BARN

SWALLOW

ROTTEN PLACE FOR CURRENCY TO GROWby Cathy Wagner, 2011 Resident Riding Branch Sun and tree elaborateA wild shadow-movie on notebook.When I see you again, how slowly will you, in the, in me? Slow.Fairy catchment. Green severance.Whether you care for me, I'd like to know.And if you irritate me, I still want you To go in love with me.I have not checked the news since left Ohio.Am entire personal and wee.I don't know what's become of news addictionBut in the woods I don'tKnow Sudan highlands massacreFrom tree.Bloody hell."A voice stains the canary birds." A Gesture that Points Also Refracts “I just invented Indo-European.” Texture: consisting of or related to text; the state of being text. Cave-droppings. At the center, a stone-hole soup. Call your mother; call your sister; call your father. Call your friend. Pen logo says OM or WO. “Here is the revisement.” “The unmoney is structured like a language.” “Money is structured like a language.” Give that thought some currency. Across embedded networks swings the thought, a baby clinging to its underside, tight fists in hair. Make a Machine for Mastering Self Nothing but this funnel! and what pours into it. - You want more? - I could wish to partake of others’ experience. - That is why there are books and talk. - Oh want to feel love not just on me but in me. “I assume you’ve heard of me?”—in deep startled voice.

2011: A year to celebrate If each year at the Colony has a theme, a tone, even a word, one strangely perfect bon mot for the jubilant, expansive year that 2011 has been…enthusiasm. What an enthusiastic year!! We had more applications for residency than ever before!! Nearly 1,000 folks applied to spend one month with a cozy bedroom, large private studio and all meals on our gorgeous pastoral campus… We had three terri�c workshops, led by three brilliant teaching artists (Tisa Bryant, Nina Katchadourian and Jonathan Skinner) with record overall attendance… We launched a new program bringing a trained teaching writer from Teachers & Writers Collaborative in New York City to the Germantown Public Schools for a master writing class. Students were thrilled and running up to parents to show them their sonnets… We had the best evaluations of our programs ever… This has been a great groovy glorious year. But these are just statistics. There are people and stories behind each one of them. Celina Su is a non-�ction writer who was in residence in April of this year. She wrote, “I pursued some unexpected projects and directions I might not have seen or articulated without this residency. The absence of diversions and choice alongside all the great meals brought me a gorgeous sense of freedom.” Abeer Hoque is an alum who took part in Nina Katchadourian's Artmaking: Family workshop this July. She wrote, “Nina was fabulous. Of course she's a talented and clever and accomplished artist and writer and, on top of that, as a teacher and workshop leader, she was winning and warm and encouraging and thoughtful. We talked about artistic tribes and creative families, something I haven't thought of before….Nina stands tall as a role model. I feel lucky to have met her.” Brian Dunn, a visual artist who was here in May wrote, “What a fantastic month! This setting - the facilities, grounds , and other residents were truly conducive to working, progressing and growing. I will consistently suggest that my creative peers apply.” With a year like this, we wanted to celebrate. And celebrate we did. We had a number of great happenings at the Colony this year: On July 23, we had an Open House on our lush front meadow. Alumni composer Jon Colpitts curated the music which included the amazing indie rock band Christy & Emily. Emily Skillings Co. danced. We had homemade organic sausages from Fleisher's Grassfed & Organic Meats, hard cider from Hudson Chatham Winery, and a selection of white and red wines from Michael Albin at Hudson Wine Merchants.

It was another hot and sticky July night but we cooled o� with crisp wines, delicious food and…sprinklers. Kids got drenched as the rest of us looked on enviously, dampening our arms or toes. Artists in residence Julia Dault and Heidi Jensen decorated the buildings and grounds transforming our space into a cabaret-style party.

On October 6, Board member and poet Spencer Short curated a spellbinding poetry reading with Cathy Wagner and Timothy Donnelly reading new work at gorgeous Poets House overlooking the Hudson River in Battery Park City. Spencer also curated a selection of the Fall’s most delicious wines, red and white, for a lively wine reception after the reading.

And on November 5, Board member and poet Katy Lederer hosted a pre-holiday bash at her gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone for Millay alums, friends and cohorts. Two �oors of food, wine and good cheer greeted the more than 100 guests who frolicked together at the Prospect Heights gathering.

Aren’t we lucky to have such generous Board members? Yes, we are. And we thank them as often as possible. But never before in a newsletter. Thank you Spencer, Katy and our other lovely Board members. You are one terri�c group!

Now we look forward to our Winter Shaker season, welcoming artists for quiet winter retreats at the Colony when they can hunker down amidst the glistening �elds of snow ice and the clear cold skies for a winter work session. This is always a lovely time of year. All winter long, the only colors one can see on our campus are from art and artists. It’s a nice time to visit, to have a cup of hot cocoa, to see the studios and talk. So please come by. We love visitors.

And otherwise, have a warm and cozy winter everyone. May it be peaceful and productive.

-- Caroline Crumpacker, Executive Director

New Work by Residents

TOP Video shoot at The Millay ColonyKatie Vida, Greenwich, CT

Photo Credit: Adam Baran

BOTTOM Celestial Viewing Val Britton, San Francisco, CA

ABOVEDeath and the MaidenJess McCloskey, New York, NY

BELOWMantraCarl Ferrero, Brooklyn, NY

A Note from the Residency Director

It’s the end of October and through my o�ce window I can see the �rst snow �akes of the season swirling around Chef Donna’s garden. It’s been a truly fabu-lous year here at Millay Colony, with so many gifted writers, artists, and composers having stayed with us and enjoying the magic of colony life.

Looking back on the last several months, there are already many fond memories of time spent w/the ‘ressies’, including the following:

The look of shock on the faces of the April residents as they arrive to a foot of snow still on the ground, that was some spring greeting!

Later that month, Katie Vida created a huge puppet-like sculpture outside, bringing color to the back-ground of bare trees.

In May, composer John Colpitts treated everyone to drum solo mini-concert, much to the delight of Caro-line Crumpacker’s daughter Coco, mesmerized as John blasted away. John later took on the job of coordinating the music for our July open house, ‘Cavorting at the Colony’, and bringing up from NYC the amazing musical duo Christy & Emily. During the June residency, I walked into the Main Building in the mornings to see our crew in a variety of yoga poses. They had their own yoga classes.

That same month, Abeer Hoque, Casey Llwellyn, and the other residents, appeared to be greatly enjoying themselves as they created a collaborative movie. Abeer at the end of the month gave out gorgeous photos she had taken in her travels in India.

As fall came around Martha Oatis cooked up a storm in the kitchen with apples brought in from the local farm,. She made apple butter, apple crisp, apple chutney & apple cake. During her month here, she o�cially graduated with a degree in Chinese medi-cine. Yay, Martha!

Now as the October residents get ready to leave in a few days, Erin Thurlow and Jared Buckmeis-ter just gave a parting gift by �xing a broken desk in one of the writer’s studios, thank you guys! There is still one more residency session & I’m hoping that early snow now on the ground does not portend a big storm for our last group of residents.

Whatever happens though, the adventure will continue here at Millay Colony with all of us in it together!

Calliope Nicholas

Millay Studio in Winter

LEFTPoets Evie Shockley & Cathy WagnerJuly Residents

BELOWTable Art by July ResidentsJulia Dault & Heidi Jensen

ABOVEFestive sunset

RIGHTBoard Member Spencer Short (L)with Advising Artists Council ChairMark Wunderlich (R)