson had to correct the opening line of the speech where Lincoln had misremembered, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers and I brought forth on this continent a new nation….” Dickinson was able to get Lincoln to correct the misstatement.

Dickinson wrote a now-classic self-help book about “Unconscious Coupling,” a guide to improving one's memory. The book is still in print, and ironically, the latest edition includes a forward by Brian Williams. Perhaps during his sabbatical, Williams will get a chance to re-read the book and then put Dickinson’s “never-fail system” into practice!

Below: Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem "Departed – of my Judgment" seemed to foretell the scandal of Brian Williams' foggy memory:

Departed – of my Judgment –
On Nightly – Evening News –
Great Clouds – like Covers – fogging
Memory – pushing on –

The Flash – Engendered – Called forth –
The Commentary – begun –
Then Worlds – of Audiences – dispersed –
And left the Fool – alone –

Below: Emmett Lee Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to write her poem "Departed – to the Judgment."

Departed – to the Judgment –
A Mighty – Afternoon –
Great Clouds – like Ushers – leaning –
Creation – looking on –

The Flesh – Surrendered – Cancelled –
The Bodiless – begun –
Two Worlds – like Audiences – disperse –
And leave the Soul – alone –

For information on other self-help books written by Emmett Lee Dickinson, click HERE.

From Washerst Will To Punxsutawney Phil

2/1/2015

What happened to January? It feels like just yesterday we were all yelling "Happy New Year" and making New Year's resolutions. Now we're all cheering for the Super Bowl and filling our plates at the nacho bar.

Of course, the Super Bowl, Groundhog Day, National School Counseling Month, Dry Cleaners Appreciation Week, and Valentines Day can only mean one thing: we are in the midst of the mid-winter holiday season! Did you know, though, that Groundhog Day began with Emmett Lee Dickinson, Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed (at her request)?

Besides being a poet, Dickinson was also an inventor, a child psychologist, and a botanist. As a botanist, he was fascinated with corn. At times he was consumed by his love of corn. He was fascinated by the many uses of corn, from food and beverage recipes to personal care and health and wellness remedies to pharmaceutical and industrial products. As a result, he was obsessed with analyzing the calendar and weather patterns associated with the planting season.

In his extensive and exhaustive experiments associated with the planting season for corn, Dickinson discovered that if a groundhog sees his shadow in early February, then there will be six more weeks of winter; however, if a groundhog does not see his shadow, then there will only be a month and a half left of winter.

For a time, to prove his discovery, Dickinson staged an event in downtown Washerst every second day of February with a groundhog named "Washerst Will." Soon the affair became a huge annual social event with speeches, skits, bands, and other forms of entertainment -- until the Great Flood of 1872. At that point, the celebration was moved to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Unfortnately, Washerst Will drowned in the flood, so a new groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, was chosen to prognosticate at the annual observance.

The carcass of Washerst Will was found in a clogged sewer drain, so his head and front paws were salvaged and stuffed, and today what's left of Washerst Will hangs in the lobby of the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum (above the coin-op Laundromat on Dickinson Boulevard.

Below: Late in life, Dickinson began to doubt the validity of his own groundhog experiments, and he wrote this ode to Punxsutawney Phil:

“Punxsutawney Phil” – talk to me
With doubtful validity
Fashioned by thy shadowed form
In a moment to inform –
Though to trust you – seems to me –
Questionable – “What say Thee?” –
You hypothesize with glee
For thine own Publicity –

Below: Dickinson's third cousin Emily attended the annual groundhog experiments on at least two occasions. As a result of Dickinson's poem, she wrote these lines:

"Heavenly Father" – take to thee
The supreme iniquity
Fashioned by thy candid Hand
In a moment contraband –
Though to trust us – seems to us
More respectful – "We are Dust" –
We apologize to thee
For thine own Duplicity –