Name: John Sayles - Reading and Book Signing - Benefit for ECCG
Start: 2026-02-21T13:00:00-05:00
Location: Armory Studios NY

John Sayles - Reading and Book Signing - Benefit for ECCG

Independent filmmaker and author John Sayles to sign Crucible
** Proceeds to benefit Electric City Community Grocery **
Schedule
1:00p - DOORS OPEN, cash bar, lunch provided by sponsor Casa Visco
2:00p - 4p – JOHN SAYLES will read from Crucible followed by an interview with Film Schenectady’s Creative Director, Richard Lovrich, a Q&A, and book signing
3:00p – PANEL DISCUSSION with educators and filmmakers from the SEAT Center Film Training Program, Schenectady City School District, 518 Film Network, and Schoharie River Center, sharing how filmmaking and the arts can develop agency and give a voice to people and issues at a local and human level
RSVPs are encouraged. RSVP here: https://forms.gle/5RiWMzvdfitSCWRy8
The Open Door Bookstore, Schenectady's locally-owned independent bookstore, will have copies of Crucible available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Electric City Community Grocery. To reserve and pre-pay for books, please call The Open Door Bookstore at 518-346-2719.
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Electric City Community Grocery and The Open Door Bookstore announce that author and filmmaker John Sayles will read from his newest book, Crucible, followed by an interview with Film Schenectady’s Creative Director, Richard Lovrich, and a Q&A on February 21, 2026, at 2 pm at Armory Studios NY Officer’s Club, with doors opening at 1 pm. The event will also recognize Schenectady’s organizations that are empowering youth to tell their stories through filmmaking and the arts with guests from local programs.
A proud Schenectady native, John Sayles is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and novelist. He has received two Academy Award nominations and one National Book Award nomination. He grew up in Schenectady and has been honored by the Proctors Hall of Fame. The John Sayles Fine Arts Wing at Schenectady High School was also named in his honor.
“Filmmaker and author John Sayles represents Schenectady’s versatility and can-do spirit,” says Donna Pennell, Schenectady County Film Commissioner. “Film Schenectady is very proud to welcome him home.”
A suggested donation of $15 will benefit the Electric City Community Grocery, which will be opening in The Wedgeway building in 2026. The cooperative will empower a healthy, resilient, equitable, and inclusive food community in Schenectady.
John Sayles’ Crucible is a complex and sweeping historical novel about Henry Ford and his attempt to rule not only an automotive empire, but the rambunctious city of Detroit. An epic tale featuring violent labor disputes, misbegotten jungle expeditions, a tragic race riot, and the gestapo tactics of Ford’s private army.
“We're grateful to John Sayles for writing a timely book about the hazards of concentrated power and for choosing to support a community-owned alternative,” says Adine Viscusi, board member of Electric City Community Grocery. “Schenectady was once a company town, and cooperative businesses are one way we ensure decisions today are made by and for the people who live here. A food co-op does more than improve access—it strengthens civic culture, keeps wealth rooted locally, and supports community health. That kind of shared ownership helps make our democracy more resilient in everyday life.”