November 2006

Greetings from Inkberry!

Our space at 61 Main has been abuzz this fall with new interns and volunteers as well as a steady stream of new visitors—local writers with copies of their new books, college students with questions about the pros and cons of MFA programs, people who write stories, or poems, or memoirs and who want to meet other people who write them; state representatives carrying advance copies of mystery novels in the hope that their author will sign them while said state representative is in session; bright, inquisitive students from MCLA’s Arts Management Program…people from the community who’ve read about us in the news. It’s been great seeing all of you!

We have a lot to report this month: a brand new program for middleschoolers, on-going community-oriented workshops right at Inkberry, readings by writers of all ages and stages at venues around town, and an upcoming visit by speculative fiction writers Naomi Novik and Paul Park, who will be on the MCLA campus on Saturday, November 18th for a reading, Q&A and signing. Of course, don’t miss Wordplay, Inkberry’s monthly reading series at Papyri Books. Lastly, we’ve added a few new categories to the “Opportunities” page on Inkberry’s web site. If you know about an opportunity for writers and would like us to spread the news, or if you’ve just published or are about to publish new work, please e-mail us at info@inkberry.org –we’re here to help you get the word out!

I hope to see sometime soon.

Jill

It has been brought to my attention that some of our members have not been receiving inkmail. If you’ve not heard from us lately, please know that we have not forgotten you—we’re working with a new bulk mailer. Fortunately, we archive inkmail on our site. If you haven’t been receiving inkmail, please catch up on previous issues of inkmail here. Alternatively, if you are receiving inkmail but would like us to send news by snail mail instead, please contact us at info@inkberry.org.

In the news

Inkberry has formed a new partnership with North Adams Public Schools, the Center for Service and Citizenship at MCLA, The North Adams Public Library and The Transcript to offer “The Write Stuff,” a new writing program geared to students at Conte Middle School. The program’s first workshop, “Laugh it up, Fuzzball: humor writing taught by Seth Brown” begins Tuesday, November 7th. Read more about “The Write Stuff” here.

Inkberry is brought to you by…(people)

Thursday Night Critique is thriving under the direction of Inkberry’s new workshop facilitator, Bill Belcher, who reports that the “season has been wonderful—full of new faces and new work from workshop veterans.” If you haven’t dropped in on the group, you’re missing out. Bill is a student in Goddard’s MFA program and he’s got some serious writing and workshopping skills. Read his recent blogpost about the workshop here.

Happening this month

Thursday Night Critique—November 2nd and November 16th at 7:30 at Inkberry led by Inkberry’s workshop facilitator, Bill Belcher. You got yourself in the chair and wrote the draft. Print the draft and bring it to Inkberry. Writers need feedback. Get it here.

Tuesday Night College Critique—November 7th and November 21st at 6:30 at Inkberry led by Inkberry’s college workshop facilitator Sarah Russell. College students who write poetry and fiction—a pot of coffee, a comfy chair and a bunch of other students who have something to say about writing await you here.

Wordplay –November 11th at 7:30 at Papyri Books featuring MCLA senior and novelist Andrew Arvedon. On the second Saturday of every month, Inkberry and Papyri Books bring local writers together to read from their fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Read more about this reading and about WordPlay here.

An Evening of Speculative Fiction with Naomi Novik and Paul Park— November 18th at 7:30 at MCLA. Novik’s Temeraire fantasy series was recently optioned for film by Peter Jackson, acclaimed director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Park’s novel, A Princess of Roumania, has been nominated for the 2006 World Fantasy Award. Read more about Naomi, Paul, and their upcoming reading here.

Opportunities

Call for writers: food historian, editor (and Inkberry member) Linda Berzok is seeking submissions for a new book on Women, Recipes and Stories. Read more about this opportunity here.

Call for readers: The David & Joyce Milne Public Library is looking for readers to perform classic and contemporary plays at the library. Read more about this opportunity here.