Amy Krzanik reports from New Marlborough. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Music & More’s Award-Winning Authors series, host Mitchel Levitas invited back to the Meeting House the three authors who attended the inaugural Authors event in 1994. Paul Auster, Roy Blount, Jr. [both shown left] and Siri Hustvedt have only become more popular over the last twenty years, Hustvedt so popular, in fact, that she couldn’t attend the event due to a prior commitment abroad. Auster, her husband, spoke on her behalf, reading a prepared statement where she enlightened listeners to how her life has changed in the last twenty years, including her foray into the medical world, which in 1994 she claims she could have never imagined. Auster himself spoke of strange coincidences he’s had over the years due to his writing, echoing situations portrayed in many of his novels. Roy Blount, Jr. read the humorous tale of a fishing excursion taken years ago, and Gloria Levitas recounted being urged by her publisher to use a pseudonym when releasing her psychiatric work early on in her career, so as to pass as a male author. This touched nicely on both Hustvedt’s latest novel, The Blazing World, as well as the most recent film from Authors speaker Ellen Weissbrod, entitled a woman like that. Both the book and the film focus on the sexism women face in the art world, with Weissbrod’s documentary delving deep into 17th century Italy to investigate the life and work of painter Artemisia Gentileschi. This was Mitchel Levitas’ last year at the helm of the Authors series, and he was honored by The New Marlborough Village Association for his years of exceptional work.
Gloria Levitas and filmmaker Ellen Weissbrod; The New Marlborough Village Association President Louise Yohalem with Award-Winning Authors host Mitchel Levitas.
Art Sherman and Enid Michaelman; Artist and Meeting House Gallery committee head Elizabeth Lombardi with author Alon Gratch and Michele Sacks.
Roy Blount, Jr. recounts a story from one of his books.
Joan Elmer and photographer Lee Backer with Honey Sharp; Susan Lewin and Marty Miller.
Melissa Powell, producer of a woman like that, with Tony Levitas, a friend of the director; Paul Auster discusses coincidence in fiction and in real life.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
