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Berkshire WordFest 2012: A Literary House Party at The Mount

The right place can light a fire under the artistic imagination. Claude Monet dreamed up Impressionism in the forests of Fontainebleau; singer-songwriter Justin Vernon of the Grammy-Award-winning indie folk group Bon Iver hid out in a Wisconsin cabin while he wrote the band's debut album. And from September

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Road Trip: The Return of the Lakeville-Salisbury House Tour

Who doesn’t love to peek inside private homes to see how friends and neighbors live? When the chance arises to do just that, especially in highly coveted spaces, it’s hard to resist an invitation. On Saturday, September 8, in Northern Litchfield County, that invitation is extended to the

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At Bard, Gideon Lester Launches a Creative Laboratory

Amanda Palmer (far right) on set at the Fisher Center “What can you do without getting super-tired super-quickly?” director Michael McQuilken asks a bare-chested actor. They’re on set at Bard College’s Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts to shoot Amanda Palmer’s new music video, Bed

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Creative Workspaces Open to the Public in Art Studio Views

Clockwise from top left: Randy Bloom with one of her paintings; works by Jeff Romano, Carl Greico, and Richard Chianelle It's hard enough to be an artist. But to be an artist working alone in a studio in a quiet rural area, however noted for its sophistication and

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Gardener/Architect Peter Wooster Creates a Collage Comeback

After a stroke in 2006 left him partially paralyzed, with limited vocabulary, Peter Wooster of Roxbury, Connecticut, the renown gardener and architect of homes for such high-profile clients as James Taylor and Stephen Sondheim, continues to pursue creative self-expression through vivid visual imagery. True, Wooster can no longer draw or

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Role Reversal for Terry Teachout: Critic Turns Playwright

"I hadn’t written a play before, but I had this dream where I saw the stage picture of Pops and heard the first line. It just popped into my mind." ‘Pops,' like 'Satchmo,’ is a nickname for legendary jazzman Louis Armstrong, and the newly minted

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Wharton in Words and Spirit at The Mount in The Inner House

Tod Randolph as Edith Wharton; photos by Kevin Sprague "I have sometimes thought that a woman's nature is like a great house full of rooms,” Edith Wharton wrote in her short story The Fullness of Life. She was speaking from experience. Having settled at The Mount in

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Counterintuitive Chic: A New Palette at the Red Lion Inn

"I wanted people who are allergic to wallpaper to feel welcome at the Red Lion Inn," owner Nancy Fitzpatrick says with mischievous glee. She is talking about the 17 new rooms that the landmark hotel (circa 1773) has just added, which have been rigorously designed (and painted, not

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Homefield: A Shopping Extravaganza at Ventfort Hall

You don't see much bling in the Berkshires, which is ironic when you consider that Lenox was the summer capital of the Gilded Age. Today, inconspicuous consumption is the law of the land (except for the competitive picnics on the lawn at Tanglewood), so shopping and decorating rarely

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Word on the Street: WordXWord Festival Returns to Pittsfield

Gabriel Squailia; photo by Jennibeth Gomez Tension was high at Y Bar in Pittsfield on Tuesday, July 31. Eight contenders had entered the fray, and only two remained: Curtis Asch and Gabriel Squailia, aka DJBFG. After winning six consecutive rounds, Squailia was favored to win, throwing down incisive compositions, such

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Community: 20 Questions for Yo-Yo Ma

Perhaps the most recognized, decorated, and beloved cellist in the world, Yo-Yo Ma makes his home in the tiny town of Tyringham, Massachusetts, “A Hinterland Settlement,” nestled between Lee and Monterey, the sleepy summer residence of many musicians and composers, past and present. Yet Ma is not here to sleep;

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Farmers and Foodies Have a Field Day - Several, Actually

Farm On! That’s the rallying cry of Friends of the Farmer, organizers of a two-part festival for lovers of farm-fresh foods and supporters of local agriculture. It could also be the catchphrase for everyone inspired to turn a patch of grass into a productive vegetable garden. This weekend and

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