Josephine Dickinson
Encyclopedia
Josephine Dickinson is an English poet
. Born in London
, England, she became profoundly deaf at the age of six. She resides in a remote area of the Pennines, and raises a small flock of sheep along with writing poetry.
Dickinson is currently working on a literary project event called Earth Journey which is running at the Theatre by the Lake
in Keswick
and will be running from March 5-April 19, 2010. In October 2010 Dickinson will also be doing a reading tour in Massachusetts, Vermont, Santa Cruz, Minneapolis and other cities in the United States.
, where she was also raised. When she was eighteen months old, she contracted meningitis. She was hospitalized for two weeks during the acute phase. At the age of six she woke up one morning to find that she was no longer able to hear. In an interview by The Times, she explains how she responded to the experience of waking up profoundly deaf. “You’d think I would have been frightened,” she says, “but I wasn’t. What worried me most of all was the thought of having to go to the doctor. Apart from that I enjoyed the attention I got.” However, after this experience, Dickinson became lonely and isolated. It was during this period that she says her “sense of vocation as a poet emerged.” This major turn in her youth caused her to begin experiencing poetry and nature in a profound way, refocusing her relationship with her surroundings. She often would just sit and stare at daffodils for long intensified moments.
Despite her deafness, at age seven Josephine Dickinson began studying piano.
She later went on to study classics at Oxford and continued under the tutelage of Michael Finnissy and Richard Barrett to go on to become a successful music teacher and composer.
in Northeast Cumbria
. In March 1998 at the age of 41, while searching for her lost geese Josephine met her husband Douglas Dickinson, a retired and widowed hill farmer. Douglas at the time in his late eighties was living alone at his home at Scarberry Hill. The two were later married and shared their life together for six years until Douglas’s death in 2004. Douglas’s life and home in Scarberry Hill played a large influential role in Josephine’s poetry. Her book of poetry Silence Fell was dedicated and inspired by her late husband highlighting their time together and divided into calendar months starting with March.
Josephine once said in her book Silence Fell, he “took me into his life of sheep and the harshness of rocks and weather and the beauty of trees and rivers,” when speaking of her husband and muse Douglas Dickinson.
to create a series of five short films called Finding a Language. She has also worked with stonemason Charlie Gurrey to produce Riddle in Stone in 2008 which is exhibited in the Roche Sculpture Garden. Dickinson also does many collaborations with musical artists such as singers and performers, with a recent project with harp player Rebecca Joy Sharp, performing at The Wordsworth Trust
and The Bluebell Bookshop. Dickinson is an occasional visiting lecturer at the University of Cumbria
Creative Writing. With the support in kind of the University, she has come together with filmmaker Alastair Simmons and painter Lionel Playford to produce Earth Journey, an installation inspired by the landscape of the local upland River South Tyne.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, she became profoundly deaf at the age of six. She resides in a remote area of the Pennines, and raises a small flock of sheep along with writing poetry.
Dickinson is currently working on a literary project event called Earth Journey which is running at the Theatre by the Lake
Theatre by the Lake
Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Cumbria, England is situated on the shores of Derwentwater in one of the most picturesque locations in the Lake District. It opened in 1999, replacing the old Blue Box Touring Theatre, and was made possible by an Arts Council Lottery Fund Grant...
in Keswick
Keswick
-Geography:A place in Australia:*Keswick, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide**Keswick railway station, Adelaide**Adelaide Parklands Terminal A place in Canada:*Keswick, Ontario...
and will be running from March 5-April 19, 2010. In October 2010 Dickinson will also be doing a reading tour in Massachusetts, Vermont, Santa Cruz, Minneapolis and other cities in the United States.
Early life
Josephine Dickinson is a British poet who was born on January 9, 1957 in South LondonSouth London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, where she was also raised. When she was eighteen months old, she contracted meningitis. She was hospitalized for two weeks during the acute phase. At the age of six she woke up one morning to find that she was no longer able to hear. In an interview by The Times, she explains how she responded to the experience of waking up profoundly deaf. “You’d think I would have been frightened,” she says, “but I wasn’t. What worried me most of all was the thought of having to go to the doctor. Apart from that I enjoyed the attention I got.” However, after this experience, Dickinson became lonely and isolated. It was during this period that she says her “sense of vocation as a poet emerged.” This major turn in her youth caused her to begin experiencing poetry and nature in a profound way, refocusing her relationship with her surroundings. She often would just sit and stare at daffodils for long intensified moments.
Despite her deafness, at age seven Josephine Dickinson began studying piano.
She later went on to study classics at Oxford and continued under the tutelage of Michael Finnissy and Richard Barrett to go on to become a successful music teacher and composer.
Later Life and Works
Dickinson moved to AlstonAlston
Alston may refer to:In people:* Alston In places:*Canada**Alstonvale, Quebec*England**Alston, Cumbria**Alston, Devon**Alston, Lancashire*United States**Dresser, California, formerly Alston**Alston, Georgia...
in Northeast Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. In March 1998 at the age of 41, while searching for her lost geese Josephine met her husband Douglas Dickinson, a retired and widowed hill farmer. Douglas at the time in his late eighties was living alone at his home at Scarberry Hill. The two were later married and shared their life together for six years until Douglas’s death in 2004. Douglas’s life and home in Scarberry Hill played a large influential role in Josephine’s poetry. Her book of poetry Silence Fell was dedicated and inspired by her late husband highlighting their time together and divided into calendar months starting with March.
Josephine once said in her book Silence Fell, he “took me into his life of sheep and the harshness of rocks and weather and the beauty of trees and rivers,” when speaking of her husband and muse Douglas Dickinson.
Collaborations
Josephine Dickinson has collaborated with fellow poets, musicians, and artists such as filmmaker Simon Wainwright and the Nuffield Theater at Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
to create a series of five short films called Finding a Language. She has also worked with stonemason Charlie Gurrey to produce Riddle in Stone in 2008 which is exhibited in the Roche Sculpture Garden. Dickinson also does many collaborations with musical artists such as singers and performers, with a recent project with harp player Rebecca Joy Sharp, performing at The Wordsworth Trust
Wordsworth Trust
The Wordsworth Trust is a living memorial set up to celebrate the works of the poet William Wordsworth and his contemporaries. Wordsworth, conscious of the need for poetry to renew itself within a tradition speaks of writing for 'youthful poets' who 'will be my second self when I am gone.'An...
and The Bluebell Bookshop. Dickinson is an occasional visiting lecturer at the University of Cumbria
University of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria is a university in Cumbria, England. Its headquarters are in Carlisle. and other major campuses are at Lancaster, Ambleside and Penrith. It was established in 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts established in 1822 and...
Creative Writing. With the support in kind of the University, she has come together with filmmaker Alastair Simmons and painter Lionel Playford to produce Earth Journey, an installation inspired by the landscape of the local upland River South Tyne.
Work
- Scarberry Hill (2001)
- The Voice (2003)
- Silence Fell (2007)
- Night Journey (2008)
External links
- http://www.josephinedickinson.com - Official Website