Words from the Heart

  Autumn in New England There is no place like New England in the autumn.  Poets and writers have captured the essence of the beauty in poems, essays and songs.  Indeed, many of my favorite poems are those written about the woods, trees, flora and fauna of New England. This weekend, I had the delight to go on a road trip up into the hill country of Western Massachusetts with my cousins.  We had a wonderful time discovering covered bridges, waterfalls and great landscapes, all of which will inspire future writings, I am sure. As we walked around the woods, I kept thinking of all the Robert Frost poems that speak of these hills.  I remembered how Thoreau loved them and how Emily Dickinson captured them in her lilting lyrics.  As the wind blew, causing leaves to rain down upon us, I recalled the song, Autumn Leaves.    I guess it is true, what I have been told so many times.  I am a romantic.  I love the sound of babbling ...

Emily Dickinson is, as many of you know, one of my favorite poets. There are BIG happenings at her house that began this month and will continue throughout the summer. The Big Read celebration not only will bring visitors the joy of poetry, and will allow them a glimpse at Miss Emily's life but also introduce several new books by local writers. The following event, I highly recommend. Jane Yolen is a prolific writer. I have been blessed to participate in a seminar in which Jane was a featured speaker. I learned so much from her! I also love that she wrote a book in collaboration with her daughter, Heidi E. Y. Stemple . What a great way to share what you love best! In May, Jane will delight her readers with a visit to the Emily Dickinson Museum The following is a press release from the museum: Award Winning author Jane Yolen reads My Uncle Emily Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. At the Emily Dickinson Museum 280 Main Street, Amherst www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org ...

I am fortunate to live in an area of the world that is rich with writers, especially poets. Many of their homes are now national landmarks and/or museums. I have traveled to several of these illustrious, yet humble, places over the years. Robert Frost's farm in Derry, NH is a typical Yankee farm. It is in the simplicity of being present there that Frost wrote many of his most famous poems. Writer, Louisa May Alcott's home is open to the public. Not far from the center of town in Concord, MA, it offers guided tours by docents portraying Louisa May, herself! There are other wonderful sites throughout New England. You can read about several in the Boston area on this site: Historic Homes . I highly recommend taking the time to stop and visit, especially if you have young aspiring writers with you. Seeing how the writers of the past lived, without the modern conveniences we have, is an eye-opener to the young. Being in the actual homes of other writers, for me, brings the...