EDIS members may know that the largest constituency of our members outside the United States is in Japan. One week after the earthquake/tsunami catastrophe, in the morning issue of Japan's biggest new-paper, Asahi Shimbun, Emily Dickinson was
quoted in its most popular column: "Unto a broken heart/ No other one may go/ Without the high prerogative/ Itself hath suffered too" (J1704/ Fr1745). We are currently raising funds to send aid to Japan and want to share with you a statement from the Emily Dickinson Society of Japan.

"The current executive secretary of the Emily Dickinson Society of Japan Nobuko Shimomura, the president Naoki Onishi, and the former president Hiroko Uno are happy to tell you that nobody of our society has been injured or has had any damage by the earthquake or tsunami, since most members live in Tokyo area or in western part of Japan. Only Tomoko Sato, who is in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, and Yoriko Kimura, who is in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, were in the area of the quake and tsunami, but we have found they are all right.

"Now the Emily Dickinson Society of Japan is also thinking of a donation for the suffering people in Tohoku area or the northern part of the mainland Honshu, where the huge earthquake and tsunami attacked. We are going to discuss the matter at the annual meeting of the society to be held in June, and will do a campaign to send the donation through the Red Cross Society of Japan or UNICEF to the people of Tohoku area."

In tandem with EDSJ, EDIS is also raising funds to send to Japan, and to date we have raised $1600 of our $2000 goal for April 15th. We are asking our members who are so moved to please send whatever they can to James Fraser, Treasurer, at 159 Prospect St., Unit 7, Acton, MA 01720. We will then send a check on behalf of EDIS to the American Red Cross that will be directed specifically to aid the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan--https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?5052.donation=form1&df_id=5....