“Fame is a Bee”: Creative Pedagogy with Dickinson

Terry Blackhawk, InsideOut Literary Arts Project, Detroit

Beginning with “I’m Nobody. Who are You?” a group of public school teachers in Merida, Mexico had their first encounter with Emily Dickinson in January 2013. Participants in a creative pedagogy seminar series at Habla: Institute for Language and Culture read poems in English and in translation, were introduced to Dickinson’s biography, considered videos and works of art inspired by Dickinson’s poetry, wrote their own poetry, and created collages reflecting their experience with the poet. The workshop presented participants with artwork and videos created during two recent Dickinson-focused Big Read projects – one sponsored by InsideOut Literary Arts Project in Detroit in 2011; and in 2012 by Kore Press in Tucson, Arizona. “Fame is a Bee” will discuss the elements of this workshop and present lesson plans, contemporary works of art inspired by Dickinson, and samples of student writing and video created in response to Dickinson’s life and work.