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Paul Hawken on ‘Carbon’ at AMP
Author Paul Hawken speaks with American Mural Project founder
Ellen Griesedieck about his latest book, “Carbon: The Book of Life.”
On Saturday, May 31, the American Mural Project in Winsted, Connecticut hosted renowned environmentalist and best-selling author Paul Hawken for a free talk and book signing centered around his latest release, “Carbon: The Book of Life.” AMP founder, Ellen Griesedieck moderated the discussion, which drew a crowd of environmentally conscious attendees from across the region.
“We have made carbon the culprit,” Hawken said. Though, with his newest book, Hawken hopes readers “fall in love with who we are, where we are, and how much we are intricately, beautifully, exquisitely interconnected with the living world, as opposed to seeing it as something that you have to fix.”
Hawken, a pioneering voice in the global climate conversation, is widely known for his influential works “Drawdown” and “Regeneration.” In “Carbon,” he offers a poetic and profound exploration of the elemental force that binds all life on Earth. Moving beyond the typical doom-and-gloom framing of climate issues, Hawken reframes carbon not as an enemy but as the central thread of existence — present in every living being, tree, breath, and story. The book thus proposes a renewed relationship with our natural world.
Brian Gersten
During his talk, Hawken emphasized that climate solutions must be rooted not in fear, but in reverence and wonder. Hawken did not shy away from discussing our current environmental predicament with the audience in attendance. “The climate movement has failed,” he said. “It really has failed because [it] ignores the innate qualities of human beings and children that want to reimagine who they are, where they are, and how they create more life on Earth.” According to Hawken, “regeneration is the only path forward for the Earth.”
The American Mural Project, home to the largest indoor collaborative artwork in the world, provided a fitting venue for an event focused on collective action and environmental imagination. Find Hawken’s book at Oblongbooks.com.
Spotlight Gala
A company of 15 local youth and teens joined the Spotlight Gala at the Sharon Playhouse for ensemble numbers to honor Emily Soell, Board President. Right, Landry Champlin returned to the Sharon Playhouse to perform at the Spotlight Gala.
The Sharon Playhouse kicked off its 2025 season on Saturday, May 31 at the annual Spotlight Gala. Said Carl Andress, the Playhouse’s Artistic Director, “The 2025 Sharon Playhouse Spotlight Gala honoring Emily Soell, Board President, was a tremendous success with a full and enthusiastic audience. The evening’s festivities featured stunning performances, raised vital funds to support our nonprofit theater, and celebrated our beloved Emily in unforgettable style. We are deeply grateful to everyone who came out to support the Playhouse and made this night so memorable!”
Front row, from left: John DeDonato, Leahy Galvin, Lola Moerschell, Sara Huber, Tess Marks, Daniela Brennan, Ellie Wolgemuth, Ishaan Tantri, Abigail Perotti.Second row, from left: Danny Lesch, Jassim Mohydin, Junxin Zhang, Harper Howe, Manny Matsudaira, Owen Schnept, and Jonas Johnson.
FALLS VILLAGE — The Housatonic Valley Regional High School Academic Bowl Team recently finished seventh place in the nation in a field of approximately 300 schools in the Spring 30-20-10 tournament hosted by the Long Island Quiz Bowl Alliance.
In the 30-20-10 Tournament, teams compete to answer questions in a wide variety of categories, from traditional academic subjects like math and history while also including questions about sports and pop culture. The Fall and Spring 30-20-10 events are the largest quiz bowl tournaments in the country.
The Housatonic team, now in its 30th season, consists of seniors Daniela Brennan, Leahy Galvin, Harper Howe, Sara Huber, Katelin Lopes, Tess Marks, Manny Matsudaira, Lola Moerschell, Jassim Mohydin, Ellie Wolgemuth, and Junxin Zhang; juniors Silas Tripp and Shanaya Duprey; sophomores John DeDonato, Sydney Howe, Jonas Johnson, Danny Lesch, and Ishaan Tantri; and freshmen Kip Galvin, Katherine Money, Abigail Perotti, Karmela Quinion, Bridger Rinehart, and Owen Schnepf.
Nate MacFarland works on a bicycle May 31.
SALISBURY — If you needed your bicycle tuned up or a wobbly chair leg secured, Library Street on Salisbury was the place to be Saturday, May 31.
In the Congregational Church hall, there were stations for book mending, clothes mending, jewelry repair, small furniture repair, and small electric appliance repair.
And bullhorn repair. This counted as a small electrical appliance, and the church pastor, John Nelson, peered intently at the device, trying to come up with a solution.
The Fix-It event, a co-production of the Congregational Church and the Scoville Memorial Library, was supposed to be happening on the library lawn.
But it was raining off and on, and hard when it did.
So the fixer-uppers prudently moved operations inside.
The weather didn’t bother Nate MacFarland of Berkshire Bike and Board in Great Barrington.
He was under a couple of tents on the library lawn offering what he called “simple fixes” for bicyclists.
As he chatted to a reporter, he examined and then adjusted a bicycle seat which had come unmoored.
“That should do it,” he said to the bike’s owner.