Community Calendar

Please join the Friends of the West Stockbridge Library for a fascinating talk with local artist and author, Gail Gelburd, about her book, "The Liberation of Sue Moody", on Friday, 10 April, 6:00 PM at the West Stockbridge Town Hall. The author will read from her book and discuss the extraordinary life of Sue Moody. A young woman living in the early 20th century, Moody hitchhiked across America, rode horses in Wyoming, met Molly Brown, and sought a career as a journalist. She lived with her small child in Paris surviving bombings and starvation as WWII broke out.

Ms. Gelburd spent months going through forgotten boxes left behind in an abandoned home in rural Massachusetts. She was inspired to transform Moody’s lost letters, writings, and newspaper clippings into a first-person fictional narrative. The book portrays a courageous and creative woman determined to write her own story.

A reception and book signing will follow the talk.

With credits including Lincoln Center, SFJAZZ, and the starring role in the 2023 short film “Goodbye Jonathan’s Soul,” trumpeter Jonathan Dely has captured eyes and ears not only for his musical talent on stage and on screen, but also for the story that animates his career: turning down a lucrative career on Wall Street to become a musical artist. Dely performs one of jazz’s most extraordinary live concerts, masterfully interweaving musical styles of jazz, classical, rock, and more – a feat that has garnered praise from both critics and concertgoers alike who are enraptured by Dely’s smooth, virtuosic trumpet sound, the versatility of his razor sharp ensemble, and his live show’s ability to both earn and transcend the label of “jazz”.
“To watch Jonathan on stage balance his identity as a performing artist and former Wall Streeter is like watching a coming-of-age story in concert. He is an extraordinary talent and a remarkable young man. A star in the making.”
– Lincoln Center Future Songbook Series Producer

Celebrate National Poetry Month at Next Stage with an evening of poetry, conversation, and dancing! Join poet Diana Whitney for the release of her new book, Girl Trouble, which readers are calling “unstoppable” and “deeply subversive.”

Girl Trouble excavates the terrain of female adolescence in a brazen journey through rape culture from the 1980s to the #MeToo era. Whitney’s earthy poems spill secrets, make trouble, and reckon with stories of desire and harm while exploring the agency and oppression of women and girls. Deeply rooted in the natural world, the collection grieves the planet’s degradation even as it celebrates queerness and seeks healing for the next generation. By the end, a chorus of voices rises to a full-throated roar, revealing the power and release of truth-telling. This is a book for survivors and advocates, for mothers and daughters, and for anyone moving through trauma with resilience.

Whitney is a queer writer and educator who believes fiercely in the power of poetry to connect us to ourselves and one another. She is the editor of the bestselling anthology You Don’t Have to Be Everything: Poems for Girls Becoming Themselves, winner of the Claudia Lewis Award, and the author of two previous poetry collections, Wanting It and Dark Beds. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Kenyon Review, The San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. An advocate for survivors of sexual violence in her Vermont hometown and beyond, Whitney works as a developmental editor and community organizer for a rural LGBTQ+ nonprofit.

Whitney will be in conversation with poet Eve Alexandra, whose prize-winning collection None of Us in White was released in 2025.

Snacks will be provided, a cash bar will be available, and books will be for sale from Everyone’s Books.

10th Annual Piano Solo Jazz Piano Festival

April 10-11, 2026
Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday 10 am- 10 pm

Vermont Jazz Center
In-person & live streamed

For all music lovers, not just pianists, who are interested in both the practical & spiritual aspects of jazz and improvised music.

We will hear six brilliant pianists (4 headliners & 2 emerging artists) perform & discuss their relationship to the instrument, to the jazz lineage, to structure & to artistic freedom.

The structure of each year’s festival includes performances & masterclasses by each headliner, half-hour sets by 2 emerging artists (Mimi Terry & Rabin Ryu) & a lively panel discussion with all the participants.

All events take place at the Vermont Jazz Center & will be live-streamed.

Friday 7:30 pm concert- Mathis Picard & Rachel Z
Saturday 7:30 pm concert- Camila Cortina & Geoffrey Keezer

https://vtjazz.org/calendar/2025-2026-solo-jazz-piano-festival/

Sponsored by Katy Oz & Friends of VJC Educational Programs

Friday & Saturday night concerts each $25-60 general admission in person
Full Festival Inclusive of Saturday daytime events $85-130
Saturday daytime only $66.

Donations for live stream welcome.

For accessibility support please call in advance.
802 254 9088 ext. 1

sarah@vtjazz.org
eugene@vtjazz.org

www.vtjazz.org

Vermont Jazz Center
72 Cotton Mill Hill #222
Brattleboro, VT 05301

Smith performance faculty members explore the famed duos for violin and piano, violin show pieces, and piano trio repertoire. This recital will feature the music of Messiaen, Beethoven, Sarasate, Price, and Smetana. Join violinist Robyn Quinnett, pianist Jiayan Sun, and cellist Marie-Volcy Pelletier in collaboration for a thrilling evening of beautiful music.

Featuring work by the following senior Studio Art majors: Ilana Diddams, Rowan Howe, Joan Kobayashi, Isa Norris-Howard, Sarah Seligman, and Eloise Van Meter.
Opening Reception: Friday, April 10, 2026 at 4-6 p.m.

GARDENING FOR TODAY & TOMORROW

Saturday, April 11, 2026
9:00 AM to 12:15 PM
Lenox Memorial Middle & High School
Lenox, MA

Doors open at 8:00 AM for Registration, Vendor Sales, Environmental Organization Tables, Puzzle Sale, Used Gardening Book Sale,. Houseplant Sale & FREE Refreshments.

9:00AM : Keynote Address: Sustainable Landscaping to Support Berkshires Wildlife by Nicaela Haig : Mass Audubon Naturalist

11:00AM :
A. Kitchen Medicine: Cooking with Herbs with Hannah Morano : Founder of Sweet Birch Herbals
B. Invasive Species of Western Mass with Diane Van Kempen : WMMGA MG
C. Growing Better Blueberries with John Galvan, M.S., Small Fruit Extension Educator III, Mass Extension
D. Deer Defense: How to Outwit the Wiliest of Wildlife with Chris Ferrero, Cornell MG
E. Localizing Your Landscapes with Native Trees and Shrubs with Jay Vinskey

Log onto: wmmga.org for registration information.

Join us every Saturday 9:30AM to 1:30PM from now through April 25th in the Wilton Mall food court!

Shop from 50+ local vendors while you listen to live music.

Make the Saratoga Farmers’ Market part of your weekly shopping plan. Come visit the market — We are the Saturday Place to Be!

Sustainable Saratoga and Skidmore College invite you to join us for the Saratoga Sustainability Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 10am - 2pm at Skidmore's Center Intramural Gym. The Sustainability Fair is a free community event celebrating sustainability awareness and opportunities.
https://sustainablesaratoga.org/saratoga-sustainability-fair/

Author and Mafia Historian Justin Cascio’s latest book is about a hidden piece of Springfield’s history.
Has a woman ever been a Mafia boss?

How did the Mafia come to Springfield, Massachusetts?

What was life like for a bootlegger during Prohibition?

Pasqualina: The Bootleg Queen of Springfield, Massachusetts is the true story of the Mafia in Springfield, Massachusetts, during Prohibition, how the Springfield crew became part of the Genovese Family’s empire, and the woman who made it all happen.

Join us for Justin’s presentation, after which there will be a Q&A with the author and a book signing. Books are available to borrow from the Springfield City Library and will be available to purchase at the event.