Bytes from the Bean by Joe Manning 3-28-9912:00AM / Sunday, March 28, 1999
"North Adams is a constant artistic experience. I don't even have to go to a museum to see art work in a frame. It's right out there, and it's every place I look. We have traveled to many places in Europe. I remember when we were in Venice. We were trying to find a spot that wasn't artistic, and we couldn't. Here, everything is a painting. North Adams is full of paintings. It isn't conventional, and it isn't squared off like a box. It's hilly, and the streets aren't perpendicular. They curve. People say it's like a European town. Sometimes we take the same route when we go walking, but it's never the same. The streets and houses look different at different times of the day. I never get tired of North Adams."
Patrice Bolgen, from Steeples
People often ask me what I do all day when I visit North Adams. After all, I'm usually in the city by 7:00 in the morning, and I don't start the drive home until after dinner. That's twelve hours! Most of the time, I have a lot on my schedule. If I do an oral history, the interview takes about two hours. My research leads me to long sessions at the library, where I take down information from the city directories. Lately, I have been studying the urban renewal records at City Hall. If it's a nice day, I might shoot several rolls of film, which involves plenty of walking and exploring.
When I get into town, I hang out with Tony Talarico and my other friends at The Bean until 8:30 or 9:00. This is an indispensable part of my visit, which I eagerly look forward to. Tony always brings me an old photo, a newspaper article, or some curious piece of history. Once, he gave me a marble block from the old Berkshire Apartments on Bank Street.
My involvement with the Oral History Project at Conte Middle School (Deborah Bullett's classes) has filled several days recently. I present a forty-five minute program to each of her five History classes. I talk about my experiences as a visiting author, after which I play a few minutes of the audio tape of my interview with Venice Partenope. The students are then asked to comment on what they found interesting about Ms. Partenope's descriptions of growing up in the city. Finally, I interview a person in front of the class and also get the children to ask their own questions. This time Mr. Rossi, the principal, volunteered; and everyone had a good time. Later this month, I will be taking several classes on a field trip downtown.
When the weather turns warmer, I often drive up with no appointments and no plans. I just walk around and see what happens. These are the visits I enjoy most. So many strange and serendipitous things have occurred, that it would take a year's worth of columns to relate them all. Fortunately, I've kept a diary, and I plan to include many of these stories in my next book, "Disappearing Into North Adams." So, where do I walk all day? Watch for answers in future columns.
On my last visit, I interviewed Humphrey Krum, the son of Humphrey Krum, the original owner of Apothecary Hall, the legendary drug store and soda fountain at 85 Main Street. This is where the Mocha Sundae got started. It seems like at least one person mentions Apothecary Hall every time I visit. I never heard of a Mocha Sundae until I discovered North Adams.
This leads me to my final subject of this column today. I am asking my readers to respond to the following questions: What is a Mocha Sundae? Describe it for me. Why do you like it? If you don't like it, why? Also, please tell me about your memories of Apothecary Hall. Do you have any funny or interesting personal stories about it? Who worked there? Your answers may be included in my next book, so make sure you tell me who you are. Please email me at jmanning@javanet.com, or write me at PO Box 115, Torrington, CT 06790.
Visit Joe's website at: www.sevensteeples.com.
Email Joe at: manningfamily@rcn.com. |
