Featuring panels, readings, lectures and networking events, BFWW will promote the ways in which women are writing—and righting—the world with words. A myriad of voices will be celebrated during the festival, including published playwrights; poets and novelists; bloggers; non-native speakers learning to write expressively in English and emerging writers. Panel discussions will be led by publishers, literary agents, social media strategists and other experts in the creative writing field.
This year’s IWD Conference and the Berkshire Festival of Women Writers festival are organized by Berkshire County residents Dr. Jennifer Browdy de Hernandez, Erin Connor, Zoe Dalheim, Hannah Fries, Vera Kalm, Courtney Maum, Judith Nardacci and Claudette Webster. The conference and festival are co-sponsored by Bard College at Simon’s Rock and Berkshire Women for Women Worldwide, with the invaluable support of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, The Women’s Times, The Women’s Interfaith Institute, Quality Printing, and other local businesses and individuals.
Bard College of Simon’s Rock
www.simons-rock.edu/iwd
84 Alford Rd/ Great Barrington, MA 01230
T 413.528.7394
E iwd@simons-rock.edu
Schedule of Activities:
March 1-24 - "Women of World War II," traveling exhibit from the National Archives examines the role played by women, both in and out of the service, in the World War II. Free. Lenox Library and National Archives, Northeast Region, at the Silvio O. Conte National Records Center, 10 Conte Drive, Pittsfield. March 2
"Girl Talk," a reading with Trudy Ames, Jill Gillbreth and Karen Shepard, 5-7 p.m. Free. MCLA Gallery 51, 51 Main St., North Adams.
March 3 - "Requitements," a talk by Rosemary Starace titled "Everything is Connected" and a reading from her poetry collection "Requitements," 6:30 p.m. Free. Chapters, 78 North St., Pittsfield.
March 4 - A reading with writer Ellen Meeropol, 7 p.m. Free. The Bookstore, 11 Housatonic St., Lenox.
March 5 - 10th annual International Women’s Day Conference, titled "Women Write the World" featuring keynote speaker and acclaimed ecologist Sandra Steingraber, author Pauline Dongala, journalist Christina Asquith, Chicana novelist Demetria Martinez and Native American poet Deborah Miranda, plus special dance performance by choreographer Anni Crofut and performance by singer-songwriter Joanne Spies, 1-5:30 p.m. $25 in advance; $30 at the door; $10 with student ID. Daniel Arts Center, Simon’s Rock College, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington.
March 6 - "Poetry/Steady, My Gaze," a reading, Q&A and signing with Marie-Elizabeth Mali, the author of "/Steady, My Gaze," 4 p.m. Free. The Bookloft, 322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, 413-528-1521 or thebookloft.com.
Screening of "Living Downstream," with poet, biologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, who uses all three experiences to investigate the links between cancer and environmental toxins, 11 a.m. The Triplex, 70 Railroad St., Great Barrington.
March 7 - Reading and lecture with graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, author of critically acclaimed "Fun Home" and of the syndicated comic strip "Dykes to Watch Out For," 7 p.m. Daniel Arts Center, Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington.
March 8 - "Voices from Below: A Writing Workshop with Manos Unidas," 3-5 p.m. Suggested donation to support Women’s Empowerment Collective. Chapters, 78 North St., Pittsfield.
March 9 - "Walk the Earth, Write the World" with Mary Kate Jordan, featuring techniques for combating writers block, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Registration requested. Monterey Meeting House, 100 Art School Road, Monterey. 413-528-5557.
"Who Is Mumbet and Why Is She So Important?" a discussion about Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman and her life with authors Ann-Elizabeth Barnes and Jana Laiz, 7-9 p.m. Free. Stockbridge Library, 46 Main St., Stockbridge.
March 10 - "Jump-starts to Poetry: Creative Play in the Service of Literacy and Language Learning," with Jan Hutchinson presenting accessible, playful poetry exercises for literacy tutors only, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Pittsfield Adult Learning Center, 10 Lyman St., Pittsfield.
Berkshire Women Authors Reading, featuring Patty Crane, Lisken Van Pelt Dus, Rebecca Flowers, Hannah Fries, Courtney Maum and Cheryl "CD" Nelson, sponsored by upstreet, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Chapters, North Street, Pittsfield.
Staged reading of "The Fallen" by Yasmine Beverly Rana, in which through flashbacks and present time, three women grapple with the physical and emotional traumas they suffered as a result of the Bosnian War, 7:30 p.m. $10. Upstairs Live at the Triplex, 70 Railroad St., Great Barrington.
Open mic, hosted by singer-songwriter JoAnne Spies, 6:30-8 p.m. Stockbridge Library, 46 Main St., Stockbridge.
March 11 - "Open Writers Salon: Berkshire Women Writers Write," in which Berkshire author Jessica Treat and local writer Donna Stefanisko open up their Writer’s Salon to area writers, 3-5 p.m. Suggested donation $20. Walker House, 64 Walker St., Lenox.
Writing workshop with Alex Tinari, who will present a workshop to empower teen girls through the writing process, as they find their voices and express themselves through poetry (For Girls Inc. girls only). 3 p.m. Free. Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center, 165 East St., Pittsfield. 413-528-6307 or valexandra.tinari@gmail.com.
Staged reading of "10 Years," a play dealing with power and sexuality in this offbeat look inside the publishing world by Honor Molloy, 7:30 p.m. $10. New Stage Performing Arts Center, 55 North St., Pittsfield.
March 12 - "Women Write the World," a discussion and Q&A with Dr. Yvonne S. Thornton, a pioneer in obstetrics, gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, 3 p.m. $8; free for the Simon’s Rock community. The Du Bois Center, 684 Main St., Great Barrington. 413-644-9595 or duboiscentergb.org.
"How It Happens: Writing Process and Publishing," featuring a panel of writers, led by Nina Ryan and Michelle Gillett, discussing the creative process, the publishing process, and how and where gender may or may not make a difference, 3-5 p.m. The Mount, 2 Plunkett St., Lenox.
Staged reading of "10 Years," a play dealing with power and sexuality in this offbeat look inside the publishing world by Honor Molloy, 3 p.m. $10. New Stage Performing Arts Center, 55 North St., Pittsfield.
Staged reading of "Calling the Tune" by D.C. Savadge, in which siblings struggle between themselves over what is the best way to care for their aging parent. 7:30 p.m. $10. New Stage Performing Arts Center, 55 North St., Pittsfield.
March 13 - River hike and poetry walk with Sheffield poet Pauline Clarke and Trustees of Reservations educator Tammis Coffin leading participants on quiet hike along the river, followed by a writing workshop inside the Visitor Center, 1-3 p.m. $5; free for Trustee members and residents of Sheffield. Registration requested. Bartholomew’s Cobble, Weatogue Road, Sheffield. 413-298-3239 or tcoffin@ttor.org.
Staged reading of "Calling the Tune" by D.C. Savadge, in which siblings struggle between themselves over what is the best way to care for their aging parent. 3 p.m. $10. New Stage Performing Arts Center, 55 North St., Pittsfield.
March 14 - "I’m Not a Feminist, But...," a performance written by Russell Sage College women that looks at the topic of feminism with humor, irreverence, dance, song and serious real-life monologues, 7-9 p.m. $10. New Stage Performing Arts Center, 55 North St., Pittsfield.
March 15 - "In Women’s Own Words," an open mic for women writers to perform and read their own work: poetry, stories and songs, 7-9 p.m. Suggested donation of $6. Deb Koffman’s Artspace, 137 Front St., Housatonic. 413-274-1212.
"The Zodiac in the Quilted Attic," with Mary Kate Jordan investigating images and energies associated with the signs of the zodiac and how some traditional American quilt blocks relate to them, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Registration requested. Stockbridge Library, Stockbridge.
March 16 - "Torah Poems: An Evening with the Poetry of Rachel Barenblat," in which 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, 7-9 p.m. Free. Congregation Beth Israel, 53 Lois St., North Adams. cbiweb.org or velveteenrabbi.com.
"Sisters Speak Up," a poetry event with Nakeida Bethel-Smith and Brett Westbrook, with women speaking out on their most passionate topics, by using their writing as a tool to make their voices heard, 7-9 p.m. Lichtenstein Center, 28 Renne Ave., Pittsfield.
March 17 - "Immigrant Stories," short stories and reflections by immigrant women living in Berkshire County, leaving their footprints in a foreign land, noon-1 p.m. Free. BCC at BRTA Intermodal Education Center, second floor, corner of North Street and Columbus Avenue, Pittsfield. 413-236-1636.
"New Media Night: Marketing Strategies and Online Resources for the Rural Writer," a panel of writers and publishers who have used social media to bridge the gap between writer, reader, town and country, 6-8 p.m. Clark Auditorium, Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington. simons-rock.edu.
"Poetry as Soul Rescue" with Jan Hutchinson, a reading and discussion, 7 p.m. Women’s Interfaith Institute of the Berkshires, Church on the Hill, Lenox.
March 18 - "Monument Women Write," a reading by three talented women writers from Monument Mountain Regional High School and their teacher, 7-8:30 p.m. The Bookloft, 322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington.
March 19 - "Breaking Through Your Writing Obstacles," a two-hour interactive workshop with professional coach Millie Calesky that will explore the obstacles that writers often encounter and ways to overcome these hurdles, 2-4 p.m. Free. Registration required. Chapters, 78 North St., Pittsfield. 413-655-2555 or milliecalesky.com.
"Women Poets on their First Loves," moderated by Boston University professor and critic Bonnie Costello, with three celebrated emerging poets talking about the first books by women that changed their lives as readers, shaped their lives as writers and gave them sustenance as thinkers, 4-6 p.m. Free; $3 wine and cheese bar. Reserve tickets in advance. The Mount, 2 Plunkett St., Lenox. 800-838-3006 or 413-551-5113
March 20 - Screening of "PINK SARIS," a film by Kim Longinotto that follows a group of unlikely political activists and their charismatic leader, 11 a.m. $10. Triplex Cinema, 70 Railroad St., Great Barrington.
March 21 - A reading and discussion of the art and poetry of Midrash, with Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, 1 p.m. Free. Congregation Knesset Israel, 16 Colt Road, Pittsfield. cbiweb.org or velveteenrabbi.com
March 22 - "Get Lit: A Social Gathering for Women Writers," for women writers to meet and mingle with each other, 5 p.m. The Bookstore, 11 Housatonic St., Lenox.
March 23 - "Finding Your Writing Voice," a workshop about talking with teens about writing and then getting down to the heart of it and writing, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Recommended that participants read "Weeping Under This Same Moon" before attending. Ramsdell Library, 1087 Main St., Housatonic. jana@janalaiz.com.
March 24 - Poetry workshop with Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, a guided poetry workshop, 5:30-7:30 p.m. North Adams Public Library, 74 Church St., North Adams.
Open mic reading hosted by Mari Andrejco, 6-8 p.m. Mason Library, Great Barrington.
"Writing Your Story," workshop on personal writing, open to writers at any level lead by upstreet editor and publisher Vivian Dorsel, 6-8 p.m. Registration requested. Chapters, 78 North St., Pittsfield. workshops@upstreet-mag.com or 413-441-9702.
March 25 - A reading with local women writers, 7-8:30 p.m. The Bookloft, 322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington. thebookloft.com
March 26 - "Early Twentieth-Century German Folktales Revisited," with Rodelinde Albrecht reading several unique folktales that have equal appeal for adults and for young people, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Lee Library, 100 Main St., Lee. 413-243-4350 or leelibrary.org.
A reading and discussion with Judith Papachristou, a college professor and author in the fields of U.S. foreign relations and women’s history, 2 p.m. Bushnell-Sage Library, 48 South Main St., Sheffield.
"On God’s Green Earth a Free Woman: The Story of Elizabeth Freeman," with Tammy Denease Richardson, a gifted historical interpreter whose relatives were enslaved persons, offering a dramatization of Mum Bett’s struggle, 5-7 p.m. $10/$6 members and children to age 18. Norman Rockwell Museum, Route 183, Stockbridge. 413-298-4100 or nrm.org.
March 27 - "Women Write Women," a poetry workshop connecting women poets and women artists, 2-4 p.m. Free. Blodgett House, Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington.
March 28 - "Terrible Traffic," a reading with award-winning author Susan Dworkin, 6:30 p.m. Free. Lee Library, 100 Main St., Lee. leelibrary.org.
March 29 - "From History to Mystery," with Judith Papachristou speaking on how her history background contributed to the writing of her first novel, "The Halycon Murder: Love and Death on a Greek Island," 2-3 p.m. Free. Lenox Library, 18 Main St., Lenox. 413-637-0197 or lenoxlib.org.
March 30 - Open mic reading hosted by Dawn Barbieri, 6:30-8 p.m. Ramsdell Library, 1087 Main St., Housatonic.
March 31 - "Migrations of the Heart," a reading and dinner sponsored by Multicultural BRIDGE, 6-9 p.m. $5/child; $10/adult; $20/family (up to six members). Childcare available; reservations required. Housatonic School, 207 Pleasant St., Housatonic. housatonic.pamela@multiculturalbridge.org or 413-274-1001.
April 1 - Poetry reading featuring Hannah Fries and Deborah Bernhardt, 7 p.m. The Bookstore, 11 Housatonic St., Lenox. bookstoreinlenox.com.
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