Manhattan Plaza

With his first collection of poetry, Manhattan Plaza, James B. Nicola joins the ranks of poets Frank O’Hara and Stanley Kunitz and humorist Robert Benchley as a New York author originally from Worcester, Massachusetts. James has been widely published in periodicals including The Atlanta Review, Tar River, Texas Review, Lyric, Nimrod, and Blue Unicorn stateside, and overseas in journals as exotic as The Istanbul Review and Poetry Salzburg. He also won the Dana Literary Award, a People’s Choice award (from Storyteller) and a Willow Review award; was nominated twice for a Pushcart Prize and once for a Rhysling Award; and was featured poet at New Formalist. A Yale grad and stage director by profession, his nonfiction book Playing the Audience won a Choice award. Also a composer, lyricist, and playwright, his children’s musical Chimes: A Christmas Vaudeville premiered in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Santa Claus was rumored to be in attendance on opening night.

James B. Nicola
Manhattan Plaza
AUTHOR EVENT, Saturday, NOVEMBER 22ND
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Westborough Shopping Center, Westborough, Mass.
Route 9 & Lyman St. • 508-366-4959
Open Mon - Sat 9am - 9pm, Sunday 10am - 6pm
www.tatnuck.com

Let the Laughter Begin

The entries in the 2014 Robert Benchley Society Annual Award for Humor Competition are available for reading at www.robertbenchley.org/2014_competition/index.htm.

An Evening NOT with Robert Benchley

Tuesday September 30, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. To celebrate Worcester-born writer and humorist Robert Benchley's 125th birthday this September, local poet and performer Paul Szlosek with present a selection of dramatic readings of the author’s work. For more information please call 508-799-1655 or visit the Events Calendar on worcpublib.org.

Location: Worcester Public Library - Main Branch - Saxe Room, 3 Salem Street, Worcester, Massachusetts

Boston RBS Chapter September 18th Round-up

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will hold its monthly Roundup at the Downtown Harvard Club, high above Boston town on the 38th floor of One Federal Street, in the Financial District. We'll gather at the Crimson Pub on Thursday, September 18th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dress code is informal or business casual. For more information, contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.

Urban Noir: Night Photography in Los Angeles

Join renowned photographer and supporter of the Robert Benchley Society Helen K. Garber for a course on night photography, offered in conjunction with the Skirball exhibitions Light & Noir: Exiles and Émigrés in Hollywood,1933–1950 and The Noir Effect.

Begin with a walkthrough of the exhibitions with curators Doris Berger and Linde Lehtinen. Subsequent class meetings include on-location shoots at three Los Angeles landmarks—the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and the Skirball. The second session meets in the private quarters of the Pier Restoration Corporation, the old apartments above the landmark carousel. After a preliminary discussion and tour with the instructor, students watch and evaluate the available light to be ready to shoot by sunset, continuing through dusk and nightfall. The final meeting takes place at the Skirball for a critique of the students’ best work.

Prerequisite: Students are expected to understand how to use their camera, including ISO, speed, and aperture settings.

Instructor: Helen K. Garber is known for her night urban landscapes. In 2006, she was commissioned by the Venice Biennale of Architecture to create “A Night View of Los Angeles,” a five-foot-high, forty-foot-long, 360-degree panorama of the entire city of Los Angeles taken at night. A recipient of the 2014 Santa Monica Artist Fellowship, Garber will have several pieces on display in the Skirball exhibition The Noir Effect.

XPHO2086 -- Reg #35460: $285 Noncredit REGISTER HERE

First class materials: Film cameras are acceptable for the shoot, with TMAX 400 or 3200 film, but digital cameras are recommended. A mini tripod or tripod is mandatory for shooting at the pier. Also bring note-taking materials

Mark Russell to Judge 2014 Benchley Humor Competition, Entries Due by September 15th

The Robert Benchley Society is happy to announce that Washington, D.C.-based national humorist Mark Russell has agreed to be the final celebrity judge in the 2014 Robert Benchley Society Annual Humor Writing Award Competition.

I'm sure you are all familiar with Mr. Russell's topical and political humor and music, either through his three decades on public television or from his personal performances. More information on Mr. Russell may be found on his website www.markrussell.net.

The deadline to enter the 2014 Robert Benchley Society Annual Award for Humor Writing Competition is September 15, 2014 (the anniversary of Mr. Benchley's birth). For more details visit our website http://www.robertbenchley.org/competition/index.htm.

RBS Boston Chapter Monthly Roundup Thursday, July 17th

The Boston "We've Come for the Davenport" Chapter of the Robert Benchley Society will hold its monthly Roundup at the Downtown Harvard Club, high above Boston town on the 38th floor of One Federal Street, in the Financial District. We'll gather at the Crimson Pub on Thursday, July 17th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Dress code is informal or business casual. For more information, contact David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.