Your Host - The Emily Dickinson Museum and Amherst College
The Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens is the host for "Emily Dickinson: Person, Poetry, and Place." As the site where Dickinson conceived and wrote her poetry, the Museum is uniquely positioned to provide a stimulating and inspiring Workshop that examines, literally and contextually, Emily Dickinson's “world.”
The Museum consists of two historic houses in the center of Amherst, Massachusetts, closely associated with the poet Emily Dickinson and members of her family during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The two houses, and the three acres they share, increasingly defined her geographic world as she matured. The Homestead (built ca. 1813) was the poet's birthplace and home for forty years. Intensely reclusive later in life, Dickinson wrote virtually all of her 1800 poems there. The Evergreens was built for Austin Dickinson, Emily's older brother, and his wife, Susan, in 1856. Located just west of the Homestead, The Evergreens preserves an integral part of the poet's intimate world and remains as it was when Austin Dickinson's family lived in it.
The Museum is owned by Amherst College, located just two blocks from the Museum. Founded in 1821 as a nonsectarian institution for "the education of indigent young men of piety and talents," Amherst College is now widely regarded as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the nation, enrolling a diverse group of approximately 1,600 young men and women. During the week, you will be housed and fed at the College. All Workshop activities will take place on the College campus, at the Museum, or in the town of Amherst, all within easy walking distance of one another.
The Amherst Area and Western Massachusetts
Amherst and the Connecticut River Valley in which it is located offer a wealth of natural, cultural, and historical resources to enjoy! Although we will keep you busy during the Workshop week, you may wish to explore our area either before or after the Workshop.
In addition to the Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst College owns the Mead Art Museum and the Amherst College Natural History Museum. Amherst is also home to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the National Yiddish Book Center. The Norwottuck Rail Trail, with access from Amherst College, allows for a scenic run, walk, or bike ride. The following web sites provide more information about the area: