A Night on Buddy's Bench
May 14th, 2016
Averill Park , NY , United States
“When the heart grieves what it has lost, the spirit rejoices over what it has left.”
A book release event was held at the Mill on May 14th for A Night on Buddy’s Bench – An End of Life Story – an adult picture book written by Ira Baumgarten, a local resident (who lives two mile from the Mill) and illustrated by his mother-in-law Ann Bonville Trombly, another local resident. It was a celebration of how we hold life’s grief and gratitude in the same moment.
The dark evening sky, the outside wind and rains and the soft lighting in the Mill took the seventy plus visitors back to the tiny island off the coast of Maine where the story takes place. The music and sounds of the audio book version – ocean waves, buoy bells, sea gull’s cries and owl’s screeching and a melodic melody – held guests while Ward Dales a local actor/director did a dramatic reading of the story. The illustrations where projected as he read the book. A short dance film by Tara Mullin – Above the Trees - inspired by the book was also shown. The work of current artists in residence Betsey Gravatt, Lauren Trophy, Tobi Adewumi and Patrick Shaffer where also exhibited.
All profits from book sales from the evening where donated to the National Hospice Foundation and matching amount was also donated to Arts Letters and Numbers.
For more information on A Night on Buddy’s Bench – An End of Life Story – or to purchase a copy of the book go to: anightonbuddsybench.com
Comments from guests afterward:
“For me, as I am sure it was for others, the evening was a living, breathing microcosm of the possibility for wholeness within a person, a family, a community, a world. Thank you for creating the opportunity to share in that.”
“Thank you for last night. This was such a well-prepared event, and you and your family and friends have pushed every aspect of the book to a flowering display of goodness. The night created a virtual bouquet of experiences none will forget."
