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Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1968 classic A Wizard of Earthsea was chosen as one of the novels for The Big Read initiative in 2008, a project led by the National Endowment for the Arts to revitalize literary reading in the United States.
Dirda, Michael. National Endowment for the Arts. (2008). Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea: Reader’s Guide. Washington, DC. Full text available via HathiTrust.
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A Look Back
At the start of this project we recorded our preconceived notions of who Emily Dickinson was and how familiar we were with her poetry. As a way of bringing this journey to a close we thought we would reassess our opinions of Dickinson and her work, reflecting on what it is we have learned through attending these great events.
Jason:
I began this project with one question in mind, “Why Emily Dickinson?!” and after a month and a half of presentations, plays, poetry slams, music, community talks, and chats with event coordinators I think I have found my answer. My answer is this; Emily Dickinson is a strange mystery. Although we have over 1700 poems, and even more manuscripts of letters, and telegraphs she still eludes our understanding. I think this is what made her stand out from her poetic peers during the 19th century. She is shrouded in mystery that people in her time were intrigued by, and almost 150 years later we are still fascinated by her.
Although I am still critical of her poetry, I have an immeasurable respect for her, the impact she has left, and the poets that she has inspired. The example she has made is astounding and awe inspiring. In my mind, Emily’s poetry is important because of the mystery of its author. I feel that I have learned so much, and learned to appreciate more of what I do not know. Because Dickinson is such a mystery that we know so much, and so little, about I feel that what I took away from the Big Read is a rich and overwhelming knowledge of the community that Emily helped create. A community that loves poetry and literature, a community that, I think Emily would agree is much more important than any one author. So in the end I have to say, “Why not Emily Dickinson?!”
Heather:
Originally I knew very little about Emily Dickinson as either a poet or a person. Engaging with the events put on as a part of this year's Big Read has greatly widened my knowledge of Dickinson's legacy. The mystery that surrounds this widely talked about figure has kept me interested in finding out more and more about her, something which will stick with me even though this project has come to a close.
I fell lucky to have learned so much about one literary figure, but still wonder as to why this specific female poet from the 19th century has maintained so much fame while other writers from her time go relatively unknown. Hopefully I have come out of this with the ability to critically think about the debates surrounding an author and how to keep the author connected to their work rather than thinking of them as separate entities.
Jayson:
Coming into this project I had been exposed to Emily Dickinson's work just enough to be intrigued to learn more. I was interested. I was energized by the prospect of engaging her work through a community based effort. I was also engaged by the opportunity to learn that had presented itself. From the very first event, right down to the very last that I had attended, I learned more and more about Emily Dickinson and her writing. I can say, with all honesty, that I now have a deep admiration and love for her writing. I feel that I have gained such an intimacy with her words, and have found them to be incredibly relevant to my life. After enough events, after hearing people read her poems over and over, there was a certain type of pleasure in hearing my favorites-I'm nobody! Who are you? I felt a funeral in my brain. Wild nights - Wild Nights! Time after time, and every time, I learned something new about Emily Dickinson, these lines became saturated with meaning for me. However, what I was most surprised by during the course of this project was the overwhelming community support. People came out, and they came excited and eager to learn. I was surprised in the enthusiasm expressed by individuals who decided to come together in support of reading and literacy initiatives. It was a powerful thing to see faces at more than one event, to become familiar with certain people through these events, and to see the support the Big Read received from the surrounding community. I can't believe I hadn't participated in previous years, and I definitely will encourage underclassmen to go to next year's events.
Taking inspiration from Emily Dickinson's love of baking, we thought we would try our hands in the kitchen with some of Dickinson's recipes. The three of us baked both her Gingerbread and Coconut Cake. While we didn't have antique sifters on hand nor did we churn our own butter, I think our replicas were quite delicious. It was an interesting experience to find ourselves using the recipes a past American poet had written, especially after having learnt so much about her life over the past weeks.
If you get the chance, I suggest you give her recipes a try as well. We would love to hear about your adventures baking with Dickinson!
-Heather
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Emily Dickinson Poetry Slam in Varying Perspectives
A few weeks ago SUNY Fredonia hosted an Emily Dickinson Poetry Slam which was well attended and well received. For the first time all three of us were able to attend, all taking on different roles at the event. We thought this gave us a unique opportunity to share our impressions of this event from our varying perspectives.
Jason (a judge): At my first poetry slam I was an audience member, so I thought it would be beneficial to be more active from a different perspective. Being a judge was a wonderful experience. I found myself in a place where I was much more critical of the poems and presentations. I felt like I was able to appreciate the poetry in a much more academic and analytical way than I could ever be as an audience member. What I was most surprised by was that I felt a similar level of engagement as a judge as I did an audience member. A poetry slam allows everyone to be active and involved, either judging the poetry or trying to sway the opinions of the judge. Poetry slams are a great representation of the beauty and unity that can be brought by literature, and also the love that still exists for literature today.
Heather (an audience member): This was my first ever poetry slam and it definitely has sparked in me an interest to attend future slams. From the perspective of an audience member hearing other people read their own work was very intriguing and it felt as if you got a glimpse into their very personal lives, I cannot fathom the amount of courage it would take to put yourself into a place of vulnerability in front of both strangers and friends. I felt inadequate as a writer in the best way possible, and was inspired to start writing more even if no one else will ever hear it. Getting to hear other people read Emily Dickinson's poetry out loud was very beneficial. The tone or inflection they used gave these poems, no matter how short, new life and had me thinking about them in ways I hadn't previously when on my own.
Jayson (a participant): Participating wasn't something I planned on taking on at this slam. The idea just kind of hit me last second, and I thought it would be a good way to support my friends and their event. I rushed to a printer right before the slam started and I printed out a couple of pieces I had written which were gathering dust on my computer. At first, reading was terrifying (I don't know how anyone does it). Slowly, though, my nerves began to settle. As long as I focused on my breath and on my shoes I knew I could get through the words I was holding in my hands. Overall, it was a really positive experience in that I've never shared anything I have written with anyone in such a public way. I have never "read" for a group of people. It was affirming to be able to open up to strangers and friends alike, and to know that I would still be alive on the other side of reading.
An Audio-Documentary: "A Little Madness in the Spring: The Life and Work of Emily Dickinson"
As part of the Big Read program Jason Paton and Andrew Tomidy put together an audio-documentary about Emily Dickinson, entitled “A Little Madness in the Spring: The Life and Work of Emily Dickinson”. Not only does it features readings of some of the poems featured in the booklet "The Poetry of Emily Dickinson," but it also included expert analysis of her works and insight into Dickinson's life and the world she lived in.
One purpose of this audio, which featured soothing background instrumentals that brought to life that 19th century feel, was to break the misconceptions that weigh down our imagining of Emily Dickinson. While she did keep to her house the majority of her life, she wasn't as lonely as we might think. She exchanged letters with many friends and relatives, including her sister-in-law who lived in the house right next door.
Information about Dickinson's time at school, her dynamic with her father, the losses she suffered, those famous dashes, and feelings of longing were all included in the analysis. Another topic of interest was the issues that arise with publishing the poetry of a poet who earnestly did not want fame or publication. The question of how we rectify this disparity every time we read some of her work, how publishing her very personal poetry is a sort of violation to her wishes, was raised. A suggested solution was to keep this information in the back of our minds as we read and appreciate Emily Dickinson.
If you haven't had a chance, I highly suggest you take the thirty-eight minutes to give this great collaboration a listen, you won't regret it!
-Heather
The Big Read: Miami Stories Blog
These Miami Stories are being collected by The Center for Literature and Theatre as part of The Big Read 2014. To learn more, and to submit your own story, visit our Big Read site.
Respect By Brenda Mezick I knew things were going to be strange in my first year as an Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County when a defense attorney came up to me during court and asked me to spell my full name. “Is that the exact spelling?” he said pushing his legal pad in my face. “It has to be exact.” “Why?” “My client’s family wants it.” When he came back and asked for a strand of my hair, I was bewildered. “Absolutely not,” I said. A few moments later, I felt a sharp yank at the back of my head. “Owwww. WHAT THE ….” The defense attorney, a licensed member of the Florida Bar, walked the strand of my hair to the Defendant’s family. I had been violated, but why? A Cuban American prosecutor nearby whispered the word “Santeria.” It was all he would say. Over the years when I asked other Cubans about Santeria, I got the same tight-lipped reaction. One woman explained, “We might not believe, but we respect.” When I told a fellow prosecutor I thought the little cloth doll placed on his chair during trial was cool in a slasher film kind of way, he gave it to me. I found another outside the courthouse. I began to collect them even though they burned my hands a little when I touched them. Then one evening after a hearing involving defendants whose families were Santeros, I saw a three-foot life-like doll face-up in the gutter outside the courthouse. The detective who was walking me to my office politely ignored what became obvious the closer we got. It was an effigy of me. The detective lead me away, but I kept looking back at the doll. What do you do if a magical representation of you has been left lying in a gutter? Do you leave her there where cars could hit her? Do you pick her up? Or would that be like taking home the Bride of Chucky? I left her, but I wanted answers. I signed up for a Ritualistic Crime Investigation Class with the City of Miami Police Department. I learned not to pick up those little dolls with my bare hands. They’re usually covered in pulverized frog skin or urine. We went on field trips deep into the heart of Hialeah -- to graveyards and Botanicas, stores that sell magical items. The first was a combined Botanica and “pet store” for “pets” you want to sacrifice. The second Botanica looked like an apothecary out of Harry Potter. It specialized in Pahlo, the darkest, the most powerful of black magic. There were shelves of powders, potions, and dried plants. I came out of that store with a prosecutor’s protection kit, complete with beads, potions, and a piece of tree bark that was supposed to heighten my powers of persuasion. I was ready to battle the supernatural. Two years later, I prosecuted a Pahlo high priest. He was said to have cured cancer and made the lame walk. I charged him with the sexual battery of his step-daughter. He had molested the child from age six to twelve. When the child’s autistic little sister began obsessively drawing herself being chased by spirits and being lifted to heaven by angels, the family became convinced it was the Pahlo priest sending a warning. They had confidence in me, but they weren’t taking chances. They brought in a specialist to dismantle an altar in the priest’s backyard. The altar featured an assembly of black cauldrons. That’s where the spirits are housed. They were guarded over by life-size statues, including Siete Rayos, the diety of war, with action-figure sword accessory. It was the same sword the child had watched the Pahlo priest hold to her mother’s throat. The child was allowed to testify by closed circuit TV, but strange things happened. First there were technical difficulties with the closed circuit system. When we finally got reception, the child froze in fear and wouldn’t answer my questions. Then, while she was testifying, an electrical power surge raised the clerk’s table and the Judge’s bench off the floor like a wave . One of the jurors gave me a look like “NO WAY.” I turned to the Pahlo priest. He smiled. Now, he’s doing a life sentence. I’m not sure if the protective powder I dabbed behind my ears, or the bark I chewed that morning had any effect on the outcome of the trial. But even if I don’t believe, I too have learned to respect.
