Marking the 60th anniversary of her death, Steepletop, the home poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived in for the final 25 years of her life (and the building in which she died accidentally at the age of 58) will be opening to the public – as part of the museum dedicated to her and her work – for the first time this year.　

There is poetry here….   And one of our most memorable poetry readings was the one given by Peter Bergman, Executive Director of the Millay Society.  We’re glad to share the Millay Society’s new website www.millay.org.  You can go there to find out about the progress at Steepletop,  Edna St. Vincent Millay’s home in the Berkshires.  There are also upcoming events.  Steepletop is a lovely place to visit any time, where you can walk the Poetry Trail, a wooded path, with poems posted along the way, ending at the peacefully sheltered gravesite.

Peter Bergman reading Millay at Brook Farm Inn

Glenora Richards  is a miniaturist who painted a sizzling miniature portrait of Edna St. Vincent Millay, which was adapted into a postage stamp.  At Steepletop (Millay’s home in the Berkshires), beginning June 16th you can view  an exhibit which explores the art of this amazing, 100- year old woman.  The exhibit will run through September, and will include some special materials from the Postal Service Archives in addition to the original painting, and recordings of Millay reading her own work.  At Brook Farm Inn in Lenox, we had the pleasure of hosting a reading of Millay’s work by Peter Bergman, Executive Director of the Millay Society.  We can’t wait to see the exhibit.

Peter Bergman reading Millay at Brook Farm Inn

The public is invited to see and hear Peter Bergman, Director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society, this Saturday, 3:00 at Brook Farm Inn.  This celebration of the poet’s life and work, “The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay,” will benefit the Millay Society’s restoration of Steepletop, the poet’s home in the Berkshires.  Peter Bergman is not to be missed!  Reservations for seats are recommended at 800-285-7638 (POET).  Link here for more information. www.brookfarm.com/poetry.html

We were delighted to be mentioned in this past Sunday’s Boston Globe, in Jan Gardner’s “Shelf Life” column.  See http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/04/26/a_fighting_chance/

We’ve long been fans of Ms. Gardner’s column, where she mentions book picks and literary events that you otherwise might not know about.  She has mentioned the poetry event, “The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay,” which will take place at 3:00 on Saturday, May 16th, at Brook Farm Inn in Lenox Massachusetts.  For more information, go to www.brookfarm.com.

We were delighted to see a blog entry by Beth Jannery, a treasured guest, who writes an inspiring book series called Simple Grace.  You can read her blog at http://simplegracebooks.blogspot.com/.  Beth has a positive and inspiring outlook that will lift your spirits, and she gives wonderful strategies for ” living in the moment, creating purpose . finding meaning . breathing space.”  She responded to our invitation to attend the Edna St. Vincent Millay event on May 16th.  You can find out more about that by phoning or email us www.brookfarm.com.   Meantime, check out Beth’s books!

We look forward to our special event at Brook Farm Inn in Lenox Massachusetts on May 16th, featuring Peter Bergman, director of the Millay Society.  We hope you can come.  But if not, you can catch Peter at the Stockbridge Library on Sunday, April 19th at 4:00. 

There is poetry here!  We announced a while ago that Brook Farm Inn, Lenox Massachusetts, will have a wonderful celebration of Millay’s poetry, on May 16th.  We hope many guests will stay with us that weekend.  Those who can’t stay over are still invited to attend the event.  We now have more information, so here’s the full press release!

“The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay” at Brook Farm Inn

 The public is invited to celebrate the life and works of Edna St. Vincent Millay, at an event on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 3:00 PM.  At Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, Peter Bergman, Executive Director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop, will present a program entitled “The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay.”   The program will begin with an unknown, 1920’s work, and will end with Millay’s final published piece.  And there will be surprises!  “Mr. Bergman’s readings are mesmerizing, and his knowledge of Millay is unsurpassed,” said Linda Halpern of Brook Farm Inn who attended Bergman’s three-part course on Millay at the Lenox Library in 2008.

The Millay Society is responsible for the poet’s archives and papers, and for the preservation of Steepletop, her home in Austerlitz, NY.  In order to help the Society reach its goal of restoring this site and opening it to the public on a regular basis, a contribution of $20 per person is requested.  Refreshments will be served.

Edna St. Vincent Millay was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, in 1923, and was local resident from 1925 until her death in 1950. Considered one the truly great American creative artists, she pioneered in radio and recordings, began publishing her poetry while still a teenager and at the age of 20 was acclaimed nationally for her lengthy poem, “Renascence.” During her years in the Berkshires she completed the commissioned libretto for an American opera for the Metropolitan Opera in New York, published seven volumes of poetry and wrote the radio play, “The Murder of Lidice,” which polarized Americans in 1942 and helped to turn the tide of World War II.

Peter Bergman, a long-time resident in Berkshire County, is a noted author and theatrical director in addition to his work for the Millay Society. His company, Berkshire Concert Artists, has represented many singers, musicians, directors, librettists and designers and also produced ten original plays based on historical figures in the Berkshires, produced in historic houses. His most recent play, “The Lynch Bride” is part of the Berkshire Fools Festival and presented in the historic First Congregational Church on Park Square in Pittsfield.

Advance reservations for seats for this program are recommended as seating is limited.  To reserve, contact Linda and Phil Halpern, innkeepers, at Brook Farm Inn, 15 Hawthorne Street, Lenox, MA, 800-285-7638 (POET), www.brookfarm.com.  Brook Farm Inn, located in the heart of the Berkshires, is known for hosting poetry readings, and welcomes room reservations for the weekend of this exciting program.  Brook Farm Inn will make the $20 contribution on behalf of overnight guests.

“The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay” at Brook Farm Inn

The public is invited to celebrate the life and works of Edna St. Vincent Millay, at an event on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 3:00 PM.  At Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, Peter Bergman, Executive Director of the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society at Steepletop, will present a program entitled “The Four Seasons of Edna St. Vincent Millay.”   The program will begin with an unknown, 1920’s work, and will end with Millay’s final published piece.  And there will be surprises!  “Mr. Bergman’s readings are mesmerizing, and his knowledge of Millay is unsurpassed,” said Linda Halpern of Brook Farm Inn who attended Bergman’s three-part course on Millay at the Lenox Library in 2008.

The Millay Society is responsible for the poet’s archives and papers, and for the preservation of Steepletop, her home in Austerlitz, NY.  In order to help the Society reach its goal of restoring this site and opening it to the public on a regular basis, a contribution of $20 per person is requested.  Refreshments will be served.

Edna St. Vincent Millay was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, in 1923, and was local resident from 1925 until her death in 1950. Considered one the truly great American creative artists, she pioneered in radio and recordings, began publishing her poetry while still a teenager and at the age of 20 was acclaimed nationally for her lengthy poem, “Renascence.” During her years in the Berkshires she completed the commissioned libretto for an American opera for the Metropolitan Opera in New York, published seven volumes of poetry and wrote the radio play, “The Murder of Lidice,” which polarized Americans in 1942 and helped to turn the tide of World War II.

Peter Bergman, a long-time resident in Berkshire County, is a noted author and theatrical director in addition to his work for the Millay Society. His company, Berkshire Concert Artists, has represented many singers, musicians, directors, librettists and designers and also produced ten original plays based on historical figures in the Berkshires, produced in historic houses. His most recent play, “The Lynch Bride” is part of the Berkshire Fools Festival and presented in the historic First Congregational Church on Park Square in Pittsfield.

Advance reservations for seats for this program are recommended as seating is limited.  To reserve, contact Linda and Phil Halpern, innkeepers, at Brook Farm Inn, 15 Hawthorne Street, Lenox, MA, 800-285-7638 (POET), www.brookfarm.com.  Brook Farm Inn, located in the heart of the Berkshires, is known for hosting poetry readings, and welcomes room reservations for the weekend of this exciting program.  Brook Farm Inn will make the $20 contribution on behalf of overnight guests.

Brook Farm Inn is a short distance from Steepletop, in Austerlitz, NY.  Edna St. Vincent Millay lived there, and the home is still as it was in her day.  The Society sponsors artists-in-residence, and is restoring her gardens, and hopes to make the home into a museum for visitors.  Part of the grounds are available for visitors to walk, although most of the property is usually closed to the public.  However  this Saturday, May 17th, is the first of two Open Days, from 10-4.  In addition to the gardens, Millay’s writing cabin will be open. It should be a great day.  And a great book about the poet is Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford