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Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
06-13-2013, 06:42 PM
Post: #1
Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
This is a 13-year-old story by now, but it's fascinating, and I have a feeling a lot of you will find it as interesting as I did.

The impersonation of Emily: Part 1, Part 2.

I have endured a great deal of ridicule without much malice; and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it. (Letter to James H. Hackett, November 2, 1863)
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06-14-2013, 07:21 AM
Post: #2
RE: Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
Thanks for posting this. I remember when the story came out. It shook the Mormon church to its core. Hoffman would use blank frontice pages from period books to create forgeries.
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06-14-2013, 01:16 PM
Post: #3
RE: Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
This is an amazing story. Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed reading about it. What an awful man Hoffman is.

" Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford
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06-14-2013, 09:14 PM (This post was last modified: 06-14-2013 09:16 PM by ELCore.)
Post: #4
RE: Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
You're welcome.

Having both the Johnson and Franklin reading editions of Dickinson's poetry, both of which I have spent a great deal of time with, I think Hoffman wrote a very good imitation of an Emily Dickinson poem.

I have endured a great deal of ridicule without much malice; and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it. (Letter to James H. Hackett, November 2, 1863)
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06-15-2013, 03:56 AM
Post: #5
RE: Story about forged Emily Dickinson poem.
That is a chilling story from beginning to end. Smart, personable people with no conscience are all too prevalent.

The poem is good, but maybe a little too straightforward for Emily. And I would question her having written such a poem for her ten-year-old nephew.
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