2018 Massachusetts Poetry Festival

"The absence of the Witch does not Invalidate the spell - "

As students of her poetry, green thumb, and times, we’ll explore Emily Dickinson’s familiarity with the plant world and the concept of witchcraft in tandem with 17th and 19th century New England history. We’ll trace the lineage and uses of several plants and herbs that Dickinson was familiar with - in literature, witchcraft, and medicine - revealing and teasing out the magic of this enigmatic individual and her poetic and botanical legacy amidst the backdrop of America's most notorious witch trials.