About this item
An engaging, intimate portrait of Emily Dickinson, one of America's greatest and most-mythologized poets, that sheds new light on her groundbreaking poetry.On August 3, 1845, young Emily Dickinson declared, "All things are ready"?and with this resolute statement, her life as a poet began. Despite spending her days almost entirely "at home" (the occupation listed on her death certificate) , Dickinson's interior world was extraordinary. She loved passionately, was hesitant about publication, embraced seclusion, and created 1,789 poems that she tucked into a dresser drawer.In These Fevered Days, Martha Ackmann unravels the mysteries of Dickinson's life through ten decisive episodes that distill her evolution as a poet. Ackmann follows Dickinson through her religious crisis while a student at Mount Holyoke, which prefigured her lifelong ambivalence toward organized religion and her deep, private spirituality. We see the poet through her exhilarating frenzy of composition, through which we come to understand her fiercely self-critical eye and her relationship with sister-in-law and first reader Susan Dickinson. Contrary to her reputation as a recluse, Dickinson makes the startling decision to ask a famous editor for advice, writes anguished letters to an unidentified "Master," and keeps up a lifelong friendship with writer Helen Hunt Jackson. Toward the end of her life, she is seized with despair in confronting possible blindness.Utilizing thousands of archival letters and poems as well as never-before-seen photos, These Fevered Days constructs a remarkable map of Emily Dickinson's inner life. Together, these ten days provide new insights into her wildly original poetry and render a concise and vivid portrait of American literature's most enigmatic figure. 16 pages of black-and-white illustrations
About the Author
Martha Ackmann tells dynamic stories of American women who've broken barriers, fought against the status quo, dreamed big dreams, and changed America. She is the author of "Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League" and "The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight." Martha's talks have inspired audiences from scientists at Kennedy Space Center to women baseball players from the hit movie, "A League of Their Own." She has appeared on the "Today" show, CBS, CNN, the BBC and NPR. Her columns on politics, women's history, sports and aviation have appeared in many publications, including "The New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times," the "Chicago Tribune" and Salon.com.Website: http://www.marthaackmann.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martha-Ackmann/114791261899290 Twitter: http://twitter.com/marthaackmann
