Searching for Silverstein’s Missing Piece
Jack Shea

Shel Silverstein was not an easy man, but he was a passionate and spectacular man and artist.

Now, eight years after his death, Mr. Silverstein’s intense, very private life and creative genius is chronicled in the biography A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak, recently released by St. Martin’s Press. The book is drawing intense and pasionate reactions, Ms. Rogak says.

Read More

Iconoclast Stuck to Rules for Living

Shel Silverstein was an iconoclast but he was disciplined, particularly about his work, which always came first. He developed some interesting rules for living his life:

“Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life.”

“To me, freedom entitles you to do something, not to not do something.”

“I’m not content when I’m traveling but I’m not content when I’m not traveling. So I guess I’ll keep traveling.”

Read More

Chef Serves Up Super Foods Complete With Season’s Recipes

Elizabeth Germain will teach a super foods cooking class at the FARM Institute at Katama Farm in Edgartown on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The class will begin in the FARM’s friendship garden, rain or shine, where participants will pick vegetables and herbs for lunch and some to preserve. The focus will be foods dramatically better for health and longevity and basic cooking techniques. You’ll learn how to clean, store and prepare powerhouse foods like kale, cabbage, parsley, leeks, pumpkin seeds and millet — a gluten-free whole grain.

Read More

Murder By the Book

Court TV debuted> a show last year called Murder By the Book. They invited five crime novelists to choose a true crime case that fascinated them, and present it in the series — full of interviews with witnesses and detectives and prosecutors. Linda Fairstein, pictured above, was selected for the second series.

Read More

Buddhist Bestseller Takes Writer To Cushions in Brazil, Beyond
Rachel Nava Rohr

Buddhism is on the rise in Brazil, and West Tisbury journalist Perry Garfinkel has some ideas on why.

He’s the author of the 2006 national bestseller Buddha or Bust: In Search of Truth, Meaning, Happiness, and the Man Who Found Them All. When the Portuguese edition of the book was released in June, Mr. Garfinkel traveled to Brazil, where the national census shows the percentage of Roman Catholics there has dropped from about 90 to 70 per cent since 1980.

Read More

Just on Halberstam: One of Best, Brightest
Mike Seccombe

Before Tuesday’s book launch at the Bunch of Grapes, the audience was issued an unusual instruction for such an event. They were asked not to seek to get their copies of the book The Coldest Winter, signed by the man launching it, Ward Just.

The reason was obvious, but sad. Mr. Just did not write the book. His good friend David Halberstam did, but he died in a car accident in April this year.

Read More

Vineyard Whalers Return in Marc Songini’s Tales

Author Marc Songini will return to the Island to speak about his book, The Lost Fleet: A Yankee Whaler’s Struggle Against the Confederate Navy and Arctic Disaster, at the Chilmark Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to all.

Read More

Evening of Mystery and Scandal in Chilmark

Author Thomas Dresser will speak about his book Mystery on the Vineyard: Politics, Passion and Scandal on East Chop, a true story of the shocking 1940 murder of an elderly visitor to the Island, on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Public Library.

Mr. Dresser has previously self-published five booklets featuring favorite New England haunts.

Read More

Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories

Holly Mascott Nadler will read spooky excerpts from her new book Vineyard Supernatural: True Ghost Stories from America’s Most Haunted Island, tonight, Friday, Oct. 24, at the Farm Institute in Katama, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. All brave souls are invited to join for a ghostly party, though, due to the spine-tingling potential, this event is not recommended for kids under 10. Cider and cookies will be served.

Read More

British Author Talks

British Author Talks

Renowned British author Dr. Brian A. Wren will discuss his new book, Advent, Christmas and Epiphany: Liturgies and Prayers for Public Worship, at Christ United Methodist Church chapel on the corner of Church and Williams streets in Vineyard Haven on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Read More

Pages