RISDMUSEUM . ORG
FROM THE PUBLISHER
So Close and Yet So Far .
Rose B . Simpson , Shard , 2021 Helen M . Danforth Acquisition Fund
Jeffrey Gibson , The Anthropophagic Effect , Garment no . 1 , 2019 Helen M . Danforth Acquisition Fund
RISDMUSEUM . ORG
SABRINA SCOLARI PHOTOGRAPHY
When our Creative Director Doreen Chisnell showed me the shot of the Berkshires that she intended to use as this month ’ s cover photo , I was immediately transported back almost twenty years .
That ’ s when I went to Tanglewood for the first time . I was a fan of the Saturday night radio / variety show “ A Prairie Home Companion .” Alas , the witty host Garrison Keillor has since been accused of inappropriate conduct .
But twenty years ago , thanks to a Christmas gift of tickets , we were going to Tanglewood . We stayed in a B & B not far from the historic gates , and just a stone ’ s throw from Lenox , which is mentioned in Associate Editor Lauren Clem ’ s visit for our travel feature “ Fall Escapes .” In my opinion , she drew the lucky straw .
There was a leather shop , where the proprietor once told me — with his head down while working — he heard someone at the door shouting : “ I love the smell of leatha ’ in the morning .” He looked up , and an arm ’ s spread away was the acclaimed actor , Danny DeVito . Next door was the garden shop where I purchased many treasures that are still in my yard today .
A short drive away is iconic Stockbridge , immortalized in the works of Norman Rockwell ( in fact a must-see is his museum , well worth a visit ).
And a visit to Stockbridge cannot be complete without a stop at the historic Red Lion Inn , where a cocktail on one of the many rockers on the expansive porch is necessary , usually with a visit from one of the hotel ’ s housecats , presumably for pest control .
Stockbridge was not without its celebrity sightings as well . At the time , the actor Martin Sheen was a rocker regular . One day , while in and out of the small shops , there was a palpable buzz of excitement because actor Alec Baldwin was having coffee in an outdoor cafe . ( Many famous people come to Stockbridge for James Taylor ’ s annual Fourth of July benefit concert for Tanglewood .)
Other notable destinations included in “ Fall Escapes ” are the seacoast and mountains of New Hampshire , and the off-season on the Cape . Our friends over in Vermont recently experienced some flooding , but it ’ s business as usual in many tourism areas , including southern Vermont . Plan a weekend away and build some memories . Maybe take home some art or other handmade goods that you can admire for years to come , just like how I remember Stockbridge .
Lastly , as I composed this , I was on my way to Miriam Hospital for some surgery . I was anxious and nervous , and I had thought about scenarios about what could go wrong . The nurses on the staff took good care of me , the patient . That is one of the many reasons we celebrate the profession in our Excellence in Nursing awards by Special Editions Editor Kerri Tallman . I was in good hands thanks to these health care heroes . The nurses at Miriam rock !
To the Rhode ahead . — J . J . P .
12 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2023