Arts & Life
The Beat Goes On: A post-Mardi Gras show in Florence, a popular area band celebrates its newest album in Amherst, and more
By STEVE PFARRER
Mardi Gras took place last month, but you can catch some of its flavor at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity on March 24 at 4 p.m. when Jon Cleary & The Monster Gentlemen come to the Florence venue — with the Soggy Po Boys opening the show.Cleary has...
A tale of murderous indifference: ‘The Zone of Interest’ offers a view of the Holocaust as chilling as its architects
By STEVE PFARRER
Hannah Arendt famously coined the term “the banality of evil” in her book on Adolph Eichmann’s trial in Israel in 1963, where the former Nazi official, a key organizer of the Holocaust, presented himself as a bureaucrat who was “just doing his job” in...
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...
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 pore 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...
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...
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...
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...
Speaker for the whales: Indigenous artist interprets endangered right whale’s legacy and meaning
By NAILA MOREIRA
Two new exhibitions inspired by the life and skeleton of the whale Staccato — a grandmother North Atlantic right whale whose remains came to UMass’ natural history collection after her death in 1999 — are now open to the public.Indigenous artist...
Around and About with Richard McCarthy: Turn on, tune in, drop out: Exploring Timothy Leary’s Pioneer Valley roots
By RICHARD MCCARTHY
I suspect a fair number of readers are aware who Timothy Leary was, and more still have heard his name as part of the lexicon of popular culture. For those who do not know, he was one of the more famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective)...
The Beat Goes On: The Back Porch Festival is just three weeks away, and the Iron Horse announces its opening lineup
By STEVE PFARRER
If you’re like me, counting the days to spring, it’s a little over three weeks to the official first day, March 19.Yet that’s just a date on the calendar, and the weather in mid-March can still spell winter. But one antidote to that is to hit the Back...
Book Bag: ‘What’s New, Daniel?’ by Micha Archer; ‘Monkeyface’ by Judith Podell
By STEVE PFARRER
What’s New, Daniel?Written and illustrated by Micha Archer;Penguin/Random HouseIn the last several years, Leverett illustrator and children’s book author Micha Archer has been gaining increasing attention for her eye-catching art and for stories that...
Area briefs: Synagogues to host ‘For Out of Zion’ concert; Good Neighbor Fund accepting applications
Synagogues to host ‘For Out of Zion’ concertAMHERST — The Jewish Community of Amherst, in collaboration with Beit Ahavah Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton and the ALEPH Alliance for Jewish Renewal, will present the “Ki MiTzion — For Out of Zion...
Earth Matters: A world where we aren’t at the center?
By MONYA RELLES
Over the summer, I read and enjoyed “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us” by Ed Yong. One of Yong’s central theses is that animal senses are so different from our own that it’s almost impossible to imagine the ways...
The ABCs of children’s books: ‘Alphabet Soup’ at the Eric Carle Museum looks at how picture books come to life
By STEVE PFARRER
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has no shortage of material to draw on for exhibits.Aside from highlighting work from traveling exhibits, or showcasing illustrations of specific artists drawn from various sources, the Amherst museum can...
Valley Bounty: Micro but mighty: At a new farm in South Hadley, small is beautiful — and delicious
By JACOB NELSON
If there’s a lesson to be learned from Love Leaf Farm in South Hadley, it’s this: don’t judge a farm by its size … or the size of their crops, for that matter.In the words of farmer-owner Michael Fredette, “Love Leaf Farm is a very small, indoor...
Art Briefs: Classical music in Hadley, jazz in Amherst, and a unique art exhibit in Northampton
Haydn and Hummel in Hadley (with Beethoven)HADLEY — Arcadia Players will give an early boost to spring, or least to the spirit of spring, on Feb. 18 with a performance of chamber works from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including Beethoven’s...
Best Bites: Where to eat dinner right now: The top 35 Valley spots for dinner and what you should order
By ROBIN GOLDSTEIN
If I were writing the Pioneer Valley chapter of a travel guide to New England, this would be its section for “dinner with table service.” I list restaurants first that I feel are most essential to the local dining scene, the ones we can’t live...
Around and About with Richard McCarthy: Plane of dreams: Cheering on young athletes as they gain life experiences
By RICHARD MCCARTHY
Recently, I was at an airport and waiting for the same plane was a group of what looked to be about 12-to-14-year-old boys, all wearing the same black sweatsuits, with the same logo on the front of the sweatshirt. You could feel the electricity...
The Beat Goes On: Acclaimed dobro player shows her singer-songwriter side in Northampton, an eclectic duo comes to Florence, and more
By STEVE PFARRER
The Parlor Room features a steady stream of singer-songwriters, given the Northampton club’s intimate setting is ideal for acoustic music.The vast majority of those performers come bearing acoustic guitars. But Abbie Gardner will bring her dobro, or...
