457 The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson's Editor (The Thomas Wentworth Higginson Story) | PLUS Making (Book) Dreams Come True (with Eve Yohalem and Julie Sternberg)

The History of Literature

Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1823-1911) has become famous as the man who in 1862 encouraged young contributors to submit to his magazine - and who received in reply four poems from an unknown woman in Amherst, who asked whether he thought her verses were alive. Her name, of course, was Emily Dickinson, and Higginson recognized her genius immediately. But there was more to the Higginson story than just his relationship with one of America's greatest poets. He was also a member of the antislavery group known as "The Secret Six," and during the Civil War, he was colonel of the First South Carolina Volunteers, a regiment consisting of former slaves. In this episode, Jacke takes a look at the two sides of this unassuming but astonishing man.

PLUS Jacke is visited by Eve Yohalem and Julie Sternberg (hosts of the podcast Book Dreams), who are working to fund a bookmobile that will deliver free books to children in need this holiday season. Learn more about how you can help at https://www.bookdreamsinc.org.

Additional listening suggestions:

• 437 A Million Miracles Now - "A Bird, came down the Walk" by Emily Dickinson
• 120 The Astonishing Emily Dickinson
• 418 "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson

And from the Book Dreams Podcast!

• Native Americans and Comedy
• A Harvard Professor, a Con Man, and the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/shop. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature.

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