Bits & Bytes: Lenox Lit Crawl; Berkshire Music School concert; Erik Hoffner photography exhibit

“I thought it was important to portray the subjects of this story primarily with old-fashioned black and white film, since this is a venerable relationship between the farms and these traditional breeds which is now being rekindled. Many of the portraits I was able to create have an antique feel and seem to speak through the centuries.” -- Photographer Erik Hoffner, whose photo exhibit is now on view at Galerie Giroux in Great Barrington

Let’s Read! Let’s Talk! At the Lenox Library

Lenox — Lenox Reads Together, a project to read a novel that is not about Lenox in order to spark discussion about Lenox issues, returns this year with Barbara Kingsolver’s novel about the beauty and exploitation of nature, Flight Behavior, at the Lenox Library.

The novel’s protagonist is a wife and mother living on a failing farm in Tennessee, who sees something that changes her life, her family’s life, and the lives of many others in her small town. The author brings together science, tourism, advocacy, religion, and the media in this sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant novel about conserving our natural resources.

The book can be read in January in preparation for book discussions and other activities to be offered beginning January 24. Copies of the novel may be purchased at The Bookstore, or borrowed at the main desk of the library. Cardholders may reserve a free eBook copy through the Overdrive catalog on the library’s website. Hard copies are also available for community members without a library card.

Discussion questions will be made available on the library’s Facebook page beginning the third week of January. The library calendar also lists all library activities, and the library’s email newsletter will keep everyone informed.

Lenox Reads Together activities will include a live reading of a portion of the book on January 24 at 12:30; a showing of a portion of the video, “Planet Earth: The Future,” from the award-winning Discovery Channel series, on February 5 at 6:30; a book discussion at the library with director Sharon Hawkes on February 12 at 6:30; a video lecture by Professor Robert Hazen of George Mason University on “The Joy of Science” on February 19 at 6:30; another book discussion, this time at The Bookstore, on February 24 at 7; and a forum with town officials on land conservation in Lenox on February 26 at 6:30. In addition, a book discussion is scheduled for Kimball Farms on February 20.

For further information, go to the main desk of The Lenox Library, or contact Director Sharon Hawkes at shawkes@lenoxlib.org

— D.S.

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The Mount, Edith Wharton's estate.
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s estate.

Lenox Celebrates Edith Wharton’s birthday

Lenox — On Saturday, January 24, The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home , joins with Lenox businesses and organizations in hosting a day of literary appreciation on Wharton’s 153rd birthday. The festivities will include dramatic readings, raffles, and refreshments at three of Lenox’s leading literary hubs: The Mount, the Lenox Library, and The Bookstore. Each location will celebrate the joy of reading and a love of books, two of Wharton’s lifelong “ruling passions.”

Edith Wharton.
Edith Wharton.

The birthday events begin at The Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, with bagels and a bookshare at 10 a.m.. Guests will share favorite titles and authors with other book lovers while enjoying treats from Bagels & Brew and Patisserie Lenox. At 11 a.m, professional actors will perform a dramatic reading of Dennis Krausnik’s adaptation of Wharton’s “Xingu,” her comedic tale about a most pretentious book club. The morning concludes with a champagne toast to Lenox’s celebrated author. Tickets for the breakfast and reading are $10 and $5 for Mount members and youth 18 years and younger.

From 12:30 – 4 p.m., The Lenox Library on Main Street joins the festivities by participating in the first-ever National Readathon, a joint initiative from the National Book Foundation, GoodReads, Mashable, and Penguin Random House. The Lenox Readathon will kick-off with a short reading from Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, this year’s Lenox Reads title.  Following, everyone is invited to find a quiet corner to cozy up with a book of their choice and a blanket generously provided by MacKimmie Co. Throughout the afternoon, the Library will raffle off gift certificates donated by Lenox businesses, with the proceeds to go to The National Book Foundation to benefit early literacy programs.

The lit-crawl’s final stop will be The Bookstore on Housatonic Street, where, starting at 4:30 pm, there will be live poetry readings with drinks and snacks available at the adjoining Get Lit Wine Bar.

Additional contributors to the day-long series of events include Bagel & Brew, Colorful Stitches, Concepts of Art, Gifted Child, Laurie Donovan, MacKimmie Co., Patisserie Lenox, Purple Plume , Second Home, Talbots, Weaver’s Fancy, and Wit Gallery.

For more information about the day or to purchase tickets to The Mount’s book brunch and reading, please visit EdithWharton.org or call 413-551-5100.

— D.S.

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 BMS

Berkshire Music School Chamber Orchestra concert

Pittsfield – The Berkshire Music School Chamber Orchestra will perform Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” at the Taft Recital Hall on Friday, January 23, at 5 p.m.

Admission is a donation at the door. This performance is the culmination of a 10-week season studying the Mozart work under the guidance of Paul Green, BMS Faculty Member and Chamber Music Coach.

The music school’s next 10-week season begins Friday, February 6, and each session is 90 minutes in length. The Adult Chamber Orchestra is designed for amateur chamber players ages 16 and up to play together to explore the wide range of classical chamber music. All instruments are invited. Fee is $150 per person, with a $10 registration fee for students new to BMS; $100 for current BMS students and Stockbridge Sinfonia members (no registration fee charged).

For more information about joining the Chamber Orchestra, call 413-442-1411 or visit berkshiremusicschool.org.

— D.S.

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Photograph by Eric Hoffner, from his exhibit portraying the introduction of heritage breeds in Poland.
Photograph by Eric Hoffner, from his exhibit portraying the introduction of heritage breeds in Poland.

 

Photo exhibit on local food renaissance in Poland

Great Barrington — Photojournalist Erik Hoffner is displaying a collection of limited edition black and white and color images never before exhibited in the Berkshires beginning this month at Galerie Giroux located at 179 Main St.

The exhibit runs until February 28; an opening reception will be held Saturday, January 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. Hoffner will give a gallery talk and slide show about the project and his travels in Poland on February 5th.

The work derives from a magazine assignment in Poland that documented heritage breeds of livestock that U.S.-based Heifer Project International saved from extinction and the lives of small-scale farmers to which the animals gave new strength and hope.

Poland’s agricultural landscape has undergone massive changes in recent times, and the heritage breeds of farm animals – locally adapted over centuries through careful selection to survive the brutal winters and thrive on the region’s generally poor soils – were nearly lost under communist rule and subsequent market reforms. But the international hunger relief charity Heifer Project International found and reintroduced these rapidly disappearing creatures to many remaining small-scale farms that benefit from their practical hardiness.

“I thought it was important to portray the subjects of this story primarily with old-fashioned black and white film, since this is a venerable relationship between the farms and these traditional breeds which is now being rekindled. Many of the portraits I was able to create have an antique feel and seem to speak through the centuries,” says Hoffner.

For more background, view the cover story (“A Proud Heritage”) here. Gallery Giroux owner Paul Giroux says of the planned exhibit that, “In our effort to support socially and environmentally conscious movements, we are very excited to host Heritage Homecoming, one story of Heifer Project International’s work. Additionally we eagerly wish to highlight the talents of Erik Hoffner and his evocative photography.” 

Erik Hoffner’s freelance photojournalism often revolves around food and environmental issues, and has appeared in The Guardian, National Geographic News Watch, Grist, and more. He is also outreach coordinator for Orion, the award-winning journal based in Great Barrington, which is known for its coverage of these same issues.

For more information, contact: Erik Hoffner, 413-429-5296 (c) or erik.hoffner@gmail.com; Paul Giroux, paul4009@gmail.com or 413-528-5000 (at Griffin).

Galerie Giroux at Griffin, 
179 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-5000
Mon/Thurs/Fri/Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5.

— D.S.