for the ARTS record
Correction In last week's cover story ("from Nashville to Nantucket"), musician Amy Hunt England was misidentified as a single mother. She is married to Peter England, Jr. "I could never do all the music biz and parenting without Peter, to whom I'm happily married," she said.

Short Play Festival Presented by Nantucket Theatrical Productions in the Nantucket Theatre Workshop, the Short Play Festival includes dramatic readings of three of the competition's finalists, including winner "Interrupted Memories," by playwright John Bohane. "Interrupted Memories" is about a son's retrospective of his life growing up in a home where neither parent let the other finish a sentence. The festival will also feature "What are Words Worth to a Long Fellow?" by Texas writer Carl L. Williams - about a young poet who refuses to eschew an artistic lifestyle - and "The Crucifixion and Moe and Ira" by Lynn-Steven Johanson, about a trashtalking Judaean clown and a Samaritan nailed to crosses in 30 A.D. The three works were selected out of 150 submissions.

When: Thursday - Saturday, Oct. 19-21

and Oct. 26-28, 7:30 p.m.

Where: upstairs at the United Methodist Church,

2 Centre Street Cost: $10 For reservations, please call 508-241-1760.

Maria Mitchell scholar to speak at Coffin School The Nantucket Historical Association's 2006 E. Geoffrey & Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellow, Renee Bergland, will speak on "Maria Mitchell and the Strange History of Women Scientists in Nineteenth- Century America" at the Coffin School this Thursday.

Associate Professor of English at Simmons College, Bergland is also the author of the book "Unsexing the Heavens: Maria Mitchell, Nineteenth Century Woman Scientist" (forthcoming with Beacon Press in 2007). In it, Bergland explores "Maria Mitchell's career as a focal point for exploring the radical shifts in cultural constructions of gender and science from 1830-1900," according to the Egan Foundation. "The story starts in the 1830's when science was not conceptualized as separate from the humanities, and women were rapidly gaining entrance to education and professional careers in every field. It continues to 1900, tracing changes in attitudes toward science and gender that separated the sciences and the humanities."

The E. Geoffrey and Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellowship was established in 1999 by the NHA and is open to all academics, graduate students and scholars with special interest in Nantucket-related topics. When: Thursday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. Where: Coffin School, 4 Winter Street Cost: Free for members of the Egan Maritime Foundation, the Maria Mitchell Association and

the Nantucket Historical Association; $5

for all others

For more information, call 228-2505. Pajama storytime An incredible convenience for parents of kids who fall asleep on the way home, the Atheneum is hosting a story time (with pizza!) for your little ones ages five and under, who can come (with a parent) in their PJs for a great storybook reading with some pizza. This is the 5 year-old-equivalent of a cocktail party. When: Friday, Oct. 20, 6-7 p.m. Where: Nantucket Atheneum (Gallery),

1 India Street Cost: Free, but registration required To register, call 228-7285, ext. 1166.

MMA honors Women in Science Award winner The Maria Mitchell Association, created to honor individuals and organizations that encourage girls and women to pursue studies or careers in science and technology, is holding a dinner in honor of Denise D. Denton (1960-2006) - recipient of the MMA's Women in Science Award. Aprofessor of Electrical Engineering, Denton was also the ninth chancellor of USC - Santa Cruz until her death in June. During her career, Denton held positions at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin- Madison and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Dr. Nancy Doe Hopkins, MIT's Amgen Professor of Biology, will accept the award on Denton's behalf. Author David J. Smith ("If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World's People"), will also speak on "The Local & the Global: the Changing Fabric of World Geography." When: Friday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. Where: Nantucket Inn, 27 Macys Lane Cost: $50 For more information, call 228-9198.

Writers Workshop: The Creative Process Writer's block got you stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey? Tom Daley can help you write sentences far better than that one with the free class being offered by the Nantucket Atheneum this week, in conjunction with the Nantucket Poetry Slam. An instructor with the Online School of Poetry and the Boston Center for Adult Education, Daley will share strategies for overcoming writer's block, for augmenting the creative process and for writing with discipline. The instructor will offer in-workshop exercises in techniques to stimulate creativity. When: Saturday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. Where: Nantucket Atheneum (Lower Gallery),

1 India St. Cost: Free To register, call 228-1110 ext 118.

Book discussion group brings women of the world to Nantucket In this tumultuous time of geo-political affairs, it makes good heart sense to plug into the realities of women across the world. The Atheneum is offering

a series of book discussions with this mission in mind, beginning this week with Amulya Malladi's new novel, "Song of the Cuckoo Bird." The book chronicles India's tumultuous history as generations of a makeshift family living in Southern India from 1950s to the end of the millennium "become fatefully connected to each other, while holding tight to their dreams," according to the Atheneum.

The Worldwide Women's Voices Book Discussion Group meets monthly from October to March. The next meeting is November 28 and the book is "American Chica" by Maria Arana. When: Tuesday, Oct. 24, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Where: Nantucket Atheneum (Kynett Room),

1 India Street Cost: Free To register, call 228-1110 ext 118.

Help your neighbors achieve the American dream The Nantucket Atheneum needs volunteers who can commit one to two hours each week to teach English to non-native speakers. The Literacy Volunteers of the Atheneum offers free individual and class instruction. No prior experience is necessary. If you're interested, you can attend an informal Tutor Workshop next Saturday. When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 a.m. Where: Nantucket Atheneum (Lower Gallery),

1 India Street Cost: Free For more information, call 228-8710.

AAN finds home for works in permanent collection Chuck Gifford, Nantucket Cottage Hospital Director of Development and Community Relations, and Kate Merlini Fraser, Artists Association of Nantucket Development Director, recently announced that over 60 pieces from the AAN's Permanent Collection will be showcased on the walls of the Hospital's Emergency Department. "We presently don't have a venue to exhibit our very special pieces from the Permanent Collection, and the Hospital is excited to display local artwork," Fraser said. "This is a win-win for both the Hospital and AAN, and we're delighted and grateful to be involved."

The pieces on display at the hospital include the early works of George Thomas, Bobby Bushong, Janet Ball, Ruth Haviland Sutton, Teryl Townsend Speers and Elizabeth Saltonstall.

"It's hard enough to sit in the Emergency Department with a friend or family member who is ill or in pain, but now there are some beautiful pieces of art to view and hopefully make the time pass by a little more quickly," Gifford said.

This is not a permanent home for the collection, which began in the 1940s and has been in storage. The AAN is still seeking a place where it can display the entire collection, which contains over 600 pieces.

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