The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Women of World War II”
Tuesday, March 1st to Thursday, March 24th
Call for times - Free
The Lenox Library and National Archives Northeast Region,
Pittsfield.
This traveling exhibit from the National Archives examines the
role played by women, both in and out of the service, in the
Second World War.
“GIRL TALK”
A reading with three cool chicks
Wednesday, March 2nd
5:00 to 7:00 p.m. - Free
Trudy Ames is a poet and high school teacher. She received her
MFA from Bennington College. Her poems have appeared in
The Southern Review, LIT, Under One Roof, Holding True, and
Crossing Paths. She is the recipient of two National Endowment
for the Humanities grants, three Olmsted awards, and a Horace
Mann grant- all for pursuits in the study, teaching, and writing
of poetry. Ames teaches English at Mount Greylock Regional
Karen Shepard High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She was an ex-
hibiting artist in the Williams College Museum of Art exhibition,
The Moon Is Broken: Photography from Poetry, Poetry from
Photography.
“Requitements”
Thursday, March 3rd
6:30 p.m. - Free
Rosemary Starace will give a short talk, “Everything is Connect-
ed,” and read from her poetry collection, “Requitements “(El-
ephant Tree House, 2010), and other work. Some of her work
addresses the subject of adoption from the point of view of an
adoptee, but is ultimately about the universal human themes
of connection, identity, and kinship. Her talk, interspersed with
readings, will reflect on the deep connections humans make
that extend the usual idea of kinship, and how this relates to
writing poetry, no matter what the subject.
A Reading with Ellen Meeropol
Friday, March 4th
7:00 p.m. - Free
Ellen Meeropol holds an MFA in creative writing from the
Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine. Her
stories have appeared in The Drum, Bridges, Portland Maga-
zine, Pedestal, Patchwork Journal, and The Women’s Times.
House Arrest is her first novel.
Events, page 1
The Lenox Library
18 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-0197
www.lenoxlib.org
shawkes@lenoxlib.org
Jill Gilbreth teaches creative writing and literature at
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She earned her
B.A. from the University of Colorado and her M.F.A.
from Emerson College. Her work has appeared in
Ploughshares and she is currently at work on a novel.
Karen Shepard is the author of three novels, An Empire
of Women, The Bad Boy’s Wife, and, most recently,
Don’t I Know You? Her short fiction has been published
in The Atlantic Monthly, Tin House, and Ploughshares,
among others. Her nonfiction has appeared in More,
Self, USA Today, and The Boston Globe, among others.
She teaches writing and literature at Williams College in
Williamstown, MA, where she lives with her husband,
novelist Jim Shepard, and their three children
MCLA Gallery 51
51 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247
Tel 413 664 8718 • Fax 413 663 5164
Rosemary Starace is a writer and visual
artist. She consults with writers and
artists on creative practice and process.
She is the author of “Requitements”
(Elephant Tree House, 2010), which
formed the basis for a reading she gave
at the Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture’s
conference at MIT in April 2010. She also co-edited,
with Moira Richards and Lesley Wheeler, “Letters to
the World: Poems from the Wom-po Listserv” (Red Hen
Press, 2008), an international anthology resulting from
a global Internet collaboration. Her work can be seen
online at www.rosemarystarace.com.
Chapters • www.chapterspittsfield.com
78 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
The Bookstore
11 Housatonic Street: Suite 4
Lenox, MA 01240
www.ellenmeeropol.com
bookstoreinlenox.com
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers

“Women Write the World” • Journalist Christina Asquith shares her adventures
reporting on women in Iraq
Conference: • Chicana novelist Demetria Martinez and Native
International Women’s Day 2011 American poet Deborah Miranda on writing human
rights
Saturday, March 5th • Plus special dance performance by choreographer
Anni Crofut and performance by singer-songwriter
1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Joanne Spies
Registration: $25 paid in advance; $30 at the door; $10 with
student ID; scholarships available Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock
• Keynote by acclaimed ecologist Sandra Steingraber 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
• Exorcising the demons of violence in Africa: a discussion See complete description at:
with Pauline Dongala and authors from Nigeria, www.simons-rock.edu/iwd
Cameroon, and Ghana

Screening of Living Downstream, Living Downstream—an exquisite blend of precise sci-

ence and engaging narrative—set a new standard for
a documentary film by scientific writing. Poet, biologist, and cancer survivor,
Sandra Steingraber Steingraber uses all three kinds of experience to investi-
gate the links between cancer and environmental toxins.
Because synthetic chemicals linked to cancer come
Sunday, March 6th mostly from petroleum and coal, Steingraber shows that
11:00 am investing in green energy also helps prevent cancer. Sav-
ing the planet becomes a matter of saving ourselves and
Hosted by the an issue of human rights.
Berkshire International Film Festival BIFF at the Triplex
70 Railroad Street
Poster design by Adam Hunt
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Steingraber photo by Benjamin Gervais
Poster © The PPC www.biffma.com • www.thetriplex.com

“Poetry/Steady, My Gaze/”
Sunday, March 6th The Bookloft
4:00 p.m. - Free 322 Stockbridge Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Reading, Q & A, Signing with Marie-Elizabeth Mali, the author (413) 528-1521
of /Steady, My Gaze/ (Tebot Bach, 2011). She is a co-curator www.thebookloft.com
for louderARTS: the Reading Series and the Page Meets Stage
reading series, both in New York City. Her work has appeared in bookloft@bcn.net
/Calyx/, /Poet Lore/, and /RATTLE/, among others.
www.memali.com

“Jump-starts to Poetry: Creative
Play in the Service of Literacy and
Language Learning”
Monday, March 7th, 10:30 am to 12:00 p.m.
Free (For Literacy Tutors only)
Jan Hutchinson will present accessible, playful poetry exercises.
We will write, share, listen, laugh, and never judge or critique one
another.  The point is to play with language, images, and ideas in
a way that increases language comfort.  Tutors can later use these
exercises with willing tutees.  ESL students can continue
to play these non- threatening poetry games in their new
language.
Jan Hutchinson is a writing tutor at Bard College at
Simon’s Rock. Over the years she has taught many writing
classes, particularly for home school teens and for senior
citizens.  She is a lifelong lover of poetry with a strong
belief in making poetry accessible so it becomes a force of
healing, growth, and community building. 
janhutch@simons-rock.edu
Pittsfield Adult Learning Center
10 Lyman Street, Pittsfield

Jan Hutchinson
Events, page 2
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
Reading and lecture with
Graphic Novelist, Alison Bechdel
Monday, March 7th, 7:00 p.m.
Alison Bechdel, author of the critically acclaimed Fun Home
(called “one of the very best graphic novels ever” in Booklist)
and of the syndicated comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For
(DTWOF), has become a cultural institution for lesbians and dis-
cerning non-lesbians all over the planet. At the podium, Bechdel
redefines race and gender roles while taking aim at some of the
Alison Bechdel most controversial topics of the day.
Hailed by Ms. magazine
as “one of the preeminent
oeuvres in the comic
genre, period,” Bechdel’s
DTWOF is syndicated
in over 50 alternative
newspapers and publica-
tions, translated into many
languages and collected
into a book series with
over 250,000 copies in
print. Four of her books
have won Lambda Awards for humor, and The Indelible Alison
Bechdel won a Lambda Literary Award in the biography/auto-
biography category. She’s also won two Vice Versa Awards for
Voices from Below: A Writing
Workshop with Manos Unidas
Tuesday, March 8th, 3-5 p.m.
Admission: Donation at the door to support
our Women’s Empowerment Collective
This is a grassroots writing workshop of women afilliated with
the grassroots, multicultural organization Manos Unidas sharing
their perspectives on the importance of expressing ourselves as
woman in the struggle, and inviting participants to engage in
the poetry writing process as well through the theme of “Voices
from Below”.  People of all ages and writing abilities are
encouraged to join us for a moving, collective creative writing
experience.
Anaelisa Vanegas-Farrara has a long history of bilingual social
justice organizing in Colombia and the United States, and holds
degrees from Earlham College in Peace and Global Studies,
and a Masters in Social Work and Community Organizing from
the University of Connecticut, West Hartford.  She is co-owner
of an Organic Garden Design business, Arise.  Anaelisa is co-
founder of both Unidad Latina, Manos Unidas, and now Manos
Unidas Multicultural Educational Cooperative, and has built
connections across many diverse sectors of the community for
Manos and MUMEC.
Atalanta Sungeroff, is an accomplished community organizer,
having worked in both Nicaragua and Ashville, North Carolina,
prior to coming to the Berkshires.  She is also the founder of
Project Sonrisas, a project to empower low income Nicaraguan
women and children from rural areas of Nicaragua through
Events, page 3
Excellence in the
Gay and Lesbian
Press.
Bechdel grew up in
rural Pennsylvania
and attended Bard
College at Simon’s
Rock for two years.
After graduating
from Oberlin Col-
lege, she moved to
New York City, where she began drawing Dykes to Watch
Out For as a feature in the feminist monthly Womanews
in 1983. In addition to her comic strip, Bechdel has also
done exclusive work for a slew of publications includ-
ing Ms., Slate, The Village Voice, The Advocate, Out,
and many other newspapers, web sites, comic books,
and ‘zines. Her work has been widely anthologized and
translated. Fun Home is her first graphic novel.
dykestowatchoutfor.com
The Daniel Arts Center
Bard College at Simon’s Rock,
84 Alford Road. Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.simons-rock.edu/events/listings/talk-bridges-visit-
ing-guest-artist-alison-bechdel
access to healthcare, artistic community building
activities, and domestic violence counseling.   She is a
bilingual Euro-American, and married to a Nicaraguan
immigrant. She is also an artist and ecologist.
Nicole Fecteau, is a skilled community outreach orga-
nizer. She spent last year as a VISTA volunteer through
the City of Pittsfield, and was able to build many ties in
the community. Nicole is an Irish American single mom
raised by a Lebanese step-mom. Her primal degree is in
interpreting for the deaf. She returned to school to work
on a secondary degree with a major in Sociology and
graduated with her Associates two years ago. She contin-
ues to work toward her bachelor degree in Sociology.
Loly Adamez, a Cuban immigrant, has many years of
experience organizing in low income Latino and under
heard communities of Lowell and Springfield, MA.
She helped found a very successful youth break dance
troupe called the Windbreakers.  She is an accomplished
artist and dancer having taught flamenco and other
dance forms for many years with teens and adults.  She
is a savvy fundraiser, and visionary
planner.
Chapters Book Store
78 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
www.chapterspittsfield.com
Email: manosunidasorg@gmail.com
Website: www.unitedmanos.blogspot.com,
our website is on the way!
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Walk the Earth, Write the World”
with Mary Kate Jordan
Wednesday, March 9th
10:00 am to 12:00 p.m. - Free
Writer’s block? Fear of success? Stuck in your head? Get
yourself outdoors. The earth herself is waiting to be your muse.
Experience what happens when your inner landscape and
the physical place we share actually meet. Expect to be both
Mary Kate Jordan
“Who Is MUMBET and
Why Is She So Important?”
Wednesday, March 9th
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Free
A lively discussion about Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman and her
life and the book A Free Woman On God’s Earth.
Ann-Elizabeth Barnes is an historic site interpreter; creator of
the hands-on-history program “Mumbet in the Schools” (now
in its 11th year) and co-author with Jana Laiz of A Free Woman
On God’s Earth, the true story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman,
Jana Laiz and the slave who won her freedom.
Ann-Elizabeth Barnes
Jana Laiz is the author of the triple Award Winning novel,
Weeping Under This Same Moon; Elephants of the Tsunami,
“Jump-starts to Poetry: Creative
Play in the Service of Literacy and
Language Learning”
Thursday, March 10th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Free (For Literacy Tutors only)
Jan Hutchinson will present accessible, playful poetry exer-
cises. We will write, share, listen, laugh, and never judge or cri-
tique one another.  The point is to play with language, images,
and ideas in a way that increases language comfort.  Tutors can
later use these exercises with willing tutees.  ESL students can
Jan Hutchinson
Berkshire Women Authors Reading
Thursday, March 10th
6:30 p.m. - 8:30pm - Free
A reading sponsored by upstreet featuring Patty Crane, Lisken
Sponsored by upstreet Van Pelt Dus, Rebecca Flowers, Hannah Fries, Courtney Maum,
and CD Nelsen. The reading will be hosted by upstreet editor
and publisher Vivian Dorsel.
Patty Crane’s work has appeared or will be appearing in
numerous publications, including American Letters & Commen-
tary, Dos Passos Review, Fugue, The Comstock Review, The
Massachusetts Review, RUNES, Spoon River Poetry Review,
West Branch, and Berkshire County’s own upstreet and Crossing
Paths: An Anthology of Poems by Women (Mad River Press),
Patty Crane
Events, page 4
indoors and outside. Bring writing materials.
You’ll use them.
Mary Kate Jordan is the author of several books for chil-
dren and contributes articles to various publications. Her
photo essay, The Tribe of Wise Old Women, will appear
in the next issue of Crone magazine.
Monterey Meeting House
100 Art School Road, Monterey, MA 01245 
thejordancenter.com
marykate@thejordancenter.com
Pre-register by calling (413) 528-5557
written to raise money for tsunami
relief, and the co-author of A Free
Woman On God’s Earth, The True
Story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Free-
man, The Slave Who Won Her Free-
dom. Fascinated by other cultures,
Jana studied anthropology and
Chinese language at University. Her
novel, The Twelfth Stone, a Celtic
American faerie tale adventure
and environmental cautionary tale for adults and young
adults is due out soon.
Stockbridge Library
46 Main St, Stockbridge, Massachusetts 01262
www.crowfliespress.com
annelizbarnes@gmail.com •
continue to play these non- threatening poetry games in
their new language.
Jan Hutchinson is a writing tutor at Bard College at Si-
mon’s Rock.  Over the years she has taught many writing
classes, particularly for home school teens and for senior
citizens.  She is a lifelong lover of poetry with a strong
belief in making poetry accessible so it becomes a force
of healing, growth, and community building. 
janhutch@simons-rock.edu • (413) 528-9588
zsdalheim@msn.com • (413) 243-3617
Southern Berkshire Literacy Network
Lee Library, Main Street, Lee • www.leelibrary.org
as well as reviews and essays in Poetry International
and The Writer’s Chronicle. Winner of the 2004 Two
Rivers Review Poetry Prize, as well as Atlanta Review’s
2005 International Publication Prize, her work has also
received a Pushcart nomination. Crane recently finished
translating Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer’s book, The
Sorrow Gondola, and is now back in the U.S. after three
years living in the Stockholm area of Sweden.
Lisken Van Pelt Dus is a poet, teacher, and martial artist
living in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her vwork can be
found in Conduit, Main Street Rag, The South Carolina
Review, upstreet, and other journals and anthologies, and
has earned awards from The Comstock Review and 
continued on next page
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
continued from previous page
Atlanta Review.  Her chapbook, Everywhere at Once, was
published by Pudding House Press in 2009.
Rebecca Flowers is a writer living in western Massachusetts
with her husband and two children. She has been an inde-
pendent radio producer whose satires and commentaries have
appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered and Day to Day.
She’s one of the founding members of The NPR Players. Her
Rebecca first novel, NICE TO COME HOME TO (Riverhead Books), is an
Flowers
update of Jane Austen’s SENSE & SENSIBILITY.
Hannah Fries is Poetry Editor and Assistant Editor of Orion
magazine. She received a BA from Dartmouth College and an
MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College. Three of her poems
have won prizes from the Poetry Society of New Hampshire,
and her work has appeared in journals such as faultline, PMS
(poemmemoirstory), Relief, and The Berkshire Review.
Courtney Maum is an interdisciplinary writer based out of the
Berkshires of Massachusetts. Originally born in Connecticut,
Courtney lived in Paris, France for five years before settling in
the sparsely populated town of Sandisfield, MA. In addition
Courtney to writing fiction, Courtney specializes in the development of
Maum brand identity for companies and individuals through the align-
ment of voice and story, work which earned her the Audi Talent
Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Courtney’s fiction has
most recently appeared in Upstreet, The Coe Review, Defenes-
Staged Reading of “The Fallen” by
Yasmine Beverly Rana
Thursday, March 10th, 7:30 p.m.
All tickets: $10
Through flashbacks and present time, three women grapple
with the physical and emotional traumas they suffered as a re-
sult of the Bosnian War.  This gripping and emotional story stays
with the audience long after the play is over.
Yasmine Beverly Rana, a founding member of Nora’s Playhouse
in New York has collaborated with theaters including La MaMa,
Theater for the New City’s Lower East Side Festival of the Arts,
Epic Theatre Festival at the Irondale Center in Brooklyn, Write
Act Repertory in Los Angeles, Washington and Lee University’s
Yasmine Beverly Rana Theatre in the Academe Symposium, Romania’s Fest Art, The
Looking Glass Theatre (NY), John Hopkins University Theatre,
Brooklyn College’s GI60 Festival, Playwrights Theatre of New
Open Mic
Thursday, March 10th
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
An open mic event hosted by JoAnne Spies, a singer/songwriter
and teaching artist. As a faculty member of Community Access
to the Arts she specializes in songwriting with elders and people
with Alzheimer’s. She also uses music to help understand
environmental issues and build community. She has received a
Composer Fellowship at the Millay Colony and a Massachusetts
Cultural Council grant for “Sounding Mohican Pathways.” Re-
JoAnne Spies. cent works include songs for “Watershed Waltz,” in collabora-
Photo by Joel Simpson
tion with Marmalade Productions, and North Avenue Honey, a
Events, page 5
tration and The Women’s Times. Her collection of short
stories, “Small Things in Big Places” is available at The
Bookloft or online through shop.thetroybookmakers.com.
Cheryl “CD” Nelsen is originally from Houston, Texas
but came to The Berkshires 33 years ago by way of the
Oregon Coast.  Her poetry, fiction, memoir and journal-
ism has been published in various literary journals,
magazines, and newspapers.  She has written several
young adult books, two published by Franklin Watts. 
Her poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. 
She has a Doctor of Arts degree from State University of
New York at Albany (SUNYA) in Writing, Teaching Writ-
ing, and Feminist Literary Criticism,  as well as a Masters
in English Education. Cheryl has taught at Berkshire
Community College, Fisher Junior College Extension,
Crosby Junior High and for The Lee Public Schools for
the last 24 years.  She retired from Lee Middle and High
School (LMHS) in November 2010.  While at LMHS,
she developed and taught The English AP program and a
creative writing course. Her Interactive Group Poem Ex-
periments have been a part of numerous cultural events
in The Berkshires over the last quarter of a century.
Chapters Book Store • www.chapterspittsfield.com
78 North Street
Pittsfield MA 01201
www.upstreet-mag.org
Jersey, Birmingham Repertory Theatre (UK), Second
Stage Theatre’s DestiNation America Festival, The
Austin Woman’s Film, Television, and Theater Festival,
The Mae West Fest in Seattle, Pulse Ensemble Theatre,
12 Miles West Theatre, The Jewel Box Theatre in Los
Angeles, and the San Diego Human Rights Festival. Her
plays have been published in journals and anthologies
including The Best Women’s Monologues and the Best
Stage Scenes (Smith and Kraus Publishers),Blackbird,
The Kenyon Review, TDR: The Drama Review, and The
Contemporary European Idea. Seagull Books’ In Per-
formance series will publish The War Zone is My Bed
and Other Plays, a volume of four of Yasmine’s plays, in
June 2011. Yasmine is also a performer and has present-
ed solo versions of her plays at the  Institute of Contem-
porary Art and The Roundhouse in London through the
Accidental Theatre Festival.
UPSTAIRS LIVE at the Triplex • www.thetriplex.com
70 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
CD of her original songs.
JoAnne Spies is a certified Music for People facilitator
and Remo Drum Health Rhythms® facilitator. She is
president of the Women’s Interfaith Institute in the Berk-
shires and serves as Vice President of FODfest (Friends
of Danny Pearl,) a non-profit organization based in the
Berkshires that strengthens community through music.
soundingtheriver.blogspot.com
Stockbridge Library • stockbridgelibrary.org
46 Main St.
Stockbridge, Massachusetts 01262
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers

Open Writers’ Salon: City. Treat is Professor of English at Northwestern Con-

necticut Community College where she coordinates the
Berkshire Women Writers Write Mad River Literary Festival, now in its 15th year. She
lives with her son in Sheffield, MA. 
Friday, March 11th Donna Stefanisko is a poet and writer of fiction who
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. lives in Lenox. An assistant innkeeper at the Walker
Suggested Donation $20 House in Lenox, she has led with Jessica Treat a Writer’s
Salon for many years in Northwest Connecticut, and
Berkshire author Jessica Treat & local writer Donna Stefanisko now in the Berkshires.
open up their Writer’s Salon to area writers. Come & write in Coffee, tea, refreshments provided.
the comfort of Lenox’s historic Walker House. Prompts are First come, first served.
provided for writing in a group in an atmosphere of trust, open- Sign up: jesstrea@gmail.com
Jessica Treat
ness, & creativity. Following a series of prompts (written, visual,
aural), writers write and then share writing in a Circle of Read-
ers. The group is limited to 15 participants, all levels of writers Walker House
welcome, from beginner to advanced.   64 Walker Street
Lenox, MA
Jessica Treat is the author of three collections of short sto-
ries: A Robber in the House (Coffee House Pr, 1993) , Not a www.walkerhouse.com
Chance (FC2, 2000), and Meat Eaters & Plant Eaters (BOA Ed,
2009). She is the recipient of a Connecticut Commission on www.jessicatreat.com
the Arts Award, the Dominion Review Fiction Award, and art-
ist residencies at the Valparaiso Foundation in Spain, and the
Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Italy.  Her work has appeared in
numerous journals and anthologies, including Ms. , Quarterly
West,  and American Literary Review. Born in Canada, she grew
up in New England and lived for a number of years in Mexico
Donna Stefanisko

Writing Workshop She taught English at the University of Montana and the
Pingree School, served as poet-in-residence with the
Friday, March 11th, 3 p.m. Missoula Writing Collaborative, published poems and
travel articles, and led numerous writing workshops.
Free (For Girls Inc. girls only)
Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center /
Alex Tinari will present a workshop to empower teen girls Girls Inc.
through the writing process, as they find their voices and ex- 165 East Street
press themselves through poetry. Pittsfield, 01201
www.brighamcenter.org • www.girlsinc.org

Alexandra Tinari (MFA-Poetry) is a freelance writer, editor,

Contact Alex Tinari at (413) 528-6307 or
teacher, and tutor. She currently tutors at Gould Farm and
valexandra.tinari@gmail.com
teaches literature and writing classes at Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute and South Berkshire Regional Community Center.

Alex Tinari

Staged Reading of 10 Years Ireland, the Boston Women in Theatre Festival, and
AS220 in Providence. She has two performance pieces
by Honor Molloy posted on UTube--please check them out. 

Friday, March 11th, 7:30 p.m.

NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center
All tickets: $10 55 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
A play dealing with power and sexuality in this offbeat look newstageperformingarts.org
inside the publishing world.
Honor Molloy has received support from the National Endow-
ment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at
Harvard (2002 Fellow) and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Her
plays have been produced by the Public Theatre New Works,
Sydney Mardi Gras Arts Festival, the Inisbofin Arts Festival in
Honor Molloy

Events, page 6
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Women Write the World”:
A Discussion with Dr. Yvonne S.
Thornton
Saturday, March 12th, 3:00 p.m.
Admission: $5; free for the Simon’s Rock
community
Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton will lead a discussion followed by a
question and answer session. She is a pioneer in obstetrics,
gynecology, and maternal-fetal medicine, who has appeared on
Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton
How It Happens:
Writing Process and Publishing
Saturday, March 12th
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A panel of writers, led by Nina Ryan and Michelle Gillett, will
discuss the creative process, the publishing process, and how
and where gender may or may not make a difference. Each
writer will give a brief reading; a wine and cheese reception
will follow the panel:
• Mary Moody, A KILLING IN ANTIQUES: A Lucy St. Elmo
Antiques Mystery, Obisidian/Penguin
Michelle Gillett • Maria Sirois, Psy.D., EVERY DAY COUNTS: Lessons in
Love, Faith, and Resilience from Children Facing Illness,
Walker
• Louisa Gilder, THE AGE OF ENTANGLEMENT: How
Quantum Physics was Reborn, Knopf
• Barbara Bartle, A VANISHING WORLD: Growing up
in the 30s and 40s in New York and Easthampton, Troy
Bookmakers
• Maggie Howard, essayist
• Patricia Crane, poet and translator
Michelle Gillett has been a regular op-ed columnist for The
Berkshire Eagle for over twenty years. She is a contributing
editor to The Women’s Times, an award-winning poet and a
writing instructor. Her work has appeared in The Boston Globe,
Orion, Sanctuary, Art of the Times, and various other journals
Nina Ryan and publications. Her published works include, A Kitchen
Staged Reading of 10 Years
by Honor Molloy
Saturday, March 12th, 3:00 p.m.
All tickets: $10
A play dealing with power and sexuality in this offbeat look
inside the publishing world.
Honor Molloy has received support from the National Endow-
ment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at
Harvard (2002 Fellow) and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Her
plays have been produced by the Public Theatre New Works,
Sydney Mardi Gras Arts Festival, the Inisbofin Arts Festival in
Honor Molloy
Events, page 7
“The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Her best-selling autobiog-
raphy, The Ditchdigger’s Daughters, was published in
1995 and adapted into an award-winning movie. 
The Du Bois Center at Great Barrington
684 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
email: duboiscenter@gmail.com 
website: www.DuBoisCenterGB.org
phone: 413-644-9595
www.doctorthornton.com
Gardener’s Cookbook, In Celebration of Motherhood,
a collection of essays, and two collections of poetry,
Rock & Spindle, a letterpress chapbook published by
Mad River Press, and Blinding the Goldfinches, chosen
by Hayden Carruth as winner of the Backwaters Poetry
Prize and published in 2005. She received her MFA from
Warren Wilson College. She has inspired and helped
numerous writers make progress toward the completion
of their work.
Nina Ryan is an independent literary agent and editor
who has worked in book publishing for twenty years.
From her work with the Cowles-Ryan Agency, The
Palmer & Dodge Agency in Boston (now Kneerim &
Williams), and as an editor at Random House she brings
substantial experience to the process of evaluating, edit-
ing, developing, and marketing books and book propos-
als for mainstream publication. She has worked closely
with a number of writers to develop book proposals and
manuscripts for books published by Alfred A. Knopf,
Henry Holt & Co., Doubleday, Macmillan, Walker
Books and other major publishers. She received an MA
from the Columbia School of Journalism, and a BA from
the University of Pennsylvania.
They are partners in g + r editing writing book develop-
ment. www.gillettandryan.com
The Mount • www.edithwharton.org
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA 01240
mcgillett@verizon.net • 413-298-4814
ninafryan@gmail.com • 413-298-3487
Ireland, the Boston Women in Theatre Festival, and
AS220 in Providence. She has two performance pieces
posted on UTube--please check them out. 
NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center
55 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
newstageperformingarts.org
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
Staged Reading of “Calling the
Tune” by D.C. Savadge
Saturday, March 12th, 7:30 p.m.
All tickets: $10
Siblings struggle between themselves over what is the best way
to care for their aging parent. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad,
but always moving, this play depicts a situation millions of baby
boomers are finding themselves in.
Deborah Savadge’s The Right Number will be published in Best
Ten-Minute Plays of 2011 by Smith and Kraus.  It debuted in
Deborah Savadge
NYC at the Cherry Lane and was performed at the 15-Minute
Play Festival at the American Globe. Her Dim Sum played
River Hike and Poetry Walk
Sunday, March 13th,1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Free with Admission ($5)
Free to Trustee members and residents of
Sheffield
Join Sheffield poet Pauline Clarke and Trustees of Reservations
educator Tammis Coffin for a quiet hike along the river, fol-
lowed by a writing workshop inside the Visitor Center. On this
afternoon, we’ll turn to trees, rocks, and water for our inspira-
tion. Whether you journal or write poems, or sketch, join us as
we step closer to nature and to our creative selves. The work-
shop is free with admission to the Cobble ($5 per person and
free for Trustees members). Please let us know you are coming
with a call to Tammis at 413.298.3239 x3003 or an e-mail to
tcoffin@ttor.org. Directions at www.thetrustees.org.
From Maine to Massachusetts, Tammis Coffin has organized
writers and artists to create, publish and perform together in
Tamis Coffin
Staged Reading of “Calling the
Tune” by D.C. Savadge
Sunday, March 13th, 3:00 p.m.
All tickets: $10
Siblings struggle between themselves over what is the best way
to care for their aging parent. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad,
but always moving, this play depicts a situation millions of baby
boomers are finding themselves in.
Deborah Savadge’s The Right Number will be published in Best
Deborah Savadge
Ten-Minute Plays of 2011 by Smith and Kraus.  It debuted in
NYC at the Cherry Lane and was performed at the 15-Minute
Play Festival at the American Globe. Her Dim Sum played New
World Stages this month. Dark at the Center, won the John
Events, page 8
New World Stages this month. Dark at the Center, won
the John Golden prize and the NJ TheatreFest Regional
Playwriting contest. Her work has been seen at GeVa,
the Kennedy Center, Penobscot Theatre, in national tours
for Theatreworks, at Tri-State Actors’ Theatre, Wood-
stock Theatre Co., the Moscow Art Theatre School and
in NYC at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Chip DeFaa
Festival, the Turnip Festival, Manhattan TheatreSource,
Gilgamesh, and New Dramatists. Calling the Tune, has
had two readings: at Julia Miles’ Reading Room and at
Oldcastle in Bennington, VT. Member: Dramatists Guild,
Playwrights Gallery, League of Professional Theatre
Women.
NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center
55 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
newstageperformingarts.org
celebration of special places. She has served as the edi-
tor for The Rusticator’s Journal and The Friends of Acadia
Journal. She is the Berkshires Education Coordinator
with The Trustees of Reservations.
Pauline Clarke’s “really good stories,” along with reflec-
tions on place, friends, and family appeared as a regular
column for nearly fifteen years in the Berkshire Record.
Some of these poetic essays were collected in a self-
published book titled Writing Down the Words. Besides
being a teacher and a poet, Pauline has been co-leading
writing groups with The Trustees of Reservations at Bar-
tholomew’s Cobble for the past four years.
writingdownthewords.blogspot.com
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE NATURE CENTER
Weatogue Road, Sheffield MA
413.298.3239 (Extension -3003)
tcoffin@ttor.org
www.thetrustees.org
Golden prize and the NJ TheatreFest Regional Play-
writing contest. Her work has been seen at GeVa, the
Kennedy Center, Penobscot Theatre, in national tours
for Theatreworks, at Tri-State Actors’ Theatre, Wood-
stock Theatre Co., the Moscow Art Theatre School and
in NYC at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Chip DeFaa
Festival, the Turnip Festival, Manhattan TheatreSource,
Gilgamesh, and New Dramatists. Calling the Tune, has
had two readings: at Julia Miles’ Reading Room and at
Oldcastle in Bennington, VT. Member: Dramatists Guild,
Playwrights Gallery, League of Professional Theatre
Women.
NEW STAGE Performing Arts Center
55 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
newstageperformingarts.org
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents:
Scene from “I’m Not a
Feminist, But...”
In this photo, left to right:
Anna Moscavic, Anna Shields,
Sarah Huck, Kristie Wortman;
singing “I’m not a feminist,
NO!”
Mary Kate Jordan
The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“I’m Not a Feminist, But…”
Monday, March 14th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Admission: $10
The topic is feminism in the lives of young people today: do
they identify as feminists?  Why or why not?  How has feminist
history impacted their lives? The performance was written by
Russell Sage college women working with director Leigh Strim-
beck, and looks at the topic of feminism with humor, irrever-
ence, dance, song, and serious real-life monologues.
Performance of “I’m Not a Feminist, But”, written and directed
by Leigh Strimbeck followed by a talk-back with the director
and cast. This piece is an original work written and performed
by Russell Sage College students about contemporary attitudes
towards feminism.  The cast used research and conducted
interviews to create the  work.  Song, dance, comedy and
monologues are all interwoven in this reflection on feminism
past and present.
“In Women’s Own Words”
Tuesday, March 15th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Suggested Donation of $6
A Special Edition of In Words Out Words
An open mic for women writers to perform and read their own
“The Zodiac in the Quilted Attic”
with Mary Kate Jordan
Tuesday, March 15th
10:00 am to 12:00 p.m. - Free
We’ll briefly investigate images and energies associated with
the signs of the zodiac, and see how some traditional American
quilt blocks relate to them. (You’ll see some of those blocks in
my quilt, The Zodiac in the Quilted Attic.)  marykate@thejordancenter.com
Then we’ll use paper and pen (pencil, marker...) to explore what
these symbols anchor as parts of our own life stories.
Torah Poems: An Evening with the
Poetry of Rachel Barenblat
Wednesday, March 16th
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Free
Poet, rabbi, and CBI member Rachel Barenblat will read from
Seventy Faces, her new collection of Torah poems, and will talk
about poetry, madras, and finding a mirror for our own lives
and spiritual experience in the Torah.
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat is the author of 70 Faces, a collec-
tion of poems written in conversation with Torah. She holds
Events, page 9
Leigh Strimbeck is an actor, director, and teacher. Last
seen as Joan in Melancholy Play produced by WAM The-
atre in Pittsfield, she is currently an Assistant Professor
of Theatre at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. At
Russell Sage Leigh also created and directed Mirror, Mir-
ror an original work about women and body image. She
was an adjunct professor at SUNY Albany for 11 years;
is an Associate Member of the Bloomsburg Theatre
Ensemble (BTE.org); and is co-artistic director of WAM
Theatre (WAMTheatre.com); Leighstrimbeck.com
All of the women in this show attend Russell Sage Col-
lege for women in Troy, New York.  Most of them are stu-
dents at the Creative and Performing Arts Center there.  
Part of the Proceeds will benefit Berkshire Women for
Women Worldwide.
berkshirewomen.org
New Stage Performing Arts Center
55 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
www.leighstrimbeck.com/
work: poetry, stories, and songs. Women writers - please
reserve your five minute slot.
Deb Koffman’s Artspace
137 Front Street, Housatonic, MA 01236
(413) 274-1212
www.debkoffman.com
deb@debkoffman.com
It’s a writers’ quilting bee, with words as our fabric and
stitches!
Mary Kate Jordan is a fiber artist and the author of
several books for children. She contributes articles to
various publications. Her photo essay, The Tribe of Wise
Old Women, will appear in the next issue of Crone
magazine.
Stockbridge Library
thejordancenter.com
Pre-register by calling (413) 528-5557
an MFA from the Bennington Writing
Seminars and is the author of four
previous chapbooks of poems, among
them chaplainbook and What Stays.
Since 2003, she has blogged at “The
Velveteen Rabbi.” She was the co-
founder and executive director of Inkberry, a literary arts
non-profit based in North Adams. She lives in Lanesboro
with her husband and son.
Congregation Beth Israel
53 Lois Street, North Adams, MA 01247
www.cbiweb.org
velveteenrabbi.com
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Sisters Speak Up!” - A Poetry
Event with Nakeida Bethel-Smith
and Brett Westbrook
Wednesday, March 16th, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Come & hear women speak out on their most passionate topics,
by using their writing as a tool to make their voices heard.
Be empowered, inspired, and uplifted in a way you never
imagined.
Lady Nakeida has been writing poetry since early school years,
and hosting poetry themed based events for the last few years
here in the Berkshires. “For me writing is like my 2nd person,
who is not afraid to be honest in the most respectful but bold
way; she is loud, daring, courageous, and full of charm. It’s
the avenue I use to express my creative ability, channel life
experiences, and most importantly a place for me to inspire
others. I am a woman of love, wisdom, leadership, and a sweet
genuine spirit that wants all women to know how important
their voice is, just as someone told me.  With this talent, I look
to socially change the world, and am currently working on
inspirational books to encourage people to become great within
themselves.”
Brett Westbrook (left)
Nakeida Bethel- Smith (right)
“Immigrant Stories”
Thursday, March 17th, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Short stories and reflections by immigrant women living in
Berkshire County, leaving their footprints in a foreign land.
Eleanore Velez
New Media Night: Marketing
strategies and online resources
for the rural writer
Thursday, March 17th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Many writers in the Berkshires work out of their homes in
rural, isolated areas. Staying connected with a literary com-
Courtney Maum munity and finding a way to publicize one’s work can be a
challenge, especially if the writer is in the emerging stage of
her career. In this panel, we will meet writers and publishers
who have used social media to bridge the gap between writer,
reader, town and country.
• Local fiction writer, Courtney Maum will discuss the
various ways she’s found to build a literary community
outside of academia and the omnipresent MFA program,
including online workshops such as Gotham Writers’
Workshop and Zoetrope’s Online Studio, online forums,
self-publishing and writing conferences.
• Local non-fiction writer, Alana Chernila discusses her
unexpected journey from Farmer’s Market vendor, to
food blogger, to cookbook author. Her first book, “Eating
Eugenie Sills
Events, page 10
Brett Westbrook says, “Writing is a creative way of
expression. It is an art, an outlet to relinquish all of my
thoughts and emotions to the world. I discovered the
beauty of expression through words at a young age and
have grown to love the power that it holds. Poetry is a
magical tool which allows me to inspire and empower
others which serves a beautiful purpose. At 24 years old,
I continue to experience the world and share all that
I have learned through the art of poetry. I believe that
my mind is my primary weapon, so I use it creatively to
speak up for my beliefs and values. I’m a simple woman
consumed by complex ideas and excited about life
which makes me passionate about writing all the lessons
I have learned thus far. I am a role model, daughter,
sister and friend. I am Brett Westbrook, a woman with a
voice that matters.”
Lichtenstein Center
28 Renne Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201
www.pittsfield-ma.org/arts_and_culture/lichtenstein_
center_for_the_arts.htm
ladynakeida05@hotmail.com
brettwest007@yahoo.com
(413) 464-7307
BCC at BRTA Intermodal Education Center, 2nd Fl.
Corner of North Street & Columbus Avenue, Pitts-
field, MA 01201
Eleanore Velez, (413) 236-1636
blogs.berkshirecc.edu/mcs/multicultural-student-
services-office-msso/
from the Ground Up” is forthcoming in 2011 with
Clarkson Potter.
• Eugenie Sills, founder and publisher of The Wom-
en’s Times and consultant on social media strategy
and content, will discuss the authenticity of social
media and how you can use online tools to grow a
community, advance a career or an organization.
• David Lamb, owner of Vantage Press, Inc., Amer-
ica’s oldest self-publishing corporation, will talk
about the changing status of self-publishing within
the evolving trade publishing environment. Is there
still a stigma attaching to paying to publish with a
so-called vanity press?
• Local publicist, freelance writer and social net-
working fiend Jaclyn Stevenson will talk about
social media tools and tactics for writers and
explain just what people mean nowadays by the
word “platform.”
Courtney Maum is an interdisciplinary writer based
out of the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Originally born
in Connecticut, Courtney lived in Paris, France where
she worked as a party promoter for Corona Extra for
continued on next page
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
continued from previous page
five years before settling in the sparsely
populated town of Sandisfield, MA, for
reasons she will extrapolate on, if asked.
In addition to writing fiction, Courtney
specializes in the development of brand
identity for companies and individuals
through the alignment of voice and story,
work which earned her the Audi Talent
Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
Courtney’s fiction has most recently
appeared in Upstreet, The Coe Review,
Defenestration and The Women’s Times.
Twitter: twitter.com/cmaum
Alana Chernila
Alana Chernila wears many hats, but
the three she wears most often are
selectwoman (of Great Barrington and
Housatonic), blogger (of eatingfromthe-
groundup.blogspot.com), and most
recently, author (of a forthcoming book
based on her blog). After trying out a
variety of careers, Alana realized what
she looked forward to the most were
the Saturdays she worked at the farmer’s
market for her family’s CSA share, Indian
Line Farm. In between advice on what
to do with escarole and garlic scapes,
Alana helped visitors answer the age-old
question: What should I make for dinner?
Jaclyn Stevenson
She started a blog to further the discus-
sion. Her cookbook is forthcoming in the
spring of 2012.
Twitter: twitter.com/alanachernila
Eugenie Sills is founder and publisher of
The Women’s Times, an award-winning
regional magazine based in the Berk-
shires, and a consultant on social media
strategy and content. She is the recipient
of numerous awards and honors, most recently a 2009 induction into Bay
Path College’s 21st Century Business Women’s Hall of Fame.
Sills currently serves on the board of the Berkshire Creative Economy
Council, and chairs the Advisory Committee for the 2011 festival Lift Ev’ry
Voice: Celebrating African American Heritage and Culture. She is a
Corporator for Lee Bank and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Twitter: twitter.com/esills
David Lamb is owner of Vantage Press, Inc., America’s oldest self-pub-
lishing corporation. Founded in 1949, Vantage has published more than
20,000 books by authors from all walks of life. Vantage Press is the premier
full-service company in the meteorically growing author services sector.
This May, in concert with distribution partner Ingram Publisher Services,
Vantage is launching its commercial Vantage Point Books imprint to sup-
port its best titles as well as titles acquired from agents.
Over the last fifteen years, as President of GSL Publishing Associates, Lamb
served as financial advisor on mergers and acquisitions involving the sale
of independent publishers Timber Press, Motorbooks, Lark Books, Sterling
Publishing, Publishers Group West, Avalon Publishing Group, and Arcade
Publishing, among others. Prior to forming GSL, Lamb was for 11 years
Managing Director of Veronis Suhler Stevenson, then the premier media
investment banking boutique. He started his career as Director of New Me-
dia at consultancy Link Resources and as a research assistant at The Markle
Foundation. He graduated from Harvard College in 1981 and resides in Gt.
Barrington with his wife and two children. Twitter: twitter.com/lamb
Freelance writer, publicist and social networker extraordinaire, Jaclyn
Stevenson is currently the head of public relations and social media for
Winstanley Partners in Lenox. She is also the founder of Thirty-something
Bloggers, an international online community, and co-founder of PodCamp
Western Mass. She’s written for a host of lifestyle, health and travel maga-
zines and been recognized for her timely articles by New England Press
Association (NEPA) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
She is currently working on a collection of poetry and a memoir about her
experiences working in a one-hour photo shop all through college.
Twitter: twitter.com/writerjax
Clark Auditorium, Bard College at Simon’s Rock
84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230 • www.simons-rock.edu
www.vantagepress.com • click here to download Eugenie Sills bio

Reading & Discussion: “Poetry as particularly for home school teens and for senior
citizens.  She is a lifelong lover of poetry with a strong
Soul Rescue” with Jan Hutchinson belief in making poetry accessible so it becomes a force
of healing, growth, and community building. 
Thursday, March 17th, 7:00 p.m. janhutch@simons-rock.edu
Sponsored by the Women’s Interfaith Women’s Interfaith Institute
Church on the Hill
Institute of the Berkshires Lenox, MA
Jan Hutchinson is a writing tutor at Bard College at Simon’s www.womensinterfaithberkshires.org
Jan Hutchinson Rock.  Over the years she has taught many writing classes,

Monument Women Write!

Friday, March 18th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A Reading by three talented women writers from Monument Mountain Regional High School and their teacher.
The Bookloft • www.thebookloft.com
322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230

Events, page 11
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Breaking Through Your Writing
Obstacles”
Saturday, March 19th
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Free
This 2-hour, interactive workshop will explore the obstacles that
writers often encounter and ways to overcome these hurdles.
You will learn 10 strategies to increase your productivity and
achieve your writing goals.
A seasoned professional, Coach Millie Calesky draws from
her background as an English teacher, editor, and author. She
provides her writing clients with the tools, support, and structure
Millie Calesky they need to achieve their goals. Millie has guided many to
break through their roadblocks and complete projects such as
books, Masters theses and PhD dissertations.
“Women Poets on their First Loves”
Saturday March 19th, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
FREE, $3 wine and cheese bar
We all fall in love with books again and again, but some loves cut
deepest-- and literally open new doors for young writers.  Mod-
erated by Boston University professor and critic Bonnie Cos-
tello, three celebrated emerging poets talk about the first books by
Michelle Gillett women that changed their lives as readers, shaped their lives as
writers, and gave them sustenance as thinkers. On the site of Edith
Wharton’s beloved Mount, Leslie Harrison reveals her enduring af-
fair with Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; Katie Peterson revisits
her early obsession with Jane Eyre; and Tess Taylor discusses the
mind boggling joys of discovering Virginia Woolf. A lively discus-
sion will be followed by a short break for wine, cheese, and open
conversation. All this will be followed by a poetry reading.
Michelle Gillett, moderator, has been a regular op-ed columnist
for The Berkshire Eagle for over twenty years. She is a contribut-
Leslie Harrison ing editor to The Women’s Times, an award-winning poet and a
writing instructor. Her work has appeared in The Boston Globe,
Orion, Sanctuary, Art of the Times, and various other journals and
publications. Her published works include, A Kitchen Gardener’s
Cookbook, In Celebration of Motherhood, a collection of essays,
and two collections of poetry, Rock & Spindle, a letterpress chap-
book published by Mad River Press, and Blinding the Goldfinches,
chosen by Hayden Carruth as winner of the Backwaters Poetry
Prize and published in 2005. She received her MFA from Warren
Wilson College. She has inspired and helped numerous writers
Katie Peterson make progress toward the completion of their work.
Leslie Harrison is a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow
in Literature. She has had poems published or upcoming publica-
tions in such journals as Antioch Review, FIELD, The New Repub-
Tess Taylor
Events, page 12
A graduate of Coach University, Millie has a Bachelor’s
degree in English and American Literature from McGill
University. She honed her skills over 30+ years by work-
ing in the publishing industry and by studying with writ-
ing teachers such as Natalie Goldberg and Linda Metcalf.
Her articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines
and online. Go to www.milliecalesky.com for tips and
articles and to sign up for her newsletter.
Chapters Book Store
78 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-443-2665
www.chapterspittsfield.com
Pre-registration would be appreciated.
Call 413-655-2555 or contact Millie at
www.milliecalesky.com.
lic, Poetry, Memorious, and Barn Owl Review. She holds
graduate degrees from The Johns Hopkins University and
the University of California, Irvine. She has been a fellow at
the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and held a Tennessee
Williams Scholarship at the Sewanne Writers’ Conference
and was most recently the Philip Roth Resident in Poetry at
Bucknell University. She lives in Sandisfield with her two
rescued Boston Terriers, Hunter and Quinn.
Katie Peterson is the author of a book of poems, This One
Tree, published by New Issues in 2006. She is the recipient
of fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and the Foundation
for Contemporary Arts. She teaches literature and writing at
Bennington College, and she was born in California. 
Tess Taylor has received writing fellowships from Amherst
College, the American Antiquarian Society, the Head-
lands Center for the Arts, and the MacDowell Colony. Her
chapbook, The Misremembered World, was published by
the Poetry Society of America. Her work has appeared in
the Atlantic Monthly, the Boston Review, the Harvard Re-
view, Literary Imagination, The Times Literary Supplement,
Memorious, and The New Yorker. She just finished her
term as the 2010-2011 Amy Clampitt Resident in Lenox,
Massachusetts.
The Edith Wharton Drawing Room at The Mount
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA 01240
SPACE LIMITED, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR TICKET IN
ADVANCE.
www.edithwharton.org/events-detail.php?record=68
24/7 Ticket Hotline Operated by Brown Paper Tickets:
(800) 838-3006
Phone number for information: (413) 551-5113
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers

A Screening of PINK SARIS:
Sponsored by BIFF
Sunday, March 20th, 11:00 am; $10
A film by Kim Longinotto
From Pink Saris
“A girl’s life is cruel...A woman’s life is very cruel,” notes Sampat Pal, the complex
protagonist at the center of PINK SARIS, internationally acclaimed director Kim Longi-
notto’s latest foray into the lives of extraordinary women (SISTERS IN LAW, DIVORCE
IRANIAN STYLE, ROUGH AUNTIES). Sampat should know – like many others she was
married as a young girl into a family which made her work hard and beat her often.
But unusually, she fought back, leaving her in-laws and eventually becoming famous
as a champion for beleaguered women throughout Uttar Pradesh, many of whom
find their way to her doorstep. Like Rekha, a fourteen year old Untouchable,
who is three months pregnant and homeless – unable to marry her unborn
child’s father because of her low caste. Fifteen year old Renu’s husband from
an arranged marriage has abandoned her, her father-in-law has been raping
her and she’s threatening to throw herself under a train. Both young women,
frightened and desperate, reach out for their only hope: Sampat Pal and her
Gulabi Gang, Northern India’s women vigilantes in pink.
PINK SARIS is an unflinching and often amusing look at these unlikely
political activists and their charismatic leader; in extraordinary scenes,
we watch Sampat launch herself into the centre of family dramas,
witnessed by scores of spectators, convinced her mediation is the best
path for these vulnerable girls. Her partner Babuji, who has watched
Sampat change over the years, is less certain...
Triplex Cinema, 70 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.thetriplex.com • www.biffma.com

Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
A Reading and Discussion of  the Bennington Writing Seminars and is the author of four
the Art and Poetry of Midrash
Monday, March 21st, 1:00 p.m. - Free
With Rabbi Rachel Barenblat.
A program presented by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.
Programming Director: Nancy Maurice Rogers.
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat is the author of 70 Faces, a collection of
poems written in conversation with Torah. She holds an MFA from
previous chapbooks of poems, among them chaplainbook
and What Stays. Since 2003, she has blogged at “The
Velveteen Rabbi.” She was the co-founder and executive
director of Inkberry, a literary arts non-profit based in North
Adams. She lives in Lanesboro with her husband and son.
For further information contact at 413-442-4360 ex. 15
or jfb.programs@verizon.net
Congregation Knesset Israel
16 Colt Road, Pittsfield, MA
www.cbiweb.org • velveteenrabbi.com

“Get Lit: A Social Gathering for Women Writers”

Tuesday, March 22nd, 5:00 p.m. The Bookstore
Come meet and mingle with other women writers and enjoy 11 Housatonic Street; Suite 4, Lenox, MA 01240
refreshments at The Bookstore’s Get Lit cash bar. bookstoreinlenox.com

“Finding Your Writing Voice” a photographer, a mom, an animal

lover and keeper of pets, a sea glass
Wednesday, March 23rd, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. collector, a jeweler, a musician and
a dreamer. She is passionate about
Free our beautiful planet and endeavors
Talking with teens about writing and then getting down to the to make a difference in the world
heart of it and WRITING.  It is recommended that participants and to work with others who feel
read Weeping Under This Same Moon before attending the the same. Her novel, The Twelfth
workshop. Stone, a Celtic American faerie tale,
adventure, romance, coming of age,
Jana Laiz has been writing for as long as she can remember. environmental novel for adults and young adults is due
She is the author of the triple Award Winning novel, Weeping out soon. She lives in a 200-year-old farmhouse in the
Under This Same Moon, and Elephants of the Tsunami, written Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.
to raise money for tsunami relief. She is co-author of A Free
Woman On God’s Earth: The True Story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Ramsdell Library • gblibraries.org
Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom. Fascinated by 1087 Main Street, Housatonic, MA 01236
other cultures, Jana studied anthropology and Chinese language www.janalaiz.com • jana@janalaiz.com

Jana Laiz at University. She is a teacher, a writer, an editor, a publisher, www.crowfliespress.com

Events, page 13
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
Poetry Workshop with
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Thursday, March 24th, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Activate your inner poet with the skilled guidance of Rabbi
Rachel Barenblat, author of Seventy Faces: Torah Poems
(Phoenicia Publishing, 2011) and award-winning blogger.
Together we’ll work through guided writing exercises which
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Open Mic Reading
hosted by Mari Andrejco
Thursday, March 24th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Mari Andrejco has worked as an actor, teaching artist, director
and producer for over thirty years. She has appeared on Public
television as Queen Elizabeth I, and Susan B. Anthony. Some of
Mari Andrejco
“Writing Your Story”
Thursday, March 24th, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Workshop on personal writing, open to writers at any level.
Vivian Dorsel, Editor/Publisher of the literary journal upstreet,
was managing editor of The Berkshire Review for eight years.
A 1980 graduate of Williams College, she holds an MS in Psy-
chology from UMass-Amherst and an MFA in writing from Ver-
mont College of Fine Arts. She teaches writing workshops at the
Norman Rockwell Museum, has coordinated and taught writing
A Reading with local women writers
Friday, March 25th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Bookloft
322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.thebookloft.com
“Early Twentieth-Century
German Folktales Revisited”
Saturday, March 26th
11:00 am to 12:30 p.m. - Free
Rodelinde Albrecht will read several unique folktales that
have equal appeal for adults and for young people. She may
also read from one of her Cat’s Tales.
Rodelinde is—among other things—a writer, a sculptor, a
photographer, a figure model, a singer, a graphic designer, and
a copyeditor. She also runs an introduction service for progres-
sive singles. Austrian born and fully bilingual, Rodelinde sees
translation as a particularly rewarding type of writing. The
Events, page 14
will help you use a selection of evocative Torah texts as
the springboard for your creativity. Experienced poets
and beginners alike will delight in this opportunity to
encounter world-class poetry on Biblical themes and
master new approaches to exploring Torah through the
poet’s art. Come prepared to be amazed by the Torah
within you.
North Adams Public Library • www.naplibrary.com
74 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247
velveteenrabbi.com
her favorite characters include Emily Dickinson, Portia and
Georgia O’Keefe. Mari is also a member Castle Hill Theater
and of the Triple Shadow Theater, performing in Egypt,
Mexico, Italy and at LaMaMa in NYC. She and her partner,
poet Nathan Smith, have presented poetry performances
throughout the area.
Mason Library, Great Barrington, MA 01230
gblibraries.org
workshops for Word Street, Pittsfield READS! and The
Big Read, and acts as a consultant for the Taconic High
School literary magazine, The Double Edged Sword. She
lives in Richmond.
The workshop is limited to 15 people, who should pre-
register by e-mailing workshops@upstreet-mag.org or
calling 413-441-9702.
Chapters Bookstore • www.chapterspittsfield.com
78 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
www.upstreet-mag.org
story already exists; the
challenge is to recreate
it, making it sound as
though it had been
written in English in the
first place. Rodelinde
has been a Berkshire
resident since 1986.
The Gallery at the Lee Library • www.leelibrary.org
100 Main Street, Lee, MA 01238
413-243-4350
rodelinde@earthlink.net
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
“Spring Tonic”
Saturday, March 26th
11:30 am to 4:00 p.m. - Free
Speaker at 11:30 am, Market opens at noon
Enjoy a taste of farm fare at the last gasp of winter, with
farmers selling their wares throughout the library and
bluegrass tunes reverberating through the halls. Sign up
for a share of a farm’s harvest, learn where to go to pick
your own favorite foods, and meet Amy Cotler, the author
of The Locavore Way and five cookbooks, contributor
Amy Cotler
A Reading and Discussion
with Judith Papachristou
Saturday, March 26th, 2:00 p.m.
Judith Papachristou is a retired Sarah Lawrence
College professor and
author in the fields of US foreign relation and
women’s history.
“On God’s Green Earth a
Free Woman: The Story of
Elizabeth Freeman”
Saturday, March 26th, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Admission: $10 for general public, $6 for
members and children to age 18
Portrait of Elizabeth Freeman by Elizabeth Freeman, known as Mum Bett, was a local woman
Susan Anne Livingston Ridley with a national significance who inspired the abolition of
Sedgwick, 1811 slavery in Massachusetts. Tammy Denease Richardson, a gifted
“Women Write Women”
Sunday, March 27th
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Free
A poetry workshop connecting women poets and women
artists. The workshop will explore the notions of women as
viewers versus women as subjects as well as the concept of
ekphrasis, writing in response to visual art. Writers of all levels
are welcome to attend. If you can, please bring a copy or
Deborah Bernhardt
original piece of visual art that intrigues you, preferably by a a
woman artist.
Deborah Bernhardt received a BA from Sarah Lawrence Col-
lege, an MFA from the University of Arizona, and fellowships
and grants from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing (Jay
C. and Ruth Halls Fellowship), the Wisconsin Arts Board (Liter-
ary Arts Grant), Penn State Altoona (Writer-in-Residence), Writ-
ers@Work, Fishtrap, Summer Literary Seminars in St. Petersburg,
Russia, and the Hessen Literary Society, Germany. She received
two fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown.
Hannah Fries
Events, page 15
to The New York Times, Fine Cooking, Orion,
and other publications, the founding director
of Berkshire Grown, the local food advocacy
organization of the Berkshires, and a long-time
advocate of Berkshire farm-to-table eating.
The Lenox Library
18 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240
(413) 637-0197
www.lenoxlib.org
shawkes@lenoxlib.org
www.amycotler.com
Bushnell-Sage Library
48 South Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257
www.sheffieldma.gov/pages/sheffieldma_library/index
historical interpreter whose
relatives were enslaved per-
sons, will offer a dramatization
of Mum Bett’s struggle.
Norman Rockwell Museum
9 Route 183, Stockbridge, MA
01262
(413) 298-4100
www.nrm.org
Tammy Denease historicalfirsts.org/website
Her first collection, Echolalia, was published by Four
Way Books in 2006 as winner of the Intro Prize for
Poetry. Her poems have appeared in literary magazines
such as Barrow Street, columbia poetry review, Court
Green, Cue, Fence, Free Verse, Indiana Review, Quar-
terly West, Trickhouse, and, in translation, the German
literary magazine L. Der Literaturbote.
Hannah Fries is Poetry Editor and Associate Editor of
Orion magazine. She received her BA from Dartmouth
College and MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College.
Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The
Cortland Review, faultline, PMS, and other journals.
She was recently selected to take part in a month-long
interdisciplinary project on mine reclamation with the
Colorado Art Ranch in Lake City, Colorado.
Bard College at Simon’s Rock - Blodgett House
84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
www.simons-rock.edu
hfries@orionmagazine.org
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers

“Terrible Traffic” - A Reading with Susan Dworkin

Monday, March 28th, 6:30 p.m. - Free
Award winning author Susan Dworkin will read her comic Lee Library
story. She is the author of 14 books, including the international 100 Main Street, Lee, MA 01238
best seller The Nazi Officer’s Wife, as well as many plays, most Parking is available adjacent to the library.
recent among them All Day Suckers, one of the hits of the New
www.leelibrary.org
York Fringe Festival. She lives in Becket.
www.thevikinginthewheatfield.com
www.susandworkin.com
Susan Dworkin

“From History to Mystery” with Judith Papachristou

Tuesday, March 29th
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Free
Judith Papachristou, retired Sarah Lawrence College professor 18 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240
and author in the fields of US foreign relation and women’s (413) 637-0197
history, will speak on how her history background contributed www.lenoxlib.org
to the writing of her first novel, The Halycon Murder: Love and
Death on a Greek Island. shawkes@lenoxlib.org
The Lenox Library

Open Mic Reading hosted by Dawn

Barbieri
Friday, March 30th, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Ramsdell Library Theater
Dawn Barbieri is a writer of poetry and short stories. She is a 1087 Main Street, Housatonic, MA 01236
member of the Berkshire Writers Room and has read her works gblibraries.org
in different venues. Dawn is a musician (saxophones & percus-
sion), and is passionate about teaching watercolor to adults.
She lives with her husband in Housatonic, and has two grown
children as well as a grandson.

Reading and Dinner: Migrations of the Heart

Sponsored by Multicultural BRIDGE
Thursday, March 31st
6-9 p.m.
Admissions: $5/child, $10/adult. $20/
family (up to 6 members).
Childcare: available upon prior request
(during presentations.)
Readings by participants in the Migrations of
the Heart workshop, which was brought to
BRIDGE by Claudette Webster for a 12 week
Fall/winter session.
Claudette Webster & the women from Bridge’s
Women to Women members
Migrations of the Heart focuses on:
• What are routes, the pathways, on your journey to this place and space at this time?
• What are some of the internal and external aspects of that journey?
• What changes have occurred? What is unfolding? What is it like to assimilate into this com-
munity, this setting?  What are the challenges? What are the possibilities?
• What are your values? What has given you strength & hope on your journey?
Events, page 16
The workshop was led by Claudette Webster, an
educator, writer and native of Jamaica, West Indies
and BRIDGE Director, Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant.
Through reading, writing and discussion of the questions
posed the participants shared their stories and came to
recognize similarities and differences in their experi-
ences. Some of the participants are: Gabriela Cruz,
Mexico; Maria Soria, Ecuador; Regina Rendor, Colom-
bia; Rocio Chevez, Ecuador; Marta Escobar, Colombia;
and Estervina Pimentel, Dominican Republic. 
A Multicultural Dinner follows the presentations.
RSVP your reservations.
207 Pleasant Street (Housatonic School building)
Housatonic, MA 01236
www.multiculturalbridge.org
pamela@multiculturalbridge.org
413-274-1001
The 10th Annual International Women’s Day Conference Presents: The First Ever Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
‘Love and Work’
Songs and Poems of JoAnne Spies
Thursday, March 31st, 6:30 p.m.
Admission: free
JoAnne Spies in concert at the Mason Library.
JoAnne Spies is a singer/songwriter who uses music as a tool
to understand environmental issues, build community, and
JoAnne Spies empower voices for positive change. Recent works include
Photo by Joel Simpson her CD, “North Avenue Honey”; “Watershed Waltz,” an
interactive environmental program for schools and Marmalade
Productions; and “Sounding Mohican Pathways”
(http://soundingtheriver.blogspot.com), an ongoing event
that honors Mohican heritage, celebrates the river, and makes
history come alive through musical improvisation. JoAnne is
A Poetry Reading with Hannah Fries and Deborah Bernhardt
Friday, April 1st, 7:00 p.m.
Hannah Fries is Poetry Editor and Associate Editor of Orion
magazine. She received her BA from Dartmouth College and
MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College. Her poems have
appeared or are forthcoming in The Cortland Review, faultline,
PMS, and other journals. She was recently selected to take part
Hannah Fries in a month-long interdisciplinary project on mine reclamation
with the Colorado Art Ranch in Lake City, Colorado.
Deborah Bernhardt received a BA from Sarah Lawrence Col-
lege, an MFA from the University of Arizona, and fellowships
and grants from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing (Jay
C. and Ruth Halls Fellowship), the Wisconsin Arts Board (Liter-
ary Arts Grant), Penn State Altoona (Writer-in-Residence), Writ-
ers@Work, Fishtrap, Summer Literary Seminars in St. Petersburg,
Russia, and the Hessen Literary Society, Germany. She received
two fellowships from the Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown.
Deborah Bernhardt Her first collection, Echolalia, was published by Four Way Books
Events, page 17
a member of the faculty of Community Access to the
Arts in Great Barrington, and specializes in songwriting
with elders and Alzheimer groups. She is a recipient
of a composer’s fellowship at the Millay Colony and
is president of the Women’s Interfaith Institute in the
Berkshires.
Mason Library
231 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-2403
http://gblibraries.org/engaged-patrons
in 2006 as winner of the Intro Prize
for Poetry. Her poems have appeared
in literary magazines such as Barrow
Street, columbia poetry review,
Court Green, Cue, Fence, Free Verse,
Indiana Review, Quarterly West,
Trickhouse, and, in translation, the
German literary magazine L. Der
Literaturbote.
The Bookstore
11 Housatonic Street; Suite 4, Lenox, MA 01240
bookstoreinlenox.com
hfries@orionmagazine.org