THE ARTFUL MIND
the ARTFUL MIND
IN PRINT SINCE 1994
IN GOOD COMPANY
Celebrating NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH
Twenty Photographers
Compiled by Bobby Miller
Cover photographs by Bobby Miller: Dietmar Busse
Left to right: Perfidia, Thirsty Burlington, Meg Ly, Gandon and Diesel Lanziero... 12
Elizabeth Cassidy In Other Words | POETRY 33
Shoshana Candee | ESSAY
“How To Drive Your Mother Crazy”...41
Richard Britell | FICTION
Something for Over the Couch PART 27 “The Map from New York” 47
Diaries of Jane Gennaro
Mining My Life EPISODE THREE “Hip Story” .... 48
Publisher Harryet Candee
Copy Editor Elise Francoise
Contributing Photographers
Edward Acker Tasja Keetman Bobby Miller
Contributing Writers
Richard Britell Shoshana Candee Jane Gennaro
Third Eye Jeff Bynack
Distribution Ruby Aver
Advertising / Editorial inquiries and Subscriptions by mail: 413-645-4114
Email: artfulmind@yahoo.com
Read the online issues page to pageGo to ISSUU.COM
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ARTFUL MIND GALLERY for Artful Minds 23
THE ARTFUL MIND PO Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230
FYI— Disclaimer: : ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. All commentaries by writers are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher and take no responsibility for their facts and opinions. All photographs submitted for advertisers are the responsibility for advertiser to grant release permission before running image or photograph. Not responsible for photo content /copyright brought into magazine by other artists promoting other artists in editorial on these pages.
JOANE CORNELL FINE JEWELRY
Four Bodacious Pendants
GHETTA HIRSCH
Hello Artist Friends! Two photos to announce my Senior Painting Class Community projects for the month of May 2025.
This month I choose to advertise what my students are doing. Some of you may know that I teach an Art Class for Seniors at Williamstown Community Center, known as The Harper Center. Fourteen aging but courageous students using various art mediums were invited to exhibit at our local Milne Public Library in Williamstown. The Opening Reception is on May the 8th but the exhibit will be there the whole month of May. Of course you are all invited to admire what our Seniors came up with.
And, as if this project was not enough, our same class is inviting you to their Berkshires ArtWeek project on May 24th. See the flyer below for more information on their Senior Painting Class Art Show from 11-3pm. Children are welcome and we will have drinks and snacks. Come and see what senior citizens can create and encourage them to pursue and enjoy art. Sale proceeds help buy more supplies for their art project.
I will also open my art studio on the 16, 17 and 18 of the month of May with informal oil painting demonstrations. See my ad on in this issue of The Artful Mind. Proceeds go to a Fundraising for Ukraine.
Ghetta Hirsch—
Call or text: 413-597 1716
ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com
@ghettahirschpaintings
www.gallerynorthadams.com
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC
Close Encounters with Music presents “A Tale of Two Salons—Winnaretta Singer and Marcel Proust” Sunday May 18, 4pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA.
The daughter of sewing machine industrialist Isaac Merritt Singer, Winnaretta Singer-Polignac was a force of nature, hosting everyone from Leon Bakst to Jean Cocteau and Jean Giraudoux to Prokofiev, Madame Jean Lanvin, Siegfried Wagner, Arthur Rubinstein, Arnold Schoenberg, and Edith Wharton in her Paris salon. More importantly, she was responsible for developing a new genre: “Great music for a small space by up-and-coming composers” in the words of Sylvia Kahan, her biographer, who will join for the four-hand piano “Bagatelle” by Winnaretta’s husband, Edmond de Polignac. Works either commissioned by her, dedicated to her, or that were performed in her mansion on Rue Henri-Martin, will be featured in this onstage “salon”: Ravel’s Pavane pour un enfant défunte, Stravinsky’s Piano Sonata 1924, the sizzling César Franck Piano Quintet and songs by Fauré, Poulenc and Reynaldo Hahn. Winnaretta also befriended Marcel Proust and his lover Hahn, who reciprocated with an evening at their Paris salon, inspiring a chapter in Swann’s Way. The program is a rich tapestry in search of a certain time, place and fascinating personages.
A tantalizing Berkshire connection to the tale of the Princess is that her father Isaac Merritt Singer’s business partner was Edward Clark, a wealthy lawyer who took charge of the manufacturing end of the business, turning it into a major success. The rest is history as Clark’s grandson Robert Sterling Clark and his wife Francine founded the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown to house their personal art collection, much of it acquired on their trips to France.
Alexander Shtarkman, piano; Sylvia Kahan, piano; William Ferguson, tenor; Xiao-Dong Wang, violin; Grace Park, violin; Helena Baillie, viola; Yehuda Hanani, cello
Close Encounters with Music—
Single Tickets, $55 (Orchestra and Mezzanine), $30 (Balcony) and $15 for students, are available through the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center or by calling 413-528-0100. cewm.org info@cewm.org
PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL
May 24 - 26: Spend your Memorial Day weekend at New England’s premier show of contemporary craft & fine art; featuring handmade home decor, sculpture, fashion, jewelry, and more.
We’ve assembled 220 expertly curated artists + makers from across the country. Check out our special exhibit “Feathers & Fur,” which explores how artists derive inspiration from the Animal Kingdom. Our festivals are known for their diverse and lively atmosphere—offering a weekend of live music, tasty local eats, and a calendar of activities for the whole family to enjoy!
As you walk the show, you’ll often come across an artist weaving a textile, sketching out a concept for commission, or sizing clothing for a client. At Paradise City Arts, not only do you have an opportunity to meet the makers and discuss their work, but there is always a glimpse of the technique and the inspiration behind each piece.
Rest your feet under our 12,000 square foot Festival Dining Tent. Discover a fresh music lineup each day and a variety of dining options from Northampton’s vibrant restaurant & food truck scene.
This holiday weekend Paradise City Arts presents original music, jazz, blues, and rock by three of the region’s favorite bands, from noon – 4pm Saturday and Sunday and 11:30am – 3:30pm Monday. Paradise City Arts Festival— Memorial Day Weekend, Northampton, MA paradisecityarts.com
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Paradise City Arts Festival
Please stop by our Open Studio event 333 Cross Road to Canaan Valley, Southfield, MA 11- 4 pm Instagram - @carynkingart R email - caryn@carynking.com
MARK MELLINGER
75 S. Church Street (room 335) Pittsfield, MA 01201 914-260-7413 markmellinger680@gmail.com | Instagram @mellinger3301
This piece will be in the Spencertown Academy Members’ Show • Chatham. NY • May 23-25
BRUCE LAIRD
Clock Tower Artists
Business Center Studio #307
75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA Instagram- ecurbart
Untitled. Latest Work Acrylic and mixed media 18” x 24” inches
CELEBRATING TWENTY PHOTOGRAPHERS
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY MONTH
COMPILED BY BOBBY MILLER
Jerry Hall
Bobby Miller
“Being a photographer and a lover of photography, it seemed like a great idea to celebrate National Photography Month by featuring some of the photographers that I enjoy. From hard working accomplished photographers, whose work has been shown and published around the world, to young photographers just beginning to make their mark with new fresh perspectives, these are just a small group of the many photographers that inspire and entertain me. I encourage you to investigate the work of this particular group that we are featuring this month.”
More on these artists visit: YUMPU.COM: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/70343504/the-artful-mind-525-special-edition-national-photography-month
Chris Walken
“Spooky”
Alan Mercer
Alan Mercer has been involved with portraits for over 35 years. Starting out as a painter and sketch artist, endorsed by Andy Warhol, he decided to concentrate on celebrity photography in 1997, and launched his website in the hopes that he would be discovered, and it worked.
“I only really enjoy photographing people. I do shoot other things occasionally, but it’s not a deep calling, like capturing people is.”
Shilah
Phillips
“I’m not sure what excites me the most. I guess, just being able to create an extraordinary look or an image for someone who feels ordinary.”
Beni 88
Andreas Engel
Since the 1990’s, Andreas Engel has worked as an artist and creative director in numerous environments with a professional background in fine art serigraphy. http://aengelart.com/
“I typically focus on photographing nature—landscapes, insects, organic textures, and intriguing details—things that evoke a sense of wonder and encourages a second look.”
Benedict Pond
Housatonic
Daisy Noyes
Daisy Noyes is a photographer based between Melbourne Australia, and Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She uses both digital and large format film cameras, and works in the space between photography and performance. Sometimes her images are records of fleeting actions or interventions in the environment; other times they are records of interrupting the print itself. Her current practice explores living in a body, trying to look at time, and layering of all types. She is also into working in collaboration or at cross-purposes with her kids. Daisy studied photography at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and performance at The University of New South Wales in Sydney. She is currently an MFA candidate at Bard’s Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts.
“I started making photos when I was a teenager 30 years ago. My parents were both photographers and had darkrooms in a studio across the street from our house. I started on a 4x5 view camera, and learned how to develop sheet film with my mother. I like to photograph constructed scenes, utilizing all the elements of theater: body, scene, lights, costume, action, gesture.”
“I love images where a person is engaged in an enigmatic action or gesture.”
Shoreham Beach
Burning Bush
Darren Anthony
Darren Anthony is New York based photographer who resides in Brooklyn with his husband Marc Pitzke. His work has been featured in books, magazines, on album covers and has also been commissioned.
“I have a series of photographs that I call Walkabouts. They’re snapshots of everyday life. They usually feature a single person going about their day. Color, light and shadow best describe my style of work. As I said before I’m West Indian, color plays a big part in my culture. The contrast of light and shadow always pull me in.”
Take Out
Greg Gorman
Gorman attended the University of Kansas with a major in photo journalism and completed his studies at the University of Southern California, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinematography. Gorman has been acknowledged for his contribution to the world of photography, from the prestigious Lucie Awards for Portraiture, the Professional Photographers of America where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Portraiture. He has also been critically recognized for his charitable works by such organizations as The Elton John Aids Foundation, The Oscar de La Hoya Foundation and Paws LA to name but a few. Besides traveling the world for specialized photographic projects, Gorman continues to work on compilations of his imagery and exhibits his work in galleries and museums around the globe.
gormanphotography.com
“I love doing nudes, but I really started by doing portraits and that's pretty much what I'm doing today as I love photographing interesting people but people that I find intellectually stimulating or admire but I really don't shoot anything that can't talk back to me.”
“When I first started shooting like most photographers, you know everyone's in search of their style or their voice, and you know I lit everything over the camera. I couldn't afford strobes when I started out so I was shooting with 1K quartz lights in 2K soft boxes.”
Grace Jones
David Hockney
Gun Roze
Gun Roze is a Toronto-born fine art photographer, whose essential photographic knowledge was gained throughout his thirty-five year career as a Master Analog Printer for professional photographers and artists. His expertise brought him work opportunities in Vancouver, San Francisco and New York City. He has received two artist grants and has had eleven solo exhibitions in Toronto during the past nine years. Gun’s daily practice is his street-based photography. He also works on personal projects with various themes and has a great passion for his portraiture sessions. Gun regards the photo shoots with his extraordinary subjects as creative collaborations.
“Photography was magical from my first introduction to it. When all the components come together in one image, such as: content, lighting, composition and a feeling captured- I am excited. It’s achieving these outstanding photos that keeps my passion for photography alive. I also get excited when I have the opportunity to photograph a person who fascinates me. I feel like a child opening a big mysterious gift when I’m about to view the results of a shoot for the first time.”
“I photograph anything or anyone that attracts my attention. I no longer question the subject matter I choose. Often, I feel it chooses me. Though photographing honest portraits remains my greatest challenge and pleasure.”
Dundas St. W Alley,Toronto
Dundas St. W Alley,Toronto
James Smith
A fashion and lifestyle photographer in New York City, James is the go to Photographer/Artist in the transgender community since 2004. The Cincinatti, Ohio born Smith moved to New York City in 1983, working as a model, stylist and later window designer in Soho and Untitled. In 1992, Smith studied fashion and design at the University of Cincinnati. Returning to New York, and after working extensively in fashion and visual arts, Smith switched gears and began pursuing a career in photography in 2004. https://www.jamesmithimage.net/
“I’ve developed a style based on what excited me as a kid. I adored fashion magazines and studied them closely. I loved watching variety shows in the '70s—everything sparkled, and the dresses illuminated. Later, I discovered they used a star filter, so I added that to my signature style. Additionally, clam shell lighting, used by Scavullo, inspired my portrait work. I modified that technique and love backlighting through cutouts in paper to save space, which creates a beautiful backburst using gels, depending on the desired look”
Laverne Cox
Sunsmaller
Joe Oppedisano
Joe Oppedisano grew up in a large Italian family in the suburbs of Albany, NY. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree from F.I.T. and started his work career as a fashion editor for Fairchild Publications. From there he was a sought after fashion stylist working with Vogue, L'Uomo Vogue, and Ricky Martin. He switched careers at 30 when he decided to pick up a camera and start creating images himself, and soon after found himself shooting for clients such as Calvin Klein and Email Lagasse. After just one year of shooting he was approached by Bruno Gmuender to publish his first book. Testosterone was one of the biggest selling erotica photo books that year, and it was followed up by Uncensored and J/O. Joe now lives in upstate New York and is working on self publishing the next chapter in his book series.
“I love to shoot beauty. Any kind of beauty. I like flowers and exotic plants (which I love to shoot and then turn into textile designs), but what I love to shoot most is people.”
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Ck3jamesa
John LeClair
John LeClair has been taking photographs since his late teens. In his 20’s he was an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer. His real passion is for exploring the outdoors especially early mornings and late afternoons always searching for that breathtaking landscape. Recently he was viewing online images of small insects which had incredibly detailed resolutions. This piqued a whole new interest in the world of insect macro photography.
“During the last 18 months I have been creating images of small insects, amphibians and tiny fungi using a process called focus bracketing. The exceptional fine detail achieved is mind altering.”
Brown Bag Wasp
Vermont
Krys Fox
Krys Fox is an American photographer based out of New York City. His work is known for its raw, intense, dream-like, cinematic imagery and a very strong personal aesthetic that renders his work instantly recognizable, regardless of the subject matter. Fox's work has been exhibited in galleries across America and the UK for 25 years.
“People. Animals. Wild People.
I love photographing musicians, fellow queer folk, artists, and people who say they aren't photogenic. I love to show my subject's how beautiful they are in my eyes.”
40 Licks 2024
Minotaur Blues
Lynn Goldsmith
Over the past 50 years Lynn Goldsmith’s photography has appeared on and between the covers of Life, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Traveler, People, Elle, Interview, The New Yorker, and more. lynngoldsmith.com
“If you want to maximize your potential for living a full life, you need to break limiting thought patterns, bust through fear, take risks, and persistently work hard to reach your goals.”
Lynn Goldsmith and Patti Smith
Michael Anthony Alago
Michael Anthony Alago is best known for signing Metallica in the summer of 1984; changing the entire landscape of rock n' roll and heavy metal. In 2005, he left music to pursue his other love: photography. Instagram (@michaelanthonyalago)
“The style of my work is gritty and no-nonsense. Erotically charged and in your face. Never glossy.”
Gauge Chest
Jason S.
Photo by Isauro Cairo
Michael James O’Brien
Michael James O’Brien is a photographer, teacher, curator, poet and activist currently based in Atlanta, GA where he is Chair of Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design/SCAD. O’Brien received the B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon College in 1969 & the B.F.A & M.F.A. from Yale University, where he studied with Walker Evans, in 1972. www.michaeljamesobrien.com
“I wish I could be more prolific. The dry spells are hard to manage. Happily, I teach young photographer’s and curate exhibitions to stay inspired.”
“I would like to photograph everyone.”
“I have been taking photographs with intention since my first year of grad school when I was in the privileged place of studying with Walker Evans.”
Miss Guy
Sam Blueboy
Patrick McMullan
Patrick McMullan is an American photographer, columnist, television personality, publisher, art collector, philanthropist, businessman, and documentarian.
https://www.patrickmcmullan.com/
“Every photographer who ever existed wanted to capture a candid moment. That is the great joy. That is what keeps people coming back to photography, the chance to capture something that resonates, that encapsulates. That is the great excitement and joy of photography.”
John F. Kennedy Jr. Dec 4.1987
Fab 5 Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat Anita Sarko's Voodoo Party At Palladium June 13,1986
Keith Haring Photo Shoot November 21, 1986
Pops Peterson
Pops Peterson is a Berkshire-based artist renowned for his innovative series “Reinventing Rockwell” which reimagines Norman Rockwell’s mid-century illustrations to reflect contemporary social issues and America’s diversity. His work combines photography and digital painting, producing vivid, thought-provoking pieces that challenge societal norms while celebrating inclusivity. popspeterson.com
“Norman Rockwell is my muse as well as spiritual mentor. I made a name for myself in the art world by making new, modern version of his iconic masterpieces, such as The Runaway, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.”
“I love to tell stories with my photos. I love to bring my inner visions to life with models, props and locations, and produce an image that can evoke emotions and spark compelling conversations. There is nothing like watching someone cry when they’re taking in your photo in a gallery or museum, or for them to tell you how the picture changed their mind or even their life.”
St. Joan, 2015, Inspired by "Girl at Mirror", 1954
Sunday Morning (Meaning of Family) Original composition featuring Rev. Brent Damrow, husband, John Geldert, and their son, Jake.
Ric Ide
Ric Ide grew up in West Hartford, Conneticut during the 60’s and 70’s. After graduating from college he was employed as a software writer for hydraulic and pneumatic distributors. By the late 80’s he had settled in Provincetown, leaving the corporate life for one more centered around creativity and beauty. A few accomplishments include his historic restorations and award winning gardens. For the past 35 years photography has been a constant pursuit professionally and personally. His work has ranged from commercial advertising and product photography, to gallery still lifes and landscapes.
“I shoot primarily in natural light and I go for the eyes. When eyes lock, even with a photo, there’s a pause and a thought process begins. For a while I had the opportunity to work on the other side of the lens and that’s when I realized it was the creative freedom of the photographer I wanted. That was about 30 years ago.”
Ric Ide
Rik Ide
Steffen Kaplan
Steffen Kaplan is a former award-winning supervising photo editor and freelance photojournalist at The New York Times. After two decades at the NYT, Steffen reinvented himself and has been a social media and visual consultant and live stream producer for many top organizations, non-profits, and universities -- including AARP, The Pulitzer Prizes, and Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health.
“My true passion has always been wandering and exploring everywhere I visit. I live for street photography. I really enjoy doing impromptu portraits of people everywhere I go and using the unique scenery around me as background.”
On the Job
Swan Light
Tony Pinto
Tony Pinto holds a BA in Fine Art (painting) from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and an MFA in painting and photography from California State University, Los Angeles. Tony is a graphic designer, and a partner in the Vim & Vigor design studio with his wife, Adrienne Grace. He has worked as a designer for more than two decades with clients including Edison, Disney, and Princess Cruises.
“I love to do portraits. Part of that is the interaction I have with whoever I am photographing. Doing portraiture gives me an excuse to get to know people.”
Artist Victor Rodriguez, Brooklyn, 2021
Artist Jessica Brilli, Santa Monica, 2022
Thomas Evans
Thomas Evans, a renowned American photographer, is recognized for his unconventional, gender-fluid style that pushes boundaries for both his subjects and audience. Striking a balance between playfulness and provocation, masculinity and femininity, as well as class and glamour, Evans has made a significant impact. His work has been showcased in various publications, he has directed music videos, led workshops at the University of Connecticut, collaborated with numerous celebrities, and challenged societal norms through initiatives like Femme the Man Additionally, he holds the position of Creative Director at Health Care Advocates International. https://www.thomasevansphotography.com/
“Through my work, I aim to provide a fresh perspective on gender. The spectrum is incredibly vast, so let’s unite its contrasting sides and explore their connections. Long story short my style is gender non-conforming, glamour, raw and brave.”
“As an artist, I delve into the gender spectrum. I have always been fascinated by transformations and the pursuit of authenticity. It seems that many individuals attempt to conform to societal norms, often losing their true selves in the process. Those who dare to break free from the boxes society has placed them in are both courageous and inspiring to me.”
Olivia Monster
Hunter
Carolyn M. Abrams
Visit me at the Becket Arts Center July 25 - August 17
Atmospheric and Inspirational Art www.carolynabrams.com MEMBER GUILD OF BERKSHIRE ARTISTS
It’s a Hard Time to be a Human
It’s a hard time to be a human.
With everything crumbling
Under your feet.
“If onlys” pop up – learned to dance, ran a mile, or performed a Burpee
You might not fall when the world comes knocking at your door.
But say hello to a stranger.
Stand up straight, do a little throat clearing, Look them straight in the eyes
And say, “The world is a better place with you in it.”
It’s a hard time to be a human.
Plant a vegetable garden
In your neighbor’s backyard.
This way you will be fed later on.
Shovel a timid widow’s driveway
When it snows for the umpteenth time.
Tips are not welcomed.
Donate your books so you know someone else
Will go on the same adventures that you took off on.
Comfort a child when they cannot find their parents at the local park.
Tell a car owner longing to make a left-hand turn
That it would be your pleasure and an honor
To let them go first.
It’s a hard time to be a human.
Has the world taken away your courage?
Stand up straight, you know the routine by now
And hold the door for someone.
Put Ten dollars in a tip jar.
You do not need to blow into a paper bag after you do this.
It will come back to you.
Tell someone that their shoelaces are undone.
Bend down and tie them. You can ask them first.
Listen to how people feel. Let them talk.
Nodding your head is a form
Of aerobic exercise for the neck.
Give some time to yourself.
And take care of you.
This way you will be ready.
Because It’s a hard time to be a human.
@2025 elizabeth cassidy
Disrupted Inspiration Oils/cold wax medium
Ruby Aver
Fading FIre Acrylic on canvas, 20” x 24”
rdaver2@gmail.com | Instagram: rdaver2. Housatonic Studio open by appointment: 413-854-7007
FRONT STREET GALLERY
Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday Mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Also available for private critiques. Open to all. Please come paint with us!
Gallery hours: Open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com Front Street, Housatonic, MA
Sally Tiska Rice
BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS ART CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS Studio 302, 3rd floor 75 South Church St, Pittsfield, MA (413)-446-8469
www.sallytiskarice.com sallytiskarice@gmail.com
So, what does the word “tenderhearted” mean to you? I asked two smart and clever five-year-old twin sisters what it meant to them. Islay: “It’s when you have a tender in your heart.” Emerson: “Chicken Tenders.” I could have waited until they were in college, but I love their innocence and their honesty. And now I am hungry for some chicken tenders.
artist, illustrator, writer, poet, peace lover elizabeth cassidy studio works elizabethcassidystudioworks.com
Kate Knapp, Grey Day Autumn Pond Block Island, Oil on canvas, 24”x 30”
JOANE CORNELL FINE JEWELRY
The ability to create without boundaries is the most satisfying experience.
Imagine. No limits. Free sailing.
Working in my studio, creating, is as close to a religious experience that I can come to.
I work from my heart, not my sensibilities necessarily, when creating new designs.
The majority of the time I’m not catering to the expectations of others, nor the madness of the media.
Not wondering who will or will not like my designs.
I work in the reverse.
Creations that resonate so strongly with me, and hoping, considering I do have a retail store, that they also resonate with the public.
I’m not mainstream. I cater to a small audience. Women who understand sophistication. It’s practically poetic justice when a purchase is made.
More satisfaction is experienced from creating designs that I’ve been commissioned to build, and seeing the joy on the customers face.
Working with the public is also very fulfilling. It’s a great form of socialization.
So many wonderful people have relocated to upstate New York and it’s generally satisfying to be able to share experiences while they review my designs
Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry— 917-971-4662
Spring schedule: Thurs, Fri, and Sat. 11-4. Summer and fall schedule to be determined. 9 Main St. Chatham, New York.
www.JoaneCornellFineJewelry.com Instagram: Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry
RAVEN, 10”H X 9”W, STONEware
BELOW: FOREST FROG, 13”H X 14”W, STONEWARE
CARYN KING OPEN STUDIO
SOUTHFIELD,
MA
MAY 17 - 18 • 11AM-4PM
My sculptures are inspired by animals, stoneware clay, and the rich textures found in nature. As with my paintings and collages, I create work that tells a personal narrative while inviting viewers to interpret and connect with the pieces in their own way. Each sculpture is an exploration of balance; embedding my presence while leaving space for the viewer’s imagination and interpretation.
Please stop by our Open Studio event, located at 333 Cross Road to Canaan Valley, Southfield, Massachusetts on May 17 and May 18 from 11am to 4pm.
My studio partner and I will be showcasing both completed sculptures and works in progress. Visitors will find ceramic sculptures at various stages of creation, as well as paintings and art prints mounted on ready-to-hang wooden blocks. We look forward to welcoming you to our studio and garden filled with creativity and art.
Caryn King— https://www.instagram.com/carynkingart/
BRUCE PANOCK
I am a visual artist using photography as the platform to begin a journey of exploration. My journey began in earnest almost 14 years ago when I retired due to health issues and began devoting myself to the informal study of art, artists and particularly photography. Before retiring I had begun studying photography as a hobby. After my retirement, the effort took on a greater intensity.
My world had changed for reasons outside of my control and I looked for something different in my work. I wanted to do more than document what was around me. I wanted to create something that the viewers might join with me and experience. Due to my health issues, I found myself confined with my activities generally restricted. For the first time I began looking inward, to the world that I experienced, though not always through physical interaction. It is a world where I spend more time trying to understand what I previously took for granted and did not think about enough. The ideas ranged from pleasure and beauty to pain and loss; from isolation to abandonment; to walking past what is uncomfortable to see. During this period of isolation, I began thinking about what is isolation, how it can transition to abandonment and then into being forgotten. The simplest display of this idea is abandoned buildings. They were once beautiful, then allowed to run down and abandoned, soon to be forgotten. After a while they disappear. Either mankind knocks down these forgotten once beautiful structures, or remediates them, or Nature reclaims the space. Doesn’t mankind do the same with its own?
My work employs references to other photographers, painters, as well as sculptors. The brushwork of Chinese and Japanese artists is appealing for both its simplicity and beauty. Abstract art has its own ways of sharing ideas which are jarring and beautiful at the same time. Black and white and color works each add their own dynamic. My work is influenced by these art forms, often using many of them in a single composited image.
Bruce Panock— Panockphotography.com bruce@panockphotography.com Instagram @brucepanock
SILVER AND GOLD DIAMOND CUFF WITH EARRINGS
SHADOWS AND LINES
TOP:
JANE GENNARO
This is not a painting. Each element was cut out of unique paper, including vintage pantone, and my own hand painted or drawn on paper. Each element is shaped by hand with small scissors and adhered to the background paper.
The original has sold. It can be purchased as a vibrant artisanal print in a variety of sizes at shop.janegennaro.com
Jane Gennaro is an artist, writer, and performer based in New York City. Jane’s work has been widely exhibited, performed, and broadcast. She has been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and NPR among others. Her illustrated column, “Mining My Life” appears monthly in The Artful Mind magazine. Jane’s art studio is in Claverack, NY.
Jane Gennaro — www.janegennaro.com
RUBY AVER STREET ZEN
Growing up on the Southside of Chicago in the 60s was a history rich and troubled time. As a youth, playing in the streets demanded grit.
Teaching Tai chi for the last 30 years requires a Zen state of mind. My paintings come from this quiet place that exhibit the rich grit of my youth . Movement, shape and color dominate, spontaneously combining raw as well as delicate impulses.
My recent series, Strike a Pose, is inspired by the dance genre Voguing. Colorful feminine images with amplified characters grace the canvas with their mystery.
Ruby Aver — Housatonic Studio open by appointment: 413-854-7007 / rdaver2@gmail.com Instagram: rdaver2
JWS
WE’VE MOVED!
Welcome to JWS Art Supplies at our new location, 291 Main St in Great Barrington. We're excited to offer a wide variety of art supplies and craft materials for artists of all ages and skill levels. Whether you're a parent looking for fun projects for kids or a professional artist seeking high-quality materials, we have something for everyone.
Our knowledgeable staff is here to assist you with whatever project you're working on. Don't hesitate to ask for recommendations or guidance—we're dedicated to helping you find exactly what you need to bring your creative vision to life.
Visit us and explore our extensive selection of art supplies!
JWS Art Supplies — 413-644-9838 - 291 Main St, Great Barrington, MA. info@jwsartsupplies.com
TAXI, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 16” X 20”
REM TRAVEL, SCISSOR DRAWING, 9” X 12”
BRUCE LAIRD
I am an abstract artist whose two- and three-dimensional works in mixed media reveal a fascination with geometry, color and juxtapositions. For me it is all about the work which provides surprising results, both playful and thought provoking.
From BCC to UMASS and later to Vermont College to earn my MFA Degree. I have taken many workshops through Art New England, at Bennington College, Hamilton College and an experimental workshop on cyanotypes recently at MCLA. Two international workshops in France and Italy also.I am pleased to have a studio space with an exciting group of artists at the Clocktower Building in Pittsfield.
Bruce Laird — Studio #307, Clock Tower Business Center, 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA Instagram: @ecurbart
FRONT ST. GALLERY
Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors, abstract and representational, landscapes, still lifes and portraits, a unique variety of painting technique and styles you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before join us and experience something different.
Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome. Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. Kate Knapp — 413-528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell) Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. www.kateknappartist.com
DON LONGO
“My recent paintings have been based on how I see the world. I wanted this painting to show the successful joining of different groups of people together to represent harmony and integration. Blue and orange are complementary colors and even though they are opposite colors on the color wheel, when combined they create a harmonious picture.”
RICK NELSON
Making friends the hard way. I get angry. I get frustrated. Am I blocking myself in or keeping you out. It’s making friends the hard way. Time is the enemy. I’m sure of that. It produces anxiety. Time is running out. How much time is left? What lies ahead? There has never been a time in my life where I have felt such despair. And I pulled some true blunders in my aging process, I still cringe at the thought. I can’t comprehend the state of my home. Brink of civil war and yet life goes on. In my current state there is little I can do, but watch. I get angry. I get frustrated.
Richard Nelson — nojrevned@hotmail.com
ACRYLIC ON ARCHES PAPER, 24” X 30”
KATE KNAPP, SNAKE HOLE PATH TO THE SEA BLOCK ISLAND, OIL ON CANVAS, 20” X24”
How To Drive Your Mother Crazy
Essay by Shoshana Candee
Parenting is a career all on its own. Kids are a handful; they are messy and, at times, destructive. Being a parent is challenging, especially when there is more than one kid, and it is triple the trouble with three! As a single parent of three young kids, ages 10, 5, and 1, it is certainly not always a walk in the park. Despite all the wonderful and beautiful moments that come with parenting, like being blessed to watch my children bud into their own unique and beautiful flowers, it feels like the challenges of parenthood grow bigger as they grow older. The messes become messier, the needs are needier, the noises get louder, saying something once turns into repeating myself 10 times, and breathing confidently through my nose becomes increasingly harder as the kettle starts to steam inside me. Suddenly, I find myself locked in the bathroom, wanting to scream at the top of my lungs in frustration. Parenting is not always ice cream and sprinkles or sunny beach days; sometimes, it is wishing nothing more than to hide under a rock and never come out or to fly to the other side of the world on a permanent vacation. Driving mom crazy seems to come naturally for kids, but at the end of the day, kids will be kids, and pushing every last button we have is what they do best.
Not listening is at the top of my button-pushing list. The saying, “a mother knows best,” rings very true since a mother only wants to prevent her child from making the same mistakes she did, or she simply knows it’s not a good idea. Puddles—having a one and five-year-old avoid walking—or, I should say, jumping—through a puddle with shoes is almost impossible. Kids are attracted to puddles like a cat is to a mouse; those little feet will find a way into that puddle.
“Do not walk through that puddle because your shoes and feet will get soaked.”
The sparkle of delight twinkles in their eyes as they march on through that two-inch-deep cold puddle, and afterwards, after the two-second bit of fun, comes the whining.
“My feet are wet!”
“I told you!” I say, as I roll my eyes in a now we have to stop our mission to change your shoes kind of look.
How about opening toys in the car, only to later find the toy and all the wrapping forgotten on the floor after telling them to “wait until we get home to open it." Well, that was a waste of money. And what about eating in the car? The only way to have a somewhat peaceful car ride is to provide snacks. But sometimes I wonder if they actually eat or just enjoy crumbling up the food and watching as it gracefully falls to the car floor. Oh, and don’t forget that the car floor is considered a garbage can and I, the garbage man.
Discovering a pile of coats thrown on the floor and shoes scattered around really revs my engine, especially after saying, “When you get inside, make sure to hang up your coat and put your shoes neatly by the door.” Finding stinky, dirty socks all over my home is a common occurrence. I usually find them wedged between the couch cushions or sporadically tossed on the floor, but occasionally, I discover them carelessly placed on the kitchen table or the counter. This is almost as irritating as finding little turds floating in the toilet.
Taking kids to the grocery store feels like gearing up for battle. I have the “NO’s” ready to fly off my tongue like bullets the moment they start asking for everything they see. Forget about taking them to Marshall's or Walmart—the toy aisle is my enemy. Then there’s the jumping out of the cart and racing around the store like a playground. “Boy, do you have your hands full,” I hear at least four times during a single grocery trip. That’s when I wish I could hide under a rock.
Standing in the checkout line is the worst. Little one-year-old hands reach for candy, gum, or really anything within arm's reach, and when I finally manage to pry it from their grip, that is when the wailing begins and tears start streaming down. Everyone in line stares at me, and I can’t tell if they’re judging my child for acting out or me for taking the candy, and that’s when the thought of hiding under a rock becomes incredibly tempting. Enjoying a meal at a restaurant is impossible. Having any meal, whether at home or out, is out of the question for me. Spilling drinks, throwing food, bickering, not sitting still, getting out of their seats, and running around— the worst part is the feeling that everyone is staring at us like we are a wild group of monkeys. Honestly, I do feel like my kids are wild monkeys sometimes. Once, my daughter pulled the fire alarm at a Mexican restaurant we ate at. Impatiently waiting for the rest of us to leave, she pulled the red handle, most likely not fully aware of the consequences, but very quickly realized the mistake she had made. Humiliated, we rushed out the door, trying to avoid the glaring eyes of other customers as the fire alarm blared. That was an unforgettable trip out.
Ever notice that kids get EXTRA loud when someone is on a phone call? There is nothing more frustrating than trying to have a conversation on the phone and being interrupted by bickering, yelling, and/or abnormally loud laughing; it’s like they do it on purpose.
Listening to my children bicker back and forth drives me insane. They quarrel over absolutely anything and everything, from how one incorrectly sang a song by two words to who has the better-colored socks. If they are randomly getting along, then I start to worry. I will usually find them getting into something they aren’t supposed to, like my makeup, drawing on the walls, or dunking their Barbie dolls in the toilet, pretending it’s a pool.
When there is bickering, there’s a high chance that tattle-tailing is right around the corner, they simply go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. “Mommy, Sissy poked me!” “Mommy, Sissy looked at me!” “Mommy, Sissy pulled my hair!” This continues most of the day, and eventually, I have to activate my selective hearing ability.
No matter how much I clean my home, it’s always messy. I call them the little undoers because they just un-do everything I do, like walking minitornadoes that follow my every cleaning move. Clean floors? Yeah, right. After I mop or vacuum, the next minute, there’s crushed Goldfish or milk everywhere. I tidy up the toys and put them away, and in the next second, they’re right back where they were. There are smudgy, dirty fingerprints all over my walls and windows because no matter how often I tell them not to touch the white walls or windows, that’s where their little peanut butteror sauce-covered hands seem to love going. Their rooms? I’m not even going to get into that horror show.
But in the end, somehow, magically, and harmoniously, at the end of the day, no matter how crazy my kids make me feel, when I lay my exhausted, overstimulated head down on my pillow, I can’t help but feel blessed and grateful. Even if I had to hide in my bathroom and imagine sipping a margarita on a beach on the other side of the continent because my nerves were at their wit’s end, or, I refereed bickering kids for the majority of the day, wiped away tantrum tears and changed wet shoes and socks, always, at the end of the day a sense of accomplishment washes over me. Raising kids is not an easy task, but anything in life that is worthwhile isn’t easy. The intentional button pushing, annoyance, frustration, and yes- the public embarrassment, ultimately, in the end, the love outweighs the chaos.
—SHOSHANA CANDEE 2025 — ENGLISH 101-02
PROFESSOR GRACE VON MORITZ
"Momma Death" Acrylic on canvas, 24"×36" 2025
DURING THE STORM, MID PANEL FROM SNOWSTORM, ALFORD VILLAGE, TRIPTYCK
STEPHAN MARC KLEIN
I have been sketching and making art for all my adult life, since my undergraduate education as an architect in the late 1950’s. What interests me most at present about creating art, besides the shear visceral pleasure of making things, of putting pencil or pen or brush or all of them to paper, and of manipulating images on the computer, is the aesthetic tension or energy generated in the metaphoric spaces between the abstract and the representational, between individual work and reproduction, and between analog and digital processes. I enjoy creating images that result from working back and forth between the computer and the handmade.
My wife, artist Anna Oliver, and I have made our home in the Berkshires for the past three years and I am still entranced with its beauty. I think much of my work is in part a kind of visual rhapsody to the area. The idea for Snowstorm, Alford Village, came from an interest I have had in exploring the dimension of time in the plastic arts.
Also, I love snowy winters.
Stephan Marc Klein — stephanmarcklein.com smk8378@gmail.com
Member 510 Warren Street Gallery, Hudson, NY
JANET COOPER
THE ART OF FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF ARTIST I AM
Fabrics, anatomy, stitches, colors and bricologue are words, imbued with intense emotionality for me, a maker, collector and lover of objects and places.
My first love was clay, so basic, earthy and obsessively compelling, I adored making pottery shapes and objects, resembling torsos. A period of fascination with vintage tin cans, bottle caps and junky metal discards followed. Metal was sheared, punched, riveted and assembled into figurative shapes. I began to use fabrics with these works and eventually abandoned metal for hand stitching doll sculptures, totems and collages, all with second hand or recycled fabrics. Lately I have introduced paint and waxes into my work. I also am using animal bones, those armatures of mammal form. I am recycling old works into the new, a kind of synthesis of who I have been with whom I am now.
I am also returning to jewelry or ornament making. as well as fashioning a collection of garden and street wear art aprons.
Janet Cooper — janetcoop@gmail.com www.janetcooperdesigns.com
SALLY TISKA RICE BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS
Born and raised in the captivating Berkshires, Sally Tiska Rice possesses artistic prowess that breathes life into her canvases. As a versatile multimedia artist, Sally seamlessly employs a tapestry of techniques, working in acrylics, watercolors, oil paints, pastels, collages containing botanicals, and mixed media elements. Her creative spirit draws inspiration from the idyllic surroundings of her rural hometown, where she resides with her husband, Mark, and cherished pets.
Sally's artistic process is a dance of spontaneity and intention. With each brush stroke, she composes artwork that reflects her unique perspective. Beyond her creations, Sally also welcomes commissioned projects, turning heartfelt visions into tangible realities. Whether it's capturing the essence of individuals, beloved pets, cherished homes, or sacred churches, she pours her soul into each personalized masterpiece.
Sally's talent has garnered recognition both nationally and internationally. Her career includes a remarkable 25-year tenure at Crane Co., where she lent her hand-painted finesse to crafting exquisite stationery. Sally is a member of the Clock Tower Artists of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Guild of Berkshire Artists, the Berkshire Art Association, and the Becket Arts Center. Follow on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Sally’s work is on the gallery walls of the Clock Tower, Open Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 pm for self-guided tours.
SallyTiskaRice@gmail.com www.sallytiskarice.com https://www.facebook.com/artistsallytiskarice Fine Art Prints (Pixels), Twitter, LinkedIn Instagram, YouTube, TikTok
I saw the angel and carved until I set him free. —Michelangelo
CIRCLE OF SERENITY
JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO
Jaye Alison Moscariello harnesses water-based mediums like acrylic and watercolor, influenced by a creative upbringing and artistic journey. Through abstraction and intuitive color selection, she captures the interplay between forms with lines that articulate deep-seated emotions. Her art resonates with joy and upliftment, transforming personal and worldly complexities into visual harmony.
The artist is passionate about creating art, painting on flat, smooth surfaces, and using environmentally friendly materials.
Moscariello's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has appeared in print, film, television, the web, and Off Off Broadway.
Transforming personal and worldly complexities into visual harmony. In celebration of Jaye's new studio, enjoy 10% off large paintings and 30% off small paintings.
Jaye Alison Moscariello — 310-970-4517
Studio visits by appointment only: Pond Shed (behind the Buggy Whip Factory), 208 Norfolk Road, Southfield, Massachusetts jayealison.com jaye.alison.art@gmail.com
FLEUR LIBRE - DEBORAH H. CARTER REPRESENTED BY THE WIT GALLERY CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS, PITTSFIELD, MA
DEBORAH H. CARTER
Deborah H. Carter is a multi-media artist from Lenox, MA, who creates upcycled, sustainable wearable art. Her couture pieces are constructed from post-consumer waste such as food packaging, wine corks, cardboard, books, wire, plastic, and other discarded items and thrifted wares. She manipulates her materials' color, shape, and texture to compel us to question our assumptions of beauty and worth and ultimately reconsider our habits and attitudes about waste and consumerism.
Since she was 8, Deborah has been a sewing enthusiast, and she learned her craft by creating clothing with her mother and grandmothers. Her passion took hold as she began to design and sew apparel and accessories. After graduating with a degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design in New York City, she worked as a women's sportswear designer on Seventh Avenue.
Deborah's art has been exhibited in galleries and art spaces around the US. She was one of 30 designers selected to showcase her work at the FS2020 Fashion Show annually at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland. She has been featured in the Spring 2023 What Women Create magazine.
Deborah H. Carter has been featured in The Artful Mind, Berkshire magazine, and What Women Create magazine and was a finalist in the World of WearableArt competition in Wellington, New Zealand, 2023.
Deborah H Carter — 413-441-3220, Clock Tower Artists 75 S. Church St., Studio 315, 3rd floor Pittsfield, Massachusetts Instagram: @deborah_h_carter Debhcarter@yahoo.com
LESLEE CARSEWELL
My artwork, be it photography, painting, or collage, embraces a very simple notion: how best to break up space to achieve more serendipity and greater intuition on the page. Though simple in theory, this is not so easy to achieve. I work to make use of both positive and negative space to create interest, lyricism, elegance, and ambiguity. Each element informs the whole. This whole, with luck, is filled with an air of intrigue.
Breaking up space, to me, has a direct correlation to music. Rhythm, texture, points of emphasis, and silence all play their parts. Music that inspires me includes solo piano work by Debussy, Ravel, Mompou, and, of course, Schubert and Beethoven.
Working with limited and unadorned materials, I enhance the initial compositions with color, subtle but emphatic line work, and texture. For me, painting abstractly removes restraints. The simplicity of lines and the subsequent forming of shapes is quite liberating.
Lastly, I want my work to feel crafted, the artist's hand in every endeavor.
Leslee Carsewell—
Prints available, please inquire. 413-229-0155 / 413-854-5757 lcarsewellart@icloud.com www.lcarsewellart.com
PATAGONIA, ACRYLIC, LATEX, GRAPHITE ON CRESCENT BOARD, 40”X 30”
BETWEEN THE LINES 2023, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 36.5” X 31.5”
Something For Over The Couch PART 27
“The Map of New York”
It was the first warm day in March. The air was filled with strange expectation, and as soon as I was out of the house I felt an intense desire to go somewhere, anywhere, if only it could be far away. Along the edge of the street those perennial slabs of dirty ice still clung to the curbs, and you could, with great satisfaction, snap them off with your shoe, as if crushing the last remaining evidence of winter into tiny fragments. Every year without exception one could find those ice shelves holding on to the curbs of the city streets, ready and willing to be crushed, a child’s welcome to spring.
It was Saturday morning, the day for my weekly trip to the Italian cafe for an Espresso and an eclair. I had a special important project I was working on, a homemade map of Manhattan. It was just the uptown portion of the east side, and I had marked all the galleries and museums I planned to go to. A homemade map of these places was hardly necessary, since any guide book would provide the same information, but it was simply my own way of coming to grips with such a daunting and frightening project, my first trip away from home, by myself. I had figured out the distances between the various important locations, and how long I thought it might take to get from one to another.
Hannah had given me a list. You remember Hannah I hope, although I have not mentioned her recently. She had been my high school art teacher, and my mentor. She knew everything there was to know about New York City, and I had her list of places, some underlined once, some twice, some with stars, and some with exclamation points.
My map was completed but I kept going over it, because I really wanted to memorize it. It was my way of dealing with my terror of New York and what I imagined were its terrible dangers.
When I arrived at the cafe things were strangely different. The old couple who ran the place had been away for a few weeks, they had gone to the old country on a buying trip. The girls were running the place with no supervision, and so inside there was a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, as if a hundred years of strict religious and cultural repression had disappeared overnight.
But the most unusual thing was this! There were three new tables with sets of chairs that had been placed outside under an awning. Perhaps this was an annual thing, I didn’t know, but after a distracted and preoccupied Claudia waited on me, I went outside and sat down at a little red cast iron table, took a sip of espresso, bit into my pastry, and set to work studying my map, and considered if I might, all on my own, add some destination to the map not suggested by my teacher.
Then several extraordinary and extremely strange things began to happen all at once. The first of these strange things was Claudia herself, who came out from the cafe and stood looking off down the street as if waiting for a taxi. She was clearly impatient and anxious about something, and so she didn’t notice me sitting there a few feet from her, taking the opportunity to admire her profile. When the ride I thought she may have been expecting did not appear she took a few steps back and bumped into a chair, it was the other chair of the table I happened to be sitting at. I thought to myself, “what if she goes and sits down?”
She was oblivious to my existence as I sat there, but then if you have been reading my account of my hopeless infatuation with her, you know already that I really did not think she even knew I existed, even though she
had waited on me for several months in the cafe. Finally she sat down with her back to me, and I had no idea what I should say or do. She was just inches from me, and I thought if I did anything it would frighten her, and if I did nothing it would be… it would be what? I ask you, would it have been inappropriate to say nothing? Is that what you think?
I would have been happy to just sit there looking at her face in profile for the entire day. You simply cannot imagine how much more interesting her neck and cheek was to me at that moment, than my homemade map of New York that was trembling in my fingers. But then she turned in her chair just slightly and her knee came in contact with my knee under the table.
The instant her knee touched mine I pulled away from her so suddenly and violently that I nearly overturned the little table we were sitting at and managed to spill coffee all over my map. As she realized that she was sitting practically on top of me she leaped up just like when a woman sees a rat or a snake. She didn’t scream or anything like that, but even before she was all the way out of her chair, I could see in her face that she understood how rude her reaction was. After all, I was there first, she was intruding into my own private personal space, it was I that should have been… But I am sure you can understand, she could see that she had insulted me, hurt my feelings, perhaps she even understood that I liked her.
But our little encounter had ended, she said ,”sorry,” in a perfunctory way, and then went back into the cafe. I was in no mood to leave, and so I just sat there for a long time looking at my coffee stained map, and then Carlo, Claudia’s boyfriend, pulled into the parking space right in front of the cafe. He parked his car like a person who is unbelievably angry, like when someone parallel parks in six seconds and with a lot of tire screeching noises. He didn’t slam his car door however, and he approached the door of the cafe with slow measured steps just as a man does who knows it’s essential to control his anger.
The screaming and yelling did not start all at once when he got inside. There were a few minutes of mock civility, followed by sarcastic civility, and then finally the real yelling started.
I had no idea what they were arguing about but I assumed that Carlo and Claudia were breaking up. I did not know for certain that he was the boyfriend, but it was the most likely explanation. I was overjoyed with this situation, and the louder and more intense it became the happier I was. Since I was outside, I had no idea what was being said, I couldn’t even tell if it was an argument in English, But it was definitely an “Italian,” argument. I had been witness to many Italian arguments when I was younger and traveling around collecting insurance payments with my father. Actually, it seemed to me that for Italian couples loud arguments were their preferred method of conversation.
It was a classical argument, with standard elements. For example, at one point Carlo appealed to Claudia’s sisters for support for his point of view. Carlo, apparently thought that his view of the situation was so correct and so obvious that anyone would have been able to agree with his notion of how wrong Claudia was.
Isn’t that how it is in one of those extreme and bitter arguments. Men especially, can be dumbfounded that their views are not universally accepted. In extreme cases a person will even resort to the appeal to strangers, for confirmation, so right do they think they are. But the sisters were no help to him, on the contrary. In Claudia’s voice could sometimes be heard, sorrow and regret, and even sympathy, but not when the sisters joined in. Claudia fell silent and her sisters began yelling at Carlo in unison, and then poor Carlo had one of the most devastating experiences it is possible for a man to have, the sudden realization that he was hated by those he always had assumed liked him.
The end came suddenly and unexpectedly. The “Unforgivable,” thing was said. I don’t know what the “un-
forgetable,” thing was, but Carlo said it and it was followed by total and complete silence.
Even so, Carlo did not realize that the argument was over. One could hear his plaintive voice which seemed to be pleading for the argument to continue. He said something, then something else, then a categorical summing up of his position but each statement was met with silence.
He issued an ultimatum, then an elaboration of the significance of his ultimatum. The ultimatums also were received with silence.
Finally the door of the cafe opened with a scraping sound, and poor Carlo came out onto the sidewalk. He stood there looking down at his feet, or rather his shoes, and he happened to notice that one of his shoes was untied. He stooped just slightly and began to bend over to tie it, but suddenly changed his mind. Carlo’s situation was so awful that he could not even see any reason to tie his shoes. For a moment I felt truly sorry for him, and even as he walked to his car, you could see just from his back, how distraught and crushed he was.
Some time after the argument ended Claudia came out onto the sidewalk and walked up to me and asked me if there was anything else I wanted.
I could see she was just trying to be polite. It was those few seconds just before a waitress begins to take away your cup, plate and silverware. Noticing my map of New York she asked me what it was and so I explained to her, as she stood there, how I was going to New York, and this was a map of the places I was going to see.
Then she said, “Will you go to the Empire State Building, will you see the Statue of Liberty?”
How was I going to answer the question, which was the beginning of our first conversation?
Claudia asked me if I was going to go and see the Empire State Building when I went to New York City, but it wasn’t really a question, and before I could even answer her she took my plate and cup from the table and headed to the door, apparently not expecting me to answer her question.
I was hurt by this offhand treatment, and I suppose that is the explanation I gave myself for the impertinent thing I said to her as she opened the door to go into the cafe. “So, did you break up with your boyfriend?” I asked her.
Before I tell you about her reaction to my question, I have to say that to ask her such a personal question was entirely out of character for me and something I would not ever do, but something I would find deeply offensive if someone else did it. It was the behavior of a supercilious, rude and insensitive person, and all I can say in my defence was that it was an indication of the effect Claudia had on me, to knock me out of my usual character.
She stood at the cafe door, but she didn't open it. She came back to my table and stood in front of me and said bluntly, “Carlo is not my boyfriend.” Then, after a silence she said, “Why would you think that?”
She certainly expected an answer to her question and it even seemed important to her. When I said nothing she set my cup and plate back on the table and sat down across from me with her arms folder, and looked at me with angry expectation.
What a dilemma.
Claudia sat across from me, outside, at the small cafe table and with her arms folded, waited for an answer to her question. She wanted me to explain how it was possible that I would assume that Carlo was her boyfriend. Actually, she seemed to be so extremely offended by my remark about Carlo that suddenly I understood that there was something obviously stupid about the assumption. But how was I going to answer her question?
—RICHARD BRITELL, APRIL 2025 PARTS 1 THROUGH 26 SPAZIFINEART COM/SHORT-STORIES/
