Martha's Vineyard Books & Ideas

The Expanding Palate of Food Writing

Louisa Hufstader | Thursday, August 12 2021 - 4:46pm

A sell-out crowd of more than 200 people took their seats at café-style tables at the museum talk about the Changing Story of American Home Cooking, sponsored by Cook the Vineyard, a Vineyard Gazette publication.

Cook the Vineyard

New Year, New You? There Is a Class for That

More than 60 winter and spring classes will be offered through Adult and Community Education of MV (ACE MV) and the catalog is available at all the libraries and schools on the Island, as well as online.

Winter courses begin Jan. 10 at six locations: the regional high school, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, Featherstone Center for the Arts, West Tisbury School, Kitchen Porch and MVTV.

Eisie Show and Talk

Now and Zen Win

Martha’s Vineyard, Now and Zen by Susan Klein and Alan Brigish is the winner in the Wild Card category of the New England Book Festival.

The following is from newenglandbookfestival.com:

Submitted works are judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria: general excellence, the author’s passion for telling a good story, and the potential of the work to reach a wider audience.

The Biggest Sword in the World. Really.

He who makes really, really, really big swords will be appearing at the West Tisbury library at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31. Actually, these are not just big swords. These are the biggest swords the world has ever seen.

West Tisbury native Michael Craughwell built a sword that is 8 feet, five inches long. It weighs 54 pounds. And you thought your Island neighbor with the chicken coop and hogs was doing something cool.

Talkin’ Otters

Wildlife biologists Luanne Johnson and Elizabeth Baldwin are hoping Island hikers will be on the lookout for otter trails and slides in the woods this winter. The two are studying the Island’s river otter population with a goal of mapping otter habitat and understanding the diet of these aquatic mammals — the top predators in our coastal ponds.

Review Your Rumi

The poet, Sufi mystic, theologian and jurist known as Rumi will be the subject of the three-week study group at the Vineyard Haven Public Library starting Tuesday.

Jim Norton, aided by special guest Demaris Wehr, will lead the series Conversations about Jalal al-Din Rumi, Persian Poet.

The workshop will study Rumi as a familiar outstanding religious figure among world religions, exploring the Persian and Muslim contexts of his work.