Bookish Goodness at the Catskill Interpretive Center
Poetry Barn's table at the Catskill Interpretive Center Book Fair
The Second Annual Catskill Interpretive Center Book Fair, a working collaboration between the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Writers in the Mountains and Poetry Barn, was a wonderful convergence of literature and nature. Though the wind played a few tricks on exhibitors while setting up their tables, the weather gods, overall, were kind to us, delivering clear blue skies, plenty of sun, and mild temperatures.
An exhibitors’ tent featured books from such regional publishers as Black Dome Press, McPherson & Co., Bushwhack Books, Calling All Poets, Hope Farm Press, Post Traumatic Press, Purple Mountain Press and WoodstockArts—twenty-four booksellers in all!
The number of presenters for the Fair increased from forty last year to more than seventy this year. Writers in the Mountains and Poetry Barn authors read from their works from 11:30-1:00 in Venue B at the fair. Poetry Barn's slate of readers included Simona David, Tina Barry, Soraya Shalforoosh, Ana Silva, Ryan Clinesmith, Marcia Loughran, and Doug Anderson.
The afternoon concluded with a wonderful panel titled “Songwriting in the Catskills,” featuring 2014 Blues Hall of Fame inductee and “folk blues legend” Elly Wininger, songwriter Dave Kearney of Pine Hill, Thunder Ridge fiddler and solo performance artist Dorraine Scofield, and naturalist/musician James Krueger—a fitting coda to a day-long deep immersion in the region’s book and cultural lore.
Along with the book fair the well-appointed Catskill Interpretive Center was open to help visitors plan their next hike, water adventure or tour of the Catskills.
