More than 500 patrons packed The Westport Library's Trefz Forum on a snowy Sunday afternoon for the 19th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration featuring renowned screenwriter and producer Shonda Rhimes, in conversation with award-winning novelist and filmmaker Trey Ellis.
The two Westport residents spoke thoughtfully and candidly of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day means to them and about Rhimes’ remarkable career as a trailblazer in television and film — Shondaland founder and CEO, Golden Globe and Peabody Award winner, inductee into the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, and much more — to the delight of the capacity crowd.
“Part of what’s so great about this day, and part of what makes me love Westport so much, is that we have an event like this, and I see all these people here, for the cause that Martin Luther King speaks to,” said Rhimes. “That’s amazing to me. That’s what makes this community special.”
The appearance was a return engagement for both speakers. Rhimes was the Library’s BOOKED for the evening honoree in 2022 and screened her documentary, Black Barbie, in the Trefz Forum last year. Ellis, meantime, has appeared at the Library on a number of occasions, most recently at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, which featured Dr. Clarence Jones, a former advisor and speechwriter for Dr. King — an address Rhimes referenced in her remarks Sunday afternoon.
“What I learned last year, and what I try to continue to learn and try to continue to teach my children, is that there is always a way to make the world a better place,” Rhimes said. “There are a million ways to make the world a better place. And your goal should be to look back at yourself and ask, ‘What did I do this month to make the world a better place?’ Because if you didn’t, what are you doing? … That’s what I always try to think about on Martin Luther King Day.”
The annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association, in addition to the Walter Luckett Jr. Foundation, the Bridgeport-based nonprofit that brought a number of its students to the afternoon. The Luckett Foundation students met with Rhimes prior to the event and asked advance questions that were answered at the end of the conversation between Rhimes and Ellis.
In addition to the keynote conversation, the afternoon featured introductions by TEAM Westport’s Harold Bailey, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, the Westport/Weston Clergy Association’s Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, Mark Shanahan of the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Library’s Bill Harmer, as well as a pair of stirring performances from local singing sensation Christian Servance.
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Photos by KT Kaminski, Westport Library
Professional hockey is coming to The Westport Library — and it comes bearing books.
Isles in Aisles is a new community partnership between the Library and the Bridgeport Islanders, the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate based in Connecticut. Members of the club will be on hand in the Children’s Library on Tuesday, February 4, at 5:30 pm; Tuesday, February 18, at 4:30 pm; and Monday, March 3, at 4:30 pm to read aloud from their favorite children’s and hockey-themed books.
This is a drop-in event designed for kids, but adults are welcome as well. Players will be available for autographs afterward, and there may even be a special appearance at one of the readings from Storm, the Bridgeport Islanders mascot.
“We’re absolutely delighted to partner with the Bridgeport Islanders on this exciting new reading program,” said Mary Parmelee, youth services director at The Westport Library. “Westport is a great community of young readers and a town that loves sports. To have professional hockey players come to the Library to encourage kids to read and engage with the Library is a special opportunity. We can’t wait to get started!”
Potential books for Isles in Aisles include Z is for Zamboni by Matt Napier, Hero's Ho Ho Ho Hockey Dream by Kary Carkner and Pam Helmer, Hockey Morning, Noon, and Night by Doreta Groenendyk, The Magic Hockey Stick by Maloney Zekauskas, The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier, and more.
“One of my best memories growing up was taking field trips to local hockey games, or whenever the players would visit our library and we could interact with them,” Islanders captain Cole Bardreau said. “I’ve always loved books and take several with me on bus rides, so I’m excited to give back in that way. Being a professional hockey player is a privilege, and it’s important for our team to use this platform to encourage good reading habits.”
Westport has always been a town of people who love books and love to read. Now, the town’s readers can help select the winner of the third annual Westport Prize for Literature.
The Westport Prize is looking for readers to help vet manuscripts for its 2025 honor, which it plans to award this fall in conjunction with StoryFest, the annual literary festival held at The Westport Library.
Those interested can volunteer via the form on The Westport Prize for Literature homepage. Readers must be Westport residents.
Readers are expected to read two to three manuscripts and then submit their feedback via an online form. (There is an opportunity to read more books if you have time to do so). The results of that review will help determine which finalists advance to a select, independent jury that will decide the 2025 prize.
The Westport Prize for Literature is an annual prize “established to honor an original work of literary fiction that is both relevant and timeless.” In 2023 it was awarded to acclaimed author Zadie Smith for The Fraud, and last year Alejandro Puyana was honored for his dazzling debut novel Freedom is a Feast.
The prize is overseen and administered by a steering committee of Westport resident volunteers, with the jury selecting the winner and the Library hosting the award celebration.
Tom Henske’s It Makes Total Cents is returning for its fourth season as a Verso Studios at The Westport Library community partnership podcast, with the resident Westport financial expert hosting a impressive array of special guests to teach kids — and their parents, guardians, and grandparents — about financial literacy.
For the first time, the new season will have a new format. After three seasons and 50 audio episodes, the fourth campaign is launching as a video podcast, expanding the podcast’s reach and allowing Henske and guests to better connect with his growing audience.
The first episode launched January 2, featuring University of Virginia professor Chuck Howard to discuss expense prediction bias. Future episodes focus on compound interest, explaining borrowing and credit, college savings, and much more.
Episodes will go live biweekly — the next one coming out January 16 — and are available on the Total Cents YouTube channel and also on Amazon, Apple, and Spotify. All episodes and channels can be accessed through The Westport Library Community Partnership Podcasts page.
“I’m so excited to get to work on another season of this podcast,” said Henske. “It is critical that parents and grandparents feel equipped to teach kids how their finances function and the basics of money, spending, and saving. I’m incredibly fortunate to work with a great team at The Westport Library and to have so many amazing guests on the show this season.”
The Total Cents podcast is dedicated to making financial literacy accessible and engaging for families by empowering parents, guardians, and grandparents to confidently teach kids essential money management skills. Each episode provides expert advice, relatable examples, and practical strategies to help adults guide their children toward a strong financial future. By turning financial education into a family conversation, the podcast aims to equip the next generation with the tools they need to succeed.
The podcast is an extension of the Total Cents blog, which includes conversation guides and e-news updates taken from Henske’s book, It Makes Total Cents: 12 Conversations to Change Your Child’s Financial Future.
A leader in the financial industry for nearly three decades, Henske started his career in financial planning in 1994, with Cowan Financial Group. Shortly thereafter, he started his own company, Henske Advisors. In 2003, Henske Advisors were acquired by National Financial Partners (merging them into Lenox Advisors), which went public shortly thereafter. Henske remained an equity partner until 2020, when he retired to focus solely on matters of life insurance and building Total Cents.
In addition to Total Cents, Henske works as an advisor to the University of Virginia Athletic Department. Henske was a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion soccer standout at UVA, and he coached high school varsity soccer for 11 seasons at Staples High School.
Clockwise from top left: Alisyn Camerota, John Berman, Dave Briggs, and Richard Blumenthal
CNN morning host John Berman, veteran journalists Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs, and special guest U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal headline a timely discussion about the news media’s evolution after the 2024 election.
The event, jointly sponsored by the Y's Men of Westport/Weston and The Westport Library, begins at 2 pm on Sunday, January 12, in the Library's Trefz Forum. Registration for the event is currently at capacity, but there will be an in-person waitlist on the day of the event.
Berman will be joined during the panel discussion by Camerota, formerly of CNN and Fox News, and Briggs, whose experience spans CNN, Fox News, and Yahoo Finance. They will answer questions about the challenges and changes facing the industry in the wake of a contentious election cycle and the evolution of how the public gets its news.
The panel will also feature Westport’s own Dan Woog, who will provide a local perspective based on his work as an author and daily blogger, posting to the blog, 06880: Where Westport Meets the World. Staples High School's award-winning journalism teacher Mary Elizabeth Fulco, co-teacher and literary magazine editor Joseph Del Gobbo, and student representatives from Staples High School's journalism program will also be on hand to explore the media's role in democracy and the future of journalism.
Blumenthal will serve as a special guest of honor for the afternoon. Connecticut’s senior senator was first elected in 2011 and is currently in his third term, having previously served as the state’s attorney general from 1991 to 2011.
This event will be moderated by Y’s Men Past President John Brandt. It is co-sponsored by The Westport Library and the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston.
Key issues to be addressed by the panel include journalism under political pressure, maintaining accuracy and truthfulness, preserving public trust, combating deliberate mis- and disinformation and adapting to rapid information spread on digital platforms.
Following the discussion, the assembled panelists will answer questions from the audience.
L to R: VersoFest 2025 guests Paul Shaffer, Patti Smith, and Henry Rollins
VersoFest 2025 is kicking off with a legend of music and letters. And she’ll be followed by two men who have been making waves for decades.
Patti Smith, the acclaimed singer/songwriter and National Book Award winner, will open The Westport Library’s fourth annual music and media festival on Thursday evening, April 3.
Henry Rollins, frontman of the seminal hardcore punk band Black Flag and noted writer and spoken word artist, will be in conversation on Saturday, April 5. And legendary Saturday Night Live performer and David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer is on tap for Sunday, April 6, appearing alongside SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman.
Tickets for all three programs will go on sale later this month. More guests, including the VersoFest Friday evening concert performers, will be announced soon. Please visit westportlibrary.org/versofest for more.
VersoFest is four days of music, media, and creativity, running this year from April 3 to April 6 — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge.
Past VersoFest guests include hip hop legend Chuck D, established hit-makers Spin Doctors and the Smithereens, up-and-coming bands Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs, rockers Lez Zeppelin, famed producers Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Psychedelic Furs frontman Richard Butler, the Doors drummer John Densmore, Cramps drummer Miriam Linna, Alice Cooper Group bassist Dennis Dunaway, hip hop originators Tony Crush and Grand Wizzard Theodore, Manic Panic’s Tish and Snooky, and a wide array of authors, photographers, artists, and thought leaders.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled and honored to welcome Patti Smith to Westport to kick off VersoFest 2025,” said Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library. “As a musician, painter, author, and an iconic original, she represents the very spirit of VersoFest, and it is an incredible opportunity for tri-state area fans get to see a true living legend in our intimate, accessible venue.”
Smith burst onto the national stage in 1975 behind her acclaimed album Horses and is widely known for her songs “Gloria” and “Because the Night.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Polar Music Prize in 2011, just a few of her many honors.
Smith won the National Book Award in 2010 for Just Kids, which chronicled her time as a budding artist in New York City and her relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. She has also penned M Train and Year of the Monkey as well as numerous collections of poetry and essays. Her latest project is A Book of Days, The New York Times best-selling photo book with 365 images taking the reader through a single year of Smith’s life, inspired by her wildly popular Instagram account.
This marks a return trip to the Library for Smith. The music legend was the BOOKED for the evening honoree in 2011.
A magnetic performer, Rollins was the frontman for Black Flag and also the Rollins Band, achieving international renown with Black Flag in the early 1980s as one of the forerunners of the hardcore punk scene. He later established his own record label and publishing company, 2.13.61, on which he released an array of books and his acclaimed spoken word albums. In his career, Rollins has hosted a number of radio shows, appeared as an actor in TV and movies, including a recurring role in Sons of Anarchy, and has been a columnist and essayist for Stereophile, Rolling Stone Australia, and LA Weekly.
Shaffer got his start in musical theater before earning a gig as a keyboardist and featured performer on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s and 80s. He has recorded a number of albums of his own, including Coast to Coast (1989), The World’s Most Dangerous Party (1993), and Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band (2017); wrote the famed 1980s dance hit “It’s Raining Men”; has performed with Diana Ross and Yoko Ono among many others; and has served as the musical director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since 1986. He has also appeared in the movies This Is Spinal Tap, Scrooged, and Blues Brothers 2000. Shaffer is best known for his 30-plus years as the musical director for David Letterman, both on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Ohlman is a VersoFest veteran, having served as a featured guest and moderator at the past two festivals. She also will be appearing at the Library on Friday, January 24, for her annual Winter Dance Party with her band, Rebel Montez.
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Photo credits: Shaffer via Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band press kit; Smith from the cover of her latest book, A Book of Days; Rollins via HenryRollins.com.
L to R: Les Dinkin, Samira Dinkin, Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell, and Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer with one of the donated vintage guitars, in the Library's recording studio.
The Westport Library is the beneficiary of a special donation of instruments from longtime Westport residents Les and Samira Dinkin.
The donation, made in honor of Les’s late younger brother, Corey, consists of a vintage original 1959 Silvertone hollow body guitar with the vintage original matching Silvertone tube amplifier, as well as other vintage Ampeg, Harmony, and Ibanez guitars and tube amps. It will go toward supporting Verso Studios, the Library’s music and media hub. The instruments will be available for use by visiting artists and those recording in the studio space.
“These are iconic pieces of rock ‘n’ roll history that we are grateful and proud to now have in our collection,” said Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell.
“I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to honor Corey’s legacy,” said Les, a longtime supporter of Verso Studios, Verso Advisory Board founding member, and a VersoFest official sponsor. “Corey was very passionate about all types of music, from classical to jazz and especially the blues, as a collector, fan, and active musician.”
Corey Dinkin composed what Les called “his own very eclectic jazz fusion and blues compositions” and performed at a series of well-known New York City music clubs in the 1970s, including the Bitter End.
“He also jammed with leading musicians of the period,” said Les. “He became a noted collector of the blues, amassing a substantial collection of recordings and artifacts.”
“We cannot thank Les and Samira enough for this generous contribution,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “They have been such incredible supporters of Verso Studios, and we’re truly touched that Les thought of us to honor his brother. We promise to put those vintage guitars and amps to good use!”
Verso Studio’s initial vinyl album was released in June 2023 and was acknowledged in the Congressional Record by Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. He called the Westport Library the “noisiest Library in Connecticut, if not the country.”
For more on Verso Studios’ extensive capabilities and the gear and services available, including the Verso Studios post-production suite, click here. The Library also has music and media equipment available through its Library of Things.
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Save the date for the fourth annual VersoFest music and media festival held at the Library, April 3-6, 2025!
Award-winning producer and Shondaland visionary Shonda Rhimes will be the guest of honor at Westport’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, to be held Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 3 pm at The Westport Library.
Acclaimed novelist, playwright, and filmmaker Trey Ellis will interview Rhimes. Registration for their conversation opens Friday, December 20, at 10 am; check back to The Westport Library website to register at that time. The event also will be livestreamed. There is no fee for either the in-person or livestream option.
Rhimes is the CEO of Shondaland, the pioneering storytelling company; the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the hit shows Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, and Inventing Anna; and the producer of How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton, and many more.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is a partnership between the Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association.
“We are honored to welcome Shonda Rhimes as this year’s guest of honor for our Martin Luther King Jr. celebration,” said Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library. “Her groundbreaking storytelling, advocacy for inclusivity, and creative vision embody the values Dr. King stood for and continue to inspire our community today.”
“Shonda Rhimes recently stated, ‘You have to see it to be it,’” said TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey. “More than any other storyteller on the planet, she has helped people see and aspire to embrace a world beyond the perennial shackles of bias, custom, and class — a world that is the sweet spot of Martin Luther King’s vision. TEAM Westport is delighted to welcome her as the keynote speaker for our 2025 celebration.”
“As religious leaders living in challenging times for our community, we often turn to the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr., who said, ‘The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges,’” said Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn, spiritual leader of TCS, The Community Synagogue, and chair, the Westport/Weston Clergy Association. “We are proud to be a part of keeping MLK’s legacy alive and blessed that Shonda Rhimes will be helping us do just that this year.”
Rhimes was the Library’s honoree at its 2022 BOOKED for the evening celebration, and she returned to the Library’s Trefz Forum earlier this year to screen her documentary, Black Barbie.
The first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100-episode milestone (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal), Rhimes has received numerous honors including a Golden Globe, the Peabody Award, and lifetime achievement awards from the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild, and Producers Guild, plus several AFI Awards for Television Program of the Year and NAACP Image Awards.
In 2017, Rhimes was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. That same year, she left traditional TV and made the unprecedented move to Netflix, where Shondaland now produces content exclusively for the streaming media company.
In addition, Rhimes serves as creative director for Dove's #RealBeauty campaign, and she partnered with Pilot Pen G2 to award funds to community heroes. Her book, Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person, published in 2015, was a New York Times best-seller, and her Masterclass.com course on TV writing is a top draw.
Ellis is an American Book Award-winning novelist, two-time Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker, NAACP Image award-winning playwright and essayist, and professor of professional practice at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. His lauded first novel, Platitudes, was reissued by Northeastern University Press along with his influential essay, “The New Black Aesthetic.” He also served as executive producer of King in the Wilderness, the 2018 Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary (Outstanding Historical Documentary) on the last three days of Dr. King’s life.
Past Martin Luther King Jr. celebration keynote speakers include National Book Award winner and MacArthur Fellow Ibram X. Kendi, Pulitzer Prize winner James Forman Jr., New York Times best-selling authors Heather McGhee and Layla Saad, Guggenheim Scholar Carol Anderson, American Book Award winner Tricia Rose, Quinnipiac Law School founder Marilyn Ford, author/artist/ filmmaker/multi-dimensional performance artist Junauda Petrus, and last year’s guest, former King speechwriter and advisor Dr. Clarence B. Jones, who helped Dr. King write the famed “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Holiday Shop at The Westport Library is officially open for business, now through the end of the year.
The holiday items have arrived at The Westport Library Store, located in the Hub on the Library’s main level. And with so many items to display, the Library Store has been expanded for the season, by making the Writing Center a Holiday Shop.
You can find something for everyone on your list from the Holiday Shop’s curated collection of fun and unique items: There are scarves, hats, and gloves, many of which are handmade. Humorous socks and unique dish towels. Large selection of notebooks, journals, and planners. Handmade desert bells and many other unique decorative items, like paper lanterns, felt baskets, planters, and birdhouses, as well as sparkling snow globes. Captivating jewelry and festive candles. Fun games, puzzles, toys, art supplies, and novelty items for kids.
This season, make The Westport Library Store your first stop for gift shopping.
Library Store purchases are always tax-free, and all proceeds support Library services and programs.
Reading is a fundamental part of the learning experience and a favorite pastime for many, especially in the library world. But for some learners, the joy of reading can be mixed with frustration, with triumphs and challenges along the way.
Jennifer Bernheim — advocate, entrepreneur, and mom to a dyslexic learner — takes on these topics and more in her new Verso Studios at The Westport Library community partnership podcast, Right to Read, named after the organization she founded to offer advocacy services, IEP coaching, and informational workshops, as well as a corporate HR benefit that provides educational resources and advocacy coaching. Additionally, Right to Read Advocacy offers membership for advocates and related professionals.
“The Right to Read podcast supports today’s dyslexic thinkers by bringing listeners relevant information on community resources, best practices for dyslexic learners, legislation that supports the Right to Read, and personal and professional success stories,” said Bernheim. “Through our actionable insights, you will learn something that will empower a dyslexic thinker today.”
The podcast debuts Tuesday, October 29 — in conjunction with Dyslexia Awareness Month — with three episodes, each about 20 minutes long. Additional episodes will come out every other week (Episode #4 will arrive November 12). The show will be available on the Verso Studios community partnership podcast page and through regular podcast distributors such as Apple and Spotify.
Bernheim founded Right to Read Advocacy to help parents demystify what can be an overwhelming process and to empower them to support their child's needs. She has completed the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates’ (COPAA) Special Education and Advocacy Training (SEAT) 1.0 and 2.0 courses. Her education also includes the Orton-Gillingham Academy Subscriber Course and WrightsLaw Special Ed Law & Advocacy Training.
Prior to founding Right to Read Advocacy, Bernheim, who holds a master’s degree in communication studies from the University of Rhode Island, spent 20 years as a public relations practitioner, providing strategic communications support for purpose-driven companies.
“Jennifer has such a passion for helping others, and that comes through in each episode,” said Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell, who recorded each episode with Bernheim. “Having served as both an advocate and a parent, she is remarkably well-versed in the subject matter and aware, in an incredibly kind and empathetic way, of the challenges that parents of dyslexic learners face. What I really love about this podcast, though, is that it celebrates the joys as well as the challenges, and listeners come away from each episode with actionable steps to help themselves and their children along the journey.”
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on the Library website.
Former Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Ken Feinberg will be The Westport Library’s guest for its latest Common Ground Initiative conversation, sharing his experience and expertise in bringing people together to analyze, understand, and resolve complex disputes.
Feinberg will be in discussion with moderator Steve Parrish.
The event will be held Tuesday, October 15, at 7 pm in the Library’s Trefz Forum. Registration is free and strongly encouraged.
The Common Ground Initiative is The Westport Library’s forum for public discourse on topical issues of importance to the community. The aim of the initiative is to host a positive, productive conversation on how we work together to move forward as a civil society; encourage respectful, constructive dialogue; and build capacity to tackle challenging and/or controversial issues. The program planning for the initiative is led by The Westport Library in conjunction with community leaders representing a wide array of constituents and ideological standpoints.
Previous Common Ground guests include former Missouri Senator Roy Blount and Pfizer Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Sally Susman.
Tuesday night’s event is designed to provide insight into conflict resolution that attendees can apply to their professional or personal lives and to serve as an opportunity to learn from an expert in the field who has successfully mediated some of the most challenging disputes in modern American history. It will focus on techniques for fostering civil discourse and conflict resolution.
During more than 40 years of public service, Feinberg has established himself as the nation’s leading expert in bringing conflicting parties together to reach acceptable resolution of their complex disagreements. That work includes his appointment with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, where he served for 33 months. Feinberg wrote about the experience in his best-selling book What is Life Worth?, which was the basis for the 2005 movie Worth, starring Michael Keaton.
Feinberg currently serves as the court-appointed mediator in the Imerys/Cyprus talc bankruptcy in Delaware and was formerly the court-appointed mediator in the Hess-Honx asbestos bankruptcy in Texas. In addition to his work with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, Feinberg has served in a variety of public compensation and related funding programs over the past 25 years, was appointed by the Obama Administration to oversee compensation of victims of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and was the mediator in the successful effort to return an original Chagall painting from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to its original family owners in Europe.
Parrish is the founder of Steve Parrish Consulting Group, LLC, which specializes in crisis management, corporate social responsibility, public affairs, and communications for senior executives of corporations, law firms, and nonprofit organizations. Previously, Parrish was senior vice president, corporate affairs, of Altria Group, Inc., and served as secretary of the Public Affairs and Social Responsibility Committee of the board of directors of Altria Group, Inc.
Parrish is a member of the board of directors of Orchestra Lumos. He also is a board member emeritus and past board chair of Safe Horizon, an internationally recognized leader in the field of victim assistance, as well as a board member emeritus of Carleton College.
How much do we know about the world around us, about our environment and how we interact with it. This is the theme of Verso Studios at The Westport Library’s newest podcast, Real World, a collaboration with expert real estate negotiator and acclaimed problem solver Marisa Manley.
“The goal of the Real World is to explore, celebrate, and help listeners understand and possibly improve the built and created environment which surrounds us,” Manley said. “We examine what the world is made of, how it came to be this way, and how it functions — in sometimes surprising ways.”
The podcast will debut October 9 with three episodes, each about 15 minutes long, with an additional episode coming out every other week (Episode #4 coming out October 23). The show will be available on the Verso Studios community partnership podcast page and through regular podcast distributors such as Apple and Spotify.
Individual episodes focus on everything from high-rise buildings to street signs, and from leggings to rocking chairs, exploring how they were designed, how they can be improved, and how they benefit and can better benefit you. The first season will run 12 episodes in all.
“We invite listeners to understand that the built and created environment is designed and can be re-designed and modified,” Manley said. “When you know a bit more about the real world, you can understand it, use it, possibly challenge it, and maybe even enjoy it a bit more.”
Manley has a bachelor's degree in architecture from Cornell and a law degree from Harvard. She is the president and founder of Health Care Real Estate Advisors and Commercial Tenant Real Estate Representation, working with fast-growing companies that seek to maximize the value they receive for the real estate dollars they spend.
In her estimable career, Manley has spoken nationwide before the American Corporate Counsel Association, the New York State Bar Association, and other legal and professional organizations; written extensively on how corporate space users can structure and negotiate more cost-effective real estate transactions, with articles appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Barrons, Inc. Magazine, and other publications; and has been quoted on industry trends in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York Business, CFO, Bloomberg, and other media.
“Marisa has a remarkable ability to take an everyday object or routine process and explain its utility in a really interesting, innovative way,” said Verso Studios Producer Travis Bell, who recorded each episode with Manley. “You come away from each episode feeling like you learned so much, and the information is delivered in a comprehensive but digestible snapshot that really engages the listener. It’s hard to find that sweet spot, and Marisa has nailed it.”
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on the Library website.
