Best Selling Author to Speak at Ventfort Hall

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LENOX, Mass. — Acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Christopher Murray, co-author of "The Personal Librarian," is coming to Ventfort Hall on Tuesday, July 30 at 3 pm.
 
Sarah Morgan, sister of JP Morgan, commissioned the building of Ventfort Hall in Lenox in 1891. Murray will disclose parallels and connections between her story and Ventfort Hall in her lecture.
 
The lecture portion of this Tea & Talk will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church at 88 Walker Street, near Ventfort Hall, at 3pm. After the lecture, guests of the tea can walk or drive to Ventfort Hall for service, where Victoria Christopher Murray will be in attendance. We have several copies of The Personal Librarian for sale in our gift shop at Ventfort Hall.
 
Victoria Christopher Murray is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including the New York Times Instant Best Sellers, "The Personal Librarian" and "The First Ladies," both novels Victoria co-wrote with Marie Benedict. A native New Yorker, Victoria Christopher Murray attended Hampton University where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University's Stern School of Business where she received her MBA in Marketing.
 
Victoria originally self published her first novel, "Temptation" and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. "Temptation" remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Victoria received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Literature with Temptation. Over her career, Victoria has received numerous awards including the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award, the Delta Sigma Theta Osceola Award for Excellence in the Arts, eleven African American Literary Awards and five NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2016, she won the Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground. 
 
In addition to being a New York Times Bestseller, "The Personal Librarian" was a Good Morning America Book Club selection and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR. The First Ladies was Target's 2023 Book of the Year. Five of Victoria's Seven Deadly Sins novels have been turned into Lifetime movies and The Personal Librarian has been optioned by Al Roker Entertainment to become a miniseries. With more than three million books in print, Victoria is one of the country's top African American contemporary authors.
 
Tickets are $75 for both the talk and tea. $18 tickets for the talk only are sold out. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited and this event is expected to sell out. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable.
 

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Ventfort Hall: Making New England Movies

LENOX, Mass. — Jay Craven, American film director, screenwriter, and former film professor at Marlboro College, will present his talk "New England Movies: How and Why" on Sunday, March 1 at Ventfort Hall at 3:30 pm. 
 
Craven will tell the story of his adventures and experiences, developing a sustained filmmaking career in the unlikely settings of Vermont and Massachusetts. A tea will follow his presentation.
 
He will describe working with a wide range of actors, including Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Sheen, Ernie Hudson, and Michael J. Fox.  He'll share the satisfactions and challenges that come from immersion into place-based narrative filmmaking. 
 
According to a press release:
 
Craven's work grew out of years of working as a teacher and arts activist whose mission has been the advancement of community and culture in the region.  For four decades he has written, produced, and directed character-driven films deeply rooted in Vermont and New England, including five "Vermont Westerns" based on the works of award-winning Northeast Kingdom writer, Howard Frank Mosher. His latest film, Lost Nation, digs into the parallel Revolutionary War era stories of Ethan Allen and the pioneering Black Guilford poet, Lucy Terry Prince.  His other films have adapted stories by Jack London, Guy du Maupassant, George Bernard Shaw, Craig Nova and, currently, Henrik Ibsen and Dashiell Hammett. Craven also made the regional Emmy-winning comedy series, Windy Acres, for public television and seven documentaries.
 
Craven's films have played festivals and special screenings including Sundance, South by Southwest, The American Film Institute, Lincoln Center, Cinematheque Francaise, the Constitutional Court of Johannesburg, and Cinemateca Nacional de Venezuela. Awards include the Vermont Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Producer's Guild of America's NOVA Award, and the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces program. His film Where the Rivers Flow North was a named finalist for Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival.
 
Tickets are $45. Members receive $5 off with their discount code. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker St. in Lenox.
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