BRATTLEBORO, VT—March 25, 2018—The public is invited to join Peoples, Places, and the History of Words in Brattleboro, Vermont (Brattleboro Words Project) for its third Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at 118 Elliot from 6–7 pm. Did you know that the first US edition of Harry Potter was publishing in Brattleboro in 1997? Or that the Brattleboro area is recognized worldwide as a fine printing and publishing hub? Join book editor Jeff Potter, and writers Arlene Distler, Rolf Parker, Mary Ide, Stephanie Greene, Steve Minkin, Nancy Olson, and others for a discussion on the book and the history the writers will cooperatively tell. Refreshments will be served. This discussion is free and open to the public.
Local non-profit Write Action is working with local writers to produce this publishing anthology in partnership with the Brattleboro Historical Society, Brattleboro Literary Festival, Marlboro College and Brooks Memorial Library as part of the Brattleboro Words Project. The collaboration enabled Write Action to successfully reach its first year funding target to begin work on the book with help from The Thomas Thompson Trust, Crosby-Gannett Fund, Dunham-Mason Fund, Chroma Technology all with a dollar for dollar match from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Fundraising will continue this year, boosted by the dollar for dollar NEH match, to complete the book by its target publication date of late 2019.
The Brattleboro Words Project is a multi-year community research initiative that is working with schools and community members to produce the Brattleboro Words Trail (audio walking, biking, and driving tours of Windham County), a book about Brattleboro’s publishing and printing history, events at the annual Brattleboro Literary Festival and other exhibits all celebrating our area’s rich history of words. The project is the recipient of a three-year, NEH ‘Creating Humanities Communities’ grant which provides a one-to-one federal match for each dollar raised. The Roundtable Discussion Series convenes each second Thursday of the month to share research and stimulate discussion on a different, “words-related” topic in the Brattleboro area. The public is encouraged to share stories and thoughts with our research teams and scholars, and contribute their ideas and love for history and the Brattleboro area to this unique community-wide effort. Visit www.BrattleboroWordsProject.org and www.facebook.com/BrattleboroWords/ for more information.