The Rural We

Community

The Rural We: Phyllis Feder

At 81 years young, Phyllis Feder is the only woman of her age operating a winery and vineyard in the United States. Clinton Vineyards, a 100-acre farm winery in Clinton Corners, New York, was started in 1977 by her late husband, Ben Feder. After his death, in 2009, Phyllis decided

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The Rural We: Shaun O'Boyle

In 2015, Berkshires-based photographer Shaun O’Boyle spent two months in Antarctica, where he took a series of pictures that now comprise his project, “Portraits of Place in Antarctica.” Some of the pictures, which tell the story of historic huts built over 100 years ago by early explorers and their

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The Rural We: Jonathan Lerner

Writer Jonathan Lerner became a full-time activist at the age of 19, joining the staff of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). In 1969, the militant Weatherman faction took over SDS. Lerner was one of its founders, the editor of its newspaper, and a member of the group until its

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The Rural We: Lauren Letellier

Playwright, public relations consultant, voiceover artist and Hillsdale, New York resident Lauren Letellier will perform her one-woman show, "The Fiery Sword of Justice," on Saturday, June 3 at 3 p.m. at the historic Ancram Opera House. Her critically acclaimed comedy about how one businesswoman’s compulsive truth-telling

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The Rural We: Derek Delaney

Long Island native and Juilliard and Yale graduate Derek Delaney began his musical career as a horn player. But he has spent the bulk of his time as an arts administrator in the northeast, working at the Marlboro Music Festival, as development director at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and

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The Rural We: Caroline Crehan Becker

Photo: Lisa Vollmer Photography Inc. Owner of Mulberry Hair Company in Great Barrington, Mass., Caroline Crehan Becker has created a warm and welcoming studio in her new location on Rosseter Street. Originally from Birmingham, England, she met her husband, an Old Chatham, New York, native, in Boston. They moved to

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The Rural We: Lisa Vollmer

Fine art photographer Lisa Vollmer’s work has taken her around the world, from India and Cambodia to Costa Rica and Colombia. Born in Berlin, Germany, Vollmer now resides in Great Barrington, Mass. where she runs the Lisa Vollmer Studio + Gallery with her mother, the photographer Sabine Vollmer von Falken.

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The Rural We: Michael Costerisan

Michael Costerisan is a master woodworker in West Stockbridge, Mass. who makes custom cabinets and furniture on a commission basis. In his more than 40 years of woodworking, he’s built almost every conceivable type of furniture, cabinetry and architectural fixture. Just a little over three years ago, he began

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The Rural We: Roxana Robinson

Photo by David Ignaszewski Although born in Kentucky and raised in Pennsylvania, writer Roxana Robinson has a connection to her current home of Cornwall, Conn. that dates back two centuries. The critically acclaimed author of five novels, three short story collections and the definitive biography of Georgia O’Keeffe has

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The Rural We: Jesse Freidin

Photo by Sarah Deragon Published this month, the book Finding Shelter presents 100 black and white portraits of shelter dogs and volunteers from across the country, along with their personal stories. The eye behind the camera, Jesse Freidin, is one of America's leading fine art dog photographers, having

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The Rural We: Maj Kalfus

Photo: Art School of Columbia County Maj Kalfus has taken a circuitous route to get back to what she loves most: fine arts. She started her career as a fashion illustrator, but the retail industry was turning to photography, and there was no more work for fashion illustrators. Intrigued by

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The Rural We: Karen Christensen

If we — as individuals or as a country — reach a better understanding of China in the future, we may have Karen Christensen to thank for it. The Great Barrington, Mass. resident is the founder and CEO of Berkshire Publishing Group, which has recently announced that it will produce an English

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