On The Run with John Stifler: The enduring appeal of small-town road races

Illustrating the rhythm: The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art displays the visual symphony of Jerry Pinkney

Illustrator Jerry Pinkney once said, “I’d like my art to feel the way music sounds.” A new exhibition at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst explores this connection. Featuring more than 75 of Pinkney’s works, the display pairs his illustrations with the music he listened to while creating them. The Eric Carle Museum is hosting “Soul, Sound, and Voice: The Art of Jerry Pinkney” through Sunday, Jan 3, 2027. The show was co-organized with Woodmere, an art museum in Pinkney’s hometown, Philadelphia, which put on the show in 2025. “There is definitely a rhythm to the way […]

From Western Mass to the Wild West: Author’s new book sets autistic protagonist in 1840s Sierra Nevada

Drawn to the “outlaw sensibility” of the Wild West since childhood, author Josh Weil has channeled his lifelong fascination into the creation of his fourth published book. The Leverett-grown writer will read from his latest novel, “What Came West,” at Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. Set in the […]

Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Defeating August doldrums: The essential varieties of geranium to brighten your summer garden

Here we are at the half-way mark of summer. I don’t know about your garden, but mine is teetering on the brink of the slide into the August doldrums. At this perilous point in the season, I am ever-grateful for the hardy geranium, whose many species provide dependable cheer in the garden all summer long.  […]

Around Amherst: Exhibit details evolution of U.S. democracy

AMHERST — A panel display taking people through the evolution of democracy in the United States is on the walls throughout Town Hall, the product of work done by Amherst’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department. “United States Democracy: 250 Years in the Making” is the title of the exhibit that will be up through the […]

Guest columnist Brian Pearson: Two rivers, one overlooked problem

The recent attention paid to sewage spills in the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers is welcome, and overdue. When a pipe breaks and millions of gallons of untreated wastewater pour into a river overnight, it makes headlines, and it should. Beaches close, fisheries shut down, and elected officials take notice. Friends of Lake Warner and the […]