Berkshire Festival of Women Artists: Hannah Fries Poetry Reading

"Noah's Wife":  Women at the Fringes of Faith

A poetry reading by Hannah Fries

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

5:45-8:45 pm

As part of the Berkshire Festival of Women Artists, Hannah Fries will present a poetry reading based on the stories of women characters from the Bible and mythology, from Noah's wife to Pygmalion's girl.  The poems are from the point of view of these characters, who often appear on the periphery of iconic stories, or who play central roles and yet have the little agency of their own; many do not even have names.

Hannah will discuss what drew her to imagine herself into these personas, and how giving voice to these women on the fringes -- and giving them a more gritty human complexity -- can provide refreshing new perspectives and entry points into old narratives.

Hannah Fries is associate editor and poetry editor of Orion magazine.  She grew up in New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College.  She is the recipient of a residency with the Colorado Art Ranch and her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Massachusetts Review, Calyx, The Cortland Review, upstreet, and other journals.  She also serves on the board of The Frost Place—a Robert Frost Museum and poetry center in Franconia, NH.

 February 23rd, Nourishing Your Heart 
         with Ani Grosser

“The Heart at rest sees a feast in everything.”   Hindi proverb

We have a special guest coming to our February potluck~ Rev. Allison Stokes, the founder of our organization, is visiting the Berkshires from Seneca Falls and will update us on  news past and present. This year  Women's Interfaith celebrates its 20th anniversary and we'll keep you updated about special events.

February’s potluck program celebrates the Heart and Love.  Cross-culturally, the Heart is the source of courage, wisdom, and love.  

This evening we will joyously nourish our hearts through song,  poetry, guided imagery, reflections, and a sharing circle.  Ani will share from many years of living and studying the chakra system, cross-cultural healing practices, hatha yoga and Imago relationship therapy.

BIO:  Ani Nadler Grosser, LICSW is co-director, with her husband Bill, of the Center for Compassionate Relationships in Lenox, MA.  Ani and Bill are completing a book about relationships. 

Ani offers counseling to individuals and couples, and facilitates on-going women’s Healing and Empowerment groups.  She teaches Restorative Yoga throughout Berkshire County.    She served on the Board of Women’s Interfaith Institute from 2008 through 2011. 

The Women's Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires is comprised of women of different faiths and diverse backgrounds who practice their religious and spiritual beliefs through dedicated action. The theme for WII's 2011-2012 season is Feeding Body Mind and Soul.    WII's monthly potluck programs serve as a platform for exploring diverse faiths and spiritual traditions and deepening conversation with one another.

When:  5:45-8:45pm
Where:  Chapel of the Church on the Hill, 55 Main St, Lenox, MA

     (The brown building across the street from Nejaime’s)

 Please join us and bring a dish to share

 $5-10 suggested donation (members are free)

 Women's Interfaith Institute,

P.O. Box 443, Lenox, MA 01240. 

for more information contact:

Alison Gaines

Administrative Coordinator,

Women's Interfaith Institute in the Berkshires

(413) 442-3604

January 13, Mindful Eating

Join us for an experience of mindful eating led by Alison Shore Gaines, a nutrition and lifestyle educator who has 25 years’ experience leading personal development workshops. Her approach to experiential learning evolved through training in yoga, holistic nutrition, and Gestalt psychology. www.sacrednourishment.com
 

The evening program will be preceded by our brief annual meeting.

December 13, Celebration of Light

 How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!  - John Muir
 
Though my soul may set in darkess,
It will rise in perfect light,
I have loved the stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night.
- Sarah Williams
 
'There is a light beyond light and dark.'
Deborah Lord

An ongoing tradition at Women's Interfaith is to celebrate the light during one of the darkest months of the year, December. Bring your poems, short stories, songs, prayers, and meditations ~ the things you use to engage your inner light. Facilitated by Susan Jameson and JoAnne Spies.

Rite of Passage

 Take a look at how Youth Alive's Rite of Passage Program has grown!

Youth Alive Rite of Passage program

Shirley Edgerton and Youth Alive dancers presented  the first seed of this program at one of our potluck programs in 2009.
 Women's Interfaith is eager to support this initiative as mentors and in other ways that help this program grow.

    Youth Alive Step, Dance and Drumline

WII Supports the Monterey Meets Ngalla/People to People Project

Monterey Meets Ngalla/ People To People Project

Children from the Ngalla Primary School

CPC (Center for Peace through Culture) has established a Sister City relationship between a small town in the western mountains of Massachusetts and a small African city. Monterey, MA and Ngalla, Cameroon, are working together to strengthen human and financial resources to fight the spread of Malaria and HIV/AIDS. The partnership helps people of both communities to share their history and experiences while promoting greater world prosperity and peace. Here's a report on the joyful opening event in Cameroon.

Harvest Gathering Thursday, November 17

A long-standing tradition of the Women's Interfaith is to gather in the fall of the year to share the blessings of our harvest and to enrich our lives with the power of gratitude.  Please join us as we experience an evening of:   inspiration, connection, ceremony, prayer, and song.

This year we will be focusing on our Spiritual Harvest: gratitude for what has been~what we have received~ what we have learned~ how we have grown~the gifts we have given~ the joy we have known~ the strength we have called upon~ the challenges we have conquered~ the love we are harvesting.

We are living in intense transformational times!  This evening will provide the opportunity to join our hearts and our forces  to call down a Blessing on the Human Family, our Mother Earth and all life. 

Please bring:

   ~ Simple foods that nourish and delight the body

   ~ An object for the gratitude altar that represents the     blessings of your harvest

   ~ A short written paragraph about what you are spiritually harvesting

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Bio:   Satyena Ananda is a holistic educator and spiritual counselor with thirty eight years background and training in designing and implementing programs and experiences for people of all ages.  Her work focuses in the areas of healing, personal transformation, holistic living , ceremony and spiritual direction. 

  

Satyena Ananda is co-founder and director of Starseed, an interfaith healing sanctuary and holistic retreat center in the northern Berkshires.  Her current focus is on: conscious evolution, feminine spirituality and leadership, earth based healing, conscious co-creation,  spiritual community and the creation and stewardship of sacred space.