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By STEVE PFARRER

Several years ago, Mattea Kramer, an Amherst writer and researcher who’s studied and written about the federal budget as well as drug policies at state and federal levels, spent time interviewing a number of women in the Greenfield jail who were part of a recovery program for substance use.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Author Margaret Atwood supposedly once said, “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” With a new book, “Fierce Encouragement: 201 Writing Prompts for Staying Grounded in Fragile Times,” author and writing coach Jena Schwartz wants to inspire writers to build their own creative practices, no matter if the result isn’t entirely perfect.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Some people dream of taking months away from their jobs to hike the Appalachian Trail. For local photographer Carly Rae Brunault, hiking the trail from Georgia to Maine and meeting people along the way helped her deal with grief – and she’s since turned that experience into a book.

By STEVE PFARRER

During my last several years as the Gazette’s arts and features writer, I compiled a list of my favorite books of the year each December, given that newspapers all do that best-of-the-year thing and I thought it would be fun to get on board...

By CAROLYN BROWN

Decades ago, it was common for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be kept in inhumane conditions inside horrific institutions. With the release of his new book, “Becoming Darlene: The Story of Belchertown Patient #4952,”...

Staff Report

Collectors and fans of rare books and the book arts will find good company at an upcoming book fair in Northampton.The eighth Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair (also known simply as the Northampton Book Fair) will be at 33...

By TINKY WEISBLAT

“The Bridge of Flowers” by Phil Billitz; CreateSpace, 91 pages, $24.95Phil Billitz of Shelburne Falls published his picture book “The Bridge of Flowers: A Garden of Inspiration” in 2020. At that point, COVID-19 had shut down most local businesses and...

By TINKY WEISBLAT

The town of Leverett is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. The festivities have included a cake-filled birthday party in March, a plant walk, an antique vehicle and equipment show, a quilt show, a July 4 parade and barbecue, and much...

By CAROLYN BROWN

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Center for the Book, the state branch of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, announced the winners of its 24th annual Massachusetts Book Awards — and six authors from the Pioneer Valley were on the...

By STEVE PFARRER

Pickett’s DreamBy Christopher CarlisleAustin Macauley PublishersChristopher Carlisle, at one time the Episcopal chaplain for the University of Massachusetts Amherst, later co-founded Cathedral in the Night, a Christian outdoor service and community in...

STEVE PFARRER

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has displayed the work of dozens and dozens — or more likely hundreds — of illustrators and writers over the years, in solo exhibits and group shows.Among them have been a fair number of artists from other...

By STEVE PFARRER

Just in time to coincide with Children’s Book Week, a national event established in 1905, the Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) has created a children’s literary showcase here in the Valley.The Mass Kids Lit Fest, a new book festival taking...

By STEVE PFARRER

Call it an encore performance.“The Spiderwick Chronicles,” the bestselling series of fantasy books by Amherst writers Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, has just been turned into a streaming series on The Roku Channel.That comes 16 years after a feature...

By STEVE PFARRER

One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney TaylorWritten by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Sarah Green; Calkins Creek Amherst poet and children’s author Richard Michelson has often delved into history in some of his books for young readers, such as “The...

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...

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...

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...

By STEVE PFARRER

KindlingBy Kathleen JenningsSmall Beer Press Kathleen Jennings had already made a name for herself as a talented illustrator of fantasy books when she began writing her own stories some years back — and it turns out she can spin some magical tales of...