Spencertown Academy’s 10th annual Festival of Books
Spencertown, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Arts Center’s 10th annual Festival of Books takes place September 4 through 7. The festival features a giant used book sale, two days of readings and book signings by nationally known and local authors, and a children’s program. Featured authors this year include Simon Winchester, Luke Barr, Jeanne Bogino, Wesley Brown, Jamie Cat Callan, Talia Carner, David R. Gillham, Ann Hood, Daphne Kalotay, Alex Kershaw, Jonathan Mingle, Sonia Pilcer, Ruth Reichl, and James Scott. Admission is free to all of the events, save for the early book-buying opportunities detailed below.
The Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 5 with a presentation for writers of all ages by Jamie Cat Callan, author of “The Writer’s Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the ‘Write’ Side of Your Brain.” At 11:45 a.m., Jamie Cat Callan presents prizes to the Festival of Books Teens’ Short Story Contest winners, who will read from their works. At 12:30 p.m. Talia Carner talks about her new novel, “Hotel Moscow,” based on her own experiences in Russia, her brushes with the Mafia, and that country’s ingrained history of anti-Semitism and emergence from communism. At 1:30 p.m., authors Alex Kershaw and David R. Gillham talk about heroes and spies real and imagined. At 3:00 p.m. Ruth Reichl converses with Luke Barr.
The program on Sunday, September 6 opens at 11:00 a.m with “Black Carbon: Scourge and Opportunity,” a talk by Jonathan Mingle. At 12:00 p.m. novelists Ann Hood and James Scott talk about their books’ shared theme of loss, and how their individual writing processes uncovered and deepened the portrayal. At 2 p.m. author Simon Winchester and Alan Chartock, president of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, will talk about Winchester’s life-long pursuit of engaging, undiscovered history. The final program at 3 p.m. features authors Sonia Pilcer and Jeanne Bogino in conversation with author Wesley Brown about writer-to-writer mentoring.
The Festival of Books children’s program on Saturday, September 5 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. features a visit from the costumed character Corduroy Bear of Don Freeman’s popular children’s book series.
At the heart of the Festival is a giant book sale featuring more than 10,000 gently used books. The book sale is open to the public Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m and on Monday, September 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Supporters of the Spencertown Academy Arts Center will have first crack at the books and enjoy wine, cheese, and shopping at the Members Preview Party on Friday, September 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $25 and memberships are available for purchase at the door. Shoppers and book dealers who want first pick of the stock can take advantage of an early-buying opportunity on Saturday, September 5 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Admission for early buying on Saturday is $20.
–E.E.
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Paul O’Brien Outdoor Classroom ribbon-cutting
Sheffield — The Southern Berkshire Regional School District will be holding the ribbon-cutting for the Paul O’Brien Outdoor Classroom at Mount Everett Regional High School at 2 p.m. on September 10. The project was completed without a single taxpayer dollar through the generosity of 1967 Mount Everett graduate Bill Dodge, Tomich Landscape Design, the Eagle Fund, and Herrington’s.
Paul O’Brien served the district as a middle school science teacher and technology director from 1976 until 2010. He was active in the construction of the pergola that is part of the outdoor classroom.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Museum, ‘BerkshireNow: Michael Boroniec’
Pittsfield — The BerkshireNow gallery space at the Berkshire Museum will feature a solo exhibition of complex ceramics by Michael Boroniec September 4 through November 22. An opening reception for “BerkshireNow: Michael Boroniec” will be held on Friday, September 4 at 5 p.m., as part of September’s First Fridays Artswalk.
“BerkshireNow: Michael Boroniec” includes a number of the sculptor’s signature spiral vases as well as work from his series built on casts of human skulls. Both bodies of work illustrate Boroniec’s expertise in throwing and glazing and reflect his focus on ceramic as a dialog between the historical and contemporary implications of clay as a fine art material. Though Boroniec’s primary material is clay, he has also found success in painting and printmaking. Boroniec received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2006 with a concentration in ceramic material.
Contact the Berkshire Museum for more information at (413) 443-7171.
–E.E.
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Kinder Morgan picketing
Pittsfield — There will be an informational picket line held by citizens opposed to the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline project on Friday, September 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in front of the Kinder Morgan office at 137 North St. Kinder Morgan is the parent company of Tennessee Gas Pipeline which is proposing a massive 428-mile, 1,460 PSI fracked gas pipeline beginning in Pennsylvania and traversing New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Many western Mass., and nearby Rensselaer County, N.Y., communities would be impacted in terms of health, safety, and the environment.
For more information contact Bob Connors at raconnors@yahoo.com or (518) 781-4686.
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Behold! New Lebanon rural guide tours
New Lebanon, N.Y. – Behold! New Lebanon, the living museum of contemporary rural American life, has announced its schedule of programs for Saturday, September 5. The programs include:
New Leaf Farm Tour – Visitors will join Ellen Poggi and Mike Libsch for a tour of their Lebanon Springs farm.
Herb Walk at the Abode – Cari Naftali and Regina Walther will take visitors on an exploration of the wild and cultivated flowers and herbs of the Abode gardens.
Speed Demons: Howard Commander – Long-time owner Howard Commander will lead a behind-the-scenes tour of the Lebanon Valley Speedway.
Going Once, Going Twice: Auctioneering 101 – New Lebanon’s veteran auctioneer Dolores Meissner will talk about her personal journey, how she learned the auction business, and the rise of her auction house.
Advance ticket purchase is recommended for all programs, which are priced at $15 per program. Family discounts are available; ages 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. More information is available at the Berkshire Edge calendar, by calling (518) 720-7265, or by emailing info@beholdnewlebanon.org
–E.E.
