Bookstock: A Vermont treasure returns with its full festival experience

The Green Mountains around Woodstock, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The written word contains a simplicity and a majesty all its own. Its impact spans the history of the human experience. Writing can inspire, and beyond just that, it can be the catalyst for needed change. 

For all those reasons, books have held a special place in my heart, and I've celebrated their profound influence by enjoying many of them over the course of my life. But this week, the ultimate celebration of the written word returns to Woodstock, in person. That's Bookstock: the Green Mountain Festival of Words.

It was a special experience to write about the first Bookstock, over a decade ago, and it's a great honor to write about it now. Now, as then, something exciting is about to inspire us. For the first time in three years, writers, artists and book-lovers of all ages will gather in Woodstock Village for this special event, running from June 24 to 26. It means the large book sale under the tent will be back, right in the middle of Woodstock's historic Village Green, starting on Friday. And, a great selection of fine vintage books will be available at the nearby Norman Williams Public Library. Around the village at speaker events, authors, poets and artists will share their work with festival-goers, and hearts will be enriched, and minds expanded, from the abundance of ideas imparted.

It's really that act of sharing that makes Bookstock special, unique, and so engaging. That can mean a new idea from the words of an author, or a discussion with friends after learning a new concept, or picking up a new book and finding new inspiration in its pages. For all these reasons, events like Bookstock are vital. This festival celebrates not only Vermont’s rich literary culture — with Robert Frost, Rudyard Kipling, and many other greats calling it home over the decades — but also humanity itself and the rich palate of expression that defines our world, and pushes us to understand it better. 

It goes to the very heart of sharing our deepest thoughts and experiences with each other. It marks our commonalities, the things that bring us together as people. In the era of podcasts and ubiquitous digital content, it is still important to read and celebrate the written word and to interact with its creators. That experience of learning loses something without that personal interaction, that face-to-face connection with no screen in between. So what a treat it will be, to have Bookstock back in person. 

At the end of the day, the literary gem that is Bookstock benefits humanity as a whole. It adds profound meaning to the myriad hues of the human experience. Through our love of the written word, it encourages us to take a moment to open one more door in our busy minds, and to think about ideas in deeper ways. And those ways help us learn, they enrich us, and we grow. What a treasure to share with the world.

— Gareth Henderson

Find the event schedule and full details for Bookstock 2022 at www.bookstockvt.org.

The gift of poetry

The audience listens to a poetry reading in Woodstock, Vermont, on Wednesday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Poetry has its own unique power to inspire, and people gathered to enjoy that inspiration at a socially distanced poetry reading on Wednesday in Woodstock, Vermont. 

That sparkling October day, about 25 people showed up to hear a local poetry group read their work on the steps of the Norman Williams Public Library. The group read from a new collection of their poems, called "Wednesday Poets". It includes the work of Pamela Ahlen, Peggy Brightman, Blair Brooks, Jon Escher, Laura Foley, Debby Franzoni, Jill Herrick-Lee, Brooke Herter James, Wendy Ann Smith and Sarah Dickenson Snyder. 

Like so many groups these days, The Wednesday Poets now meet over Zoom. Their twice-weekly meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays used to be held at the North Chapel Universalist Society in Woodstock Village. Proceeds from the book benefit the North Chapel, as a thank-you for allowing the group to use space in the church. The North Chapel’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley, penned the book's introduction.

A number of the poets mentioned they were pleasantly surprised to see the big crowd at Wednesday's event. For sure, people haven't been able to see this kind of event very much this year. 

"I think a lot of people were excited to get out of their houses and see other people," said poet Laura Foley, who resides in South Pomfret.

Though the group now meets on Zoom, she said the connective impact of poetry still happens.

"You get to know each other on a deep level," Foley said.  

Foley, the author of seven poetry collections, received a starred Kirkus Review for “Why I Never Finished My Dissertation” and has won numerous awards and national recognition. Jill Herrick-Lee’s poetry has appeared in various collections, including The Endicott Review and Zingology. Sarah Dickenson Snyder has three poetry collections; her 2018 work “Notes from a Nomad” was nominated for the Massachusetts Book Awards.

Much of Wednesday’s crowd stayed through the whole reading, gripped by the opportunity to experience some inspired words of poetry. Woodstock resident Judith Taylor loved the event. 

"We needed to be gathered in this kind of grace," Taylor said. "With so many other kinds of gatherings going on all over, this was redemptive, and poetry does that for us."

Debby Franzoni began the evening by reading the words of Blair Brooks, a member of the The Wednesday Poets who passed away last year. Brooks delved into writing poetry after retiring from his job as an internal medicine physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. He was a well-known coach in the Upper Valley and was a mentor and friend to many people.

"His wise, kind spirit remains at the heart and soul of our group," his bio reads in the book. Brooks' own book of poetry, "The Spaces In Between", was published posthumously in 2019. Franzoni read from that poem of the same name, and also from another by Brooks in "Wednesday Poets", called "Marching On". The latter poem reads, in part: 

There are no guarantees. 

Except time — it will march on.

Pay attention.

Don't miss the moments — even the tiny ones.

Each reader on Wednesday shared two poems, to warm applause from the audience. Meg Brazill, who works at the library, tearfully thanked everyone for a lovely, moving evening. She enjoyed seeing the audience gathered in front of the library. 

"I think it's clear they're interested in engaging with other people, and poetry is a great way to do that," Brazill said.  

In Dunkley’s introduction to the new book, "Wednesday Poets", he sums up the power of poetry nicely: "Just as the inner life blossoms and the outer life is thrown to flame, poetry helps us to love this world more deeply, this ever changing world of flowers and fire." 

— Gareth Henderson 

Virtual Bookstock Festival starts Thursday

(Gareth Henderson Photo)

For the first time, Woodstock's annual literary festival will go virtual on Thursday night, kicking off a series of four author appearances this year.

Virtual Bookstock 2020 is one of many "firsts" in the world, as large events navigate life in the pandemic. Alison Hankey, the festival’s coordinator, said a small team took on the effort to "reorganize and rethink" Bookstock’s 12th year. The response to the virtual announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, Hankey said. 

"I think people really are craving cultural connection at this time, and Bookstock is kind of an anchor event for that," she said.    

The Vermont festival is still free, with registration open right up until the last minute. Audiences will be able to take part in online Q&A in real time.

The first author in the 2020 line-up is poet, jazz historian and music reviewer Reuben Jackson, of Washington, D.C., who will take the virtual stage on Thursday at 7 p.m. He will read from his newest book of poetry, "Scattered Clouds," and is well-known to Vermont as the former host of "Friday Night Jazz" on Vermont Public Radio. 

"The programming we've set up, starting with Reuben Jackson, is just highly relevant to the times we're living in," Hankey said. "Three of the authors are African American, and we felt really strongly we wanted to make sure we're amplifying Black voices."

Additionally, the program maintains the event's strong ties to the Green Mountains, as each author has a connection to Vermont. 

"Bookstock is very much a Vermont literary event, and we are trying to highlight that with this programming," Hankey said.       

After Thursday, this series continues in the coming months with cartoonist, game designer, and author Jason Lutes (Hartland, Vermont) reading from and discussing his graphic novel “Berlin”, which has been published in 15 languages; Dr. François S. Clemmons (Middlebury, Vermont), the Grammy Award-winning founder and director of the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and author of “Officer Clemmons”, his memoir titled after the role he created on the PBS television series “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood”; and New York Times reporter and author Nikita Stewart ("Troop 6000: The Girl Scout Troop That Began in a Shelter and Inspired the World"). These appearances are on Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17, respectively. 

Bookstock 2020's core team includes Hankey; program coordinator Pam Ahlen; communications director Meg Brazill, who works for event partner Norman Williams Public Library; and Peter Rousmaniere, Bookstock's head of donor and partner relations. 

As for 2021, Bookstock is planning two events. The traditional book sale on the Woodstock Village Green will be in late July as usual, and the author presentations will be in September. That said, Hankey noted it's unclear whether small venues will be available for those presentations.

"It's very much aspirational at this point," she said. 

Hankey said this fall's program will be a "learning opportunity" for the Bookstock group, just as many groups are having to learn about Zoom to deliver events.     

"We as a committee, as a group, are learning from this, and once we do that, we'll have a better idea of what we can do in years to come," she said. 

Hankey is a content manager for LinkedIn Learning, where she develops online courses for businesses professionals. 

"It's wonderful to bring an iconic festival into the world of technology," she said. "It's a great learning experience."    

Bookstock 2020’s sponsors and partners are Mascoma Bank, The Byrne Foundation and the Norman Williams Public Library, with additional critical support from Pauline Davenport Children’s Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, as well as Vermont Poetry Center.

— Gareth Henderson