LIBERTY, NY — Acclaimed poet and novelist Martine Bellen will read from her new novella, “2X(Squared),” in the First Hearings Series at The Liberty Free Theatre at 109 South Main St. on Saturday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. Paul Austin will begin the program with “The Virtue of Language.”

Bellen is the author of six collections of poetry, including “Ghosts!,” “The Vulnerability of Order,” and “Tales of Murasaki and Other Poems,” which won the National Poetry Series Award.

Admission is free. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. The audience is invited to gather after the performance for food, drink and music. Call 845/292-3788.