Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How treacherous Cambridge stairs spark a darkly funny literary feud

And on the Cambridge Patch calendar - Solstice Tai Chi in the Barn Room

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Friday December 19th Patch AM
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Good day Cambridge! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How treacherous Cambridge stairs spark a darkly funny literary feud
  • How a Cambridge MIT professor just joined inventing’s most elite ranks
  • How a Cambridge-born city kid became Alaska’s greatest sled-dog champion

Also on today's calendar: Solstice Tai Chi in the Barn Room and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Cambridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Cambridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Windy with rain, with a high of 59 and low of 29 degrees.
  • Saturday: Cooler, temps: high: 40, low: 33.
  • Sunday: Mostly cloudy and windy, with a high of 48 and low of 20 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Book review: Author turns a delightfully poisoned pen toward the writing life in amusing ‘The Award' (sun-sentinel.com) — Life in a quirky Cambridge Victorian townhouse drives much of Matthew Pearl’s new mystery-satire, as a struggling writer and his toxic literary idol share a building with treacherous stairs, shared heat, and plenty of tension. The review highlights how Pearl, a Broward County resident, vividly captures Cambridge’s odd apartments, harsh winters, and creative-class anxieties while charting ambition, fame, and a fatal twist.
   

2. MIT Professor Kripa Varanasi Elected Fellow of National Academy of Inventors (indianewengland.com) — Cambridge readers can celebrate that MIT mechanical engineering professor Kripa Varanasi has been named a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, one of the field’s top honors. Based at MIT in Cambridge, he’s known for turning advanced research in materials, energy, and water into real-world startups and will be formally recognized at a national ceremony next year.
   

3. Susan Butcher: Four-Time Iditarod Champion & Trailblazer in Dog Sledding (thetundradrums.com) — A legendary four-time Iditarod champion actually started life in Cambridge before following her love of dogs all the way to Alaska’s wilderness. This profile traces Susan Butcher’s journey from city childhood to record‑setting sled‑dog racer, highlighting the discrimination she faced, the grueling races she conquered, and the illness that claimed her life at 51.
   

4. Peter Wolf Announces Tour in New Hampshire and Massachusetts (wbsm.com) — Music fans might like knowing Peter Wolf’s latest album was recorded in a Cambridge studio, tying his new work to the local music scene. The 79-year-old former J. Geils Band frontman and ex-WBCN DJ is touring New Hampshire and Massachusetts in early 2026, with several regional dates announced but none scheduled in Cambridge itself.
   

5. These 5 Julia Child Recipes Are Perfect for the Winter (eatingwell.com) — Julia Child’s long ties to Cambridge get a nod as Radcliffe scholars mine her archives at Harvard’s Schlesinger Library to recommend five festive winter desserts. From chocolate-almond cake to plum pudding, the piece offers detailed, approachable guidance for holiday bakers looking to channel a beloved former Cambridge neighbor in their own kitchens.
   

📸 Around Cambridge

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Cambridge

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • This is a weird post but I am getting a puppy January 15th and I want to socialize him with adults and children and other dogs because my older one is scared of the whole world.
    So I am wondering if anyone wants to meet a puppy and play and interact with him. Who wouldn’t want to meet a puppy lol or if you have a dog who… (Nextdoor Mid-Cambridge)
  • Neville Center at Fresh Pond posted a job opening for Life Enrichment Assistant Full Time in Cambridge. Apply here.
  • Massachusetts Staffing posted a job opening for Managing Director, Data, Measurement and Analytics, Retail in Cambridge. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cambridge here.

Ok Cambridge! 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 don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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