‘When Mr. Hawthorne Met Mr. Melville’: Annual commemorative hike
Great Barrington — Berkshire Historical Society and the Trustees of Reservations are once again sponsoring the annual hike up Monument Mountain celebrating the original meeting of America’s famed, legendary 19th-century authors Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
On the original hike on August 5, 1850, the participants read William Cullen Bryant’s poem “Monument Mountain.” This year a participant emeritus will read the opening section, and the conclusion of the poem, which recounts the legend of how the mountain was named, will be read at the summit by participants in the hike.
The 1850 walk marked the first meeting of the two authors and led to a close relationship between Hawthorne, who had just written his masterpiece, “The Scarlet Letter,” and Herman Melville, whose books about South Seas exploits had given him early fame. The friendship provided inspiration for the younger author to rewrite his epic tale of “the whale Fishery” and retitle the book “Moby-Dick,” which he dedicated to Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Melville and Hawthorne enthusiast Gordon Hyatt of Stockbridge will give a background and lead the walk to the top, a tradition he has kept for the past 25 years. The public is invited to attend and those interested in participating should meet in the parking lot on Route 7 at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 2. There is no charge — except for parking.
–E.E.
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Second annual community feast in Housatonic
Housatonic — Great Barrington Land Conservancy invites the public to explore and celebrate community connections to land and river at its second annual Community Feast. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, August 1 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Flag Rock Farm, 414 Park St.
The event will feature local food and riverside music. For more information send an email to info@greatbarringtonlandconservancy.org.
–E.E.
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StoryCorps founder Dave Isay to speak at the Mahaiwe
Great Barrington — Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and Great Barrington Fairgrounds will co-present an evening with StoryCorps founder Dave Isay on Wednesday, August 5 at 7 p.m at the Mahaiwe, plus free StoryCorps community recordings at Berkshire Community College South County Center on Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In conjunction with Dave Isay’s talk, community members are invited to record their own conversations with a family member, friend, or colleague. A trained team of StoryCorps facilitators will be in Great Barrington to formally record up to 18 stories over the three-day period. In addition teams of locally trained volunteers will allow for more recordings using the newly launched StoryCorps mobile app.
Participants will have 40 minutes of uninterrupted time to talk to each other about preservation and change, about leaving and staying, about secret and public spaces, and the places that make the Berkshires unique, along with anything else that is meaningful to them. StoryCorps will record the conversations and, with the participants’ permission, archive them at the Library of Congress so they will be preserved for future generations. Each person who participates in an interview will be given a copy of the conversation.
To participate in the recording project, fill out the online form. Formal recording reservations are limited and will be confirmed via email.
Tickets to Dave Isay’s talk are $10 to $45 (with proceeds helping to underwrite the costs of the recording days) and the event is free to Mahaiwe members. See the Berkshire Edge calendar for tickets and information or call the Mahaiwe box office at (413) 528-0100.
–E.E.
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New Lebanon Companion and Working Animal Group formed
New Lebanon, NY – Several New Lebanon animal experts recently formed the New Lebanon Companion and Working Animal Group (NLCWAG), the mission of which is to promote and strengthen relationships and connections between animals and people, emphasizing relevant, caring, and healthy interactions.
NLCWAG founding members and their animals will meet the public to discuss their programs and objectives in a half-day gathering at Shatford Park on Sunday, August 2, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. NLCWAG welcomes leashed and friendly dogs. Dogs must be under their handler’s control, and the handler is responsible for shots being up-to-date.
More information and tickets can be found via the Berkshire Edge calendar and from Behold! New Lebanon.
–E.E.
