poetry project coverage in the historical review of berks county, a magazine published the berks history center.

volume 81 of the historical review of berks county, a quarterly magazine published through the berks history center, arrived in the mail today with its spring 2016 content.

those who put together the magazine (many thanks to charlie adams) were kind enough to include an article about the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county, and this also involved the full poems as well as black and white photographs of willie kramer and betty miller.

below are scenes of the coverage. the magazine is available by subscription through the berks history center. to find out more, call the berks history center at 610.375.4375.

a glimpse: melvin miller, born 1930.

this wednesday, the center at spring street, which is the home of the senior center in boyertown, hosted a poetry reading of the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county. the reading served as entertainment specifically for lunch guests who had enjoyed fish sandwiches, rice, and succotash there just prior.

guests from the first volume of poetry who were a part of the reading were alice gerhart of douglass township and as well as husband and wife, melvin miller and betty miller, of bally borough. the next blog post will feature scenes and talks from that reading, but for now, since betty's poem excerpt was recently posted, here is a clip from melvin's poem. this kind-souled man who only retired a few years ago was born in 1930, just like his wife, betty. the end of his poem carries a lot of information to it which other boyertown casket factory poems in the first volume do not, a unique perspective from his former position of working his way up to vice president of the corporate office. to find out his understanding of how the business with locations across several states finally fell under, check out his poem from the actual book. you can order it through donating to the gofundme campaign noted on the right side of the blog, or you are welcome to reach out by email at thelaborsofourfingertips@yahoo.com.

* 

 i was 17 going on 18. the casket factory in boyertown
hired me in 1948. department expediter became
my first title. i worked with interiors—velvet, silk.
they paid me 63-and-a-half cents an hour, rounding
up to the next full penny if i worked 41 or 43 hours.
i made sure special units that had to go out the next

day were ready in time from the cutters, seamstresses,
and interior installers. the factory sent me to school
in philadelphia to learn more about textiles and how
to do industrial time study engineering, to see just
how long it took to do a single job—three stopwatches
always in my pockets. after three years, i quit to serve

in the national guard and worked at the armory
in pottstown, taking care of the equipment, like
rifles and trucks. but my recordkeeping skills
there impressed the bosses at the casket factory,
so they hired me again in 1955. then i did cost
accounting for them, earning $1.60 an hour.

*

a glimpse: betty miller, born 1930.

the center at spring street in boyertown, which houses the area's senior center, is hosting a poetry reading for the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county on wedneday, march 23 @ 1 p.m. anyone age 55 or older is welcome to attend.

a few of the seniors whose stories take shape in the first volume of poetry from this project were invited and will hopefully be guests for the afternoon. one of those seniors is betty miller who lives in bally borough and was born in 1930. below is an excerpt of her poem and a scene of betty today.

*

but at boyertown hosiery mill on rhoads

avenue, i’d been an examiner, always peering
my pupils and irises into the silk stockings
which the workers knit. they did everything

there but dying all of those textiles. i did
mending when i needed to. i fixed the fabric
when it had pulls in it. i also worked at mistee

lingerie in boyertown, a few blocks away—
a seamstress for straps and sleeves of gowns,
nighties which women wore to sleep. things

that are now made mostly just by those
who live a sea away from all of us. when
my grandchildren knew october would

soon be around the corner, i designed
their halloween costumes—an astronaut,
cat in the hat. my home is full of pillows

i’ve made, quilts i sectioned together. i am
the strands, the fibers, the strings, pillow
stuffing, quilt squares, the love i give.

*

''meet the authors'' at studio b yesterday; this poetry project & the stories behind six other authors & their writing.

yesterday, the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county was a part of studio b's annual meet the authors event. this year, it featured seven authors of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. 

a children's book involving pennsylvania dutch language-learning acted as a nice blur of fiction and nonfiction written by folk artist and art teacher rachel yoder, with penny olive, inspired by yoder's grandmother.

war stories, old days of economies and industries built around coal mines, tales of lives shaped around fracking in northeastern pennsylvania, and poetry starting with being mesmerized by a single tree were a part of the event, besides the manufacturing history poems from this project.

thank you to bob wood of new hanover township and studio b's collection of volunteer coordinators--who helped in part with scene-snapping of some of the visuals of the afternoon.

a poetry reading with the earl township historical society in rural boyertown in late february.

last thursday, the earl township historical society in rural boyertown invited the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county to be the featured program for its monthly meeting.

betty ann dawson who manages planning for the society offered her camera skills as a way to contribute to the poetry reading.

a very enthusiastic group, happy to toss around conversational tidbits--those in attendance offered ideas of some old workplaces like a factory in boyertown borough where cowboy boots were made and a cheese facility in the pike and oley township region where cheese blocks were produced and shipped overseas. stories from those days and places may be a part of this second year in the project, into the next few months. and these folks also have very humor-ready, fun personalities, which is a nice plus any day.

this organization also makes sure there are plenty of sweets and beverages during and after their monthly meetings, so if you are interested in checking them out, call the earl township building to find out more at 610.367.9673. they meet every fourth thursday of the month at 7 p.m., assuming it's not fretful weather outside.