Join us on May 12th for a screening of A Small Good Thing at the Robbins Library in Arlington, MA! The screening will be followed by a panel discussion about the film's themes with Producer Paula Kirk; John Moriarty and Lauren Yaffee of Lexington's Meadow Mist Farm; DeAnne Dupont, co-founder of Food Link; and Jessie Brown, local poet and teacher. 

"A Small Good Thing" by Pamela Tanner Boll (2015, 71 min.) While the philosophy of “more is better” has been key to American economic success for the past 50 years, we now find ourselves backed into an isolated corner—where our devices, celebrity entertainment, dream homes and wealth aren’t making us any happier. "A Small Good Thing" explores how the American Dream has reached its end and how for most of us, greater material wealth and upward mobility are no longer possible. To find out what is taking its place, this feature documentary follows six people in one community who have recast their lives so they can live with a sense of meaning—more connected to themselves, the natural world, and the greater good. 

Paula Kirk is the Producer of A Small Good Thing, Mystic Artists’ current production. She is also the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator for Mystic Artists’ 2008 film Who Does She Think She Is? Paula has collaborated with Director Pamela Tanner Boll on various projects for more than 18 years.

John Moriarty and Lauren Yaffee run Meadow Mist Farm in Arlington, MA, an integrated small farm that raises and sells grass fed beef, lamb, pastured chicken and turkey, cagefree fresh eggs, and seasonal veggies. Meadow Mist only uses organically certified animal feeds, and avoids the use of any type of insecticide, herbicide or fungicide on its gardens and pastures. Meadow Mist relies on crop rotation, on-site composting, cover cropping and rotational grazing to build soil health.

DeAnne Dupont, President, Cofounder of Food Link (2012), joined the board in 2014 when Food Link incorporated. She is a regular volunteer. Food Link brings together three of DeAnne’s passions, protecting the environment, reducing waste and alleviating hunger. She has been active in, or on the boards of, the Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Sustainable Arlington and Boston Building Resources. Her financial and operational background in the corporate sector and her experience as a CPA has been greatly beneficial in launching Food Link. DeAnne enjoys bicycling, hiking and traveling.

Jessie Brown is a poet and teacher in the Boston area.  She leads workshops in schools, libraries and community centers, both independently and through local arts and educational organizations. Her poems and translations have appeared in local and national journals, including The Comstock Review, Peacework, Soundings East, the American Poetry Review, and others. Her first chapbook Lucky won the 2011 Anabiosis Press Competition; her second, What We Don't Know We Know, came out from Finishing Line Press.