ANNOUNCING VALLEYWOOD II –
A Celebration of the Digital Arts in the Pioneer Valley


DATE: Saturday, March 8

TIME: 2 – 3:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Jones Library, Amity Street, Amherst

COST: $10 for the public; $8 Chamber members



The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Reader
to Reader Inc., with support from A – Z
International Associates, is announcing
VALLEYWOOD II – A Celebration of the Digital Arts in the Pioneer Valley.

The opening program features John Katzenbach,
Amherst resident and the acclaimed author of
numerous books that have been turned into film,
including Just Cause and Hart’s War.

Katzenbach’s talk, entitled “THE GOOD, THE BAD
AND THE UGLY – Why I Love Hollywood and Why I
Hate Hollywood,” is scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.

VALLEYWOOD II is planned as an ongoing series of
afternoon weekend lectures by regional writers,
screenwriters, film-makers, animators, special
effects, sound and others who are developing
content for Hollywood, television and a wide
range of mobile devices – all of whom fit into
what is commonly called the “digital economy” or “new media.”

The aim is to schedule one, mid-afternoon lecture
per month during the school year on either a
Saturday or Sunday in the lower level large
meeting room of the Jones Library, or other
locations in Amherst to be announced.

Other speakers this spring include Dan Giat of
Pelham (Saturday, April 12), author of Path to
War, which was nominated for an Emmy Award in
2002 after airing on HBO. David Shepherd
(Saturday, May 10), is an improv theater and
video master, founder of Compass (the granddaddy
of “Saturday Night Live”) and Group Creativity,
as well as the author of That Movie in Your Head.

Katzenbach, who was once a criminal court
reporter for The Miami Herald and Miami News has
been published in a wide number of newspapers.
Previous novels include In the Heat of the
Summer, adapted for the screen as The Mean
Season, and The Shadow Man. He is also author of
the New York Times bestseller The Traveler, as
well as Day of Reckoning. Filming of the script
he wrote based on The Madman's Tale is schedule to start filming this spring.

“Having one’s work adapted for film is a
bittersweet affair. There are many positives and
many negatives, and I’ll talk about both. The one
thing you learn is why you love Hollywood and why
you hate it. But from the novelist’s point of
view it’s a terrific adventure,” Katzenbach said.

Admission at the door is $10 for the general
public; $8 for Chamber members. Seating is first
come, first serve. No food will be served, but
the audience is welcome to bring snacks.

For more information contact Amy Zuckerman,
Principal, A – Z International Associates. Phone:
253-4124; Email:
<mailto:az@...>az@..., and Fax: 413-303-9487.