Nov 18-24, 2020
COVID-19 Roars Back in Vermont; Harry Bliss and Steve Martin Talk About Their New Book of Cartoons, ‘A Wealth of Pigeons’; Pandemic-Era Services Bring Local Food to Your Front Door
Obituary: Betsy J.G. Van Liew, 1940-2020
New Jersey native was happiest when spending time with her grandchildren and grand-dogs
Obituary: Ken Abramson, 1951-2020
Book and music lover, poet and scholar was an inspiration to those who knew him best
Obituary: Lorraine Johnson, 1930-2020
Colchester-born woman’s quiet acts of kindness helped to make the world a better place
Obituary: Edward Clifford Haggerty, 1933-2020
Veteran and PR professional was an active community member
Retail Therapy: Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild Connects Artists With Patrons
One spring day, Amanda Weisenfeld of the Northeast Kingdom Artisans Guild in St. Johnsbury received an email from a woman in California. Cheryl Maynard usually shopped at the guild’s store whenever she returned to her hometown to visit her mother, but this year was different. She couldn’t travel during the nationwide pandemic but didn’t want…
After a Three-Year Hiatus, Sex Has Become Painful
Dear Reverend, I’ve recently begun to have sex again after a three-year hiatus. I am not able to have penetrable sex, though, because it’s too painful. My legs close shut right at the slightest insertion. It’s even difficult to insert a finger! Why? No-Go Nanette (female, 33) Dear No-Go Nanette, The old saying “If you…
Lyric Theatre Produces ‘Songs for a New World,’ an On-Demand Streaming Musical
(This story has been updated to reflect a time change for the Facebook Live streaming event.) Going into its spring 2020 season, Vermont’s Lyric Theatre had to do something unprecedented: postpone a production. The company was set to present Matilda the Musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, when COVID-19 arrived. The esteemed theater…
Artist Rob Mullen Hikes — and Paints — the Long Trail
Before setting out on an end-to-end trek of the Long Trail, the 273-mile path that runs the length of Vermont, a hiker undertakes a few routine activities. These include loading up on dry food, breaking in a pair of boots and mapping out an approximate route. Then there are the additional preparations that were required…
The Leatherbound Books, ‘These Were the Days’
(Self-released, digital) These Were the Days was meant to arrive shortly after the Leatherbound Books’ 2015 debut EP, Tender My Hopes. Co-front person Jackie Buttolph explained in an email that, though she and bandmates Eric Daniels and Charlie Smyrk originally planned to release the LP in 2016, the year felt too turbulent and the project…
Harry Bliss and Steve Martin on Their New Book of Cartoons
About midway through A Wealth of Pigeons, the new book of cartoons by Harry Bliss and Steve Martin, readers will come across a toon that Bliss finds especially emblematic of the duo’s partnership. A line of six primped and preening poodles dance on their hind legs for a crowd. Smack in the middle of the…
REDadmiral, ‘decimal’
(Self-released, digital download) Burlington swamp-rock outfit REDadmiral have been honing their sound on the local circuit for years. Their latest offering, decimal, exists thanks to undisputed BTV superfan Tim Lewis, who hosts “The Sounds of Burlington” radio show Thursdays on local streaming station WBKM. Lewis brought the band in for a live session at Ryan…
From the Publisher: Fully Present
Most people associate the term “Black Friday” with the day after Thanksgiving — the official start of the holiday shopping season and one of retail’s biggest days of the year. In fact, it originally referred to a distinctly unprofitable day in 1869, when two U.S. investors drove up the price of gold and caused a…
A Hungarian Linguist at Norwich University Dissects Online Far-Right Propaganda
Among the various professionals recruited to work in national security, law enforcement and counterterrorism, linguists usually don’t rank high on the list. Those with advanced degrees in linguistics are far more likely to find careers in education, law, journalism, marketing, and speech and language pathology. But linguist Eszter Szenes has chosen to focus her attention…
Page 32: Short Takes on Five Vermont Books
Seven Days writers can’t possibly read, much less review, all the books that arrive in a steady stream by post, email and, in one memorable case, a creep of tortoises. So this monthly feature is our way of introducing you to a handful of books by Vermont authors. To do that, we contextualize each book…
Introducing Musical Comedy Duo Pony Death Ride
Ben Stiller. Cuddle parties. Tough guys on bicycles. These disparate themes, among others, comprise the topical potpourri that musical comedy duo Pony Death Ride felt were absolutely, positively necessary to sing about on their new album, Unthemed. Also, Crispin Glover. Fresh on the Burlington scene, married couple Joe and Jaye MacAskill moved to Vermont from…
Letters to the Editor (11/18/20)
Questionable Judgment? Last week, Seven Days’ arts and culture writers tried to find some humor in the idea of a high school being relocated to a shuttered department store [Live Culture: “Questionable Authority: Burlington High School Considers Move to Former Macy’s Site”]. Numerous readers responded via letters, calls and social media posts to tell us…
Home Is Where the Con Is in True-Crime Drama ‘The Act’
Our streaming entertainment options are overwhelming — and not always easy to sort through. This week, I caught up with Patricia Arquette’s Primetime Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning performance in “The Act,” Hulu’s 2019 eight-episode drama series based on the stranger-than-fiction case of the 2015 murder of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard. The deal When Blanchard (Arquette)…
A Personal Tragedy Inspires Starksboro Couple to Help Others
A personal tragedy inspired a Starksboro couple to help others. Lisa Burritt Drinkwine and her husband, Keith, lost their first child in 2018. Josephine, as they named her, was stillborn. But her memory lives on through a fundraiser the couple started last year. After seeing a plea on Front Porch Forum for warm winter clothes…
Despite Misgivings, Scott Admin Will Participate on Climate Crisis Council
As environmental advocates and lawmakers rallied support in January for a bill to hold the state accountable for meeting its greenhouse gas emission goals, Gov. Phil Scott pushed back. The Republican governor defended himself from sharp criticism that he wasn’t doing enough to combat the climate crisis. He highlighted state programs to help people weatherize…
Free Will Astrology (11/18/20)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To convey the spirit of the coming weeks, I’m offering you wisdom from two women who were wise about the art of slow and steady progress. First, here’s author Iris Murdoch: “One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive…
Vermont Officials Blame Pandemic Fatigue, Complacency for COVID-19 Surge
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, appeared at one of Gov. Phil Scott’s coronavirus briefings in September to commend Vermonters on their handling of the pandemic. “I believe strongly that if we do what you have been doing in Vermont in the rest of the country … we can not only get…
Sarah Ashe Laments Human Suffering in ‘Migrations’ at GreenTARA Space
At GreenTARA Space in North Hero, a dollhouse-size procession of floats, each towed by a toylike tractor, lines a long shelf. The floats are fragile, made from paper stretched on reeds, with plastic bottle caps or wooden discs for wheels. They form a miniature imaginative world that draws viewers in, and then disturbs with its…
If Sanders Joined Biden’s Cabinet, Who Would Succeed Him in the Senate?
In the weeks since Politico reported U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) interest in serving in president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, Montpelier has been consumed by the question of who would replace him in the Senate. “It would be the big moment in Vermont politics,” said Alex MacLean, a lobbyist and political operative. Sanders has only added…
Pandemic-Era Delivery Services Bring Local Food to Your Front Door
Depending on whom you ask, online shopping and food delivery apps have either ruined us or made modern life worth living. During the COVID-19 pandemic, placing orders with a click has become preferable to browsing in person — and only part of the boom can be linked to people looking to support the United States…
Lakeside Doc Ponds in Burlington Is a Long Way Off
You may have heard about plans for a lakeside restaurant in Burlington from the team behind Doc Ponds in Stowe, Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Burlington, and Prohibition Pig in Waterbury. While those plans exist, they remain in the early stages; in the words of co-owner Eric Warnstedt, “It is really, really premature…
Feeding Chittenden’s Annual Turkey Round-Up Goes Virtual
Like so many events this year, the annual Turkey Round-Up at Feeding Chittenden has gone online. In years past, community members dropped off turkeys in person at the food shelf’s North Winooski Avenue building in Burlington. This year, they can make virtual donations to reach the goal of feeding 3,500 food-insecure families this holiday season.…
