In his collection of essays “Soil and Spirit,” writer and poet Scott Chaskey reflects upon his exploration of poetry, land cultivation and life. On Wednesday, May 10, at 6 p.m., Chaskey discusses his new book at The Church in Sag Harbor. Learn why food sovereignty and humble attention to the earth and its diversity of species can provide invaluable keys to building healthy human communities.
While shaping the earth for decades, working in fields, and becoming a leader in the international Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, Chaskey was influenced by the Earth. Whether it is a surprise encounter with Irish poet Seamus Heaney while traveling Ireland, farming in Cornwall, attending a CSA conference in China, joining a group of Indigenous women in their harvest of amaranth seeds in New Mexico, or cultivating over 60 crops for the Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, Chaskey comes to The Church with a wealth of experience and insight. Following his reading will be a Q&A along with a book signing with copies of “Soil and Spirit,” provided by Canio’s Books.
Scott Chaskey is also the author of a memoir, “This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm,” and a book of nonfiction, “Seedtime: On the History, Husbandry, Politics, and Promise of Seeds.” His poetry, first printed in literary journals in the early 1970s, has been widely published over four decades. He is the past president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York and was honored as Farmer of the Year in 2013. He was a founding board member for the Center for Whole Communities in Vermont and Sylvester Manor Educational Farm on Shelter Island. He presently serves on the board of the Peter Matthiessen Center. He taught as a poet-in-the-schools for over two decades and as an instructor for Antioch International and Friends World College in Southampton. Chaskey lives and works in Sag Harbor.
The Church is at 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor. For more information, visit thechurchsagharbor.org.
Staff Writer on Apr 19, 2023