Voices Across Lakes
- D.E. Bentley
One of the first buildings I noticed when I moved to the Little Lakes region a decade or so ago was the old brick schoolhouse in downtown Hemlock, NY. Since then, I’ve witnessed the incredible transformation of the former Hemlock School as it has morphed into Little Lakes Community Center (LLCC)—spearheaded by founders Mary Ann and Bob Thompson and catapulted forward by a slew of dedicated volunteers. Their dedication is inspiring!
When I saw that Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA) was offering Aid to Localities “Imagine Community” grants, I approached LLCC, encouraging them to consider applying for literary arts-focused community funding. That conversation, and GVCA’s subsequent acceptance of LLCC’s grant proposal, became the seed for Voices Across Lakes, an initiative to expand literary arts across the Little Lakes through outreach, education, and collaboration. Since being notified of the grants’ acceptance, Little Lakes Community Center’s many, many volunteers have been busy planning a slew of exciting events readily accessible to all—planning that has kept all involved in perpetual motion.
Voices Across Lakes is in full swing and includes a community-wide read of Beep, by Bill Roorbach. Thanks to the generous support of area libraries and bookstores, and Algonquin Press, Beep is now available across the Little Lakes. Bill Roorbach is the author of ten books, including the Montana Award-winning Lucky Turtle, The Girl of the Lake, the Kirkus Prize finalist The Remedy for Love, the bestselling Life Among Giants, and the Flannery O’Connor Award–winning collection Big Bend. Roorbach has received fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His craft book, Writing Life Stories, has been in print for over twenty-five years. His writing has appeared in Harper’s, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, The New York Times Book Review, Ploughshares, Granta, Ecotone, New York magazine, The American Scholar, and other publications. Bill has a deep love and deep roots in New York State. He is a graduate of Ithaca College and Columbia University and played in bands around the Finger Lakes during his memorable college years. He now lives in Maine with his family. LLCC will host a reading by Roorbach on April 6th—and one of our area’s newest bookstores, Bleak House Books in Honeoye Falls, will be on hand with copies of Beep and other environmental-themed titles.
Providing opportunities for area youth is part of the Centers’ commitment to local community. In 2023 I had the opportunity to contribute to the Center’s youth activities through a grant-funded “Puppets Alive” club for Livingston County 4-Hers (a program that LLCC continues to support). They also host a youth robotics and a Girl Scout club, as well as businesses that serve youth.
The Center is expanding their youth outreach with an upcoming grant-funded Young Readers’ Book Festival, on March 29, from 10AM – 4 PM. The festival features books and activities to celebrate and support YA and children’s book authors and illustrators from around NYS while inspiring young readers. This event provides an opportunity for authors to share their love of reading with the public through book sales (with 100% of proceeds retained by the authors) and public presentations. Readings and literary activities will take place throughout the day and all presentations are free for attendees. Presentations for the youngest readers (with more in the works!) include: an interactive singing activity and reading of Fantastically Me by Sharmilla Fassbender; a seed packet activity related to The Sorry Seed by Tina Shepardson; a reading and drawing activity related to The Ravens Came by Joanne Russo; an interactive read aloud of My peaceful Place by Natalie Nordlund—with an accompanying mindfulness activity about coping with emotions; and an art activity based on the book Meatball Man Head Detective: Case of the Missing Pepper Shaker by Sandra Whiting. Young Adult author Mary Drake will be reading from her books Where the Path Leads and The Chocolate Meteor and author David Smith will be reading from his new middle grade horror novel, Locker 200— with an interactive writing activity to help young writers create memorable characters.
In celebration of the historical roots and continuing youth education initiatives at LLCC, muralist Sonni Olbert will be painting a literacy-focused mural in the hallway of the former school building, with an “unveiling” on March 29, at the Young Readers’ Book Festival. Recent work by Olbert includes a series of mood-brightening murals in downtown Dansville (part of the Inspiration Trail) and a new interactive community mural at the Geneseo Interfaith Center.
Educational seminars, and workshops for area authors include Taking the Mystery out of Self-Publishing, on March 1, 10-11:30 AM. This seminar, offered by Mary Drake, is free and open to the public on a first come, first served walk in basis.
Registrations are still open for There and Back Again: Techniques of Travel Writing, a grant-supported 8 session Zoom workshop being offered for $75. (the grant-supported cost and online format make this course accessible to authors with limited incomes and busy weekday schedules). As shared by instructor Tina Crossgrove, this “3 month course will explore all the ways to embody the essence of a place through captivating narrative storytelling.” The workshop will culminate in an (optional to participants) live reading of completed work at LLCC.
Voices Across Lakes also includes a continuing series of author readings at the Little Lakes Community Center. Local author George Guida, will be reading from his historical fiction novel, The Uniform, and sharing a slideshow on some of the history behind the novel on March 2, beginning at 2 PM. George Guida is the author of ten books, including the novels The Uniform (Guernica Editions, 2024) and Posts from Suburbia (Encircle Publications, 2022); and The Pope Stories and Other Tales of Troubled Times (Bordighera Press, 2012), as well as the poetry collections Zen of Pop (Long Sky Media, 2020), New York and Other Lovers (Encircle Publications, 2020), and Pugilistic (WordTech Editions, 2015). He curates the Finger Lakes Arts Series in Dansville, New York and teaches writing and literature at New York City College of Technology. I have personally heard George read on numerous occasions and look forward to this upcoming opportunity to hear him read from and discuss his relevant and captivating new novel.
On April 30th from 4-6 PM, Bonnie Thies & Robin L. Flanigan will give an inspirational presentation and reading from their book, Climbing Out: An Adventure in Life After Loss. As the title implies, the book is “an adventure in rediscovering life after loss . . . A two time cancer survivor climbs Mt Kilimanjaro to cope with the sudden death of her husband.” Bonnie, in addition to being a fellow writer, is also a local resident, someone –like so many people in our communities—that I have connected with since moving here a decade ago.
Another opportunity to celebrate writers (and art) will take place on July 13, from 1-3 PM as Little Lakes Community Center hosts Canadice Press for a celebration and reading by the selected contributors to These Wilds, the press’ second literary journal. Canadice Press, a small local press started in 2017, published a regional print magazine through 2022 and their first literary journal, Turning Points, in 2021. These Wilds will feature the voices of ten or more New York State writers and a guest artist.
Since first meeting the founders of Little Lakes Community Center, soon after moving to the Little Lakes region from Ithaca, NY, I have seen the Center grow in offerings and community outreach. Voices Across Lakes is just one more step in that progression. Thanks to this grant funded initiative and the commitment to humanities that has grown out of the foundation of this former brick school building—and the people dedicated to its’ revitalization as a center for community learning, more voices can be heard, and will continue to be heard.
You can learn more about upcoming (and future) literary events—and a host of other activities and businesses at this brick schoolhouse turned community gathering place—by visiting them in person at 4705 South Main Street, Hemlock, NY 14466 or online at littlelakesny.org.
D.E. Bentley believes that an object in motion stays in motion. She loves learning new ways of creating and has, most recently, been experimenting with the design, carving, fabrication, and animation of human and animal figures using locally sourced wood and other materials from the land. She lives, creates, and frolics in the Finger Lakes region of NYS. When not creating, she can be found scrambling up hillsides or quietly conversing with her honey bees.