House of Books

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10 N Main St, Kent, CT | (860) 927-4104 | www.houseofbooksct.com | Social: @Housofbooksct

Almost 50 years old the House of Books occupies its freshly renovated traditional home at 10 North Main Street. The building and book store which has been a cultural anchor in the center of Kent for almost 50 years is now owned by Kent Center LLC and plays a vital role in the Kent Barns district. With over 10,000 books on display it remains first and foremost a book store responding to the interests of its community. They are open every day until 5 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday until 8 p.m.

Movie Posters ($95)

Provided

Movie Posters is a comprehensive collection of movie poster art that spans decades. From silent masterpieces to the psychedelic imagery of the 1960s (like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars), this extraordinary collection (which comes with its own “suitcase”) will thrill both film lovers and anyone interested in advertising and design.

Winter Homes ($40)

Provided

Stylish Living for Cool Climates covers a wide range of residences from across the globe. Illustrated with design examples for warm and cozy houses in wintery conditions. Beautifully illustrated and best enjoyed with a hot drink in front of a warm fireplace.

Pens (starting at $2.25)

Provided

Come and see our incredible Great Wall of Pens, including high quality fountain pens from Kaweco, Lamy, and OHTO. Our ballpoints range in price from $2.25 to $20 with fountain pens reaching a higher price point to make a long-lasting and thoughtful gift.

A World of Flavor ($29.95)

Provided

A World of Flavor invites children to explore more than forty countries through the universal language of food. Accessible to all cooking skill levels, these mouth-watering recipes range from Vietnamese pho and Mexican salsa verde cruda, to Italian focaccia and Nigerian jollof rice. Perfect for young chefs and families who love to spend time in the kitchen together!

Christine Bates

Latest News

A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

Left to right: Hannah Wheeler, Matin Malikzada and Yonah Sadeh.

D.H. Callahan

On Monday, Oct. 26, a group of students, teachers and local residents gathered at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville for a screening of the new short documentary “Matin.” The film tells the story of Matin Malikzada, a seventh-generation Afghani potter making a new life in New Milford, Connecticut. The film was made by local filmmaker Yonah Sadeh, creator of the Video Wall at the David M. Hunt Library, and Berkshires-based potter Hannah Wheeler, who were both present for the screening, along with Malikzada himself.

As a member of the seventh generation of his family to master the art of pottery, Malikzada had done things the way his family had for over a century. Istalif, the village where his family has lived for generations, was known throughout Afghanistan for its pottery, with wares sent across the country for use as everyday cups, bowls, plates and other vessels. The pottery-making families of Istalif gathered clay from the same mountain, about 30 to 45 minutes away by donkey. Every July, they would head north toward the Uzbekistan border to gather ishkar, a plant they processed by hand to make their signature glazes.

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film

Crescendo’s 23rd season speaks to the heart and mind

Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, conducts the audience at a performance.

Steve Potter

For Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, music from centuries past is anything but a relic. It is a living, breathing art form, full of drama, emotional complexity and, occasionally, surprises. As the regional choral and period-instrument ensemble launches its 23rd season, Gevert is once again bringing forgotten masterpieces into the present.

“Early Music has been my lifelong passion and the focus of my specialization in Europe and South America,” Gevert said. “Bringing this repertoire to our audiences in a nuanced way that does justice to its incredible depth, intensity, and beauty is deeply important to me.”

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Close Encounters with Music celebrates 35 years of musical discovery

Close Encounters with Music’s 35th season opens with “Saluting the Clarinet” featuring clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein.

Provided

For 35 years, cellist Yehuda Hanani has been inviting audiences to experience classical music in unexpected ways. As founder and artistic director of Close Encounters with Music, Hanani has built a concert series that goes beyond the music itself, exploring connections to literature, history, politics and the human experience.

This year, Close Encounters celebrates its 35th season with “Celebration & Discovery,” a seven-concert series that opens Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington.

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concerts

Shinbone Alley brings spooky songs to Spencertown

Seeing isn’t always believing. Sometimes it’s the lack of a defined picture that can be the most compelling. And when Alex Harvey of Shinbone Alley sings his supernaturally charged sea shanties and street ballads, the unseen will be downright scary. On Oct. 30, the historically inclined storyteller and performer will create a spooky evening of forbidden tales and yarns through a carefully chosen series of songs at Spencertown Academy of Arts.

The repertoire for the performance is a bit fraught. Over the years, Shinbone Alley has explored the world of folklore through music. Though the group usually features two musicians, Harvey, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, will be performing solo. That is, of course, unless you include the spirits.

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concerts

Malian blues and Moroccan Gnawa meet in Sheffield

Vieux Farka Touré

Proivded

Desert winds rarely blow into the Berkshires, but on Nov. 5, they will carry the Malian blues and Moroccan Gnawa music to Race Brook Lodge.

That evening, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, often called “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” and Moroccan musician Samir LanGus will play at the lodge’s Event Barn in Sheffield, Massachusetts, at a benefit for the foundation Touré directs.

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concerts

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