During a recent visit to Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore (at the southern tip of the DelMarVa Peninsula), I stopped into a branch of their public library system to see what works they had on hand related to Emily Dickinson. Recent posts have been about a couple of poetry anthologies and various other books about poetry.
 | There were no copies of Dickinson’s works on the shelf – the poetry books went from Carl Dennis to Rita Dove; however, Dickinson books could have been misshelved or checked out, so I went to the main desk to ask. The gentleman there ran a search for me and said the Dickinson-specific books were available at the three other branches, but at this particular building, they had one, “Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Iconic Poet,” by Marta McDowell (coincidentally, a book I own). |  |
Here are a couple of statements about the book:
“A visual treat as well as a literary one…for gardeners and garden lovers, connoisseurs of botanical illustration, and those who seek a deeper understanding of the life and work of Emily Dickinson.” --The Wall Street Journal
“Offers an excuse (if one is necessary) to linger yet again over the observations of a poet who, as Dickinson herself proclaimed, ‘was always attached to Mud’.” --The New York Times Book Review
“A visual treat as well as a literary one…for gardeners and garden lovers, connoisseurs of botanical illustration, and those who seek a deeper understanding of the life and work of Emily Dickinson.” --The Wall Street Journal
“Offers an excuse (if one is necessary) to linger yet again over the observations of a poet who, as Dickinson herself proclaimed, ‘was always attached to Mud’.” --The New York Times Book Review
| By the way, Dickinson used the word “garden” in 18 different poems (or 17 depending upon which volume of her poems you read). Coincidentally, on the way to Cape Charles, my wife asked me if Dickinson ever wrote about the beach. I replied, “As a matter of fact, she did use the word ‘beach’ in one poem, ‘My Garden – like the Beach.” |  |
Did Dickinson ever visit the beach?
I'll talk about that tomorrow.
;-)
I'll talk about that tomorrow.
;-)
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