Science

October 15th – October 21st

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Register to Vote! Register to Vote! Register to VOTE! THEN VOTE FOR THE LOVE OF HELL!

Vote yes on question 3! It’s incredibly important!

Have you checked out the extremely neat Puzzled Escape Games [116 Pleasant St #141, Easthampton, MA 01027]? It’s a bunch of fun, and they have a new special Halloween thing!

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID, IT’S HALLOWEEN AT PUZZLED ESCAPE GAMES, AND WE HAVE A BRAND NEW ADVENTURE FOR THE SEASON OF SCARES. IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS, IF YOU HAVE THE BRAINS,  IF YOU HAVE THE CHUTZPAH, COME PLAY…

In 1926, A NOTORIOUS FREAK SHOW MADE AN UNFORTUNATE STOP IN OLD TOWN, MA TO PERFORM FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY. BEFORE THEY COULD SET FOOT ON STAGE, THEY WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED AND LEFT ON DISPLAY.

IT IS UP TO YOU TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THOSE GREAT PERFORMERS AND FINISH THEIR ACTS. THERE IS A CATCH OF COURSE… FAIL AND YOU WILL REMAIN TRAPPED IN THE HAUNTED TENT FOR ETERNITY.

Let us know if you get trapped forever! It’s wild that this place is allowed to operate, it seems so dangerous.

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, October 16th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM
Gallery Talk: Curator’s Tour
“Join Melissa Hyde for a close-up look at the images and themes of the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment. Dr. Hyde is Professor of Art History, Distinguished Teaching Scholar and University of Florida Research Foundation Professor. Her research and publications focus on gender and visual culture in 18th-century France.”
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Lecture: Women Artists in the Age of Enlightenment
“In conjunction with the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment, Melissa Hyde, Professor of Art History and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Florida, explores how women artists reached unprecedented success in 18th-century France. “
Wednesday, October 17th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Our Work and Why We Do It: Arch Optimism
“Our Work and Why We Do It is the Forbes Library’s Writer in Residence reading series. This series is interested in exploring the ways in which the written word may create and sustain social worlds through inquiry, practice, experimentation, story and lyric.”
Thursday, October 18th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM
art babes @ scma: Becoming a Child
“In October, explore images of children in the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment: French Art from the Horvitz Collection, as well as in paintings and sculptures in SCMA’s own collection. Plus, make your own Jumping Jack toy to take home!”
Friday, October 19th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Fragmented Identities: The Gendered Roles of Women in Art Through the Ages Gallery Talk with Miloslava Hruba
“This exhibition presents works from a variety of time periods and media to examine the ways in which women have been depicted across the globe. Join us for a gallery talk with European print specialist and study room manager Mila Hruba to learn how these portrayals of women can pigeonhole their subjects into gendered roles, and in other cases challenge social constructs. This event is free and open to all!” Learning more about art is always useful!
Saturday, October 20th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Close Looks at the Mead
“Stop by the Mead to find new connections among works on view with student museum educators. Each week we’ll focus on different themes, so feel free to keep coming back for more and check our website and Facebook page for weekly themes. Free and open to all!” Just put them on the danged actual website, Facebook for goodness sake.
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM
art babes @ scma: Becoming a Child
“In October, explore images of children in the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment: French Art from the Horvitz Collection, as well as in paintings and sculptures in SCMA’s own collection. Plus, make your own Jumping Jack toy to take home!”
Sunday, October 21st
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Our Voice: Gallery Talk with Ekua Holmes, Gordon C. James, and Jerry Pinkney
“Book signing to follow program. Can’t make it to the event? You may reserve signed books online or contact The Carle Bookshop at shop@carlemuseum.org.”

Board Games:

Friday, October 19th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Local Game Developer Night
“Prodigy holds a monthly night for local game developers to come and show off their new or old creations. The public can come and try out new games and give needed feedback to developers attempting to make great games! If you are a developer and are interested in participating in this event, please let us know. All developers pay a $5 table fee for displaying their game. All others pay the regular $12 Friday admission price for the full gameroom.”
Saturday, October 20th
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!

Books:

Monday, October 15th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Micah Perks, True Love and Other Dreams of Miraculous Escape
“Magical and funny, profound and seductive, the linked stories in True Love and Other Dreams of Miraculous Escape explore the life-bending power of love. In these interwoven lives, ardent desire meets a keen sense of reality deep in the heart of progressive California.”
Tuesday, October 16th
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 a critique group! Speak to other people about your work, and trade opportunities for development as well as writing and publishing tips. You can also read and discuss stories with other members! For more info call the library at 413-772-1544!
New York Room [Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Jennifer Baker, Alexander Chee, and Nelly Rosario, Everyday People: The Color of Life
“Everyday People is a thoughtfully curated anthology of short stories that presents new and renowned work by established and emerging writers of color. It illustrates the dynamics of character and culture that reflect familial strife, political conflict, and personal turmoil through an array of stories that reveal the depth of the human experience.”
Wednesday, October 17th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
B.A. Shapiro, The Collector’s Apprentice
“It’s the summer of 1922, and nineteen-year-old Paulien Mertens finds herself in Paris–broke, disowned, and completely alone. Everyone in Belgium, including her own family, believes she stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fiance, George Everard. To protect herself from the law and the wrath of those who lost everything, she creates a new identity, a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby, and sets out to recover her father’s art collection, prove her innocence–and exact revenge on George.”
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, October 18th
Mills Theatre, Carr Hall [Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA 01106] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
An Evening with Author Robert Fieseler at Bay Path University
“In this free presentation open to the public, Robert Fieseler will delve into the shocking tragedy as well as the research and production process behind his book Tinderbox. An essential work of American civil rights history, Fieseler’s Tinderbox mesmerizingly reconstructs the 1973 arson fire that devastated New Orleans’ subterranean gay community in what was the largest mass murder of gays until 2016. Buried for decades, the Up Stairs Lounge fire has only recently emerged as a catalyzing event of the gay liberation movement.”
Saturday, October 20th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Book & Bake Sale
Between 1pm and 3pm you can get a grocery-sized bag of books for $7! Baked goods! Booked goods! What else do you need?

Card Games:

Monday, October 15th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Monday Night Modern
“$5 entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”
Tuesday, October 16th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tuesday Summer Pauper
“$5 Entrance. Ban list and common rarity used is the MTGO list. Full rules can be found here on the mothership: https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/formats/pauper. Prizes very based on the number or rounds”
Thursday, October 18th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Thursday Booster Draft
“$13 Entrance. 3 rounds. 3-0 $19.50 credit or 6 packs. 2-0-1 $13 credit or 4 packs. 2-1 $6 credit or 2 packs. Keep what you draft! Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance”
Friday, October 19th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday Night Magic
“$5 Entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”

Community:

Monday, October 15th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Transportation Justice
Discuss and advocate for better regional public transit! A worthwhile endeavor indeed. Everyone needs an easy way to get from here to there and back again!
Thursday, October 18th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Cookies with a Curator
“October’s topic is Charles Cutter, First Librarian of Forbes Library and his classification system”

Entertainment:

Monday, October 15th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Movie Sing-a-long
Sing along to a film! We’re assuming that you sing along to a film with songs in it, but it’s possible folks just want to hang out and hum along to the theme music for Avengers.
Tuesday, October 16th
Springfield Symphony Hall [34 Court St, Springfield, MA 01103] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Future of Diplomacy
“A distinguished career diplomat who served under both Democratic and Republican Presidents, Nicholas Burns offers a bipartisan view of foreign and security affairs and global trends in the 21st century.”
Saturday, October 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
My Summer with Bears in Alaska
“Presenter Stacey Schmeidel was privileged to volunteer for the National Park Service at Katmai National Park for six weeks this summer. She’ll talk about her experiences as a volunteer — living in camp, shipping in food, traveling to bush Alaska. More importantly, she’ll also talk about the bears of Brooks Falls!”
Sunday, October 21st
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Community Open House
Free and open to the public, a whole day’s worth of events! All Day | EXHIBIT OPENING | Lost Synagogues of Europe! 11 a.m. | TALK | The Lodz Masterpieces: 3 Jewish Women’s Art Books Revealed, with David Mazower! 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Demonstrations in the Center’s reproduction Yiddish print shop! 12 p.m. | Tour the world’s first Yiddish museum! 1 p.m. | Conversation! 2 p.m. | CONCERT | Zisl Slepovitch Trio & Sasha Lurje! So much to do all day long!

History:

Monday, October 15th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Liberty’s War An Engineer’s Memoir of the Merchant Marine, 1942-1945
“Will Melton, who edited and helped research Liberty’s War (2017), will bring an engaging presentation based on his father’s memories and primary source materials, followed by a Q & A.”
Wednesday, October 17th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
A Witch in Paradise by Kathy-Ann Becker
“Kathy-Ann Becker, author of Silencing the Women: The Witch Trials of Mary Bliss Parsons, will speak at Historic Northampton on Wednesday, October 17th at 7 pm. A slide-show enhanced story of the so-called “Witch of Northampton,” Mary Bliss Parsons, will be presented on the very grounds where Cornet Joseph and Mary Bliss Parsons made their early wilderness home in the 1650s. “
Thursday, October 18th
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Dirt on Deerfield: Historical Archaeology on Old Main Street
“Join Claire Carlson, Education Program Coordinator, for this free lecture that will explore the historical archaeology of Old Main Street in Deerfield.” Oddly enough they’ve found a crystalline pyramid on Old Main Street. It was small a year ago but it has been growing at a distressing pace. Soon Deerfield will be nothing before this strange structure.
Saturday, October 20th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
“Chaotic Freedom” in Civil War Louisiana: The Origins of an Iconic Image by Bruce Laurie
“In 1863, Northampton newspaper publisher Henry S. Gere (Hampshire Gazette) and Northfield currier and carpenter Marshall S. Stearns served together in the Union army in Baton Rouge.” Learn more about how they worked to bring the image of an enslaved man’s scars to a national audience in the Harper’s Weekly magazine to drive home the brutality of slavery to a distant audience.
Sunday, October 21st
The David Ruggles Center [225 Nonotuck St, Northampton, MA 01062] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Walking Tour: Northampton Underground Railroad East
“Meet at Forbes Library. Includes West Street, South Street, and Main Street.”

Kids:

Monday, October 15th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
Minecraft with friends at Forbes! Sign up in advance at the Children’s desk or by calling 587-1010. We think the kids have moved on to making Fortnite the thing that literally every child spends all their time playing but Minecraft is probably a more thorough creative outlet.
Tuesday, October 16th
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!
Thursday, October 18th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Booksworms
“Kids in grades 1 & 2 are invited to join us to read the monthly book together then have some fun with activities based on the book. The first 10 people to register will get a free copy of the book to keep! Sponsored by the Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum. Registration is required and space is limited.”
Friday, October 19th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Story Time with Fire Fighter Meaghan Ahearn
Join Fire Fighter Meaghan Ahearn from the Sunderland Fire Department for a special Fire Prevention Story Time! Children can share stories with her and see a real fire truck!
Saturday, October 20th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Howlarious Halloween Show with Mary Jo Maichack
“The Holyoke Public Library will host storyteller and singer Mary Jo Maichack in a captivating program of ghost stories, songs & jokes for families, especially for children aged 5 and older (siblings who can attend quietly are welcome with caregivers). “Howlarious Halloween is a spooky & silly show.” Spooky and silly, and almost 100% guaranteed that no ghosts will attack!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Raina Telgemeir Fan Club
Grades 4-7 are welcome to come hang out and talk about the extremely excellent work of graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier! She’s so good. Discuss your favorites with fellow fans, and make a craft! Just drop by, no registration necessary!

Movies:

Tuesday, October 16th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Frankenstein Film Fest: Bride of Frankenstein
“In this 1935 film, a masterful sequel to the 1931 classic, the mad scientist is persuaded to create a mate for his creature to help fabricate a new race, but all doesn’t go as planned. This film is not rated.” Do they expect it to be rated soon? It’s been 83 years!
Wednesday, October 17th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Hocus Pocus Movie Screening
A 1993 Disney Halloween classic! Three witches come back to life to wreak havoc but in a funny way. It’s weird in that classic Disney Teen Movie way, and remains fun for all ages! Selected by The Teen Movie Choosing Committee (a very official committee)!
Thursday, October 18th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Film: Belle (2013)
“This British period drama is inspired by an 18th-century portrait (below) of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay (1761-1804) and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray. The film imagines Belle’s young life in British society. Dido (Belle) was born into slavery in the British West Indies to an enslaved African woman, Maria Belle, and Captain Sir John Lindsay. Lindsay returned to the United Kingdom with his young daughter who was raised as a free gentlewoman by her great uncle, Lord Chief Justice William Murray. Murray is credited with advancing the end of official slavery in Britain.”
Saturday, October 20th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Family Movie Matinee: Frankenweenie (PG)
“Free family movie! Join us for the adventures of Victor and his beloved undead pet dog, Sparky.”

Science:

Wednesday, October 17th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Speaker Series – Discover the Birds of Costa Rica with Peter Christoph
“Have you ever wondered why over 600 birds call Costa Rica their home year round? Due to its diverse topography, this tropical nation contains several life zones supporting a wide variety of birds, from tiny iridescent hummingbirds to colorful toucans. Discover Costa Rica’s national treasures with a top wildlife photographer as he travels by boat through mangrove swamps and wetlands, and hikes into lush rainforests on the side of a volcano in search of wildlife.”
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Less Than Human? Perceptions of Immigrants, Refugees, and Muslims
“Join Critical Connections as Professors Linda Tropp (UMass Amherst) and Emile Bruneau (UPenn) discuss groundbreaking social science research around dehumanization of immigrants and other minority groups and its policy implications. Free and open to the public.” After-hours event! Please use back garden entrance!

Technology:

Tuesday, October 16th
Click Workspace [9.5 Market St., Northampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Avoiding bespoke schedulers with AWS Step Functions – Monthly Full Stack Meetup
“At tonight’s talk, we will discuss why one should avoid writing their own scheduling system with the same fervent trepidation employed when glancing over the guardrail while on tour at a water treatment plant. A useful tool for complex scheduling is AWS StepFunctions, which allows both short-term and long-term scheduling that is simple to kickoff, features a straightforward DSL to express dependencies and contingencies, and doesn’t require any server management. Presenting this will be Andrew Hannon, an accomplished DIY scheduler sufferer. He currently works as VP of Engineering at Valt, Inc (valt.io), where he doesn’t have to pour through 1000s of lines of code looking for the bug in the bespoke constraint module of the scheduling system.”
Common Media [84 Russell St., Hadley, MA] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Hack for Western Mass
“We are changing this meetup to 10/16 due to scheduling constraints at Common Media. Generally we meet on the second Tuesday of the month. This month we will be working on a new WordPress project for the Miracle League of Western Mass, a Drupal/Backdrop project with BLM, and taking a look at a new Ruby/Rails project with Lighthouse Holyoke. After quick updates on our ongoing projects, we’ll discuss upcoming projects and then get hacking to make a difference in our communities. Dinner and drinks are on us!”
Thursday, October 18th
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Western Mass WordPress – Gutenberg Edition
This one’s going to focus on: “Mastering Gutenberg – The new WYSIWYG editor for WordPress has arrived in WordPress 4.9.8 and will be the default in WordPress 5.0.0 expected later this year. Gutenberg is arguably the biggest change to WordPress in years. John will walk us through using the new block-oriented editor and provide advice for managing your legacy content.” along with the standard projects and solutions talk! Get better at WordPress!

Teens:

Tuesday, October 16th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Writer’s Circle
“Write creatively using prompts or your own ideas! Share your work and get feedback from your peers! Intended for ages 14-18 and folks who would like to write a lot! Any questions? Contact Bridget in Young Adult Services at bkennedy@palmer.lib.ma.us!”
Thursday, October 18th
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.
Saturday, October 20th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Pumpkin Painting for Teens
Paint a pumpkin! The simple, less mess way to make a pumpkin look like a grinning severed head.
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Tweens and Teens Writing Workshop
“Spend time writing, relaxing, and sharing with the group. Professor Leah Nielsen is back and encouraging young writers to improve their skills. For students in grades 5-12 Please register by contacting oeberli@westath.org!”
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Make Your Own App
“Want to learn how to make Apps? Learn how to code with App Inventor, a free online tool that makes it easy to create your own apps. At this workshop we will build an app to take photos and doodle on them. Take a photo or download one, write or draw on it, and share your edited photo with your family and friends! Laptops and tablets will be provided. This event is run by Holyoke Codes. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Shurtleff Foundation.”

Video Games:

Tuesday, October 16th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natrual. Ages 13+! Try beating people exclusively with Yoshi if you want everyone to feel very annoyed.
Saturday, October 20th
MYsTERY LOCATION at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Super Mario Party
“We have had Nintendo meetups in the past and had a lot of fun so we’re doing it again. [OPTIONAL TO BRING snacks…but…PLEASE NO SUGAR OR GLUTEN]. If you’d like to bring additional multiplayer games or consoles (I have another TV) feel free.” Check out Pioneer Valley Geeks and Gamers and give them a ring if you’d like to join the Meetup! https://www.meetup.com/thepvg/events/255277657/

 

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October 8th – October 14th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Register to Vote! Register to Vote! Register to VOTE! THEN VOTE FOR THE LOVE OF HELL!

Vote yes on question 3! It’s incredibly important!

We just finished the Broken Earth trilogy! And it was really good! We highly recommend you check it out because it’s just a hell of a good example of speculative fiction. Also a great example of second-person narration, which is something we don’t really see all that often.

Be sure to check out Nerd Nite NoHo next week too! It’s a solidly fun time every time, because you’re all so nice!

*Bullets are Bad for the Brain: Designing Effective Presentations*

Presentation design software wants you to be boring. This presentation about presentations gives the audience a few simple rules that will ensure that the next time they need to present on a topic, no one will die of ennui.

By Fred Zinn, Associate Director of Program Innovation at the UMass College of Education. The first time Fred presented on this topic, the handout included instructions on how to print overheads from PowerPoint 1.0. He’s been polishing it ever since.
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*Franco-America in the Making. The Creole Nation Within*

A presentation on the French history of America, and the role that France, Quebec and French-descended people have played in United States in the last couple of centuries. Jonathon will discuss the “French” of New England and south Louisiana, and how the French ethnic experience is still little known outside of direct family ties.

Jonathon Gosnell has been working on the topic for more than ten years and teaches French at Smith College. He occasionally gets the opportunity to discuss local French history and culture with students.
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$5 Entry. Guests under 21 years are welcome in the banquet room area, but are restricted from the front bar, so please have your ID on you if you’d like to order alcoholic beverages.

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, October 9th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Community Engagement for Artists Workshop
“Are you an artist curious about creating public art or art for social change projects with your community? Join the UMass Arts Extension Service (AES) for a FREE evening-long Community Engagement for Artists workshop (pre-registration required). Learn about the innovative community-engaged art projects happening nationwide, best practices, and the skills required to create an art project that engages your community.” Snacks and beverages will be served!
Wednesday, October 10th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Are you a fiend for zines? Go to this club! Write a zine about your favorite game! Or your favorite person! Or your favorite zine!
Friday, October 12th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
Art making for all ages from 4pm – 7pm! Create your own color field painting like Helen Frankenthaler, only mess-free because it’s with plastic! There are complimentary light refreshments!
Saturday, October 13th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Close Looks at the Mead
“Stop by the Mead to find new connections among works on view with student museum educators. Each week we’ll focus on different themes, so feel free to keep coming back for more and check our website and Facebook page for weekly themes. Free and open to all!” Just put them on the danged actual website, Facebook for goodness sake.

Books:

Tuesday, October 9th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Archer Mayor, Bury the Lead
“When the body of a young woman is found near a trail at a popular ski mountain, the case falls to Joe Gunther and his team at the Vermont Bureau of Investigation (VBI). They quickly have a suspect, Mick Durocher, and a confession, but not everyone on the team is convinced. Despite Mick’s ready admission, investigators quickly sense there might be more going on than is immediately apparent.”
Thursday, October 11th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Eva Paus, Confronting Dystopia: The New Technological Revolution and the Future of Work
“Across a broad and deep set of topics, the contributors explore whether the need for labor will inexorably shrink in the coming decades, how pressure on employment will impact human well-being, and what new institutional arrangements–a new social contract, for example, will be needed to sustain livelihoods. They evaluate such proposals as a basic income, universal social services, and investments that address key global challenges and create new jobs.”
Friday, October 12th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Literary Awards
View submissions, hear readings, enjoy delicious refreshments, and celebrate their achievements! Literature, folks!
Saturday, October 13th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Dina Polizzi – Book Reading and Discussion
A short reading from Dina Polizzi’s new book Two Apache Sisters and a Texas Gigolo, followed by a discussion of all topics metaphysical. Which like, covers a lot of ground!

Card Games:

Monday, October 8th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Monday Night Modern
“$5 entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”
Tuesday, October 9th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tuesday Summer Pauper
“$5 Entrance. Ban list and common rarity used is the MTGO list. Full rules can be found here on the mother-ship: https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/formats/pauper. Prizes very based on the number or rounds”
Thursday, October 11th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Thursday Booster Draft
“$13 Entrance. 3 rounds. 3-0 $19.50 credit or 6 packs. 2-0-1 $13 credit or 4 packs. 2-1 $6 credit or 2 packs. Keep what you draft! Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance”
Friday, October 12th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday Night Magic
“$5 Entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”

Community:

Saturday, October 13th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
League of Women Voters of the Northampton Area
“One in a series of Political Outreach Workshops presented by the Northampton League of Women Voters. Everything you need to send your messages to state and federal legislators is provided: information on state and federal bills, suggested talking points, legislator addresses and phone numbers, post cards, and stamps for your use during the workshop or to take with you. Our collective voices need to be heard by our legislators.”

Entertainment:

Thursday, October 11th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
To Let Grass Grow Over a Matter: Artist talk with Inas Halabi
“Artist Inas Halabi will lecture in conjunction with the exhibition of her work, Letters to Fritz and Paul (2016-8), at the Smith College Museum of Art.”
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Anime! We watched a bit of ‘Bleach’ and it’s a fun and surprisingly comedy-focused fighty-anime!
Saturday, October 13th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Westfield Pumpkin Festival
Pumpkins! You can finally congregate for your annual get-together! All sorts of pumpkin fun is planned: growing, rolling, carving yourself into fun shapes, and much more!

History:

Friday, October 12th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Chaotic Freedom and the Scars of Slavery: From Baton Rogue to Northampton
“Opening Reception for an exhibition based upon historian Bruce Laurie’s essay, “Chaotic Freedom” in Civil War Louisiana: The Origins of an Iconic Image. Dr. Laurie’s research into the story revealed by card photographs brought home from Civil War Baton Rouge by Henry S. Gere is paired with photographer Stan Sherer’s large-scale photographs of the original 1863 cartes-de-visite.”
Saturday, October 13th
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration: Tavern Fare
Learn what folks ate at taverns! Hearty meals for hearty folks! That’s right, most people at nothing but heaping plates of fresh hearts, it was a terrifying time happy halloweeeeen!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Historic Trade Demonstration: Redware Pottery with Rick Hamelin
“Discover the design of redware pottery, a very New England ceramic, as Rick Hamelin shows how it was created.”
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Guided Tour of the Old Burying Ground
Deerfield’s oldest burial ground DEFINITELY IS NOT HAUNTED and the guided tour is in no manner whatsoever going to be creepy because it’s during the day, right? What ghost could possibly be smart enough to arrange a day tour of the cemetery in order to trap naive humans? And they’d need to pay off newsletter writers to send folks their way with ancient coins, ridiculous!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Historic Trade Demonstration: The Fine Craft of Building 17th and 18th Century Furniture
Craftsman Craig Farrow will demonstrate 17th and 18th century furniture making techniques! So you can go off and use those techniques to create an elaborate staged set in order to convince a friend that they’ve traveled back in time!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Historic Trade Demonstration: Letterpress Printing with Carl Darrow
“Learn about letterpress printing from printer Carl Darrow, who will demonstrate at the Wilson Print Shop.”
The David Ruggles Center [225 Nonotuck St, Northampton, MA 01062] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Second Saturday Walking Tour
“Join tour guide Steve Strimer from the David Ruggles Center for History and Education to explore the historic neighborhoods of the abolitionist founders, both black and white, who made Florence a center of resistance to the slave power and for the equality of races, genders, and religions.”
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Pomeroy Terrace Historic District Celebration
“The recent creation of the Pomeroy Terrace Historic District in Northampton will be celebrated on Saturday, October 13th in a collaboration jointly sponsored by The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Historic Northampton. The celebration will include tours of the new district, a community potluck, and the annual meeting of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. A historic marker denoting the district has been donated to the City of Northampton by The William G. Pomeroy Foundation.”
Sunday, October 14th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Walking Tour: Northampton Underground Railroad East
“Meet at Forbes Library. Includes West Street, South Street, and Main Street.”

Kids:

Tuesday, October 9th
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!
Sunday, October 14th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
An ALL AGES Family Sunday Morning!
“ALL AGES. $12 per human. 10am to 1pm. Prodigy, always being ages 13+, is planning a Sunday morning for all the families with youngins and we truly hope to do this regularly. We only ask that for every 12-and-under human, they are accompanied by at least one PARTICIPATING adult.” Children please, we beg you: cease your dark workings against Prodigy. They’re just trying to keep a nice fun place open! Do not destroy them on this all ages day and they might have more!

Movies:

Wednesday, October 10th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: Two Towns of Jaspar
“Two Towns of Jaspar is perhaps the most revealing film about race relations ever made. Two filmmakers, one black and one white, who grew up together in one town, co-directed a film about a horrific murder of a black man in their home town. The fundamental difference in their reactions led them to conclude that making a film about the crime would provide an illuminating window on how race is lived in America. This film is widely used in teaching. Post-film discussion leader: Linda Tropp, Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Faculty Associate in the School of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.”
Thursday, October 11th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Film: Farwell, My Queen (Les Adieux A La Reine) 2012
“In conjunction with the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment. Adapted from the best selling feminist novel by Chantal Thomas, the film re-imagines three days at the Palace of Versailles leading up to the French Revolution. The story is told through the eyes of Marie Antoinette’s (fictional) servant and personal reader, Sidonie Laborde. As Sidonie’s attachment to the Queen deepens, Marie Antoinette’s (non-fictional) friendship with Duchess Gabrielle de Polignac intensifies.”
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Frankenstein Film Fest: Frankenstein
Yeah this seems like an appropriate movie for this festival theme.

RPGs:

Thursday, October 11th
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, October 13th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons! Dungeons! Dungeons! Dungeons! DUNGEONS! D! U! N! G! E! O! N! S! No dragons, oddly… Contact Tristan Anderson at trisdragon2@gmail.com for more… info… THERE’S THE DRAGON!

Science:

Thursday, October 11th
Nacul Center [592 Main St., Amherst] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
OEB Science Cafe: Beyond the Gene: How Genes and the Environment Interact to Shape Our Bodies
The gene is the thing?! That’s what we’ve thought for a long time at least. It’s been an influential force in how we think about our bodies and how we treat diseases. But then, how come identical twins are so different so often? How do genetically identical butterflies completely change color patterns? Join Dina Navon as she discusses how important environment is in gene expression!

Technology:

Wednesday, October 10th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup: Agile Games
Have a favorite game that relates to agility? Bring it in and share! Probably not physical agility, but who knows! Maybe play that one knife game from Aliens? Make sure to register here: https://aug.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-northampton-presents-agile-games#/!

Teens:

Wednesday, October 10th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Library Club
A different activity every Wednesday for students in grades 5 – 12! Want to know more? Get in touch with Olivia Eberli at oeberli@westath.org!
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Creative Writing Group
Play writing games, work on your own pieces, get inspired by your friends at this nice writing group! Contact rdowd@holyokelibrary.org for more info!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
TinkerLab for Tweens and Teens
Tinker with stuff we imagine! It’s a good time, and the Library probably has a bunch of fun stuff with which to tinker. It’s a great time to stretch your imagination!
Thursday, October 11th
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.
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 artists’ supplies, materials to put your own books together, and time to receive and give recommendations! Intended for elementary, tween, and teen readers and artists!” Comic books are great, everyone should read more comics! Get those comics from local shop Comics N’ More! They have all the best comics!
Friday, October 12th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Comic Club (Ages 12 – 17)
“Join graphic artist Madeleine Dye to learn about comics and create your own! Please pre-register in the Kids’ Room or at teens@joneslibrary.org/ 413-259-3091. Registration closes 24 hours in advance. “
Saturday, October 13th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Button Making
Make some buttons! Out of whatever, it’s all good. Make fun buttons and then wear them to show how cool your buttons are!

 

October 1st – October 7th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Are you interested in helping the Valley using your l33t hax0r skillz? Like the kids still definitely say? You should check out Hack for Western Mass! They just improved the website of a local museum, The David Ruggles Center for History & Education, making it so much more usable we can’t emphasize it enough. And that’s important! People need to know about figures like David Ruggles, someone we should be proud called Florence home.

David Ruggles was an African-American abolitionist, writer, publisher and hydropathic practitioner who was a courageous voice of black freedom. He assisted hundreds escaping slavery, and mentored future abolitionist luminaries Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and William Cooper Nell.

Also, good and bad news. Good news is that the move mostly went well. We now exist as pure energy in a plane inaccessible to all but the most enlightened. The bad news is that because of the difficulty of inter-planar travel, we’ll be unable to remain the host at Nerd Nite NoHo!

We’re really going to miss it. That was a hell of a fun way to spend several years. Plus there’s nothing like getting laughs for the same five jokes on rotation every month! If you’re interested in helping out Nerd Nite NoHo in our stead, just head to Nerd Nite NoHo on October 15th and talk to Ebru, or contact noho@nerdnite.com!

Also, Spider-Man for PS4 is a great game about being Spider-Man, but we agree that Spider-Man’s Take on Police Feels Out of Touch to a vertigo-inducing degree.

Also wow what a packed week, this is revenge for missing last week we think!

ALSO REGISTER TO VOTE IMMEDIATELY AND THEN VOTE WHEN YOU CAN VOTE. AND VOTE YES ON PROP 3!

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, October 1st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Warrior Writers Workshop
Local writer and veteran Eric Wasileski will lead a writing workshop! Military veterans and their families are very welcome, though the event is also open to the public. Warrior Writers works to build a community that allows for artistic expression and helps people witness the full range of military experiences.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Poetry Discussion Group: Poet Hoa Nguten
“We will discuss the work of poet Hoa Nguyen who is giving a reading at UMass on October 18th. This weekly poetry discussion group is open to everyone including regulars and drop-ins. All voices are honored: first-time poetry readers and life-long devotees. Every Monday, the group convenes to discuss the work of a particular poet, usually contemporary, and sometimes one reading in the area. Copies of the poems are provided for each participant. No prior reading or preparation required.
Thursday, October 4th
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 12:15 PM to 1:00 PM
Gallery Talk: Women, War, and Revolution
“Jennifer Heuer, Associate Professor of History at University of Massachusetts Amherst, explores the portrayal of women as symbols in war and revolution in conjunction with the special exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment. Professor Heuer is author of The Family and The Nation: Gender and Citizenship in Revolutionary France, 1789-1830.”
Saturday, October 6th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Sunderland at 300: An Exhibit by Local Plein-Air Artists
“Area artists are sharing their appreciation of Sunderland’s beauty with paintings done in and around town using a variety of media. Painting en plein air (literally in full air) is done “on location” amidst the atmosphere and natural light of a spot.” That’s really neat! We should spend more time appreciating all the prettiness of the Valley, it’s a nice place.
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Close Looks at the Mead
“Stop by the Mead to find new connections among works on view with student museum educators. Each week we’ll focus on different themes, so feel free to keep coming back for more and check our website and Facebook page for weekly themes. Free and open to all!” Just put them on the danged actual website, Facebook for goodness sake.

Board Games:

Wednesday, October 3rd
Brass Cat [65 Cottage St, Easthampton, MA 01027] at 7:00 PM to 11:30 PM
Wednesday Games
Wednesday games is excellent and you should 100% attend every chance you get. Lots of good drink, good folks, and often delicious pizza! Gosh we will miss it now that we’ve ascended to the Over-Plane. Always tip well, too. We’re pretty sure that board gamers get fewer beers than sports fans so you gotta make up for it in the tipping!

Books:

Tuesday, October 2nd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Elliot Ackerman, Waiting for Eden
“Eden Malcom lies in a bed, unable to move or to speak, imprisoned in his own mind. His wife Mary spends every day on the sofa in his hospital room. He has never even met their young daughter. And he will never again see the friend and fellow soldier who didn’t make it back home–and who narrates the novel. …. What makes a life worth living? A piercingly insightful, deeply felt meditation on loyalty and betrayal, love and fear, Waiting for Eden is a tour de force of profound humanity.”
Wednesday, October 3rd
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Keith, O’Brien, Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History
“Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. Thousands of fans flocked to multi‑day events, and cities vied with one another to host them. The pilots themselves were hailed as dashing heroes who cheerfully stared death in the face. Well, the men were hailed. Female pilots were more often ridiculed than praised for what the press portrayed as silly efforts to horn in on a manly, and deadly, pursuit. Fly Girls recounts how a cadre of women banded together to break the original glass ceiling: the entrenched prejudice that conspired to keep them out of the sky.”
Thursday, October 4th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
GennaRose Nethercott, The Lumberjack’s Dove: A Poem
“In the ingenious and vividly imagined narrative poem The Lumberjack’s Dove, GennaRose Nethercott describes a lumberjack who cuts his hand off with an axe—however, instead of merely being severed, the hand shape-shifts into a dove. Far from representing just an event of pain and loss in the body, this incident spirals outward to explore countless facets of being human, prompting profound reflections on sacrifice and longing, time and memory, and—finally—considering the act of storytelling itself. ” Weird ours just turned into a normal pigeon.

Card Games:

Monday, October 1st
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Monday Night Modern
“$5 entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”
Tuesday, October 2nd
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Tuesday Summer Pauper
“$5 Entrance. Ban list and common rarity used is the MTGO list. Full rules can be found here on the mothership: https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/formats/pauper. Prizes very based on the number or rounds”
Thursday, October 4th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Thursday Booster Draft
“$13 Entrance. 3 rounds. 3-0 $19.50 credit or 6 packs. 2-0-1 $13 credit or 4 packs. 2-1 $6 credit or 2 packs. Keep what you draft! Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance”
Friday, October 5th
Off The Wall Games [41 Russell St, Hadley, MA 01035] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday Night Magic
“$5 Entrance. 4 rounds. 4-0 $20 credit. 3-0-1 $15 credit. 3-1 $10 credit. 2-0-2 $5 credit. Rounds and prize support may subject to change based on attendance.”

Entertainment:

Wednesday, October 3rd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series: Liars, Cheats, and Creeps
“The First Wednesday Speaker Series is pleased to welcome Patricia Peters Martin, Ph. D., and Renee Forte on Wednesday, October 3 at 6pm in the LeVanway Room of Greenfield Public Library for a discussion of their book Liars, Cheats, and Creeps: Leaving a Sociopath Behind, written as a lifeline for women who are involved with partners who lie, cheat, and mistreat them.”
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Gavel Club
That’s it. Gavel. Club. Gavel Club? Like… do you discuss your favorite gavels? How many different types of gavel are there? Whatever you do with Gavel Club, this is the time to do it!
Thursday, October 4th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
First Thursdays Concert Series – Ukulele Scamble
“The duo of Robin Hoffman and Richard Perlmutter, based in Western MA, sing and play ukuleles. Their act, called The Ukulele Scramble is funny, entertaining and masterful. It also starts with a repertoire that’s unusual for ukulele players – classical music. Robin and Richard love Beethoven, Bach and Brahms, as well as Renaissance music, and art and parlor songs.” Fun ukulele music played by excellent players!
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Puerto Rican Cultural Drawing Experience
“This workshop is designed through a method for creating images using repetitive patterns. It is easy to learn and do by examples of Caribbean mystical ancient art and others Puerto Rican cultural pictographic. Is open to a wide range of ages and skill levels. The materials are simple, it supports relaxation, focus, inspiration, and a sense of well-being and artistic satisfaction”

History:

Monday, October 1st
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Digging at the Dickinsons’: Findings from the 2018 Field School in Historical Archaeology
“View Emily Dickinson’s world through the eyes of an archaeologist during this presentation at the Museum. Faculty and members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst archaeological field school will present findings from their work on the grounds of the Emily Dickinson Museum in the summer of 2018.”
Tuesday, October 2nd
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Photographed Letters on Wings: How Microfilmed V-Mail Helped Win World War 2
“Tom Weiner will speak at Historic Northampton on his book, PHOTOGRAPHED LETTERS ON WINGS: How Microfilmed V-Mail Helped Win World War II. The book tells the heretofore untold story of the mail – close to 2 billion letters – that was sent to and from the many fronts of the war using microfilm. World-renowned bookbinder Bill Streeter wrote the book’s preface in which he explains why he provided the research materials to Tom Weiner and why he wanted such a book honoring both V-Mail and his cousin, Henry Streeter, who died while serving in the war.” That’s so neat! We had no idea about microfilm use for this sort of thing. The past is so interesting!
Wednesday, October 3rd
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Before You Became Improbable: An immersive journey through the Dickinson-Higginson correspondence
“It took eight years of correspondence before Thomas Wentworth Higginson arrived in Amherst to meet his elusive advisee, Emily Dickinson. Before You Became Improbable reimagines the day of that meeting, offering audience members an encounter with her words and poems in a remarkably personal theatrical experience.” You can get tickets here, and one or two folks will leave from the museuem every four minutes or so.
Thursday, October 4th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Before You Became Improbable: An immersive journey through the Dickinson-Higginson correspondence
Tickets here!
Friday, October 5th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Before You Became Improbable: An immersive journey through the Dickinson-Higginson correspondence
Tickets here!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration: Tavern Fare
Learn what folks ate at taverns! Hearty meals for hearty folks! That’s right, most people at nothing but heaping plates of fresh hearts, it was a terrifying time happy halloweeeeen!
Saturday, October 6th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Before You Became Improbable: An immersive journey through the Dickinson-Higginson correspondence
Tickets here!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Historic Trade Demonstration: Blacksmithing with Rick Martin
“Learn how blacksmiths honed their craft with Blacksmith Rick Martin during our Historic Trades series of early American craft demonstrations.” And once you’ve learned the trade, YOU’RE the new Blacksmith!
Historic Deerfield [80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM
A Clean Sweep: The History and Crafting of Brooms
“Come to the History Workshop and learn all about brooms, and broom making. See our crop of broom corn, sweep with a hand-made broom and make a small, serviceable whisk broom to take with you.” Everyone could use a good whisk broom!

Kids:

Tuesday, October 2nd
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, October 3rd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM
Dinosaur Story Time for Dinofest
“Celebrate the Great Greenfield Dinofest with a Dino Story Time on Wednesday, October 3 @ 4 pm. Kids ages 5 and up are invited for dinosaur themed stories, songs and dino mask making. Make a mask and wear it to the Dinofest!” Ooh ooh if you love dinosaurs check out the absolutely amazing Dinosaur Empire books by Abby Howard! They’re very neat and the best part is they’re far more up-to-date on the actual factual dinosaur facts than a lot of kids books. Feathers everywhere!
Saturday, October 6th
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: Jon Agee
“Join author/illustrator Jon Agee as he reads and discusses his latest picture book, The Wall in the Middle of The Book, an amusing allegory for our time, ideal for engaging a conversation about what it means to be different, and how the cure for fear may involve breaking down the walls instead of building them up.” A good lesson for an era that could use fewer walls!

Movies:

Tuesday, October 2nd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Pizza and a movie: the ultimate chance to have pizza and also watch a movie. Teens, don’t let this slip by! This is your chance to have pizza and watch a film! It’s a hoot to do so with pals! No idea what movie but we’re going to go ahead and guess they watch that one film about a horse from the start of filmmaking
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:00 PM to 11:55 PM
“Sleep” Screening at the Mead
“Warhol’s Sleep (1963) marks the artist’s foray into durational film and captures John Giorno, Warhol’s lover at the time, as he sleeps. Built on intricate sequences of looped imagery, Sleep is among Warhol’s most formally complex works on film. Join us for an immersive screening of Sleep (4 hours, 45 minutes), with introductory remarks by Guilford. All are welcome to move in and out of the screening throughout the evening. Popcorn will be served!” Wow, that’s a marathon! Sounds interesting though.
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Frankenstein Film Fest: Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein
“The Jones Library celebrates the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with a Frankenstein Film Fest! In today’s 1948 film, Bud and Lou not also meet Frankenstein, but also battle Dracula and the Wolf Man in this spook spoof featuring monster stars Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney.” Ah, the 40’s, when films still had original ideas!
Wednesday, October 3rd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
Hocus Pocus Movie Screening
A 1993 Disney Halloween classic! Three witches come back to life to wreak havoc but in a funny way. It’s weird in that classic Disney Teen Movie way, and remains fun for all ages!
Thursday, October 4th
Stirn Auditorium, Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
German Film Series: “Faraway, So Close!”
“There will be two screenings of “Faraway, So Close!”, one at 4 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. Nastassja Kinski, Willem Dafoe and Peter Falk star in this sequel to Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire). Find out what happens when angel Cassiel (Otto Sander) renounces eternal life to join his friend, ex-angel Damiel (Bruno Ganz), and Marion (Solveig Dommartin) in post-unification Berlin, only to get caught up in a web of organized crime. This film will be shown in German with English subtitles. Please contact mhowes@amherst.edu for more information.” Weird! We didn’t know that Willem Dafoe had been in German films! We’re very bad at finding non-US movies.
Sunday, October 7th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
FILM | In A Dark Wood
“Following a musical composition from the writing stage to the world premiere to the first recording, In A Dark Wood charts the path of composer Mathew Rosenblum’s Lament/Witches’ Sabbath, a highly personal concerto written for world famous clarinetist/composer David Krakauer.” It does occur to us that we still have absolutely no concept of how someone begins writing a musical work. Student $4, Member $6, GA $8!

Technology:

Tuesday, October 2nd
Northampton Brewery [11 Brewster Ct, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
Hang out with a bunch of folks who do some sort of technical work in the Valley. If it’s your first time there, ask where Matthew is and then just sort of surf the wave of his excitement that someone new showed up for a while!
Thursday, October 4th
Northampton Community TV [380 Elm St., Northampton, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Northampton Municipal Network Organizational Meeting
A meeting to work on getting Northampton to finally put in free high-speed internet access as a municipal utility! It’s the sort of thing that probably should have been done a decade and a half ago but we can get on it now.

Teens:

Monday, October 1st
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Teen Arts Program: Make Postcards from Vintage Books
Make postcards from vintage books! Materials and also snacks will be given freely. Open only to teens! Only teens can be trusted to craft effective postcards from original copies of the Necronomicon!
Tuesday, October 2nd
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Writer’s Circle
Write creatively using prompts or your own ideas! Share your work and get feedback from your peers! Intended for ages 14-18 and folks who would like to write a lot! Any questions? Contact Bridget in Young Adult Services at bkennedy@palmer.lib.ma.us!
Wednesday, October 3rd
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
TinkerLab for Tweens and Teens
Tinker with stuff we imagine! It’s a good time, and the Library probably has a bunch of fun stuff with which to tinker. It’s a great time to stretch your imagination!
Friday, October 5th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Comic Club (Ages 12 – 17)
“Join graphic artist Madeleine Dye to learn about comics and create your own! Please pre-register in the Kids’ Room or at teens@joneslibrary.org/ 413-259-3091. Registration closes 24 hours in advance. “
Saturday, October 6th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Sew What: A Drop-In Embroidery Group for Teens
Beginners welcome, materials are free and provided for you! It’s for folks ages 13-18, and you should embroider something real cool. That’s not in their description we’re just cheering you on!

Video Games:

Tuesday, October 2nd
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natrual. Ages 13+! Try beating people exclusively with Yoshi if you want everyone to feel very annoyed.
Saturday, October 6th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Lee’s Atari High-Score Challenge Day – Prodigy Gold Star FTW!
“Entry: $12 for all day admission and Atari challenge, For ages 13+, Open from noon to midnight! The goal is simple. At arrival (and you may arrive anytime between noon and 11pm), we will give you a sheet listing 10 Atari 2600 games for you to rack up the highest score you possibly can in a certain amount of tries for each of the 10 games. The person with the most individual game wins at the time of close (midnight), is the grand winner! For your amazing skills, you will be awarded the FIRST official Prodigy Gold Star Metal-of-Skill as well as an official document stating what you accomplished to be such a winner! We will announce the magnificent winner at midnight at Prodigy but also the following morning on social media so you can come claim your well deserved award! “
Sunday, October 7th
The Quarters [8 Railroad St., Hadley MA] at 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
MAKE TALK PLAY | Networking and Multiplayer Games
Networking and networking! “This month we’re hanging out at our favorite Choco Taco joint, The Quarters! Come hang out with us and other game developers and talk about things that are game development related. If you have nothing to talk about on that subject, then share a funny story about your belly button. We like meeting new people! We’ll be hanging out and running multiplayer games on the projector from 7 – 10pm so take a break and come visit with us!” Talk about game development with some folks who are also in game development!

 

September 10th – September 16th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Come to Nerd Nite! It’ll be a really fun one and also we’ll have big news to announce! And prizes!

‘Take it With a Grain: What Can Sand Piles tell us About Traffic and Cancer?’

Granular materials are all around us, yet are still poorly understood, hence an explosion of interest in these systems in the physics community in the last few decades. Granular materials also serve as a model systems for any dense system of interacting “particles,” be it crowded cars on the road or crowded cells migrating in the body. This presentation will explore several examples of where research into granular materials has given insight into more humanly relevant examples, such as traffic and cancer.

‘BetterTogether: Relationship Hacks from a Seasoned Divorce Attorney’

Seasoned divorce attorney, mediator and author Gabrielle Hartley explains that by making three important shifts earlier on in their relationship many of her clients may have been able to avoid coming to her office in the first place. This talk explores how by incorporating these simple skills rather than splitting  you may become better together.

Also we got Spider-Man the game but can’t play it until we finish some work and daaaang we want to play that danged 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:

Wednesday, September 12th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Zines about jeans are all the rage right now!
Thursday, September 13th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception
“Please join us to celebrate the opening of our new lineup of fall exhibitions at the Mead Art Museum. Drawn from our permanent collection, these exhibitions offer new narratives of gender and time, and reveal new directions in the Mead’s collecting practices. All are invited for an artistic experience that explores themes across centuries, continents and media!” Art! Cheese! Delightful!
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.
Friday, September 14th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Landscapes/Dreamscapes, Arts Night Out and Print Fair
“View the exhibition Landscapes/Dreamscapes on Northampton’s Arts Night Out. The September Print Fair will feature eight artists showing and selling their original hand-pulled prints: Nancy Haver, Erika Radich, Maggie Nowinski, Margo Temple, Janet Winston, Kate Jenkins, Doris Madsen, Lilian Jackman”
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Second Friday
“4–7 PM Hands-on! Art making for all ages, inspired by works on view. Canvas Constructions: Use precise lines to construct your own tape resist painting made up of basic shapes, inspired by László Moholy-Nagy’s K I. 6 PM Open Eyes: Guided conversation exploring a different art object each month. Museum Shop open + complimentary light refreshments.”
Saturday, September 15th
Mead Art Museum [41 Quadrangle Dr, Amherst, MA 01002] at 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Close Looks at the Mead
“Stop by the Mead to find new connections among works on view with student museum educators. Each week we’ll focus on different themes, so feel free to keep coming back for more and check our website and Facebook page for weekly themes. Free and open to all!”
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art [125 West Bay Rd., Amherst, MA 01002] at 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
A Community Celebration: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Turns 50!
Tons of events! Eric Carle will speak about his work, you can meet Western Mass Pollinator Networks, meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar themself, see a presentation with Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens, see an ASL reading of the book, and then get refreshments! Delightful celebration of a spectacular book!

Books:

Monday, September 10th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Preston Browning Jr. Author Reading
“Preston M. Browning, Jr., a retired English professor, has published three books: Flannery O’Connor: The Coincidence of the Holy and the Demonic in O’Connor’s Fiction, Affection and Estrangement: A Southern Family Memoir, and the most recent, a collection of ten essays entitled Struggling for the Soul of Our Country. He has been writing poetry for decades, with poems appearing in The Friends Journal, Phase & Cycle, The Pikestaff Forum, The Ecozoic Reader, and other journals.” Hear poems from a good poet!
Tuesday, September 11th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Author Panel: Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, & Scott Westerfeld (Moderated by David Levithan)
“Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi) and the Newbery Honor-winning novel Doll Bones. Her other books include The Good Neighbors graphic novels, and the novels The Cruel Prince, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, The Darkest Part of the Forest, Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside. With Cassandra Clare she is the author of the Magisterium series, a New York Times bestseller. She currently lives in the realm of Western Massachusetts. Cassandra Clare is the author of City of Bones, the first book in The Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. Her The Infernal Devices series has spawned three #1 bestsellers. With Holly Black she is the author of the Magisterium series, a New York Times bestseller. Born overseas, Cassandra spent her early years traveling around the world with her family and several trunks of books. She lives in Massachusetts. Scott Westerfeld is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Uglies series, which has been translated into 35 languages; the Leviathan series; Afterworlds; Horizon; and many other books for young readers. He was born in Texas and alternates summers between Sydney, Australia and New York City.” So many great authors together in one place!
Wednesday, September 12th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
John Bonifaz, The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump
“Three veteran constitutional attorneys say there’s no way around it: The Constitution demands that Donald Trump must be impeached. And in clear language using compelling logic rooted firmly in the Constitution, they detail why the time to start is now—not in the indefinite future after criminal investigations have ended. In fact, much of Trump’s impeachable conduct lies outside the scope of ongoing federal criminal investigations.” Vote, folks. Vote for the love of heck.
Thursday, September 13th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wayétu Moore, She Would Be King
“Wayétu Moore’s powerful debut novel, She Would Be King, reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three unforgettable characters who share an uncommon bond. Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book and is a graduate of Howard University, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California. She teaches at the City University of New York’s John Jay College and lives in Brooklyn.” Get a signed book at the event!

Community:

Thursday, September 13th
Northampton Brewery [11 Brewster Ct, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Meet and Greet the Western MA Sci-Fi Meetup
“Here’s a chance to get together in a different setting and meet new folks! Please note, I’m posting it in a few different meetup groups, so it won’t be just members of this group for this particular event. Note that even if there is a chance of rain, it should be ok as there is an awning. Easiest place to park is the parking garage (first hour is free plus it’s basically right next door to the Brewery).” Good food, good beer, good folks to talk about sci-fi with!

Entertainment:

Monday, September 10th
World War 2 Club [50 Conz St, Northampton] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Nerd Nite NoHo
Nerd Nite! This month we’ll learn what sand has to do with cancer and learn how to be happy together from a divorce attorney! And a big announcement from the excellent host! It’ll be exciting!
Tuesday, September 11th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
From Northampton to the Boundary Waters
“For the third consecutive year, Historic Northampton is teaming up with Paradise City Dragon Boat for a trip on the Connecticut. Betsy Powell, Head Coach of Paradise City Dragon Boat, will begin the outing with a paddling lesson. Once we’re a ways up river, Laurie Sanders, naturalist & Co-Director of Historic Northampton, will explain about the rich human and natural history in this stretch between Elwell Island and the Hatfield boundary. ​Registration required|$25-$35 | Ages 18+” A dragon boat is nothing compared to a boat dragon. They can breathe yachts.
Wednesday, September 12th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM
Rub Wrongways Fifth Musicians in Residence Event
“The members of Rub Wrongways Records, an independent record label from Northampton, are embarking on a musical odyssey in 2018 as the Forbes Library Musicians in Residence. The label’s Jason Mazzotta and Henning Ohlenbusch, two well-known staples of the area’s music scene, will curate a series of performances and workshops.” This is the fifth event! Free and open to all!
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Last Warlord: The Life and Legend of Dostum
“Author Brian Glyn Williams will discuss his new book, The Last Warlord: The Life and Legend of Dostum. The book details how, after 9/11, the CIA contacted the mysterious Afghan-Mongol warrior to help U.S. Special Forces-Afghan cavalry campaign succeeded against all odds in liberating Afghanistan’s holiest shrine and brought warriors from vastly different cultures together to fight their common Taliban enemy.” Like in that one movie!
Thursday, September 13th
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 Azumanga Daioh right now. It’s very, very funny. What a good show. What a good dog.

History:

Tuesday, September 11th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Does My Voice Count? Voter Suppression Then and Now
“This slide presentation and discussion follows the work of a handful of students, moved by compassion and the call to action for social justice by going to Mississippi to help register black voters during Christmas vacation in 1965. We will also explore the consequences of the 2013 repeal of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. More than 50 years later, what has changed?” Free and open to the public!
Friday, September 14th
​33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060 at 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Historical Footnotes: Dancing Through Northampton’s History
“Historic Northampton and A.P.E.@Hawley Street join forces for a special collaboration on September 14 & 15 to celebrate the opening of the new Flexible Performance Space at the Arts Trust’s building, 33 Hawley Street. Linking contemporary dance works, site-specific films, music, and visual art with Northampton’s rich history, twelve area artists and their collaborators will offer a range of surprising ecological and cultural perspectives, all with ties to Northampton’s past.” $15 at the door, $12 online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3596843 Event no. 3596843!
Saturday, September 15th
​33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060 at 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Historical Footnotes: Dancing Through Northampton’s History
Same thing as the Friday show!
Historic Deerfield [5005, 5005, 80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration: It’s Pumpkin Time
Pumpkin Time! The best time of the year for Pumpkins! “Before the pumpkin spice lattes and muffins of today, people were eating dishes made from Connecticut Field and Long Island Cheese pumpkins. It was a dependable crop and stored well over the colder months providing a reliable source of food. Meet the workhorse of the Colonial kitchen – the pumpkin.” The workhorse of the Colonial field was the horse.
Historic Deerfield [5005, 5005, 80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM
A Clean Sweep: The History and Crafting of Brooms
“Come to the History Workshop and learn all about brooms, and broom making. See our crop of broom corn, sweep with a hand-made broom and make a small, serviceable whisk broom to take with you.” Everyone could use a good whisk broom!

Kids:

Monday, September 10th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Library Building Blocks Club
“Bring your imagination to the library for our exciting Library Building Blocks Club. We will spend about an hour developing masterpieces with lego blocks. The creations will be on display in the Boys’ and Girls’ Library for all to see. This program is open to children ages 3 and up. “
Tuesday, September 11th
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!
Friday, September 14th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Story Time
Stories, songs, crafts, and general merriment for children aged 3-5 and their caregivers!
Saturday, September 15th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Raina Telgemeir Fan Club
Grades 4-7 are welcome to come hang out and talk about the extremely excellent work of graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier! She’s so good. Discuss your favorites with fellow fans, and make a craft! Just drop by, no registration necessary!

Movies:

Monday, September 10th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Movie Screening: 12 Strong
“The film, based on Doug Stanton’s non-fiction book Horse Soldiers, tells the story of U.S. Army Special Forces sent to Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks. The CIA contacted the mysterious Afghan-Mongol warrior to help U.S. Special Forces wage a covert war in the mountains of Afghanistan that ended in a stunning victory. It sheds light on how the desperate Special Forces-Afghan cavalry campaign succeeded against all odds in liberating Afghanistan’s holiest shrine and brought warriors from vastly different cultures together to fight their common Taliban enemy.”
Wednesday, September 12th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Film: Censored Voices
“Censored Voices is an Israeli film drawn from censored audio tapes made within weeks of soldiers returning from the 1967 Six Day War. The film project was the initiative of Israel’s best known anti-war author and activist Amos Oz to be shown in advance of the current 70th anniversary of the Israeli state and the Palestinian Nakba. These men were appalled at what they were required to in the 1967 war and nearly 50 years later gather to discuss the tapes in a 2015 film made by Israeli filmmaker Mor Loushy complete with raw, real military footage. Oz and his friends are seen a half-century later listening to those tapes of their younger selves and discussing how they see the impact of that war on current Israel/Palestine, and the Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Free and accessible. The Resistance Film series is co-sponsored by The Resistance Center of Western MA and the Northampton Committee to Stop the Wars.” Scheduled for June, but it’s here now!
Saturday, September 15th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Teen Movie: Isle of Dogs
“Find out what happens when a boy goes looking for his dog, in this fun animated sci-fi movie.” Do NOT mix this up with A Boy and His Dog.
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Family Movie – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
“Drop in to the Lang Auditorium for a free movie! We provide snacks and drinks. A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Rated: G (1 hour 40 minutes) Registration NOT required.” Also, many children are murdered using candy!
Sunday, September 16th
Yiddish Book Center [1021 West St., Amherst MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
FILM | “Absent”
“For over a century, Mărculeşti was a vibrant Jewish agricultural and mercantile community in Bessarabia (now present-day Moldova). In July 1941, the village was the site of an unimaginable atrocity. Seventy-four years later, few speak honestly about what happened. Absent is a cinematic portrait of the ghost village of Mărculeşti, its current inhabitants, and their complex relationship with history.” COST: Student | $4, Member | $6, General Admission | $8

RPGs:

Thursday, September 13th
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!

Science:

Tuesday, September 11th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Green Burial – The Environmentally Friendly Option
Green burial might be the best option if you want to not continue destroying the environment from the great beyond, but we’re going to stay true to the traditions of our family. We’ll hide our Phylactery somewhere no mortal will ever uncover and continue to bedevil the world as a lich until the sun burns out. This presentation will give you some info about green burials in general and options for green burial in Massachusetts!
Thursday, September 13th
Nacul Center [592 Main St., Amherst] at 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
OEB Science Cafe: Exploring the Highs and Lows – How Rewards and Drugs Interact with Our Brains
Dr. David Moorman will explain how your neurological reward system plays an important role in your daily life, and how adding drugs to the equation can toss some wrenches at this complex system. Always good to learn more about the thing that lets you learn more!

Technology:

Tuesday, September 11th
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. We’ll be meeting from 6:00 – 8:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month. Dinner and drinks are on us!” Free dinner just for making your community better? Lovely!
Wednesday, September 12th
Last Call Media [136 West St., Suite 01, Northampton, MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Agile Methods Meetup: Getting real about forecasting
“Agile Methods Meetup September: Getting real about forecasting… stop lying and start communicating! Let’s talk about forecasting! How are you using your tools? What are the challenges? Be sure to RSVP here so we know how much food to get: https://aug.atlassian.com/events/details/atlassian-northampton-presents-getting-real-about-forecasting-stop-lying-and-start-communicating” If you get good enough at it eventually you can see the entire history of the universe spread out in front of you like a map. Great for sprint planning!

Teens:

Monday, September 10th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Teen Arts Program: Sun Prints
“The Teen Arts Program presents Sun Prints! Use light-sensitive paper to make art from nature’s finest shadows. Materials provided. This is a teens only event.” Be sure not to accidentally summon any Shadow Demons.
Wednesday, September 12th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Teen Creative Writing Group
Drop by the Teen Room to play writing games, work on your writing, and get inspired to write more! Write!
Thursday, September 13th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM
Comics Club
“Join Callie for the September meeting of the Comics Club! We’ll discuss, share, and create comics and graphic novels! There will be artists’ 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.” Comics are great! Check out Comics N’ More in Easthampton to get more comics!

Video Games:

Tuesday, September 11th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natural. Ages 13+! Try beating people exclusively with Yoshi if you want everyone to feel very annoyed.

 

September 3rd – September 9th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Congratulations to Valley Creator Joshua A.C. Newman on a successful Kickstarter for The Bloody-Handed Name of Bronze! It sounds excellent and you should definitely check out the preview!

Joshua A.C. Newman’s The Bloody-Handed Name of Bronze is a tabletop roleplaying game of those who speak the secret Language of Names that spoke the world into existence. When you portray one such Namedealer,you will make treaties with anything bearing a name — and you will thrive and suffer from the consequences of those promises.

…And it is a game of fated heroes, driven by their long-dead ancestors — and their own great passions — to pursue their destiny for the benefit of the dead, and to die bathed in glory.

It is a game of passions and cunning, of tricksters and hard-found justice.

It is a game of pursuing what you desire. It is a game of getting what you want from your companion characters when you have no reason to trust them, and about using those you don’t trust to aid you in your pursuits.

It is a game about flight from the consequences of your promises, and the power that comes from both lies and the truth.

It is a game about charging toward that against which you have been commanded, and the power one has to turn against an abuser.

The Codex Edition contains these rules, with additional examples, explanations, and commentary.

It’s a good danged RPG!

Also! Nerd Nite Northampton is happening Monday, September 10th! It’ll be excellent!

We’ll have Kerstin Nordstrom, with ‘What Can Sand Piles tell us About Traffic and Cancer?’ and Gabrielle Hartley with ‘BetterTogether: Relationship Hacks from a Seasoned Divorce Attorney’!

ALSO We’ll have a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT at this Nerd Nite that will be A BIG DEAL so you should try to make it out!

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:

Thursday, September 6th
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Arts Night Out
A bunch of fun stuff! A pop-up contemporary art exhibit in the Homestead from 5pm – 8pm, you can sign up for open-mic from 5pm to 6pm, after which the open mic begins! Featured poet this time is Nausheen Eusuf, a PhD candidate in English at Boston Univeristy. “Her poetry has appeared in The American Scholar, Poetry Daily, Southwest Review, Salmagundi, PN Review, The Common, and World Literature Today, and has been selected for inclusion in Best American Poetry 2018. Her first full-length collection Not Elegy, But Eros was recently published by NYQ Books (US) and Bengal Lights Books (Bangladesh). Website: www.nausheeneusuf.com.”
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.
Saturday, September 8th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 11:00 AM to 1:00 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!

Books:

Wednesday, September 5th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Science Fiction and Fantasy Discussion: Annihilation
We’re letting you know about this one because the book’s neat and it’s also short enough to read in like a couple afternoons. We recommend it! Also as they always say “Anyone interested in Science Fiction or Fantasy is welcome. Although we focus on this month’s selection, we will discuss any topics related to Science Fiction or Fantasy, books or movies. Copies of the discussion book are available in the library to check out.”!

Entertainment:

Wednesday, September 5th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Gavel Club
That’s it. Gavel. Club. Gavel Club? Like… do you discuss your favorite gavels? How many different types of gavel are there? Whatever you do with Gavel Club, this is the time to do it!
Thursday, September 6th
Historic Northampton [46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA 01060-2406] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Dream Landscapes: The art of dreaming, dreams as art Landscapes/Dreamscapes Lecture by Dr. Annie Rogers
“Professor of Psychoanalysis and Clinical Psychology at Hampshire College, psychoanalyst and poet, Dr. Annie Rogers will explore how visual artists imagine & make dreamscapes, and how their work conveys the unconscious as a realm of human experience.” Please don’t ask the doctor to explain your dreams.
Saturday, September 8th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Play Reading: The Pitch
“A free public reading of a new play, THE PITCH, performed by excellent regional actors. In two acts, the story is about a retired sportswriter who reluctantly agrees to collaborate with a young reporter on a biography of a boyhood friend of the older writer, an obscure pitcher who threw only one pitch in the major leagues nearly fifty years earlier. But it soon becomes evident there’s a secret at the heart of the pitcher’s story – one the older writer fiercely intends to protect. Starring John Haag and Julian Findlay. Written by Stan Freeman. Directed by Robert Freedman. Free admission.” This play’s also intended to trick the King of Northampton into revealing his perfidy but that shouldn’t affect your enjoyment.
Sunday, September 9th
MYSTERY LOCATION at 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Lost in Space (2018) and Potluck
“Special request regarding the potluck…please try to only bring items without sugar or gluten (or chip in $5 instead of bringing something and I’ll make more food). We’ll watch Lost in Space episode 5 and perhaps something else too.” Food and sci-fi! The perfect combo! RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/254257249/!

History:

Wednesday, September 5th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
First Wednesday Speaker Series: Quilt History
Quilts, it’s time for you to learn your history! Or, alternately human beings it’s time for you to learn about how quilts have been used in the past. One or the other.
Saturday, September 8th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Beauty in the Details: Exploring the Styles of Victorian Architecture- Workshop and Walking Tour
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. “Join us as Eric Gradoia, Director of Historic Preservation at Historic Deerfield, returns to Holyoke. We start at 10:00 AM with a brief workshop on identifying popular Victorian home styles. Then we will take an informal walking tour of the historic Oakdale neighborhood north of the Library, where Eric will provide an architectural historian’s view of the area’s hidden and not-so-hidden gems. We plan to conclude at approximately 12:30. Free.” Free! FREE!
Historic Deerfield [5005, 5005, 80 Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Museum Store Pop-Up Shop with Joe Dowden, Box Maker
“Since 1996, Joe Dowden has been handcrafting reproduction Shaker oval boxes and carriers. Meet Joe and browse his Shaker box collection at this pop up shop on Saturday, September 8.” Boxes, the drawer you can carry around!

Kids:

Tuesday, September 4th
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!
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Henry’s Big Kaboom: A Children’s Sing-Along
Mary Ames Mitchell, a descendant of Henry Knox, will tell kids about how her ancestor transported artillery from upstate New York to Boston, passing right through Palmer! During the American revolution to be clear, not just on a dare or something. Wholesome explosion-based entertainment for kids!
Saturday, September 8th
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: Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Jane Yolen
“In Monster Academy, authors Heidi E. Y. Stemple and Jane Yolen present colorful monster children who have familiar human issues such as making friends and learning to help others. Come along with Principal Frank N. Stein into a bright, energetic classroom where the class pet is a big purple boa constrictor, recess is in a swamp, and class bats help build a Creepy Castle in the Monster Maker’s Lab. An irresistible romp from start to finish!” Good kids books for kids to listen to, and a book signing afterward!
Sunday, September 9th
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 Deborah Blumenthal and Masha D’yans
“Join author Deborah Blumenthal and artist Masha D’yans as they read from their new picture book Polka Dot Parade. Highlighting the life and work of legendary New York Times street fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham, this book will encourage kids of all ages to search for inspiration and decide for themselves what is truly beautiful.” Book signing afterward! It’ll be a lovely time for listening and learning.

Movies:

Tuesday, September 4th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
GPL Teen Pizza and Movie Night
Pizza and a movie: the ultimate chance to have pizza and also watch a movie. Teens, don’t let this slip by! This is your chance to have pizza and watch a film! It’s a hoot to do so with pals!
Thursday, September 6th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Film & Discussion Series: King in the Wilderness
“This 2018 documentary chronicles the final chapters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, revealing a conflicted leader who faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. King in the Wilderness reveals stirring new perspectives on Dr. King’s character, his radical doctrine of nonviolence, and his internal philosophical struggles prior to his assassination in 1968. Free & open to the public.” History lessons are always useful.
Friday, September 7th
Amherst Cinema Arts Center [28 Amity St., Amherst MA] at 9:15 PM to 11:55 PM
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Hang with the friendly folks of the Western MA Sci-Fi Meetup at this great meetup! “Meet in the lobby at 9:15. We’ll sit together in the cinema. Screening starts at 9:45. This is the 140-minute full uncut version of the film. Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie) crashes to Earth and immediately registers a series of world-changing patents in an effort to return to his parched planet and dying family. But will the authorities let him go? THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH is a daring exploration of science fiction as an art form. The story of an alien on an elaborate rescue mission provides the launching pad for Nicolas Roeg’s visual tour de force, a formally adventurous examination of alienation in contemporary life.” RSVP here! https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/254009539/

RPGs:

Saturday, September 8th
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 wonderous adventure in the Boys and Girls Library Activity Room! KAPOW!

Technology:

Tuesday, September 4th
Northampton Brewery [11 Brewster Ct, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Northampton Webdive – After Work
Hang out and talk to folks who do technology work, basically! It’s a good time and you can meet nice new people!
Thursday, September 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
What they’re doing at this meeting: “Figure out next steps. At this time (August 3), it’s unclear if the mayor will publish our proposed surveys on the city’s website, as he suggested he would do when we met with him in May. Regardless, we feel we need to engage a broader section of Northampton residents and businesses, so the mayor and City Council can see this effort is important to the community. Our primary focus will be to focus on how we can do more outreach and organize a potential demonstration. We’ll be working on improving our social media presence in the meantime.”

Teens:

Wednesday, September 5th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
YA Pride: Queer YA Book Club
A youth-led LGBTQIA+ group and “overall chill space” to which can arrive teens of all identities and orientations to discuss queer YA lit and sometimes movies! Contact youth facilitator Carter Moon at CarterMoon58@gmail.com or Rachel at rdowd@holyokelibrary.org!

Video Games:

Tuesday, September 4th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natural. Ages 13+! Try beating people exclusively with Yoshi if you want everyone to feel very annoyed.

 

August 27th – September 2nd

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Have you been to Eastworks lately? What about Mill 180 Park, The Indoor Park That Accidentally Made Itself Look Exactly Like What a Child Wants to Climb Upon? They’re both nice places full of nice things! Like parm fries.

Also in case you weren’t aware, there’s a massive nation-wide prison strike.

Rebels incarcerated in prisons across the nation are preparing for a nationwide strike demanding humane living conditions, access to rehabilitation, sentencing reform and the end of modern day slavery.

You can support the strikers here, and prison policy reform in general here. The Prison Policy Initiative is based in Easthampton!

Finally, Dead Cells is a lot of fun if you’re into that sort of thing and we are.

Oh and actual finally via Kathy Aidala of Mount Holyoke College:

Mount Holyoke College is presently renovating 8,000 square feet to expand our maker capabilities and to better integrate these capabilities into our academic mission. We are searching for the Technical Lead and Design Mentor, who will run the day-to-day activities of the Makerspace, along with the Makerspace Coordinator, and help to foster an inclusive climate and collaborative learning environment.

A primary component of the job will be to mentor the highly varied interdisciplinary projects, which requires flexibility and broad knowledge of how to make a wide range of products using many different materials.

See full ad here. Feel free to contact me with any questions. We will begin reviewing applications beginning September 4, with an anticipated start date in mid-November.

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, August 28th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Art Shoes with Trouble
“Join artist Trouble Mandeson for a hilarious, insightful and thought provoking evening. Trouble’s shoes are the featured exhibit of the month in our display cabinet by the main circulation desk. She transforms mundane shoes into spectacular works of art and you can too! We’ll spend the evening playing with glue guns, glitter, charms and more. Space is limited and this program is for ages 13 and up. Please pre-register at the main circulation desk or call 413-772-1544” Oddly enough Trouble’s middle name is also Trouble.
Thursday, August 30th
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.

Community:

Tuesday, August 28th
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Town of Amherst: Candidates At-Large Night
“Free and open to the public; sponsored by the League of Women Voters.” Meet the folks for whom you will vote!

Entertainment:

Thursday, August 30th
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Anime Club
Anime! We watched ‘Spiral’ recently and it was pretty great. Rare that quickly solving a puzzle ring is presented as a power move.

Kids:

Tuesday, August 28th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Experimental Art
“Learn new techniques for working with different art mediums as you complete a project with Miss Susan. Dress for mess! Registration is required and begins on Tuesday, July 24th. Ages 8-12 years old” We usually dress for mess unintentionally.
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!
Jones Library [43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002] at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Be Your Best Self (Ages 4-16)
“Bring friends and family for a fun activity and motivational message about healthy habits from Distinguished Young Woman of Massachusetts 2019, Mina Liang.” We’re actually the Distinguished Young Collective Being of Massachusetts 2027, if you weren’t aware. We’re quite distinguished!
Wednesday, August 29th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Ice Cream Social
“Kids who participated in the Summer Reading Club are invited to this special Ice Cream Social. All ages welcome, but please register.” Our ice cream went out to socialize last week and we’ve not seen it since.
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Creative Movement and Drama for Toddlers
“Go on a creative adventure with your child as you move your bodies and stretch your imaginations. The class is designed to give caregivers the opportunity to connect with their children in a joyful and playful environment and take home creative tools to incorporate into everyday life. Starting with a picture book, and adding in music, movement, and imaginative props, together, we will bring the story the life! The class is geared towards children 18 months-5-years old. Taught by Sarah Marcus.”
Thursday, August 30th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Library Building Blocks Club
Kids! Play with LEGO! It’s fun!

Movies:

Monday, August 27th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Far Out Film Discussion: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
“Far Out Film Discussion is formatted like a book club: check out the film, watch it at home, and attend the meeting to discuss it. (We will not be screening the film at the program.) Our next movie is the 2010 film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. View the trailer here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk-EoUb0nvg Copies of the film will be available in the Reference Dept. and the Arts and Music Dept. Join us in the Community Room on Monday August 27th at 7:00pm to discuss the film!” We can recall our own past lives and weirdly enough we used to be you!
Friday, August 31st
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Outdoor Film Series: A Wrinkle In Time
Watch A Wrinkle In Time outdoors! It’s a classic story, translated into a film we’ve heard more mixed things about but heck it’ll be fun, always a good time to watch movies outdoors! This is a rain date because dang this year has been a real rainy one.

RPGs:

Tuesday, August 28th
Westfield Athenaeum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons! Dungeons! Dungeons! Dungeons! DUNGEONS! D! U! N! G! E! O! N! S! Less into the dragons though, they’re so mean. Contact Tristan Anderson at trisdragon2@gmail.com for more… info… aw shoot we’re sorry… Tristan’s a dragon
Thursday, August 30th
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.

Teens:

Tuesday, August 28th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Tween and Teen Back to School Party
“Get out and have some fun before school starts! Mario Kart 8 playoffs with our new Nintendo Switch. Make kindness buttons for your backpack and learn to fold secret note origami. For grades 5-12. Free and fun! Pizza included.” If you work hard enough at it we’re confident you can make pizza be included in school as well.
Thursday, August 30th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:15 PM to 4:15 PM
Workshop for Young Sound Artists and Podcasters
Learn how to record and edit audio, and make a piece of sound art of start a podcast! Intended for all teens who haven’t somehow already become internationally successful artists/podcasters. Recording equipment is provided, but feel free to bring a smartphone or tablet if you have one. Sign up required. Visit us at the Young Adult and Children’s Desk or call (413) 587-1010.

Video Games:

Tuesday, August 28th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natural. Ages 13+!
Sunday, September 2nd
Another Castle [30 Olive Street Suite 2, Greenfield, MA] at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
MAKE TALK PLAY | Game Demo Night!
“Join us at Another Castle for our first official Pioneer Valley Game Developer demo-night! We’re inviting all our local friends and family to share their projects of passion. What have you spent your year working on so far? Swing by on the evening of September 2nd from 7 – 9pm to play our colleagues games, and let us play yours! Need special accommodations or equipment? Send us a message here and we’ll make sure you’re set up right.”

 

August 20th – August 26th

The Valley Nerd Watch!

Ooooh you’d better have already registered to vote we swear to goodness. If not, it isn’t too late to get set for the November 6th election! Do it now,  now!

Other than that the big news is that we’ve been playing Dead Cells and it’s fun, so try Dead Cells! Also interesting, the studio that made it – Motion Twin – is an Anarcho-Syndicalist cooperative that pays every employee the exact same wage. That’s a very smart way to arrange yourself if you find you’d like to be a corporate entity we think.

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, August 21st
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Tween and Teen Graphic Novel Series
“Join library assistant and published graphic novel author Steve Murphy for this 3 part series: Class 1 (July 9) — attendees will make a mini-comic book story out of a single sheet of paper; they will also design the main characters to their story. Class 2 (July 31) — the mini-comics will be enlarged and expanded into a lengthier comic book format; character design and development will finish up. Class 3 (August 21) — time to draw and write your comic book! Each session will include free drawing and GN discussion time:”
Wednesday, August 22nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Forbes Library Zine Club
Make a zine about your favorite songs! Make a zine about your favorite authors! Make a zine about your favorite zines! Then, get someone else to make a zine about their favorite zines about favorite zines and include your zine.
Thursday, August 23rd
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.
Friday, August 24th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Visiting Artist Series: Recycled Paper Chickens
Learn how an artist works, and collaborate on an art project! Make some recycled paper chickens, and watch a really good recycled paper chicken get made by a local artist!
Smith College Museum of Art [20 Elm St, Northampton, MA 01063] at 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Free Fun Friday at SCMA
A Packed Schedule! “~ Self-guided activities available all day ~ Little Trúc food truck 11am–3pm ~Ask the Curator in the exhibition “体 Modern Images of the Body from East Asia” 12pm ~ Crooked Stick Pops 1:30-3:30pm ~ Mountain River Taiko drum performance 2:30–3:30 pm”
Emily Dickinson Museum [280 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002] at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Free Fun Friday at the Emily Dickinson Museum
“The Emily Dickinson Museum consists of 3 acres, 2 historic houses—the Homestead, where the poet was born and lived most of her life, and The Evergreens, the home of the poet’s brother—and the story of 1 exceptional poet! During self-guided tours, knowledgeable guides are on hand to answer your questions.”

Board Games:

Friday, August 24th
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Local Game Developer Night
“Prodigy holds a monthly night for local game developers to come and show off their new or old creations. The public can come and try out new games and give needed feedback to developers attempting to make great games! If you are a developer and are interested in participating in this event, please let us know. All developers pay a $5 table fee for displaying their game. All others pay the regular $12 Friday admission price for the full gameroom.”

Books:

Monday, August 20th
Greenfield Public Library [402 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Author Talk: Al Norman
“The Greenfield Public library is pleased to present Albert Norman reading from Ravings: American Wild Talk, his new book of short stories in the LeVanway Room on Monday August 20 at 6pm. Ravings tells nineteen stories about the ravings of wild Americans, from the 1700s until today–all based on real events.”
Tuesday, August 21st
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 a critique group! Speak to other people about your work, and trade opportunities for development as well as writing and publishing tips. You can also read and discuss stories with other members! For more info call the library at 413-772-1544!
Thursday, August 23rd
Packards [14 Masonic St., Northampton, MA 01060] at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Hugo Award Nominated Short Fiction & Dinner
“For our August science fiction book discussion, we’re going to read the short stories and novelettes that were nominated as finalists for the Hugo Awards this year.” https://www.meetup.com/4scifi/events/253220272/
Sunday, August 26th
Odyssey Bookshop [9 College St, South Hadley, MA 01075] at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Active Citizens Book Group Reads The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels
“Our current climate of partisan fury is not new, and in The Soul of America Meacham shows us how what Abraham Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature” have repeatedly won the day. Painting surprising portraits of Lincoln and other presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and illuminating the courage of such influential citizen activists as Martin Luther King, Jr., early suffragettes Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt, civil rights pioneers Rosa Parks and John Lewis, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Army-McCarthy hearings lawyer Joseph N. Welch, Meacham brings vividly to life turning points in American history.”

Community:

Wednesday, August 22nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Share Your Sight Training / Information about programs offered
“Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired confident living with vision loss. SHARE YOUR SIGHT! Volunteer to read, shop or walk with a blind or visually impaired person in your area. Volunteer partnerships allow people to remain as independent as possible in their homes. No special skills needed; flexible schedule (volunteer during the day, evening or weekend); six-month commitment is required. Volunteers must be at least 18 or accompanied by an adult. Not sure if this is the right kind of volunteering for you? Register for a training, then come decide for yourself! Call to register for training being offered: call 508-854-1733 e-mail Nedmonds@mabcommunity.org Light Refreshment Will be Provided! Become a Volunteer receive a $25 Gift Card or Refer a Volunteer receive a $15 Gift Card! “
Thursday, August 23rd
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.”
Saturday, August 25th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Job Search Strategies
You need to use a lot of different methods to get a job in the new and terrifying job market. Networking, going to job fairs, doing “informational interviews” and using social media. Also like 10 different job posting sites. This course will help you navigate all of that!

Entertainment:

Monday, August 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM
The Prince of Pirates and The Witch of Wellfleet: A Love Story
“Storyteller Rona Leventhal will be doing a dress rehearsal of her new show: “The Prince of Pirates and The Witch of Wellfleet: A Love Story”. This is an ADULT show and is not appropriate for young children! (ages 16 and up welcome). Content Warning: some violence, reference to sex and harsh language. The public is welcome to come. Please be on time if you can. THANK YOU!” The capitalizing of ADULT is giving us some expectations we doubt the story can actually deliver. Check out www.ronatales.com for more about the teller!
The Harp Irish Pub [163 Sunderland Road, Amherst MA] at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
The Science Buzz: Simple Minds, Big Finds: What Invertebrate Brains Teach Us About the Nervous System
Most animals on this planets don’t have a spinal cord. Even so, invertebrates have fascinating nervous systems. learn more about how they work from Dr. Paul Katz! Also, apps and trivia! Delightful.
Friday, August 24th
Sunderland Public Library [20 School St., Sunderland, MA 01375] at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Free Music: The Rear Defrosters
Honky-tonk country music at the library! Usually we’re only able to get our hands on tonk, so honky-tonk is a real treat.

Kids:

Monday, August 20th
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Minecraft Club
Minecraft with friends at Forbes! Sign up in advance at the Children’s desk or by calling 587-1010. We think the kids have moved on to making Fortnite the thing that literally every child spends all their time playing but Minecraft is probably a more thorough creative outlet.
Tuesday, August 21st
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, August 22nd
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Bingo for Books
“Kids ages 4-8 are invited to join us for B-I-N-G-O. You will take home new books to keep! Sponsored and hosted by the CFCE. Registration required.” B I N G O? What’s that spell again?

Movies:

Monday, August 20th
Westfield Atheneum [6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085] at 2:00 PM to 4:15 PM
Movie Monday: Annie
Annie! The redheaded scamp! The terror of the streets, the little engine that could, the lich king, Annie! Annie, the one true ruler of all Britannia, the Nameless One, the best of the best don’t mess with the rest. Annie from 1982, to be clear.
Wednesday, August 22nd
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Film Screening | The Gilded Cage: Northampton’s Last Water-Powered Elevator A Film by Stan Sherer
“Northampton’s Masonic Block (sometimes referred to as the “Fitzwilly Building”) on Main Street, which opened in 1898, featured an ornate water-powered elevator, state-of-the-art engineering at the time. But it was more: the elevator and its chatty, cheery operators created a community of the building’s shops, offices, denizens and visitors. This came to an end in 2017, when the elevator was decommissioned. To preserve this fascinating bit of Northampton’s history, documentary filmmaker Stan Sherer interviewed former operators and the repair service person who maintained it from the mid-1980s until the end. We learn how elevators work and why they matter, and what this one, and its operators, meant to the people and the City of Northampton.”
Forbes Library [20 West St, Northampton, MA 01060] at 8:00 PM to 10:15 PM
Coco on the Lawn
A free screening of Pixar’s great new movie “Coco”! Bring a blanket and some food, wait until dark and then leave, stunning the crowd as they try to figure out what sort of person leaves before the film starts! Or just watch a fun movie, should start around 8:30pm. Based on prior rain delays, expect a rain delay.

RPGs:

Tuesday, August 21st
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 wonderous adventure in the Boys and Girls Library Activity Room! KAPOW!

Teens:

Monday, August 20th
Holyoke Public Library [250 Chestnut St, Holyoke, MA 01040] at 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Teen Room Activities
Stop by to play games from the library collection, read, craft things, draw stuff, hang out, make buttons, all the teen trends!
Wednesday, August 22nd
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.
Thursday, August 23rd
Palmer Public Library [1455 N Main St, Palmer, MA 01069] at 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Lip Sync Battle
Lip Sync Battle! Like from the TV! Only this time, with friendly friends!

Video Games:

Tuesday, August 21st
Prodigy Minigolf & Gameroom [Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton MA] at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuesday Night Smash League – Super Smash Bros Melee
Ah, the best Smash Bros we assume because it’s the one we hear most about! Signup starts at 7pm, matches start at 8pm, double-elimination bracket and it’s $10 to enter. You can win money! Spectators also have to pay $10 so frankly it seems like you should not be a spectator, because why not just play the danged game maybe you’ll find out you’re a natural. Ages 13+!