Kanopy Movie Club: "Wild Nights with Emily"

Hey everyone I hope you are staying safe and healthy while keeping cool during the dog days of summer. 
 
In this week’s installment of the Basalt Library Kanopy Movie Club we will discuss Wild Nights With Emily starring comedian Molly Shannon as misunderstood 19th century poet Emily Dickinson. This historical comedy looks at the life and unpublished works of Emily Dickinson and shines a light on her inspirations and motivations. Even a century after her death, Dickinson remains a mysterious, prolific, and fascinating writer whose work has, until recently, overshadowed the details of her own life. 
 
While the common conception of Dickinson is that of a dour old poet locked in an attic, this could not be further from the truth. The power and passion of Dickinson’s poems comes from her deep inner struggles and the vibrant life that she lived. Because of the time in which she lived her life, Emily’s love and art were unappreciated and misunderstood. While her poems have become a part of the canon of American literature, she remained largely unpublished and obscure for most of her life.

Shannon’s depiction of Dickinson is one that captures the full range of human life as only a comedian can, capturing the sweet, sour and absurd moments that fill the menagerie of life. 
 
These moments inspired the poems that have reached out across time to inspire, comfort, and amuse millions. While she may have been unknown to the masses while she was alive, her work has changed lives and Emily has become an intimate friend to lovers of poetry the world round. I hope you enjoy this fun and funny film. Check out a preview below; you can use your Basalt Library card to watch the full film on Kanopy. Visit our website for more information about how to join the film discussion via Zoom on Friday, August 28th, at 2PM.

Our film next week will be Check It, a documentary about a gang of transgender youth on the streets of Washington DC. As always, if you have any comments or questions or need help with Kanopy please send me an email mcleer@basaltlibrary.org.