local literary listings

Upcoming Berkshire-area literary events:

BERKSHIRE WRITERS ROOM: 1350 West St., Pittsfield. Phone: (413) 236-2191.
Ongoing workshops:
* Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction meets the first Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. in Meville Hall, Room 217, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield.
* Poetry meets on second Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Wild Sage, 333 North St., Pittsfield.
* Writing For Children & Young Adults on second Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. in Meville Hall, Room 217, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield.
* The All-Genre Workshop is held on third Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Mason Public Library, Main Street, Great Barrington.
Workshops are free to members of the Berkshire Writers Room. Interested non-members may attend two workshops before joining. Membership is $20 per year.

THE BOOKLOFT: 332 Stockbridge Road, Barrington Plaza, Route 7, Great Barrington. Phone: 413-528-1521.
Poetry windows and an in-store display will highlight the work of local poets in April.
* Berkshire author Marshall Jon Fisher will read from and sign copies of his new book, "A Terrible Splendor," at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2.
* Local poets Paul Elisha (WAMC), David Giannini, Sue Melot and David Kherdian will read their work at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9.
* Gourmet magazine's editor in chief, Ruth Reichl, will return to the Bookloft to read from and sign copies of her new book, "Not Becoming My Mother," at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 23.
* Author Jim Lynch will read from his new book, "Border Songs," at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 12.

THE BOOKSTORE: 11 Housatonic St., Lenox. Phone: (413) 637-3390.
* Cody Walker, Amy Clampitt poetry fellow for 2009, will read from "Shuffle and Breakdown" at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18.
* Two poets, Berkshire writer Michelle Gillett and Sharon Charde, of Connecticut, will read at 7 p.m. Friday, April 24.
* Poets David Giannini and Gary Metras will read at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25
* Sit, Knit & Listen: Tannenbaum will read poetry to knitters from co-sponsor Colorful Stitches in the third and final installment of this event at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.
* The Gizzi Brothers Ride Again: Lenox poets and songsters Michael, Peter and Tom Gizzi will present an evening of entertainment starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 5. Michael has a new collection of poetry, Tom has a new CD, and Peter will read from new and unpublished work.

CHAPTERS BOOKSTORE: 78 North St., Pittsfield. Phone: (413) 443-2665.
* Great Barrington photographer Steve Donaldson, the author/photographer behind "Barns of the Berkshires," will appear for a reception, slide show and book signing at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16.
* Anne Easter Smith will read from and sign her historical novel, "The King's Grace," at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 17.
* Vivan Dorsel will host a reading with poets Aaron M. Beatty, Lisken Van Pelt Dus, Michelle Gillett, Philip Timpane and Irene Willis at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18.
* The Berkshire Writer's Room will hold a free writing workshop focused on the arts and how they impact writing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
* Dorsel will host another reading, this time with Karen Chase and Amy Clampitt Fellow Cody Walker, at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25.
* Earth Day events: An educational, interactive workshop for kids ages 5 and up will go over the basics of Earth Day and things kids can do to help the planet at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. The event will end with a take-home project that is 100% Earth-friendly. At 4 p.m., Amy Zuckerman, author of "2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow's Kids," will read from and discuss her book. Free giveaways, raffles, and more.

CHURCH ON THE HILL: 55 Main St., Lenox.
* "Letters to the World: Women, Poetry, and Community": A potluck dinner will begin at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, and a reading will be held from 7 to 8:45 p.m. in the chapel. Berkshire writer Rosemary Starace will talk about this international Internet poetry collaboration. Sponsored by the Women's Interfaith Institute of the Berkshires; info: (413) 232-0238, info@womensinterfaithberkshires.org.

INKBERRY: Western Gateway Heritage Park, 115 State Street, Building 1, 2nd floor, in North Adams. Phone: (413) 664-0775. www.inkberry.org
* Community Critique Group: Want feedback on your stories or poems? Looking for an alternative to a class? Share your work with local writers in this welcoming community-based workshop. Members submit their writings and receive feedback on a rotating basis. Feel free to drop in and observe. Open to writers of all levels and styles. This free group is held on first and third Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
* Writing the Sacred: Two workshops -- Saturday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 5 -- will allow writers to explore the thin spaces where creative writing and spirituality meet by writing new psalms, or spiritual poems, building on journal writing, poetry and spiritual themes. Inkberry, Williams College and the First Congregational Church of Williamstown will sponsor these workshops, to be held in the church library at 906 Main St. in Williamstown. The April 30 workshop is designed to offer a comfortable writing space for GBLT and queer folk; both are open to everyone. Cost per workshop: $15 for adults, $13.50 for Inkberry members, free for Williams College students. Special rates available for those attending both workshops, as are student rates for non-Williams students.

LENOX LIBRARY: 18 Main St., Lenox. Phone: (413) 637-0197.
* Matt Tannenbaum, owner of The Bookstore in Lenox, will read from his memoir, GBM, 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at the Lenox Library.
* Poetry in Motion: National Young Audiences' Artist of the Year, actor David Zucker, will bring to life the best of English-language poetic literature using mime, masks and puppets from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Featured authors will include A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, Langston Hughes and James Whitcomb Riley. This is a free, all-ages program.

MCLA GALLERY 51: MCLA, 375 Church St., North Adams. Phone: (413) 662-5000.
* Sekou Sundiata Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word: An evening dedicated to the life and work of the great poet Sekou Sundiata, featuring award-winning poet and performer Carl Hancock Rux, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21. A film screening, including Sundiata's final work, "the 51st (dream) state," which uses music, poetry, images and dance to explore what it means to be an American in the wake of 9/11. The event, sponsored by MCLA's African, Latino, Asian and Native American Association (ALANA), will include performances by local musicians and poets.

STOCKBRIDGE LIBRARY: Main Street, Stockbridge. Phone: (413) 298-5501.
* Peter Bergman, executive director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop in Austerlitz, N.Y., will give a reading and discussion of Millay's poems at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 19. This event is free, but space is limited.

WAMC: 90.3 FM.
* Bookstore owner Matt Tannenbaum will participate in the WAMC roundtable with Joe Donohue at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 28.