Spencertown Academy Presents Novelist Dinitia Smith, Apr 30

New York, NY, September 9, 2015: — Dinitia Smith, author, in her library. © Audrey C. Tiernan

Spencertown Academy Arts Center in collaboration with Chatham Bookstore, presents Dinitia Smith in an event celebrating her new book, “The Prince: a Novel” (Arcade Publishing, 2022) on Saturday, April 30 at 2:00pm. She will be joined in conversation with author Ruth Reichl.

“Money. Power. Sex. Family. Dinitia Smith’s retelling of ‘The Golden Bowl’ by Henry James is a modern classic with twists and turns that even James couldn’t imagine,” says Academy Board Member Jill Kalotay. “And we are thrilled that our esteemed Spencertown neighbor Ruth Reichl will participate in what will no doubt be a fascinating conversation.”

Smith uses the modern equivalent of the glittering high society setting of the Golden Age to tell the story of a father and daughter and the prince who comes between them. Set partially on Woodford Island, based on Gardiners Island off the coast of East Hampton, NY, “The Prince” reconstructs the claustrophobic tension of the original while exploring the four central relationships with a fresh, contemporary gaze.

Smith is the author of four previous novels and her short stories have been published in numerous magazines. For 11 years, she was a reporter at the New York Times where she wrote on literary topics and intellectual trends. She has won many awards for her writing, including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, and the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. She is also an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. Her film, “Passing Quietly Through,” was chosen for the New York Film Festival, and shown at the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.

Reichl was restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times, restaurant critic of the New York Times, and the last Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine. She has written a novel, two cookbooks and five memoirs. Her most recent book, “Save Me the Plums,” is about her time at Gourmet. She was a judge on Top Chef Masters and host of the 8-part series, “Adventures with Ruth” on PBS. She is the recipient of six James Beard Awards. At the moment she is working on another novel and a documentary about American food.

Books by both authors will be for sale and the authors will be available for signing after the conversation. Ticket holders will receive 10% off books purchased at the event. The Academy has installed air filters in the auditorium; proof of vaccination is required for admission and masks are recommended. This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 30, 2022 / 2pm

TICKETS: $10
Advance reservations are required. Available at www.spencertownacademy.org

LOCATION: Spencertown Academy
790 NY-203
Spencertown, NY

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Phone: (518) 392-3693

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Columbia County Historical Society New Permanent Outdoor Exhibition

The Columbia County Historical Society announces a new permanent outdoor exhibit, ‘Early Heritage of Columbia County” Outdoor Narrative Panel Exhibit.

The Columbia County Historical Society announces a new permanent outdoor exhibit, ‘Early Heritage of Columbia County” Outdoor Narrative Panel Exhibit. The exhibit features eight narrative panels set along the treeline of its rural properties on 9-H: The c.1850 Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse and the 1737 Luykas Van Alen House located at 2589 NY-9H in the Town of Kinderhook.

“Treat yourselves to a 20 minute walk around the grounds of our rural properties to soak up a lot of history quickly.” said former Board President, Bob Peduzzi.

As the spring season beckons, the narrative panels are ready to be discovered–or rediscoveredddfor those who were able to view them before the winter snow covering.

Open now for viewing, and located on CCHS’ two contiguous rural properties located along Route 9H in Kinderhook, New York, the new exhibit is an accessible and educational ‘wayside’ narrative panel installation that will increase and reinforce awareness, knowledge, and preservation of our shared cultural heritage for our community and our visitors, including the broad, public audience of residents and visitors from both sides of the river.

“While the challenges of this pandemic era has changed how we approach our programming, we have found new ways to engage with our community and present the history and heritage of Columbia County,” said former Executive Director, Lori Yarotsky, who implemented the project with funding from local and international grants.

The prominent property at this location is an 18^th century Dutch Colonial structure, the Luykas Van Alen House, a National Historic Landmark, comprising approximately 53 acres including the Van Alen family homestead.

Adjacent to the Dutch structure is the Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse, a circa 1850 one-room schoolhouse, named after author Washington Irving’s fictional, Dutch character, a schoolteacher.

Also on the grounds is the trailhead to the Dutch Farming Heritage Trail, the 1.7 mile foot trail to Van Buren’s home, Lindenwald.

Stories portrayed on the eight panels include:

DATE/TIME: Daily / Dawn to Dusk

ADMISSION: Free

LOCATION:
2589 NY-9H,
Kinderhook, NY 12037

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Art Omi Writers Residency Reading

Join Art Omi at the Benenson Visitor Center for a reading from the Spring 2022 writers-in-residence!

Join Art Omi at the Benenson Visitor Center for a reading from the Spring 2022 writers-in-residence! Distinguished writers from around the globe will share new and in-progress writing. Hear an uncommon variety of provocative, funny, innovative, and surprising literary voices from a range of traditions, all in one place. Find out more about our Spring writers here.

For a full list of programs and events throughout the year, visit artomi.org/calendar.

DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 9, 2022 / 5 – 7:30pm

LOCATION: Omi International Arts Center
Benenson Center
1405 County Route 22
Ghent, NY 12075

ADMISSION: Event is free
Pre-register Online

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COVID-19 Update from Columbia County Health Department

The latest update from the Columbia County Department of Health.

Following is the latest update from the Columbia County Department of Health.

For comparison, following is last week’s update:

For more info, visit columbiacountynyhealth.com

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Voting for Best Of Columbia County Returns for 2022!

After a two year pandemic hiatus, the Best of Columbia County competition is back for 2022!

After a two year pandemic hiatus, the Best of Columbia County competition is back for 2022!

The Best of Columbia County™ is a Reader’s Choice Contest. The Nomination period began on March 1, 2022 and continues through March 31, 2022. The Best of Columbia County™ allows county residents to make their voices heard in deciding the “best of the best” in a broad field of over 50 categories. Round One (March 1, 2022-March 31, 2022) is the nomination period. The top three of each category move on to Round Two (April 11, 2022-April 29, 2022). Round Two of Voting on the Nominations will consist of the top three in each category from Round One.

Winners will be announced during a red carpet-style show, to be held June 2, 2022 and presented by the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and Columbia-Greene Media.