Dickinson College Books

I picked up a few of these guides before choosing a school, and they were really a big help. They're fun to read on top of being informative, and they give you info on the school that's hard to find anywhere else. For instance, I like Dickinson's academics, but judging from how huge the Greek life scene seems to be I think I'll probably look elsewhere (since that's not really my "thing").

Martin Grove Brumbaugh was an eminent educator who became Governor of Pennsylvania at a time when some Republicans sought their own alternative to the Democrats' educator turn politician of Woodrow Wilson. Brumbaugh, though, proved to the Republican leaders that he was smart enough not to allow himself to be led by their will. As Governor, he successfully fought for and won a child labor law and a workers compensation program and defended women's suffrage. As a religious pacifist and opponent of entry into World War I, he as Governor made an intellectual choice to perform his obligations as Governor to be the leader of his state's military against what might well have been his contrary personal feelings. He was a man who made tough choices, and he was penalized and hailed for those decisions.

This biography favorable captures the essence of Martin Grove Brumbaugh. He enjoyed learning and built upon his education towards furthering his endeavors. When once questioned how long it took him to write a speech, he responded "the preparation of that speech took me just five minutes--and 40 years." The bulk of his working life focused on education issues.

Growing a mustache to hide his youth, Brumbaugh was elected County Superintendent of Schools at the age of 22 in 1884. Winning election by just one vote, it became his duty to annually visit 200 schools with 235 teachers and 9,000 teachers during an era when the average age of a teacher was 25. Brumbaugh distinguished himself by objecting to the fact that male teachers earned far more than female teachers, an issue he remained devoted to throughout his life. Further, he designated Music and Drawing as core courses. Braumbaugh was also an early supporter of requiring teachers to pass qualifying examinations before they could teach. He developed such an exam. One year, about half the prospective teachers failed his exam.

The education programs fought for by Brumbaugh led him to become an unofficial but important advisor Louisiana schools from 1889 through 1893. He was saddened by the poor conditions of many of the Louisiana schools he visited. He brought the concept of blackboards to schools that were unfamiliar with them. Brumbaugh returned to Pennsylvania to further his own studies. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Afterwards, he resumed his crusade for education improvements, including fighting for offering college classes during evenings, weekends, and summertime. In 1989, he became the President of the Pennsylvania State Teachers' Association.

Brumbaugh became Puerto Rico's first Commissioner of Education in 1900. His tenure was controversial. He persuaded President McKinley to increase funds for schools in Puerto Rico. He was accused of purchasing school desks in an improper fashion and was questioned for having schools purchase a textbook he wrote, decisions he vigorously defended as legal and proper as he had great faith in his own work.

Brumbaugh returned to Pennsylvania to serve as Philadelphia's Education Commissioner. He found a system where Philadelphia's Republican ward leaders were powerful influences on education policies as each ward had a 12 member school board in addition to each ward sending one representative to a citywide Board of Education. Some school directors were caught and successfully prosecuted for selling teacher positions. As Philadelphia's Commissioner, Brumbaugh assisted in establishing the first Traders School in America, almost tripled the salaries of female teachers (who still remained with less pay than male teachers), led a successful drive to create a new state school code, and, noting there were over 50,000 Black students, and increased the number of Black teachers from 49 to 97.

Physical fitness became a priority of Brumbaugh's, who recognized the connection between fitness and learning. In 1907, Brumbaugh became President of the Playgrounds Association of Philadelphia where he sought donations to purchase vacant lots near schools to turn them into equipped playgrounds.

The Philadelphia Republican machine in 1914, led by the Vare brothers, decided Brumbaugh made an attractive candidate for Governor. Brumbaugh agreed to run. The Vare brothers had their opponent in a statewide Republican power struggle, Boies Penrose, agree to a compromise ticket with Penrose for U.S. Senator and Brumbaugh for Governor. Running for office was something that was alien to his Brethren religion, and there were some Brethren who felt that had Brumbaugh prayed properly he never would have become a candidate. Brumbaugh, though, strongly defended his desire for government service and even declared that anyone who criticized Pennsylvania's government committed treason.

Brumbaugh defeated Vance McCormick in being elected Governor and his margin of victory likely helped the political boss Boies Penrose to a more narrow election. Brumbaugh then returned his more moral roots and, stunned to realize he suddenly controlled 54,000 patronage jobs, began to stand up to the Republican leaders who had persuaded him to run. Penrose openly vowed revenge. When he vetoed a bill that would allow railroads, a powerful lobby and key backer of the Republican Party, to be required to have one less person on crew on each train, the Republican power brokers began splitting with Brumbaugh. Brumbaugh offered himself as a favorite son candidate for President, as some Republicans thought Brumbaugh was the Republican academician answer to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Yet, Brubmaugh received only 21 Pennsylvania delegate votes with 34 Pennsylvania votes going to Philander Knox for President.

Penrose attempted to have Brumbaugh impeached. Republican legislators loyal to Penrose accused Brumbaugh of diverting $30,000 of a legislative contingency fund for Executive Mansion maintenance expenses. A resolution to investigate the Governor passed the legislature. The Auditor General, though, stated that Executive Mansion expenses should not be paid for by the Governor personally. The impeachment movement failed.

While Governor, Brumbaugh reluctantly signed into law a direct inheritance levy. He successfully pushed and won passage of bills that increased the minimum salaries of teachers and superintendents. He fought for and lost an attempt to abolish capital punishment.

Brumbaugh, both for religious reasons and representing a state that had 12% of its population of German descent, spoke out for staying neutral in the war in Europe that would later be known as World War I. When America entered the war against Germany and its allies, Penrose loyalists in the legislature feared Brumbaugh would not properly exercise his duties of Commander in Chief of the Pennsylvania National Guard. They unsuccessfully sought to place the National Guard under legislative control. Brumbaugh though declared that being American was more important than his pacifism. He performed his National Guard administrative duties and further created a Pennsylvania Reserve Militia to assist the State Police due to the depletion of the Guard within the state.

After serving as Governor, Brumbaugh was to have served as the State War Historian, yet legislators allied with Penrose objected and the appointment did not occr. Sadly, many World War I documents were collected but never properly categorized. Brumbaugh, other than continuing his advocacy of education, physical fitness, and recreation, never returned to politics. Brumbaugh left with a distate for politics, claiming "the whole mess of nonsense that crept upon our statute books ...is more honored today in its breach than it is observance." Thus, Brumbaugh, was perhaps an accidental politician who though rose to the demands of the office. This book is an excellent examination into this life.

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.

este libro, que fue leido por mi hace ya muchos anos, es otro que me impresiono y me gusto. muestra diferentes vistas y perspectivas de la muerte de un ser querido. desde la negacion de los hechos hasta la aceptacion y la resignacion, pasando por diferentes estadios que son necesarios tanto social como psicologicamenete para superar la perdida. es de especial interes para estudiantes de medicina o de psicologia o para cualquier persona que quiera aprender a lidiar con una gran perdida. LUIS MENDEZ

I expected the book to be an interesting myestery regarding Emily Dickinson,one of the greatest poets. Despite of a suppoesedly fascinating idea for the plot, I found the story too scattered and lack of excitement. The author seemed to try too hard on character development while it should be done within the unfolding of the incidents. In other words,I was often unsure whether I was reading a mystery at all.

Well-developed characters and setting, and an intriguing mystery, rounded out with entertaining literary references, make this a welcome addition to the murder mystery genre.

Quieter Than Sleep - English professor Karen Pelletier has an unpleasant surprise when she opens a closet at a Christmas party and out falls the corpse of arrogant colleague Randy Astin-Berger. The usual gossip is given a twist, as speculation grows. Meanwhile, Karen is busy with a suicidal student, whose father menaces both of them. On the case is self-described "big cop" Piotrowski, who may want to have more than just a professional relationship with Karen. A second love interest comes in the form of the college president, the patrician Avery Mitchell. It all adds up to a suspenseful novel in the series.

The heroine has a Ph.D. in English. The setting is Enfield College, fictitious, near Lowell, Massachusetts. Karen Pelletier is an authority on Emily Dickinson. Avery Mitchell is Enfield's president. Randy Astin-Berger suffers a non accidental death.

There had been a faculty party. Randy had been critical of others and had prevented at least one person from getting tenure. Detective Piotrowski is one of the officers conducting the investigation. In time he hires Karen as a researcher to clarify literary matters for the police. Avery said that all Randy had ever wanted from others was a mirror reflecting his own ideas. He, Randy, had told Karen that the department was filled with retrograde intellects and that he could further her career.

Official suspicion is aroused when events, a missing person and an attempted suicide, appear in a cluster. Randy had been reading the sermons of Henry Ward Beecher. Later Randy's office is found ransacked. Karen follows in his footsteps to stumble upon the scholarly piece of information triggering the unfortunate happenings at Enfield. The book is a good one. It is well-plotted and has rounded characters.

Rarely do new mystery series begin with a heroine as interesting and as well portrayed as Professor Karen Pelletier is in Quieter than Sleep. Not surprisingly, the book was nominated for an Agatha award.

Doctor Pelletier found herself pregnant as a teen in high school, and dropped out of her plans to go to Smith to marry her truck driver lover. After a difficult pregnancy and marital abuse, she puts her life together to raise her daughter as a single Mom while pursuing her academic career. Finally finding love with a cop in New York, she abandons him to follow her desire for a career to settle at tony, elite Enfield College in New England. Arriving at Enfield, she's the new kid on the English department block sharing responsibilities for 19th century American literature with an aggressive, pompous womanizer who wants to discuss more than literature with her. She finds herself attracted to all the wrong men, and attracts attention from men she would rather avoid. Ah well, back to those term papers! She's so self absorbed that she doesn't quite notice her effect on others or what is going on around her. Told from that obtuse perspective, the surrounding developments take on an opaque characteristic that makes the story more enjoyable.

As to genre, Quieter than Sleep reminded me most of Jane Langton's mysteries. But Quieter than Sleep has more action and less intellectual content than the Langton works do. I actually would have enjoyed reading more about Emily Dickinson than the book provides. Like Ms. Langton's books, there's not much mystery in Quieter than Sleep. Between the subtitle of the book and events that occurred in the first few pages, the motive and identity of the guilty party were soon evident to me.

Quieter than Sleep is quite good on academic politics, and made them seem as interesting as possible.

I was pleased to learn two new words from this book, something I cannot ever remember happening with a mystery novel before. The story is enlivened with some fine writing. The book begins with "I might as well admit it: I'm sick of desire. Of love, sex, and desire, and all their cumbersome baggage." Delightful quotes from Emily Dickinson also make their way into our heroine's thoughts. Each fine phrase makes the book stand out.

The book sets up quickly. Our heroine is being bored to death by Randy Astin-Berger, the English professor you'll love to hate, at the faculty Christmas party. His topic? Sex and literature. Within a few pages, Astin-Berger is dead meat and the lives of many at Enfield will never be the same. From there, Karen Pelletier finds herself drawn into helping resolve the mystery while assisting those who have been harmed by the events. Along the way, you'll learn some interesting perspectives on Emily Dickinson.

If I liked the book so much, why didn't I grade it as a five star effort? Basically, the plot development didn't work for me in many ways. First, the mystery should have been more mysterious for my taste. I like to have to wait until at least the second half of the book before knowing what is going on. Second, the book wastes too much time on red herrings that didn't really tempt me. Third, the police investigation seems over laden. I cannot imagine that the resources put into this case would have really been employed. Fourth, the tone is very detached. The book needed to grip the reader in the emotion of the events. It didn't. So I felt like I was reading a clever book about a murder mystery, rather than experiencing a murder mystery.

As I finished the book, I wondered about how many times academic curiosities are being explored more for the ego of the experience than for finding the truth of the circumstances. I was reminded to avoid projecting my own needs onto the facts around me.

I didn't like this book cause I felt like the author wasn't being totally honest. Most of the book is research that he got from the writing of others. He does not speak from his own personal experience or those of his fraternity brothers. The author is denying that hazing still goes on; and, in fact it does go on widespread.

The first chapter of the book very dully and dryly tells the history of fraternities. Then he spends considerable time talking in detail about pledging and hazing. He spends a good amount of time talking about stepping. This book made it seem as though stepping was the main thing that a fraternity was all about. However, it was very noticable that certain things were missing from the book. He doesn't talk about the benefits that he gained from joining. He doesn't talk about what has been achieved by these fraternities. What have these groups really accomplished for black unity and black empowerment, not just black assimilation into America?

I'm in grad school and members of 3 different fraternities have asked me if I would be interested in joining their group. I started questioning whether I made the right decision by not joining in my undergrad. About midway through reading this book, the author totally put my mind at ease that I had made the right decision not to pledge. He talks about how the pledges slave for the members, how they are paddled by the members and humiliated by the members.

Anyhow, the book is not true to the reality of what goes on. The author doesn't speak from the heart or from his personal experience. This is black greeks as they would want you to believe.

I have not joined a NPHC Frat yet, but it has given me greater insight on what goes on inside and the evoloution of black fraternities. This has to be the most candid account of Black Greek life. Dr Kimbrough must be commended for his work and I will be refrencing this book for years to come and i has inspired me to become a big part of fraternity life, when join. I highly reccomend this book to aspirants as well as those who are a part of NPHC organizations.

This is a good book to read if you are interested in joining a NPHC sorority or fraternity. It is wise to learn all that you can about the history and principles of any organizaion before you join. Don't believe all the negativity put out there by bitter people. Pledging and hazing are not one in the same, contrary to what the haters want you to believe. So, whether interested or curious, read books like this and The Divine Nine. It will help you either decide if greek life is for you or reaffirm your reasons for interest in a particular organization.
**Also, it is a horrible thing to be subjected to injuries and pain. We have to remember not to judge all by a few. Just like not all men are dogs and not all African Americans enjoy watermelon, not all NPHC organizations (better yet, chapters of those organizations)haze!

This book is indeed something aspiring males and females interested in NPHC organizations should consider purchasing, and I'm going to explain why.

I'm sure African American students attending predominently Black colleges have seen the Black Greek-Letter Organizations (Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho) around their campuses repping their organization with jackets fancied with Greek letters, nicknames, colors, and numbers, as well as these organizations "throwing up" hand signs, and shouting out calls while stepping during parties. You've probably seen Kappas carrying canes, and have heard the AKAs ear-piercing "Skee Wee", or Sigmas "Blu Phi" day in and out.

This book thoroughly explains the reasoning and history behind what has become apart of Black Greek-Letter Organizations (BGLO) culture today. It talks about the evolution of hazing and pledgind, distinguishing the two. It brings some terms to pass that you might have heard around your campuses (i.e. Nupes, Ques, paper, Skaters, Neos, frats, sorors, etc). It also explains and attempts to date the history of stepping, and why these organizations throw up hand signs and shout out calls.

The author does a fine job of taking us back to the VERY first BGLO (not Alpha Phi Alpha), composed of an elite class of African Americans. It also explains why Alpha Phi Alpha has become accepted as the first BGLO despite the previous several organizations before it.

There are some mispelled words, and the text at the beginning can get a little boring, but overall the book is definitely something everyone, whether you want to be a member of one of these organizations, or are a member of one of these organizations, should pick up. It's always good to know WHY you're doing something instead of just doing it because everyone else is. I believe it is important for everyone to understand where the NPHC organizations came from.

The book doesn't target any specific organization (it mentions all 9, but at random and where they are convienient), but the gist is to get an overall knowledge of the foundation the NPHC organizations sit on in this 21st century.

From being friends, family members, and associates of several Greeks, there is much information in this book that I was already familiar with, but I still wanted to read it as a reference guide for my own publication. And indeed, I'm so very glad that I did. This book took an intelligent perspective on the pros and cons of being Greek. The author discussed the history of stepping, a few interviews with nonBlacks who crossed, the heinous history of hazing, the complexity of the Board and advisers versus undergraduates in volunteer work and pledging, and a well-thought out idea on how hazing can stop, but the pledging process will still weed out the slackers and attention seekers. The author spoke about the history, reputation, symbols, hand signals, and style of the Divine Nine (even when there were originally eight). This book is indeed a great source to learn about the history of Black Greeks, and I applaud him for his hard work.

I wonder if there is a writer more perfectly suited to exploit Emily Dickinson than Jane Langton for Jane's beautifully disciplined tone and New England quaintness mixed with a sparkling imagination evokes in me a sense of Emily. That's in addition to the plot of this novel which is a complex mystery surrounding a newly unearthed photo of a woman who might be Emily Dickinson (in addition to the one irrefutable photo which exists). It's set in Emily's hometown of Amherst during a symposium where conflicts abound. Jane gives this story a mixture of wry humor and homespun drama, and she contributes her own line drawings. This is for people who prefer quiet, thoughtful movies to loud, blazing action films. I found it pure joy.

As a life-long resident of Amherst, I was thrilled to see the sketches of familiar places, and read in such vivid detail a beautifully written persective of my town. A wonderful, wonderful mystery as well. Guaranteed to tickle the funny bone as well as keep you on the edge of your seat!
Well done, Ms. Langton!

I chose the book because a friend is an Emily Dickinson fan, I'm a mystery fan, I was charmed by the author's sketches, and delighted by the snippets of Dickinson's poetry. What a fine discovery! The characters are complex, subtle, and interesting. The college town setting is vivid. The plot had unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. I learned something about the workings of dams and reservoirs, and I learned something about Emily Dickinson and her poetry, enough so I followed up "Emily Dickinson is Dead" by reading her biography. This was my first Jane Langton book. She has managed to do what a lot of writers only aspire to -- her writing is so transparent I forget the story and setting were coming to me through print on a page.

"Emily Dickinson is Dead" is one book that I didn't enjoy out of the 4 on my summer reading list...what a slow beginning. The title made it seem like it was a book about Emily Dickinson, but instead it was about a conference to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her death.... that didn't include women and a fat girl who tried to kill a pretty one (who disappeared anyways) by burning down a building and who ended up being killed...what about Emily Dickinson HERSELF??? THAT'S who I thought the book was going to be about...not a bunch of confused people. I didn't expect it to be a biography or anything, just not what it was.

I have to totally disagree with the previous review. I found this Homer Kelly mystery refreshing and fully of marvelous characters full of human foibles. The descriptions were subtle but often verged on the hilarious. This is the book that hooked me on Jane Langton. It's too bad that the previous reader did not read the dust jacket before purchasing this book. It very clearly identifies itself as a mystery and not an study in Emily Dickinson. It's not surprising that she did not enjoy the book since it mocks stuffy Emily Dickinson scholars. But I found this book to be a skillfully written romp in weakness of human nature.

I gave this book a 2 because it was received timely, but the book is filthy...it was not worth the [money]. Books that are nasty think about putting a book cover over them.
Kimberly