Emily Dickinson, the tweeter extraordinaire: Cynthia Nixon

Emily Dickinson has always been a bit of a mystery. She aspired to a quiet and retiring life but the bold and inventive poet was no stranger to scandal. 

Director Terence Davies and actor Cynthia Nixon  have taken on the task of bringing the prolific American poet's "still – Volcano – Life" to the screen.

The film, A Quiet Passion delves into the poet's life, art and fascinating heart. 

Today, Nixon, its star, joins guest host Candy Palmater in studio to chat about how she relates to Dickinson.

The modern poet

Nixon's first memories of Dickinson go all the way back to childhood. "[The poems] penetrated my psyche. It lived in my head. I knew big chunks of them by heart," she remembers.

She says so much of what Dickinson wrote about was relatable - the big feelings, wanting to connect with people, the desire to be seen.

"What's she's saying is so personal, it's so uncluttered," Nixon says. Perfect, in fact, for Twitter. 

"I think she would have been the tweeter extraordinaire. She wanted to connect but she wanted her privacy."

(For example, doesn't the poem I'm Nobody! Who are you? read a little bit like a subtweet?)

WEB EXTRA | Watch the trailer for A Quiet Passion, an official selection of TIFF 2016, below.