Arts
A burst of spring at the Fine Arts Center: Dance, music and acrobatics on tap at UMass in next two weeks
By STEVE PFARRER
The Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has continued to rebound from the pandemic with an expanded program this year featuring a range of shows in music, dance, theater and movement.As spring officially arrives, the schedule...
Waking up: One man’s journey from ad man to atman
By MELISSA KAREN SANCES
Before Tom Pedulla found the Eightfold Path, he had to admit that he was lost.It took the better part of a lifetime, because he didn’t look lost at all. As the eldest of four children born to Italian-American parents, he was expected to succeed, and...
Smith College Museum of Art hosts two public talks
By STEVE PFARRER
NORTHAMPTON — The Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) is hosting two public talks that will examine some diverse subjects, from art and culture of North Africa to a look at how incarcerated people create art.On Wednesday, Abdessamad El Montassir, an...
Book Bag: ‘Writing the Land: Windbown I,’ edited by Lis McLouglin; coming book launches at Odyssey Bookshop
By STEVE PFARRER
Writing the Land: Windblown IEdited by Lis McLoughlin; NatureCulture LLC The beauty of nature has inspired countless writers and other artists for time immemorial. That beauty has also inspired any number of people to try to preserve the natural world...
Two roads converge: Academic and musician Florence Dore mines connections between her passions
By STEVE PFARRER
Who says you can’t merge a Ph.D. and rock and roll? As Florence Dore explains, she spent a long time traveling on seemingly disparate tracks. On one hand she was the professor who’d devoted years to studying American literature and teaching...
The Beat Goes On: Lots o’ Celtic music over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, blues and soul in Florence, and more
By STEVE PFARRER
Unless you’re planning to drink yourself into a stupor with a borg (blackout rage gallon) or some other kind of booze preparation, you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend by listening to any number of Celtic groups that will be playing in the...
Arts Briefs: Four Sundays program returns to Northampton, UMass alumna wins major opera competition, and more
Four Sundays (and a few Saturdaysand weekdays)NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Arts Council’s “Four Sundays” program, which has gone through a bit of an evolution in the last few years, is back again in yet another format.The original program, “Four...
Singular jazz duo comes to Amherst College: PVJS concert will showcase renowned improvisational trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith
By STEVE PFARRER
Over the years, Glenn Siegel has worked with a huge number of jazz musicians and composers, both as the founder of the former Magic Triangle concert series at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and with his Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares program.But...
Remembering Leilah: Northampton exhibit a memorial to young artistic woman gone too soon
By STEVE PFARRER
In March 2020, just as the pandemic was about to force the country into lockdown, Lynn Marcus was dealt a much more serious blow: Her daughter, Leilah Cohen, took her life.It’s hard to imagine anything more painful for a parent than to lose a child,...
The different sides of James Baldwin: Mead Museum exhibit showcases writer’s artistic connections
By STEVE PFARRER
It’s mostly a lesser-known footnote to his career: From 1983 to 1986, James Baldwin was based at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was part of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies and taught students from across the...
EarthTalk: Is it bad for the planet to upgrade my phone every two years?
Dear EarthTalk: Is it really bad for the planet to upgrade my phone every two years? – A.J., Darien, ConnecticutSmartphones have certainly become ubiquitous, with some 85% of Americans and 67% of adults worldwide possessing one. Manufacturers sell...
Speaking of Nature: Conflict — The fight for survival
By BILL DANIELSON
We’ve reached that point in the school year when my biology students have learned about Gregor Mendel, his experiments with pea plants and the general concepts of genes and heredity. We’ve also taken a look at the structures and basic functions of DNA...
A piece of the Oscar action: Three ARHS graduates have hands in Academy Award-nominated documentaries
By STEVE PFARRER
The Academy Awards are almost upon us, and with it comes the endless handicapping and speculation on who will win best actor and actress, who’s likely to be voted best director, and which film will score an Oscar for best picture of the year.But...
Another ARHS graduate helps write the script for the Oscar-nominated ‘Elvis’
By STEVE PFARRER
AMHERST — The three Amherst High graduates who have had a hand in two Academy Award-nominated documentary films are not the only former students to shine at this year’s Oscars.Sam Bromell, a 2004 ARHS graduate, is one of the screenplay writers for...
Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner is Laura Frogameni, Florence
This week’s winning photo is of a warm, apple, lattice top crust-only dessert made for a recent chilly evening from Laura Frogameni of Florence. How to enter: Snap a pic of something delicious-looking and send it with your name, town and a sentence or...
Let’s Talk Relationships: What do happy couples do?
By AMY NEWSHORE
Do happy couples have a secret for lasting fulfillment in their relationships? The answer is “no.” It is never one thing that they all have in common. It is a bunch of things. Researchers have determined that certain habits and ways of communicating...
Earth Matters: Rewilding is letting nature take the lead
By CHRISTINE HATCH
In his book “Rewilding North America,” the late conservationist Dave Forman wrote about how in North America, rewilding began with large-scale efforts to reintroduce and restore populations of apex predators such as wolves. It included provisions for...
The Beat Goes On: Kimaya Diggs launches new album in Amherst, hot blues in Florence and more
By STEVE PFARRER
The official start of spring is less than three weeks away, though it’s anyone’s guess when the weather will really warm up. But as if she’s anticipating that time, Kimaya Diggs has a new single out that could serve as a wonderful soundtrack for that...
Around & About: A fashion plate for a whole minute
By RICHARD MCCARTHY
Once when I was walking on a main drag in Toronto, I turned to the woman I was with and said, “The guys here dress differently than I do.” Without missing a beat, she said, “I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. You’re equally out of fashion...
A bright splash of color: Carle Museum tries on special glasses for visitors with vision issue
By STEVE PFARRER
For Will Schneider, putting on this pair of glasses opened up his vision to a depth of color he wouldn’t ordinarily see.“The blue is so much more textured,” said Schneider as he peered at an illustration at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art....
