EDIS at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association convention; Jacksonville, Florida; November 4-6, 2016

“Dystopic Dickinson. Or Is It Utopic Dickinson?”

Decades of criticism have revealed many—often contradictory—Dickinsons: a skeptic or a devout Christian? A Civil War poet or an isolated genius ahead of her time? A poet who truly believed “Publication” to be the “Auction / Of the Mind of Man” or a manuscript poet guided by Emerson’s notion of “Verses of the Portfolio”? A writer of intensely personal lyrics or a master manipulator of assumptions regarding the poetic “I”? Dickinson’s ability to explore, convey, and develop such opposing spheres leaves us all always dwelling “in Possibility.” The Emily Dickinson International Society panel invites creative and critical projects that explore the contradictions—the dystopias and the utopias—that live within Dickinson’s work. By July 15, 2016, please submit a CV, a description of your project, and any A/V requirements to Trisha Kannan at tk1139@gmail.com.