Lenox Library Announces Distinguished Lecture Series

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LENOX, Mass. — The Lenox Library is pleased to announce the 18th season of its Distinguished Lecture Series, organized and hosted by Dr. Jeremy Yudkin.

The first lecture of the 2024-2025 season will take place on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. and feature Dr. Michael Hannahan and a discussion of the upcoming election. This event will take place in the main reading room of the Library, located at 18 Main Street, Lenox.

Michael Hannahan, PhD, is on the faculty of the Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is Director of the Donahue Institute, which works to advance equity and social justice, foster healthy communities, and promote opportunities. He has managed over 50 exchange programs in dozens of countries, including Croatia, Russia, Chile, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Bulgaria. Dr. Hannahan has given talks in Pakistan, Iraq, Indonesia, and Argentina. He has worked for political parties and managed campaigns and political consulting firms. He teaches courses on American Government, American Political Thought, and Campaign Finance and Reform. He speaks at the Distinguished Lecture Series every four years ahead of the Presidential Election.

Dr. Hannahan received his master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his bachelor's degree from Miami University.

The Lenox Library's Distinguished Lecture Series will continue as follows:

  • Oct. 20, 2024: Paul Catanzaro, Co-Director of the Family Forest Research Center
  • Nov. 14, 2024: Smitty Pignatelli, State Representative and Lenox Interim Town Manager
  • Jan. 26, 2025: Tom Bernard, President and CEO of the Berkshire United Way
  • Feb. 23, 2025: Jerald Walker, Writer and Professor of Creative Writing at Emerson College
  • March 23, 2025: James Hatt, Attorney and Member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom
  • April 27, 2025: Francisca Oyogoa, Assistant Professor in Sociology and African American Studies at Bard College at Simon's Rock

All lectures will take place at 4:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public.


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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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