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Previous years: 2017 Schedule 2018 Schedule 2019 Schedule 2020 Schedule 2021 Schedule 2022 Schedule 2023 Schedule

Marking Time

January 28, 2022

(Poets Creating Conversation)
Via Zoom

We're asking poets to circle the wagons around Marking Time and have at it.

Register via Via Zoom to simply attend or to share a poem (we're marking time until the air clears up).

Notes for poets interested in participating: Poets Creating Conversation challenges you to provoke and bear witness as we circle around a theme (in this case "marking time"). The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry - 3 minutes or less. Be considerate to the other poets, time yourself ahead of time - trim it, edit it, iron out the creases - make it fit (please).

TOLD

February 25, 2022

(Poets Creating Conversation)
Via Zoom

TOLD. Standing in forbidden and forgotten at the intersection of banned and uncomfortable.

Notes for poets interested in participating: Poets Creating Conversation challenges you to provoke and bear witness as we circle around a theme (see above). The fine print - no personal attacks (if you need to address an individual or specific institution in your work, anonymize it). Poetry - 3 minutes or less. Be considerate to the other poets, time yourself ahead of time - trim it, edit it, iron out the creases - make it fit (please).

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount (below) was supported by The Amy Clampitt Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Housatonic Heritage
Adelson & Company PC

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount

World's (possibly) Largest Poem

July 23 **

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

50 poets collaborate to create and perform a very ”large” poem along pathways at The Mount. One part poetry and one part community celebration as 50 poets of various ilks and ages gather in performance. The poem - whose duration will be approximately 25 minutes - will be performed multiple times to allow small audience groupings to move through the poem long pathways of The Mount. Poet-participants' ages range from 11 to 80+. This project represents WordXWord’s dual commitment to art and community at a significant scale. Free.

** Timed reservations required (FREE) with start times at 5P, 5:30, 6:15, 6:45. .

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount is supported by The Amy Clampitt Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Nothing Stays Put: The Life and Poetry of Amy Clampitt by Willard Spiegelman will be published in February 2023. Pre-orders available now on Amazon.

WordXWord at The Mount 2022

Walkin' with WordXWord #1

July 31, 5P

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

Wear your walking shoes and follow along as poets offer a moving exploration of The Mount's grounds and selected works in the SculptureNow exhibition. Using a sculpture; or multiple sculptures;,and/or the natural or the built environment; past, present, or future as prompts - poets are challenged to offer new ways of “seeing” what’s before us. Each of the 3 dates for this event will have a unique combination of poets and poems. Free.

Picnic with poets - BYO any time after 4P and join in the fun. The audience is invited to enjoy The Mount’s grounds, preview the SculptureNow exhibition, or simply chill out. And join us after the performance for lemonade and cookies.

Poets for July 31 include Stan Spencer, Kori Alston, Dianne Olsen, Melissa Quirk Cairns, Jerome Edgerton, CD Nelsen, E.K. Gordon (aka Elizag), Evan Goodermote, and D Colin.

Schedule and poets subject to change.

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount is supported by The Amy Clampitt Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

WordXWord at The Mount 2022

Walkin' with WordXWord #2

August 7, 5P

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

Wear your walking shoes and follow along as poets offer a moving exploration of The Mount's grounds and selected works in the SculptureNow exhibition. Using a sculpture; or multiple sculptures;,and/or the natural or the built environment; past, present, or future as prompts - poets are challenged to offer new ways of “seeing” what’s before us. Each of the 3 dates for this event will have a unique combination of poets and poems. Free.

Poets for August 7 include Jenn Frederick, Grace Rossman, Evan Goodermote, Curtis Elfenbein, Ashley Wonder, Donna Motta, D Colin, and Rose Oliver.

Picnic with poets - BYO any time after 4P and join in the fun. The audience is invited to enjoy The Mount’s grounds, preview the SculptureNow exhibition, or simply chill out. And join us after the performance for lemonade and cookies.

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount is supported by The Amy Clampitt Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

WXW xtra / Poets Creating Conversation

Landscape / Made in the Hills

August 11, 7P

Berkshire Museum
39 South Street, Pittsfield, MA

From natural to the built; emotional to political; real or imagined; WXW challenges poets to circle around the idea of “landscape.” See what happens. Free.

Poets Creating Conversation is an ongoing series of events that invites and challenges poets to circle loosely around a theme or issue in the current social discourse in order to create a broad, multi-dimensional “conversation” between poems, poets, and audience. By sharing personal stories, observations, challenges, as well as moments of inspiration and hope, we weave a tapestry of creative voices that makes us stronger and helps us individually and collectively navigate the way forward.

WordXWord at The Mount 2022

Walkin' with WordXWord #3

August 14, 5P

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

Wear your walking shoes and follow along as poets offer a moving exploration of The Mount's grounds and selected works in the SculptureNow exhibition. Using a sculpture; or multiple sculptures;,and/or the natural or the built environment; past, present, or future as prompts - poets are challenged to offer new ways of “seeing” what’s before us. Each of the 3 dates for this event will have a unique combination of poets and poems. Free.

Picnic with poets - BYO any time after 4P and join in the fun. The audience is invited to enjoy The Mount’s grounds, preview the SculptureNow exhibition, or simply chill out. And join us after the performance for lemonade and cookies.

WordXWord 2022 at The Mount is supported by The Amy Clampitt Fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

WXW xtra

WordXWord @ 3rd Thursday

August 18, 4:30-7:30P

The Commons, Pittsfield, MA

Stop by at Pittsfield's 3rd Thursday for some wordly fun and a Story Slam (5:30-6:30P). Meet us at the Gazebo near the basketball court. Free.

Falling

October 15, 3P

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

Free

Falling is autumn’s favorite sport and we’re asking poets to play along. And we’re not necessarily talking about leaves . . .

Falling /ˈfôliNG/
1. moving downward freely without control
2. decreasing in intensity, quality, etc
3. autumn's favorite sport

This event will take place on the lawn in the Dell behind the Stables. Please bring your own chair or blanket. Free.

Talking to Trees

November 19, 2P

The Mount / Edith Wharton's Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

Free

We've asked poets to pick a tree or trees - real or imagined - and talk to it. They're poets, they'll figure it out.

This is a “moving” event - taking place along forested paths. We’ll walk together from poet/location to poet/location - and with a little luck the exercise will keep us warm. By hiking standards this event will be on the mild side, but will include unpaved and gentle sloped surfaces.

Entire event takes place outdoors - please dress for the weather.

HOLIDAY Story Slam

December 22, 7P

Dottie's, 444 North Street, Pittsfield, MA
Free

The theme is HOLIDAY(s). The stories are yours. Admission is free.

Story Slam? - A story slam is a storytelling competition open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the event’s theme. Stories are scored by volunteer judges from the audience. Story slams are fast paced and high spirited with widely ranging responses to the theme. For December the theme is "HOLIDAY(s)."


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