Language As Object: Emily Dickinson and Contemporary Art

by Susan Danly

Visual artists and poets respond to Dickinson's life and work Produced in conjunction with an exhibition organized by the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, this handsome volume explores the impact of Emily Dickinson's persona and poetry on contemporary art in America. Spurred by feminism and recent critical writings, many visual artists have turned to the poet's life and literary images for inspiration. They have engaged the issues raised by her poetry and the particular circumstances of her life and have attempted to transform her oblique language into tangible objects. Presenting the work of thirteen artists, as well as ten poets, this book showcases a wide range of responses to Dickinson's poetry. Three introductory essays set the stage for the Karen Sanchez-Eppler examines the visual dynamic in Dickinson's poetry; Polly Longsworth traces the ways in which the famous daguerreotype of Dickinson has conditioned our responses to her; and Christopher Benfey surveys her imprint on contemporary American poetry. "A unique undertaking that is particularly timely in illuminating the public reception of the poet as the century ends". -- David Porter, author of Dickinson, the Modern Idiom

Paperback

First published March 1, 1997