Burlington

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) is one of America's most famous artists (think of his painting of a New York diner scene, "Nighthawks"), but the works that he made in Vermont remain relatively unknown. Author Bonnie Tocher Clause tells the story of Hopper's summer sojourns in Vermont between 1927 and 1938 and describes her research in locating Hopper's Vermont works and the places where they were made. Her talk will be illustrated with slides of Hopper's Vermont watercolors and drawings along with photographs, old and new, of the sites in the paintings.

Bonnie Tocher Clause divides her time between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and South Royalton, a small town in central Vermont. Like Edward Hopper, she is a native New Yorker who found peace and beauty in Vermont's White River Valley. She is a writer and an independent scholar, and Edward Hopper in Vermont is her first book.

"Bonnie Clause has gathered Edward Hopper's summer pastorals painted in watercolor in Vermont's White River Valley during vacations with his artist wife Jo. Clause tracked down his locations, even those previously forgotten, with scholarly delight as she came to know Hopper's favorite part of our green state. If you love the gravity of Hopper's better-known oil paintings, you will find this book a lyrical counterpart to his somber scenes of city life." - Sabra Field, printmaker and author of In Sight

Jacket illustration: Edward Hopper, First Branch of the White River, Vermont, 1938. Watercolor over graphite pencil on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Part travelogue, part inspiring social commentary, and part motivating business model, Brewing Change is about one middle manager’s quiet, dogged crusade to change the world of coffee. Long-time friends Bill Mares and Rick Peyser team up to tell the story of Peyser’s career within industry pioneer Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and of his travels throughout the coffee lands of Latin America and East Africa. Eye-opening and heart-wrenching, Brewing Change is a story with the power to remind us of the indomitable nature of the human spirit, and the dramatic change that is possible when individuals fight for an equitable global community.

Benefitting from Green Mountain’s strong culture of corporate social responsibility, Rick Peyser has held leadership posts in several industry advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations. He has become one of the most recognizable faces in his company and the industry. What distinguishes him from many in America’s increasingly cutthroat business climate is his choice to move laterally to help others rather than vertically to help himself. During his 24 years at the company, Rick Peyser has been a patient, persistent force advocating for better quality of life conditions in coffee-farming communities. His moving descriptions of the conditions endured by coffee farmers throughout the world force readers to join him in longing for a more engaged and humane global workplace. Brewing Change chronicles Peyser’s compelling personal journey in a clear, straightforward style, and offers a fascinating insider’s view of one of the most successful companies in the coffee business.

Bill Mares is a writer and commentator for Vermont Public Radio. He is also president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, a former high school teacher, and was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991. An avid runner, reader, choral singer, and traveler, he also has a great passion for history, philosophy, and fishing. Mares is the author of many books, including Bees Besieged and Fishing With the Presidents. He lives in Burlington, VT with his wife, Chris Hadsel.

Rick Peyser is director of Social Advocacy and Coffee Community Outreach for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, where he has worked almost since the company’s founding. He is a past president of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and served as president of the Coffee Kids board of directors, where he continues his work to improve the quality of life in coffee-growing communities. He is currently a member of the Coffeelands Landmine Victims’ Trust board of directors, and a member of the Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International board of directors, which sets the international standards for Fair Trade certification that benefit over one million small-scale farmers around the world. When not traveling, Rick is running, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Since 1989, he has completed over 40 marathons. Rick also enjoys playing keyboards in R&B bands and commuting on his 28-year-old BMW motorcycle.

Praise for BREWING CHANGE:

“Each and every person has the capacity to make a positive impact on the world. Rick Peyser is living proof that if the world is to change, it will be changed by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.” —Bill Fishbein, The Coffee Trust, founder of Coffee Kids

“Newman’s Own Organics and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters established a partnership in 2003. I got to know Rick Peyser when our coffee was introduced at McDonald's in New England two years later. Rick is a remarkable, gentle, and selfless man. I’ve learned more from him about the social and environmental impact of organic Fair Trade coffee than from anyone else. I highly recommend Brewing Change, about Rick’s steadfast dedication to social responsibility and leadership in the world of coffee.” —Nell Newman, co-founder of Newman’s Own Organics

“For more than twenty years, Rick Peyser has applied himself to the daunting task of moving the needle on rural poverty in coffee farming communities and has managed to shift the mindset of an entire industry. For anyone who has ever felt that a problem was too massive to solve, there are important lessons to be learned from Brewing Change. Whatever your challenges are, Rick clearly shows that getting started and staying committed are the keys to success.” —Ric Reinhardt, executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America

“If a mere 1% of the American coffee-consuming public listened to Rick's message, understood the goal of his work, and got on board, coffee communities around the globe would be tremendously affected.” —Mausi Kuehl, co-owner Selva Negra farm, Nicaragua

This is part of a series of events with Wind Ridge Publishing authors taking place at Phoenix Books Burlington this fall. WRP authors are all local residents; however, their books reflect a broad range of issues, experience, and global interests—from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Rick Peyser and Bill Mares’ in Brewing Change, Peyser’s personal account of social responsibility and the lives of coffee farmers, to Vermont wildlife rehabilitator Helena Nicolay’s Squirrel Diaries and Shelburne veterinarian Dr. Steven Metz’s book, Exotic Tails. Other featured WRP releases include VPR commentaries from the Executive Director of the Vermont Humanities Council, Peter Gilbert’s I Was Thinking and Paul Boisvert’s photo essays in his coffee table book, Burlington ~ A Sense of Place.

Despite the beauty of the Champlain Valley, it has been the site of dark and mysterious events; it is not surprising that some spirits linger in this otherwise tranquil place. Fort Ticonderoga saw some of early America's bloodiest battles, and American, French and British ghosts still stand guard. A spirit walks the halls of SUNY Plattsburgh, even after his original haunt burned in 1929. Champlain's islands--Stave, Crab, Valcour and Garden--all host otherworldly inhabitants, and unidentified creatures and objects have made appearances on the water, in the sky and in the forests surrounding the lake. Join Burlington's own Thea Lewis as she explores the ghosts and legends that haunt Lake Champlain.

Thea Lewis is the owner and tour guide for Queen City Ghost Walk. She is the author of HAUNTED BURLINGTON (2009). She is also active in the chamber of commerce in Burlington.

Bestselling author J. K. Rowling is making only one public stop in the United States to discuss her first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy. Join us for a live webcast with the bestselling author of the Harry Potter series: J.K. Rowling in Conversation with Ann Patchett.

J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, published between 1997 and 2007, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, have been translated into 73 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films. As well as an Order of the British Empire for services to children's literature, J.K. Rowling is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, France's Légion d'honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and she has been a commencement speaker at Harvard University. She supports a wide range of causes and is the founder of Lumos, which works to transform the lives of disadvantaged children.

 

“In what appears to be a paradox, Americans may have become more opinionated and yet less confident in their capacity to think for themselves. Could that be in part because Americans are reading less? And engaging less with the world of ideas?”

So asks Vermont Humanities Council executive director Peter A. Gilbert in the introduction to this collection of over sixty lively essays, which are adapted from his frequent commentaries broadcast originally on Vermont Public Radio. A perfect book for anyone who enjoys ideas and who loves learning.

100% of author’s earnings from the sale of this book will benefit the Vermont Humanities Council.

Peter A. Gilbert has been Executive Director of the Vermont Humanities Council since 2002, and Robert Frost’s literary executor since 1992.  A graduate of Dartmouth College, Georgetown University Law Center, and the University of Virginia, he was previously Senior Assistant to the President and Associate Provost at Dartmouth College, a litigator at the Boston law firm of Hale and Dorr, and a faculty member at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.  He is a frequent commentator on Vermont Public Radio.  He lives in Montpelier, Vermont with his wife, Cindy Char, and their two daughters.

This is part of a series of events with Wind Ridge Publishing authors taking place at Phoenix Books Burlington this fall. WRP authors are all local residents; however, their books reflect a broad range of issues, experience, and global interests—from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Rick Peyser and Bill Mares’ in Brewing Change, Peyser’s personal account of social responsibility and the lives of coffee farmers, to Vermont wildlife rehabilitator Helena Nicolay’s Squirrel Diaries and Shelburne veterinarian Dr. Steven Metz’s book, Exotic Tails. Other featured WRP releases include VPR commentaries from the Executive Director of the Vermont Humanities Council, Peter Gilbert’s I Was Thinking and Paul Boisvert’s photo essays in his coffee table book, Burlington ~ A Sense of Place.

 

 

Come to Phoenix Books Burlington prepared for a bewitching night of tricks and treats to put you in the Halloween spirit. A selection of Halloween stories will be read aloud by Christy, our children's bookseller, followed by a fun and creepy craft time. Apple cider, popcorn and other treats will be provided. Costumes are encouraged! Suggested age range is 5-10, but all are welcome. This is sure to be an evening of ghoulish fun!

 

 

Bring decision making back home this election season.

Just as slow food encourages chefs and eaters to become more intimately involved with the production of local food, and slow money helps us become more engaged with our local economy, slow democracy encourages us to govern ourselves locally with processes that are inclusive, deliberative, and citizen powered.

Susan Clark is a writer and facilitator focusing on community sustainability and citizen participation. She is an award-winning radio commentator and former talk show co-host. Her democratic activism has earned her broad recognition, including the 2010 Vermont Secretary of State’s Enduring Democracy Award. Clark is the coauthor of All Those In Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community (RavenMark, 2005). Her work strengthening communities has included directing a community activists’ network and facilitating town visioning forums. She served as communication and education director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council and Coordinator of the University of Vermont’s Environmental Programs In Communities (EPIC) project. Clark lives in Middlesex, Vermont, where she is chairs a committee that encourages citizen involvement, and serves as town-meeting moderator.

An historian and cultural critic interested in the development of American patriotic culture, Woden Teachout has taught at a number of colleges and universities, including Harvard, Middlebury College and Goddard College. Her most recent book, Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism (Basic Books, 2009), was widely reviewed, including by The Wall Street Journal. Teachout holds a PhD in the history of American civilization from Harvard University. She lives in Middlesex, Vermont, and is a professor of graduate studies at Union Institute and University.

You re a smart guy. You read The Perfect Storm and now you find yourself living it. Your daughter, who yesterday was happy to hang out with you at Home Depot, now cries for no known reason. Last week you were her soccer coach and the best dad there ever was, really, and today on the way home from practice she turned away and stared sadly out the window and wouldn t say a word to you. She s hovering around adolescence and all of a sudden you re flopping on the daddy-deck in a panic. What the heck is about to happen and how are you going to get through this? How can you help her get through these difficult years when honestly, you don t totally understand it yourself? If you re a single dad, it can get all the more complicated. You might not know who or where to go to for the real deal, the inside scoop. When did her body start to change? Where the heck do you buy a training bra, and when? Do you have to take her or can you pay someone else to do it? What about dating? Or the girl clique thing you ve heard about. Can t you just ignore it and raise her just like you would a son, just like you were raised?

But Dad! is for any man raising a tween or teen daughter, but particularly the single man who does or doesn t have full-time custody. This is the definitive guide to helping dad and daughter get past survive and onto thrive. Written for any man raising daughters, the authors geared this book for the single dad who may not have a woman in his life with whom to confer about issues their daughters may be facing like sex, friendships, boyfriends, alcohol and drugs, and personal hygiene. This book covers it all, from what to keep stocked in the bathroom to how to talk about sex without being blown off. The authors help dads gain a better sense of what their daughters are going through, how their bodies are changing, how their relationships are changing, and how best to handle the ups and downs of these challenging years.

Gretchen Gross is a lecturer at University of Vermont, where she teaches courses on human relationships and sexuality. She is and a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years direct counseling, private practice, teaching and workshop and presentation experience. In her private practice she has counseled parents on issues related to divorce and parenting, communication, sexuality and child rearing. She is a contributing author on sexuality in Glass s Office Gynecology and was on the review panel for the journal Women in Therapy . Each month, she contributes a column on life as a single mom called Solo Act to Vermont Woman. She has presented at national and international professional conferences on topics of reproductive decision making, substance abuse, physicians and stress management, and teaching health professionals to feel more comfortable talking with and assessing clients for sexual dysfunction.

Patricia Livingston is a nurse practitioner with more than 25 years of direct clinical practice at the University of Vermont Women's Health Center. She has counseled hundreds of young women who are having their first gynecological exam, engaging them in the process while easing them through an important first. She has been the clinical preceptor to medical residents and nurse practitioner students. She has been a guest lecturer in classrooms, dorms, and sororities, and a founding member of the clinical team at UVM that established clinical protocol and policy for students identified with eating disorders.

Journalist and social critic B.J. Mendelson will skillfully debunk the myths of social media. He'll illustrate how the notion of "social media" first came to prominence, why it has become such a powerful presence in the marketing field, and who stands to benefit each time it's touted in the press. Discover why all the Facebook friends and Twitter followers in the world mean nothing to you and your business without old-fashioned, real-world connections. Examine popular tales of social media "success," and the unsettling truths behind the surface. Learn how to best harness the potential of the Internet--without spending a fortune in the process. This book gives the knowledge and tools you "really" need to connect with customers and grow your brand.

BJ Mendelson has contributed to The Huffington Post, Forbes, MTV's O Music Awards, and CNN. He has been quoted by Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Psychology Today, and Smart Money Magazine, has been a new media director for a syndicated ABC television show, and wrote a college survival column for CBS College Sports.

Calling all kids! Phoenix is hosting Snoozapalooza, a Dr. Seuss Sleep Book PJ Party.  Come join us for fun activities, giveaways, story time, and more! Attendees are invited to wear pjs, bring a blanket, pillow, and your favorite bedtime stuffed animal for cuddling.  Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.