Thursday, October 23:
4 pm. Word.Art opening at Cynthia Winings Gallery.
The art show opens on Thursday, October 23, at the Cynthia Winings Gallery, with a reading a 6 pm. by poets Arisa White and Annaliese Jakimides. In addition to Jakimides, visual artists include Kristie Billings, Marechal Brown, Katy Helman, Stu Kestenbaum and Susan Webster, Cynthia McGuire, Jan Owen, Elaine Sexton, and Sandy Wiseman. The gallery will be open 2-4 p.m. every day of the Word Festival of Blue Hill, October 23-26. www.wordfestival.org.
Friday, October 24:
7 p.m. Paul Doiron and Elizabeth Hand in conversation.
Maine crime fiction novelists Paul Doiron and Elizabeth Hand will join in conversation at the Blue Hill Congregational Church. Doiron is famed for his series featuring Maine game warden Mike Bowditch, and Hand’s 19 award-winning novels include the psychological thrillers about photographer Cass Neary. The two will discuss the challenges and rewards of writing Maine-set crime fiction. www.wordfestival.org.
Saturday, October 25:
7 p.m. Colin Woodard “Nations Apart,” in conversation with Alicia Anstead.
Celebrated journalist and historian Colin Woodard, best known for books examining how American’s historically distinct regional cultures shape its politics, introduces his latest book “Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America” on Saturday, October 25, at the Blue Hill Congregational Church. He will be in conversation with fellow journalist Alicia Anstead.
Word, the Blue Hill literary arts festival (Oct. 23-26), continues with writing workshops in memoir, poetry, “How to Scare Your Reader,” email newsletter and blog writing, arresting first pages, and song-writing. A panel composed of Michelle Lewis, Audrey Gidman & Cynthia Thayer discuss “Writing Rural.” Children’s program featuring Phuc Tran’s “Cranky Makes a Friend.” Poetry crawl with John Reinhart, Annaliese Jakimides, Ed Go, Christian Barter, Melissa Christine goodrum. Registration required for workshops, chowder supper. All other events are free and open to the public. www.wordfestival.org.
Sunday, October 26:
4 p.m. Film. “Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light” with Roxana Robinson.
Word, the Blue Hill literary arts festival, concludes the weekend at the Bay School Emlen Hall with a screening of “Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light,” a new, live-action documentary featuring interviews with Roxana Robinson, whose definitive biography of the artist has been reissued in expanded form. Robinson will be present to offer insights into O’Keeffe and the documentary after the screening.
Also: a word game party with Andrew Innes, creator of “Anomia,” 1 p.m. at Blue Hill Congregational church. Registration required for workshops; other events free and open to the public. www.wordfestival.org.