VERGENNES — Bixby Library will initiate a reading series, starting Tuesday, Dec. 1, to highlight the work that writers have done as participants at writing workshops that met at the library. The success of workshop participants at the library inspired workshop leader Jay Dubberly and Adult Services Librarian Muir Haman to share some of their creations with the surrounding communities. Dubberly and Haman hope to share with the public a glimpse behind the scenes of the creative process and a taste of the incredible talent that may be unacknowledged in any or all of our small Vermont communities.
The series will focus on four writers from workshops that took place in the last year. Their work — two play scripts, one television pilot script, and one film script — will be read by a mix of actors and writers. Starting Dec. 1, these four projects will be presented at evening reading events in the Bixby Library’s Community Room. Each event will be open to the public and begin at 6 p.m., when the author will be introduced. The introduction will be followed by a reading of the complete text, and a facilitated discussion.
The schedule of reading events will be as follows:
Dec. 1: A. Jay Dubberly’s “North Weare,” a television pilot. “North Weare,” affectionately referred to as “No. Weare,” is an eight-part miniseries for television. The story follows “Sheriff” Earl B. Warren as he keeps the peace in his humble town, a peace soon disturbed by the arrival of two mysterious figures, one tall, one small. Imagine the world of “Twin Peaks” as seen through the eyes of the Coen Brothers but in a story rife with red herrings and dead ends a la Raymond Chandler’s “The Big Sleep.”
Dec. 15: Mary Beth McNulty’s “Fixed Point,” a play. “Fixed Point” tells the story of a prodigal son home from war and his stepmother left to care for him. This dramatic two-person play takes place on a single morning in their Vermont cabin when Peg discovers William’s intention to die.
Jan. 12: Cliff Adams’s “Vermont Love Story,” a film script. The story follows a young prep school teacher from southern New Hampshire who moves to Vermont and falls in love — with both the state and a girl. It quickly becomes more than a romance, when our young lovers are hiking near Mount Abraham and discover three men in suits lifting a stretcher onto a helicopter.
March 1: Carolinne “Nina” Griffin’s “Oona,” a play. In the spring of 1942, Oona O’Neill is named New York City’s debutante of the year. Instead of attending a prestigious college as expected, she goes to California with the hopes of becoming an actress and reconnecting with her estranged father, celebrated playwright Eugene O’Neill.
An important part of the reading series will be an open-mic style “Poetry Night.” Any poets are welcome to bring material to read, and poets who have participated in the library’s workshops will also read selections of their work. This evening of poetry will be Feb. 16. More information about this event will be forthcoming.
The readings will be free of charge and open to the public. Short biographies of the writers whose work will be highlighted will be available on the Bixby’s programming website (bixbylibrary.org/adult-programs/). Refreshments will be provided. Questions (including any interest in joining one of the library’s writing workshops) should be directed to Muir Haman, the Bixby’s Adult Services librarian, 802-877-2211, ext. 208, or [email protected].