PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Three Berkshire Community College (BCC) Honors Scholar Program students who were awarded Melville Fellowships for the spring semester — Rowan Boyer, Mwila Malama and Clarise Seguin — will present a public reading of their works on Wednesday, May 8 at 4:30 pm. 

 

The reading, which is free and open to the public, will be held at BCC in Melville Hall, Room M-212.?Light refreshments will be served. 

 

For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual recording will be accessible on Zoom. To join online, visit

https://zoom.us/j/6236694683. 

 

The three students were awarded Melville Fellowships by the Berkshire County Historical Society.  They have been busy creating original writings and art while spending time at Herman Melville's Arrowhead, the location where Melville wrote 

Moby Dick, working with Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Jana Laiz. The students are also earning experiential learning honors course credit. 

 

The students' readings represent the progress they have made towards the goals they set in January, as described in their own words. 

 

Rowan Boyer planned to work in creative writing, poetry and visual art. "My initial gut feeling is to write a story about woodland animals set in the land surrounding Arrowhead," Boyer said. "I would also love to experiment with poetry and create illustrations along with my writing." 

 

Mwila Malama planned to research Arrowhead as a non-profit organization, specifically "how it conducts its operations to ensure continuity and relevance

 to the society that it seeks to serve." With a focus on the museum's finances and its impact on the community, Malama will also take part in creative writing, poetry and other activities. 

 

Clarise Seguin planned to write poetry and stories that touch on the life of Herman Melville, as well as writing about the scenery that surrounds the museum, combined with art pieces. "With these goals in mind, I hope to create art and stories that inspire and evoke strong emotions," Seguin said.