Arts
Earth Matters: Living in a recycled material world: Hitchcock Center inspires a fossil free future
By MARGAUX PAINE
As the world grapples with environmental challenges, the Fossil Free Zones initiative, championed by Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO), takes inspiration from the transformative work at The Hitchcock Center for the Environment. The Center...
Speaking of Nature: Bring the birds to you: A behind-the-scenes tip of nature photography
By BILL DANIELSON
Every week, rain or shine, winter or summer, I try to find something fun, interesting and positive to talk about in my column. This is actually an easy thing to do, but what can be somewhat problematic is finding a photo that will pair nicely with the...
Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Linda Marston of Amherst
If you’ve yet to try cauliflower crust pizza, a gluten-free, higher-fiber alternative to traditional wheat-based pizza crust, Linda Marston’s Artichoke Pesto Pine Nut Pizza may make you a convert. “Cooked in the toaster oven on a pizza stone” for that...
Turning 35, with some new plays to mark the occasion: Chester Theatre unveils its 2024 program
By STEVE PFARRER
Chester Theatre Company turns 35 this year, and for its 2024 season, the ensemble is throwing in some new wrinkles to mark the occasion, from the world premiere of two new plays, the addition of some Friday matinees, and a production that The New York...
Get ready to freak out: Northampton High School and the community come together to stage ‘Freaky Friday’
By STEVE PFARRER
It’s a common refrain for a lot of teens when they argue with their parents: “You just don’t understand what my life is like.”Of course, parents can turn that back on their kids: “What do you know about having to go to work, paying the bills, and...
Taylor Swift, Emily Dickinson: Related in art and fact
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
The Pioneer Valley’s most famous poet, it turns out, has a genealogical connection to the the modern world’s most famous singer-songwriter.In a segment on NBC’s “Today Show” on Monday, the genealogy website Ancestry.com revealed that Emily Dickinson...
Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Become an educated gardener: Three upcoming symposia will answer all your gardening questions
By MICKEY RATHBUN
Most of us humans assume that other creatures experience the world through their senses of sound, taste, smell and touch, the same way we do. But we couldn’t be more wrong, as science writer Ed Yong explains in his fascinating new book, “An Immense...
Change the world in 1,000 days: It starts with supporting babies and their families
By DOUG SELWYN
A recent essay by Blythe Thomas, initiative director at 1000 Days, an organization that fights “to make health and well-being during the first 1,000 days (between pregnancy and a child’s 2nd birthday) a policy and funding priority,” begins by asking...
Direct from the Sunshine State: Augusta Savage Gallery celebrates its namesake with group show from Florida
By STEVE PFARRER
Augusta Savage rose to prominence as a sculptor and educator when she moved to New York City in the 1920s, where she soon became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.But Savage, who was also a determined advocate for equal rights for African...
Earth Matters: In awe of the evolution of seeds: Seeds have lives and ecosystem roles far beyond their use to humans
By LAWRENCE WINSHIP
February in New England brings longer days, uncertain weather … and seed catalogs! We gardeners pour over highly anticipated pages of glossy photos offering the promise of gorgeous fruits and flowers, all for the small price of a seed packet.Seed...
The Beat Goes On: Chamber music at The Drake, a Saint Patrick’s weekend musical smorgasbord, and more
By STEVE PFARRER
Since opening in the spring of 2022, The Drake has featured a wide range of music, from blues to rock to folk (and various combinations thereof), to jazz and more.“More” includes the Amherst club’s periodic forays into classical music, with concerts...
Only Human with Joan Axelrod-Contrada: I want to ‘Paint it Black’: A rock ’n’ roll anthem provides validation through tough times
By JOAN AXELROD-CONTRADA
I heard the song “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones on the radio early in my late husband Fred’s illness.Never before had I listened to the lyrics carefully enough to know they were about grief. I’d always taken it as a song about generalized...
Speaking of Nature: The bird that surprised me: Brown Creeper uncommon for most of year, expertly camoflauges among dead trees
By BILL DANIELSON
It was the end of a very long day, but, because of the increasing daylight that we have all been enjoying, it was still light out when I got home. I pulled up to the garage, but I had to get out to open the garage door because my door opener had died....
Preserving a key part of Emily Dickinson’s legacy: Historic Evergreens house reopens at the Emily Dickinson Museum
By STEVE PFARRER
Between the “Dickinson” series on Apple TV+ and movies such as 2016’s “A Quiet Passion,” interest in Emily Dickinson has grown in the last several years, even beyond the already intense admiration that existed for her poetry among readers and literary...
Book Bag: ‘The Real Gatsby; George Gordon Moore’ by Mickey Rathbun; ‘The Book Eaters’ by Carolina Hotchandani
By STEVE PFARRER
The Real Gatsby: George Gordon MooreBy Mickey RathbunWhite River Press Just who was the inspiration for the character of the Great Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel of the same name?Scholars and literary detectives have tried for decades to...
Let’s Talk Relationships: Your voice matters: An open invitation to share your thoughts
By AMY NEWSHORE
I have always found the topic of relationships fascinating and intriguing. In my monthly column, I write about romantic love, along with other significant relationships, and the perplexing challenges that we all inevitably face.Although it may be easy...
Earth Matter: Unlike any other vertebrate: Exploring the strangeness of seahorses
By DAVID SPECTOR
Most vertebrates — the large group of animals that includes humans — have many features in common, but some oddball groups have lost some of those characteristics. For example, snakes have lost their limbs, but they retain most of the other features...
Valley Bounty: Building community, year-round: Holyoke Farmers Market is a source of positivity and local fare
By JACOB NELSON
‘When I was a kid in Puerto Rico, I always liked going to the roadside markets and farm stands,” says Alexis Diaz DeJesus. “People had their fruit and vegetables all displayed, and you could negotiate prices or even trade for things. Then there were...
Weekly Food Photo Contest: This week’s winner: Raisin Horn of South Hadley
Raisin Horn of South Hadley sent us this photo of John Horn’s bacon and scallion quiche, with a perfectly crispy top, along with the note “Dinner is always great with the fresh ingredients we find in the Pioneer Valley since moving here in 2023.”...
The night that changed Deerfield forever: New book gives a comprehensive look at the infamous Deerfield Massacre of 1704
By CHRIS LARABEE
If you’re from the region, you’ve probably come across the story of the 1704 attack on Deerfield, or, at least one of the many monuments placed around the county commemorating the English colonists.But how much do you really know of this time period,...
