Poems come best roaming the moors

The Brontë Parsonage Blog publishes an article about the recent Brontë Society Weekend Conference, The Brontës and their Background. There's a difference from the programme that we published last month:

Tom Winnifrith was in hospital so unfortunately could not contribute. Instead, a forum took place in his time slot, chaired by Robert Barnard.

The conference is summarized by Marcia Zaaijer like this:

Every speaker impressed me with something to do or to remember. So many details of life in the Brontës’ Haworth, that both Steven Whitbread and Ian Dewhurst were able to present! Ian Dewhurst spoke in the kind of language, that in my Dutch imagination I like to think sounds like the language the Brontës heard around them. (...)

Really, maybe I should go and attend school in South Africa: I love the way Elisabeth Leaver championed Anne and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. With a bit of luck some Afrikaners might understand my Dutch.

In the picture (from left to right) Stephen Whitehead, Brian Wilks, Robert Barnard, Elizabeth Leaver, Ian Emberson during the forum. More pictures on the Brontë Parsonage Blog post.

AustLit News publishes sad news. It's always sad to report the disappearance of a Brontëite. The life and work of Vera Newsom (1912-2006) is remembered with a special mention to her book of poems on Emily Brontë: Emily Brontë Recollects and other poems, published in 1995.

Two poems of this work can be read here:

15th December, 1848

Making Bread from Emily Bronte Re-collects

The floured board, accustomed fingers
kneading dough - how I love
to make the bread, as Tabitha once did.
I made her teach me. I was a mere child then.
It seemed a ritual and still does.
Why then does the mind stray
when making bread? It leaves behind
this fire-lit kitchen and is free to wander.
It always did. Poems come best
roaming the moors or kneading dough. (Read more)

Categories: Brontë_Society, Talks, Scholar,Poetry