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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....

By STEVE PFARRER

Once We Were HomeBy Jennifer Rosner, Flatiron Books Northampton author Jennifer Rosner made a strong debut in 2020 with her first novel, “The Yellow Bird Sings,” a story set in Poland during World War II, in which a Jewish mother and daughter are...

By STEVE PFARRER

AMHERST — Tibetan activist and writer Tenzin Tsundue, who’s been arrested and jailed multiple times for his activism, is coming to the Valley for a series of talks and to introduce his newest collection of poetry.Tsundue was born in 1975 in India to...

By STEVE PFARRER

The idea first came to Elijah Bynum about four years ago when he was exercising in a California gym and noticed an ultra-serious bodybuilder, a guy who was “radiating intensity” as he went through his paces.“There was this really intense energy about...

By STEVE PFARRER

Chester Theatre Company, which like many arts organizations struggled through the pandemic, came back last summer to offer its first season at Chester Town Hall since 2020.Now the company is preparing for its 2023 season, and they’ll do it under the...

By STEVE PFARRER

February has its national landmarks: Presidents Day, the Super Bowl, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day.In the Valley, February also means it’s time for Amherst College’s LitFest.Now in its eighth year, the college’s literary festival brings acclaimed and...

By STEVE PFARRER

Alicia Spence says she grew up in a family “that wasn’t especially handy.”If that’s the case, she’s more than made up for it.Spence, who lives in Florence, is an experienced timber framer who’s been leading the effort in the past few years, and...

By STEVE PFARRER

Though it’s still two weeks away, the Back Porch Festival is set to take up a lot of space in downtown Northampton, and some of the ticket options have already sold out, so it’s time to give a final preview of the annual roots music fest.The basics:...

By STEVE PFARRER

Barry Moser needs little introduction in these parts, or across much of the U.S., for that matter. The Hatfield artist has won enormous praise and recognition over the years for his detailed wood engravings and his limited edition prints of classic...

By STEVE PFARRER

When Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008, Ousmane Power-Greene recalls having a terrible thought: that a racist might try to assassinate America’s first Black president, or maybe his whole family.Perhaps that was an overly morbid...

By STEVE PFARRER

The House in the PinesBy Ana Reyes; Dutton There are so many mystery novels in the world today that it can be tough to make your book stand out. But take one that’s built around around psychological suspense and the elusiveness of memory, rather than...

By STEVE PFARRER

Though it’s still two weeks away, the Back Porch Festival is set to take up a lot of space in downtown Northampton, and some of the ticket options have already sold out, so it’s time to give a final preview of the annual roots music fest.The basics:...

By STEVE PFARRER

It’s no secret that the U.S. railroad system, which a century ago had the largest passenger service in the world, looks very different today.Though the nation’s freight system is still significant, passenger service has long since been eclipsed by...

By STEVE PFARRER

David Ruggles and Frederick Douglass, two of the most notable Black men to come to Northampton in the first part of the 19th century, left behind a strong legacy as committed abolitionists, writers, and speakers. Ruggles also lived in Florence in the...

By STEVE PFARRER

Story slams have become all the rage in the last couple of decades, an outgrowth of poetry slams in which competitors tell real-life tales instead of reciting verse. The topics vary, but the goal is the same: tell short, engaging and truthful...

By STEVE PFARRER

Sun on The MuddyPoems by Jim Armenti; photos by Dave Madeloni; edited by Dan Lombardo; Levellers PressJim Armenti is well known in these parts for the varied roles he’s had in the regional music scene. The multi-instrumentalist — guitar, bass,...

By STEVE PFARRER

Signature Sounds is gearing up for a considerably expanded Back Porch Festival this year, with the annual roots music fest, which takes place March 3 through 5, now featuring over 50 bands and artists performing in eight different downtown Northampton...

By STEVE PFARRER

A couple years ago, Forbes Library received a $10,000 donation from a donor who wanted to remain anonymous but also wanted the money used for a very specific purpose: to broaden the Northampton library’s permanent art collection.More specifically,...

By STEVE PFARRER

AMHERST — After nearly 18 years at the helm of the largest art gallery at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Loretta Yarlow will step down from the University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) at the end of June.Yarlow, who came to the Valley...

By STEVE PFARRER

AMHERST — The Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, which has been closed to the public for nearly three years, is poised to reopen with two new exhibits in place.The museum shut its doors for all in March 2020 when COVID-19 arrived, and though it...