Two Drafts of Emily Dickinson's Biography
I "finished" my second attempt at a biography of Emily Dickinson yesterday. "Finished" is in quotes because I can't read either of the drafts without my heart rate increasing to 230 BPM.
The first draft is more of a "classic" biography, written starting at her birth and ending at her death. This version focuses on the events of Emily's life, and is far more detailed than the second draft.
The second draft explores 7 different "interpretations" of Emily, and how those interpretations affect the way we tell the story of her life. So this version doubles as a criticism of the "biography" genre by intentionally overemphasizing or underemphasizing specific elements. It's arguably a work of fiction.
If you would like to give me feedback, please feel free to send me an email (wardp@carleton.edu) and please be gentle with my fragile, vulnerable ego.