The blue stairs are ice and fire, gleaming with snowflakes and warm with Gospel music. A woman is singing in a confident alto, full-voice and improvising, ‘Let there be peace in every nation. Let there be hope for all the world to see …’
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Holiday stories
Holidays 2020: Celebrating in the Berkshires
In holiday season in a pandemic, the Berkshires is alive with light shows, local makers online, outdoor performances and festivals of trees.
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NightWood turns the Mount into a new world
This winter, the Mount will transform Edith Wharton’s gardens and grounds with NightWood, a landscape of mystery and fantasy, doors into other worlds, journey and night.
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The Mohican nation honors their homeland with WAM Theatre
Heather Bruegl imagines Mohican people telling Mohican stories and histories, on Mohican land. She is the cultural affairs director for the Stockbridge Munsee community of the Mohican Nation, and she talks with me, and with WAM Theatre, as they prepare for this weekend’s performance of ‘The Thanksgiving Play.’
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NightWood transforms the Mount (November 18 newsletter)
Torches flicker in a long curve into the darkness — a quarter-mile of oil lamps lighting the road. The Mount is a new place tonight. Firelight lines the path between the pine trees, and a bass beat begins to rise …
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Reclaiming Land, Reclaiming the Body: Z Estimé and Roots Rising
Z Estimé reflects on their experience with Roots Rising and the importance of connecting their body’s health with the environment.
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The Making of ‘The West Philadelphia Problem: From Redlining to Penntrification’
A deep dive into the mind of Amaan Stewart, the creator of the podcast ‘The West Philadelphia Project: From Red-Lining to Penntrification.’
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The West Philadelphia Problem: From Redlining to Penntrification
Amaan Stewart delves into the displacement of a Black community in West Philadelphia due to urban renewal by University of Pennsylvania.
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Satire for a post-election season: Larissa FastHorse’s ‘The Thanksgiving Play’
Larissa FastHorse, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation and a nationally recognized playwright, asks probing questions in satire as WAM Theatre virtually performs of the acclaimed comedy ‘The Thanksgiving Play.’
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Acclaimed writer Danielle Evans navigates grief and strength
On a fall evening, acclaimed writer Danielle Evans is talking about her newest book with a clear eye and compassion, humor and deep sadness.
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Williamstown looks up after the election
Spring Street was alive on Saturday. Students were sitting outside Tunnel City in the unexpectedly warm weather, and I could feel a lift and an energy for the first time in … I don’t know how long.
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Dulye Leadership Experience builds local economy in the pandemic
The Dulye Leadership Experience has moved to the Berkshires, bringing a network that reaches around the world, and young professionals talk with me about the skills and careers and community they are building.
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