I'm working on a YA novel involving a serial killer and one heck of a lot of Emily Dickinson references. (No, I'm not writing Dickinson into the role of serial killer. Sorry. That's too weird even for me.)
Anyway. I checked this out from the library because I'm reading a full-length biography of ED and it's good but a little overwhelmingly analytical at times. I wanted a good brief overview. I figured this book would be a basic, even generic look at Dickinson's life and work
I was kind of a judgmental jerk, it turns out. This book is a
great brief overview, and it's anything but generic. I learned so much, and I'm everlastingly grateful to Wendy Martin for tipping me off to what I'll call Dickinson's Irish connection. It gave me an idea for a future YA novel.
If you're interested in Dickinson's life or work but don't want to make a career out of learning about her, or have always wondered why different collections have different versions of what's supposedly the same Dickinson poem, read this book. (Yes, I took a long time to finish it, but only because I was taking copious notes.)