Berkshire WordFest coming to The Mount

LENOX – This weekend, writers and poets will use The Mount as a sounding board.

The second Berkshire WordFest kicks off on Friday at 5 p.m. with “Literary Laughs,” a program with Irish writer Kevin O’Hara (Last of the Donkey Pilgrims) and American comedienne/bestselling-author Alison Larkin (The English American) in The Mount’s stable.

“It will be an energetic, vibrant weekend,” said Christine Triantos, director of Berkshire WordFest.

Ms. Triantos has worked closely with the WordFest Advisory Committee (Roxana Robinson, Celia McGee, Noreen Tomassi, Susan Orlean, Martha McPhee and Elizabeth Cabot) and The Mount staff for the past year to get the literary festival off the ground.

The first WordFest (in 2010) was the brainchild of Gordon Travers, co-chairman of The Mount Board of Trustees.

For the 2012 WordFest programming on Saturday and Sunday, guests can check out a variety of ticketed and free events, including readings, panel discussions, one-on-one conversations and a musical performance.

“We worked hard to achieve that balance between free and ticketed programming,” Ms. Triantos said.

Both days start at 9 a.m. with “Books and Bagels,” where titles by participating authors and light breakfast fare will be available for purchase.

The Books and Bagels session is followed at 10 a.m. with free readings from Berkshire poets and writers on The Mount’s terrace. On Saturday, Richard Berlin, Cynthia Gardner, Peter Filkins, Daniel Hall, Michelle Gillett, Karen Chase, Susan Kinsolving, John Hennessy, Mr. O’Hara, Jess Greenbaum and Amy Dryansky will be reading some of their work.

On Sunday, Irene Willis, James Arthur, Joshua Henkin, Cassandra Cleghorn, Marie Gauthier, Gerald Elias, Lisken Van Pelt Dus and Mark Wunderlich will share their writing on the terrace.

The readings and “Music After Hours: Special WordFest Edition” on Saturday evening are free to the public.

The musical performance, on the terrace at 5:30 p.m., features the Zack Cross Quartet with special guest Jessica Freeman. Refreshments, including wine and beer, will be available for purchase.

Throughout both days, The Mount’s forecourt will be home to ticketed panel discussions and one-on-one conversations with renowned writers.

“We are particularly excited about being able to present a varied lineup of panels in which writers discuss topics pertinent to Edith Wharton and also on modern topics,” Ms. Triantos said.

On Saturday at 1:45 p.m., the panel discussion “From Insider to Informant: Conveying Culture Through Literature” will feature writers Adam Gopnik (The New Yorker), Suketu Mehta (Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found) and Ms. Robinson (Summer Light). They will discuss the process of writing about distinctive settings.

On Sunday at 11:15 a.m., author Heidi Julavits (The Mineral Palace) will hold a one-on-one conversation with freelance writer Kate Bolick (The Atlantic) about writing fiction, editing a magazine, psychic connections and summering in Maine.

Tickets for Literary Laughs, panel discussions and one-on-one conversations are $25 for the public and $23 for Mount members. They can be purchased at The Mount or online at berkshirewordfest.org. A complete schedule is also available on the website.

Posted by Catherine M. Krummey on September 13, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment,Community Events,Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry