The poetry of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman will be dramatically joined later this month in a most interesting reading — or should I say poetic performance? — hosted by the Butterfield Library on June 28.

It is billed as “An Afternoon with Emily and Walt.” But the fascinating twist is the readers — poet Susan Kinsolving, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry, and her husband William Kinsolving, a best-selling novelist who has also written more than 50 screenplays. His most recent book is “Mr. Christian,” but earlier works include, “The Raven” and “The Diplomat’s Daughter.”

Butterfield Library is highlighting its combination of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman saying there were contemporaries who wrote about similar themes, death, religion and nature. Students of comparative literature have taken on the topic many times, but I think the choice of a poet and a novelist, each with strong writing personalities of their own, will complete the reading and make it fresh and full of life. Susan Kinsolving founded poetry reading series at the California Institute of the Arts, The New York Public Library and The American Poets Maze.

” Whitman’s style of free verse become synonymous with his name and works, and helped distinguish him as a great American poet. Dickinson’s works are just as unique, due mainly to her odd placement of punctuation, unusual grammar, and simplicity of language,” says the library in promoting the event. “Both Whitman and Dickinson write of common and everyday objects and people, while addressing the larger issues of life within that context. While their views may differ, there is a sense of commonality when reading their works side by side. Both poets are acclaimed American writers, offering up distinct voices and beliefs that echo still today.”

Partial funding for this event is provided by the Putnam Arts Fund which is supported by public funds from Putnam County and is administered by the Putnam Arts Council.

It is at 4 pm and refreshments will be served. To reserve a place, call the library at 845-265-3040 or go to its  Web site . The Library is  at 10 Morris Ave. in Cold Spring near the intersection of 9D & Route 301.

(Photo of Emily Dicksonson from Amherst College Library and Poets.org. Photo of Walt Whitman from the Walt Whitman Archive.)

The Westchester Library System’s 9th Annual Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Awards takes place Tuesday at the Ossining Public Library.

The award highlights distinguished books for children and adults in the field of storytelling—and some neat storytelling will take place during the program.

The Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award was established in 1990 to honor Anne Izard, noted storyteller, librarian, and former children’s services consultant in Westchester Library System for 20 years.  She died in 1990 at the age of 74.

This year’s 13 story winners include tales written by noted storytellers and  writers. The stories feature ” fanciful tales, folk tales, family stories, and historical narratives of actual events shaped into stories that illuminate events and periods of history,” explains the Westchester Library System.

“The Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award recognizes the magic of storytelling and the power of the human voice to add even more depth and delight to the words on the pages of these books,” says Judith Rovenger, director of youth services for WLS. “Each of the books honored are compelling stories, rich in their use of language, painting vivid word pictures that will captivate listeners as well as readers.”

The program is from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ossining library on Croton Avenue.

This Wednesday, the White Plains Public Library is bringing  together Westchester readers and writers in a celebration of The Westchester Review, the county’s annual literary journal.

Writers from the newly-published 2009 edition are slated to read  from their work, representing varied voices and visions from Hudson Valley communities. The publication describes itself as “A Literary Journal of Writers from the Hudson to the Sound.” (I’ve included a list of of some of the writers below.)

Editors of The Westchester Review will be present to answer questions about the publication process, with an eye towards submissions for the 2010 issue. The journal accepts unpublished poems, stories and essays by established and emerging writers living or working in New York’s Westchester County.

Talk about making stories come alive!

This Saturday, author Sheila Mealy will be in Southeast to read  ”Nate the Mammoth Jack,” which is a children’s story of Tilly Foster Farm’s Mammoth Jackstock Donkey.  The story is for children 3 to 8 years old and the reading wil ltake place in the farm’s big barn.

Nate is 8 years old and came to Tilly Foster November 2008. He stands 14.1 hands tall. According to Tilly Foster materials, George Washington was involved in developing this donkey breed as a farm-worker mule. Actually, I think he is quite handsome and it is nice the way he mugged for the camera. (The photo to the right of Nate is from Tilly Foster’s Web site.)

The reading is at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Reservations are required, call 845-279-4474.

I attend two large library book sales in my general  neighborhood over the summer, and the first one is planned for July 11 through 15 at a middle school in Newtown, CT. Their information, which you can find here, says that they’ll have about 120,000 used books and other media for sale, and except for the first day, it’s free to enter.

One of the reasons I like this sale is that, unlike some other sales I’ve been at, the volunteers not only separate the books by genre but they alphabetize them by author, a huge task but one much appreciated by searchers like me, who are looking for specific books to fill gaps in series.

This sale used to be held in a building on the grounds of an old psychiatric hospital, which is why my kids generally don’t come with my husband and me when we visit. All those empty buildings, all those windows with bars on them just creeped them out I was told … and this from my daughters, who read many of the vampire-based romance books now currently popular.

Now it’s held across the street from the asylum at an air-conditioned middle school. What it’s missing in atmosphere it’s picked up in comfort.

There’s a room dedicated to first editions and other expensive old books, but there’s also enough stuff just sitting out to attract someone like me, who just likes to read old novels and children’s books. I remember gazing at a couple of old Zane Greys and other westerns from the 1920s last year and being awfully tempted, and some of the old copies of children’s classics I considered, but mostly I kept hoping to find another buried Jeff Farnol. They’re getting increasingly rare, alas.

If you’re in the area in mid-July, though, I can recommend this sale from longtime experience. I don’t think I’ve ever left with less than a boxful of books that contained some real gems.

Author readings, book displays, crafts and food are all planned for the upcoming New Rochelle Festival of Books, June 20 and 21st at the public library.

The New Rochelle Public Library and the Harlem Book Fair, in conjunction with the City of New Rochelle, will host this two-day book extravaganza  that will “transform the library’s lobby and on the adjacent Library Green with booths and tents of book sellers and publishers, ethnic foods and crafts, as well as live outdoor music,” reads the library’s promotional material.

There will be dozens of internationally-known authors and local performers presenting readings, discussions, workshops, and dramatic performances, some geared specifically for children.

On Saturday there are workshops and seminars about memoir writing, publishing poetry and how to get published among the offerings.

Date/Time: Saturday June 20 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sunday June 21, from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

Place: New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza

More info: go to the library’s Web site.

Or should I say Peterskill, to be more accurate.  The wonderfully prolific author who hails from Peekskill paid a visit to his hometown region recently and shared some thoughts on his inspiration. Turns out he bases a lot of his story backgrounds on the lower Hudson Valley. Reading and re-reading some of his books for my interview I realized some things I had missed and now Boyle is on my summer reading list.

He likes to hike at Fahnestock Park, loves to watch boats in the Hudson River and has his favorite eating spots. Many references send readers back to Garrison or Croton. Read more about his Peekskill sense in Saturday’s paper.

Some writers he likes to read are John Updike, Evan S. Connell and Cynthia Ozick — Quite an eclectic mix of contemporary writers. Boyle said he enjoys spending at least a half an hour a day contemplating and reading. He also says he likes to cook big pots of food and walk along the beach.

Boyle answered a question I have long wondered about. How did Coraghessan come about. He smiled and said he added the middle name Coraghessan when he decided to be a writer because he liked the sound of T. Coraghessan Boyle or T.C., rather than Tom Boyle.  Well whatever his name, he is an interesting writer. Maybe the unusual name did make him stand out a bit more.

He likes to read daily newspapers in the morning, L.A. TImes and Santa Barbara News Press. He really loves to browse through bookstores because he says sometimes he  find books he wasn’t looking for.

Boyle was just inducted in the American Academy of Arts & Letters. His list of books is long and varied.

(Photo by Ricky Flores for The Journal News/Lohud.com)