- Adam Orth, Inner Landscapes foreword
- Bill Newman, WHMP
Order your copy below
Meet the honest-to-goodness people who inhabit Inner Landscapes with local yet universal stories that matter for our times. It’s a brand new collection of true tales of extraordinary people gleaned from more than 40 years of enterprise feature writing in Western Massachusetts.
These affirming, down-to-earth stories of farmers, of thoughtful, hardscrabble women and men, of refugees from towns now under water, of people whose lives have been altered by dementia and newfound passions, were first told in the pages of The Recorder, the daily newspaper serving the most rural, most economically challenged region of Massachusetts — a place where honest traditions endure and the scale of life helps keep focus on what truly matters.
“I’ve really loved your book although I haven’t quite finished. I’m savoring it. It is so compelling and I love reading a bit of it at a time. I am so impressed with how you found people, certainly outside of my experience, that enlarged my understanding. People I might never have noticed. Survivors. You’ve written with sincerity, acceptance and humanity.” -c.l.
"I love your book! Your voice and the stories you tell are wonderful. Your writing is so compelling that even if I didn’t know the people and places - I would feel like I was there at that farm, there listening to that poem and there - singing with Pete Seeger." - b.p.
With stunning photography by Paul Franz, Inner Landscapes shows a beneath-the-surface glimpse of life off the beaten path. It's an intimate and engaging look at an unspoiled, fascinating slice of uncommon people who care for the land and each other.
Jones Library Author Series interview on Facebook (10/22/20)
Interview (25 mins.) on Bill Newman Show - WHMP (5/26/20) begins at 21:32
Interview with Monte Belmonte on WRSI (6/16/20)
Interview (5 mins.) with New England Public Radio's Carrie Healy (5/26/20)
"A Reporter's Retrospective" Recorder Life & Times feature (6/13/20)
"A Reporter's Perspective" Daily Hampshire Gazette feature (7/14/20)
'Connecting Point' interview on public television WGBY/NEPM (7/20/20)
A reading about the late Lois Barnes and and her brother, Elwyn 'Bun' Doubleday, from "Inner Landscapes"
A reading featuring "Words as Wings" : The Tanka Poetry of Carol Purington
It is with regret that we announce the passing of Carol Anne Purington ('Words As Wings').
May her memory be a blessing.
Colrain, Mass. - Carol Anne Purington of Colrain passed away on December 8, 2020 at home with family by her side after a period of declining health. She was 71 years old. Carol was born on November 16, 1949, in the house on Woodslawn Farm in Colrain, Massachusetts where she lived for almost...
Published in The Greenfield Recorder on Dec. 10, 2020
A reading from "The Creative Landscape," a three-part exploration of creativity in the book. Courtesy of Local Arts Valley Arts (LAVA)
My 40-plus years of writing and editing for newspapers has shown me the critical importance of community journalism. It informs us, provides community cohesion and inspires us. At a time when small newspapers face severe distress and need our support, I'm proud to donate a share of my initial proceeds from Inner Landscapes to The Recorder's COVID-19 Local Coverage Fund. -- RD
Interview (25 mins.) on Bill Newman Show - WHMP (5/26/20) begins 21:32 in:
https://soundcloud.com/whmp/the-bill-newman-show-may-26th-2020
Interview (5 mins.) with New England Public Radio's Carrie Healy (5/26/20): https://www.nepr.net/post/reporter-pens-tribute-local-journalism-rooted-franklin-county-massachusetts