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 this up to my partner and he wants sex to feel more spontaneous and “natural.” He says that...
Finding his own voice: Southampton musician Barry Searle steps into the spotlight with first original album, ‘The Awakening’
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate After years of covering other artists’ music, a local musician is getting the chance to play and share his own tunes. Guitarist and singer Barry Searle, an eighth-generation resident of Southampton, recently celebrated the...
Investing in cultural vitality: Northampton Arts Council grant supports local writer’s growth
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate The Valley offers many opportunities for artists — but as one local writer knows, stepping outside the area can help, too. Northampton writer, teaching artist and graduate instructor Richie Wills was recently selected as a...
Theater Matters: Curtains up: A guide to the Valley’s unmissable summer theater season
By Jarice Hansen For the Valley Advocate Have you ever attended a reading of a play or story that went on to live in your mind? Play readings are becoming more popular than ever, thanks in part to the types of radio programs and podcasts that stimulate your auditory...
‘Don’t mind if I do’: Northampton exhibit brings art to visitors in a unique and accessible way
By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate Brooklyn-based artist Finnegan Shannon, who is disabled, has often wondered what it would be like to experience art without limitations. Shannon, who has trouble standing and walking and experiences pain doing both,...
The V-Spot with Yana Tallon-Hicks: My boyfriend worked for evil. Should we break up?
By Yana Tallon-Hicks For the Valley Advocate Dear Yana, My boyfriend (“Tim”) knowingly violated a red-line boundary of mine by accepting a job at a particularly Evil Company. As a result, we've been on a break. They've apologized and have since left that...
Mixtape: Time to make the music: Local icons, Donut Kings celebrate 40 years of making music
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate Celebrating a 40th anniversary of any kind is a huge milestone in life. When it comes to an artistic form, there’s typically a slew of work to look back on and enjoy. For the Donut Kings, they have over 10 studio albums, a...
‘Love is not a fact; it’s faith’: Local band Pretty Killer follows a singer’s journey from addiction to recovery
Editor's note: The following piece includes candid depictions of substance use and addiction that may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate In the spring of 2013 at an empty sober house in Boston,...
‘It was a surreal experience’: Documentary made about Greenfield man recording at Abbey Road Studios after contest win
By Domenic Poli Staff Writer A dream came true last year for Jamie Manning when he spent two days recording an original song in England after winning a competition that garnered 5,500 entries from — one could say — here, there and everywhere. The Greenfield resident...
‘The imagination is endless’: New exhibit at Forbes Library showcases creativity through fiber arts
By Carolyn Brown Staff Writer It is rare to encounter a gigantic stuffed snake in a library, but a new exhibition makes it possible, showcasing the creature alongside other works crafted from scraps and repurposed fiber materials. The Fiberistas’ exhibition, “Bits and...
Monte Belmonte Wines: Rosé by any other name
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” I’ll take some poetic license with ol’ Will Shakespeare: “That which we call a rosé by any other name would smell as sweet.” But here’s the thing: rosés aren’t always sweet, either in smell or in...
Sessions
Check out our most recent performances in the playlist below, or click here to dig into interviews and related material!
O Cannabis: Bedtime weed to treat insomnia and sleep apnea
Some say it works, and research is being done on connections between weed and sleep.
Investing in cultural vitality: Northampton Arts Council grant supports local writer’s growth
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate The Valley offers many opportunities for artists — but as one local writer knows, stepping outside the area can help, too. Northampton writer, teaching artist and graduate instructor Richie Wills was recently selected as a...
From the V-Spot Vault: The Love is There, But the Sex Isn’t
Editor’s note: this article originally ran June 10, 2019. Hi Yana, Over the course of the last couple months my partner’s sex drive has slowly fallen off, and is now creating tension in our relationship. We’ve been together for nine months, and...
Emily Nagoski has done the research: It’s ok to love your body
By Melissa Karen Sances For the Valley Advocate "Emily’s mission in life is to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies." This sentence mesmerized me. It’s an assured statement about a complicated topic: body image and sexuality, and it is the...
The Beerhunter: 2020 Brew Years Resolutions
Across America, the craft beer scene is fizzing with activity. Food and drink options have expanded at taprooms, many of which are finding ways of attracting a daytime crowd by showcasing new skills like coffee roasting.
Stagestruck: Wit and Wile on the Riviera
As winter approaches, National Theatre Live serves up a summertime tonic (as in, gin and). The live-capture of “Much Ado About Nothing,” Shakespeare’s comedy of wit and wile, screens twice this month at Amherst Cinema, the Valley’s indispensable film house.
