PART 1:
In a couple of recent posts, I’ve shared poems and text from an article in The Atlantic by Thomas Wentworth Higginson from October 1891; the article, entitled “Emily Dickinson’s Letters,” details Higginson’s years of correspondence with the reclusive poet.
Here is the opening paragraph of that article:
“Few events in American literary history have been more curious than the sudden rise of Emily Dickinson into a posthumous fame only more accentuated by the utterly recluse character of her life and by her aversion to even a literary publicity. The lines which form a prelude to the published volume of her poems are the only ones that have yet come to light indicating even a temporary desire to come in contact with the great world of readers; she seems to have had no reference, in .all the rest, to anything but her own thought and a few friends. But for her only sister, it is very doubtful if her poems would ever have been printed at all; and when published, they were launched quietly and without any expectation of a wide audience; yet the outcome of it is that six editions of the volume have been sold within six months, a suddenness of success almost without a parallel in American literature.”
Hmm…that opening line, “Few events in American literary history have been more curious,” made me wonder – what other events in American literary history have been as curious?
I began to run a few Google-searches, and ended up going on a wild goose chase.
First, I searched, “suddenness of success in American literature,” a description Higginson included in that opening paragraph, but what I got was info related to themes in literature on “rags to riches” stories and the American dream.
Next I searched “major events in the history of American literature.” I got nothing but timelines of American literature with history and related facts.
Next, I searched “top ten events in the history of American literature.” Again, I got events in history that impacted literature – like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, etc.
I decided to add Dickinson’s name, and I then searched for “the discovery of Emily Dickinson's poetry and other events that changed American literature.” Well, I did get info related to the discovery and posthumous publication of Dickinson’s work – but only that among other events in the timeline of American literary history: Transcendentalism, the Harlem Renaissance, Modernism, etc.
Oh, I did get one mention of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin with info on how it had a significant impact in bringing the realities of slavery to a wider audience and how it influenced public opinion and the abolitionist movement.
Next I tried “unusual events in the history of American literature.” All I got were historic events that inspired iconic American novels.
What I was hoping to find were events like the story of John Kennedy Toole and “A Confederacy of Dunces”; the withdrawal from public life by J. D. Salinger; Harper Lee as a one-book wonder; Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. I dunno – stuff like that. I’m sure there are others – these are just off the top of my head as I sit here typing this morning (and of course, none of those are as momentous as the discovery and publication of Dickinson).
What stunning literary events come to your mind?
Here is the opening paragraph of that article:
“Few events in American literary history have been more curious than the sudden rise of Emily Dickinson into a posthumous fame only more accentuated by the utterly recluse character of her life and by her aversion to even a literary publicity. The lines which form a prelude to the published volume of her poems are the only ones that have yet come to light indicating even a temporary desire to come in contact with the great world of readers; she seems to have had no reference, in .all the rest, to anything but her own thought and a few friends. But for her only sister, it is very doubtful if her poems would ever have been printed at all; and when published, they were launched quietly and without any expectation of a wide audience; yet the outcome of it is that six editions of the volume have been sold within six months, a suddenness of success almost without a parallel in American literature.”
Hmm…that opening line, “Few events in American literary history have been more curious,” made me wonder – what other events in American literary history have been as curious?
I began to run a few Google-searches, and ended up going on a wild goose chase.
First, I searched, “suddenness of success in American literature,” a description Higginson included in that opening paragraph, but what I got was info related to themes in literature on “rags to riches” stories and the American dream.
Next I searched “major events in the history of American literature.” I got nothing but timelines of American literature with history and related facts.
Next, I searched “top ten events in the history of American literature.” Again, I got events in history that impacted literature – like the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, etc.
I decided to add Dickinson’s name, and I then searched for “the discovery of Emily Dickinson's poetry and other events that changed American literature.” Well, I did get info related to the discovery and posthumous publication of Dickinson’s work – but only that among other events in the timeline of American literary history: Transcendentalism, the Harlem Renaissance, Modernism, etc.
Oh, I did get one mention of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin with info on how it had a significant impact in bringing the realities of slavery to a wider audience and how it influenced public opinion and the abolitionist movement.
Next I tried “unusual events in the history of American literature.” All I got were historic events that inspired iconic American novels.
What I was hoping to find were events like the story of John Kennedy Toole and “A Confederacy of Dunces”; the withdrawal from public life by J. D. Salinger; Harper Lee as a one-book wonder; Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. I dunno – stuff like that. I’m sure there are others – these are just off the top of my head as I sit here typing this morning (and of course, none of those are as momentous as the discovery and publication of Dickinson).
What stunning literary events come to your mind?
PART 2:
And now for something completely different!
Yesterday I shared info from Thomas Wentworth Higginson October 1891 article in The Atlantic entitled “Emily Dickinson’s Letters.” He opened the article with this: “Few events in American literary history have been more curious than the sudden rise of Emily Dickinson” – so I wondered, what other curious events are out there in American literary history.
I dug around on the interwebs in search of any kind of Top Ten list, but I couldn’t find anything – well, except for a list I created years ago (which I’ll get to in a minute).
Oh, I did find one mention of the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but other than that I got stuff on “rags to riches” stories, timelines in American literature, events in history that impacted literature (like the Civil War and the Great Depression), description of periods of literature (Transcendentalism, Modernism, etc.) – and that was about it.
I was hoping to find stories like that of John Kennedy Toole winning the Pulitzer Prize for “A Confederacy of Dunces”; the withdrawal from public life by J. D. Salinger”; Harper Lee as a one-book wonder; Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature; the discovery of Langston Hughes as he worked as a busboy in a restaurant.
One report that did pop up was the top ten list from the New Yorker’s “100 Most Important Events from the World of Poetry.” LOL – this was something I’d written years ago – so long ago, in fact, that I couldn’t remember if I’d based it on some true list compiled by the New Yorker – but no, I think I made that up too.
Yesterday I shared info from Thomas Wentworth Higginson October 1891 article in The Atlantic entitled “Emily Dickinson’s Letters.” He opened the article with this: “Few events in American literary history have been more curious than the sudden rise of Emily Dickinson” – so I wondered, what other curious events are out there in American literary history.
I dug around on the interwebs in search of any kind of Top Ten list, but I couldn’t find anything – well, except for a list I created years ago (which I’ll get to in a minute).
Oh, I did find one mention of the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but other than that I got stuff on “rags to riches” stories, timelines in American literature, events in history that impacted literature (like the Civil War and the Great Depression), description of periods of literature (Transcendentalism, Modernism, etc.) – and that was about it.
I was hoping to find stories like that of John Kennedy Toole winning the Pulitzer Prize for “A Confederacy of Dunces”; the withdrawal from public life by J. D. Salinger”; Harper Lee as a one-book wonder; Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature; the discovery of Langston Hughes as he worked as a busboy in a restaurant.
One report that did pop up was the top ten list from the New Yorker’s “100 Most Important Events from the World of Poetry.” LOL – this was something I’d written years ago – so long ago, in fact, that I couldn’t remember if I’d based it on some true list compiled by the New Yorker – but no, I think I made that up too.
| Anyway, I share with delight this morning the list I compiled years ago of the “Top Ten Events from the World of Poetry” – guaranteed to make you laugh (if not with me, then at me, to be sure)! Click HERE. Oh – and take a look at this – I did find this too: New Yorker poetry editor and the editor of “A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker” (Knopf, 2025), goes through the history of poetry appearing in The New Yorker, and what was left out. Click HERE. |  |
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