Games

June 18th – June 24th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

This week we want to let you know that the game Cultist Simulator is a lot of fun. Highly recommended to anyone who liked Fallen London/Sunless Sea, which the creators worked on previously, or who likes weird RPGs in general.

It’s a kind of combination of a clicker game and a text RPG, with some neat obfuscated systems in there to keep you feeling like you’re groping around in the proverbial dark for mysterious and dangerous powers. It’s a bit of a roguelike in that you constantly die after trying to do a thing that you can’t completely understand. It also has cards, which are fun to fiddle with and sort.

We can’t say a whole ton about how it shakes out in the endgame because our average character spends about three weeks telling all their pals about how they’re pretty sure they’ve uncovered the mysteries at the heart of reality, hosts a few very nice parties, and then succumbs to existential despair after sending all their new friends off to die searching for occult treasure.

Speaking of good things, have you got your Planetary Travel poster from local artist Aaron Wood? They’re neat! They remind us of the card art in Cultist Simulator.

Dang that’s a neat game.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Tuesday, June 19th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Book Writers Group
Adults who write for kids, talk to other adults who do the same! Facilitated by Nell Wright, it’s a chance to share tips, discuss skills, and get input about stories!
Friday, June 22nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Care Center, Nautilus II
“On Friday, June 22, 2018, The Care Center will celebrate the release of Nautilus II, an annual journal of poetry and visual art created by young mothers, with a reading at the Odyssey Bookshop from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Please join us to hear work from the latest issue and to honor the efforts of the student-led editorial board. The event is free and open to the public.”
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Cartooning Crash Course (Ages 12-17)
Teens! Learn to cartoon! Create worlds with your mind and a pen! Breathe life into an imaginary world!

Board Games:

Wednesday, June 20th
Brass Cat [65 Cottage St, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM
Wednesday Games Two-Year Anniversary Extravaganza!
Wednesday Games is two years old! Spectacular! Celebrate by playing a bunch of games with a bunch of kind and friendly folks! There will be pizza too! This is the best of all possible worlds.

Books:

Wednesday, June 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Writing Critique Group
Writers of picture books, middle grade, and YA books meet to read and get some feedback! The group is facilitated by following SCBWI guidelines but you don’t have to be a member to participate. Learn to write better and also meet some colleagues!
Thursday, June 21st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
The Thursday Morning Club
A new series featuring a bunch of free speakers! The inaugural event will feature Hazel Dawkins talking about her books! She was paid to read by publishers, editing books! She’s spectacularly broadly read thanks to basically chewing through everything HarperCollins published, and well-read people are fun to hear from!
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Fatima Farheen Mirza, A Place for Us
A Place for Us focuses on an Indian Muslim family as they prepare for the marriage of their eldest daughter, but everyone’s worried about her estranged younger brother and whether he’ll be a jackass at the wedding. It’s a family drama that has been described by no less than Sarah Jessica Parker as really good! And other folks, we assume, but that’s the quote up top here.

Community:

Thursday, June 21st
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Jewish Voices for Peace Discussion Group
Reading and facilitated discussion, free and open to the public! Get together with folks to figure out how to make the world less terrible.

Entertainment:

Thursday, June 21st
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Anime is an art form that we have scattered experience with but a lot of people wicked like. We just started watching the Netflix one “Children of the Whales” and it seems pretty neat and neatly pretty so far, though quite sad!
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Exploring Northampton: Foraging for Wild Edibles
Northampton resident and wild edibles expert Blanche Cybele Derby will take you on a foray into the wild to identify some of her favorite wild edibles and their historical uses. Also, recipes! Which are important. Most wild edibles kind of taste like a leaf if you just chow down. Costs $8 for members, $12 for non-members.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
2018 Massachusetts Walking Tour Concert
A free concert that’s also a walking tour! THat’s awesome! You’re going to hike AND paddle AND listen to great music! That’s wild. Check out more at www.masswalkingtour.org!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Vernon Valiquette & Liam Hurley
Music! Free! Glam-a-billy! That about covers it. Remakes of songs from Johnny Cash to David Bowie, all at a kid-friendly volume! Fun for all ages!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Cookies with a Curator
Informal conversations and a show-and-tell! This month, talk about the Imperial Bakery! Guest curator Richard Szlosek will reminisce about growing up in Northampton and his family-owned bakery! From everything we’ve heard about bakeries it’ll involve a lot early mornings and accidental maiming.
Saturday, June 23rd
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Bobbie’s Meadow: A Celebration and Dedication
Celebrate the opening of Bobbie’s Meadow! Named in memory of Barbara Carle, Eric Carle’s wife, Bobbie’s Meadow is a place to learn from and be inspired by nature. The dedication day will have story-times, animal friends to meet, art to look at, and exploration to do! What a great time for the whole family!
Sunday, June 24th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Tour of Zea Mays Printmaking
See how original hand-pulled prints are made! Printing presses, ink rollers, artists, work, Zea Mays is a hive of activity in the heart of the Valley! It’s going to include a walk through the huge studio as well as a look at the prints in the Flat File Project and in the on-site gallery and a short print-making demonstration! $10 per person, limited to just 12 people so register with Historic Northampton! https://www.historicnorthampton.org/tour-of-zea-mays-rsvp-page.html

History:

Wednesday, June 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Western Mass Jewish Genealogy Society Research Night
Come research your Jewish roots with a one-on-one appointment with a mentor or translator! You should really pre-register by contacting wmjgs2 [at] gmail [dot] com, or 413-268-2147! Learn about your family, maybe it turns out you’re related to someone cool!

Kids:

Monday, June 18th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
Children! Play some Minecraft with friends!
Tuesday, June 19th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Ages 5 and up can enjoy an afternoon playing with LEGOs!
Wednesday, June 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Music Storytime with Mr. Liam
He’s going to play music and tell stories! You can attend to listen to both, and perhaps attempt to steal his power by acquiring his clown nose.

Movies:

Saturday, June 23rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Now and Again Film Screening & Discussion
“In 1945, two teenagers, George and Mel went on an an adventure they’d remember for the rest of their lives—until Mel lost his memory to Alzheimer’s. Now, over seventy years later, Mel’s grandsons are traveling the same 100-mile journey to explore the legacy of their grandfather, telling a cross-generational story of love, conflict, and life. Followed by discussion with Filmmaker and Alzheimer’s support leaders”

RPGs:

Thursday, June 21st
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play a game where you pretend to be another person! That covers a pretty wide range, so we don’t know exactly what’ll be up here but for some reason most of these games involves swords and dragons at some point. Even if someone tells you you’re going to be playing an RPG about minding a small convenience store, take a few levels in Longswords just in case.

Technology:

Tuesday, June 19th
Click Workspace [9.5 Market St., Northampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Data-Driven Dashboards with React – Monthly Full Stack Meetup
Jochen Rau is going to take a deep dive into modular single-page applications using React. There’s going to be a bunch of new content even if you saw his NERD talk! Component state management, life-cycles, all the good stuff will be covered as Jochen and you put together a dashboard for streaming weather data! The full-stack meetup is a lot of fun, but you may want to join up and RSVP quickly! The room can be a bit small, so there aren’t unlimited spaces.
Thursday, June 21st
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
Get together to talk about WordPress! Introduce yourself, bring some problems to the group or offer some solutions, and then get into some more specific topics! There will be some brief updates about new privacy features post-GDPR, and a round-table about how to host your sites! We like using WordPress pretty well, in general. Although we can also say it seems really satisfying to find something more obscure and passionately argue about why it’s definitely a better option.

 

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June 11th – June 17th

 

The Valley Nerd Watch!

It’s E3 week and you know what that means!

That means we want you to check out Nerd Nite NoHo! It’s our thing we do so we get to advertise it up here all the time and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop us. As always it’s at the World War 2 Club at 50 Conz St in Northampton 7:00pm to 9:00pm and as always if you attend you will gain the ability to shoot lasers out your eyeballs.

This week we’ve been spending a decent chunk of time playing the new game Cultist Simulator on our PC. It’s weird and if you like any of the excellent work by our local creators we recommend you take a look. It’s a sort of adventure game by way of combining cards with pithy descriptions and seeing what happens.

And of course you get to start a cult which is great fun!

You should take a moment to check out local creator Comic Kibble’s web store! You can buy excellent zines and you can buy very good interrobang patches!?

Also check out “speed runs” of local creator Epidiah Ravochol’s Swords Without Master during which folks play through a satisfying start to finish fantastic adventure in less than an hour! It is a very neat RPG that you should definitely play and these playthrough will give you an example of why, with creator Epidiah himself playing!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Monday, June 11th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Button Making
Design your own buttons with a button maker! Maybe you need a button to keep your shirt closed? Maybe you need a button to launch your master plan? Maybe you need a button that says “I made a button!” all of these are possible with a button-maker!
Tuesday, June 12th
Gandara Youth Development Center [306 Race St., Holyoke, MA] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Meet in the Teen Room to walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio to get some hands on experience with journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! SOUNDS cool! Get it? See that? Nice.
Wednesday, June 13th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Crafternoon
Head to the Teen Loft for a craft! There are SNACKS! SNAAAAAAAAAAACKS! Ages 12-18 welcome.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINES this club has a lot of them, you make them, folks are nice, there are a bunch of people of all ages and interests just making art together.
Hadley Historical Society [12 Middle St., Hadley MA] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Steve Wilda, Local Artist
The titular artist will display and discuss a series of acrylic still life paintings of objects in ruin from the past, including items from WW1 and the Hadley Historical Society, as well as one odd piece of metal that seems to sing as you look at it, promising ever more revelations so long as you never tell anyone that you found it in a meteorite.
Saturday, June 16th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Watercolors
Pain some watercolors! Or look at some watercolors? Provide therapy to watercolors? Maybe you dance with them, or debate them? It’s impossible to tell, the description is just “watercolors”. Maybe this IS watercolors, like all of them?
Gill-Montague Senior Center [62 Fifth St., Turners Falls MA] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
The Making of Rock Paper Scissors, Public Art in Turners Falls
“Tim de Christopher, stone sculptor, will present a lecture describing the making of his work, Rock Paper Scissors, a public installation honoring the history of the Village of Turners Falls, in Montague, Ma. de Christopher will talk about the concept that inspired the work, how he presented his idea to the town, and, most of all, the execution of the work.” That way you can replicate it at home for a nice gigantic marble centerpiece.

Books:

Monday, June 11th
Amherst Books [8 Main St., Amherst MA] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Amherst Books Author Event – David Wanczyk’s Beep
Beep takes you into the world of baseball for the blind, a frankly impressive sport involving balls that beep, bases that buzz, and a bunch of people playing a sport involving fast-moving objects who don’t have any visual on said objects. It sounds like an innovative and incredibly difficult sport to take up!
Thursday, June 14th
Emily Williston Memorial Library at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Dave Daley Author Talk: Rat Fucked
David Daley, former Editor-in-Chief of Salon, joins the library on June 14th to talk about his book Rat Fucked: Why Your Vote Doesn’t Count. It runs down the aggressive plan by Republicans to strategically gerrymander districts so that they can continue to have pluralities even in places where the vast majority of votes were cast against them. Daley will be talking about his book with local author Seth Harwood, answering Q&A, and there’s tea and coffee afterward!
Saturday, June 16th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Roxy and Beary’s Bar Harbor Adventures: Wagging Tails with Roxy
Meet two excellent doggies! Author Crysta Ascolillo has written a lovely book with the help of Roxy all about their adventures in new doggie destinations around Maine! Dogs are good, and author dogs are even better.

Community:

Wednesday, June 13th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Represent Western Mass
A seminar to introduce people to a nonpartisan group fighting corruption in government! Help find your place in the projects that they’re working on, and meet fellow concerned citizens who want to make politics at least require a basic level of not directly accepting bribes to your Bribes account at the bank.
Saturday, June 16th
Building Autistic Community, Inc. [8 Washington St, Westfield MA] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Saturday Autism and Asperger’s support group
“This group is an opportunity for support and discussion for people on the autism spectrum. This group is a “safe space” for adults in our community and is not intended as a parenting group; family members are encouraged to get in touch with us for relevant resources for their needs. Adults 18+ who identify with autism, Asperger’s, or other murky labels. For a number of reasons, including the difficulty of getting a diagnosis as an adult, a formal clinical diagnosis is not required.”

Entertainment:

Monday, June 11th
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St, Northampton] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo
Two excellent presenters! One great night! That’s Nerd Nite! This week will have “Bullets are Bad for the Brain: Designing Effective Presentations” from Fred Zinn, who really thinks you may want to reconsider Powerpoint, and “Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War” from Cooper Wood, who actually also have a lot of opinions about how bullets are bad for your brain.
Wednesday, June 13th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Speaker Series
Speakers! Speak about things! We don’t know what because there’s no description but we’re going to say this week a speaker will come in and tell you how to raise a skeleton army.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM
Lawn Concert by Ray Mason Band
“The Ray Mason Band consists of: Frank Marsh (drums, vocals), Stephen Desaulniers (bass, vocals), Tom Shea (guitar, vocals) and Ray (vocals, guitar)” It also consists of a Mason jug, which belongs to Ray hence the name. Free for everyone, bring picnics, if there’s bad weather they’ll do it indoors!
Thursday, June 14th
Gateway City Arts [92 Race St., Holyoke MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Drag Queen Trivia presented as part of Western Mass Beer Week
“Have you experienced the gift that is Jenayah De Roasario Della Notte? Jenayah is the host of our monthly Drag Queen Bingo- one of GCA’s most loved regular events. We are teaming up with Jenayah, Liz, and Artisan Beverage Coop to bring you a killer night of Drag Trivia to celebrate Western Mass Beer Week! Come on out with your team and test your wits while you sip on a glass of Ginger Libation! $5 per person, teams of 1-4”
Sunday, June 17th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Serenity Screening with the Western MA Sci-Fi Meetup!
For more details, like where it’s actually being held, check out https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/251523517/! Special request: bring either sugar and gluten-free food or just chip in $5 to defray potluck costs. Be a nice guest! Dang, Firefly. Remember when there weren’t like 10 shows at a time catering to a nerd thing you like?

History:

Monday, June 11th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Civil War Hijinks with Judy Cook
When we think of the Civil War, we don’t generally think “Hijinks” but well, alright. “Civil War Hijinks features the letters of Judy’s great-great-grandparents: Gilbert Claflin, a Wisconsin farmer drafted at the age of 40; and his wife, Esther, keeping the farm going with their two teen-aged sons. Interspersed throughout the program Judy will play tunes and sing songs written during the Civil War.” History, as it were lived! Free and open to the public!
Tuesday, June 12th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
The Texts of King Philip’s War and Native New England Continuance
“In 2018, Yale University Press published two new books about King Philip’s War: Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War by Amherst College Professor Lisa Brooks and Memory Lands: King Philip’s War and the Place of Violence in the Northeast by Christine Delucia. In this talk, these two authors will talk about their books with emphasis on the published texts and other archival resources they relied on in their research.” Learn about the history of this country, and be ready to get sad! You rarely find out that US history was LESS horrific than you were expecting.
Wednesday, June 13th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: Memory of a Forgotten War
“Memory of Forgotten War conveys the human costs of military conflict through deeply personal accounts of the Korean War (1950-53) by four Korean-American survivors. Their stories take audiences through the trajectory of the war, from extensive bombing campaigns, to day-to-day struggle for survival and separation from family members across the DMZ. Decades later, each person reunites with relatives in North Korea, conveying beyond words the meaning of family loss.” Free and accessible. Local Korean-Americans and academic experts will participate in the post-film discussions.
Thursday, June 14th
Chicopee Public Library [449 Front St., Chicopee MA] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Unraveling America’s Musical Roots
A free interactive program with Craig Harris, a percussionist and educator and also author! The presentation goes over the history of American music in all its great variety. You’ll see archival footage, hear stories, and even play some music yourself!
Saturday, June 16th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The Gilded Cage: Northampton’s Last Water-Powered Elevator: A Film by Stan Sherer
Learn about the history of the Masonic Block, that big stretch of Main Street in downtown Northampton that has Fitzwilly’s in it. And specifically, about how they installed an elevator that was powered by the Northampton city water pressure until 2016! Apparently a pretty standard thing at the turn of the previous century, this one was distinguished mostly by being fancy as heck. Sherer’s film shows you exactly how this works and speaks to elevator operators and servicepeople about how neat it was. Free and open to the public, with a second showing at 4pm!

Kids:

Monday, June 11th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Kids Writing Club
Creative writers from 9-12, join the writing club and practice writing! Learn tips and techniques, write to prompts, and even share your work if you possess a heroic level of social calm. At the end of the summer everyone’s best pieces will be collected into a chapbook! It’s the perfect opportunity to start your 70-book fantasy epic The Sky Cycle of Lost Mnethiem!
Tuesday, June 12th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Kids! Play with Legally Ethical Great Objects!
Wednesday, June 13th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Youth Leadership Program
A hands-on series during which the youth will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and interact with their community through games, conversations, field trips, and other activities! You’re going to want to pay attention to how to lead, the youth, we really need you to tell us to stop being horrible.
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Ukulele Club! (Ages 8-12)
Ukulele! Play uke, learn uke, uke all day long if you like! Well uke from 3:30 – 5pm at least. Though you’re free to uke after as well. Dang we hope people call playing the ukulele ‘ukeing’ or else all of this will sound very uncool.
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Donuts with Dad
We KNEW our dad was faking his death! How dare he oooooh wait no it’s not donuts with OUR dad, it’s an event for dads to bring kids to eat some donuts and hear stories! Registration required, contact 413-562-6158×5!
Thursday, June 14th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Preschool Storytime
Hear stories! Or well, have your kids hear stories we suppose, we’re assuming preschoolers don’t read this.
Munson Memorial Library [1046 S East St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Story and Craft Time @ Munson Memorial Library
Stories and crafts! Craft a story, tell a story about a craft!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
Comics Club
Join Callie in the Children’s + YA Department for a meeting to make your own comics and talk with other comic fans! Intended for elementary and tween readers. Have you read Squirrel Girl? It’s great read that one.
Friday, June 15th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Ukulele Music Time with Julie
Listen! Play! Learn! Learn how to make music with a delightful instrument, and listen to fun songs!
Saturday, June 16th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Happier Family Comedy Show
Happier Valley Comedy is the heart of improv comedy in Western Mass! Let your family’s creativity flourish in an accepting improv atmosphere! Geared for kids aged 5-12, call 413-559-6336 to get tickets! We should warn you that this may lead your child down the path to improv themselves, from which no one returns unchanged.

Movies:

Sunday, June 17th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
FILM | “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”
A documentary featuring never-before-seen photos and excerpts from his performances traces this talented entertainer and his journey for identity. Student $4, Member $6, Public $8!

Science:

Sunday, June 17th
Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery [172 Hockanum Rd, Hadley MA] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Cow Power: From Waste to Watts
Learn about how the farm makes cow poop into power through the magic of what we assume are machines that are not super good smelling. There’s a free walking tour of the digester system they use to generate green electricity for over a thousand homes! It’s a neat side-effect of having local small farmers that they can choose to do cool things with their waste byproducts instead of just secretly dumping them into the river.

Technology:

Tuesday, June 12th
Common Media [84 Russell St., Hadley, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass
Most important info up front: Dinner and drinks are on them! Yaaaay. But who are them? They’re a bunch of people in Western Mass who both like to fiddle with computers in general and like to support local things that need help! Find out about current projects! Start your own! Join the github https://hackforwesternmass.github.io/! Join the slack https://h4wm.slack.com/signup! Do it 4 Western Mass!
Wednesday, June 13th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Atlassian User Group Meetup
Talk about distilling conversations into ready stories by using Confluence. Now, we don’t understand why those words are in that order, but based on the capitalization of the word Confluence we assume it’s some sort of spell? Like you can somehow rob words from your conversations and use Confluence to turn them into readied Stories, which we assume fight the forces of darkness somehow? Anyway RSVP here to learn magic: https://aug.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-northampton-presents-distilling-conversations-into-ready-stories

Teens:

Monday, June 11th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Teens Only: Make a Sharpie Tie-Dye T-Shirt
Teens! Steal a shirt from your least favorite parent and turn it into a sharpie tie-dye shirt! Then when you have the hang of it make your own! Bring a t-shirt to decorate!
Thursday, June 14th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Teen Room Activities
Stop by the Teen Room afterschool to play games from the collection (or bring your own!), read, craft things, draw stuff, make a button or two, hang out with friends, all the stuff teens like!
Friday, June 15th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Lounge
Longue about on any of the library’s fantastic fainting couches! Hang out with pals!

 

June 4th – June 10th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

The Nerd Watch for another week! What a delight.

Have you been checking out the excellent work of Valley Creator Joshua A.C. Newman at Xenoglyph? You should! You could, for instance, find out how to make a Star Wars guy!

This time, let’s make up a Star Wars guy.

You might use this same process for a city or a spaceship, but we’ll use it right now for a character for a roleplaying game, or for fanfic, or whatever. I’m going to choose according to my own aesthetic inclinations, of course, but I invite you to use this process with your own.

Here’s the process we’re gonna use here:

1. Pick some pre-industrial elements.
2. Pick some industrial elements.
3. Pick a Modern (not Postmodern!) concern the character has.
4. Let each of these inform another, either directly or ironically.
5. Don’t forget that people in Star Wars have families.

It goes into a lot more detail, for folks who’d like to make a Star Wars guy!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Monday, June 4th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Button Making
Design your own buttons with a button maker! Maybe you need a button to keep your shirt closed? Maybe you need a button to launch your master plan? Maybe you need a button that says “I made a button!” all of these are possible with a button-maker!
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Maker Monday
Come by to try out new technology, teens! There are snacks! No registration, just drop by! For ages 12-18!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Teen Art: Collage
Ewan will show teens the magic of collage!
Tuesday, June 5th
Gandara Youth Development Center [306 Race St., Holyoke, MA] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Radioplasma Recording Studio Sessions
Meet in the Teen Room to walk as a group to the Radioplasma Recording Studio to get some hands on experience with journalism, storytelling, and sound mixing! SOUNDS cool! Get it? See that? Nice.
Thursday, June 7th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Amherst Arts Night Plus at the Emily Dickinson Museum
“Pop-up contemporary art exhibit in the Homestead from 5 to 8 pm. Open mic signups from 5 to 6 pm, with the open mic beginning at 6 pm. Featured readers follow the open mic ” Featuring Wyn Cooper, who’s published five books of poems, and has had his work appear in hundreds of magazines.Also featuring Leonore Alaniz, who’s a botanical printmaker!
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM
Art Babes @ SCMA: Outdoor Sculpture Story Walk
“We’re excited to announce this new program at the museum! Join museum educator Gina Hall for an artful adventure for toddlers and their caregivers. Explore a different theme each session — in the museum’s galleries and around the Smith College campus. To accommodate a variety of busy schedules… Each session will be offered twice—Thursday + Saturday—from 10:15-11 a.m.”
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM
Art Babes @ SCMA: Outdoor Sculpture Story Walk
The second showing!
Friday, June 8th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Free art! For you! Free! What’s not to like? There’s also hands-on artmaking for all ages. And at 6pm, there’s a guided conversational tour!

Books:

Monday, June 4th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Michelle Tea, Against Memoir: Complaints, Confessions, & Criticisms
“The razor-sharp but damaged Valerie Solanas, a doomed lesbian biker gang, recovering alcoholics, and teenagers barely surviving at an ice creamery: these are some of the larger-than-life, yet all-too-human figures populating America’s fringes. Rife with never-ending fights and failures, theirs are the stories we too often try to forget. But in the process of excavating and documenting these queer lives, Michelle Tea also reveals herself in unexpected and heartbreaking ways.” Shit this just sounds really interesting.
Wednesday, June 6th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Tommy Orange, There There
“Here is a voice we have never heard–a voice full of poetry and rage, exploding onto the page with stunning urgency and force. Tommy Orange writes of the plight of the urban Native American, the Native American in the city, in a stunning novel that grapples with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and profound spirituality, and with a plague of addiction, abuse, and suicide. An unforgettable debut, destined to become required reading in schools and universities across the country.” This also sounds amazing! Odyssey has such excellent authors.
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Wicked Wednesday Book Club Party
0Not certain what sort of party this is! There’s not a description. We generally don’t do book clubs because to be frank we’re awful at doing them far enough ahead of time to get you time to read the danged thing but… this is a party, presumably?
Thursday, June 7th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
David Sedaris, Calypso – Ticketed Event
“If you ordered a ticket + book package, these will be available to be picked up anytime during regular store hours after Tuesday, May 29th. You may also pick up your book and ticket at the will call table prior to the event. Doors open at 6:00pm, event begins at 7:00pm. Please arrive early. Seats that are not claimed by 6:45 will be released to the waiting list. To reserve a spot on the waiting list, please email rsvp@odysseybks.com. If you did not order a ticket + book package, but would like to meet David Sedaris and/or have him sign books, you may join the signing line and enter the store as people leave the event.” Dang this one has a lot of like conditions. David Sedaris is a big deal!
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Young Adult Book Club for Adults Reads Nimona
We can do this book club! You can read Nimona, an excellent comic by excellent artist Noelle Stevenson, in a day! And you should! It’s really wonderful, and we love it. “Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.”
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Wool: A Book Talk with Peggy Hart
Local author Peggy Hart tells the colorful tale of wool! Wool! A majestic material that has impacted the lives of millions and yo uwill earn about the journey from handicraft to industry and back! Peggy Hart is a teacher and a production weaver, who designs and produces hundreds of blankets each year, including custom sheep blankets awwwwww awwww aww sheep blankets.
Saturday, June 9th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Why We Write Middle Grade
Middle grade books! For 8-12 year olds, they’re sometimes dismissed, because people are jerks. A panel of authors including Jeanne Birdsall, Cammie McGovern, Catherine Newman, Liz Rosenberg, and Lisa Yee will discuss the challenges and rewards of writing for this age group!
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Lights, Camera, Disaster, Erin Dionne
“Hester Greene loves making movies. With her camera in hand, she can focus, make decisions, and have the control she lacks in life, where her executive function disorder (think extreme ADHD plus anxiety) sabotages her every move. But middle school is not a movie, and if her last-ditch attempt to save her language-arts grade–and her chance to pass eighth grade, period–doesn’t work, Hess could lose her friends, her year, even her camera. It will take more than a cool training montage to get her life together, but by thinking outside the frame, she just might craft a whole new ending.”

Computers:

Tuesday, June 5th
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
Join a lot of nice people to talk about whatever! The general organizing principle is that you work in or like or have heard of computers, but the discussion is pretty freewheeling. A good place to network, particularly if networking usually gives you hives.
Wednesday, June 6th
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton High-Speed Community Network Coalition Organizational Meeting
“Continue working on petitioning the city to help create a high speed municipal network, similar to efforts completed or underway in nearby cities like Leverett, Westfield, Holyoke/South Hadley and one proposed in Easthampton. We’ll get reports from members of the group doing outreach and talking with the city and others. You can see our sort of “prospectus” and recent news on our website: https://www.northamptonma.net/” The fact that they got the domain NorthamptonMA.net speaks well of their organizational know-how!

Entertainment:

Monday, June 4th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Voices for Resistance – A Celebration!
“Short readings by Maria Jose Gimenez, Lauren Marie Schmidt, Eileen Kennedy, Ellen LaFleche, Dina Friedman, Christopher J. Sparks & Theresa Vincent. OPEN MIC – slots available on June 4. If you’d like to read (max. 4 minutes) please arrive BY 6:45 pm and put your name in the hat. The slots will be chosen, also randomly, the evening of the event on June 4. You are invited to read something you wrote or a published piece you admire. A Straw Dog Writers Guild Social Justice Writing Event” Free to attend and open to the public!
Wednesday, June 6th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series: Sustainable Living
“Choosing to live a more sustainable life at work, home and play is not always easy. Claire and John will explore ways to help reduce one’s carbon footprint through everyday actions, both large and small.” Lovely! Make sure to make your modern life slightly less terrible for the world wherever possible.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Barbershop Quartet Performance by Shave and a Haircut
“Come listen to this Barbershop Quartet joyfully sing 4-part harmony to songs from the 80’s (1880’s) to the 1960’s. Repertoire includes doo-wop, jazz. familiar love songs, broadway and movie favorites, and barbershop classics! There will even be a little sing-a-long! Pictured left to right: Ted Fijal (Lead), Steve LeClair (Tenor), Bill Simons (Bass), and Dick Bourbeau (Baritone).” Neat!
Thursday, June 7th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Anime is an art form that we have scattered experience with but a lot of people wicked like. The nice part about anime is that you pretty much only need to pick one show and you’ll have 11,000 hours to get through. We once started watching One Piece, saw it had 500 30-minute episodes, and slowly walked into the sea.
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
First Thursdays Concert Series – Dan Daniels
“As part of the “First Thursday Programs” Dan will perform his show “A Songwriter’s Story”, a journey through some of the songs he has written and the stories behind them.”
Friday, June 8th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Native Plants for New England Gardens: A Talk by Mark Richardson
Practical advice and inspiration for indoor and outdoor gardeners. Find out from horticultural expert Mark Richardson, the Botanic Garden Director of the New England Wildflower Society, for a talk based on his new co-authored book Native Plants for New England Gardens! It’ll take special care about plants grown by Dickinson, too! $12 for adults, $8 for Museum Friends, and $6 for Garden Volunteer participants!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Group Singing to learn songs for Our Community Sing in September
“Arts Night Out, Friday, June 8, at 5:00pm, we’ll gather on the Forbes Library Lawn to learn songs that are possibilities for the large community sing in the fall. Free and open to the public. Local musician and singer Alex Johnson will lead the singing. Come relax on the lawn and enjoy singing for an hour. Some chairs will be provided, but it’d be good to bring along an lawn chair or a blanket.” So this is how they do it in musicals, preparation!
Saturday, June 9th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Gardener’s Workshop: Propagating from Cuttings & Field Trip to The Durfee Conservatory
“First, on a private conservatory tour, encounter UMass Amherst’s Durfee Conservatory’s stunningly diverse collection. Highlights include seven historic camellias from the 1867 Durfee Plant House, a glass palace which Dickinson’s niece described as “Aunt Emily’s conservatory multiplied ever so many times.” Special attention will be given to those plants beloved by nineteenth-century Americans, including scented geraniums.” Then get a hands-on workshop from the Museum’s Gardener-in-Residence, Marta McDowell Pre-registration required, as space is limited. Please email edmprograms@emilydickinsonmuseum.org or call (413)-542-2034 to register. $15 adults/$12 Friends/$10 Garden Volunteers (June 8 & 9).
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
The 25th Northampton Garden Tour
“In advance: $15 at Forbes Library, Bay State Perennial Farm, Cooper’s Corner, Hadley Garden Center, North Country Landscapes & Garden Center and State Street Fruit Store. Day of the tour: $20 at Forbes Library only. Raffle: 2 tickets/$5 or 5 tickets/$10. Raffle display and tickets for sale at Forbes Library, from May 10 – June 8 & on the day of the tour, at one of the gardens. Win gift a beautiful quilt, on display at the Library. * All proceeds fund books, equipment, and programs for Forbes Library *” See beauty, help a library!

History:

Saturday, June 9th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Victorians at Home: Holyoke’s Gilded Age Architecture
Holyoke! A city with a kind of wild number of literal mansions, just dotting around the place. That’s apparently due to a 19th-century building boom that created a ton of fine old Victorian homes. Eric Gradoia, Director of Historic Preservation at Historic Deerfield, will explore how Victorians became such a fixture of Holyoke. Lots of photos of lovely homes! Free and open to the public.

Kids:

Tuesday, June 5th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Ages 5 and up can enjoy an afternoon playing with LEGOs!
Wednesday, June 6th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Music Storytime with Mr. Liam
Mr Liam is really going all-out with his photo here. Clown nose, kazoo, … snare brushes? Anyway he’s going to play music and tell stories! You know, for kids!
Friday, June 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Read to Toby!
Toby can’t read! You need to read to him! He’s so old and cute and he wants to listen to stories! He’s a good dog! Sign up to read to him by calling 587-1010!

Movies:

Tuesday, June 5th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Sing Along Movie Night
“Bring the whole family for our special sing along movie nights. Grease is the word! whoa, oh oh those summer nights! Wear costumes, bring props and be ready to sing, sing, sing!” Word of caution: do not clarify anything about any song in Grease to your children!

RPGs:

Thursday, June 7th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play a game where you pretend to be another person! That covers a pretty wide range, so we don’t know exactly what’ll be up here but for some reason most of these games involves swords and dragons at some point. Even if someone tells you you’re going to be playing an RPG about minding a small convenience store, take a few levels in Longswords just in case.
Saturday, June 9th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons? We have dungeons. Dragons? Eeeeessssh. Hmm. HMmHmHMMMph. Dragons. Real dragons? The big kind? Fire ones? We don’t have fire ones… Ice? No no no ice dragons. What’s that? Like a dead dragon? We could get you a dead dragon! Wait, but still moving? Oh UN-dead, no no none of those. SSsssss sss s s hm. Hm. We can do kobolds! Will those do?

Science:

Monday, June 4th
Union Station [125 Pleasant St, Northampton] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
SciTech Cafe: What Do Rocks Remember?
What is going on in the belly of a great mountain belt? How do geologists tell time? What does Ontario Canada have to do with the Himalayas? WHERE ARE THE DIAMONDS YOU FIEND? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY FRIEND? ANSWER ME, YOU MONSTER! Michelle J Markley will answer some of these questions! She’s an Associate Professor of Geology at Mount Holyoke College!

 

May 28th – June 3rd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Sorry about the lateness but also, not really because it was for a reasonable reason. Migraines are bad,  folks! Take your medicine at the first sign of head trouble, and don’t try to convince yourself you can “tank it”. Blurgh.

Have an excellent night! You’re great. Sorry some of this already happened!

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Board Games:

Saturday, June 2nd
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St, Northampton] at 1:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Tabletop Day at the Deuce
A huge stack of games! A huge stack of friends! A huge stack of tables! A huge stack of chairs! Everything stacked, everything prepped, all for a great day playing boardgames! Bring food and snacks because the WW2 Club kitchen is still under construction. Go to the FB event to plan things out for specific games if you like, but also just show up with your favorite game ready to play! https://www.facebook.com/events/921076271405315/?notif_t=event_calendar_create&notif_id=1527099955492764

Books:

Saturday, June 2nd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
“1000 Books before Kindergarten proudly presents a special reading celebration. Featured will be a reading of the children’s classic, Ferdinand the Bull. Bim Bam with Laurie Davidson and Tom Carroll will offer a bilingual, Spanish/English, interactive, music and movement program.”
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Antoine Revoy, Animus
“The residents of a quiet Japanese neighborhood have slowly come to realize that inauspicious, paranormal forces are at play in the most unlikely of places: the local playground. Two friends, a young boy and girl, resolve to exorcise the evil that inhabit it, including a snaggle-toothed monster.” Excellent pitch! A spooky young-adult graphic novel about hauntings from Antoine Revoy, a French illustrator, cartoonist, and graphic novelist who was raised in Japan and currently based in the East Coast US.

Comics:

Saturday, June 2nd
Comics N’ More [31 Union St, Easthampton, Massachusetts 01027] at 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Dollar Bin and Bargain Rooms: Bigger N’ Better!
A new expanded improved and very excellent dollar bin room! Get your favorite books for a great price at a great place! Why not set up a pull while you’re there to stay up to date?

Community:

Wednesday, May 30th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Women’s Small Business Owners Meet Up
A group of people getting together to enjoy each others company, with a common bond: every one of them know what happened in that mountain bungalow in 1987 but none of them will speak of it for fear of making the thing real. No, it’s that they’re all women who all own their own small business! It’s a safe haven to brainstorm, talk about how to do things in your business, and just talk about owning a company and how it is for you. Get in touch with Teresa Weybrew at teresaweybrew [at] gmail [dot] com for more information!

Entertainment:

Monday, May 28th
Haymarket Cafe [185 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Far Out Film Discussion: Five Obstructions
Watch the movie first! It’s like a book club but for films. This one is going to be the 2003 Danish Documentary by Lars von Trier and Jorgen Leth. It’s off-site because the library is closed for Memorial Day!
Wednesday, May 30th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Brian Marchese Presents: Where’s That Sound Coming From?
A talk about Music Podcasting featuring audio clips and live performances! “The podcast generally features one song per episode that has been covered by a variety of artists across time and genres. The origin of the song is discussed, the original is played, followed by several notable cover versions, each of which are also discussed. The fun part is hearing how drastically different artists can be influenced by the same song, but express it in so many different ways.” Sounds illuminating and entertaining!
Saturday, June 2nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Tales from the “Nightclub Era” of Boston Belly Dance
“In this presentation, Amy Smith will share highlights of her research on Boston’s belly dance history, as well as the “Aziza!” documentary project. ” Learn about a vibrant era in the Boston arts scene!

Games:

Sunday, June 3rd
The Quarters [8 Railroad St., Hadley MA] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
MAKE TALK PLAY | Game Dev Social & Networking
Do you make games for a living? For a hobby? For an elf that refuses to leave until you provide for it the games it demands? Talk to the Pioneer Valley Game Developers! They meet up and talk game dev and other stuff, and just generally get folks together to think about games and how to make them. They’re friendly and fun to hang out with and you can also just eat good food and play videogames if all else fails.

History:

Tuesday, May 29th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Quest for the Eastern Cougar: Extinction or Survival?
Did you know there’s a sort of conspiracy theory about cougars? There is! Basically the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Eastern Cougar species extinct, but folks are still seeing them! Listen to Robert Tougias, a local nature writer and author of Birding Western Massachusetts, explain what he believes about the current range of the Eastern Cougar. Maybe we’re lucky and they did survive extinction! They’re neat as hell animals.
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
The Restoration of the Sunderland Fire Department History 1933 – Present
Learn about the restoration of the history of the local Sunderland Fire Department! Always nice to know more about where you live.

Kids:

Tuesday, May 29th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Kids! Play with LEGO! It’s fun!
Wednesday, May 30th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
LEGO Club (Ages 5-10)
Kids! Play with LEGO! It’s fun!
Saturday, June 2nd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
TOUCH A TRUCK!
Touch a danged truck! Sit inside a truck! Experience 360-degree Truckvision! Fire Trucks! Police Cars! Ambulances! All the trucks you could want!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Summer Reading Kickoff Celebration!
A ton of stuff to see and do! 9 am – 2 pm Forbes Library Annual Book Sale, 10 am – 2 pm Summer Reading Signups, 10 am – 11 am Face Painting for Kids, 10 am – 12 pm AEIOUkes Perform, 11 am – 11:30 am Music for Kids with Mr. Liam, 11:30 am – 1 pm Listening Station with bean bag chairs, vinyl records, and headphones, 1 pm – 2 pm Libraries Rock Concert featuring Forbes Library Musicians in Residence Gentle Hen, Beach Honey, and The Fawns, 1 pm – 2 pm Temporary Tattoos for kids, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Summertide Poetry Workshop for Teens and that’s all! We included the whole list, so that’s all of the things.
Sunday, June 3rd
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Multi-Arts Presents Time-Traveling Stories
“In this play, meet Angeline Palmer, a brave African-American girl who was saved from slavery with the help of the town. Journey to the past to discover the exciting history that made Amherst what it is today.” Learn about local history at the Carle!

 

May 21st – May 27th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Hello and thank you for reading!

We had a great time at the most recent Nerd Nite, and we highly recommend you come to the next one! We made very good freshly-baked cookies, and everyone agrees that hey that’s pretty much going above and beyond you’re welcome. We also raised $50 for the Northampton Survival Center! That’s enough to provide monthly groceries and supplemental produce to one person for TWO months!

The creators of Apocalypse World went on the 3W6 podcast to talk about RPG design and would you believe it they’re LOCAL folks! They’re near us! They’re also very nice and interesting!

English episode! We talk to the designers of Apocalypse World about their design philosophy, the origins of Apocalyse World and the entire PbtA phenomenon, as well as their new game, The King is Dead.

We’re really excited about The King is Dead! It’s neat to combine interesting RPG design with party games. We tend to play more party games, because they’re lowest impact and stress and such, so something new in that space is always good and new AND designed by the folks who came up with Apocalypse World? Dang, that’s great.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Wednesday, May 23rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
A club to create zines! It’s for all ages! It’s for all types! It’s for you, and for us! It’s for anyone who wants to make a little thing they can pass around to folks and say hey this is my zine it’s full on neat art/writing/whatever, you’ll like it!
Saturday, May 26th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Reunion Gallery Talk with Dwight Pogue
Join renowned artist and Smith Professor Dwight Pogue for a tour of FLOWERING STARS: Prints by Dwight Pogue. Heeeey, wait a second. That’s probably the same Dwight Pogue! The exhibition celebrates Pogue’s work as a print-maker and retirement from teaching it at Smith since 1979. Or maybe it’s a separate Dwight Pogue and this is just a real coincidence.

Board Games:

Wednesday, May 23rd
Brass Cat [65 Cottage St, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Board Games at the Brass Cat
Play board games with a bunch of nice folks at a nice bar! We can do it outside now, which means more tables and more folks! It’s very good, everyone finds it enjoyable and you should come meet new friends!

Books:

Wednesday, May 23rd
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Teri O’Brien, Reading and Book Signing: While I Danced Alone with the Moon Across the Front Yard
A memoir of Teri O’Brien’s youth in a large family in the 50’s and 60’s! Teri weaves together stories of growing up in a loving family in a small New England town. That’s significantly more pleasant than stories about growing up in a hating family in a big English town!

Community:

Monday, May 21st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Designing a Suburban Permaculture Homestead
Join Ashley Schenk of Broadfork Permaculture to learn how to live simply and in community with others in order to become a steward of the land! Learn how the permaculture design process can help make a single subruban acre into something more than a bunch of horrible lawn. Seriously, lawns are the worst, and boring! Make a tiny farm or whatever, at least it’ll be interesting. Maybe a bunch of cacti? Do those work in… no those don’t work in places with a winter, do they? That wouldn’t make sense. Anyway we aren’t the experts
Tuesday, May 22nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Prospects for Single Payer Health Care with Rep. John Scibak and Deborah Levenson
“In Congress there are HR676, The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, and S1804, The Medicare for All Act, but, while growing in support, they are going nowhere. So, several states are looking to set up their own Single Payer plans. In Massachusetts, Rep. Denise Garlick and Sen. James Eldridge have introduced similar legislation, House Bill 2987 and Senate Bill 619. What are their prospects?” A good opportunity to support useful healthcare for you, yours, and all the other yous and yourses in the Commonwealth! We all need healthcare to not die of preventable disease, so it’s good to advocate for greater access to healthcare.
Thursday, May 24th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Creating Community for Women with Chronic Illness
“We hold a monthly support group for women living with a variety of chronic illnesses (e.g. autoimmune disorder, MS, arthritis, Crohn’s and colitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lyme disease, etc.). It is free and open to the public.”

Computers:

Tuesday, May 22nd
Click Workspace [9.5 Market St., Northampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Monitoring with Prometheus – Monthly Full Stack Meetup
Alberto Castro will come to talk about Prometheus! The man we all love, who gave us the fire-gift that stays the wolf and makes meat so tasty and delicious. We don’t understand how that relates to oh it’s a monitoring toolkit that’s open-source that is neat, Alberto will give you a rundown of when and where it might be a good idea to use Prometheus! Door code for the event and slots left are at the Meetup site! https://www.meetup.com/wmasswebdev/events/250097838/
Thursday, May 24th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton MA] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Website Accessibility Presentation and Clinic
“Have you wondered if your website is accessible but don’t know where to start? Join us for a half-day interactive workshop where we provide a quick introduction to the layers of accessibility and then jump into a clinic, which is an opportunity for you to do an evaluation of your site using tools introduced. Based on the exercise, folks will determine the most critical accessibility errors found (if any), and leave with recommendations for implementing fixes.” It’s important to make sure that everyone can get the information your website has! It’s an important website!

Entertainment:

Thursday, May 24th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! Why are there so many specialized high schools in anime? Like high schools where everyone only wears pineapples and are aspiring chefs. It seems like a lot to ask of a child to know they want to be in such a specialized environment.

Kids:

Monday, May 21st
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
STEAM Activities
Science! Technology! Engineering! Art! Mathematics! By their powers combined, they are activities that kids can do to learn things!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Kids! Play with LEGO! It’s fun!
Tuesday, May 22nd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Teen and Tween Art Club
Teens! Tweens! Eeens of any sort! Join this club to produce artworks of such staggering beauty that they inspire the adults around you to stop their endless work dismantling the world!
Wednesday, May 23rd
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
World Turtle Day
Celebrate World Turtle Day by making a turtle and eating turtle snacks! Wow. Wow that’s just… intense. First you bring a turtle to life, introduce it to the world and teach it to love… then you just chomp down on that. Jeez. For ages 12-18, please register by contacting 0eberli@westath.org!
Friday, May 25th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Laser Tag (Registration required) Ages 11 – 17 (Please use Garden Entrance)
Incinerate your friends with lasers at the library! Tragic.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Library Lego Lady
Lots of Lego fun with the Lego Lady! Build! Build to the heavens! Craft to your heart’s content, and beyond! Create a second person, tell THEM to craft!
Saturday, May 26th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Saturday Stories, Songs, and Crafts
Craft a song, tell a story about a craft, sing about how storied you are, any of that! It’s all here!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Special Storytime with Michelle Cuevas
“In Turtle’s shell there’s room for only one. But in Turtle’s heart, there is room for everyone! Join Berkshire author Michelle Cuevas as she reads from her new book The Town of Turtle. This tale of a lonely turtle who comes out of his shell to find friendship and community celebrates diversity and inclusion.” Adorable! Turtles are very good. They’re slow and they’re round and they like to slowly eat leaves, good job turtles!

Movies:

Wednesday, May 23rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Death and Taxes: A Film about War Tax Resisters and Their Motivations
“Twenty-eight people offer their motivations for –and methods– of resisting the war machine with their tax money. This unnarrated film introduces viewers to war tax refusal and redirecting tax dollars to peace. Most say it is a matter of conscience barring them from financially supporting war or other actions they find morally unacceptable. They explain that tax resistance can range from including a protest letter with full payment to withholding payment completely. Some of the resistors say they have taken on lifestyles that keep them below the legal threshold for taxable income. Others explain their drawn-out dealings with the IRS. A placard at one point explains that of the tens of thousands of tax resistors since World War II, fewer than 30 have been jailed. The combination of the speakers’ good humor and their apparent sincerity makes this film recommended for anyone interested in learning about using tax resistance as a method of protesting wars and war funding.”

RPGs:

Thursday, May 24th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
RPG Club is for fans of RPGs! Meet up with fellow players and chat about playing roles! Maybe try out one of the many RPGs made by Valley Creators!
Friday, May 25th
Camp Pomperaug [1174 Buckley Hwy, Union CT] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
NERO MA Ravenholt – The Bloody Road
“Hey Beauties! NERO MA Ravenholt has an event on May 25th-27th in Union, CT at Camp Pomperaug. Never larped before and want to try it out? We’d love to have you! Did your campaign just end and you’re looking for a new game? We have a special offer for those of you who are looking for a new home. We’re starting players who are coming from a LARP that’s ended at level 15. If you’re interested and have ANY questions, PM me and I’d be happy to answer them. https://www.facebook.com/events/143199673016596/” It’s a bit far away, but it seems like a fun LARP so why not give it a go?
Saturday, May 26th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dungeons and Dragons
Contact Tristin Anderson at a mysterious pub by the name of trisdragon2@gmail.com to begin your wondrous adventure in the Boys and Girls Library Activity Room! SHAZAM!

Science:

Wednesday, May 23rd
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Genealogy Drop-in Lab
A free drop-in lab for all your family history needs! We don’t need to know anything extra about our family. Grampa always used to say we were descended from a being that was designed specifically to bring a terrible judgement upon the human race and that one day our purpose would be fulfilled and we were to never tell anyone and that’s good enough for us!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Lyme Disease Education Symposium
Lyme disease is a hell of a scary thing! And it’s getting more prevalent because of well… because of a lot of factors that are all bad. Learn about it to help yourself and others! You’ll also learn how you can help as a Volunteer or Board Member for the organization!

May 14 – May 20th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We’re going to have fun stuff at Nerd Nite NoHo this week! We’re going to be doing Beerology Beer Trivia at 7:00pm! So get here on time! We’re also going to be having the folks from Puzzled Escape Games in Eastworks! They’ll be bringing over some of their mobile game stuff, which will be real neat based on what we know about their main operation!

We saw Infinity War over the weekend with our mom and it was pretty fun and also wild to contemplate how much work it must have taken to put together this sort of silly extravagant get-together. We’re hoping the next one is like all our good movie friends at a murder-mystery party, though. We’ve never been fans of the big end-of-the-world-but-times-fifty Crossover Event That Changes Everything.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Tuesday, May 15th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Join Rhonda Fazio from Dyer Maker Studio for a “Dyeing” Experience
Okay we’re not professional marketers but “a dyeing experience” might not be the BEST way to sell this. Anyway though, a class to find out how to dye clothing! Sounds fun. Space is limited, so call 413-420-8101 to reserve a seat!
Wednesday, May 16th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Compass Roads Reading
A reading of Compass Roads – Poems about the Pioneer Valley! The Straw Dogs Writers Guild is putting this together. Here’s our poem about the Valley: The Pioneer Valley is a – nice place that has a lot of – people in it who do good work in a variety of creative fields – free verse is a sort of poem you can do without any effort – just not well.
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Emily Dickinson Poetry Discussion Group
Session Topic: Revival, Temperance, and Intoxication in Emily Dickinson’s Amherst, leader: Melba Jensen. Speak about a great local poet with other people who also like her work!
Thursday, May 17th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Jones Library Stitchin’ Group
Stitch! A stitch in time saves 9, so it stands to reason that if you stitch ENOUGH ahead of time, you’ll be able to coast on those for a pretty long while. You’ll be able to enjoy your retirement clothed in hand-stitched luxury, looking back on your sensible decision to stitch in time instead of waiting until it wasn’t time!
Friday, May 18th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Commencement & Reunion Gallery Talk
A guided tour of “Modern Images of the Body from East Asia” led by Yao Wu, Jane Chance Carroll Curator of Asian Art. Learn more about a spectacular exhibition at a great local museum!

Board Games:

Saturday, May 19th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Palmer Scholastic Chess Tournament
There are four sections: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. It’s a 4-round Swiss System and there are trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Entry is free! This particular tournament is going to be played on a life-size chess board with real people at the whim of the villainous Doctor Doom.

Books:

Tuesday, May 15th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Book Writers Group
“Adults who write for children are invited to attend a critique group in the Greenfield Room the third Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8 pm. The group will be facilitated by Nell Wright. Participants will discuss skills, share tips and opportunities for development, and read and discuss their stories. For more information, Call the library at 413-772-1544.” Get better at writing with some fellow writers!
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
TALK | “People of the Picture Book:” The Many Diasporas, with Ilan Stavans
“The final lecture in this series showcases contemporary picture books from different cultural habitats, including the United States, Israel, Europe, Latin America, and the Arab world.”

Community:

Monday, May 14th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Opioid Overdose Prevention and Narcan Training
“Community members are invited to attend an opiod overdose prevention workshop and Narcan training. Co-sposored by the Opiod Task Force of Franklin County and North Quabbin Region and Tapestry Health, this event is open to the public. Information on treatment and recovery will be available.” Learn how to help your neighbors!
Wednesday, May 16th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Cambridge Focus Groups
“Cambridge Focus on behalf of Massachusetts Cannabis Control Board ( Mass. Department of Public Health) conducting focus groups. ” Talk to the Department of Health about what you think is important RE: Cannabis!
Saturday, May 19th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Adulting 101 – Find Your Perfect Job!
Teens and young adults ages 14-22, get some tips on how to get employment! Create a great cover letter and resume, interview well, and more! We recommend having your resume and cover letter consist solely of the phrase “GIVE ME THE JOB NOW” repeated as many times as it takes to fill the page.

Computers:

Thursday, May 17th
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
Talk about your current WordPress projects, bring forth problems and offer up solutions, talk about your favorite plugins, and most of all get in touch with a local community of designers who can help you out!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, May 16th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Readers’ Theatre: The Mill River Disaster of 1874
Elizabeth Sharpe, co-director of Historic Northampton and Author of ‘In the Shadow of the Dam: The Aftermath of the Mill River Flood of 1874′, will narrate a readers’ theatre presentation on the Mill River Disaster. Which stands to reason, when you think about it. Registration required, $8 for donors, $12 for non-members.
Saturday, May 19th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Swedish Ancestry Research Association
“Our program that month will be Scandinavian Desserts. Many of our members’ families have been in America so many years that they no longer know what many of the true Swedish recipes are that came with their ancestors. I, Esther Johnson, will be one of the presenters for this delicious meeting. The desserts will be accompanied with copies of the recipes. Coffee and tea will be available throughout the event. We will assist members with their genealogy during the meeting. Members bring lunch to share.” Dessert research is always a good plan.
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Victorian Lady: Dressing from Corset to Gloves with performance artist Kandie Carle
Sunday, May 20th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Firefly Episodes 9, 10, 11, & Potluck!
Bring some food! Watch some good old fashioned space-cowboy television! Cowboys, but also spaceships! Two of your favorite things, presumably! It’s a fun show.

Kids:

Saturday, May 19th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Pig Out On Reading with Farmer Minor and Daisy the Pig!
It’s a pig! And some pugs! They’re going to hang out and read with you! Aaaagh pigs are cute and pugs are cute! Well, we suppose Farmer Minor is going to do the reading. Pigs are smart and good but famously they refuse to speak in public. They’re very shy, you see. We really wish pigs were not 300+ pounds, because they seem like such nice folks!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Happier Family Comedy Show
Happier Valley Comedy is the heart of improv comedy in Western Mass! Let your family’s creativity flourish in an accepting improv atmosphere! Geared for kids aged 5-12, call 413-559-6336 to get tickets!
Sunday, May 20th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Special Storytime: Nadia Hohn
“In Malaika’s Winter Carnival, Malaika has moved to Canada, where everything is different. It’s cold, no one understands when she talks, and Carnival is nothing like the celebration Malaika knows from home. Written in a blend of standard English and Caribbean patois, author Nadia Hohn tells a warm story about the importance of family, especially when adjusting to a new home. During this special storytime, Hohn will delight families with an interactive, lively, and musical program exploring Caribbean songs, rhymes, and games.” A good book and a fun storytime!

Science:

Monday, May 14th
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo: Life in the Earth’s Hot, Dark, Crust & Let Me Google That For You!

It is estimated that 20% of Earth’s microbes live in Earth’s crust. How do these microbes live there? What do they eat? Do they cooperate with one another or compete for resources? What can they teach us about origin of life and life on other planets? ‘Let me Google that for you’. A look at the more esoteric features of Google search in Google and Google Scholar. Advanced search, search tools and how to get the most relevant results will help you ferret out the good bits and leave behind the chaff.

 

May 7th – May 13th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Free Comic Book Day was incredibly fun and we hope you all had a great time of it. And, with the sad news of Modern Myths shutting down at the end of the month we hope you are all ready to head to Comics N’ More for all of your comic book needs! They’re great folks and we hope they can keep their shop open for as long as they possibly can because we like going to comic shops.

You can set up a pull at Comics N’ More and get a really nice discount, which is cool. Comics N’ More has a bunch of good locally-produced and off the beaten path books, too. Which is neat! More people should support more work from a wider variety of folks than just the big two publishers. They’ve got the movies, they’ll be fine. And it’s right in Easthampton, the town that we have on good authority is just as cool as Northampton.

Also the next Nerd Nite is coming up! It’ll be next Monday, so mark your calendars! And if you’re interested in presenting, you should drop us a line by entering your information into this form! Also this time we’ve got some special guests and some special treats! We’re going to have Beerology Beer Trivia! Winners will get Beerology T-Shirts! We’re also going to have the folks from Puzzled Escape Games with one of their mobile games! It’ll be neat! Both of these will be a prod to get you in the dang door before 7:15, you slackers.

Go check out the Valley Creators page! As always, be sure to check out our Patreon and the Weekly Events page! There are a lot of fun things happening this and every week! And don’t forget to check out the updated Book Clubs List!

THIS WEEK

Art:

Tuesday, May 8th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Palmer Public Library K-12 Art Show Reception
Reception and light refreshments while you gaze upon the wondrous art produced by K-12 folks!
Wednesday, May 9th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
“A club to talk and create all-things-zine! Meeting at Forbes Library on the second floor in the Arts and Music Department.” We met the organizers and they seemed really nice! You can expect to find a wide range of ages, occupations, and of course Zine Power Levels at this club! So long as you don’t challenge a higher ZPL member to battle the first day it’ll all go smoothly.
Thursday, May 10th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Drop In Mother’s Day Craft
“Drop in after our regular Thursday morning story-time to make a sweet little something for your favorite lady. We’re celebrating moms, grandmothers, aunts and friends!”
Friday, May 11th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Student Art Show Reception
See student art! Though really aren’t we all students of art? And all artists students? Can we really say that we have learned all we can from art? Or that art has learned all it can from us? Or that us is art all we can learned? Who’s to say?
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Hands on art making from 4pm-7pm! Pay tribute to Mary Bauermeister’s sculptural Eighteen Rows as you assemble your own “pebble painting” playing with tint, shade, and value scale! You can also get a guided tour starting at 6pm and some free refreshments! Go hang out in your great local museum!
Saturday, May 12th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Paint a Kindness Rock
Paint a rock with a friendly message! Frankly, rocks have been unkind to too many people for too long. Good job starting to make them a little more friendly! You can keep it or leave it at the library for others to see! Free and open to all ages!
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Annual Poetry Walk
“The Emily Dickinson Poetry Walk marks the anniversary of the poet’s death (on May 15, 1886) with readings of her poetry at historic sites in Amherst. This spring’s Walk will feature Dickinson’s works inspired by the natural world and the plants she grew in her conservatory at the Homestead, which was restored in 2017.” Head over to the Homestead and toast to a great poet who lived in Amherst a long time ago and by all accounts thought it was alright.

Board Games:

Wednesday, May 9th
Brass Cat [65 Cottage St, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wednesday Games: Back Outside!
“It’s finally happened folks! After what felt an endless winter we finally broke through into better warmer weather! And with that, weather permitting, WE ARE BACK OUTSIDE. And what better way to celebrate than with Trees! This week I’ll be featuring Photosynthesis (yes I featured it before but OUTSIDE)! In Photosynthesis, each player is playing a specific species of tree vying for control of the forest. Every round you’ll be throwing out new seeds and growing your trees across the board to get the most sun and keep your opponents in the shade as much as possible.” We tried Photosynthesis a while back and loved it! You should give it a shot too!
Saturday, May 12th
Burger King Community Room [344 King St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 12:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Tabletop Gaming Day
Board games! Nice folks! A good time will be had by all. Bring your favorite game to share with your new friends!

Books:

Tuesday, May 8th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Book Launch & Reading with Donna Jenson
“Donna Jenson’s new book, Healing My Life from Incest to Joy, focuses not on the details of the author’s abuse, but on the steps she took to build a life of meaning. It’s a detailed account of what helped Jenson, how and why she came to learn new tools for introspection, storytelling, and growth, and where any person could find them. Jenson doesn’t pretend to speak on behalf of all survivors, but she clearly speaks to all survivors. In her readings she helps audiences face the taboo subject of sexual exploitation with an open dialogue; creating a safe space, a space where all can stay open to the possibility of healing, for one’s self, for people we care about, for whole communities.”
Wednesday, May 9th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Jason Sokol, The Heavens Might Crack
“A vivid portrait of how Americans grappled with King’s death and legacy in the days, weeks, and months after his assassination. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. At the time of his murder, King was a polarizing figure–scorned by many white Americans, worshiped by some African Americans and liberal whites, and deemed irrelevant by many black youth. In The Heavens Might Crack, historian Jason Sokol traces the diverse responses, both in America and throughout the world, to King’s death. Whether celebrating or mourning, most agreed that the final flicker of hope for a multiracial America had been extinguished.” Learn more about an important and tragic moment in US history.
Thursday, May 10th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, The Map of Salt and Stars
“This rich, moving, and lyrical debut novel is to Syria what The Kite Runner was to Afghanistan; the story of two girls living eight hundred years apart–a modern-day Syrian refugee seeking safety and a medieval adventurer apprenticed to a legendary mapmaker–places today’s headlines in the sweep of history, where the pain of exile and the triumph of courage echo again and again.” This sounds like a neat book to read!
Saturday, May 12th
Montessori School of Northampton [51 Bates St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
What If… Book Launch with Mike Curato & Samantha Berger at We Need Diverse Books Book Fair!
“Mike Curato and Samantha Berger will kick off their book tour with a first event at the Montessori School of Northampton. In addition to their books, the Odyssey will be bringing books by other authors for the We Need Diverse Book Book Fair. Come for the books and authors, stay for playtime and games on MSN’s wonderful playground!” Adorable and fun! A great chance to meet your favorite authors and have fun playing.
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Friends Book Sale
A book sale for friends of the library put on by friends of the library! A delightful day!

Comics:

Thursday, May 10th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
Comics Club
“We’ll discuss, share, and create comics and graphic novels! There will be artist’s supplies, materials to put your own books together, and time to receive and give recommendations! Intended for elementary, tween, and teen readers and artists, this meeting will run from 3:30 to 4:15.” A delightful excuse to talk about comics. We just got a collection of old Mister Miracle stories and dang if we don’t think that Jack Kirby might be good at making comic books. Remember to head to Comics N’ More in Easthampton for all of your comic-buying needs!

Community:

Tuesday, May 8th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Designing a Suburban Permaculture Homestead
Join Ashley Schenk of Broadfork Permaculture to learn how to live simply and in community with others in order to become a steward of the land! Learn how the permaculture design process can help make a single suburban acre into something more than a bunch of horrible lawn. Seriously, lawns are the worst, and boring! Make a tiny farm or whatever, at least it’ll be interesting.

Computers:

Monday, May 7th
Common Media [84 Russell St., Hadley, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass
“After quick updates on our ongoing projects, we’ll discuss upcoming projects and then get hacking to make a difference in our communities. Who is Hack for Western Mass? We are developers, UX designers, design thinkers, graphic designers, data scientists, project managers, NGO leaders, hackers, and others who want to be active in our community.” Go do something useful with all that computer tinkering beside playing (pause for SEO maximization…) FORTNITE!

Entertainment:

Monday, May 7th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Conversation with Author Series: Jana Millbocker – The Garden Tourist
The Garden Tourist is a travel guide for weekend gardeners, landscape professionals, and vacation travelers that comes packed with 665 color photos, regional maps, and all the information you need to find some cool as hell gardens and walk around in them! Jana Millbocker is an avid gardener, lecturer, and writer, and she’s going to be able to tell you a lot about extremely beautiful gardening.
Tuesday, May 8th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
TALK | “People of the Picture Book:” The Invention of Childhood, with Ilan Stavans
“The second lecture surveys the parallel rise of psychoanalysis and the comic-strip industry in the twentieth century as the background against which Jewish children’s book classics like Curious George, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar emerged.” The Very Hungry Caterpillar sounds familiar, but we can’t place it. Was that written by someone in … the Unhappy Mountains?
Wednesday, May 9th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime! We’re watching a bit of Children of the Whales right now. It’s neat! It’s very pretty.

Kids:

Monday, May 7th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
“Join us for May’s Minecraft Club meeting. Sign up at the Children’s Desk, or by calling 587-1010. Space for library laptops is limited. Let us know if you’ll be using a library laptop or bringing your own device!” Play Minecraft with some friends!
Tuesday, May 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
LEGO Club
Play with LEGO! Have fun! Ages 5 and up!
Wednesday, May 9th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Lost Sock Memorial Day
“Join us to mourn the loss of our sock to the dark hole that is the washing machine, the space under the bed, and the crack behind that dresser. We will honor our socks by finding new uses for a single, lonely sock. Socks will be provided, unless you want to bring your lonely sock. Please register for this program! For ages 12-18 CONTACT: Olivia Eberli, oeberli@westath.org”
Saturday, May 12th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Laundry Day
“Learn about how people washed their clothes long ago with Dennis Picard, a local historian. Kids will have a chance to use washboards, ringers, and other old fashioned equipment, then hang the clothes to dry. Bring your own piece of clothing to wash. Ages: 5-13 years old. Registration required and space is limited. CONTACT: Sarah Scott 413-562-6158 x5 sscott@westath.org” A spectacular way to trick your children into doing chores for you!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Special Storytime: Aaron Becker
“Join Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker as he reads from A Stone for Sascha, his first picture book following the conclusion of his best-selling Journey trilogy, and talks about his creative process.” WARNING: SAD STORY ABOUT DOG. We’re sure it’s good, just go in with both eyes open.
Sunday, May 13th
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Special Storytime: Samantha Berger and Mike Curato
“Creativity, imagination, self-expression, and the resilience of the human spirit are celebrated in What If…, a picture book written and illustrated by real-life best friends Samantha Berger and Mike Curato. Join Samantha and Mike for a special story-time followed by a found objects studio art project inspired by the mixed media illustrations in their new book.” Being described as ‘real-life best friends’ is pretty great.

Movies:

Monday, May 7th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Teen Movie: Pitch Perfect 3
Pitch Perfect 3 is a movie that 100% represents the actual life experiences of any person who chooses to join acapella in any capacity. It’s a wild ride, so be sure to think about how much excitement you’re willing to endure before signing up for that school club!
Wednesday, May 9th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: Disturbing the Peace
“Resistance Film Series of the Northampton Committee to Stop the Wars. Free and accessible. Discussion follows. Disturbing the Peace follows former enemy combatants – Israeli soldiers from elite units and Palestinian armed fighters, many of whom served years in prison – who have joined together to challenge the status quo and say “enough.” The film reveals their transformation journeys from soldiers committed to armed battle to nonviolent peace activists, leading to the creation of Combatants for Peace.” A worthwhile thing to learn about, we think.
Sunday, May 13th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
FILM | “The Women’s Balcony”
“An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem, in this rousing, good-hearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power.” Sounds like a good time at the movies, in Hebrew with English subtitles! Students | $4, Member | $6, GA | $8!

RPGs:

Wednesday, May 9th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
RPG Club is for fans of RPGs! Meet up with fellow players and chat about playing roles! Maybe try out one of the many RPGs made by Valley Creators!
Saturday, May 12th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dungeons and Dragons
The big old standard one! The RPG with swords and shields and dragons and dungeons! It’s fun and you can play it with pals!

Science:

Thursday, May 10th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Hummingbirds of the World
“Join us for “Hummingbirds of the World”, a presentation by naturalist John Root, which features spectacular images of hummingbirds from around the world. Topics discussed include myths and legends about hummingbirds in different cultures, special adaptations for flight, co-evolution of hummingbirds and the flowers that they visit, courtship and nesting behavior, and migration.” Hummingbirds NOT of this world will not be discussed. Not after what happened last time…
The Nacul Center [592 Main St., Amherst] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Super Soils: Why Dirt is Key to a Greener Planet
Soil! The wonder-material that makes life possible! A teaspoon can contain a billion teeny cells, and soils can contain enormous amounts of carbon that would otherwise be in the atmosphere! A panel of grad students will welcome you to the wonderful world of soil and let you in on the mysteries that thereby abound! Snacks and drinks are available!