You'll never read a book the same way again after "The Birth-mark"--you'll wonder about all the spaces, dashes, deletions and marginalia that didn't make it from manuscript to print. For Howe that's where the wild voices hide, dangerous figures like Anne Hutchinson, Mary Rowlandson and Emily Dickinson who threatened "civilized" male control. Howe samples texts like a hip-hop DJ, switching between voices to prove her point that editing was a typically male response to the wilderness that women (and the New World) represented.

Howe's passion for her subject is obvious, especially in the interview at the end. But the essays sometimes felt to me at least more like a display of cleverness than an effort to understand the figures she writes about. Like Charles Olson's "Call Me Ishmael," Howe's model, "The Birth-mark" squats a little uneasily between scholarship and poetry. The poet's own voice and sense of style tend to muffle the more distant Puritan voices, male and female, she's out to recover. Maybe this is the danger of not editing one's voice as a historian. Still, I'm glad I read this book--yet another reminder of what doesn't get into history and why.

For those who have read Susan Howe's poetry and marvelled at, but did not fully understand it, this book is compelling in its explanatory power. The quotations in the preface alone are worth the price of admission, for it is here than one can see how impressive is her understanding of Emily Dickinson's writing. By exposing the manuscript story behind Dickinson's works, Susan Howe has made a lasting contribution to American literature. Her essay on Cotton Mather is a charmer, certain to drive readers to find a copy of his Magnalia. The essay Incloser is a stylistic dynamo. There is also an interview with the author that sheds new light on her works.

But what will make this book immortal is Susan Howe's essay These Flames and Generosities of the Heart: Emily Dickinson and the Illogic of Sumptuary Values. To anyone who has read Emily Dickinson's poems in a "standard" or "variorum" edition of any sort, this book is a must, because you will soon learn that you have not, in fact, been reading Dickinson's words, but instead an editor's (inaccurate) version of them (whether Johnson or Franklin). Susan Howe demonstrates with a clarity and perception unmatched by any editor how the only way to understand and fully appreciate Emily Dickinson is by reading her manuscripts, some of which are reproduced in this book. And the manuscripts only make one appreciate more intensely the achievement of Emily Dickinson. If you've read Susan Howe's My Emily Dickinson, you must buy this book, as it completes the true story. It is a staggering achievement that will long be remembered as a landmark event in the understanding of America's greatest poet. American academia owes Susan Howe a debt of incalculable magnitude for this essay alone.

(Note on the other review of this book: how anyone can give this book fewer than 5 stars is a mystery. Susan Howe is a marvelous storyteller with a breadth of interests that cannot fail to intrigue even the most casual reader.)

The collection is inspired and intriguing. The range of emotions created in readers by the poetry of Emily Dickinson is demonstrated through the variety of thematic works presented. From the humorous (Emily Dickinson Attends a Writing Workshop, and Emily Dickinson's To-Do List) to the introspective (The Deconstruction of Emily Dickinson), to the wishful (Emily Dickinson, Bismarck and the Roadrunner's Inquiry)--each gem is carefully chosen by the authors. If the reader is not familiar with Dickinson's work, this book will inspire a thorough reading of her poems. For those who know her work, the recognition of the power of her work will bring knowing smiles and memories. A note to the previous reviewer: the Billy Collins' poem, Taking Off Emily Dickinson's Clothes, is included in the collection (p. 13-14).

An interesting thematic collection that sometimes is a homage to Emily and at other times (As in X.J. Kennedy's poem) gently pokes at the Emily cult. It seems that almost all poets pass through her writing at some point and at least take a sip if not a full glass. They really should have included Billy Collins' poem "Undressing Emily" which is funny, sad and, I think, lovingly done.

As a lay person, knowing more of Roger Lundin's academic reputation than of Emily Dickinson's life and work, I was intimidated by the prospect of reading his biography of the poet, "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief." However, as the foreword assures us, this book is not meant for the "cognoscenti" alone, but for us "uninitiated outsiders" as well. And as the departing shore of the book's introduction became faint, I found only the calm seas and smooth sailing of a real page turner. I was soon fascinated by Dickinson's enigmatic life as Lundin carefully unfolded the practical details of her life in nineteenth century Amherst, as well as her development as a poet, an intellectual, and a religious thinker in an era on the edge of modernity. One of the most poignant themes in the book was Dickinson's progressive reclusiveness--and for all the reasons Lundin gives for it, I wasn't completely satisfied until the very last chapter. A surprising dimension of the book is the discussion of Emily's political, cultural, and religious milieu--which we eventually come to learn is key to understanding Dickinson's discomfiting questions and world view. The only fault I find in the book is not at Lundin's hand, but Emily herself. Though she leaves us in awe of her literary genius and spiritual sensitivity, her seemingly selfish reclusiveness and her failure to ever clearly declare the state of her soul left me feeling sorry for her. Although I have been taught never to judge in these matters, as a Christian I can't help but wonder, "was she or wasn't she?" Did she ever make the leap of faith? Lundin never gives us a definitive "yes" or "no," but yet gives enough data that we can make our own educated determination. I only hope that when I have "forded the mystery" and turn the corner of Heaven, I will find Emily at the feet of Jesus, having set aside her pondering pen, happy and content to finally be a bride. "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief" gives me that much hope

This piece has been an inspriration for me as a student poet. It gave rise to many of my poetry. The piece offers an innovative experience and endless possiblities and appraoches to poetry.

EMILY DICKINSON: A COLLECTION OF CRITICAL ARTICLES. Edited by Judith Farr. New Century Views. 268 pages. Upper Saddle River, NJ: 1996. ISBN 0-13-033524-X (pbk).

After an interesting, informative, and vigorously written Introduction by Judith Farr, eighteen articles of varying quality follow. Of the eighteen, at least eight are definitely worth reading. From these eight, the reader comes away with an enhanced appreciation of ED's work, with a better idea of how to go about reading and understanding her poems, and in awe of her giant sensibility.

Most of the remaining essays, unfortunately, seem to a greater or lesser extent to share the same defect. They have been written from either a Christian or feminist perspective, and seem determined at all costs to find ways of making ED fit the procrustean beds of their respective ideologies. As such they end up telling us much more about their writers than about ED, and I personally found many of them unreadable.

There are so many today who seem determined to reduce ED, to cut her down to their own diminished size and rope her in for their particular cause, so many partisans who are desperately pretending: "In fact, you know, Emily Dickinson is really one of us!" ED, it is stridently affirmed, was an American, a Christian, and a female poet of the 19th century. But we all know that there were many such poets. And where are they now? Who is reading them? No-one. And if that's all ED had been I don't think anyone today would be reading her either.

ED escaped all bounds. She was, in a sense, not an 'American,' certainly not a 'Christian,' and not even a 'woman.' She was a human being immersed like all of us in the human condition, and speaking to us out of that condtion in a way no-one has ever spoken before. "Truth is so rare a thing," she once said, and her poems offer us that commodity in abundance, irrespective of our nationality, religion, or gender.

Relevant here is the indignant remark of Georgia O'Keefe which Judith Farr quotes in her fine Introduction: "I am not a _woman_ artist, I am an Artist." Farr comments: "True art, as Dickinson herself suggests . . . finally escapes categories: national, temporal, sexual" (p.15, italics in original). In other words, as a poet, ED addresses herself, not to that which divides us, but to our shared humanity.

Besides Judith Farr, I think that of the critics in the present collection at least eight others would probably agree with this. The general excellence and unbiased quality of their pieces make this collection well worth having:

Richard Wilbur, for his extremely interesting "Sumptuous Destitution," (a piece which is immediately followed by a rather weak and unconvincing feminist riposte).

Cynthia Griffin Wolff, for her Bakhtinian '[Im]pertinent Constructions of the Body and Self.'

Suzanne Juhasz, for her stimulating "The Landscape of the Spirit."

David Porter, for his 'Strangely Abstracted Images,' an extract from his The Modern Idiom (1981).

Cristanne Miller, for her 'Dickinson's Experimental Grammar: Nouns and Verbs,' an extract from her Emily
Dickinson: A Poet's Grammar (1987).

Kamilla Denman, for her superb 'Emily Dickinson's Volcanic Punctuation.'

Judy Jo Small, for her 'A Musical Aesthetic,' an extract from her Positive as Sound (1990).

Jerome McGann, for his brief but important 'Emily Dickinson's Visible Language.' I was particularly impressed by this as it seems to me to demonstrate conclusively the pressing need for an edition of ED's poems that would finally respect her lineation.

I've owned this book from a long time ago and I still enjoy it. Focusing on Dickinson's life as a poet and the irony of publication times (her poems were discovered only after she passed away) this is a book that fans of poetry and fans of Emily will love.

What sets Emily Dickinson's poetry apart from that of her peers? How did Dickinson's education, family life, and religious struggles influence her poetry? Why did Dickinson dress only in white and confine herself to her home for the last 20 years of her life? The author ponders these questions and more in this short work written for middle school students. Included are some of Dickinson's poems, excerpts from her letters, and numerous illustrations of her friends, family and acquaintances.

Sure, it's dated (written in the 1930s) and Taggart fancies herself more of an auteur than a common chronicler which tends to grate on the nerves after a while. Her text sometimes runs off into flowery garbage that lends nothing the story she's telling. Taggart babbles at times. But she obviously adores Dickinson and her interest in the subject matters shines through even the melodramatic sap.

If you're a big Dickinson fan, then definitely try to read this book. You won't find out anything that has been covered in other biographies, but I think you'll enjoy Taggart's enthusiasm. I also enjoyed the non-linear manner she employed when she jumped back in forth in the time of Dickinson's life to tell her story.

My copy of this book is a worn hardcover edition. I doubt it ever made it to paperback.

"Emily Dickinson is Dead" is one book that I didn't enjoy out of the 4 on my summer reading list...what a slow beginning. The title made it seem like it was a book about Emily Dickinson, but instead it was about a conference to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her death.... that didn't include women and a fat girl who tried to kill a pretty one (who disappeared anyways) by burning down a building and who ended up being killed...what about Emily Dickinson HERSELF??? THAT'S who I thought the book was going to be about...not a bunch of confused people. I didn't expect it to be a biography or anything, just not what it was.

I chose the book because a friend is an Emily Dickinson fan, I'm a mystery fan, I was charmed by the author's sketches, and delighted by the snippets of Dickinson's poetry. What a fine discovery! The characters are complex, subtle, and interesting. The college town setting is vivid. The plot had unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. I learned something about the workings of dams and reservoirs, and I learned something about Emily Dickinson and her poetry, enough so I followed up "Emily Dickinson is Dead" by reading her biography. This was my first Jane Langton book. She has managed to do what a lot of writers only aspire to -- her writing is so transparent I forget the story and setting were coming to me through print on a page.

I have to totally disagree with the previous review. I found this Homer Kelly mystery refreshing and fully of marvelous characters full of human foibles. The descriptions were subtle but often verged on the hilarious. This is the book that hooked me on Jane Langton. It's too bad that the previous reader did not read the dust jacket before purchasing this book. It very clearly identifies itself as a mystery and not an study in Emily Dickinson. It's not surprising that she did not enjoy the book since it mocks stuffy Emily Dickinson scholars. But I found this book to be a skillfully written romp in weakness of human nature.

While Habegger does provide some original insight into Edward Dickinson, the majority of this book does not present new evidence or new interpretation. The documentation of sources is done terribly (it barely exists), which is not excusable in someone who is a scholar. I realize this book is not written for a scholarly audience, but with the recent problems Stephen Ambrose and Doris Kearns Goodwin have had, Habegger should have been much more careful. For the reader new to ED and wanting to know about her, this book will provide all the usual information. What is troubling is that there is a fair amount of speculative commentary provided that isn't well backed up, especially when it comes to ED's relationships with her sister-in-law and her parents. Quite a few assertions are stated as fact but don't have the evidence to back them up. This is the problem with a lot of Dickinson biographies--biographers (most of them scholars) don't seem to feel that it's necessary to explain that a lot of what they say is speculation and not fact; most casual readers won't know this and take everything that's said as not only fact, but fact provided by someone who really knows what they're talking about. Habegger knows more than many, but his material is not presented in a way that is acceptable scholarship because it's mostly his opinion with some quotations taken out of context.

There are also several factual errors, but I'm told these are being corrected for the paperback edition which is due out next month.

I began this book with trepidation, for I find myself slightly suspicious of literary biographies finding them to be either too sensationalized or reductive or too academic to be interesting to the average reader. This is a well-researched volume that does not read like a doctoral thesis. But Alfred Habegger manages to discover a delightful balance between scholarly research and public readability.

I adore Dickinson and was impressed with the manner in which Habegger handled his subject. He presents her with the complexity and intellectual approach toward she deserves. Emily Dickinson appears as neither the bizarre recluse nor a misunderstood sexual being of some of her previous biographies. If, as some readers have found, the poet appears a bit unresolved and incomplete, it is only because Mr. Habegger wisely chose NOT to sensationalize his book with unsubstantiated presumptions as to her personal life. I enjoyed the author's scholarly, non-sensationalist approach to Ms. Dickinson and found that it did not prevent me from "knowing her" as a person or subject.

One of Alfred Hebeggar's greatest strengths is his realization that no artist exists in a vacuum. He presents to his readers the complex outer world that inspired the poets rich inner world allowing us to draw many of our own conclusions. Meticulously researched and gently paced, the book is a journey not merely a chronicle of a single life. Instead, it is an insightful look at the entire Dickinsonian world of family, academics, and petty town politics. Habegger introduces the reader to the poet's entire extended family and the emotional movement within it. He allows the reader to truly see the social and political environment in which the poet lived. And that is fascinating in its own right.

Overall, I enjoyed the book very much and appreciate Alfred Hebeggar's unique ability to strike a balance scholarship and authorship. He is never condescending, yet he explains thoroughly. He treats the reader as an intelligent person with a mind eager for historical details and biographical accuracy and he treats his subject with respect and intellectual dignity. His book is academically valid without sacrificing the art of solid writing.

Beginning with Habegger's inspired choice of the title, from one of Dickinson's poems, this book is a comprehensive, respectful look at an enigmatic woman. Habegger fleshes out well the cast of characters in her self-limited sphere, so that we feel we know well her family members and friends of that Victorian era so different from our own. The poet herself remains somewhat elusive, but I thank Habegger for refusing to reduce her to psychological cliches. His book is refreshingly free of five-cent analyses, however tempting Dickinson's character might be for such dismissive summaries.

There is no doubt that Dickinson ranks as one of the greatest American poets, due to her concise, spare, whimsical, and cerebral approach. Personally, I have never warmed to her poetry as I sense something lacking. She elevates feeling above all, as do all the poets of the romantic period. Unlike her Puritan ancestors, for whom the greatest love was the love of God, her energies and attachments all flow both from, and toward, her own feelings. Like a moonstruck adolescent, she prefers her dreams of love to the actual presence of the loved one. From her decision to withdraw from the necessary order and balance of the outside world, comes this outpouring of intense feeling expressed in the large body of her work.

As a Lay Carmelite whose spiritual life has also been informed by Puritan ancestors, I praise the beauty of Dickinson's poems, but I cannot deny what seems to me their essential, self-referring shallowness. I know many will disagree with me and I do not disallow her position in the American canon.