Our accomplished writer Geraldine Brooks has won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for her book, Horse. This well-received bestseller is available at our Island bookstores.

Geraldine and I — and no doubt many others — are very disappointed in her home country, Australia. In the recent vote on recognizing the Indigenous Aboriginal people in their constitution, they did not recognize them. You might not be concerned about this as it is so far away. But we all must realize now that this is a global village. We all need to respect and accept everyone.

Petey Berndt just held the last two days of his wildly-popular Coop de Ville and Shuck Shack for the 2023 season. Same time, next year! Food and drinks on the harbor.

We will say a fond goodbye and thank you to Joyce Stiles-Tucker at a potluck in her honor on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. The Tisbury Senior Center is the place for the party to celebrate the 44 years Joyce has been at the helm here. What a great job she has done!

In other seasonal endings, the derby is over. Another successful competition. Same time, next year.

Billy Baloo at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse has the stamp of Islanders’ work all over it. Additional performances have been added for Oct. 24 to 28, so you have more opportunities to see it.

It was wonderful to see our Holly Nadler picketing in New York City, waving a sign much bigger than she is. As a writer for television shows Holly could not let this strike go unnoticed.

When I began getting attracted to New England life, one of my favorite studies was scrimshaw. Register at mvmuseum.org/events for collector Jonathan Blum’s talk on Scrimshaw as an American Folk Art. This presentation will be at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m.

I caught up with some folks who lived in my neighborhood here for many years. Livvy Gomez-Blanco, that little girl who used to walk my dog for me, sent me a picture of herself all decked out for a homecoming weekend! Her parents are so proud.

Then I caught up with Bill and Deb Little, now in Georgia. They have a small farm with four goats, 20 chickens and two horses. Big change from Leonard Circle.

Anniversary bouquets go out to Roberta Ferrari Skeckowski and her husband Greg Skeckowski for 55 years of wedded bliss. They celebrated on Oct. 6.

The birthday bandwagon pulled along Yo-Yo Ma on Oct. 7. He is one of my favorite people. Artist Colin Ruel celebrated on Oct. 17. And on Oct. 18 Tim McNamara took the cake. Many happy returns.