Dynamic Duo

Easthampton City Arts+ kicks off the third annual Easthampton Book Fest with the first installment of the new Grist for the Mill speaker series, with inaugural guests Michael Musto (a longtime writer at The Village Voice) and Mickey Boardman, the editorial director of PAPER Magazine. Musto and Boardman riff off each other hilariously, like professional verbal ping pong players, and they’re sure to add a big dose of levity to a complicated topic: the role of the artist and writer in times of political and cultural shift. This will be Musto and Boardman’s first trip to the Valley, so let’s make them feel welcome with a big, diverse crowd that comes ready to talk through some thorny issues in the thick of a creative community. 

Grist for the Mill: Featuring Michael Musto and Mickey Boardman. Thursday, April 6, 8 p.m.; doors at 7:15 p.m. $5-$20; local wines and beers available for purchase. The Boylston Room, 122 Pleasant St., Easthampton. arts@easthampton.org, eventbrite.com.

— Hunter Styles