Quiet Fire: Emily Dickinson's Life and Poetry

by Carol Dommermuth-Costa, Anna Landsverk

When Emily Dickinson died at her home in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1886, she left a locked chest with hand-sewn notebooks and papers filled with nearly 1,800 unpublished poems. Four years later, her first collection was published and became a singular success. Today Dickinson is revered as one of America’s greatest and most original poets. Using primary source materials, including the poet’s own letters and poems, Quiet Fire presents the life and art of Emily Dickinson to a new generation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, Biography, Biography Memoir

168 pages, Library Binding

Published April 5, 2022

About the author

Carol Dommermuth-Costa is an author based in New York state.

Reviews

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting biography about Emily Dickinson’s letters and her poetry. The theory that Emily was a lesbian is put forth and expanded throughout, but the eroticism in many of her poems and letters is also emphasized.
The theories behind Dickinson’s reclusive personality are also explored. Did she suffer from anxiety attacks that developed into agoraphobia? Or was her father too controlling of his daughters?
I hope to visit her home in Massachusetts in the next couple years.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick paced, modern, and very, very readable; I appreciated the extra inserts providing further historical context. It didn’t shy away from the queer and feminist themes that have been found in Emily Dickinson’s work but avoided speculation and reminded the reader that there’s only so much we can truly know and so much more to read between the lines.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at Emily Dickinson. Yes, it took me a YEAR to read it because I read a few pages at a time at work when I had chance.

The design and the use of color are visually appealing, but the layout was confusing at times.

I liked the author’s use of letter excerpts and poems to tell Emily’s story.

Some of the conjecture about her life came across as factual. That’s the major flaw of the book.

[danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-4— mostly 3.

hmm....i feel conflicted about this one. definitely a readable biography of dickinson, & i agree that it should be marketed to young adults (& i think, little as i know, that those of this age-range that are interested would pick it up). lots of great facts about the poet, & i appreciated that throughout the traditional bio there were separate sections that delved into other historical, social, etc. tidbits of the time (the art & etiquette of letter writing in 19th century new england, for example). this adds richness & contributes well to the overall bio.

and now the not so good:

not to toot my own horn, but i've read a lot from & about dickinson— including her poems, letters, a few biographies, & then some. i'm no scholar on the subject, but i am a mega fan, & i know a lot of basic information about the poet.

there were some..... inaccuracies, & just downright full-on typos in this. like they claim lavinia dickinson (emily's sister) passed in 1900..... then 15 pages later they say 1899 (it was in fact 1899).... like just little overlooked things that felt sloppy-ish. ALSO they use a daguerreotype of "dickinson" & "kate scott turner" that has never actually been authenticated, aka never been proven to actually be a photograph of dickinson. (i actually think it probably is indeed her, but to use it without disclosing that seems, again, sloppy). there's more instances but i'm lazy lol.

& then how they dealt with the exploration of her sexuality felt..... weird. it seemed very queer-positive at some points, & then at others they kind of waved it off to focus more on judge otis lord & other possible male love interests. the examples they used as evidence (or lack thereof) of a romantic (and possibly sexual relationship) w her sister-in-law sue dickinson (which there is loads of evidence for) were so weak?? the letters & lines they chose were very bland & there were much better examples of a possible romantic relationship b/w the 2..... like why??

& look, i'm in the camp that emily was probably romantically/sexually interested in men AND women, so fine of course provide those examples, but to focus heavily on the male ones & to almost totally disregard the female ones seems.... again, strange. yes they do mention it! not saying they don't, but it does seem one-sided. we will probably never know those details of her life 100%, but at least show all sides.

overall though, anything dickinson i'm for, & there's more good than bad here.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this biography. Beginning with the positive: it did not outright ignore the queer history of Emily Dickinson and I really liked the inclusion of her poetry as it was written. But there was a big negative. I really could not tell where the authors were going with her romantic interests. At various points they downplayed or played up her relationships with women. They strongly implied relationships with men, but didn't seem to provide all that much conclusive evidence. They also did not include the strongest examples of Emily's letters to Sue. I also was confused at how they sort of glossed over the degree to which Mabel Loomis Todd edited Emily's work. There is overwhelming evidence that she edited Sue out which contributed to the historical erasure of Emily's relationship with her. I'd recommend this book as a starter, but reading more about Emily if you're really interested.

[Laura Bernheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot for teen/YA (and adult!) readers to learn in this comprehensive biography of one of (arguably) Amherst's most well known residents. Essays are sprinkled throughout the book, going into further detail and context about her life, which I appreciated and enjoyed as much as the biography itself (Although I wish they weren't placed in the middle of chapters, though that was likely the fault of the publisher and not the writers.)
I was DELIGHTED that the writers actually mentioned that most of Dickinson's poems can be sung to the tune of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" or the theme from "Gilligan's Island". I remember singing Emily Dickinson's poems to the latter when I was studying for an English final in college, but had always thought the Gilligan/Yellow Rose phenomenon was something silly that had gone (pre social media version) viral. What a kick to see it mentioned in an actual biography of her!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, but I was taken aback by the inaccurate reference when summarizing the plot of Jane Eyre. She doesn't teach the former lover of her employer. She teaches the child who is the result of her employer's affair. If such a small detail, but an easily recognizable one to anyone who has read Jane Eyre was missed, what else was inaccurate?

I like how quick a read it is and how comprehensive it is, but the format is sometimes annoying. The chapters are often interrupted with inserted infographics that take up a two-page spread, so you might be in the middle of a paragraph and a more focused section is on a biography of a completely different person or a new topic that was briefly mentioned earlier in the chapter.

[South Brunswick High School Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A readable biography of the life and work of Emily Dickinson features many primary sources and interesting sidebars that showcase different elements of life, tradition, and culture in late-nineteenth century America. The authors share the importance of letter writing as context to the many letters that survive from the poet. Traditions like the white housedress or wrapper that Dickinson was almost exclusively towards the end of the life provide context and connection to a women’s role inside the home. Dickinson’s poems are cited along with the origin story of her most famous versus. This biography provides a thorough introduction to the poet who’s work still fascinates readers.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this (bio) if you are an Emily Dickson fan… she is one of the greatest American poets!
I read it purely bcause I wanted to know more about her…’impressive/intellectual woman. (…and the photo of her on the cover stopped me, during my quick trek though the library.)

I especially liked Emily Dickson’s poetry-shorts which are vey poignant. They are a great example of her artistry.

(I heard that Netflix? Is featuring a documentary on her.)

I gave it a 3 rating bcause of the book’s (“kludgy”) format/layout. However, I vote 4 for content!

Finally, the title is perfect… ‘so apropos in describing Emily Dickson!!!

[kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how many Emily Dickinson books I read, I always seem to learn something new about her. I love her poetry--the unconventional dashes, organized rhythm, and focus on nature and death. This artistic rendering of her life and work was a pleasure to read. The glossy pages mix text with photographs of people and literary artifacts; there are informative sidebars about various aspects of her world; and the details of her personal and writing life are explored from every angle.

A worthy read for those who are familiar with Dickinson and those who want to learn about her life, relationships, and poetic inspiration.

[Glendalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated by Emily Dickinson. However, I realize that I did not know her full story. I even taught her poetry a few years ago and realize some elements of her personal life were so vague that I didn’t have the whole story. Although no one will even know her full story, this book gave a great insight to an interesting poet.

Easy to read and fun little anecdotes that show you a little more of her character.

[Heather Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format of this book was everything nonfiction should be: excellently laid out, full of pictures and document scans to reveal primary source information, and short, concise chapters.

For not being a Dickinson scholar or a fan of the poet, I still found this book incredibly interesting and a great testament to the profound impact of Dickinson on American literature.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know much of anything about Emily Dickinson’s life or poetry before reading this engrossing biography. I loved the structure of the book and the many side notes about important and complex issues in her life and legacy. An important read.

[Jessica Fitzpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨YA NF✨

This was okay, I didn’t love it….mostly because it rushed practically everything. And I really wish they would have included more of her work, and letters. It feels like they picked the work they wanted to mold their narrative, if that makes sense?
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Holly L'Heureux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book about an amazing person. She was such an original soul and I wish we new more of the workings in her brain. Even though we have a lot of her works, we still don't know a lot of things about her.

[Le Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book exceeded my expectations. It reignited my love and appreciation for Emily Dickinson's poetry and legacy! I found it very nicely fast paced, easily readable and I especially loved and appreciated all the sources provided throughout. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

[Katie Beth Boggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will continue to consume any and all media about my one true queen.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but read a little like a scholarly essay. Not sure teens would pick this up on their own.

[EJ Philpott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very palatable presentation of the life of Emily Dickinson and a stellar starting place for learning about her life.

[Kelsey Armes Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much interesting content about her life!! Only four stars because I'm just not so much a nonfiction girly but much to love about her story.

[David Drickhamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what I was looking for to fill a gap in my knowledge of American literature and Dickinson's real life vs the mythology.

[Sofia M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiiiiii, me again. I’m not sure how many books it will take for me to get tired of E

[BiblioBrandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an update to the authors' 1998 biography on our favorite reclusive and elusive 19th-century poet. The modern redesign is sure to entice new readers to Dickinson as will the new research and insight into her life. I love the fresh look at Dickinson as a passionate, and possibly queer, writer. I appreciated some of the chapter breaks that included additional information. One looked at how difficult it was to publish Dickinson since she eschewed punctuation and capitalization. I also liked the one describing the importance of letter writing, especially as it relates to the world discovering Dickinson. This was a solid and interesting biography! We have some poetry lovers and a lot of poetry units in our school so I will definitely add this to our shelves.