By Topic
You may be using an older version of the Adobe Flash Player.
To enjoy multimedia content on WGBH.org, please
click here to upgrade to the latest version of the free Flash player.
Emily Dickinson: My Wars Are Laid Away in Books
October 9, 2002
Alfred Habegger writer, independent scholar
One of America's greatest poets, Emily Dickinson remains largely an enigma. Alfred Habegger, author of The Father: A Life of Henry James, Sr., sheds new light on Dickinson in his biography, My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson.
In his new book, Habegger probes provocative questions: Was she a lesbian? Why did she refuse to publish her poetry, and why was this refusal so integral to her work? Using legal archives, congregational records and previously unpublished fragments of Dickinson's own letters, Habegger provides a rare personal glimpse into Dickinson's troubled brilliance and shows how Dickinson tuned her "voice" and turned her personal life into a work of art.
Adelaide Aitken | Authors | Biographies | Rose McMurray | Profiles | Fiction | Poetry | Writing Process
Author: Alfred Habegger
Publisher: Modern Library (2002)
Binding: Paperback, 800 pages
Author: Alfred Habegger
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press (2001)
Binding: Paperback, 608 pages
Login or register to post comments

