December 2004


Greetings from Inkberry. It’s hard to believe we’re coasting into the end of another year. Where does the time go?

2004 has been a corker of a year here at Inkberry. Over the course of the year, we’ve:

  • offered writing workshops (both in-person and online) on subjects ranging from The Letter as Literature to an Introduction to Food to this months’s “Sense-Sational” Writing: A Joyful Journey into the Written Word, about which more anon;

  • hosted readings by such luminaries as graphic novelist Howard Cruse, poet Sandra Kohler, and novelist Tony Eprile;

  • held our first-ever festival, a Celebration of Poetry during April, National Poetry Month;

  • pioneered Stories of Strength, our breast cancer survivors’ oral histories program;

  • published Inklings, an anthology collecting work by Inkberry students and teachers, to great acclaim, and;

  • this month, we conducted the pilot of our Creative Writing Boot Camp program with students at Drury High School. This workshop series presents a brief but intensive introduction of writing nonfiction, fiction and poetry. We worked with some terrific students, and learned some things that are sure to make the program stronger the next time we offer it. Look for the next session some time in early 2005.

We accomplished all of these things with the enthusiasm, energy and support of our board members, our volunteers and the endless dedication of our Executive Director, Rachel Barenblat (who would never grab the spotlight for herself, so it’s up to me to shine it in her entirely deserving direction).

Since I’m giving credit where it’s due anyway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t publicly thank the board members and volunteers who stepped up and helped out with our recent annual fund mailing. If you’re on our mailing list, you’ve already received your copy of the letter. If you haven’t already responded, or if you put the letter in that pile on your desk that you never seem to get to (you know the one I mean), then I urge you, I encourage you, and, frankly, I’m shameless enough to beg you to make a donation or purchase a membership. Your support keeps the black ink flowing for Inkberry.

Of course, the reward for doing good work, especially in the realm of scrappy arts nonprofits, is that there is always more work to do. This month we’ll round out our fall season with one final workshop, the aforementioned “Sense-Sational” Writing one-shot on December 11th. This day-long workshop is divided into five sections, each focusing on one of our senses. The course will be taught by Salianne Norelli, and will meet at our 63 Main Street location on Saturday, December 11, 2004, from 9am-4pm. To find out more give us a call at 413.664.0775, or visit us online at http://www.inkberry.org (you can opt directly into the class at http://www.inkberry.org/store/).

But the adage that the more one does, the more there is for one to do, is especially true as we look ahead to 2005. We’ll continue doing what we’ve always done — writing workshops and great readings are the lifeblood of Inkberry, and we have some exciting workshops and readings coming up in the coming year which we’ll tell you about in future messages. We’ll also continue to expand our collaborative efforts with schools, with other arts organizations (we’re tremendously encouraged by our ongoing conversations with folk music series the Railway Café, and new theatre troupe Mill City Productions), with community organizations and with new reading venues. Ultimately, we’re always working to come up with the best possible answer to the question one of our board members posed, “What do writers want?”

On a personal level, I’m coming to the end of my first year as Rachel’s valiant, redoubtable (which is, you know, one of those great fantasy novel adjectives that just doesn’t get enough stage time in contemporary usage) and occasionally even useful Kid Sidekick. I look forward to discovering what the coming year has to offer as Inkberry continues its development. It’s sure to be exciting, and will almost certainly offer more than a few surprises along the way. Join us in the coming year, and see for yourself.

Until next year, best wishes, happy holidays, and to all a good night…

—Tom