Emma Lazarus

Vox Phantasma

**Emma Lazarus** was a Sephardic-American writer and poet and the Vox Phantasma of New York City in the late 1800s. She wrote "The New Colossus", the poem that's inscribed on the Statue of Liberty:

> "*Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame with conquering limbs astride from land to land; here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she with silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!*"
> ― The New Colossus
>
>

## Featured Episodes

* Episode 2: Mutant Santa Melee (mentioned)
* Episode 3: Pigeon Plus Ones (mentioned)
* Episode 5: A New York Wedding (mentioned)
* Episode 7: We Need to Talk About Pete (mentioned)
 **The Unsleeping City: Chapter II*** Episode 2: Heaven and Hell on Earth (mentioned)

## Description

Emma Lazarus was the Vox Phantasma around 1870-1880. Misty Moore describes her as "a fun lady".

## The Unsleeping City

### Start Spreading the News

Emma is first mentioned as Nod tells Pete the Plug to "heed the words of Lazarus". At this point, it is unclear who this is in reference to.

### Mutant Santa Melee

The next day, after defeating the Mutant Santa Clones, Nod appears to Pete again and repeats their words.

### Pigeon Plus Ones

Pete tells the rest of the Dream Team about Lazarus and the first time he entered Nod. He recalls the appearance of the Golden Door and mistakenly attributes the words he heard-- "Start spreading the news"-- to Lazarus. He tells them he thinks he may have let Lazarus out when he pushed the button on his medical bracelet.

### A New York Wedding

At the wedding of Angela Confetti and Ronald Pigeon, Pete suggests that Lazarus may have been the one to kidnap his dad. He brings up that the waters of Em's fountain may have been used to clean his soul, since he's a shitty guy.

Esther Sinclair and Alejandro Ortiz of the Gramercy Occult Society report that they could not find record of Lazarus, either as Nod, the grey baby who first spoke to Pete about it, or as anything in Nod itself. Misty Moore suggests it could be in reference to the Bible, and the Lazarus who rose from the dead, making the connection again to "laundering" souls.

Later, Kingston Brown consults with Willy about the religious connections that Lazarus may have. Willy suggests that instead of it being a reference to the Bible, Lazarus could be referencing Emma Lazarus, the poet of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty and says he'll look into it further.

### We Need to Talk About Pete

When Kingston tells the rest of the party about his conversation with Willy, that "Lazarus" might have something to do with the Statue of Liberty, Misty chimes in to suggest Emma Lazarus, like Willy. Sofia Bicicleta proposes it could be both: Emma's poem is about immigration and New York being a place for second chances and new starts, and Lazarus from the Bible rose from the dead-- it could be that the Naughty and Nice List is being used to launder souls to give them a second chance in heaven.

### Borough of Dreams

Nod finally confirms that they were referring to Emma Lazarus when they first told Pete to "heed the words of Lazarus". When Misty recites "The New Colossus", Pete sees, once more, the Golden Door, referenced in the poem. Nod tells them that Emma was the Voice of Dream, and that the dream behind the golden door was what those tempest-tossed were seeking: the American Dream. In writing the poem, Emma brought part of the American Dream and the Golden Door into the waking world.

At the Metropolitan Museum of Memories, Pete sees the Vox Phantasmi of the past, including Emma Lazarus.

## The Unsleeping City: Chapter II

### Heaven and Hell on Earth

When talking to Bazathrax about how he came to the waking world, Pete accesses Emma's memories and learns his true place in hell: he's from the second level, the sub lord of reckless decision making, and is just a real chump.

## Trivia

* Emma is one of several characters in The Unsleeping City that were based off of real historical figures. Another is Robert Moses and Stephen Sondheim.