GoBennington

Explore Tuscany’s legendary Chianti region with Tuscan tour guide Dario Castagno, as he discusses his new book, A Day in Tuscany. The memoir is set on the very day that Castagno returned to his beloved village of Vagliagli after a three-month U.S. book tour for his first book Too Much Tuscan Sun. As the author reacquaints himself with the rhythms of home, he brings the people and its magical places to life. Castagno charms the rich cast of local characters into telling tales of their lives and times, creating an enchanting mix of memories from life in a place where the everyday is still infused with magic.

Saturday, January 12th at 7 pm, Northshire Books.

Just found out second hand that this is postponed until Feb. It is unlikely I will post a follow up for this event.
What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Club Muse: Hot Jazz on a Cold Winter’s Night
On the second Saturday of every month from January through May, you can find “Club Muse” at the Bennington Museum. Each evening features great themes, signature drinks from the cash bar, music, and dancing, all for only a $5 cover charge. Join us Saturday, January 12 at 8:00 pm for an evening filled with the local band Jazz-X. Bring a date, or a group of friends.

Sponsored by the Bennington County Young Professionals and Pangaea Restaurant and Lounge. “Club Muse” is at the Paul Paresky Museum Court, second floor of the Bennington Museum which is located at 75 Main Street, (Route 9), one mile west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 9 in Bennington. Call 802-447-1571 for upcoming themes.

Start with Art Preschool Program: Food in Art. Get your preschoolers off to a good start…with art. Begin the morning with an exploration in the galleries using a gallery guide specially designed for this age group and attend short “Painting Talks.” Afterward enjoy art-making activities. Best suited for four- to six-year-olds.

January 12, 10:00 am, FREE, The Clark Art Institute, 225 South St, Williamstown. For more info 413-458-2303.

Enjoy samples of delicious après-ski snacks at the Stratton Mountain Base Lodge, as skier-authors Tina Anderson and Sarah Pinneo sign copies of The Ski House Cookbook.Understanding that skiers would rather be on the slopes than toiling in the kitchen, Anderson and Pinneo have come up with 125 hearty, scrumptious recipes that are short on prep and long on flavor. These warming winter meals and snacks are deftly categorized as green dot (beginner), blue squares (intermediate) and black diamond challenges (most advanced). The event is presented by Stratton Mountain and the Northshire Books.

Saturday, January 12, 2 pm at Stratton Mountain.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake, will read from a new book of short stories, “Unaccustomed Earth,” at 8 p.m. in the ’62 Center. Lahiri will also be interviewed on stage by Prof. Ilona Bell, English, and take questions from the audience. A book signing will follow. The event is FREE and open to the public, but tickets are required.

Williams College, January 12 Call the ’62 Center box office at 413-597-2425, Tues.-Sat., 1-5 pm. for reservations.

“A Green and Pleasant Land” film series presents Sense and Sensibility

Ang Lee directs the eminently sensible Emma Thompson in her own adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. Kate Winslet plays her more impetuous sister; Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman are their suitors. From grand estate to country cottage, the film follows Austen in seeing landscape as a moral force.Marvel at the beauty of the British landscape so well represented by Constable, Turner, Gainsborough, and other Manton Collection masterpieces during the “A Green and Pleasant Land: Literature and Landscape in Pastoral Britain” film series.
(1995, 137 min., rated PG)

January 12, 2:00 pm, 225 South St, Williamstown. For more info 413-458-2303.

Please consider joining the first Women’s Retreat Day of 2008 at Pompanuck on Saturday, January 12. Begin by asking yourself what kind of day you really want. Do you want to bring a friend or do you need to be nurtured in solitude? You can design a day that best suits your needs and time frame.

There is a cover charge of $50 per person for the day. This includes the Tai Ji class, lunch and beverages, art class, all-day use of the sauna, the grounds, the art studio and the Round House. In addition to these activities you may schedule a massage, a pedicure, or a facial, or any combination thereof. For those of you who cannot spend the entire day there is a $30 fee for a half day.

Please call ahead, 518-677-5552, to reserve appointment times.

Milne Public Library, “Classics Revived” lecture series features Robert Campanile presenting “Letters From Earth”. Mr. Campanile will be reading from Mark Twain’s satire as part of “A Way With Words” series.

7 pm, FREE. Milne Public Library, 1095 Main Street, Williamstown. Info 413-458-5369.

Strut your stuff in Poultney. The Poultney Theatre Company will hold auditions for their performance of “Richard III” on Saturday at 10 am at the Stonebridge (corner of Route 30 and Main Street) in Poultney. Looking to fill 12 male and four female roles. “Shakespeare” and “Poultney”—has a nice ring to it.

To schedule auditions or for info contact Director Gary Meitrott, 235-2400.