8 Main Street Amherst, MA 01002 ·
413.256.1547 · 800.503.5865 ·
books@amherstbooks.com
Events
Events listed in white are at the bookshop; events listed in yellow are elsewhere.
Unless noted otherwise all events are free & open to the public.
(Click on a picture or a title to check our inventory or to purchase.)
- Friday, May 1st at 8:00 P.M. (Reading)
Belchertown resident
Robert Redick will read from his new fantasy novel,
The Red Wolf Conspiracy. Already published to great acclaim in the U.K. the first volume in a multi-volume story,
The Red Wolf Conspiracy is “firmly set in the contemporary fantasy heartland....Combining both a strong protagonist narrative within the rich framework powered by the geopolitical intrigue of two warring empires—tremendously action packed.” (Jon Jordon,
Edge).
- Sunday, May 3rd at 4:00 P.M. (Poetry reading)
Jan Conn &
Carolyn Smart will read from their recent collections of poetry. Conn was brought up in Asbestos, Quebec. She now lives in Great Barrington, Massachusetts & works as a professor of biomedical sciences whose research is focused on mosquitoes, their evolution & ecology. She has published six previous books of poetry, including
What Dante Did With Loss;
Beauties on Mad River; &
Jaguar Rain: the Margaret Mee Poems. “Amazonia,” a suite of poems, won second prize in the CBC Literary Awards—& is included in her new book,
Botero's Beautiful Horses. Smart’s collections of poetry include
Swimmers in Oblivion;
Power Sources;
Stoning the Moon; &
The Way to Come Home. A section of her memoir,
At the End of the Day, won 1st prize in the CBC Radio Literary Contest, Personal Essay Category. Her most recent book of poems is
Hooked.
- Wednesday, May 6th at 5:00 P.M.(Book launch party)
Join
Robert Rothstein in celebrating the publication of his new book,
Two Words to the Wise: Reflections on Polish Language, Literature, & Folklore. Rothstein was trained in linguistics by Noam Chomsky, Morris Halle & Roman Jakobson, but also has a long-standing interest in folklore. At the University of Massachusetts, where he directs the Program in Slavic & East European Studies, he has taught Polish, Russian, Yiddish, Belarusian & Slovak; as well as courses in folklore, linguistics, & Yiddish literature & culture. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Judaic & Near Eastern Studies & the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures; an adjunct appointment in the Department of Linguistics; & in 2006 was appointed the Walter Raleigh Amesbury, Jr., & Cecile Dudley Amesbury Professor of Polish Language, Literature & Culture.
Two Words to the Wise collects his column on Polish language, literature & folklore in the Boston biweekly newspaper
Bialy Orzel / White Eagle.
- Wednesday, May 6th at 8:00 P.M.(Poetry reading)
Eric Baus will read from his new collection of poetry,
Tuned Droves. Baus was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, & received his M.F.A. from the University of Massachusetts. His publications include
Tuned Droves &
The To Sound; as well as the chapbooks
The Space Between Magnets;
A Swarm In The Aperture; &
Something Else The Music Was. He edits Minus House chapbooks, & currently lives in Denver.
- Thursday, May 7th at 8:00 P.M. (Poetry reading)
James Haug will read in Memorial Hall at the University of Massachusetts as part of the M.F.A. Program's
Visiting Writers Series. Haug, who received his M.F.A. at the University of Massachusetts, is a founder of the “Live Lit” poetry reading series. His collections of poetry include
Walking Liberty, which won the Morse Poetry Prize; &
The Stolen Car; as well as a chapbook,
A Plan of How To Catch Amanda.
- Friday, May 8th at 8:00 P.M.(Reading)
“Live Lit” Students in the M.F.A. Program at the University of Massachusetts will read from their recent work. Evenings usually include a mix of poetry & fiction. Tonight’s readers TBA.
- Thursday, May 14th at 5:00 P.M. (Book launch party)
Join local author
Keith McCormick in celebrating the publication of his new book,
The Wholebody Approach to Osteoporosis: How to Improve Bone Strength & Reduce Your Fracture Risk. Dr. McCormick is a Board Certified Chiropractor in the State of Massachusetts where, since 1982, he has been a practicing chiropractic physician in the Pioneer Valley. In addition to a general practice treating patients with musculoskeletal pain & dysfunction, he also works with many recreational & competitive athletes. McCormick won the North American Pentathlon Championship in 1975 & the following year was a member of the United States Olympic team competing in the XXI Olympiad in Montreal. His new book includes information on: what to eat for stronger bones; how to choose bone-building supplements & osteoporosis medications; information on foods & medications that may be contributing to bone loss; what signs & symptoms can help you monitor your bone health; & how lab tests can help you personalize your plan.
- Sunday, May 17th at 5:00 P.M.(Book launch party)
Help us celebrate the publication of a new volume of poetry by
Janet MacFadyen.
A Newfoundland Journal is a book-length poem drawn from the author’s travels through the province’s western edges in 2003,
A Newfoundland Journal weaves disparate images of RV-packed ferries & backpack-loaded tourists with stories of courage & resilience from the long & continued history of Newfoundland MacFadyen is author of
In Defense of Stones —a book Ted Kooser described as “captivating & arresting.” Her poetry has appeared in, among other journals,
The Atlantic Monthly,
Poetry,
The Atlanta Review,
Yankee Magazine, &
The Christian Science Monitor. She has held a residential fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown & has received an Academy of American Poets Award.
- Tuesday, May 26th at 5:00 P.M.(Book launch party)
Help us celebrate the publication of a new book by University of Massachusetts anthropology professor,
Amanda Walker Johnson—
Objectifying Measures: The Dominance of High-Stakes Testing & the Politics of Schooling. Walker is a cultural anthropologist interested in the intersection of critical race theory, anthropology of science, & critical educational theory. She is committed to conducting research & pedagogy as work for social justice. Using attempted educational reform in Texas as a case example,
Objectifying Measures explores the relationship between the cultural production of scientific knowledge (of statistics in particular) & the often intuitive resistance to objectification of those adversely affected by the power of policies underwritten as “scientific.”
- Friday, May 29th at 2:00 P.M.(Author signing)
Harlen Coben will sign copies of his most recent thriller,
Long Lost. Coben, winner of the Edgar Award, Shamus Award & Anthony Award—the first author to win all three—is an internationally bestselling author whose novels have been called “ingenious” (
New York Times), “poignant & insightful” (
Los Angeles Times), “consistently entertaining” (
Houston Chronicle), “superb” (
Chicago Tribune) & “must reading” (
Philadelphia Inquirer). Coben is author of more than 15 thrillers, including
Tell No One,
The Woods, &
Hold Tight.
- Sunday, May 31st at 4:00 P.M.(Book launch party)
Celebrate with Amherst resident
Lena Sclove the publication of her first book! Sclove writes, “I wrote this book when I was 14 & lived for a year in the craziest city of India. The year that I spent in India was a rainbow. It was made up of thousands of different colors; more different cultures, languages & customs than I had ever witnessed. Those months included hundreds of different shades, from contrasting lifestyles, to skin colors to personalities. I was one girl in a palette of boys; I was one American in a palette of Indians. But, what made it the most magical year of my life was the paint brush that blended us all together. It made the colors bleed & blend to create one masterpiece. Sure, you could pick out & compare one color to another, but as a whole, the painting was captivating, & it made sure that your mind didn't wander to the insignificant details of race, culture, customs & class. I have created a rainbow of a book; a collaboration of different writing styles, combined to tell my stories. I hope that in reading about someone else's journey to self discovery, you find yourself as well.”