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<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><img width="153" height="113" id="Picture_x0020_1" alt="bhslogo" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D142E2.20018E30"></span><span style="font-size: 20pt;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12pt;'>780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>TO: NEWS EDITORS, ARTS EDITORS</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>RE: WRITERS RETREAT/WORKSHOP APPLICATIONS</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>DATE: Monday, December 28, 2015</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>FOR: <u>IMMEDIATE RELEASE</u></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>HERMAN MELVILLE’S ARROWHEAD TO HOST <font face="Arial">FEE-BASED </font>WEEKEND WRITER’S RETREAT FOR HISTORICAL FICTION</span></u></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>PITTSFIELD, MA: </span></b><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>Applications are now being taken for eight (8) places in a weekend retreat for Historical Fiction writers, April 15-17, 2016. This first-ever writers event hosted by the Berkshire County Historical Society at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead in Pittsfield, Massachusetts will give eight authors the opportunity to experience the magical inspirational quality of the place where Melville wrote <b><i>Moby-Dick, Pierre, or the Ambiguities, Israel Potter, The Confidence Man, Benito Cereno, Bartleby, the Scrivener, I and My Chimney, The Piazza, Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!, The Paradise of Bachelors and The Tartarus of Maids, </i></b>and many other works steeped in historical memorabilia including poems drawn from historic events.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> Among the presenters are Arrowhead’s Writer-in-Residence, Jana Laiz, award winning author of <b><i>Weeping Under This Same Moon, A Free Woman on God’s Earth:The True Story of Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom, </i></b>and <b><i>Elephants of the Tsunami.</i></b> Laiz will concentrate on the differences between writing historical fiction for adults and for young adults.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> Mark Beauregard, a novelist better known as Mark Zero whose five novels include <b><i>Blood and Chocolate, The French Art of Revenge, </i></b>and <b><i>Give the Drummer Some. </i></b>In June, 2016 his new work of historical fiction, <b><i>The Whale, A Love Story</i></b> about the intense friendship between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne will be published. He will be talking about research and development of story from existing materials.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> J. Peter Bergman, author of the award-winning collection of short fiction, <b><i>Counterpoints, </i></b>and the novel, <b><i>Small Ironies,</i></b> among other works, including nine historic-house plays, will lead a session on creating living characters through dialect, language and rhythms. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> Additionally, Deborah Herman, CEO of Micro Publishing Media, will discuss alterantive publishing methods and techniques for marketing historical fiction in the 21<sup>st</sup> century marketplace.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> Literary agent Jeff Herman, author of many guidebooks to agentry and the marketing of books will lead a session on getting your cross-genre work into the right hands in the right way.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> Panels involving two or more of the presenters will deal with other issues, and work sessions in Melville’s study at Arrowhead will enhance the weekend. Participants will be housed in Adams, MA at The Manor – a restored Victorian era mansion – and many meals will be included in the three day weekend. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> The basic cost of the weekend, including meals and housing, is $1500. Applications are available from Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. Interested writers are encouraged to contact </span><a href="mailto:pr@berkshirehistory.org" target="_blank"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'></span><a href="mailto:pr@berkshirehistory.org">pr@berkshirehistory.org</a><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'> or call 413-442-1793, ext. 14 for more information and application forms. There is a $25 non-refundable fee for application; this will be applied to the final price for accepted authors. Applications are due no later than March 7. Final notification of acceptance is March 15. More details available at </span><a href="http://www.mobydick.org" target="_blank"><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'></span><a href="http://www.mobydick.org" target="_blank">www.mobydick.org</a><span style='font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Peter Bergman</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Director of Communications</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> And Community Relations</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Berkshire Historical Society at</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Herman Melville’s Arrowhead</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">780 Holmes Road</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Pittsfield, MA 010201</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">413-442-1793, ext. 14</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:pr@berkshirehistory.org">pr@berkshirehistory.org</a></div>
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