Plattsburgh, NY, Jan 25, 2012 — Libraries aren't just quiet places filled with books. In the North Country, libraries serve as social hubs and community centers. These days, they're scrambling to keep pace with the changing ways that we use information and technology.

But decreases in funding are making it harder for rural libraries to juggle their many missions. Sarah Harris has our story.  Go to full article

Colton, NY, Dec 29, 2011 — Vermont might have become the eastern side of New York State if it hadn't been for the bold action of patriot and land speculator Ethan Allen. Betsy Kepes reviews William Sterne Randall's new biography of Vermont's first hero.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Oct 25, 2011 — The great-grandnephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker has written a sequel, Dracula - the Un-Dead. Dacre Stoker, a St. Lawrence University graduate, has returned for a presentation tonight in Canton. Todd Moe talks with him about his famous relative and the first authorized sequel to the original Dracula.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Oct 13, 2011 — Potsdam writer Evelyn Weissman's first novel, Jairus' Daughter, is a fictional autobiography that began as a series of stories for her children as an answer to questions about her conversion from Judaism to Christianity. She calls it a modern tale of religious conversion. Weissman, like Sara in her book, grew up in a traditional Jewish family and reluctantly followed a spiritual path that led her to Christianity. Todd Moe spoke with her in the backyard of her Potsdam home about the book and her spiritual journey. She'll sign copies of her book at the Brewer Bookstore in Canton this Saturday afternoon (3 pm).  Go to full article

Glens Falls, NY, Oct 05, 2011 — The Hyde Collection art museum in Glens Falls has kicked off an exhibit of art created especially for children. Also on display are illustrated children's books. Todd Moe talks with associate curator Jayne Stokes about "Draw Me a Story," which includes children's book illustrations from more than 40 artists.  Go to full article

Kingston, ON, Sep 20, 2011 — More than 60 nationally and internationally known writers will be in Kingston for four days of events this week that will help them connect with readers. The Third Annual Kingston WritersFest begins Thursday and will include book launches, readings and workshops for all ages and genres. Todd Moe talks with Merilyn Simonds, Artistic Director for the festival.  Go to full article

Burlington, VT, Aug 26, 2011 — Creston Lea builds custom electric guitars in Burlington. He is also a graduate of the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop. Betsy Kepes reviews Wild Punch, Lea's book of linked short stories.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, Nov 19, 2010 — Crime, punishment and boyhood memories are explored in the third book by a Canton writer. Bob Cowser, Jr teaches non-fiction writing and literature at St. Lawrence University. Part memoir, investigative journalism and cultural study, Green Fields, focuses on the 1979 murder of one of Cowser's grade school classmates and the execution of her killer twenty years later. Todd Moe spoke with Cowser about his retelling of a gruesome murder.  Go to full article

Oct 12, 2010 — There are urban folks who spend weekends and summers on upstate New York farms. They're taken by the part-time charm of rural life. Then there are those, like Kristin Kimball, who give up the big city completely and fall in love with life in the country. Kimball was a freelance writer in New York City. Then she met a young farmer, and on an impulse, traded city bustle for the chance to live closer to the earth. Since 2003, Kristin and her husband Mark have run Essex Farms, a CSA among the rolling hills above Essex, New York. Todd Moe toured their farm this summer, during the peak harvest season, and talked with Kristin about her new book, The Dirty Life - On Farming, Food and Love. It chronicles the Kimballs' challenges and joys during the first year on their Champlain Valley farm.  Go to full article

Colton, NY, Aug 18, 2010 — Not all thrillers are set in New York City or Chicago. Don Bredes sets his new novel in a fictional tourist community in northern Vermont. Betsy Kepes has this review of The Errand Boy.  Go to full article