
Art that really soars: Hopkins Academy student installation at Hadley Public Library is strictly for the birds
There’s a gigantic flock of birds in flight inside the Hadley Public Library right now. A bald eagle hovers above a table of books; a black vulture sits not far away near a binder. Dozens of other birds fly together silently in rows nearby, filling the air with shades of red, blue, yellow, white, brown…
Asked to censor herself, Pamela Means refuses with ‘wide-open arms’
Before her first open mic when she was 18, Pamela Means debuted three original songs to her two best friends. They weren’t allowed to look at her as she fingered the guitar and sang to the floor. “I was really shy — I made them turn their backs,” recalled the now-Easthampton-based performer. But when she…
Mixtape: One-man band and a collection of punks: A couple local releases from two very different musical acts
Peter Lo Iacono “Waiting for Tuesday” Peter Lo Iacono (pronounced Loy-uh-CO-no) has been a guitarist for more than 50 years. He originally started out playing in cover bands…

The Latest
Monte Belmonte Wines: Sipping through the semiquincentennial: Exploring the wine preferences of one of America’s founding fathers
By Monte Belmonte For the Valley Advocate When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to look back on the semiquincentennial anniversary of certain events…
Theater Matters with Jarice Hanson: The joy of live theater
By Jarice Hanson For the Valley Advocate The summer season abounds with opportunities to attend shows that may reconnect audiences with the joy of being alive. The three…
The V-Spot with Yana Tallon-Hicks: How can we schedule sex, naturally?
By Yana Tallon-Hicks For the Valley Advocate Hi Yana, I’ve heard the advice that sometimes couples should “schedule sex” when it’s fallen off the priorities list. I brought…







Asked to censor herself, Pamela Means refuses with ‘wide-open arms’
Before her first open mic when she was 18, Pamela Means debuted three original songs to her two best friends. They weren’t allowed to look at her as she fingered the guitar and sang to the floor. “I was really…









