Anne Ramirez

Candidate statement

Currently I serve as adjunct lecturer at Neumann University, having recently retired from my position there as Associate Professor of English and leader of the English faculty. For four years (1978-1981) I had the privilege of living in Amherst, where I listened in at the 1980 conference (including presentations by Richard Sewall, Sandra Gilbert, and Suzanne Juhasz). This served to increase my lifelong fascination with Emily Dickinson. When my daughters were much older, I earned my Ph.D. at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, studying with the late Dr. Karen Dandurand. My dissertation explored Emily Dickinson’s personal and literary affinities with a subversive tradition of other writers who have celebrated strong female characters. Since then I have published three academic articles on Dickinson, a panel report in the EDIS Bulletin, a reference book entry on the poet, and over forty other articles and reviews in assorted academic and specialty publications, reflecting my long-term interests in Shakespeare, interdisciplinary women’s studies, and children’s/young adult literature. I also attended EDIS international conferences in 1999, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, presenting at all but the first and last (which marked the celebration of my Ph.D. and retirement). In addition, I attended the 2011 and 2014 Annual Meetings in Amherst, presenting at the latter, and have delivered numerous other academic presentations in my areas of interest. Coming from a cultural and religious background rather similar to Dickinson’s and arriving in academia as a late bloomer, I have a particular connection to some of the social and psychological obstacles she faced as a female poet and intellectual. Although never likely to attain fame myself, I would never have achieved as much as I have thus far without Dickinson’s influence on my life, and I would consider it an honor to contribute more actively to the EDIS through serving as a member-at-large.


As a potential Board Member, I have several ideas to advance the appreciation of Emily Dickinson and the support of the Society and Museum. For example, I could approach the world-famous Longwood Gardens and other regional sites about the possibility of programs featuring Dickinson and her poetry of nature and gardening. If we could not get Marta McDowell to come, I could nonetheless draw upon her work to organize some events. I could consult Barbara Dana about the possibility of her performing in my area. I would like to reach out to schools here in the Philadelphia-Wilmington area where my former students teach, offering to give presentations and/or help arrange programs celebrating Dickinson during Poetry Month in April, around Dickinson’s birthday in December, or other appropriate times. Also, I am interested in approaching libraries or other venues in which Dickinson’s poetry could be promoted as part of the multifaceted public humanities movement. Such endeavors might attract secondary school teachers and many other individuals into joining EDIS, attending conferences, and planning visits to Amherst. I have a particular interest in promoting the well-being and future of the Emily Dickinson Museum, as opportunity might arise, having lived in the area and profoundly enjoyed returning there and observing its growth over the years.