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Etienne Fiola grew up in rural Gaspesie, just a few dozen kilometers from where he lives now, in Rimouski, the gateway to the region.  It’s the capital city of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, just to the west of Gaspesie. We met up with Etienne for a stroll of this interesting city […]

We’ve spent the past four days in an absolutely wonderful part of Canada, one that I had never known about until I met Suzie Loiselle in New York City last year. It is the Gaspesie, or the Gaspe Peninsula, a large area that juts out east bordered by the St. […]

New Century Theatre’s latest play, The Foreigner, was staged in a new venue for the summer troupe’s 27th season opener–the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in South Hadley.  Despite this somewhat unfamiliar venue, for the first time outside the familiar confines of Smith’s Mendenhall Center, the crowd was strong and […]

The Green River Festival, the Pioneer Valley’s Most Anticipated Summer Music Festival Set for July 14-16  at Greenfield Community College Everyone in the Pioneer Valley is getting excited about the biggest musical event in the area–The Green River Festival, taking place on the lawn at Greenfield Community College from July […]

I joined my lunchtime pal Ed today for lunch in my town, which is a rare occasion. We usually venture out to Amherst, Hadley or Northampton, but today it was a short 1-mile drive to this little spot right next to the railroad tracks for some barbecue. While I miss […]

I listened to a podcast the other day that is one of my regular go-to’s, Marc Maron’s WTF podcast.  He interviewed Lesley Stahl, of 60 Minutes fame and she talked about her upbringing on the north shore of Boston Mass and how she got into the news business. It was clear […]

Nat Hartshorne, my father, is praised in this post and some of our lives together is told, I grew up with him as my father in Blawenburg NJ.

I was happy to finally get another poker game together last night, and it was at a new location. My friends Ed, Dave, Don and my cousin Steve and I have had a regular poker game going for 15 years. We used to play more regularly, when I had the […]

Every two years, the popular band, Wilco, organize their own special music, art, and comedy festival called Solid Sound. I’ve attended two of these over the past six years, and each was indeed memorable, with perfect weather, lots of creative and delicious food, and the music of Wilco to top […]

Tomorrow is an exciting day in what I consider the most exciting town in the Valley. It’s Easthampton’s Cultural Chaos, a combination of street fair, musical performances, and all of Cottage Street open for everyone.  This year the walkway that was built around Nashawannuck Pond will be in full swing, […]

In the days before the big IPW conference here in Washington DC, I got a chance to experience the city for the first time in a few decades.  On Saturday night I went to a party at the Howard Theater, in the heart of Georgetown, and the place was jumping. […]