Emily Dickinson Biopic Screening at Westport Library on Aug. 17

Regarded as one of America’s greatest poets, Emily Dickinson (1830-86) had only about 10 poems published in her lifetime, mostly without her consent. After her death, almost 1,800 poems were found in her bedroom.

The recently released biopic "Emily Dickinson: My Letter to the World" (2017; 80 m) presents an in-depth look at Dickinson's life and work. The Westport Library will screen the film on Thursday, Aug. 17 in a program from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Library's Large Reading Room. Writer and Dickinson scholar Jerome Charyn will introduce the film (which is narrated by Cynthia Nixon) and afterward lead a Q&A with producer Sol Papadopoulos, who also produced the new feature film "A Quiet Passion" starring Cynthia Nixon as Dickinson. The film premiered at the Morgan Library & Museum last May.

This screening is presented in conjunction with Miggs Burroughs's current Great Hall exhibit, "Signs of Compassion," which is about the visual poetry of American Sign Language and is anchored in a short but powerful Dickinson poem about compassion.

The Westport Library is located at 20 Jesup Rd. in Westport. For further information, phone (203) 291-4800, or visit westportlibrary.org.