April 2003

As spring struggles to be spring-like, we Inkberries are busy as those proverbial bees. April will see the start of a new slate of classes, the inauguration of a new First Friday event, and a reading we’ve been excited about for almost a year.

To begin at the beginning, though, this First Friday (which is this coming Friday, today being, well, First Wednesday) Inkberry will join forces with Images Cinema and the Contemporary Artists Center to host an Artists and Writers Networking Party — which we admit is awkwardly named, so if you’ve got better ideas, let us know. (Titles are always so hard…) The north Berkshires are home to a plethora of artists and writers, be they new to the area or longtime residents, but many have noted that it’s hard for these creative types to find each other. So we invite all you artists and writers out there to Inkberry on Friday night, from 8 to 10pm, to meet your colleagues, discuss your current projects, exchange ideas, maybe even hook up with potential collaborators. There’ll be food, drink, good company, and a chance to justify all that “North Adams art scene” buzz.

Also on First Friday, we’ll continue to participate in the CAC-curated Art Walk with a show of new work by Gabrielle Senza. Our first Art Walk, last month, showcased paintings by Beth Budwig, including the unveiling of her gorgeous “Inkberry” mural and our revamped classroom (many thanks to Beth and Williams College for the artwork, and to the Greylock Federal Credit Union for generously underwriting our classroom beautification). Beth toiled for many long hours transforming our space (and almost set herself on fire in the process), and what was a drab back room is now an inspiring setting for our students. Gabrielle’s work, which is being installed as I write this, consists of text-based two- and three-dimensional pieces which address the ambiguous lines between visibility/invisibility, trust/betrayal, pride/shame and freedom/oppression. Come by Friday evening to find out what that means!

On Tuesday, April 15, our spring classes kick off with Words in Space: Again and Expanded. Originally offered as a one-day workshop last summer, this three-week class is taught by artist and calligrapher Ann Kremers, and examines the way in which placement of words on a page affects their meaning. In the first session, students will work with black-on-white text; the second session will introduce color; and in the third session the flat page will be pushed into three dimensions. Students can sign up for any or all of these three sessions.

Our second workshop of the spring is The Lyric Poem, taught by Inkberry’s own Rachel Barenblat, meeting for the first time on Wednesday, April 30. In four two-hour sessions, the class will explore these short poems that “walk the line between speaking and singing” by reading examples by a range of writers and then turning to close critique of student work. As always, more information about Inkberry classes can be found at our website, www.inkberry.org/workshops/, or by calling 413-664-0775.

The middle of the month brings a reading by a writer who’s been on our wishlist ever since Inkberry was first conceived. Award-winning poet and essayist Mark Doty will grace our podium on Saturday, April 19, at 7:30pm. Mark’s beautiful, moving, and often whimsical work can be seen in such books as Source and Still Life with Oysters and Lemon, both of which we highly recommend. Opening for Mark will be Pittsfield-based poet Aaron Beatty, an up-and-coming talent who writes, with noteworthy aplomb, about the driving forces in the heart. This event is FREE (though donations are always welcome) and it should be a knockout, so I hope we’ll see you there!

And finally — we’re seeking volunteers! Every three months we need folks to help distribute our calendars throughout the Berkshires and surrounding areas, and every few weeks we’ve got flyers that need hanging in North Adams, Williamstown, Adams, and Bennington. We’re now offering free Chapbook memberships to those hardy volunteers who will take on a regular territory for this kind of work, and volunteer hours can be redeemed for discounts on our classes, so if you’re interested, contact our Executive Director, Rachel Barenblat, at rachel@inkberry.org or 664-0775.

I’ve been reading some great big new books lately. Right now I’m happily buried in The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, an engrossing novel about a prostitute in nineteenth-century London. Dickensian in scope, the story draws readers into this little-seen side of Victorian England with a sure-handed narrative style and an abundance of physical detail that makes the period come alive. If you enjoyed either Memoirs of a Geisha or The French Lieutenant’s Woman (which regular Inkmail readers may recall me raving about a few months ago), try picking up this tome. I expect to lose many more hours to it before I’m done. I also recently read Middlesex, the new novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (author of The Virgin Suicides), and was completely blown away. The story of a Greek-American hermaphrodite, Middlesex is a sprawling tale that spans generations, continents, and lifestyles.

But that’s quite enough for me. Drop by Inkberry and see us sometime.

— Emily