Writing
BIOGRAPHY
A riveting account of the Baltimore-born painter (1885-1968) who went from golden girl of the art world to an insane asylum patient and back to glory in the 1940s when she was called "a phenomenon in the world of paint" by American Artist magazine.
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"Congratulations on bringing forward a fascinating but overlooked person."
Townsend Ludington, Marsden Hartley: Portrait of an American Artist
"With 35 years as an archivist, I found the general background material about people, places, and the times fascinating in their own right and provide context. Highly readable...when I reached the last chapter, I was sorry it had to end."
Catherine Gaines, Supervisory Archivist, Smithsonian, Archives of American Art
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"Sparhawk-Jones' career speaks of incisive talent and vision, perilous fragility, and the possibly of healing."
Philip Koch, MICA faculty and painter
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ESSAYS, PROFILES, & INTERVIEWS
As a feature writer specializing in health, history, and the arts, Barbara Lehman Smith has written for various mediums during her career including:
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"Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones: An Overlooked Phenomenon." Fine Art Connoisseur magazine
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"Beyond the Usual: The Eclectic Charm of the Arts District." AVALON magazine
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"Searching for Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones." Mason-Dixon ARRIVE
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"The A in Architecture Stands for Artist." AVALON
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"The New Wave of Nursing: Health Care Reform Triggers a Surge in APNs." Johns Hopkins Bayviews
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"House Calls: Reinventing a Lost Art." Physician's Practice Digest
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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & PANELS
Promoting the Sparhawk-Jones biography, Smith presented at various speaking events during the book tour including:
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"Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones: Painting on the Pulse." Lecture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Art-at-Lunch Lecture Series, Philadelphia, PA.
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"Research and Biography." Panelist at the New Jersey Book Festival, Morristown, NJ.
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"Searching for Elizabeth." Lecture at the Canton Public Library Lecture Series in Canton, MA.
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"Search for Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones." Radio Interview on WYPR Radio, Maryland Mornings with Sheila Kast by Tom Hall
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Meet the Author event during Baltimore Book Festival.
The Magic of Dead Things
Debut Novel
Evoking the world of the modern biographer, four wildly different writers delve into the lives of Elinor Wylie and the poet's cast of lovers and frenemies. As the writers gradually succumb to the influence of the subjects, their paths intersect, boundaries shift between past and present, and they are forced to untangle Wylie's life from their own. People obsess over the lives of others to figure out their own, but sometimes biographers do so at their own peril.
"We lack the courage to be where we are:
We love too much to travel on old roads.
To triumph on old fields; We love too much
To consecrate the
magic of dead things."
Edwin Arlington Robinson
from Octaves
With author and fellow BIO board member Diane Kiesel after a book talk event for WHEN CHARLIE MET JOAN, a fascinating biography.
CORPORATE & PR/MARKETING WORK
As part of my role for BIO as development chair, I had the pleasure of arranging a MARK TWAIN pre-publication benefit in April 2025 with author Ron Chernow who gave a a talk in NYC at a private home that raised funds and interest in the organization
(photos on right).
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Although I've taken less work to focus on my writing of late, my Smith Publications portfolio includes projects ranging from full-scale branding, publication writing and design, to website and social media management, and data analysis for various clients.
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During the 2025 summer season, I again enjoyed supporting the bustling literary community on Martha's Vineyard by coordinating and promoting author events for Edgartown Books at the store and frequently in conjunction with The Carnegie Heritage Center and other island venues. This year, we managed events for more than 60 authors including E. Lockhart, Casey Sherman, David Denby, Peter Dunham, Dr. Ala Stanford, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Brooke Lea Foster, and a few BIO friends including Diane Kiesel, Robin Foster, Daphne Geanacopoulos, and Heather Clark.
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Since 2025 was the 50th anniversary of the film JAWS, I also was thrilled to host set designer Joe Alves, filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau, film buffs Dennis Prince, Mike Smith, and biographer Christopher Shaw Myers (ROBERT SHAW).
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Author Ron Chernow talks about his writing process for MARK TWAIN (on left); Some of the listeners including me (on right).