A poetry reading with Sinking Spring resident and internationally known poet John Yamrus will be held at Firefly Bookstore, 271 West Main St., Kutztown 7 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 4.
Introducing his newest work of poetry, “Present Tense,” Yamrus will read a variety of his many published works, most of which will be for sale. Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments and drinks will be provided. BYOB is available for those age 21 and older. Content may not be kid friendly. His books are available at Firefly Bookstore in Kutztown and at https://www.fireflybookstore.com/john-yamrus/.
“Present Tense,” a new volume of poems, is his 40th book.
The prolific Yamrus, who has seen the publication of more than 3,500 of his poems over the course of his five-decade long career, has had his work taught in a number of colleges and universities.
The son of a Pennsylvania coal miner has also recently released a new memoir called “The Street,” which he describes as “a sepia-toned look back at the people, places and things which made up my world in those early days”. The book is set in Pennsylvania in the late 1950s.
“Present Tense,” the new book of poems, is laced with the snarky and irreverent humor that have become a trademark of his over the course of his long writing career.
In recent years, Yamrus has become known as the master of minimalism and the neo-noir in modern poetry, and with the publication of his books in translation, his work is gaining international attention, most recently being featured in both English and Spanish in the highly regarded literary magazine Masticadores.
“Present Tense,” “The Street” and many of his other books are available on Amazon or can be ordered by your local bookseller.
Music
Contemporary piano artist Dan Kennedy will lead a workshop as well as play an evening piano concert on Nov. 10 at Bern Reformed United Church of Christ, 3196 Bernville Road, Bern Township.
The partnering local organization is the Turtle Moon Native American Flute Circle.
Entitled “Flutes, Nature & Creativity,” the workshop will last from 3-5 p.m. This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to see how Native American flute and piano music can work in harmony. The workshop will be directed by Kennedy, a Spotify and Pandora composer-pianist with 25 years of performance experience.
At 6:30 p.m., Kennedy will kick off a concert of solo piano music, engaging the audience and showcasing music from his new album “Transcend and Land” (Mt. Pollux Music, 2024).
“My music invites deeper listening, deeper conversation,” Kennedy said.
Arrive 15 minutes early for a pre-concert of Native American flute heartsong by members of Turtle Moon NAFC.
A freewill offering will be collected to help defray costs.
Kennedy is an award-winning composer, pianist and recording artist from Western Massachusetts whose music has been lauded for its style and feeling.
Having played concerts in 21 states, he has worked with Samirah Evans, Will Ackerman, Charles Neville, T-Bone Wolk, Joe Bongiorno, Steve Holley, David Rose and Glen Velez.
Classically trained at the Oberlin and New England Conservatories, Kennedy is the recipient of a 2022 Native American Music Award (with Ancient Voices), a 2022 Global Music Award and the 2019 Enlightened Piano Radio Album of the Year.
The Turtle Moon Native American Flute Circle, Reading-Berks, is a group of Native American flute enthusiasts who meet monthly to listen, play and learn.
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Berks County singer/songwriter Peter Errich, who was inducted into the Berks County Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month, recently released a new single called “Out of Orbit” on all digital platforms.
The song was co-written with Owen Asztalos, is a Berks County native actor who co-starred in the 2020 film adaptation of the book “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was written by Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. The film was directed by Ron Howard.
Prior to his solo career, Errich was the singer, guitar player and primary songwriter for the band Shame, which enjoyed regional success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He has performed on television shows such as NBC10’s “Live at 10!”, Comcast’s “Your Morning” and “One on One with Steve Adubato,” and he has opened for artists such as Vertical Horizon, Beth Hart, and The Badlees.
Errich has released five solo albums/EPs and collaborated and recorded with noted producers/engineers such as Shelly Yakus (U2, Tom Petty), Jim Tullio (The Los Lonely Boys, Mavis Staples) and Henry Hirsch (Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Gnecco).
Films
Celebrate the Haydenfilms 5.0 Online Film Festival by attending an in-person event in Reading on Oct 25-27.
Attendees will be immersed in the world of film and connected with like-minded creatives during the three days of short and feature film screenings, inspiring panel discussions, workshops, product demos, VIP red-carpet receptions, after parties, music and a closing reception where one filmmaker will be awarded a $25,000 grand prize for Best Short Film.
The educational sessions will touch on many aspects of the film industry, including topics such as Funding Your Film; Entertainment Law; Screenwriting; Film Distribution; Acting with Kevin Craig West; Casting; and a cinematography and camera equipment demo by Kyle Rudolph.
“We’re thrilled to have a well-known and respected cinematographer such as Kyle Rudolph joining us for a workshop and product demo,” said Hayden Craddolph, founder of the Haydenfilms 5.0 Online Film Festival. “Sessions such as Kyle’s will elevate the weekend’s celebration and attract many folks from out-of-town.”
In addition to the $25,000 prize for Best Short Film, a $10,000 prize will also be awarded to the winner of Best Feature Film. The feature films were narrowed down to four, which will be screened at the R/C Reading Movies 11 and Imax theater on Oct. 26. On-site viewers will participate in choosing the winner by rating the films.
“Several of the films we will be screening over the weekend are local,” said festival manager Elaine Thode. “One of the benefits of an online film festival is that submissions come from all over the world and we’re proud to be celebrating so many local films.”
Some other highlights of the festival weekend include the VIP opening reception on Oct. 25 with food provided by Los Arrieros, adult beverages provided by Sly Fox Brewing & Deerfoot Vineyards and music by featured artist Jake Joyce. Sunday evening’s awards celebration will also include drinks by Sly Fox & Deerfoot, food provided by B2 Bistro + Bar and entertainment by recording artist Jay Lapp.
Throughout the weekend, filmmakers will be stopping by to participate in panel discussions and Q&A’s.
Additional details and the weekend lineup are available at the Film Freeway ticketing link, https://filmfreeway.com/Haydenfilms/tickets, or at haydenfilmsinstitute.org. Tickets, including student rates, are available for purchase by the day.
Source: Berkshire mont