April 2002

Although the latest coating of snow on my lawn has given me new insight into April’s cruelty, I’m fairly certain that Rachel quoted T.S. Eliot last year, so I’ll suppress my urge to do it again. Spring has to arrive at some point this month, or so I keep telling myself, and meanwhile, we’re busy down at Inkberry.

Our spring classes begin next week (yet another reason why spring must arrive), and we’ve got some great stuff on offer! Our Mixed-Genre Introduction to Creative Writing, for beginning to intermediate writers in any and all genres, will meet for ten weeks, starting next Thursday, April 11; Rachel, Sandy, and I will team-teach that one. We’ve got a new book group that will examine Cyberpunk Science Fiction - led by Chris Warren, that group will meet six times, beginning Wednesday, April 10. Our first ever workshop for children, Wishes, Lies, and Dreams, will meet on Sunday, April 21 from 10am to 12pm; this will be a poetry workshop for kids aged 5 to 10, with their parents, and will be taught by our good friend (and one of our favorite poets) Aaron Jorgensen. And meeting for the first time on Tuesday, April 16, is an essay writing workshop specifically for unpublished women writers, that we’re pleased to present in partnership with the North Adams Public Library. We also have a songwriting workshop coming up in May, to be taught by Bernice Lewis. As always, information about all these classes can be found at our website, http://www.inkberry.org.

April is also going to see the inauguration of a new branch of programming: our first Master Class. On Sunday, April 28, noted poet and theologian Alicia Ostriker will teach a workshop in Writing Midrash - that is, writing that is inspired by, or seeks to interpret, sacred texts. This is a unique opportunity to work with a writer at the top of her craft, and we’re very honored to be able to present it. (We’ve also seen a lot of advance registration for this class, so if you’re interested, I encourage you to act fast!) The workshop will be in the afternoon, and that evening Ms. Ostriker will give a reading of her own poetry. (Many thanks to the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, Congregation Beth Israel, and the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, whose generous assistance helped to bring this about.)

I should also mention that tomorrow is First Friday! This month every participating business will be giving out eggs with treats inside; since April is also National Poetry Month, we’ll be adding some of our favorite poems to the more traditional treats. We’ll also be hosting an informal open mic, so stop in and read with us!

And while I’m on the topic of stopping in… we’re now offering a new service in our office: one-on-one writing tutorials. You can now bring your writing into our office for a private consultation with one of Inkberry’s three founders! Tutorials are $30 an hour during regular office hours (Wednesday through Saturday, 1-5pm), or $35 an hour at other times. Please call in advance to arrange your appointment; you can also choose which of us you’d like to see, as we each have different areas of expertise. And of course you’re welcome to use our library any time we’re open - that space is there for you, whether you want to browse, study, or just write in a friendly environment.

(By the way - interested in writing in a more exciting environment? Patricia Lee Lewis, of Patchwork Farm, will be leading two week-long writing and yoga retreats on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, this May and June. There will be daily writing workshops and yoga sessions, as well as opportunities to hike and bike through the countryside, but all activities are optional, so you can spend your time in whatever way works best for you. This is pretty much my dream vacation, and I can’t go because of scheduling conflicts, so I hope some of you will go and then tell me all about it! For more information, go to http://www.writingretreats.org/skye.htm. Friends of Inkberry will receive a special discount on these trips, so be sure to mention where you heard about them.)

Before I go, I’ll pause to recommend The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, a collection of nonfiction by Susan Orlean. Orlean is a staff writer for The New Yorker (where many of the pieces in this book first appeared), and she specializes in profiles of people that, for one reason or another, she finds interesting. Sometimes it’s because they’re famous, but more often they’re just people (or animals) she’s intrigued by - such as Spain’s first female matador, or a New York taxidriver who also happens to be the king of the Ashanti tribe in the United States. Too quirky and original to be described as a journalist, Orlean provides an effective answer for those of you who have wondered just what “creative nonfiction” could be when it’s not being personal essays. No matter what she writes about, her work is always surprising and entertaining, and makes for an engaging read.

That’s all for now, and here’s hoping it warms up…

— Emily