October 2007

Greetings from Inkberry,

October. Fall festivals, leaf peeping, goblins and ghosts. It’s a beautiful, busy season in the Berkshires. Among the festivities is the North Adams Open Studios. On the weekend of October 13th and 14th, artists throughout the city will open their doors to the community, welcoming fellow artists, art admirers and the simply curious. Inkberry, as a member of the North Adams artistic community, is a sponsor of Open Studios. This year a group of writers, spearheaded by several members of our Thursday Night Critique group, will be taking part in the event by presenting a continuous live reading of their original work at the Eclipse Mill. Check out the unique format of “The Woven Word” here and drop by the Eclipse Mill to see and hear some of the art of the Berkshires.

Advisory Board member Jim Shepard’s new collection of stories Like You’d Understand Anyway came out in late September to such laudatory reviews that you might want to get your copy from Papyri soon. You can read Daniel Handler’s New York Times review here.

If the winter months and these great new books by local authors stir a creative urge, you might consider joining Inkberry members Linda White and Deborah Brown as they take part in National Novel Writing Month in November. Inkberry’s office will be open on Thursdays from 10am to 4pm during November for use by anyone who wants to drop in and crank out prose at lightening speed. Please contact Linda at white_linda@hotmail.com to let her know that you are interested. Go to the National Novel Writing Month website for further information and to sign up for the event before the end of October.

Enjoy the Fall!

Leanne Jewett

Happening this month

OCTOBER 4, 7:00 PM, at the North Adams Public Library—Award-winning novelist, Elizabeth Winthrop, presented in partnership with the North Adams Public Library, will read from her memoir-in-progress. Elizabeth Winthrop, the recipient of numerous awards for her work, is the author of Counting on Grace which is set in North Pownal, Vermont and has been chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and the Children’s Book Council. It has been nominated for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and is the VERMONT READS Selection as well as the 2007 Massachusetts Honor Book in Children’s Literature and the Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book for older children.

OCTOBER 9 THROUGH NOVEMBER 13, 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Inkberry, 61 Main Street, #223, North Adams—Poet and prose writer Derek Mong’s workshop “Plumping our Poems, Flashing our Fiction: Explorations in the Prose Poem, Short Short, and Sticky In-Between” begins Tuesday, October 9. Read more about this intriguing workshop covering these popular forms at www.inkberry.org/workshops/atinkberry. You can sign-up online or call the office at (413) 664-0775 to register for the 4-week series. Fee $150. (as always Inkberry members receive a 10% discount.)

OCTOBER 11, 6PM at Gallery 51, 51 Main Street, North Adams—Inkberry and G51 are partnering to offer “Writing the Artist Statement,” a one-shot workshop focused on writing and editing your artist statement, taught by Lauren O’Neal. Writing an artist statement is sometimes a daunting task, especially for such a small amount of copy. Inkberry and Gallery 51 are here to help. Find our more about this workshop here. Tuition is $55 ($49.50 for Inkberry members) and $20 for registered North Adams Open Studios Artists.

OCTOBER 13, 7:00 PM—WordPlay at Papyri Books, 45 Eagle Street, North Adams features author and photographer Paul Clermont, the author of Timepieces: Life in the Berkshires…and Beyond. The evening, hosted by Gail Burns, will begin with a reading by Mr. Clermont, followed by open-mic. Further information is available at Papyri Books, 413-662-2099. OCTOBER 18, 7:30 PM—Thursday Night Critique, facilitated by Bill Belcher. at Inkberry, 61 Main Street, #223. Free, drop-ins welcome. (The October 4 session has been cancelled) You got yourself in the chair and wrote the draft. Print the draft and bring it to Inkberry. Writers need feedback. Get it here: Workshops at Inkberry.

In the Community

OCTOBER 4, from 3:30 to 6pm—Kidspace at MASS MoCA opening of It’s Rude to Stare, featuring sculpture and drawings by English-born, Vermont-based artist Richard Criddle. In a personal ‘archaeological dig’ into his childhood fears and stories Criddle interprets his memories on a larger-than-life scale. He presents his autobiography in the form of oversized sculptures made from wood, bronze, fabricated steel, and found objects including wooden blinds, furniture components, a furnace shovel, and heavy duty industrial hardware. Join us for the opening, meet the artist, try your hand at making your own hybrid collage figures, and have some refreshments. Remarks at 4:00pm.

OCTOBER 17, 8:00 PM—Williams College, Griffin 3, Williamstown is presenting Nathan Englander, author of the acclaimed short-story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges. Englander will read from and discuss his new novel The Ministry of Special Cases. Book signing to follow. Sponsored by the Program in Jewish Studies, the Bronfman Committee and the Wiener Lecture Fund. Go here for more information.

OCTOBER 19, 7:30pm at MCLA, Church Street Center—Margaret A. Hart 1935 Gospel Fest featuring Marie Knight, Co-Presented with ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) Gospel great Marie Knight headlines this year’s Gospel Fest. Her amazing voice will make you want to lift your hands to the heavens. Audience favorites Williams College Gospel Choir and Price AME Gospel Choir return to the Church Street Center, and will be joined by North County Ecumenical Choir from North Adams’ own First Congregational Church. This inspiring event is hosted by MCLA students and celebrates the life of Margaret A. Hart ‘35 while raising funds for a scholarship in her honor.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Berkshire Community College— Susan B. Anthony Building in the Student Lounge Berkshire Community College’s Diversity Committee in conjunction with The Berkshire Writers Room will present a reading of published and original work on the theme, “What It Means to be Different”.

Opportunities

Berkshire Community College’s Diversity Committee, in conjunction with The Berkshire Writers Room, will present a reading of published and original work on the theme “What It Means to be Different.” Submitted works may be the reader’s own writing or favorite pieces appropriate to the reading’s theme. Each reading should take no longer than 10 minutes. To participate, e-mail smack@berkshirecc.edu with contact information and the title of the proposed piece. The deadline is Monday, Oct. 15. The event will be October 24.

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.

Inkberry is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. As always, if you are receiving this inkmail in error or would like us to send news by snail mail instead, please contact us at info@inkberry.org.