BOOK TALK: Tonia Shoumatoff, author of "Historic Tales of the Harlem Valley" Lead Image
BOOK TALK: Tonia Shoumatoff, author of "Historic Tales of the Harlem Valley"
Join local author Tonia Shoumatoff as she leads a discussion on the rich history of our region and highlights two significant individuals from Troutbeck's past: Lewis Mumford and Amy Spingarn. Shoumatoff will elaborate on the regional influence of Lewis Mumford, a lauded historian and sociologist who came to live at Troutbeck, as well as the artistic gifts of former Troutbeck owner Amy Spingarn, who, though a gifted artist and poet herself, preferred to be behind the scenes, championing the work of others including Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.
This event is free, but please RSVP here to let us know you're coming. Consider coming early and joining us for Sunday Brunch or staying afterwards for Dinner.
About the book
New York’s Harlem Valley, with the last stops on the Metro-North train line from Manhattan, has an incredibly eclectic history for a predominantly agricultural region—a Victorian utopian community claiming to see fairies settled in Wassaic, attracting Japanese samurai and remaking the townscape of Amenia. An early version of the “Borscht Belt” began on the shores of Lake Amenia, where a once-thriving resort community vanished along with the lake itself. In 1916, following the death of Booker T. Washington, and in 1933, amid a crisis of dwindling membership, the NAACP was brought together at major conferences held at Amenia’s Troutbeck estate, owned by the organization’s first Jewish president, Joel Spingarn.
Lewis Mumford, one Amenia’s cultural icons, was one of the seminal thinkers on regional planning. His ideas presaged the environmental movement and thinking about the dangerous influence of technology on civilisation. As a New Yorker staff writer his articles about architecture, cities, and suburban sprawl had a wide audience. He lived in Amenia for over fifty years near Troutbeck and, as a close friend of the Spingarns, was a beloved part of the Troutbeck community.
Young graduates from the Rhode Island School of Design and other art schools launched the Wassaic Project, a festival and art residency using a converted grain elevator as their venue. Author Tonia Shoumatoff presents fascinating stories from life at the end of line in the Harlem Valley.
About the Author
Tonia Shoumatoff is a writer and media commentator with a longtime professional commitment to environmental protection. She has lived in the Harlem Valley since 1987. Her work as senior reporter for the Millbrook Independent newspaper gave her a unique perspective on local affairs and the area’s rich history. As the Ten Mile River watershed manager for the Housatonic Valley Association, Shoumatoff monitored the watershed and reviewed Harlem Valley development proposals, encouraging stream and forest protection. Shoumatoff helped promote worldwide peace activities as a staff member of a United Nations–affiliated NGO, May Peace Prevail on Earth, International. She was the co-host and later host of Planet Blue on WVKR at Vassar College.