Massachusetts Books

This is a short but charming book from Amherst College Press, published for the centennial of Emily Dickinson?s 1886 death, edited with an introduction and manuscript comments by R. W. Franklin. Ralph Franklin is arguably the best current Dickinson manuscript scholar and also edited ?The Poems of Emily Dickinson?, to my eyes the current definitive edition of Dickinson.

The Master Letters are three letters, actually drafts of three letters, to a person Emily addresses as ?Master?. They are undated by Dickinson, but some sleuthing and careful handwriting analysis described in the introduction put them in a credible chronologic order. No other version of these letters or the other side of this correspondence is known. A wonderful mystery.

For decades only a fragment of one letter was known to the public, published with Dickinson poems because of the poetic qualities abundant in these letters. The full letters were suppressed, presumably because of their intimate emotional content. The mildest letter was published in 1931, the final two waited until 1955 for publication.

Because of Dickinson?s original and idiosyncratic use of punctuation, capitalization, and word and line spacing, it is currently fashionable to read Dickinson in the original, usually meaning reproductions of the handwritten originals. Standard print has no equivalent of her dashes of various lengths, for example. This text includes full page photographs of every page of the letters with a faithful printed version on the facing page. Plus, as a real treat, an insert envelope contains complete reproductions of all the original leaves. A beautiful touch. The hand of the author is very present in scratch outs, overwrites, and corrections - giving hints at Emily?s creative and editing process. The handwriting is clear and legible but takes some study to read fluidly.

I feel very close to Emily Dickinson reading and holding these letters. This text is a must for Dickinson fans, and will be appreciated by many bibliophiles and scholars.

Boston's Museum of Fine Arts contains one of the most pleasing permanent collections in America. This book is a fine sampler of some favorites among the paintings, lavishly reproduced in color and featuring intelligent commentaries about each one. Highlights include famous works by Sargent, Rembrandt, Munch, and Renoir, although you may also discover some hidden gems that you were not previously aware of. If you have ever visited the musuem, this book makes a fine souvenir. If you have not, it will certainly whet your appetite. For anyone intereted in art, or wishing to be, this makes a good gift.

The collaborative effort of the Plimoth Plantation, authors Peter Arenstam, John Kemp, and Catherine O'Neill Grace, and photographers Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson, Mayflower 1620: A New Look At A Pilgrim Voyage is a superb picture book retelling of history for young people, about the voyage of the Mayflower ship and the lives of the colonists who braved hardship for a new future. Gorgeous, full-color photographs capture reenactments of how life aboard the Mayflower was like, and the down-to-earth text presents the events of history in detail. An enthusiastically recommended and enthralling educational read, Mayflower 1620 is ideal for young readers seeking to broaden and improve their knowledge of American colonial history as well as their basic reading skills.

If you want information about the Mayflower passengers, this is the best book for that I have seen. It is not a history of the Pilgrims but rather a series of about 50 biographies on all the Mayflower families, each bio is anywhere between 1 to 20 pages. It is full of names and dates and places like a reference book but still reads like biographies making it interesting to genealogists and history buffs both. Very detailed and well researched and lots of endnotes.

The series is well-researched and well-documented. It has an index which allows researchers to locate their family and gives the original source; it is best used in conjunction with "Vital Records of (town), Massachusetts to 1850."

Ms. Voogd's book is a great read. Scholarly and playful. I recommend it to any history buff, quirky intellectual, or small town Pridester. Enjoy!

This amazing collection of quotations highlights the richness of the literary tradition in the Bay State. Bravo! to Carol Dingle, a proud resident and writer from Massachusetts.

Women's history is so rare for these times - this is a book that all students of religion and women's studies simply must have and read!

Great reference to one of the most scenic trails in New England. Packed with useful information, descriptions of every inch if the trail, in a convenient, thin, lightweight book that slips into your pack, ready for any time you want to check it. Trail maps for the whole length are crisp and easy to follow. A reference you'll refer to until you have it memorized!

Michael N Bastedo has written the defining treatise on this tragically underdiscussed topic in higher education. Anybody who considers him- or herself an expert in the field of higher education policy isn't truly one unless s/he can quote this book with ease. Engaging, thoughtful, challenging, and most of all, readable...all of these things are true of this masterpiece. No higher education library is complete without Dr. Bastedo's work.