ALBANY — The New York State Writers Institute has announced its Spring 2024 schedule of events. 

The events are free and open to the public and mostly take place on the University at Albany’s Uptown Campus. Some require registration. Events include:  

Jan. 31 – Elizabeth Benedict, essayist, novelist and writing coach. 7:30 p.m.— Reading / Conversation with Robert Boyers, Multi-Purpose Room, Campus Center West Addition. Author of the eternally popular how-to book, The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers (1996), Elizabeth Benedict applies her talents to retelling the story of her recent encounter with cancer in Rewriting Illness: A View of My Own (2023). 

Feb. 1 – Sandra Guzmán, storyteller, editor and filmmaker. 7:30 p.m.— Reading / Conversation, Recital Hall, UAlbany Performing Arts Center. Sandra Guzmán, Afro Indigenous storyteller and literary editor, presents her new anthology, Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women (2023), a dazzling collection of essential works by 140 Latin American and indigenous writers— many of them translated into English for the first time. 

Feb. 5 – Ruben Santiago-Hudson, playwright, actor, director. The 26th Annual Burian Lecture — 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall, UAlbany Performing Arts Center. 

Feb. 8 – Aaliyah Bilal, author of Temple Folk. 7:30 p.m.— Reading / Conversation, Recital Hall, UAlbany Performing Arts Center. 

Feb. 22 – Karin Lin-Greenberg, novelist and short story writer. 4:30 p.m.— Conversation / Q&A, Assembly Hall (2nd Floor), Campus Center. 

Feb. 27 – William Wegman. 7 p.m. — Conversation with WAMC’s Joe Donahue, Main Theatre, UAlbany Performing Arts Center. Beloved American artist known throughout the world for photographs and videos that feature his Weimaraner dogs in a variety of costumes and poses.  

More: February 29 – Richard Mirabella, novelist and short story writer; March 5 – Prachi Gupta, memoirist and journalist; March 6 – Molly Guptill Manning, bestselling author, historian and UAlbany alum; March 14 –  Alice Green, activist and memoirist, and Amy Godine, Adirondack historian; March 18 – Andrew Kirtzman and Terry Golway, mayoral biographers; March 20 – Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of nonfiction; March 26 – Lydia Davis, author of essays and short, short fiction in conversation with acclaimed author and UAlbany professor Lynne Tillman; April 11 – Alice McDermott, one of the leading novelists of her generation, is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Absolution (2023). 

For a complete list of times, venues and appearances, films and other associated events, go to www.nyswritersinstitute.org.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Doobie Brothers 2024 Tour will touch down in 38 U.S. cities, kicking-off June 15 in Seattle and staging a show at SPAC on Aug. 13, before wrapping up one week later in Salt Lake City.  The band is perhaps best known for their hits, such as “Black Water,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Listen to the Music,” and “China Grove.” 

In Saratoga, the Doobie Brothers will be joined by Steve Winwood – whose legend traces to his days as a member of the bands Blind Faith, and Traffic. 

Country music’s best-selling duo of all time, Brooks & Dunn, will bring their Reboot 2024 Tour to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on June 27. Country rocker David Lee Murphy and country hitmaker Ernest will accompany Brooks & Dunn on the tour.

Brooks & Dunn claim 20 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1991, – “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” “My Maria,” and “Believe,” among them. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dave Matthews Band will launch a summer tour on May 22 in Tampa, Florida and will stage a pair of shows at SPAC in Saratoga Springs on Friday. July 5 and Saturday, July 6. 

Tix: An online ticket presale for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association is underway now at davematthewsband.com/warehouse. 

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13 – 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb 15, through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit citientertainment.com.

General on sale for tickets begins 10 a.m. Feb. 16.

Tara Sweeney is a student and teaching assistant at the Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet who performed with the New York City Ballet at SPAC in productions of “Coppélia” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Currently a senior at Johnstown High School, Sweeney will attend Vassar College this fall to study English and Dance. 

Saratoga TODAY asked Sweeney about her many accomplishments, as well as her future plans.

Q: What was it like performing with the New York City Ballet (NYCB)?

A: Performing with the NYCB was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Not only were the instructors kind and considerate but so were the dancers. I was expecting them to ignore us children in the ballet but they talked and welcomed us and it made the experience memorable. It was a new experience dancing for four or more hours a day, every day, and it heightened my love for ballet.

What are some things about ballet that the general public might not understand?

A: Most people in the general public do not understand how much of a commitment dance is. I dance every single day after school and on Saturdays and it is extremely time consuming, if not more than a school sport. I dedicate my time to coming to dance class every week and preparing for my numerous performances throughout the year. Something people may also not know is that dance is not just during the school year. In order to maintain your ballet technique over the summer break, dancers attend summer intensives where we dance all day long for at least 5-6 weeks of the summer.

What are your future career plans/goals? 

A: In my future, I plan to have a writing career of some sort in the form of journalism, article writing, publishing and editing, or novel writing. I also enjoy literature and could imagine a career in library studies or museum work. My passion for dance persists and I will be dancing in college and I hope to either continue dancing in my future or become a dance teacher. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Third Eye Blind has announced the fourth edition of the Summer Gods Tour. 

Produced by Live Nation, the tour will begin June 8 in Spokane and run through Aug. 3 in Houston, with special guests Yellowcard and A R I Z O N A. 

The tour will stage a show at Saratoga performing Arts Center July 16. Tickets: www.livenation.com.