Past Events

It's May and the great caterpillar factories of eastern North America are in full production. You’ll hear their engines humming as they munch away in woodlots or mature trees. For songbirds, this is a sign the bounty that fuels the mating, nest-building and parenting is going on right now in our backyards. Join science writer and College Park resident Rick Borchelt for a look at some of the common birds that depend on these caterpillar factories in suburban landscapes. (Carolina…

Join artist, educator, and nonprofit leader Barbara Johnson of Hyattsville-based ArtWorks Now on an exploration of the many ways art works to support our well-being. From experiencing art created by others to engaging in the creation of your own artwork, art really does make our lives richer, happier, and even healthier. Come prepared with some blank paper and whatever drawing instrument you have around the house (pencil, pen, marker, paintbrush, and/or paint) to participate in some short experiential artmaking. Click…

Learn about Pluto’s five moons and the 2015 New Horizons flyby from University of Maryland professor Douglas Hamilton. Discovered as the ninth planet in 1930, Pluto was re-classified as a dwarf planet in 2006. The largest of the dwarf plants, the Horizon flyby taught us a lot about our distant neighbor and its moons, four of which were discovered between 2005 and 2012.   Click Here For Information About Other Corridor Conversations Events.  

Join Reuben Jackson for a reading from his latest collection of poems, Scattered Clouds, and a discussion of how growing up in Washington, D.C., continues to influence his writing. A Hyattsville resident, Jackson curated the Smithsonian’s Duke Ellington Collection and is an archivist at the University of the District of Columbia’s Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives as well as co-host of WPFW‘s “The Sound of Surprise.” His music reviews appear in numerous media outlets, and his poetry has been widely anthologized.

Cheryl Harrington says she learned early that she had flour in her veins. She worked in her parents' homestyle bakery in Massachusetts before going to college, and she never lost her love of baking. Even during her career with the Prince George's County Council, Cheryl made wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and other goodies for friends. After years being encouraged to start her own bakery, she opened Shortcake Bakery in Hyattsville in 2011 where she creates baked sweet baked goods, savory…

Award-winning author Mary Amato began keeping a journal at the age of seven and she has used writing as a way to find comfort, insight, and meaning throughout her life. She'll talk about the differences between diaries and journals, share some examples that range from funny to poignant, and share the how, when, why of writing for the self. Mary writes fiction, poetry, and essays. She also teaches songwriting and is the co-founder of Firefly Shadow Theater. In real life,…