Compass A&E

The arts in the Berkshires are back in full swing this summer, and the gorgeous Jacob’s Pillow campus in Becket, Mass., is already thrumming with dance and music.

I guess this is what it means to have cultural myopia: When we talk about the national French holiday held every July 14, even though it’s called Bastille Day, I tend to think of it as French Independence Day, an extension of our own celebration 10 days earlier.

It might seem counter-intuitive to look at wispy, floaty images of beautiful women, often in country settings and think of them as rebellious, but that in fact is what they are.

This has been the summer of author Madeleine L’Engle, at least here in Litchfield County, Conn., where the author spent much of her later life (she and her husband even owned the general store in Goshen, Conn., for many years).

Things don’t always go the way you’d like them to but you can still find joy in them. Such was the case with last Sunday’s Round Hill Highland Games at Lime Rock Park in Lime Rock, Conn., which went from the early morning hours on June 26 until about 4 p.m., when the pipe band competition ended.

If you don’t know Jessie Buckley and Julia Garner, you should introduce yourself immediately to these amazing actors. You will get to know them best via two fine films that never found the audience they deserved.

“Wild Rose”

Two outdoor music festivals are offered this summer by the Park and Recreation Commission in Cornwall, Conn. The first was on Friday, July 1, and featured bluegrass music by the Zolla Boys. There was a food truck and an ice cream truck and activities for children.

The Douglas Library is hosting The Canaan Art Guilds Annual Art Show for the months of June and July. Members include Mary Monnier, Ned Gow, Lynne Martin, Lois Van Cleef, Pat Medvecky, Hope Mongeau, Diane Cieslowski, Olga Schwede and Christine Luchini.