How(e) to Read Dickinson (W)riting Nature

Abstract

I t w o u ld be te m p tin g to say th a t th e U n iv ersity of Iow a b ro u g h t th e w o rd workshop in to o u r la n ­ g u ag e, b u t th a t w o u ld n o t be tru e. It is tru e th a t The American Heritage Dictionary, w ith p u b lic a tio n d a te s th a t b e g in in 1969, offers as its se c o n d d e fin itio n of workshop, " a g ro u p of p e o p le w h o m e e t reg u la rly for a se m in a r in so m e sp ecialized field: a creative-writing workshop." A n d it is e q u a lly tru e th a t th e m o d ­ e rn u se of workshop, in th a t se n se , a n d creative w riting as w ell, can b e st be tra c ed to h e re. B ut workshop h a s a m u c h o ld er h isto ry , a n d a d is tin g u is h e d o n e, to w h ic h o u r u n iv e rs ity h a s b u t a d d e d. Its first citatio n (1582) in th e Oxford English Dictio­ nary refers to A le x a n d er th e G reat h a n g in g o u t in th e w o rk s h o p of th e fo u rth c e n tu ry B.C. G reek p a in te r, A pelles. Workshop is a c u rio u s term , o n e th a t cro sses a rt w ith m a n u a l labor. " S h o p " d e riv e s from th e O ld E n g lish , sceoppa, w h ic h m e a n t a " b o o th " o r " sta ll," as in a m a rk e t. T h ere is a w o rk in g-class feel to th e w o rd th a t e n jo y s lo n g s ta n d in g. B ut O ld E nglish weorc, also m e a n t a n " a c t" o r " d e e d " as w ell as its obvious cognate; a n d so, d e p e n d in g o n h o w o n e feels a b o u t it, m an u a l labor is e ith e r g ra n te d a ce rtain d ig n ity , e v e n n o b ility as a " d e e d ," o r d e e d s of h ig h c u ltu ral s ta n d in g color th e m se lv e s favorably w ith th e p a tin a of h a n d so n labor. " W o rk " in tu rn d eriv ed , so th e lex ic o g ra p h e rs tell u s, fro m a n In d o-E u ro p e a n root, werg, w h ic h is re la te d to th e G reek ergon, m e a n in g " w o rk " or " a c tio n ." Werg sh o w s u p in " e n e rg y ," " a lle rg y ," " litu rg y ," "g eo rg ic," a n d " s u rg e ry ," to n a m e b u t a few , as it also d o e s in " o rg a n " a n d " o rg y ." Each of th e s e w o rd s h a s b e e n called u p o n at o n e tim e or a n o th e r to d escrib e a n a sp e c t of o u r W o rk sh o p. S ettled in to a n a g ric u ltu ra l a rea, it h a s b e e n s e e n b y so m e as h o p e le ssly lo st in th e " g e o rg ic ." B ut o n e can com e h e re a n d