Odyssey Bookshop

March 6th – March 12th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

So hey here’s a thing we just found out about recently despite ostensibly being a news source: due to a variety of circumstances both unforeseen and ultraforeseen the lovably local game shop co-op Worlds Apart Games is going to cease to exist soon. Like, by the end of March. So that’s a really unfortunate thing, right? It’s very important to our continued steadiness of mind that there exist Game Places in all Valley towns so that we have ample reason to go putter around somewhere should we find ourselves out and about.

The nice thing is that it seems like some very dedicated people of various stripes and interest categories are of the same opinion and working to figure out how to fill the void that will be left and with what to do the filling. Community game space? Event-hosting space? Something that lets a bunch of people play Magic the Gathering there really often seems like it could garner a decent amount of support.

Which is what they need! Support from you! Interested in playing a boardgame in Amherst that doesn’t involve being at someone’s house? Then go to their Facebook page and check out what’s up and head to their meetup at 5pm this Wednesday the 8th at The Works in Amherst to talk through things.

At a very minimum you’ll get to meet nice people and talk to them so that’s decent you know? Also maybe you’re independently wealthy and have a weird interest in sustaining a game shop in Amherst we don’t know our audience that well.

And finally check out NERDSummit.org! Again, if you’ve already seen it! The schedule’s up and it is going to be great and you should attend because it’ll be great and also full disclosure because they paid us money to tell you to attend so the more of you who attend the more obvious it becomes that giving us cash is met with great success and happiness. If you could carry signs or wear shirts saying “We came here because of the wonderful marketing of the folks at Valley Nerd Watch” we would appreciate it.

Have a lovely week, folks!

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, March 6th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Makerspace Monday
A weekly group gathering to play with stuff, make art, and just generally create new things for the joy of it!
Wednesday, March 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Knitting Clinic
Neet help knitting? Get help knitting! Know how to knit real real nice? Knit real real nice and help out people who need help knitting! Somehwere in between nice nice and need help? Then enter the Cave of Shadows and brave the trials three for access to the knitting secrets or ask for some tips from fellow knitters!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
ZINES! Zines across the nation! Zines in our veins! Zines for teens! Zines for monotremes! Zines for any and all who have access to cheap copiers! Learn how to create a zine and distribute it!
Friday, March 10th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Unidentified Woman an Exhibition by Jodi Colella
In this exhibit the artist takes headwear and photos so old they’re actually daguerreotypes from the collection of Historic Northampton and explores the role of headwear in indicating the class, status, and occupation of the wearer. Collela stitches together the past and future by colorfully exploring women whose names have been forgotten by history.
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Do you want to go to a great local art museum but also you don’t have $5? Go ahead and check out the Free Second Friday! It’s a ton of fun and is totally without cost. Though if you can drop a couple bucks in the donation bin that would be very nice.
Saturday, March 11th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Make Harry Potter Potion Bottles
Do you wish your life involved more slightly-sinister storage, Snape-style? Suffer no longer! You can create some neat distressed bottles and make them look just like Snape’s! And hey if you don’t care about pretending to be a magical folk you can just make neat antique bottles!

Board Games:

Friday, March 10th
Burger King Community Room [344 King St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Tabletop Game Night
Board game meetup by the folks at the Pioneer Valley Geeks & Games at the Burger King! Bring a game if you want to share one or just play what other folks have brought! Beginners welcome, and there’s no better audience if you’ve got a game you’d really like to try!
Saturday, March 11th
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 going to be a 4-round Swiss System and there are trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Entry is free but you should definitely bring a chess set and clock if you can and a bagged lunch if you want to eat!

Books:

Monday, March 6th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Poetry Discussion Group
A weekly poetry discussion group open to regulars and drop-ins! This week they’re going to discuss poems about Climate Change!
Wednesday, March 8th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Garry Brown Talk and Book Signing
Garry Brown will talk about the best stories he’s written over the past fifty-danged-nine years writing at Springfield newspapers which what the heck he has written an infinite amount we’re pretty sure. If we’re still writing these newsletters in fifty-nine years we’d just yell at people to give us a medal at any sort of signing.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Warm up with Kestrel Land Trust’s Love the Land Book Share
Grab a favorite read related to nature, land, or the nature of land and share it in an informal gathering! Heck you don’t even need to grab the book, just have a title and an author and a short bit about why you liked it and share it with the group! RSVP required but it is free! Email katy [at] kestreltrust [dot] org!
Thursday, March 9th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Ani Tuzman, The Temble of Love: A Novel of the Baal Shem Tov
In partnership with the Yiddish Book Center for an evening, the Odyssey will host a novel inspired by Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezar, known as the Ball Shem Tov or the Good Master of the Name. Set in the 1700s Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth this reimagining of one of the most revered of history’s mystics allows readers to experience the timelessness and grace of unrestrained love! Which is pretty impressive for a novel, most of the ones we read just allow us to experience how cool lasers are.
Sunday, March 12th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Mohsin Hamid, Exit West
A love story, a magical realist story, a sci-fi story, a story about being a refugee… this book is a lot of things! Nadia and Saeed are young lovers thrust into an uncertain existence during a civil war and given the option to escape through a mysterious doorway. Emerging somewhere alien, they try to hold on to each other. It sounds like it’s worth a read! Buy it at Odyssey and get it signed!

Comic Books:

Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Comic Creator’s Jam
Are you a comicser? A comicilizer? Someone who makes artwork or writes stories and then slaps them together into a single thing? Hang out with a bunch of really nice creators who travel from near and like slightly less near but still pretty near to discuss the craft and business of comics! All it takes to get in is a $5 day pass that immediately becomes store credit!

Community:

Wednesday, March 8th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
National Women’s Strike
From the description: “In support of International Women’s Day, join the conversation after the demonstration on the Greenfield Town Common!”

Computers:

Monday, March 6th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
One-on-one Tech Tutoring
Tech tutoring in English and Spanish! Register for an hour one-on-one session at least 24 hours in advance every weekday from 11:30am – 1:30pm or 4:30pm – 6:30pm! Sign up by calling 413-420-8118 or write to grivera [at] holyokelibrary [dot] org!
Tuesday, March 7th
The Foundry [24 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
Designers regular a coder nendezvous makers of web! It’s a good time to hang out and talk to folks who work on web-dev stuff and just generally have an alright time at a nice bar.
Thursday, March 9th
Cultivate and Nest [2 Bay Rd., Suite 100, Hadley, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass Meetup
After a couple quick updates about ongoing projects, there will be a discussion about potential future options and then people are going to join teams and get hacking to make the community a bit better! It’s a really great group and they’re doing interesting stuff, you should join! Also dinner and drinks are on them so like there’s literally no reason to not go to this thing and say hi!
Friday, March 10th
North Amherst Library [8 Montague Rd, Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Drop-in Tech Support with PC Doctor Hank
PC Doctor Hank will put a stethoscope on your PC and diagnose what woes it! Hank knows what’s up with PC innards and is happy to help you understand it all!

Entertainment:

Thursday, March 9th
Franklin Patterson Main Lecture Hall at Hampshire College at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
No More Talk About Us, Without Us!
The real women of the hit TV show and book “Orange is the New Black” discuss the reality of prison life and the way it feels to have people take a look at your own harrowing actual experiences though the lens of entertainment in a panel discussion that seems informative and necessary.
Saturday, March 11th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Doctor Who Club
Doctor Which is at it again with his scarfs! Free and open to all, snacks “strongly encouraged”! Watch some classic episodes of the show that’s endured for so long our parents were fans when they were our age!
Sunday, March 12th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
“The Real Deal Purim-Shpil” with the Wandering Jew Players of the Congress for Jewish Culture
A musical mash-up featuring Purim plays, drinking songs, and general holiday cheer by great Yiddish writers including Sholem Aleichem, Itzik Manger, Moyshe Nadir, and more! It’s $8 for students, $10 for members, and $12 for general admission!

Kids:

Saturday, March 11th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Saturday Morning Kids Arts and Crafts
St. Patrick’s Day themed readings and arts and crafts! Make a Shamrock, or a pot of gold, or any of the innumerable items appropriate for children during this, the easiest holiday to make child-friendly!

Movies:

Tuesday, March 7th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Join librarians Francesca and Steve for the delicious combination of pizza and a film, open to ages 12 and up!
Wednesday, March 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Which Way Home
This film tackles immigration issues by focusing on the youngest victims of the struggle to just exist in the world. The film follows some of the thousands of unaccompanied children from all over Latin America who fled from their homes as they attempt to make the trecharous journey across the US border.
Sunday, March 12th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Film Screening, “There Are Jews Here”
More than a million American Jews live in small towns around the country, and this movie explores people working ot keep the Jewish spirit alive in places like Laredo Texas and Dothan Alabama. It’s $4 for students, $6 for members, and $8 for everyone else!

Science:

Tuesday, March 7th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Diabetes: Our Journey to Improve Our Health
This week, you’ll learn about diabetes and the effects carbohydrates have on it! Anne Bernardin will educate you and share her success story, as well as recap the other lessons in case you’re just coming in this week!
Thursday, March 9th
Nacul Center [592 Main St., Amherst, MA] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
OEB Science Cafe: Is it hot in here? Thinking about the evolution of menopause.
With Dr Lynnette Sievert this cafe will explore the evolution of mopause and post-reproductive aging as a human trait! She’ll talk about how humans as individuals and different cultures deal with menopause and the fact that we’re as species that oulives our reproductive years!
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February 13th – February 19th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

First of all! Next month is NERDSummit! They asked us to tell you this, and they also gave us some money which is a very good way to get us to remember to do a thing! Check it out March 18th 9am – 6pm and 19th 10am – 5pm at the UMass Integrated Sciences Building! There are going to be a lot of great folks there to learn from and workshops for everyone from absolute beginners or non-coders to advanced coders!

So hey also we’ve been really digging Pandemic Legacy recently AND BUT ALSO we just got to play Seafall, which is the newest Rob Daviau creation and it’s a heck of a game. We just got to play the introductory bit, but it was a pretty decent combination of simple decisions and complicated effects.

The story being told also seems interesting. Sort of a fantasy colonialism but with a really obvious bent toward how incredibly short-sighted the provinces doing the colonizing are. Lots of “the locals say that there’s a VERY GOOD REASON to not do what we’re about to do, and they also demonstrated it directly with several very compelling examples but on the other hand aren’t we the smartest and best? Yes.”

“Anyway we did the thing and now half our crew have spontaneously combusted in what we can only assume is an entirely separate event.”

You should definitely check out Nerd Nite NoHo this week! It’ll be a really good time and we always appreciate seeing you there! As always half of the money plus whatever you want to put in the donation box goes to charity! It’s a very good system for doing good things for folks.

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, February 13th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Learn to Paint the 45 Million Dollar Flower
Possibly the fastest way we can imagine to save for retirement! Award-winning pastel artist and teacher Gregory Maichack will teach you to paint Georgia O’Keeffe’s elegant Jimson Flower and then sell it for the price that people are willing to pay for a painting of this nice flower: $45.4 million dollars. Why haven’t we already done this! It’s so simple!
Tuesday, February 14th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Mead Reimagined: Take 2
The debut of Kota Ezawa’s “Gardner Museum Revisited”, which recreates 13 paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990! The paintings were worth over $500 million and the mystery is still unsolved because no on has ever been smart enough to catch us wait nO HOW DO WE DELETE POSTS
Wednesday, February 15th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Knitting Clinic
Having trouble with your knitting projects? want to modify a pattern? Bring stalled projects of any type to the knitting clinic so they can help!
Thursday, February 16th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Cookies with a Curator
Informal conversation and show and tell with the Forbes Library collection. And cookies!
Friday, February 17th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Emily Dickinson Poetry Discussion Group
The session topic will be “Emily Dickinson and the Art of Hiding”. So if you really want to impress them, just don’t show up and say you were there but you’re incredible at hiding. That’s using your noodle.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Submissions and Revisions
A free drop-in group of writers who gather to polish and send out submissions of work to magazines, agents, and editors! The submissions process can be terrifying and demoralizing, so do it with a group of friends who’ll applaud every time you shout “Sent!”

Board Games:

Saturday, February 18th
Comics n’ More [31 Union Street, Easthampton MA 01027] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Mutants and Masterminds!
Why read about superheroes when you be superheroes? Well, probably because of the inherent difficulty in getting together a lot of folks to play an RPG regularly. That’s what this is for though! New players are always welcome for a wonderful time battling evil!

Books:

Wednesday, February 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Lisa Carey, The Stolen Child
Lisa Carey will discuss her book about magic and love and secrets and all that fascinating stuff. Set in Ireland in 1959, the novel follows a woman whose hands can mystically harm as she begins a tumultuous affair with a mysterious American woman who visits the secluded island on which she lives and the events of a winter full of terrifying and possibly mystical troubles!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Book Talk & Signing: Katherine Anderson
Katherine will talk about her novel Hospital Hill, set in the Northampton State Hospital. In it, Valerie Martin – a former employee – returns after the closure of the hospital and discovers a dark secret! Why does no one ever return to an abandoned asylum and discover a delightful secret?
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.
Thursday, February 16th
Gamble Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Roxane Gay: Flashpoint!
The best-selling author of books such as An Untamed State and Bad Feminist will present a lecture exploring social critique and innovative reasoning on race, gender, and identity.
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Jilly Gagnon, #famous Book Prom!
Prizes for the best dressed at this book prom! Debut author Jilly Gagnon will talk about her novel about falling in love in front of the whole world and the terrifying thrill ride of social media and also liking another person!

Comic Books:

Saturday, February 18th
Comics n’ More [31 Union Street, Easthampton MA 01027] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
LGBTQ Comics Meet-up
A good conversation with friendly people in a comic shop. Meet new people and talk about comics!

Computers:

Thursday, February 16th
The Dirty Truth [29 Main St., Northampton] at 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
User Experience, Accessibility, and Inclusive Design
For digital makers who are interested in creating products and services that provide a good experience for everyone! Things like considering whether or not your UI is readable to people who don’t see a difference between red and green!
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WordPress Developers and Admins
Talk about current projects, problems and solutions for members, BuddyPress and bbPress, and installing SSL Certificates! It’s a great chance to get a rundown of some useful information about WordPress and to meet friendly people!

Entertainment:

Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch some anime! We’ve heard Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure is… weird? Good? We honestly can’t tell, but at least we can say we’ve heard that it exists, which means something!

History:

Monday, February 13th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Conversation with Author Series: Derek Strahan’s new book “Lost Springfield, Massachusetts”
Derek Strahan takes readers on a tour of the historic landmarks and wonderful old buildings that are living monuments to the history of a city of firsts, ad well as a look at some of the most historically significant places that no longer exist!
Tuesday, February 14th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
A Polish Odyssey
Family historian Sara Campbell will tell the unique story of the Rzewski family and their travails as they attempt to reunite in their new Holyoke Home over the course of conscription into the Russian Army, children being scattered by WW1, and a pacific crossing! It’s a story of the deep familial love that keeps hope alive over the course of a long and difficult immigration process!

Kids:

Wednesday, February 15th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Story & Craft Time @ North Amherst Library
Hear a story, make a craft, generally enjoy the fact that you’re a kid and you’re having a good day!
Thursday, February 16th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Come Play Laser Tag in the Library!
Cauterize your friends! It seems like it makes very little sense to provide teens with lasers and set them loose in a library but hey we’re not in charge. Grades 5th – 8th, please sign up in advance!
Friday, February 17th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Stuffed Animal Sleepover in the Library!
See what your favorite doll or stuffed animal or action figure gets up to when they spend the night at the library! Hear a special story and then leave your stuffed pal for a night of fun! You can drop them off any time between 10am and 7pm! Reunite with them on Saturday at 10:30am and enjoy breakfast and pictures of their sleepover! This is so frigging adorable we cannot handle it.

Movies:

Wednesday, February 15th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Film Screening: Richard Pryor, Live on the Sunset Strip
Richard Pryor! Classic of comedy, in one of his first performances after his very public battle with drugs. A venerable comic mind tackles a lot of topics and we’re like 90% certain holds up without that wrenching disconnect you get with some older comedy specials.
Saturday, February 18th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Potluck and Brazil (Director’s Cut)
Bring food and/or drink to share! After a nice dinner, the Western Mass Sci-Fi Group will watch a classic of weird SF, Brazil! It’s a Terry GIlliam film so you’re in for really distinctive visual design and a plot you can understand a bit in retrospect.  Sign up for the Meetup Group to find out where this is!

RPGs:

Thursday, February 16th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
RPG Club
Play an RPG! Be a person you’re not in a world you aren’t! Or… or you could role-play exactly who and where you are! Just sort of recurse through your current experiences like you’re in a hall of mirrors!

Science:

Monday, February 13th
The World War 2 Club [50 Conz St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo: Trees and Nerds
Join us for another fun Nerd Nite! Half of all proceeds go to charity! This time around Henry Lappen will be around to teach us about trees and their various mysteries, and Melissa Lewis-Gentry will speak about nerd communities and how to host nerd events in a really meta talk!
Saturday, February 18th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Scientific Kids Club
Explore geology and volcanoes with Steven and Ralph this month! We’re assuming Stephen and Ralph is what the library calls their pet volcanoes.

January 30th – February 5th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We feel like it’s an important time to remind you that monthly sustaining contributions to charitable organizations go a long way toward helping them accomplish their goals. Several that do extremely useful work: the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Immigration Law Center, and the International Rescue Committee.

The most pertinent thing locally we can think of to remind you about is that this is one of your last possible days to submit a talk/workshop topic to the upcoming NERDSummit conference on web development and related technological stuff. It seems like it’ll be fun and full disclosure we’re involved with doing some marketing stuff with them but for real it’s the sort of thing you probably can tell whether or not you’re excited about so mostly that’s just been us informing you about it.

Anyway! Check out NERDSummit.org to submit a topic! Then go to the actual event March 18th – 19th!

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, February 4th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Chess Club
Chess, the game of dukes as they say! Hone your skills at a board game that’s really been waiting on a sequel forever! Get some games under your belt so that you’ll be able to follow the plot in the upcoming Chess: The Movie!

Books:

Wednesday, February 1st
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
YA Book Club
A new book club! Look, we know the book clubs page is updating kind of infrequently, but you have to understand that these things pop up and disappear at a rate of about one a day. That said, here’s your chance to step in to say hi and see what the next book on the docket is going to be!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Wicked Wednesday Book Club
Which isn’t to say we DON’T update the book club listings, we just did! We super appreciate it when they have a list planned out like 6 months ahead of time, that’s so much easier to keep up with. Anyway, this is your chance to be wicked on Wednesday by doing the most sinister thing of all: reading a novel!
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Mike Flynn, Beyond Answers: Exploring Mathematical Practices with Young Children
Mike Flynn wrote a book helping teachers in K-2 classrooms teach mathematical principles! He focuses on what it takes to get kids to really understand rather than just “do” math. Sounds helpful if you’re a teacher, parent, or otherwise responsible for making sure kids learn things!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM
Literature and Poetry of Brazil
Bigger than the continental US, the 9th largest economy in the world, Brazil remains pretty well unknown by a lot of the north. This event will explore poetry and writing from the country that houses a heck of a lot of diverse biomes and citizens.
Friday, February 3rd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Adelia Saunders, Indelible
In her debut novel, Adelia Saunders paints a picture of a protagonist who can see information about all people written on their skin like ink. Some of it is banal, some of it is intense. When she meets someone with her name on their cheek, she’s intrigued. Then there’s a heck of a lot about other characters as well. Seems like a real web of a book, and we like that simple but magical premise.
Saturday, February 4th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Jeannine Atkins, Stone Mirrors: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmonia Lewis
Edmonia Lewis was a successful sculptor of historical figures who lived and worked for a long time in Italy in the 1800’s. She was also one of the first black women admitted to study at Oberlin, before she lost her place there after being accused of crimes for which she was acquitted. There’s not much known about her, so Jeannine Atkins has stiched facts and verse together to offer a picture of what might have been the life of an extremely interesting historical figure!

Card Games:

Sunday, February 5th
Worlds Apart Games [48 North Pleasant St #B2, Amhersts, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Standard PPTQ – Pro Tour Kyoto – Hour of Devastation
Worlds Apart is hosting a PPTQ, and the winner will qualify for the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier and get a chance to play in Kyoto! It’s going to be Standard Constructed, with decklists required. It will cost you $30 to get in and there’s a cash pay-out based on attendance to the top competitors. It’s capped out at 32 players, so register soon!

Community:

Friday, February 3rd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Friends Basket Raffle
Get some friends! They’re trapped in a basket, but if you get the right raffle number you can pull them out! If you’re very lucky you’ll find a BFF!
Smith College at 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Can You Hear Us Now Day 1
So we don’t see a ton of information on their site but this is a presentation of Smith College’s Black Students Alliance, a conference focusing on the importance of music in black culture. This day’s registration, open mic, and an overview of the conference!
Saturday, February 4th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM
Friends Basket Raffle
Last day of the Friends Basket Raffle! Don’t let any friends stay in the basket or they’ll be trapped there until next year!
Smith College at 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM
Can You Hear Us Now Day 2
Jeez, packed day. Lots of panels, conferences, networking, a keynote, parties, and also food!
Sunday, February 5th
Smith College at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Can You Hear Us Now Day 3
This is the debrief! Talk about the conference with folks.

Entertainment:

Wednesday, February 1st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series
Hear someone speak! Who? We’re not sure. About what? We are also not sure. Look, what we could find is literally the title, so we can tell you that there’s a speaker, they’re going to be there the first Wednesday of the month, and there will be more in the future OR there were more in the past. From here, we’re relying on you!
Thursday, February 2nd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Watch anime, the entertainment media that is the best according to several very persistent sources we have.

Kids:

Wednesday, February 1st
North Amherst Library [8 Montague Rd, Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Story & Craft Time @ North Amherst Library
Listen to a story, make a cute little craft! Perfect for any kids that like both of those things which we’re pretty sure is a ton of kids!
Thursday, February 2nd
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Preschool Storytime
Listen to stories for a while, and then probably fall alseep or run around yelling? We can’t completely recall what our day planners looked like in preschool but we’re pretty sure that covers a lot of what we did.
Saturday, February 4th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Saturday Stories, Songs, and Crafts (Ages 0-5)
Listen to stories, then sing some songs, then make a craft! A full day’s worth of being a kid in just an hour, that’s efficiency.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Take Your Child to the Library Day
Drop in and make a hand-crafted book to celebrate doing the good thing that is going to the library! Kids should go to the library all the time, because it’s great!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:30 AM to 4:15 PM
First Book Friendiversary
A huge day of excitement, books, films, and general delight for children of all ages! The Carle and their friends from First Book are observing their annual celebration of friendship and reading alongside Elephant and Piggie as well as other museum friends. There’s also a free book in it for every child that attends, which is a hell of a grift.

Movies:

Monday, January 30th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Far-out Film Club
This is a sort of film book club! Watch the film at home, discuss it at the meeting. The first pick is Rene Laloux’s The Fantastic Planet! You can pick up a copy in the Reference Room. It’s a kind of really really weird old stop-motion sci-fi film that features gigantic blue people.

RPGs:

Thursday, February 2nd
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 a different person for a while! That’s basically all it takes to be an RPG, the stats and cruft are all gravy so long as you’re pretending hard enough.

Cookbooks for Causes at Odyssey Bookshop This Thursday

Just a quick update to the week’s events!

The Odyssey is having an evening to celebrate Palestinian and Syrian food! Publisher Interlink Book’s founder Michel S. Moushabeck will give a short presentation about the current situation in both countries.

Odyssey will be highlighting the new cookbooks Palestine on a Plate: Memoires from My Mother’s Kitchen by Joudie Kalla and The Aleppo Cookbook: Celebrating the Legendary Cuisine of Syria by Marlene Matar.

There will also be food samples available! Delicious.

It will be Thursday, December 1st at 6:30pm at The Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075]

September 26th – October 2nd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Welcome to the Valley Nerd Watch, upending all your expectations for narrative for another week!

We’re excited to present to you yet another cool Kickstarter, for a locally-developed educational deck-building card game! It sounds really neat, and you can play it at Modern Myths this week if you want to get a feel for it before you actually contribute to the Kickstarter. But also it’s a card-game where the goal is to get enough fat layers to take a long nap and that’s worth supporting sight unseen in our opinion. Not nearly enough games officially end with naps.

Also it’s coming up in a couple weeks still but everyone get excited for the next Nerd Nite! It’s going to be a special Third Anniversary Show with three presenters! Such excitement and wonder you would expect to cost an arm and a leg but no it’s only $5!

Also we’re really excited to hear ourselves on The Chairmen of the Boards, a lovely local podcast! We talk about our work here and with Nerd Nite and it’s a good conversation we think you’ll like it. It should be up in a bit over a week!

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, September 28th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Zine-Making 101 Workshop
Create a simple multi-page booklet that’s easy to copy and distribute and is most importantly very very cool! Ages 11-16, register here because space is limited!
Thursday, September 29th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Makerspace Event for Teens at the Library
Learn how to use 3D design software, use a 3D printer, use an engraver, and more things in order to create cool stuff! A neat trick is to 3D print a 3D printer so you can keep working at home.
Saturday, October 1st
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Sculpting Stories: The Public Art of Nancy Schon
Nancy Schön is famous for excellent sculpture works inspired by children’s literature like the Make Way for Ducklings sculpture in the Boston Public Garden! Meet Nancy and learn about public art projects and her work on a skate park! Radical.

Board Games:

Sunday, October 2nd
Comics n’ More [31 Union Street, Easthampton MA 01027] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sunday Heroclix!
Heroes! Clix! Put them together and what do you get? Clicky heroes, that’s right. This week try out a team of only people who can turn into animals. That’s Beast Boy, Snowbird, I guess we can count Animal Man too!

Books:

Monday, September 26th
Cleveland Hall, Auditorium L2, Mount Holyoke College at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Caitlin Shetterly, Modified: GMOs and the Threat to Our Food, Our Land, Our Future
Modified is about GMOs, which is an issue that bears a lot of reading about on account of how the way that US public policy feels about food determines what life is like for a lot of people around the world, and this is a great opportunity to learn from a journalist who did a lot of work finding out about GMOs! BUT ALSO this is just great copy so we’re just going to quote it “Modified is a rare breed of book that will at once make you weep at the majestic beauty of our Great Plains and force you to harvest deep seeds of doubt about the invisible monsters currently infiltrating our food and our land and threatening our future.” It will make your dog mow the lawn! It will make your house unfold into nth-dimensional space! It will active the X-Gene lying dormant within you!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Other Couch: Discovering Women’s Wisdom in Therapy
This book explores the lives of 36 inspiring women who struggle to overcome their mental health and relationship challenges. It was written as a tribute and gift to women everywhere. Helene DeMontreux Houston, MS, APRN, one of the co-authors, will discuss how the book came to be and how these stories were chosen.
Tuesday, September 27th
Odyssey Bookshop [Mount Holyoke College, 9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Jeannine Atkins, Ellen Wittlinger, and Jo Knowles
An exciting panel from the authors of Finding Wonders, Local Girl Swept Away, and Still a Work In Progress! They’ll read and talk about their works! One’s about groundbreaking female scientists, one’s about a mysterious death in Provincetown, and a younger sibling trying to maintain while his older sister is having a crisis.
Friday, September 30th
Odyssey Bookshop [Mount Holyoke College, 9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Some Pets Launch Party with Angela DiTerlizzi and Brenden Wenzel
A party for a book about pets of course features giveaways and fun surprises, but also a chance to bring in donations of pet food, toys, bedding, etc for the Dakin Humane Society! You get a poster if you do, which is nice, but you also just made puppies and kittens more comfortable which is the best gift of all.
Saturday, October 1st
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Potluck + Kin-dza-dza! Soviet Anti-Utopian Comedy!
Two hapless Russians accidentally teleport to the telepathic planet Pluke! Hijinks ensue, as they are wont to. Bring something to eat or drink! Join the meetup to see where to go, or just bring food and drink to some general location and lay it there as a respectful tribute to this meetup.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
God is a Dog Author Reading and Signing
Fiction and nonfiction celebrating the relationships between women and their dogs. Dogs are great. Author Michelle A. Gabow is a playwright honored to be be named the Roxbury Repertory Theatre’s playwright laureate in 2011!

Card Games:

Saturday, October 1st
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Hibernation Demo
Local creator and Modern Myther Jesse Daniels is publishing a new card game called Hibernation, which is about being a bear! It’s kind of very cute. It’s a deck-building game where you try to make sure you’ve got enough food to develop layers of fat. First to five fat layers gets to take a long nap! It’s educational and also a game where the winner takes a nap which needs to happen more often. Support it on Kickstarter here. You can learn to play the game at this event with the creator!

Entertainment:

Monday, September 26th
Union Station [125 Pleasant St A, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Benford’s Law: Why the IRS Cares About Algebra and Number Theory (And Why You Should Too!)
What’s Benford’s law? Does 1 appear more often than 7 in everyday life? Can math detect tax fraud? What do the statistics of numerals inform us about corporate sales? WELL? THE TEST IS NEXT WEEK AND YOU STILL DON’T KNOW? Better attend this SciTech cafe with Steven J. Miller, associate professor of Mathematics at Williams College. He researches number theory and he’ll help explain things to you.
Tuesday, September 27th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Family Legacy: Preserving our Memories and Stories
Keep track of the epic history of your family line in order to get straight exactly which sword glows with power when you wield it and what thrones of which nations are your right by birth! Theresa Chamberland and Jan Sadler will present on how to gather, choose, and organize the material we want to preserve!
Wednesday, September 28th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Election of 1912 with Donald Blais
The election of 1912. Based on our very good American history understanding and entirely without using the internet we know it was between… Grover Cleveland and … another? WELP nope it’s the one that was between three people who all were or became President at some point we’re awful. Woodrow Wilson, William Taft, and Teddy “The Internet’s Favorite Tough Prez” Roosevelt! Learn more about this complicated three-way race!
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The Carle Honors Annual Benefit Gala
The 11th annual gala and art auction honoring artist Allen Say, angel Lee and Low books, bridge Steven Heller and mentor Regina Hayes. Awards presented by author Gregory Maguire! Get some real cool artwork and support the Carle!
Friday, September 30th
Goodwin Memorial Library [50 Middle St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
A Beer Tasting Event to Benefit the Hadley Library Fund
Put your drinking to work helping the library! That’s efficient use of your time. Music by Mark Ricker and Jimmy Burgoff! Tickets are $20 each and available at the library!

Kids:

Wednesday, September 28th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Star Wars Drop-In Craft
Drop-in to craft a Star Wars thing before seeing the movie in Pulaski Park! Maybe craft a drop-ship to keep with the theme!
Saturday, October 1st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA] at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Farmy, Fresh & Fun Fair
There’s a bunch of fun stuff at this! A children’s farmer’s market where kids can have fun at the bounce house, getting their face painted, playing the distressingly-named “Cow Plop Bingo”, going to the bake sale, and just generally food and fun!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Maker Space Workshop
Make things! Use a 3D printer, a CNC router, and lots of materials! Also, they’ll demonstrate balloon sculptures, the 3D printers of the circus world. Ages 8-12 welcome!

Movies:

Wednesday, September 28th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Nerve
Nerve tells of the global fight against the incineration of chemical weapons and other hazardous substances, due to the fact that it can be an unsafe disposal method. The film in particular highlights the Chemical Weapons Working Group’s important work to illustrate how grassroots activism can change everything!
Pulaski Park [240 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
It was a pretty fun movie, right? See it in a park! See it in a park with other friendly people, it’ll be great!

Science:

Sunday, October 2nd
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Archaeology at the Emily Dickinson Museum
Come view Emily Dickinson’s landscape through the lens of an archaeologist during this presentation and walking tour at the Museum. Faculty and members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst archaeological field school will present the findings from their work on the grounds of the Emily Dickinson Museum in the spring of 2016. See the mask that Emily wore when she fought the Wayward Face! See the ray gun she stole back from Barsoom! It’s all exciting stuff.

September 19th – September 25th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

We unfortunately missed the 14th Anniversary Party for Modern Myths recently but we hope everyone had a very nice time!

This week the big deal seems to be yet another release of Magic the Gathering material that reminds us that we should probably have ever played that in middle school instead of just compulsively buying card packs for several months and then leaving them in a drawer.

You should take a look at the brand-new weekly webcomic Teacher! by local artist Alex Chautin. So far it is theoretically weekly but if it updates by the end of today it is officially weekly!

Speaking of webcomic artists, check out Legends of Fomora by Pat Nietupski! He’s doing a Patreon as well, you should support him if you like the comic! It is definitively updating at the moment, three days a week!

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:

Friday, September 23rd
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Conversation with artist Amanda Valdez
Lunch is provided! Delightful. Amanda Valdez’s multimedia paintings are on view in the current exhibition. Seattle-born artist Amanda Valdez is now based out of New York (we assume the city? but then again it is an entire state so there’s always the possibility that she’s in Troy or something) and is a good artist whose artwork is neat to look at. Talk to her about whatever floats your boat! Probably art-related topics make the most sense though. Lunch is provided!
Saturday, September 24th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Scent-sational Aromatherapy Crafts
GET IT?
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Scent-sational Aromatherapy Crafts
It’s a pun! It’s a pun on the fact that these are scented crafts. Make some scented crafts and then use them to feel real calm and collected.

Board Games:

Tuesday, September 20th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Palmer Library Game Night
Play board games with the folks at Palmer! They’ve got classics like Ticket to Ride and such but you’re encouraged to bring your own!

Books:

Tuesday, September 20th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Children’s Book Writers Group
Do you write or illustrate books for children? This is the group for you! It’s a chance to talk about the art and business of writing for children, share success stories and tips, and generally commiserate with people who are in the same situation as you!
Wednesday, September 21st
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Dr. Oliver Akamnonu, Big Apple to Bay State
Dr. Akamnonu narrates the joys of life in the congestion and buzz of New York City and the sharp contrasts for the principal character, Dege, as he and his wife of 35 years relocate to Western Massachusetts! It sounds pretty delightful. Speak to the author and hear excerpts from the novel!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Straw Dog Author Showcase 2016
Short readings from newly-published books by the members of the Straw Dog Writers Guild, Jeannine Atkins, Portia Cornell, Michael Goldman, Ellen Hopman, Jane Schneeloch, Molly Scott, Jacqueline Sheehan, Jim Spencer, and Gail Thomas
Thursday, September 22nd
MYSTERY LOCATION at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Book Discussion: NK Jemisin’s The Fifth Season
The Western Mass Sci-Fi Meetup is going to talk about the 2016 Hugo Award Best Novel winner The Fifth Season, in some location yet to be announced!
Saturday, September 24th
Odyssey Bookshop [Mount Holyoke College, 9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Adam Shaughnessy, Over the Underworld; and Tania Unsworth, Brightwood
In Over the Underworld, the sequel to the fantastic Trickster’s Tale, the Norse Gods have returned to Middleton GET IT? and they’ve brought bad news: Loki has killed Baldur the god that’s so pretty everyone likes him. Now Ragnarok’s coming. ABE and Pru have got to find and imprison Loki before the war can get underway! In Brightwood a young woman named Daisy fights to protect her mysterious home from an invading stranger! Both authors will be on hand to let you know more about these fantastic works and read selections!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Friends of Greenfield Public Library Book Sale
Buy books to support your local library and librarians! It’s a great chance to get things for 90% off and keep a vital service well-funded.

Card Games:

Friday, September 23rd
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:59 PM to 4:00 AM
Kaladesh Midnight Pre-Release
A 3-round sealed deck tournament, so familiarity with the basics of Magic is required but you don’t need to be an expert. All attendees get at least one extra Kaladesh pack along with other promotional swag! There are limited seats so stop by the store or call to prepay for a discount and a guaranteed seat, it’s $30 pre-pay and $35 at the door! At this event the winds of Kaladesh will howl as the gate unfurls and strands you in this strange land with naught but your knowledge of the Systems of Magic to provide protection. You will make a new life in Kaladesh. Bring snacks.
Saturday, September 24th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Kaladesh Midnight Pre-Release
The same thing as the midnight release except you’re going to be a lot more well-rested for that inevitable trip to the lands of Kaladesh where you will fight in the arena for your freedom, bring your own chainmail!
Worlds Apart Games [48 North Pleasant St., #B2, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 AM to 11:55 PM
Kaladesh Midnight Pre-Release
Free Pizza! Frankly you don’t need to say much more to get us interested but there IS more. World’s Apart has 5 events scheduled starting at midnight! The prize payout will be based on record, 4-0 will get 9 packs plus a bonus of $50 store credit! Pre-register to guarantee your spot and your food! Also at this event all of the Magic cards will be replaced by 1990’s era Upper Deck Fanimation cards due to a manufacturing mix-up.

Comic Books:

Monday, September 19th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Queers in Comics & Games
Talk to a bunch of nice people about topics relating to queer representation in comics and gaming! Led by the wonderful Modern Myths Manager Melissa, these are always a lovely experience.

Community:

Tuesday, September 20th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Job Seeking Workshop: How to Nail the Interview
Learn how to interview well in order to increase the odds that you’ll get work doing what you’d like to do. It’s always helpful to know what to expect from a potentially stressful situation!
Friday, September 23rd
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Annual Celebration of El Grito de Lares, Guest Speaker Charles R. Venator Santiago PhD
The “Grito de Lares” commemorates Puerto Rico’s cry for independence from Spain on September 23rd, 1868. Though ultimately unsuccessful due to a combination of internal tensions and external apathy, it remains an important moment in the history of an island that has long dealt with exploitation and a turning point in Puerto Rican history. Professor Santiago will speak about the current relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.

Computers:

Thursday, September 22nd
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
September 2016 Western Mass Drupal Users Group Meeting
After a brief summer hiatus, Drupal Group meetings are starting back up! This one will include Last Call Media’s own Kelly Albrecht presenting “A Re-imagined Rainforest Alliance on Drupal 8 in Six Sprints” as well as other Drupal 8 topics!

Entertainment:

Tuesday, September 20th
Springfield Public Forum [34 Court St., Springfield, MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Gov. Bill Richardson, The Future of Immigration
Having been a US Congressperson, an ambassador to the UN, Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, and Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson now wants to talk to you all about immigration! Specifically the future of immigration.
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Pumpkin Spice Tasting Event for Teens
Pumpkin Spice is either still a thing or has passed beyond the veil of irony into being a thing that’s not really a thing anymore but we pretend it is in order to have fun at the expense of an imagined Other BUT the point is if you’re into this highly culturally charged collection of spices and are a teen you can taste a bunch of delicious spiced items at the library!
Saturday, September 24th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Speckled Band
The East Haddam Stage Company performs their production of a live-action radio-drama based on William Gillette’s original 1930 radio script! It’s got sound effects, audience participation, and 4 actors portraying 7 different characters (one of these characters is Sherlock Holmes who in turn portrays 2 actors playing 3 characters). Producing Artistic Director Kandie Carle will introduce the show with a retrospective on the Victorian superstar Actor William Gillette and how he created the quintessential Sherlock Holmes.

Movies:

Tuesday, September 20th
ASH Auditorium [Hampshire College, 893 West St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 8:00 PM to 9:45 PM
Defying the Nazis – Screening + Discussion Event
Ken Burns’ latest documentary premiers today, and you can join folks at Hampshire for a live broadcast and discussion event with Hampshire student Cray Novick, who worked as an editor on the film. This documentary tells the story of an American couple that left the comfort of Massachusetts to go on a series of covert operations in Nazi Occupied Europe. Their efforts saved hundreds of lives, and the film explores what it means to stand up in our communities and beyond for the people who need it most. All are welcome!
Wednesday, September 21st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Everybody Wants Some!
A group of college baseball players in the 80’s hang out, drink, listen to music, and smoke pot while having aimless conversations only inexplicably most of the people we rely on for movie reviews say it’s a ton of fun and really charming instead of being completely insufferable.

September 12th – September 18th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Our friends got married yesterday! It was wonderful and we think they are both the best, good job friends! They’re both very smart and very cool and this is the start of a beautiful marriage. Hooray for love and large parties with a lot of strange traditional elements!

We had an amazing time playing the COIN game Falling Skies this weekend and it was pretty neat! It went a ton faster than we’re used to with COIN, in part because we absolutely annihilated an overconfident Caesar, setting off a series of events that ironically wound up costing us a victory since it made it impossible for the Romans to mess with the competing Gallic tribes. Delightful 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, September 13th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Conversations on a Bench featuring David E. Little
Talk to a man who runs a museum about art and life and we’re not saying you should do this but what if you just went down that list of questions to fall in love? http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/fashion/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html
Thursday, September 15th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
2016 Amherst Poetry Festival Day One
Woo boy, lots of stuff here. There’s a poem scavenger hunt, there’s a poetry walk about death that also includes a free doughnut, then there’s a poem open mic along with featured readers Karen SKofield, Eric Wasileski and Adam Grabowski. More details at https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/amherstpoetryfestival
Friday, September 16th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM
2016 Amherst Poetry Festival Day Two
Again! Tons of stuff! There’s a panel presented by local collective Slate Roof Press about poetry of home and exile. Then the Center for Humanistic Inquiry will present “Poems of displacement”. Then there’s going to be after-dark poems with Donald Vincent otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic’s cool brother Mr. Hip. Then finally, a Poetry Slam at Bistro 63! So much to do! More information here: https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/amherstpoetryfestival
Saturday, September 17th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Emily Dickinson Marathon
All of Emily Dickinson’s 1,789 poems will be read, starting at 6am. This will take 14+ hours. It seems like maybe someone made a bet? Or like is this how they keep her vengeful ghost contained? Yeesh. Wow. Welp, it’s definitely a good way to remember a great poet and hear some of her work! Like any particular piece. Because this is all of them!

Board Games:

Saturday, September 17th
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. Round one starts promptly at 10am, and there are trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each section. Entry is free! Bring a chess set and a clock if you’ve got them, and a bagged lunch. Be the coolest person there by bringing 10 chess clocks.
Sunday, September 18th
Comics n’ More [31 Union Street, Easthampton MA 01027] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sunday Heroclix!
New week, new team: this time you must construct your team entirely of people who have one larger limb. That’s right, it’s going to be like Hellboy and then exclusively asymmetrically designed 90’s characters almost all from Rob Liefield!

Books:

Sunday, September 11th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
The Poet and the Bard
Find out more about the relationship between Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson! She took inspiration from his work to such a degree that it’s hard to understate, and from her love of his work became more engaged with her own impulse toward poetry. Admission is $15 for nonmember adults, $10 for members, and $5 for students K-12
Thursday, September 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [Mount Holyoke College, 9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Affinity Konar, author of Mischling, in conversation with editor Lee Doudreaux
Affinity Konar, whose book Mischling is about twin sisters who fight to survive the evils of the second world war will speak to Lee Boudreaux about the more obscure mechanics and secrets of the Final Fantasy series just kidding no it’s probably about the book Mischling which sounds both terrifying and inspiring. Anthony Doerr calls it “One of the most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books of the year”!
Saturday, September 17th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Peace and Justice in Children’s Books at the Greenfield Public Library
The GPL and the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice celebrate International Peace Day with children’s books! Patricia Hynes will speak about this collaboration, Kat Lyons will read aloud from some books, and you’ll have refreshments! Delightful day for the whole family.

Card Games:

Sunday, September 18th
Worlds Apart Games [48 North Pleasant St., #B2, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier – Dublin 2017
The winner of this PPTQ will qualify for the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier and a chance to play in the first Pro Tour of 2017 and possibly to qualify for the Pre-Pre-qualifier where you can almost qualify to qualify to place in the 2018 ULTRA TOUR. It’s $30 with a cash pay-out based on attendance, decklists required, $30 entry fee!

Comic Books:

Sunday, September 11th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Comic Creator’s Jam
Get together with your fellow creative types to discuss the business and the art of making comics! Lots of locals have done some really impressive and interesting artwork and they’re happy to talk to you about what works for them! Plus you get to play fun drawing games to get the creative juices flowing and you’ll probably make a friend!

Community:

Tuesday, September 13th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Writing a Resume
Writing a resume is terrifying and there’s not really a 100% correct way to do it. Get some help. For real, if not this then ask your friends. But like, this one is probably a good place to start if you’re beginning the process. Good luck!

Computers:

Wednesday, September 14th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup
Dev teams! Are you an Agile team? Do you want to be one? Come to share and learn! There’s a show and tell focus this month, where people will show their current agile-ish processes followed by some Q&A and discussion. Last Call Media, Queen Lake Consulting and Knectar, the company founded and staffed entirely by hummingbirds, will all be in attendance to show you what’s up!

Entertainment:

Thursday, September 15th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Cookies with a Curator: The Castle on the Hill with Dylan Gaffney and Elise Bernier-Feely
Forbes Library was dedicated October 23rd, 1894 and nicknamed the “Castle on the Hill”. See images of the building, collections, and staff and share your own memories of the library! Find out how the library managed to fend off the Mirror-Ships of the Shifting Realms! Discover the secret of the statue that weeps tears of blood whenever an animal is harmed on the grounds of the library! See where the defense mech is stored! An educational experience indeed!
Friday, September 16th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
14th Anniversary Party
Happy birthday to Modern Myths! A party is in order! Food, soft drinks, vegan cupcakes, and door prizes for everyone! Also a GRAND PRIZE of a Lifetime VIP pass that comes with $140 in store credit!
Saturday, September 17th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Leather and Wool: Early Industries in the Lost Village of Roberts Meadow by John Clapp
John Clapp will talk about his forthcoming book, “The Lost Village of Roberts Meadow”, focusing on the rise and fall of this mysterious village’s wool and leather industries. While the village’s early days in the pocket dimension next to ours were prosperous, they had a real hard time as the Bargheist attacks grew more frequent, making the Leather Trees and Wool Dragons harder to harvest from.
Sunday, September 18th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
From Northampton to the Boundry Waters
Take in the beauty of the Connecticut River in a 16-person Dragon Boat and fight off the mer-people that populate it using the on-board Dragon Cannons, high score gets a t-shirt! You’ll also learn about the natural and cultural history of the river with Betsy Powell, founder of Paradise City Dragon Boat, and Laurie Sanders, co-director of Historic Northampton and naturalist!

Kids:

Thursday, September 15th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Laser Tag at the Library!
Lasers! Lasers in the hands of children. This is what we’ve come to, having our youth vaporize each other for our entertainment. I can’t believe libraries are in support of this but we can do nothing but inform you of the terrible truth. Write your congressperson to ask them to end child-vaporizing!
Saturday, September 17th
Odyssey Bookshop [Mount Holyoke College, 9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
David Soman, The Monster Next Door
From the creator of Ladybug Girl and Three Bears in a Boat, this funny and endearing tale of friendship is perfect for fans of The Adventures of Beekle, but absolutely NOT a good fit for fans of any other book. It’s a real specific niche audience. Have fun with your kids learning about a silly monster and a boy becoming friends, becoming enemies, and… becoming friends again? It’s almost too beautiful to hope for.

Movies:

Wednesday, September 14th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Summer Stock on the Silver Screen: Meet Me in Saint Louis
Judy Garland, Tom Drake, Margret O’Brien, and other names that aren’t Judy Garland so we don’t recognize them make this a musical that’s hard to beat! It’s about… singing mostly. St Louis probably comes up? But likely that’s a distant second to having attractive people with nice voices sing about life and love!
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
All Guantanamo is Ours
The Cuban story of Guantanomo, as told by Cubans. Cuban perspectives on a US military base in their territory, occupied by the US since 1903 and used as a convenient point for extradition despite ostensibly being enemy territory. This is a free film screening followed by discussion. Learn more about a topic that you’ve likely got a real surface-level understanding of despite like a decade and a half of recognizing the name Guantanomo.
Friday, September 16th
Amherst Cinema [28 Amity St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 9:30 PM to 11:00 PM
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Cowboy Bebop is a fine show with some smooth as heck designs and a killer soundtrack that all the neat folks like. The movie isn’t as good as the show! But it’s fun! Plus it’s on a big screen. We like that Cowboy Bebop made the show’s universe feel large even though it was all in the Solar system. Kind of like Firefly. Kind of like Firefly in a LOT of ways!
Sunday, September 18th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
For the Love of Spock
A look at the late, great Leonard Nimoy and his most beloved character, Mr. Spock! Written and directed by Leonard Nimoy’s son Adam, and narrated by Zachary Quinto, it includes interviews with both the original cast members and the new series cast members! Spock is delightful. He’s so emotionless and cold except like every other scene. Students $4, Members $6, and general admission $8!

RPGs:

Saturday, September 17th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
D&D Storm King’s Thunder GIANT ADVENTURE
An all-day D&D mega-adventure as you take part in a special excursion against the giants! It’s $20 per player for a full day of gaming including pizza and a soft drink. You need to register and pre-pay ASAP to guarantee a spot, though! There’s a limit of 15! Also, you shouldn’t fight giants they’re so big.
Sunday, September 18th
Modern Myths [34 Bridge Street #4, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
7th Sea RPG
The 7th Sea RPG! Set sail and be an adventure-pirate! Wear your ruffliest shirt! RUFFLIER! Yes, now you’re ready. Buckle up your swashes and try to steer toward the fun-rogue side of piracy instead of the deprivation-and-terror side of things. Oh, although you could totally make this like a horror RPG, crew all slowly losing hope as food goes low and the wind dies, strange sounds below deck… oh! Or just straight up a Sunless Sea campaign!

Science:

Monday, September 12th
The World War 2 Club [50 Conz St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo
The best thing you can possibly do with your night! It’s got the most charming and personable human being in the Valley hosting it so that’s a big draw and also this week they’re pairing Language and Weather, the Natural Couple That We All Agree Makes Sense! We’ve got linguist Brian Dillon talking about how we hear what we want to hear and then we’ve got weather enthusiast Jasper Lapienski talking about the local weather, using data going back hundreds of years! That’s right the Valley knew future nerds would want to know about the weather so they got on that quickly.