100 Years of Christmas

Books –

My name is Archibald Reef, and I am a ghost. Though to be honest, ‘ghost’ suggests an incorporeal form, an idea primarily used by children,...

Future reference

Books –

It’s a Friday morning at the Portsmouth Public Library and the building is busy with activity. Upstairs, a class on the basics of using Excel is in...

Common bond

Books –

After writer and journalist Wendy Williams finished college, she lived in a small horse barn in Vermont, where she cared for two horses. Williams was...

36 ways to treat a reader

Books –

This has been an amazing year for books, and whether you like cooking, history, science, movies, or something entirely different, there’s something in here for everyone!...

Now read this

Books –

Beatlebone by Kevin Barry Taking real-life events, Barry has created a fantastical novel about one of the world’s icons: John Lennon. In “Beatlebone,” it’s 1978 and...

Photo/Album

Books, Music –

Guy Capecelatro III and Michael Winters sit at a conference table in The Sound’s office. Capecelatro, a wordsmith who rarely (if ever) declines a project,...

Monster man

Books –

When writer Jeremy Robinson was growing up in Beverly, Mass., he’d look out his bedroom window and imagine Godzilla, the giant movie monster best known...

Now read this

Books –

Mothers, Tell Your Daughters: Stories by Bonnie Jo Campbell  Although she has been writing award-nominated fiction for some time now, Campbell is still a hidden...

Of the moment

Art, Books –

Jeremy Miranda is known for paintings that merge views from indoor and out, landscape and architecture, memory and the moment. But recently, he has just...

Sheltering spaces

Books –

When artist Patrick Healey set out to paint the homes of 14 Seacoast poets for his collaborative project, “The Poet’s House,” he quickly learned that...

Reading revolution

Books –

Bookstores and libraries in the Seacoast will celebrate Banned Books Week from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 with readings, community conversations, and displays of some...

Original alternative

Books, Music –

Al Barr’s 17-years-and-counting with the Dropkick Murphys are a little more than half of his lifelong performance career. It’s fair to say that what Barr...

Now read this

Books –

Undermajor–domo Minor by Patrick deWitt DeWitt, author of the amazing revisionist Western “The Sisters Brothers,” returns with a strange and compelling comedic tale of a man...

Keeping watch

Books –

with Type 1 diabetes The American Diabetes Association estimates that 1 to 3 million people in the United States have Type 1 diabetes, and more...

Now Read This

Books –

“Smaller and Smaller Circles”  by F.H. Batacan Two Jesuit priests investigate a serial killer in Manila who is murdering poor, young boys living on the...

Busting up the Bowery

Books –

Cory Levine spent eight years living in New York City and working as an editor for Marvel Comics. Six of those years were pretty good,...

Gun by Anne Oleson

Books –

Editor’s note: In April, Portsmouth’s RiverRun Bookstore started accepting submissions for its first short story contest. The response was big, according to RiverRun owner Tom...

Now Read This

Books –

French Concession, by Xiao Bai Chinese writer Bai is making his English language debut with this thrilling literary noir set in 1930s Shanghai. Hseuh, a photographer,...

Letters of note

Books –

When she was 23, Joanna Rakoff left graduate school for New York City. She wanted to be a poet. She also needed money, and so...

Now Read This

Books –

In the Country: Stories by Mia Alvar Several countries are represented in this dazzling debut collection of stories that explore borders both real and imagined. A...

Intellect and intuition

Books –

Ever since she was a child, poet Kate Leigh has found inspiration at the Isles of Shoals. Her family traveled to Star Island every summer...

Now Read This

Books –

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson Atkinson’s astounding book, “Life After Life,” followed Ursula Todd as she lived and died over and over during...