Build It and They Will Come

Questions for the founders of Inkberry

Emily Banner, Rachel Barenblat and Sandy Ryan attended Williams College together in the mid-1990s. Three years ago, their common interest in writing and the writing life led them to found the North Adams-based literary organization, Inkberry. With a few thousand dollars in donations from friends and acquaintances and some of their own money, the three launched a series of readings and workshops in area venues that offered space to the fledgling organization. Last year, Inkberry settled into its own space at 63 Main Street in North Adams. Banner, Barenblat (a former TWT editor) and Ryan recently answered my questions about Inkberry by email.

When and why did you found Inkberry?

Emily: In early 2000, I was living in Chicago and interning at an organization called Guild Complex, which does what Inkberry does but on a much larger scale. Rachel [asked me] about the Guild and that led to conversations about whether we could do the same sort of thing in the north Berkshires. I moved back to the area, and by fall Rachel, Sandy and I were meeting regularly to plan for what we called, at that point, “our Thing.” I think the idea of a writers’ center really appealed to us all as audience members; we wanted to attend the sorts of programs that Inkberry offers… and figured there was no reason why we coudn’t start one ourselves. We officially incorporated in October of 2000, and began offering programming in April 2001.

What’s an Inkberry?

Rachel: An Inkberry is an evergreen, native to northern New England (among other places), that - according to one dictionary’s definition - flourishes and bears fruit “even by roadsides and in wasteplaces.” We thought that was a great metaphor for writers and the writing life.

Tell us about your mission.

Rachel: We’re an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the literary arts in and around Berkshire County. Through workshops geared toward every level of writer, and a reading series that both brings established writers into our community and promotes local talent, we aim to strengthen connections between writing and life, and to create a place where everyone can discover their voice.

What have some of the biggest challenges been?

Emily: Our biggest challenges have been financial. When we were first planning Inkberry, in 2000, the north Berkshires and the country as a whole were in the midst of an economic boom. Our early estimates of what we had hoped to raise in grants and donations were based on that economic climate, which, sadly, is no more. Individuals don’t have as much discretionary income as they did, and last year Massachusetts slashed its arts funding by 62%, which has affected every arts organization in the state. We’ve had to reshape a lot of our plans in light of the economic downturn.

Another challenge has been getting the word out about who we are and what we do. When a new museum opens, people are already familiar with the idea of museums, so they have some notion what to expect. There are no other organizations like Inkberry in the area, so we’ve had to educate our audience as we build.

Who are some of the writers you’ve featured?

Rachel: In the [past] two years, we’ve presented 25 readings by prominent authors including Donald Hall, Pam Houston and Ted Conover, among others. Sometimes we pair local writers with major writers from outside the community, as we did with poets Bob Hicok and Mark Doty - each of whom read with an up-and-coming local writer. We’ve also offered master classes in subjects ranging from erotica to midrash, taught by luminaries Hanne Blank and Alicia Ostriker. In the fall, we’ll offer a reading by poets Laure-Anne Bosselaar and Meg Kearney, who will also teach a master class together.

Which programs have resonated most strongly with the community?

Sandy: That’s a very context-dependent question. The main thing I’ve learned is that [there is] not just one “community” but rather a system of communities - there are students who are here by choice, high school kids who are here becuase their parents are here, spouses who are here because one or another has to work here. There are long-time established families who’ve been here since Sam Adams and there are new artists and faculty families every day. There are snowbirds who travel to Florida in the winter… and vacationers from all over the country.

We try to listen to everyone and be here for as many different kinds of people as we can be - anyone who loves stories or has one to tell. That said, we have had some very successful one-day workshops, and some standing-room-only readings. I think the reading series is an unqualified success.

Where do you see the organization in five years?

Emily: We’ll continue to offer our year-round reading series and an expanding program of workshops and classes for the general public, while at the same time we’ll keep building more community-based initiatives. I really do believe that everyone can benefit from the opportunity to tell their stories, and that engaging with great literature can only be a good thing. We’ll be working to bring these benefits to as many segments of our community as possible.

What else should we know?

Sandy: I think one thing we’ve managed to do absolutely right from the outset is to create classes and readings that really are accessible - we create a space that feels comfortable whether you’re a bibliophile or whether you’ve never heard a poem read aloud before. Everyone should try this, everyone should participate, and everyone should feel welcome.

To learn more, visit http://www.inkberry.org or call 413-664-0775.