The Extraordinary Story of the Mother and Daughter who Brought Emily Dickinson’s Genius to Light.

 Julie Dobrow, Author of After Emily.

 Presented in Partnership with The Victorian Society New York. 

 Tuesday, April 2nd AT THE GENERAL SOCIETY LIBRARY.

The program starts at 6:30 P.M.  – Q&A, BOOK-SIGNING & RECEPTION TO FOLLOW.

Despite Emily Dickinson’s world renown, the story of the two Victorian women most responsible for her initial posthumous publication―Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham―have remained in the shadows of the archives.  In Julie Dobrow’sbook, After Emily: Two Remarkable Women and the Legacy of America’s Greatest Poet, she provides a rich and compelling portrait of these two women. In this program, Ms. Dobrow will explore their complex bond, as well as the powerful literary legacy they shared.

Mabel Loomis Todd’s tangled relationships with the Dickinsons―including a thirteen-year extramarital relationship with Emily Dickinson’s brother, Austin―roiled the small town of Amherst, Massachusetts. After Dickinson’s death, Loomis Todd’s connection to the family led her to the enormous trove of poems Emily left behind. So began the herculean task of transcribing, editing, and promoting Dickinson’s work, a task that would consume and complicate the lives of both Loomis Todd 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 Dickinson’s poetry, and the right to define the so-called “Belle of Amherst.”

After Emily sheds light on the importance of the earliest editions of Emily’ Dickinson’s work―including the controversial editorial decisions made to introduce her singular genius to the world―and reveals the surprising impact the Todds had on the poet we know today.

Julie Dobrowis Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at Tufts University in Medford, MA.

“Mesmerizing… If you’re interested in [Emily Dickinson], intellectual property issues, or juicy behind-the-scenes literary history, After Emily is your book.”
– Washington Post

 Free Admission. Advance Registration is necessary, please click here