2nd Street Seeks Submissions for Literary Project

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — 2nd Street seeks submissions for Using Our Outside Voices, a literary project created in partnership with Berkshire Community College (BCC) that is designed to promote creativity, acceptance and inclusion for presently or formerly incarcerated men and women in Berkshire County. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2024.
 
Authors whose work is selected will receive a cash award of $200, and winning submissions will be published in a journal. The initial run of 400 printed copies of the free journal will be distributed locally, and digital copies will be available online. In addition, public readings will be held at various venues in the Berkshires.
 
Any presently or formerly incarcerated resident of Berkshire County is invited to submit original poetry, short fiction, personal essays or other literary works. Those who need editorial help can bring their work to 2nd Street, located at 264 Second Street, Pittsfield.
 
For more details on how to submit a literary work, visit www.2nd-street.org and click Special Projects, or call (413) 443-7220, ext. 1275. 
 
Financial and in-kind support of Using Our Outside Voices is provided by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Arts Build Community initiative with funding from the Barr Foundation; by Berkshire United Way; by Berkshire Community College; and by Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by Mass Cultural Council.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Marks Vietnam Veterans Day in Park Square

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Pittsfield has a memorial to the Vietnam War honoring those who fought and those who died, including 27 from Berkshire County. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — About 50 people gathered at Park Square on Saturday to remember Vietnam veterans and mark the 53rd anniversary of the last American troops' departure. 

Vietnam veteran Lenwood "Woody" Vaspra thanked everyone for coming out on the chilly March morning. Twenty-seven Berkshire County residents were killed in action, and their names are memorialized in a Park Square marker. 

"We thank all who selfishly served and sacrificed. You are not forgotten," Vaspra said. 

"This provides us an opportunity to pay special tribute to the many Americans who served in the Vietnam War, both in country and out of country, to the 58,318 names inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and to those who never received the recognition they deserve. It is time to say thank you and honor all Vietnam veterans."

National Vietnam Veterans Day commemorates the sacrifices of Vietnam War veterans and their families, and is part of a national effort to recognize the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than 50 years ago.

"When Vietnam veterans returned from Vietnam, there were no tributes, recognition, speeches, parades, or even handshakes. For many of them, it was a horrific return home, and it was also a very chaotic time. Many veterans to this day remain silent from their combat and traumatic encounters," Vaspra said. 

"It is time now to pay tribute to all veterans from all wars and conflicts, our brothers and sisters that served on behalf of our country. We must continue to remember what all veterans did for this country. They gave their lives, whether they died in battle or came home and died later, they paid the ultimate price, the memories our brothers and sisters must go on and always remain in our hearts."

The year 2026 marks 51 years since the official end of the Vietnam War in May 1975, and is the 53rd anniversary of the last American troops departing Vietnam in March 1973. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 designated March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories