Community Voices - Conversation with Alan Bern - Albany Library

Albany Library welcomes Alan Bern, a performer with many talents to Community Voices, Albany Library’s reboot of our Brown Bag Series. Alan is an author, an award-winning poet, visual performer, former Berkeley Public Library Children’s Librarian, musician, and more. He blends his unique qualities to artfully deliver his insightful perspectives on growing up in Berkeley, working at Berkeley Public Library’s reference desk, questioning how UCB functions in a small city, and more through storytelling, music, and photography. He engages listeners of all ages. Please consider joining us on September 14, 2024 in the Edith Stone room for readings from his latest work, IN THE PACE OF THE PATH. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing after a 15-minute question and answer discussion.

About the Author—

Storyteller and retired children’s librarian Alan Bern received an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University studying with Anne Sexton and classicist Donald S. Carne-Ross. Alan has published three books of poetry and a hybrid fictionalized memoir, IN THE PACE OF THE PATH, Uncollected Press, 2023. He has another hybrid book, Dreams of the return, forthcoming from Old Scratch Press, and a chapbook, because lack, from back-room poetry. 

Recent awards: Longlist, The Bedford Competition (2023); Winner, Saw Palm Poetry Contest (2022). Recent/upcoming writing/photo work include: ArLiPo, Feral, Porridge Magazine, and Mercurius. He is a published and exhibited photographer and performer with dancer/choreographer Lucinda Weaver and with cellist Gael Alcock. Alan’s fine press/publisher with artist/printer Robert Woods: linesandfaces.com.

About the Musician—

Gael Alcock moved from Vermont to San Francisco in 1975, and to Berkeley in 1990. She’s played at the Berkeley Art Museum, Zellerbach Hall, Shotgun and Berkeley Rep Theaters, KPFA Studios, Freight & Salvage, and in bookstores including Pegasus, Geiger’s, LA, and Berkeley Books of Paris.

Seating: First Come Serve Basis.

Event Sponsors: The Friends of the Albany Library and Alameda County Library.

We at AC Library care about your privacy. We use Zoom to host our virtual programs. None of our live programs are recorded and none of the chat logs are saved. Everyone registered for an online program will receive the link to participate in a separate email before the program begins.

Masks are optional for visitors and staff at all our AC Library locations in alignment with the end of State and local COVID-19 emergencies.

Library staff may take photos, videos, or audio recordings at our events. Please tell us if you do not wish to be photographed, video-recorded, or audio-recorded. We will always respect your requests!

An ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter or closed captioning can be provided for this program if requested at least seven (7) days in advance. For assistance, please contact your library or [email protected].