Horses in Words — And In Sandisfield
June 7 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Panel discussion led by acclaimed author Courtney Maum with award-winning local authors of books on the relationship of horses and humans. Courtney, author of the memoir, The Year of the Horses, will be talking with Donnaldson Brown, author of Because I Loved You, and Barbara Newman, author of The Dreamcatcher Codes, about their stories and the special role of horses in books and in life.
After the discussion, Rose Nelson will share slides and talk about her Sandisfield Sunny Rose Farm, where two of the authors ride.
The afternoon concludes with coffee, tea, and light refreshements, with books available for purchase and author signing.
About the books
The Year of the Horses by Courtney Maum was a Today Show Best Mental Health Read as well as Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, TODAY, NYLON and PureWow Best Book of May 2022, a Publishers Weekly and Boston.com Best Book of Summer and an Amazon Best Book of 2022 So Far (Biography & Memoir Category). “Sharp, heartfelt, and cathartic, The Year of the Horses captures a woman’s journey out of depression and the horses that guide her, physically and emotionally, on a new path forward.”
Because I Loved You by Donnaldson Brown is winner of 2024 Independent Book Publishers Association Silver Medalist, General Fiction, 2023 International Book Awards Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, General Fiction: Novel, Best Books of 2023, Honorable Mention, Historical Fiction, Hungry For Good Books.
The Dreamcatcher Codes, the award-winning, debut novel from writer and filmmaker Barbara Newman, is “a timely and lushly drawn story about fearless young women blazing new paths for themselves and Mother Earth.” It “illuminates two critical issues of our times: climate change and girls claiming their voices and vital place in the world.”
About the authors
Courtney Maum, who once lived in Sandisfield, is the author of five books, including the groundbreaking publishing guide that Vanity Fair recently named one of the ten best books for writers, BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOOK DEAL and the memoir THE YEAR OF THE HORSES. Her latest novel, “Alan Opts Out” is forthcoming in both the US and the UK in the summer of 2026
Donnaldson Brown grew up riding horses on her family’s ranch in East Texas and in her hometown in New England. A former screenwriter, she worked for Robert Redford’s film development company for several years. Her spoken word pieces have been featured in, among other places, the Made in the Berkshires Theatre Festival in Stockbridge. Donnaldson. is also a facilitator and trainer with The Equus Effect in Sharon, offering experiential learning with horses for those coping with post traumatic stress injuries, including veterans, first responders, and those in recovery.
Barbara Newman is a a storyteller, writer, filmmaker, Earth protector, and mom. She developed a girls’ leadership workshop, based on the principles of cowgirl spirit, and was part of the think tank that inspired the Fred Rogers Center for Children’s Media and Education.