🌱 How a reclusive Amherst poet quietly reshaped American literature

Hi there, Amherst! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• How a reclusive Amherst poet quietly reshaped American literature
• How could UMass Amherst’s food science power new jobs across the Valley?
• How an Amherst professor’s family recipes map Jewish migration to Mexico

Today's riddle: What did one tuna say to the other after getting caught stealing files from work? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Windy with a snow shower, with a high of 32 and low of 15 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Friday: Cold; breezy in the morning, temps: high: 30, low: 12.
• Saturday: Mainly cloudy, with a high of 32 and low of 17 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. This Day in History: Dec. 10, 2025 (wtap.com) — Emily Dickinson’s life and work were deeply rooted in Amherst, where she was born, educated, and spent most of her famously reclusive adulthood writing nearly 1,800 poems. This historical snapshot traces her unconventional personality, limited publication during her lifetime, and the posthumous efforts that finally brought her Amherst-crafted poetry to the wider world.
   

2. Holyoke Community College convenes region to map its next chapter (gazettenet.com) — Regional education and economic leaders are looking to institutions like UMass Amherst’s food science program to help drive western Massachusetts job growth, and Holyoke Community College wants to be a key training hub. At a strategic-planning forum in Holyoke, panelists stressed leveraging local colleges, multicultural strengths, and emerging fields like AI and quantum to create better-paying careers for residents across the Valley, including those in Amherst.
   

3. Recipes tell the story of Jewish migration to Mexico (sandiegouniontribune.com) — A new cookbook on Jewish-Mexican cuisine is partly rooted in work by Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans, who joined a video call from Amherst to discuss how family recipes trace Jewish migration to Mexico. The book weaves together generations of handwritten recipes, contributions from Jewish communities worldwide, and modern testing to show how dishes evolve while preserving memory, comfort, and cultural identity.
   

4. Student risks removal at UMass: Protesters say case shows repression of Palestinian advocacy (atholdailynews.com) — UMass Amherst students are rallying behind a campus activist who says misconduct charges tied to a fall career-fair protest could end his enrollment and force him to reapply to study in Amherst in 2026. Protesters argue the case reflects broader repression of pro-Palestinian advocacy, while university officials defend their conduct process and say they continue to protect free speech and invest in academics.
   

📸 Around Amherst

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Amherst

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Friday December 12

• Cuppa' Joe with Paul and New Planning & Economic Development Director Jeff Bagg
  Town of Amherst Calendar , 17 Kellogg Ave , Amherst
  8:00 am
• Foot Care By Piper
  Town of Amherst Council on Aging , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  9:00 am
• Playgroup & Storytime
  Pelham Library , 2 South Valley Road , Pelham
  10:30 am
• Yoga & Pilates With Celeste
  Bangs Community Center > Glass Room , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  11:00 am
• Elementary School Building Committee
  Town of Amherst Calendar
  12:30 pm
• Folk Dancing
  Bangs Community Center , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  12:45 pm
• Pilates Practice Session
  Bangs Community Center , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  2:00 pm
• Tai Chi
  Town of Amherst Calendar , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  2:00 pm

📣 Amherst Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 11

• Board of Assessors
  Town of Amherst Calendar , 4 Boltwood Ave , Amherst
  9:15 am
• Chair Yoga With Lara
  Bangs Community Center , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  10:15 am
• Arthritis Exercise
  Bangs Community Center > Glass Room , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  12:30 pm
• Healthy Bones & Balance
  Bangs Community Center > Large Activity Room , 70 Boltwood Walk , Amherst
  2:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• I am honored to introduce the first piece of a requested "Dragon Theme" ablum which will be titled "Universal Dragons".
  The Evolution of Dragons describes how mystical and powerful creatures from a long lost time have evolved to modern times and have resurfaced to… (Nextdoor Amherst)

• Big Y posted a job opening for Frozen Food/Dairy Clerk in Amherst. Apply here.
• University of Massachusetts Amherst posted a job opening for Clerk IV (Dean of Students Office Assistant) in Amherst. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Amherst here.

Ok Amherst! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I could get canned for this!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook