Winter Reading Issue 2021
The Winter Reading Issue: Vermont Sci-Fi Author Craig Alanson Finds Self-Publishing Success; What One Author Learned by Touting Books on TikTok; Seven Days Reviewers Share Some Favorite Vermont Books From 2021
Obituary: Leanne Ponder, 1937-2021
Poet, spoken word artist and Celtic harper is remembered by loved ones around the globe
‘Seven Days’ Reviewers Share Some Favorite Vermont Books From 2021
The dozens of books that arrive at the Seven Days office in a year span a wide range of topics and genres. We receive critically…
Fiction: Concerning the Loss Triumph of the ‘VSS Conquest’
OFFICIAL REPORT: Let the abject failure resounding success of Captain Arvo and her ship, the VSS Conquest, be known. We commissioned the VSS Conquest to…
Programs Help Disadvantaged Vermont Students Achieve Higher-Ed Goals, but Inequity Remains
Samjana Rai knew no English when, at age 12, she moved with her family from Nepal to the United States. But now, as a senior…
From the Publisher: Page-Turners
“It was up there on the Kuwaiti-Saudi border back on Christmas eve, 1990. Right on the goddamn border. Saudis had a big sand berm 20…
The Winter Reading Issue — 2021
In the introduction the 2020 Winter Reading Issue, I opined that winter is the best time of year to cozy up with a good book….
In New Book ‘The Heart of Drawing,’ Artists Show, Tell and Inspire
Does the world really need another art book? Michael Strauss thinks so. At least anyone interested in drawing — and drawing inspiration from other artists…
Letters to the Editor (12/22/21)
Bad Date Hello! I was excited to read about AO Glass’ contribution to Maya Lin’s art installation in Philadelphia [“Blown Away: AO Glass Creates Handblown…
WTF: What Questions Didn’t (or Couldn’t) We Answer in 2021?
Each year, Seven Days receives dozens of emails and messages through its website asking us to solve mysteries that have confounded our readers. But with…
Winter Poems
i know many people who wouldn’t spend all sunday afternoon by a creek in the woods waiting for a glimpse of muskrat or nuthatch wondering…
Crowds at Burlington City Council Meetings Are Becoming Increasingly Uncivil
Amanda Skehan felt nervous when she stepped to the microphone at the Burlington City Council meeting on October 18. The atmosphere that night was tense….
Veteran Educator Tal Birdsey Helps Adolescents Discover What Ignites Them
Nothing feels sterile or institutional inside the North Branch School, an independent middle school in Ripton, surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest. The walls…
Book Review: ‘Emily’s House,’ Amy Belding Brown
It’s often said that behind every great man is a great (and exhausted) woman. Sometimes, though, behind a great woman is another woman. That’s the…
What One Author Learned by Touting Books on TikTok
I knew I was in trouble when I found myself trying to render the lyrics from Regina Spektor’s song “Two Birds” into American Sign Language….
I’m Gay but Turned Off by Gay Stereotypes
Dear Reverend, I’m gay. I’m 49 years old, and as I get older I have less desire to be around other gay men in social…
Soundbites: A Delayed Dolphin, New Videos From A2VT and Moira Smiley
Some records take a little extra time to hit. It’s different for everyone, but there have been countless times when I’ve picked up an album,…
Orange Rabbit, ‘Decay: The PTSD Project DELUXE’
(Self-released, digital) A drone, not unlike a screwdriver being softly but insistently pressed against the base of the skull, issues from the speaker. Voices overtake…
Aaron Marcus & Sam Sanders, ‘Garden Dreams’
(Self-released, CD, digital) I became lost in the woods of Underhill one day, trying to find a path I knew when I was young. My…
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ Doesn’t Take Us Deep Enough Into Its Hero’s Dark Psyche
Talk about holiday counterprogramming! Currently in theaters, the new film from Guillermo del Toro (Oscar winner for The Shape of Water) is a star-studded slice…
Free Will Astrology (12/22/21)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) To ensure that 2022 will bring you the most interesting and useful kind of progress, take good care of your key…
Now Playing in Theaters: December 22-28
In addition to Licorice Pizza, here’s what is playing in Northern and Central Vermont movie theaters this week. Listings include new movies, vintage films and a directory of open theaters.
Vermont Sci-Fi Author Craig Alanson Finds Self-Publishing Success
Most every writer who’s ever put pen to paper has had the same dream at some point: walking into work and giving notice. They’re going…
A Long-Lost Family Connection Lands Vermont Boy a Needed Kidney
Vickie Foster received terrible news in the spring: Her 9-year-old son, Kayden, desperately needed a kidney transplant. Fearful that he wouldn’t survive a wait, Foster…
Well-Read Vermont Chefs Share Their Favorite Fictional Meals
I still remember my favorite assignment from high school. It was for Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition my junior year. After the intense AP…
Author Rowan Jacobsen Digs Into Truffles Surprisingly Close to Home
Spoiler alert: Author Rowan Jacobsen is sure there are wild truffles to be discovered underground in certain parts of Vermont, especially in the marble- and…
V Smiley Preserves Buys Bristol Bakery
V Smiley Preserves has bought Bristol Cliffs Café at 16 Main Street as the new home for her award-winning V Smiley business. It will also…
Made in Brazil to Bring Churrasco-Style Steakhouse and Buffet to Barre
Isa Bortoletto and Victor Marques opened Made in Brazil at 81 North Main Street in Barre on September 3, serving classic Brazilian dishes for indoor…
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, December 22 to 28
As the year draws to a close, there’s no shortage of ways for Vermonters to connect, learn and have a good time. We’ve compiled seven of this week’s must-do events, including ‘Twas the Night…, the New England Center for Circus Arts’ annual solstice and holiday extravaganza.
