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Posts published in “Arts and Culture”

A Pescatarian in Paris: Top 5 Dishes

France is often lovingly described as a land of wonderful gastronomic experiences: cassoulet, a casserole of white beans, duck legs and pork; poulet basquaise, tender chicken flavored with ham, tomatoes and peppers; boeuf bourguignon, cuts of beef slowly cooked in red wine and vegetables; the list goes on. Knowing of these traditional French dishes, I was a bit nervous to study abroad in Paris this past summer as a vegetarian. Of course, I knew I wouldn’t starve, but would I miss out on experiencing Paris to the fullest? Would I feel left out of a major part of their culture?

Jean Kilbourne and Friends Celebrate 40 Years of “Killing Us Softly”

On Thursday, September 19, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz declared Advertising’s Image of Women Awareness Day, marking the 40th anniversary of feminist and media critic Jean Kilbourne’s groundbreaking documentary “Killing Us Softly.”

The Smith Chop: What’s in a Mane?

The ’Big Chop’. The ‘Buzz’. The ‘Young Leo’. The “I’m so tired of my wet hair freezing to my head in the dead of winter.” Whatever the motivation or inspiration, the ‘Smith chop’ — when Smithies dramatically change their hair sometime after enrolling — is a phenomenon that rests near and dear to the hearts of several generations of Smithies. Its possible origins are as fascinating and numerous as the reasons people get it. Even if it’s not listed in the glossy brochures next to Mountain Day, the chop serves as a memorable event for many who pass through our ivy-laced campus.

Heart-Wrenchingly Tragic and Unabashedly Gay: ‘Wild Nights With Emily’ Dramatizes Poet’s Love Life

“Wild Nights With Emily,” a dramatization of the passionate and untold love life of American poetry icon Emily Dickinson, premieres in Amherst this spring at local theaters. Initially produced as a play in 1999, the film revels in Dickinson’s unacknowledged status as an infamous gay woman.

From Elm and State Streets Comes ‘Houses From Another Street,’ a Novel by Professor Michael Thurston

While his office seems comfortable, with stacks of papers and piles of books customary to the English professor, Professor Michael Thurston noted: “I write everywhere except [in] my office. I do teaching stuff here, meet with students here and do college stuff here, but this is a place where I have never been able to write a decent sentence, either of academic prose or of fiction.”