Bits & Bytes: ‘Writers in the House’ at The Mount; Pittsfield Green Drinks; ‘Vertigo’ screening; Riverbrook artist at Red Lion Inn

‘Writers in the House’ to spotlight The Mount’s writers in residence

Lenox — The Mount has announced the 2018 Edith Wharton Writers in Residence: award-winning novelist Elif Batuman, book critic and historian Buzzy Jackson, and freelance writer and editor Kate Reed Petty. Selected from a pool of over 130 applications, the three finalists’ two-week March residencies will culminate in the “Writers in the House” public event Tuesday, March 20, at 4 p.m.

“The selection for 2018 was extremely competitive,” said Susan Wissler, The Mount’s executive director. “Elif, Buzzy, and Kate each bring different perspectives on life and writing. Our 2016 and 2017 writers found great inspiration in Wharton, The Mount, and each other during their time here. We hope to continue that tradition with this year’s talented cohort.” This is the third year of the Edith Wharton Writers in Residence program at the Mount. Applications for the 2019 residency will open Friday, June 1.

New York Times bestselling author Donna M. Lucey will join the writers as moderator for event. A 2017 Edith Wharton Writer in Residence, Lucey and the writers will discuss their experiences, current projects, careers and Edith Wharton as a continuing influence on women writers.

The event is free and open to the public, though advanced registration is encouraged. For more information or to register, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Mount at (413) 551-5100 or info@edithwharton.org.

–E.E.

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Pittsfield Green Drinks meeting to focus on youth entrepreneurship

Rachel Moriarty. Photo courtesy Schumacher Center for a New Economics

Pittsfield — Schumacher Center for a New Economics director of operations Rachel Moriarty will speak at Pittsfield Green Drinks Tuesday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at J. Allen’s Clubhouse Grille.

Moriarty works to implement practical applications of new economic thinking by bringing together local business leaders and young people to foster self-sufficiency and sustainable communities through the Schumacher Center’s Entry to Entrepreneurship program. Each year, the 10-week program teaches business planning, basic accounting and business law, and every student graduates with a complete business plan and resources to make the plan a reality.

Moriarty grew up in the Berkshires and is passionate about working with her community toward a more just economy. She received her bachelor’s degree in sustainable food and farming with a concentration in community organizing from the UMass Amherst. Prior to her work with the Schumacher Center, she worked with two small Berkshire nonprofits to engage young people with the local food system, and facilitate connections among local farmers, restaurants and consumers.

The meeting will begin at 5:15 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information, contact Elizabeth Orenstein at (413) 717-1255 or elizabeth@thebeatnews.org.

–E.E.

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The Moviehouse to host 60^th anniversary screening of ‘Vertigo’

Image courtesy the Moviehouse

Millerton, N.Y. — On Wednesday, March 21, at 6 p.m., the Moviehouse will commemorate the 60th anniversary of Alfred Hitchock’s thriller “Vertigo” with a special-event screening.

Starring Kim Novak, James Stewart, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore and Ellen Corby, “Vertigo” is considered one of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest cinematic achievements. Set in San Francisco, the film creates a dizzying web of mistaken identity, passion and murder after an acrophobic detective is forced to retire after his fear of heights causes the death of a fellow officer and the woman he was hired to follow. He then rescues a mysterious blonde from the bay and sees a double of the woman, causing him to transform her image onto the dead woman’s body, which leads into a cycle of madness and lies as he unravels the secrets of the past.

Camilo Rojas. Photo courtesy the Moviehouse

The screening will be followed by a discussion of the Hitchkcockian method of movie making and storytelling with Camilo Rojas, chair of the communications and media arts program at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie.

Tickets are $14 for the general public and $12 for members of the Moviehouse. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact the Moviehouse at (518)789-0022.

–E.E.

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Artist Francesca Patricia Brown at work. Photo courtesy Riverbrook Residence

Riverbrook artist shows work at Red Lion Inn

Stockbridge — The artwork of Riverbrook Residence artist Francesca Patricia Brown is being shown at the Red Lion Inn during the month of March. An artist’s reception will be held Sunday, March 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the sunroom near the pool area. Light refreshments will be provided.

Brown was born in Boston and raised in Lincoln. She participated in numerous group shows and has shown her work in half a dozen art shows since moving to the Berkshires in 2013. For the past two years, Brown has been an artist in residence at the Red Lion Inn, where she has focused on learning different styles of art such as printing, hand-building with clay and new brush techniques.

For more information, contact Riverbrook Residence at (413) 298-4926 or info@riverbrook.org.

–E.E.