Daneen Wardrop

As part of the 'Reading Dress' series, this text approaches Emily Dickinson through the lens of social history, relying on the material cultures of fashion to inform this study of Dickinson and her world. Wardrop attempts to reposition Dickinson from the widespread perception of the poet as recluse to a woman involved with social interactions, concerned with dress, and connected with the cultural processes of clothes-making.

The author draws on a close reading of Dickinson's poems and letters, plus an examination of the visual record of Dickinson and her family, as well as extant clothes from her lifetime.

Nicely-complemented with many monotone and color illustrations, this well-produced book is sure to please Dickinson enthusiasts or historians of fashion.… (meer)