AFTER EMILY
Two Remarkable Women and the Legacy of America's Greatest Poet
“Scandal and pathos abound” (The New Yorker) in this riveting account of the mother and daughter who brought Emily Dickinson’s genius to light.
Despite Emily Dickinson’s renown, the story of the two women most responsible for her initial posthumous publication—Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham—has remained in the shadows of the archives. Utilizing hundreds of overlooked letters and diaries to weave together three unstoppable women, Julie Dobrow reveals the intrigue of Dickinson’s literary beginnings, including Mabel’s tumultuous affair with Emily’s brother, Austin Dickinson, controversial editorial decisions, and a battle over the right to define the so-called Belle of Amherst.
“Scandal and pathos abound” (The New Yorker) in this riveting account of the mother and daughter who brought Emily Dickinson’s genius to light.
Despite Emily Dickinson’s renown, the story of the two women most responsible for her initial posthumous publication—Mabel Loomis Todd and her daughter, Millicent Todd Bingham—has remained in the shadows of the archives. Utilizing hundreds of overlooked letters and diaries to weave together three unstoppable women, Julie Dobrow reveals the intrigue of Dickinson’s literary beginnings, including Mabel’s tumultuous affair with Emily’s brother, Austin Dickinson, controversial editorial decisions, and a battle over the right to define the so-called Belle of Amherst.
- WW Norton
- Paperback
- December 2019
- 448 Pages
- 9780393357493
Buy the Book
$18.95
About Julie Dobrow
Julie Dobrow is a professor and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at Tufts University. Her writing has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine and the Huffington Post, among others. She lives outside of Boston.
Praise
“The entire nuanced and complicated story of Mabel Loomis Todd, Millicent Todd Bingham, and Emily Dickinson is ours at last in this diligently sourced and compellingly written history.” – Marianne Curling, Curator of the Amherst Historical Society
“Mesmerizing… If you’re interested in [Emily Dickinson], intellectual property issues, or juicy behind-the-scenes literary history, After Emily is your book.” – Michael Dirda, Washington Post
“[Julie] Dobrow’s intimate account reveals how decisively [Mabel and Millicent’s] efforts shaped perceptions of the white-clad recluse and her visionary poems. Scandal and pathos abound.”
– The New Yorker
“Elegantly and movingly told.… [Dobrow] has done an admirable job sifting through the detritus to distill the essence of these women, their work and the world they inhabited.” – Robert Weibezahl, BookPage
“After Emily situates the Todds in a richly documented, beautifully written, and persuasive family romance.” – Vivian Pollak, Emily Dickinson Journal