GREENFIELD — Dar Williams has traveled all over the country during her career as a musician. She has seen what makes communities flourish and what makes them fail.
So she compiled the lessons she learned in eight cities and towns into “What I Found in a Thousand Towns,” a three-part, nine-chapter book on how to reinvigorate America’s hometowns through art, food, history, culture and mom-and-pop businesses. She visited the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center at 289 Main St. on Saturday to read excerpts from the books and perform some of her songs before participating in a panel discussion on “positive proximity,” her term for the social capital building that creates thriving communities.
Williams, a folk singer, was joined on the panel by Anitra Ford, member of the moderator team for the Positively Greenfield Facebook group and board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, Rachael Katz, chair of the Crossroads Cultural District, owner of The Greenfield Gallery and collaborator in the start-up of The Hive arts makerspace in development in downtown Greenfield, Hannah Rechtschaffen, member of the Sustainable Greenfield Implementation Committee, and Jim Ayres of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
Ford said Positively Greenfield grew out of a feeling that many Facebook groups were “like a tidal wave of negativity,” and some people thought it would be nice to have a page “where you can only say nice things about Greenfield.”
Katz said she comes from a career as an engineer and entrepreneur and she opened The Greenfield Gallery at 231 Main St. after needing a change. She urged Greenfield to tap into its history as a city known for manufacturing and to develop more live-work space downtown, where she lives.
“I’ve literally seen and heard the city changing,” she said.
Williams started the event by performing some music, including her song “Storm King,” for the roughly 140 people in attendance.
“The storm king has borne the seasons all / Worn them upon his brow / He guides the watchful boats below / I am the storm king now.”
After her voice faltered a couple of times she joked that her “two-pack-a-day habit” was catching up with her. She also mentioned Greenfield’s storied fight to prevent Walmart from setting up shop in town and said Lowell has a similar tale.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.