Why do we love Vermont? Mist rising from pristine lakes, verdant meadows made more vivid in the slanting light of afternoon, farm stands heaped with vegetables and lush fruits, hillsides on the cusp of autumn - how could one not love this land? It was this same land that lured thousands of newcomers in the late 1960's and 70's, young people who yearned for a change from the cities and suburbs in New York and Massachusetts, turning away from "the establishment" to seek a more authentic life in rural Vermont. What was the impact of this migration (invasion?) on our state? On Thursday, September 19th at 7:00 pm, Yvonne Daley will be coming to Castleton Free Library to present "The Counterculture's Impact on Vermont and Vermont's Influence on the Counterculture," a VT Humanities Council Speakers Bureau event under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The migrants settled in the back woods and small towns, …"spawning a revolution that impacted the state's politics, agriculture, education, business practices, and culture. While the movement brought hippies, organic farmers, political radicals, and free-thinkers to what was then one of the nation's most conservative states, the newcomers were in turn influenced by longtime residents and their practical lessons in rural living. The result is a most interesting state, one that blends progressive and conservative values and ideas." (VHC)

Yvonne Daley has authored six non-fiction books, including her most recent Going Up the Country: When the Hippies, Dreamers, Freaks and Radicals Moved to Vermont. Many locals will be familiar with her extensive work as a Rutland Herald journalist. She also wrote for the Boston Globe, and she founded and directs the Green Mountain Writers Conference.

The program is free and open to all. We are located at 638 Main Street; our accessible entrance is on the north with parking on the west side. Questions? Contact Mary Kearns at 468-5574 or castletonfreelibrary@gmail.com.