DUMMERSTON — An exhibit featuring more than 30 authors with a connection to Dummerston will recognize the town as “a special place with residents of exceptional talent,” says organizer Gail Sorenson.
The Dummerston Historical Society invites the community to its “Authors of Dummerston” exhibit, which will showcase the works of published authors (dead or alive) who have a connection to the town.
The authors in the exhibit - see sidebar for a full list - either wrote their books while living in town, or who now live in town but had their books published while living elsewhere.
The range of book topics covers animal tracking, stonewall building, Italy, chess tournaments, journalism, photography, energy, animal tracking, mental health recovery tools, shared housing, international education and development, children's fiction, Vermont history, life experiences, humor, gardening, horseback riding, meditation, sustainable agriculture, and more.
Sorenson, who serves as the organization's secretary, says the project was her idea and “totally supported by the Historical Society board.”
When the idea was discussed at a board meeting with her fellow board members, president Cindy Wilcox, vice-president Charles Fish, and treasurer Jody Normandeau, “no one had any idea of the number of published authors present in Dummerston or the wide variety of subjects they covered,” Sorensen says.
Once the word went out to the community and to known authors, the list grew, Sorenson says.
“Some of the authors are very well known and prolific; others have written a solitary work. Yet they have all researched their subjects and have felt compelled to go through the many steps of having their book published so that their expertise and interests could be shared with others,” Sorenson says.
One of her favorite discoveries was Wendy Veevers-Carter, whose works include a biography of her father, Clarence Day, an early and longtime contributor to The New Yorker and author of Life with Father, which was adapted into a Broadway musical.
Sorenson says that the writers' exhibit is an example of an effort to make the concept of local history more vibrant and engaging.
“We've made a conscious attempt to not only share 'history' in the traditional sense, but also recognize that we are making history as we live our daily lives,” she says. “Twenty-five, 50, 100 years from now, when future generations look back, the activities of today will be part of our history.”
Sorenson similarly organized the Historical Society's “Dummerston's Own” art exhibit, which showcased works by town residents in 2007 and “which turned out wonderfully,” she says.
“We again had a wide variety of media represented, and residents involved who might not have been involved in other ways,” she says.
She adds that the Historical Society plans to reprise the artists' exhibit, most likely in 2013, this time opening it to works from Dummerston artists who are no longer living.
“We are always looking for opportunities to share the talents of Dummerston residents, and ways to encourage those who are perhaps not interested in traditional history to visit the Historical Society and become involved,” she notes.