Smith College professor examines the impact of a ‘notorious word,’ her father’s legacy and her own life in new book
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate Writing a book about the deeply painful and complex history of the n-word is a significant undertaking, as is writing a memoir about a complicated relationship with one’s father. For Smith College professor Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor — daughter of comedian Richard Pryor, who famously used the word in…
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Envisioning the city as a ‘magical place’: Singer-songwriter Jake Manzi releases hometown tribute single ‘It’s Northampton’
By Carolyn Brown For the Valley Advocate Singer-songwriter Jake Manzi isn’t the star of his new music video — the city of Northampton is. The track, “It’s Northampton,”…
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Mixtape: One-man band and a collection of punks: A couple local releases from two very different musical acts
By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate Peter Lo Iacono “Waiting for Tuesday” Peter Lo Iacono (pronounced Loy-uh-CO-no) has been a guitarist for more than 50…
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…
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…
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