October 2003

Hello again from Inkberry! There’s no longer any denying that it’s fall; the leaves are changing, the temperature has dropped, and we’re moving at full speed into the busiest October we’ve ever had.

To take things in order, though, our month begins with a late addition to our schedule: a special reading for First Friday, this Friday at 7pm. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re honored to present a reading commemorating breast cancer. Joyce Lazarus and Deidre Bollinger will give brief readings of related literature, and then we’ll open the podium to anyone whose life has been touched by this disease. Join us in honoring those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. This event is free to the public.

Our fall workshop season begins two weeks from today, and we’ve got an exciting lineup of all new classes. First up is an eight-week workshop on the art of autobiography. “Our Words, Our Selves,” taught by former Advocate reporter and recent Bennington MFA graduate Michael Card, will begin on Wednesday, October 15, at 7pm. Designed for new writers as well as experienced memoirists, this workshop will begin with an overview of the genre and a discussion of different approaches to autobiography, before turning its attention to student work.

On Saturday, October 18, Inkberry is proud to present a Master Class by visiting poets Laure-Anne Bosselaar and Meg Kearney. “The Art of Revision: Essential (and sometimes radical) Tools Every Poet Should Own” will meet from 2-4:30pm, and will cover all aspects of revision, helping students to strengthen and hone their revision skills. This is a rare opportunity to beef up your poetry skills under the guidance of two excellent and distinguished writers, so don’t miss it!

Bosselaar and Kearney will also be giving a reading of their work that evening at 7:30pm. I’m personally very psyched about this event. Laure-Anne Bosselaar has been one of my favorite poets since I first came across her work in the mid-90s, and she’s been on Inkberry’s wishlist since Inkberry was just a glimmer in our eyes. Kearney first found us because a poet who read here last year, George Drew, was one of her mentors; she wrote to me and I’ve since become a huge fan of her work as well. This should be a lovely evening of exquisite poetry, so come over to Inkberry and pack the house for the occasion.

Yet another class begins on Thursday, October 23 — and this one has generated so much advance buzz that we had people calling to register before our calendar had even gone to press. “The Bible As…” is a book discussion group that will look at the Bible from different points of view (religious, spiritual, literary, and historical) and talk about just what has made it the most influential book in Western civilization. With discussions led by Reverend Rick Spalding and Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, this should be a fascinating (and dare I say, enlightening) class.

That’s a particularly full week for us. Those of you who are locals may know that that’s also the week of Words Are Wonderful at the Williamstown elementary school. Inkberry is taking part by offering a writing workshop for children aged 6-10, after school on Wednesday, October 22. Poet and teacher Aaron Jorgensen will lead “Writing With Your Tongue and Your Nose,” in which young authors will use their five senses to help them make bright and interesting experiences in the minds of their readers. Contact DebbyDane@aol.com or LizCostley@adelphia.net to find out more.

And that Saturday evening, October 25, is what may very well be the pinnacle of our October: a literary wine-tasting called Drinkberry! Wine and writing are old friends, as we all know, with a long and colorful history. So we’re celebrating the best things about both with a party to benefit Inkberry. This is an entirely new thing for us, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve decided to go with a Spanish theme, because hey, why not? So Nejaime’s Wine Cellars is coordinating a tasting of delicious Spanish and Iberian wines, we’re transforming our space into a snazzy café, and we’ll have tapas and music and short readings of work by some of the greatest writers ever to lift a wineskin. This should be a spectacular party, and for a fantastic cause, so please come down and join us. Tickets are available now — $35 in advance, or $40 at the door — and Inkberry members get a $5 discount. We’ll even be able to accept credit cards soon, so you can charge your tickets! Call us for more information: 413-664-0775. (You can also find more information about this and all our programs at our website: www.inkberry.org.)

We’d never be able to get through all we’re doing this fall if we didn’t have help, and we are, thankfully, aswim in interns and volunteers at present. For which much credit is due to our new Volunteer Coordinator, Elissa Shevinsky, who will introduce herself in a moment. But before I sign off, I wanted to drop in a quick plug for one of my favorite books of late: Great Topics of the World, by Albert Goldbarth — a mindblowing collection of essays that swoop effortlessly from the personal to the mythical to the esoteric and back to the personal, sometimes in the space of a page. If you’re interested in contemporary essays, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Also worth noting is the Brattleboro Literary Festival, now in its second year, which is happening this weekend. They’ve got an impressive lineup of authors and events, so if you’ve got the time, check it out: www.brattleboroliteraryfestival.org.

— Emily

Hi Everyone! My name is Elissa, and I’m Inkberry’s new Volunteer Coordinator. I’m excited to be here. I was the volunteer/intern coordinator at the Alaska Wilderness League in DC, and most recently I was coordinating the volunteer program in the Household department at the Kripalu Yoga Center. So it’s fair to say that working with volunteers is one of my favorite things to do! I’m deeply commited to making sure that volunteers have meaningful and interesting experiences. Inkberry is a great place to make this happen.

Some back history — I graduated from Williams with a degree in political theory in 2001. I was also an Inkberry work-study volunteer myself, postering Bennington and Williamstown to pay for their Erotica writing workshop and a course on “Words in Space.”

I’ve gotten a chance to meet some of you, and I look forward to meeting more of you soon. Look for me at this week’s First Friday gathering, which will be a great time to talk with me if you’re interested in volunteering this season. Folks can also contact me by email at eshevins@wso.williams.edu and by phone at the Inkberry office. I hope to see you all soon!

— Elissa