MuseFlashes

Published on May 16, 2008

Dickinson Poetry Walk held Saturday

Amherst College's Emily Dickinson Museum hosts its annual Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Dickinson Homestead at 280 Main St. in Amherst.

The route will take in historic Amherst sites significant to the poet, including the train station, the Amherst History Museum and the site of Dickinson's girlhood home on North Pleasant Street, before concluding with a non-alcoholic toast to Dickinson at West Cemetery on Triangle St, where the walk ends at 2:30 p.m. Held each year on the Saturday closest to Dickinson's May 15 death in 1886, the walk is free and open to the public at any point along the route.

This year the event features readings of poetry by 24 area teachers who participated in a yearlong, museum-sponsored workshop on teaching the poetry of Emily Dickinson. But, as in years past, all walkers are welcome to read.

An open house at the Dickinson Homestead follows the walk, with free self-guided tours from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Emily Dickinson Museum, which includes the Dickinson Homestead at 280 Main St., home of the poet, and The Evergreens, at 282 Main St., home of the poet's brother, Austin, are open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a choice of introductory or in-depth tours. For more information call 542-8161, or visit www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

Morris Dancers gather to welcome spring in Vermont

On Memorial Day weekend, 150 Morris dancers and musicians from the U.S. and Canada will converge on southern Vermont to welcome spring with, literally, all the bells and whistles.

Morris is a street-dancing tradition tracing its roots to England. Typically Morris "teams" perform outdoors in groups of four, six or eight, accompanied by one or more musicians on fiddle, concertina, penny whistle or small drums. Most "teams" dress in white with distinctive accent colors on vests, sashes or other accessories. Many affix bells to their legs. Some dramatize their arm movements by waving big white handkerchiefs. Shakespeare is said to have loved Morris dancing and it was old in his day.

"Morris dancing is associated with fertility, with spring and green-growing things," dancer David Nixon told the Bulletin awhile back, "and that's what we try to bring - prosperity, fertility and good luck."

Nixon is a member of the Amherst Juggler Meadow Morris team, which will join The Marlboro Morris Men, also based in Amherst, and a dozen other teams at the 33rd annual Marlboro Morris Ale, dancing in and around Brattleboro May 24 and 25. On Saturday, May 24, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., they will dance at various locations in and around Main Street, with a performance by all teams on Elliot Street and the junction of Main Street at 5 p.m. On Sunday, May 25, there will be performances in several small towns in southern Vermont, with a group show by all teams at the Common in Newfane, Vt. at 5 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public and take place rain or shine.

Spoken-word open mic at Hadley farm

Poets and other writers, musicians and artists are invited to share their arts at an Open Mic for the Spoken Word Sunday at the Food Bank Farm in Hadley.

The event, held from 3 to 5 p.m. in the great room of the farmhouse at 121 Bay Road, is hosted by Equinox, an annual literary journal published by Booksmyth Press in Shelburne Falls. Sign-ups begin at 2:30 p.m.

The open mic is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served. For more information about the event or Equinox, call Booksmyth owner Maureen Moore at (413) 625-6728, or visit the Web site www.thebooksmyth.com.

Longsworth honored for service to museum

Independent Dickinson scholar Polly Longsworth, a member of the board of governors of Amherst College's Emily Dickinson Museum, will receive the school's Medal for Eminent Service during its commencement exercises on May 25. The award is presented to a member of the Amherst community who has given extraordinary service to the college.

Longsworth began her involvement with Amherst's Emily Dickinson Museum in 2003, when she became the founding chair of its board of governors.

First the chair of the Evergreens, the home of Dickinson's brother, Austin, and sister-in-law Susan, she oversaw its merger with the Dickinson Homestead, birthplace of the poet, to create what is now the Emily Dickinson Museum. She led the launch of its first capital campaign and the development of a master plan that serves as the long-range blueprint for restoration and improvement of the museum's buildings and grounds.

In addition to her work with the museum, Longsworth has studied the life and writing of Dickinson for many years. She is the author of the book "Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair and Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd" as well as three other Dickinson books. At present she is working on a comprehensive biography of the poet.

A longtime Amherst resident, Longsworth now lives in Royalston with her husband, Charles R. Longsworth.

Egypt is topic of talk at Leverett Library

Sights and stories of Egypt will be on the agenda next Wednesday evening in Leverett as the Leverett Library hosts the next program in its continuing Leverett Travel Series. Joyce and Lloyd Hannula of Westminster will speak and show pictures of their travels to Egypt on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the library at 75 Montague Road.

The couple made their first foray outside the United States - to the Caribbean - in 1973, and have since touched down on all seven continents. Their talk on Egypt is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

Starkweather exhibit at Ethel Moore Gallery in Amherst

Alia Starkweather's love of painting and the islands led her to transform her kitchen into a lush tropical scene. "My whole kitchen is a rainforest," she told the Bulletin awhile back.

But for those who don't make the short list for an invite into her Belchertown home, an exhibit of her work can be seen through June at the Ethel Moore Gallery in the Amherst Senior Center at the Bangs Community Center.

The eclectic collection of acrylics, oils and watercolors on view reflects her love of lushness and color, but she says the best part of painting is the doing of it. "I'm a spinning sort of person," she said, "so sitting still and painting is a good thing."