Staff Pick
I grew up reading the poems of Dickinson. She was one of the first poets I fell in love with, and much of her work has shaped how I view and write about the world to this day. I knew that there had been turmoil on the road to getting her works published, but I never knew quite how much until now. This book is a must-read for any fan of Emily and her work. Recommended By Rachel J., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Emily Dickinson may be the most widely read and beloved of all American poets, but the story behind her work's initial, posthumous publication in 1890 and the mother-and-daughter team most responsible for her enduring legacy are barely known.
After Emily recounts the extraordinary lives of Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham, and the powerful literary legacy they shared. Mabel's complicated relationships with the Dickinsons--including her thirteen-year extramarital affair with Emily's brother, Austin--roiled the small town of Amherst, Massachusetts. Mabel and Austin's love led to her work with Emily Dickinson's poetry, which inspired both Mabel's life and her daughter's, and fed controversies over the poetry's promotion, editing, and ownership. Julie Dobrow has unearthed hundreds of primary sources to tell this compelling narrative and reveal the surprising impact Mabel and Millicent had on the Emily Dickinson we know today.
Synopsis
Despite Emily Dickinson's world renown, the story of the two women most responsible for her initial posthumous publication--Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham--has remained in the shadows of the archives. A rich and compelling portrait of women who refused to be confined by the social mores of their era, After Emily explores Mabel and Millicent's complex bond, as well as the powerful literary legacy they shared.
Mabel's tangled relationships with the Dickinsons--including a thirteen-year extramarital relationship with Emily's brother, Austin--roiled the small town of Amherst, Massachusetts. After Emily's death, Mabel's connection to the family and reputation as an intelligent, artistic, and industrious woman in her own right led her to the enormous trove of poems Emily left behind. So began the herculean task of transcribing, editing, and promoting Emily's work, a task that would consume and complicate the lives of both Mabel and her daughter. As the popularity of the poems grew, legal issues arose between the Dickinson and Todd families, dredging up their scandals: the affair, the ownership of Emily's poetry, and the right to define the so-called "Belle of Amherst."
Utilizing hundreds of overlooked letters and diaries to weave together the stories of three unstoppable women, Julie Dobrow explores the intrigue of Emily Dickinson's literary beginnings. After Emily sheds light on the importance of the earliest editions of Emily's work--including the controversial editorial decisions made to introduce her singular genius to the world--and reveals the surprising impact Mabel and Millicent had on the poet we know today.