Chris Benfey to Lecture May 1

Christopher Benfey, Mellon Professor of English and Five College Fortieth Anniversary Professor, will deliver the Jackie M. Pritzen Lecture Tuesday, May 1, at 4:30 pm in the New York Room of Mary Woolley Hall. Titled "A Summer of Hummingbirds: Emily Dickinson, Martin Johnson Heade, and the Summer of 1882," the lecture is based on his forthcoming book about the surprising relationships among a galaxy of artists and writers--including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain, and Dickinson. Benfey will discuss his research into several intriguing events that took place in and around Amherst, Massachusetts, during the summer of 1882. He will explore how hummingbirds became a compelling symbol for artists and writers of the period and how a visit to Amherst by the hummingbird painter Heade might have affected Dickinson's poetry.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture.

Related Link:

Christopher Benfey - Faculty Profile