Keynote speaker Alexandra Socarides, associate professor of English at the University of Missouri, will discuss 19th century poetry as part of The Big Read series on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House located at 9 Church St.
During her talk, 鈥淟ayers of Erasure: Emily Dickinson and the Problems of Recovery,鈥 Socarides will describe the ways in which women鈥檚 poetry was everywhere in the 19th century and explore a new explanation for its erasure from literary history. It is believed that Emily Dickinson remains the only 19th century American woman poet to be taught in high schools and colleges as well as read by a general and robust audience.
It is free event and open to the public.
Socarides teaches American poetry, the history of poetics, and 19th century literature and culture. Her first book, 鈥淒ickinson Unbound: Paper, Process, Poetics,鈥 was published by Oxford University Press in 2012. She has received fellowships from the American Antiquarian Society, the Huntington Library, and Winterthur to work on her next book, which is about 19th century American women鈥檚 poetry and its subsequent 鈥渆rasure鈥 from literary history. She has recently become a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books, where she writes a regular column, 鈥淭he Poems (We Think) We Know.鈥
In addition, Dr. Socarides will discuss the works of Emily Dickinson on Thursday, April 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m at the Patterson Library at 40 S. Portage St., Westfield.
The talk, 鈥溾橨ust How the Fingers Hurried鈥: Emily Dickinson and Poetry Making,鈥 will explore how reading Emily Dickinson鈥檚 poems with a variety of questions in mind gives new access to her work. The event is free and open to the public.
The Big Read supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. Daniel A. Reed Library at SUNY Fredonia, in cooperation with the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System and the National Endowment for the Arts, selected The Poetry of Emily Dickinson for this year's Big Read. Co-sponsors include the Mary Louise White Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation and the Department of English.
For more information contact Emily VanDette, associate professor of English, at emily.vandette@fredonia.edu.
