I’ve started a series of posts on George Monteiro’s 1998 book Robert Frost and the New England Renaissance – specifically on info from the second chapter, “Dangling Conversation,” which focuses on the influence of Dickinson on Frost’s early poems, and the third chapter, “One Hand Clapping,” which provides details of a 1959 Dickinson tribute sponsored by Amherst College – and how they snubbed Frost by inviting other poets (Louise Bogan, Archibald MacLeish, and Richard Wilbur) to form the event’s discussion panel. Monteiro reported, “Frost was miffed.”
I gotta say – I conducted numerous searches about this event, and aside from Monteiro’s account, I uncovered very little if anything. Perhaps the college and/or town would rather we all forget this past faux pas and move on? However, a year after the event, Amherst College Press published Emily Dickinson: Three Views: “Papers delivered at Amherst College as part of its observance of the Bicentennial celebration of the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts on October 23, 1959.”
I gotta say – I conducted numerous searches about this event, and aside from Monteiro’s account, I uncovered very little if anything. Perhaps the college and/or town would rather we all forget this past faux pas and move on? However, a year after the event, Amherst College Press published Emily Dickinson: Three Views: “Papers delivered at Amherst College as part of its observance of the Bicentennial celebration of the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts on October 23, 1959.”
I could not find an online, digitized copy of the book; however, I found copies of it for sale. (alas, looks like I missed out on the signed copy shown above). The book includes a Foreword by Reginald F. French, and papers entitled “The Private World,” by Archibald MacLeish, “A Mystical Poet,” by Louise Bogan, and “Sumptuous Destituion” by Richward Wilbur. One site I found – which was sold out of the book – reported that MacLeish’s work “focuses on the persona and the ‘private’ nature of her work,” Bogan “explores the technical skill and thematic depth of her poetry,” and Wilbur “highlights her poetic vision and the relationship between nature and art."
 |  |
Monteiro shared that Frost did not attend the event and that he doubted Frost ever read the published transcripts of the papers: “The book was not in the collection that Frost’s daughter presented to the New York University after his death,” revealed Monteiro.
This slip-up was most certainly more than a slight slight. On the one hand, Monteiro admitted “It is not to be regretted…that MacLeish, Bogan, and Wilbur were chosen for the occasion” On the other hand, he noted that “we must regret…the Amherst College bicentennial committee’s decision to exclude Frost from the panel.” Take a look at two paragraphs below which address the two bites of this pickle – the sweet and the dill (click the images to enlarge):
| SWEET:  | DILL:  |
I suppose this pickle was made even more sour because, at the time of the event, Frost was serving at the college as the John Woodruff Simpson Lecturer in Literature, an appointment he held from 1949 until the end of his life in 1963.
FYI: Frost worked at the college off and on for over forty years; info is HERE.
And who the heck was John Woodruff Simpson, the namesake of the honorary faculty position? Info is HERE.
When I read about Simpson, I was met with a bit of serendipity involving this anecdote:
“In the early 1900s Simpson commissioned a bronze sculpture by Moses Jacob Ezekiel in the likeness of the blind poet Homer (accompanied by a student guide), as a gift for Amherst College, his alma mater. For reasons unknown the gift was refused, and Thomas Nelson Page, a University of Virginia alumnus who was active in his college's Alumni Association, stepped in to secure the gift of the statue to the University of Virginia instead. The final sculpture, entitled Blind Homer With His Student Guide, was completed in 1907, and is currently installed on The Lawn, in the grass to the north of Old Cabell Hall.”
FYI: Frost worked at the college off and on for over forty years; info is HERE.
And who the heck was John Woodruff Simpson, the namesake of the honorary faculty position? Info is HERE.
When I read about Simpson, I was met with a bit of serendipity involving this anecdote:
“In the early 1900s Simpson commissioned a bronze sculpture by Moses Jacob Ezekiel in the likeness of the blind poet Homer (accompanied by a student guide), as a gift for Amherst College, his alma mater. For reasons unknown the gift was refused, and Thomas Nelson Page, a University of Virginia alumnus who was active in his college's Alumni Association, stepped in to secure the gift of the statue to the University of Virginia instead. The final sculpture, entitled Blind Homer With His Student Guide, was completed in 1907, and is currently installed on The Lawn, in the grass to the north of Old Cabell Hall.”
Below: "Blind Homer and His Student Guide" on the grounds of UVA. Old Cabell Hall is in the background. More info is HERE.
Turns out I have season tickets to the Charlottesville Symphony, and they perform at Old Cabell Hall – so for years I’ve seen this statue yet never knew its history. A la Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, this is my personal Six Degrees of Emily Dickinson:
STOP THE PRESSES: MIND BLOWN
Yes, dear reader, I just blew a gasket when I realized another "six degrees of separation of Emily Dickinson" involving Robert Frost. Here's the low down:
1. I learned of George Monteiro this past March via a comment from his daughter.
2. I'm currently publishing a series of posts on Monteiro's book Robert Frost and the New England Renaissance.
3. At one point in his teaching career, Frost held an honorary position at Amherst College named for John Woodruff Simpson.
4. I'm a Simpsons fanatic -- well, for seasons 1 through 10.
5. Robert Frost appeared on The Simpsons in the episode "I Love Lisa" (Season 4, Episode 15). Frost read "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" on a Krusty the Clown Anniversary Special -- watch it HERE. (NOTE: Frost was also featured in "Selma's Choice" (Season 4, Episode 13); watch it HERE.)
6. Emily Dickinson was also referenced multiple time The Simpsons. often in connection with the character Lisa Simpson, who admires her work. For example, in "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" (Season 8, Episode 13), Lisa mentions Dickinson while explaining that she can handle being in a military school, noting that Dickinson lived alone, wrote beautiful poetry, and "then went crazy as a loon." LOL
1. I learned of George Monteiro this past March via a comment from his daughter.
2. I'm currently publishing a series of posts on Monteiro's book Robert Frost and the New England Renaissance.
3. At one point in his teaching career, Frost held an honorary position at Amherst College named for John Woodruff Simpson.
4. I'm a Simpsons fanatic -- well, for seasons 1 through 10.
5. Robert Frost appeared on The Simpsons in the episode "I Love Lisa" (Season 4, Episode 15). Frost read "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" on a Krusty the Clown Anniversary Special -- watch it HERE. (NOTE: Frost was also featured in "Selma's Choice" (Season 4, Episode 13); watch it HERE.)
6. Emily Dickinson was also referenced multiple time The Simpsons. often in connection with the character Lisa Simpson, who admires her work. For example, in "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" (Season 8, Episode 13), Lisa mentions Dickinson while explaining that she can handle being in a military school, noting that Dickinson lived alone, wrote beautiful poetry, and "then went crazy as a loon." LOL
How have you experienced "six degrees of separation" with the Belle of Amherst? Lemme know!
RSS Feed
