Making Ends Meet
I have various loose ends to tie up:
* On 9/2, when I explored Dickinson’s use of the word “cheese" (HERE), I found a restaurant in Venice, California, The Sidewalk Cafe, that offered an “Emily Dickinson omelette.” It comes with “choice of cheese.”
I called the restaurant to ask why they had an omelette named for the Belle of Amherst, and I was told that the owners also ran the bookstore next door, Small World Books. Their website is HERE, but it seems very out-of-date (they still reference COVID precautions: “During this time of crisis, we are allowing 4 browsers at a time in the store to maintain social distancing. Masks are required. We will provide hand sanitizer and gloves.”).
I asked – given this bookstore explanation – why one omelette was named for John Denver.
“That’s just a Denver omlette,” said the voice on the phone, “and Denver omlettes are everywhere.”
I didn’t ask about the Will Rogers or the Georgia O’Keeffe omelettes (or the other three no-name omlettes), nor did I mention the misspelling of O’Keeffe’s surname. I did ask, though, if there were any reason for the “choice of cheese” with the Dickinson omlette.
“No. It’s just a cheese omlette, and diners get their choice of cheese.”
By the way, the cheese selection includes American, Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, or Swiss.
* A number of friends sent me this reel, HERE. It’s @ ellecordova’s take on the em dash — and its relationship with Emily Dickinson — and I will say one thing to correct her disinformation: The em dash was — indeed — named after the Belle of Amherst. I’m sorry — there’s nothing you can say — anyone — to make me believe — otherwise —
* Back in early August, I mentioned Dickinson’s poem “I started Early – Took my Dog.” I heard this from @ fritinancy on Substack: “Have you explored the connections between Dickinson and contemporary British author Kate Atkinson? Atkinson’s detective protagonist Jackson Brodie is a Dickinson fan, and one of the Brodie novels is titled “Started Early, Took My Dog.”
I was unaware, but I’ll be checking this out soon!
* I also heard from @ arthurpendragon on Counter Social about a YA series of books: “Have you read any of Amanda Flower’s Emily Dickinson Mystery Series? Obviously Emily was not an amateur sleuth, but I wondered how accurate the setting and contextual details are.”
Again, I was not aware of this but will check it out soon!
* Just FYI: If you don’t own a “complete” edition of Dickinson’s poems, I found an online version of Johnson’s 1995 volume, HERE.
* Back in mid-August I shared info on Northrup Frye, a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, “considered one of the most influential of the 20th century.” I suspect many of you are craving more info on Frye, no? Well, if so, I found a website dedicated to him, HERE.
Tell me doesn't look like a professor straight out of Hogwarts:
* Back on 8/20, I mentioned William Carlos Williams’ much discussed – and hotly debated – poem “so much depends.” If interested in more info, I wrote about WCW’s poem back in June 2024, HERE.
…and a little more about it HERE, too.
