Outside a recent performance at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth, the line stretched around the block. Patrons from all over the area filed in to see jazz legend Wynton Marsalis perform with his band. The club had the kind of atmosphere you’d expect from a jazz venue — dim candlelit tables, a moodily lit stage overflowing with instruments and performance gear, and a waitstaff of smartly dressed young people.
Marsalis took the stage and began telling a story in his signature gravelly voice, speaking slowly and smoothly: “I have a prayer I always say. It goes like this. ‘Dear lord help us, we are surrounded by ignorance, especially when we’re alone.’” The audience erupted into laughter and applause. When he put his trumpet up to his mouth, though, one could hear a pin drop in the packed venue.
As venues across the state again offer live shows, jazz is alive and well. Local venue owners have ideas about what allows live jazz music to endure.
At Hermanos in Concord, cultural versatility is on full display. Though it’s a Mexican restaurant, they’ve been hosting live jazz performances most nights for more than 20 years. Owner Jane Valliere says it comes down to its popularity.
“We have an audience that ranges from teens to people in their 80s,” Valliere said. “To me, jazz is the most universally loved genre. Though you can have a conversation and eat while listening, I find that it’s not just background music. People really love to listen.”
Other venues that offer live jazz performances throughout the summer include The Purple Pit in Bristol, Hermit Woods Winery in Meredith, and Strange Brew Tavern in Manchester, which hosts blues music most weekends.
Tristan Law, manager at The Press Room, the oldest music club in Portsmouth, sees jazz as an extension of the larger culture.
“It’s the original American art form, but it’s constantly evolving,” Law said. “As music becomes genreless, the foundations of jazz allow it to evolve really well. It’s the way the culture is — you don’t just need to have one interest. It’s like food, you’ve got Tex-Mex or Asian cuisine blending with creole, it’s taking flavors from different genres, and making it your own.”
The Press Room, which hosts a variety of genres from klezmer to rock, sees jazz as an important linchpin of the establishment, hosting a weekly Tuesday night “jazz jam” and bringing in a variety of jazz musicians to play at the venue.
Local jazz clubs Hermanos Cocina Mexicana Where: 11 Hills Avenue, Concord; 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com When: Live music offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets: No cover charge
Hermit Woods Winery Where: The Loft, 72 Main St., Meredith; hermitwoods.com When: Find a listing of events on the website, ticket prices vary
Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club Where: 135 Congress St., Portsmouth; 888-603-JAZZ, jimmysoncongress.com Tickets: Prices vary
The Press Room Where: 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth; 431-5186, pressroomnh.com When: Jazz Jam is Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets: Jazz Jam is free to public; see website for other event pricing
The Purple Pit Coffee Lounge Where: 28 Central Square, Bristol; 744-7800, thepurplepit.com When: See the calendar for dates Tickets: No cover charge for the summer (tips for performers welcome)
Strange Brew Tavern Where: 88 Market St., Manchester; 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.net When: Strange Brew is closed Mondays; find music there most other nights.
Featured photo: Joey Placenti Trio. Photo courtesy of Hermanos.
A look at New Hampshire’s world of tattoo artistry
By Katelyn Sahagian and Jack Walsh
listings@admin
Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester When: Friday, July 22, 5 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, July 23, 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, July 24, noon to 8 p.m. Cost: $15 for a single-day pass, $20 for a two-day pass, or $25 for a three-day pass Visit: livefreeordietattoo.com
On Friday, July 15, the air was buzzing with more than just the whir of tattoo machines at Tattoo Angus and Spider-Bite, Inc., a joint tattoo and body piercing shop in Manchester. Anticipation grew as artists and apprentices scurried across the main floor — those not currently getting inked or pierced looked through flash sheets and pointed out elegantly crafted adornments, occasionally stooping to pet one of the “shop dogs,” a black-and-white-colored pit bull named Bijou.
It’s nearly time for the long-awaited return of the Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo — the 14th annual event is a three-day affair packed with local vendors, contests and live music, returning to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown from Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24.
The largest event of its kind in the Granite State, the expo originally started in 2007 but hasn’t been held since 2019. Organizer Jon Thomas, who is also the owner of Tattoo Angus and Spider-Bite, said he never imagined it would be as successful as it has become.
“An hour before the show, people started piling up and I saw this huge line out there, and that feeling was amazing,” Thomas said. “We had a sold-out show.”
The expo will be a little smaller this time around, Thomas said, but there will still be more than 100 booths set up. Sideshows by Doctor Finnigan’s Circus and burlesque performer Marlo Marquis are also planned, as well as the return of the ever popular pin-up pageant.
“For the tattoo contest and pin-up contests, we went back to the classics,” Thomas said, adding that some past themes have complicated things. “It takes [the models] a lot more work. They all do a decent job, but every time we do a classic pin-up, it goes back four times bigger.”
Artists can participate in different competitions, like Best Cover-up, Best Half-Sleeve and Best Portrait in either color or black and gray. Each of the expo’s three days will culminate with an artist being awarded the Best Tattoo of the Day.
Smaller tattoos like scripts and dates, as well as images chosen from flash sheets, will make up most of the walk-in tattooing opportunities at the expo. Thomas said that a few of the artists will be fully booked for the competitions. He added that even with the smaller number of booths there will be no shortage of artists willing to do some quick work.
Thomas is even hosting a party at Angel City Music Hall, a bar below his shop, with a complimentary limo service to take people from the expo to there and back. There will also be live music, including performances from Bar Hoppers and The Dilemma.
Tattoo by Sean Ambrose
Meet the artist Sean Ambrose, Arrows & Embers Tattoo 117 Manchester St., Suite 3, Concord, 988-6067, arrowsandemberstattoo.com Years of experience: 12 Appointments: arrowsandemberstattoo.com/contact Ambrose started his first apprenticeship at the age of 18. “I knew I was going to be a tattoo artist from an early age,” he said. “It was meant to be.” Having opened Arrows and Embers in 2010, Ambrose has gone on to win awards and accolades, continuing to do what he loves today. As for his style, it’s hard to pin down. “I work in any style that is beautiful,” he said. “I follow my instincts, draw from classical art sources, any piece of art has a recipe, like baking a cake, more so than being a magical experience.”
Tattoo by Jo-Jo Clark
Meet the artist Jo-Jo Clark, Scaredy Cat Ink Tattoo 181 Route 13, Brookline, 347-8980, scaredycatinktattoo.com Years of experience: 17 Appointments: scaredycatinktattoo.com (scroll down to the contact form) Originally from Maine, Clark has been tattooing since 2005, opening Scaredy Cat Ink in 2018. Working in a lot of different styles, she specializes in watercolor tattoos, preferring to do things the old-fashioned way. “I like to sit down with the client and do an in-person consultation,” she said. “I love the opportunity to sit down with them and design it for them in the studio. That way any changes can be made right there, instead of messaging back and forth.”
Tattoo by Sami “Moxi” Monoxelos
Meet the artist Sami “Moxi” Monoxelos, Scorpion Tattooing 10 Manchester Road, Derry, 434-4798, scorpiontattooing.com Years of experience: 4 1/2 Appointments: smoxietattoo@gmail.com (not currently accepting bookings) Monoxelos, who dresses up as her favorite characters from different fandoms and attends different conventions, specializes in doing fandom and anime tattoos. While she isn’t open for booking, her shop takes walk-ins and bookings with other artists.
A rapidly growing culture
Thomas organized the first Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo just one year after tattooing became legal in Manchester. In fact, he was a major part of getting that legislation passed in 2006.
“I tried to tell [the court] how safe shops would be, instead of people getting tattooed in basements,” he said. “I had Spider-Bite already. I showed them my aftercare sheets and other stuff. They finally broke down and gave it to me.”
A major part of tattooing is getting an apprenticeship. According to the Board of Body Art Practitioners, apprenticeships are required in New Hampshire for tattoo artists to become licensed. Apprenticeships must last at least a year, but most will extend for longer until the training artist is confident in their apprentice’s abilities.
Paul Teves of Blue Iris Tattoo in Merrimack has been practicing the art for more than 20 years in New Hampshire. Back then, Teves said, there was a huge social taboo hanging over the heads of artists and people covered with tattoos alike.
“When I first started, [tattoos were] really frowned upon,” Teves said. “I remember when older women would get up and sit on the other side of the bus from me. Now you can’t go [to] the hospital without seeing a nurse with a sleeve.”
Teves will be one of the featured artists at the expo. He said he is glad to see how the art form and its overall reception have evolved tremendously over the last few years.
Tattoo by Abe Hilerio
Meet the artist Abe Hilerio, Tat2abe 100 Main St., Nashua, 341-0145, tat2abe.com Years of experience: 23 Appointments: Made via phone To Hilerio, tattooing is more than just a profession — it’s his passion. He treats every day of work as a chance to better his skills and hone his craft, as well as making the best art he can for his clients. He specializes in black and gray realism tattoos, especially portraiture. Tat2abe, his shop, only accepts clients via appointment.
Abe Hilerio of Tat2abe, a private studio in Nashua, said tattooing has changed drastically since he began back in 1999. His career started in his home state of Massachusetts, where it was illegal for people without medical degrees to tattoo up until the year 2000.
“Back then tattooing wasn’t popular,” Hilerio said. “There were no reality shows, [and] it was more of an underground type of thing. It was still kind of cliché.”
Hilerio gained an apprenticeship by word of mouth — a friend boasted of his talents in illustration — as there was no social media for him to share his work.
Now, Hilerio said that tattooing has grown in acceptance, crediting the popularity of reality television shows. He said they have shaped the current industry and have shown the world the true diversity in art surrounding each tattoo artist and piece.
Hilerio spends hours studying and drawing his designs to perfection for each of his clients. He only takes on one client per day so that he can maintain complete focus.
“Everybody wants custom [tattoos], so we have to sit there and draw, and sometimes we have to figure out what it is the client wants us to do,” Hilerio said. “That takes a lot of time.”
Sami “Moxie” Monoxelos of Scorpion Tattooing in Derry said that in recent years tattoo culture has changed for the better. She started her career as an art student at Maine College of Art before transitioning to skin canvases.
“Almost any tattoo shop that I’ll go into, it doesn’t matter what walk of life, who you are, where you come from, [or] what you identify as, people are super accepting of it,” Monoxelos said.
Lloyd Goodwin of Magic Moon Tattoo in Nashua said that being personable is a huge part of the process nowadays, especially in having recurring clients.
“The business has changed a lot,” Goodwin said. “It used to be that somebody would come in, [and] they’d sit down, be quiet and get the tattoo.”
Originally taking up illustration in his early years, Goodwin worked in retail when he was told that he could make money in tattooing by an admirer of his art. Tattooing quickly became his passion, and he has been giving people permanent art for six years.
Tattoo by Paul Teves
Meet the artist Paul Teves, Blue Iris Tattoo 416 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 505-7701, blueiristattoo.com Years of experience: 23 Appointments: ptevesbookings@outlook.com Teves received his first tattoo at the age of 13 and has been in love with the artform ever since. He began his career as a self-taught tattooer in 1999. A few years later he completed his apprenticeship in Massachusetts under longtime artist Mulysa Mayhem, ultimately returning to New Hampshire to fulfill his dream of owning his own shop. Teves owns Blue Iris Tattoos, where he is also a principal artist. The shop is by appointment only.
Tattoo by Sarah Arnold
Meet the artist Sarah Arnold, Apothecary Tattoo 141 Route 101A, Unit M4, Amherst, 521-7491, apothecarytattoonh.com Years of experience: 8 Appointments: apothecarytattoonh.com/contact/ Arnold, who has been fascinated with art and drawing her whole life, said transitioning to tattooing in 2014 felt like a natural extension of that passion. She opened Apothecary Tattoo in 2020 as a joint tattoo shop and fine art gallery. She specializes in neo-traditional, illustrative, and cartoon tattoos. Apothecary Tattoo is open for walk-ins, as well as booked appointments for larger pieces.
Tattooing trends
While she favors creating unique fandom and anime pieces for her clients, Monoxelos said she has noticed over her four-and-a-half-year career that tattooing trends change frequently. Right now, she is seeing a spike in people requesting floral pieces.
“There’s so much that you can do with it, too. It flows naturally with the body, and it usually looks really good,” she said. She explained that any type of plant life, from forests to flowers, is considered a floral tattoo. “Black and gray floral, color floral, floral with a pet portrait, I’d say, [is] the going trend right now.”
Sarah Arnold, an artist at Apothecary Tattoos in Amherst, said that she’s seen a lot of tattoo trends come from social media.
“On TikTok, there was a girl [with] five butterflies going from her hand up her arm and the amount of people who wanted this tattoo was staggering,” Arnold said. “It was pretty, but I kept thinking, ‘Why do you all want the same thing?’”
Arnold said she has been obsessed with tattoos since she was 18, when she got her first piece done. She has been designing art and inking people since 2014, but said she has never before seen people embracing the art form like they are now.
“Everybody is getting tattoos now,” she said. “Everybody is going straight for hand, neck, face and that used to be the last thing you’d get done. You’d only do those spots when you ran out of space.”
Arnold said she won’t do faces, hands or necks for people unless they are already heavily covered. She said that a lot of young people don’t fully grasp the implications of what having tattoos in those spots could mean in the future.
A piece of advice Arnold has for people who are new to getting tattoos is for clients to not worry about offending artists if they don’t like the stencil. Arnold said that there’s no harm in turning away a drawing, because it’s the client’s body that will be permanently changed.
“Say something when you’re upset with the drawing. We have to look at it for a couple hours. You have to look at it for the rest of your life,” Arnold said. She added that offending an artist might be uncomfortable, but it outweighs the other option. “Their feelings will be fixed in an hour when they’ve forgotten you. You’d be stuck with a tattoo that you don’t want.”
Meet the artist Lloyd Goodwin, Magic Moon Tattoo 38C E. Hollis St., Nashua, 320-9616, magicmoontattoo.com Years of experience: 7 Appointments: form.jotform.com/magicmoontattoo/tattoo Goodwin has been drawing and creating illustrations his whole life. While working in retail he was encouraged to take the plunge into tattooing, and he’s never looked back. Goodwin specializes in neo-traditional but is comfortable with all styles of tattooing. Magic Moon Tattoo does not take walk-in clients.
Tattoo by Dave McCormick
Meet the artist Dave McCormick, Tattoo Angus 179 Elm St., Unit C, Manchester, 935-9398, tattooangus.com Years of experience: 27 Appointments: fleshink@yahoo.com McCormick does a mix of styles but said he specializes in photorealism and more classic styles. His process for designing a tattoo with a client is simple: “They just have to put me on a path,” he said. McCormick had an interesting start to his tattooing career. ”My wife bought me a ‘tattoo starter kit,’ with our tax money that we desperately needed to pay bills that year, and she said, ‘Get good quick,’” he said. “27 years later I’m still doing it.”
When it comes to trends, Goodwin said that there are often waves. He said that a lot of what people consider hot tattoos is based on the art notable celebrities get done.
“Rihanna’s pharaoh bird came out and that really set the trend for sternum tattoos,” Goodwin said. “It’s all based on what people see in the media.”
Goodwin added that now, more people are doing research on who they want to use as an artist rather than walking into a shop and picking the first artist that they happen to speak with.
Birth flowers, mandalas, dates and memorial tattoos take up about 30 to 40 percent of Goodwin’s business. The other 60 to 70 percent, he said, is based on his own creativity — he works with clients to design art that fits their body and will accommodate their special requests.
“People are beginning to see [the value of] going to see a specific artist because of the quality of the work, in comparison to just going everywhere and getting a bunch of work,” Goodwin said. “When I first started in the industry, it was more or less flash tattoos that people were doing.”
Despite the growing demand for custom tattoos, Arnold said that there isn’t any hostility amongst artists that she’s noticed in New Hampshire. She said that she’ll often refer people who are looking to get mandalas done to artists she knows who will excel at the geometric style.
“I feel we’re super lucky to have so many great artists concentrated in such a small state,” Arnold said. She said that there is competition, but it pushes her and other artists to do the best they can. “I feel like the community between artists … [is] not negative and super competitive in a bad way. We’re all proud of the accomplishments of each other.”
Tattooing styles Source: Inked Magazine, inkedmag.com • American traditional: A popular style of tattoo with thick black outlines, a minimal but bold color palette, and iconic tattoo imagery like skulls, snakes, knives, swallows and anchors. • Black and gray: A style of tattooing that only utilizes black ink. The ink is diluted with water to get the gray tones for shading and highlighting. • Cosmetic tattoo: A type of tattoo that is used to enhance features, much like make up. Common types are microblading, which is done to fill out eyebrows, as well as permanent lip and eye liner. • Cover-up: A tattoo designed to hide an older tattoo in the new one. A good cover-up will completely hide the old tattoo through strategic linework and color. • Geometric: A style of tattooing that uses geometric shapes and linework with no shading. Mandalas are a popular form of geometric tattoo. • Illustrative: A style of tattooing that combines aspects of realism and American traditional. It uses bold outlines and realistic shading to depict illustration designs.
The Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) is holding Shakespeare on the Green beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m. There will be two shows, A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo and Juliet. A Midsummer’s Night Dream will run July 22, July 28 and July 30 at 7:30 p.m., and Romeo and Juliet will run July 21, July 23, and July 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person and can be purchased at tickets.anselm.edu.
Friday, July 22
Mola Foods (9 Simon St., Nashua) is offering the fourth Taste of Africa hosted by owner and chef LaFortune Jeannette Djabea. There meat and vegetarian meal options with dishes that span across the continent of Africa. In addition to the food, there will be live music. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at molafoods.com/africa4.
Sunday, July 24
This is the last day of “Warhol Screen Tests,” a collection of 20 of Andy Warhol’s short, silent black-and-white films of his friends at his studio in New York City, at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for children age 12 and under and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
Sunday, July 24
St. Theresa Parish Center (815 Central Road, Rye) is hosting the New England Tenors from 2 to 4 p.m. The tenors will sing a Broadway tribute, songs of inspiration and a special Irish set. They will also have a special guest, soprano Mary Metvier. At intermission there will be an ice cream social. Tickets cost $20 per person or $125 for a table of seven. Call Mike Fay at 978-476-6053 or email coachmikefay@gmail.com.
Wednesday, July 27
Sommelier and wine educator Marie King is leading a Wine and Chocolate Pairing Class at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) at 6 p.m. Visitors will pair five different types of chocolate and wine. No previous knowledge of wine pairing is needed. Tickets cost $43.40 and can be purchased at labellewinery.com/shop/wine-chocolate-pairings-class-derry.
Thursday, July 28
The Dover Public Library (73 Locust St., Dover) is offering Cocheco River Writers, a new creative writing group for all skill levels. The first meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Cocheco River Writers will be a quiet atmosphere for people to share their writing and receive advice and feedback. People willing to share their writing should bring a copy to the first session. Email Aimee Lockhardt at a.lockhardt@dover.nh.gov or call the library at 516-6050.
Save the Date!Monday, Aug. 8 The 18th Annual Fore Paws Golf Classic to benefit Salem Animal Rescue League (SARL) will take place at Windham Country Club (1 Country Club Road) at 7:30 a.m. Registration costs $175 and closes on July 31. Included in the registration is 18 holes, cart and driving range, hot dog at the turn, 10 raffle tickets, one square on the wine and spirits board, on-course contests, individual golfer gift and golf balls, lunch, and one beverage ticket. All proceeds go to SARL. Register at sarlnh.org or call SARL at 893-3210.
Featured photo. The Dana Center’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Most of New Hampshire is currently in a moderate drought, the AP reported, and a small section of the southeastern part of the state is in a severe drought, according to the latest federal drought monitor map. More than 50 New Hampshire community water systems have set restrictions on daytime outdoor water use, such as watering lawns and washing vehicles.
QOL score: -2
Comment:Limiting outdoor water use to the early morning hours and evenings after 7 p.m. prevents additional water waste due to evaporation, Stacey Herbold of the Department of Environmental Services explained in the article.
Future of broadcasting
The New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters awarded $18,000 in scholarships to 11 New Hampshire students who are enrolled in a two- or four-year accredited school for the 2022-2023 school year and are pursuing a career in journalism, broadcasting or a related field. The scholarships included the $5,000 Al Sprague Memorial Scholarship, awarded to one student; the $2,500 Student Broadcast Scholarship, awarded to four students; and the $500 Families in Broadcasting Scholarship, awarded to six students who are children of NHAB members. Recipients were chosen based on their academic achievement, extracurricular and community involvement, financial need and an application essay about their interest in broadcasting.
QOL Score: +1
Comment: Congratulations to these up-and-coming journalists! QOL can confirm that it’s a pretty cool job.
Parkinson’s help in NH
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon has been designated a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence by the Parkinson’s Foundation. There are only 47 centers with the designation worldwide — 37 of which are in the U.S. — and DHMC is the only one in northern New England. According to a press release, the Parkinson’s Foundation awarded DHMC the designation on account of its “person-centered, comprehensive and integrated approach to care, education and research; exceptional communication and collaboration with the team, external providers, patients and families; a state-of-the-art neurosurgery facility; and the Dartmouth Centers for Health & Aging Aging Resource Center, which provides workshops, wellness programs and advance care planning.”
QOL Score: +1
Comment: Centers must reapply for the designation every five years and meet rigorous standards of care, clinical research, professional training and community education and outreach; and maintain a specialized team of medical professionals who are informed on the latest Parkinson’s research.
The kids are alright
A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire at No. 49 out of the 50 U.S. states and District of Columbia for States with the Most At-Risk Youth. The study looked at 16 criteria applicable to different age groups, from age 12 through 24, including high school diploma attainment, state of employment, poverty, teen pregnancy, homelessness, incarceration, illicit drug use, mental health, physical health and more. New Hampshire ranked especially low (No. 46) for percentage of “disconnected youth,” a term referring to the population ages 18 through 24 that is not attending school, is not employed and does not have education higher than a high school diploma.
QOL Score: +1
Comment: All of the New England states ranked between No. 40 and No. 51, with Massachusetts and Connecticut ahead of the Granite State at No. 51 and No. 50, respectively.
QOL score: 82
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 83
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
Count me among those who liked that BradStevens did not stand pat after the Celtics’ surprising season.
Adding real scoring punch to the bench was met with near universal approval in these parts and around the league, as trading for Indiana guard MalcolmBrogdon and signing free agent DaniloGallinari serms a perfect fit.
Except, maybe by me.
Not because I don’t like either player, but because on paper they fill two slots.
Gallinari has always been the 3-point-shooting instant-offense wing they’ve needed forever, with the added benefit being he’s big enough and versatile enough to do it at the 3 or 4. And if you read this space regularly you know I like Brogdon’s combo guard game a lot, especially his ability to get below the foul line and score. I’ve suggested/begged that the Celtics should trade for him (and teammate DomantasSabonis, who I liked even more) on numerous occasions. Including when Danny Ainge blew a chance to make a larger sign and trade deal when the Pacers were lusting to bring free agent GordonHayward home to Indiana two summers ago — a trade that, oh by the way, also would have filled the glaring hole (see below) this deal created.
The deal also makes them deeper and didn’t cost any of the first eight guys in the playoff rotation. Plus his contract gives them another big-number contract to include if a deal for a great max player presents itself.
So having said all that, what’s not to like, Dave? It’s not so much what’s not to like, as much as that each guy brings a red flag. For Brogdon it’s durability. He’s played as many as 70 games in a season only once, and that was six years ago in his rookie season of 2016-17. The six-year career average is just 51 games per and last year it was a worst of all 36. I hate guys who get hurt a lot and can’t recover quickly. So beware.
For Gallinari it’s aging. In the last four years his scoring averages have been, in order, 19.3, 18.7, 13.3 and 11.7, while for the 3-point shooting averages it’s been a career best .433, .405, .406, .381. That seems like a trend to me.
Then there’s the giant hole behind 37-year-old AlHorford and the brittle Lob it to RobWilliams. It remains to be seen who the new guy turns out to be. But don’t underestimate this; filling this spot with the right guy is important. Of the available names, I like athletic defender NerlensNoel best.
Now some thoughts on the other big stories going on.
Kevin Durant: Due to their unrealistic demands — an all-star player, two role players and five first-round picks — it’s looking like he’ll stay in Brooklyn.
If I’m Miami, as good as he is I’d be reluctant to give up mid-20 BamAdebayo and TylerHerro for him. With one including AndrewWiggins, JordanPoole and JamesWiseman the best package could come from Golden State. But they just won the title, so why not keep the young guys to try to extend their reign beyond the Curry era.
As for the unrealistic demands? They’re fine, but to make that work you need a sucker and I don’t see one right now. Which brings us to an old friend.
Danny Ainge: Nobody is better at finding suckers than Danny. He did it with Brooklyn to eventually get Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for fool’s gold in 2015. And now comes a deal for a guy (RudyGobert) who couldn’t get his team out of the first round of the playoffs in April with Minnesota for five unprotected first-round picks and five players. Given their gruesome 21st-century history, I give Minnesota points for trying something different. But I’m guessing after a few productive years it eventually ushers in a decade of more awfulness. The good news is, since he’s now a part owner, A-Rod will be one of the sufferers.
Now watch what Danny does with Donovan Mitchell and the two best guys he got back, Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley.
Kyrie Irving: Speaking of Celtics alumni, I guess hell has frozen over. It appears no one is dumb enough to want team-killer KyrieIrving. Well, except the Lakers, who have turned into a sad, desperate mess. Except the Nets aren’t dumb enough to take back the hard to play with RussellWestbrook and his $49 million contract. Beyond that, the Nets can’t find any takers for the alleged “superstar” who led the Nets to 11-18 in the 29 games he played last year.
James Harden: I was wrong about him again. He not only stayed put in Philly; he took a big pay cut so his boss had more cap space to bring in players to help them win. Kudos to him. Now all he has to do is lose 30 pounds or adjust his game to a bigger, maturing body
Steph Curry: There was some chatter last week saying he is the second best player in NBA history. Putting him in the Top 10 never even occurred to me, to be honest. But after gaining a new appreciation for him as he annihilated the Celtics in the Finals I’m willing to entertain the Top 10 debate. But who would he replace? On his side, his 3-point shooting changed how the game is played and his four titles is one more than LarryBird and three more than OscarRobertson. Can’t go No. 2 as among LeBron and the GreekFreak I’m not even sure he’s in the Top 2 of his era as that’s still being determined. But he’s climbing.
Ja Morant: I don’t know if it’s youthful enthusiasm or youthful ignorance but I did get a kick out of him saying last week he could beat an in-his-prime MichaelJordan playing one on one.
I’ll take Mike because of his unmatched killer instinct.
Colorado author Christina Holbrook discussed her debut novel All the Flowers of the Mountain, which is set in New Hampshire and was inspired, she said, by the times she spent in the Granite State during her childhood.
What is your connection to New Hampshire?
I grew up in New York, and my parents owned a house in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, where we spent all of our summers and winter vacations. Also, my grandparents had farms in New Hampshire. At that time in my life New Hampshire made such a deep impression on me. I felt like my heart was in the White Mountains. I’ve had that feeling through most of my life. As an adult I lived in New York City, and now I’m in Colorado, but I always found a way, especially in the summers, to get back to New Hampshire for a visit. I feel like it’s the home of my imagination.
What is All the Flowers of the Mountain about?
It’s a love story and a coming-of-age story about growing up in New Hampshire. It begins in the present and then moves back to this particular summer when these two main characters meet each other, impact each other’s lives and eventually go their separate ways. It ends in the present again, with the open question as to what will finally happen with this relationship that was so important to these two characters.
What is the significance of New Hampshire in the story?
… The setting is extremely important to the story. It has a big impact on the characters, how they interact with each other and the choices they make and is part of how the story comes together in the end.
What made you want to write this novel at this time in your life?
I’ve been a writer all my life … but I’ve spent my professional life in publishing. … I feel like I’ve always been in sort of a supporting role to other creative people, and I felt like it was finally time for me to put myself in more of a center role as a creative person. … [Another reason was] becoming older. I’m 61 years old now, and in your late 50s and early 60s you start to reflect back on all the things that made you who you are. … New Hampshire is a place that means so much to me in my life. I have a really deep nostalgia for this period of time when I grew up in this particular place, and I really wanted to write about it. … Many of the places that were part of my life back then are included in the story. I’ve described [the book] to my publisher as ‘my love song to New Hampshire.’
What has the writing and publishing process been like?
I started putting the pen to paper on a draft about five years ago. About six months later I had my first draft, and I spent the next year revising it. Then I started to send it out to literary agents to try to get representation. By the beginning of 2020 I had an agent who wanted me to do more revisions … and I ended up rewriting the entire novel. … It took me until this past March to finish that draft. I turned it in to my agent, and she was thrilled because it was such a departure [from] and quite a big improvement on the story. … Also at the end of March, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I had surgery in April, and I’ve just finished six weeks of radiation. It’s a pretty serious situation. In the world of publishing, it could easily take my agent six months to a year to find a publisher, and then it could take two more years [to publish it], and at this point, I don’t know if I have two or three years to wait. A local publisher in Colorado came to me and said, ‘We understand your situation. We will get this book out in three months for you.’ They had a team of people do the copy editing, cover design, proofing, everything, and they pulled the whole thing together in three months.
When was the last time you were in New Hampshire, and when will you be back?
The last time I was in New Hampshire was last summer, and we will be going again this summer, probably toward the end of August. I’m working on [scheduling] a book signing there. … I’m really hoping to share this story with people in New Hampshire. Two years ago, during Covid, when there were all these remote writers groups, I also ended up connecting [with] and joining the New Hampshire Writers Project … and started to join them on their monthly Zoom calls.
What would you like people to take away from your book?
I feel like Vermont and Maine get a lot of play but people don’t always know about how incredibly beautiful and magical New Hampshire is. … I hope that, for people who haven’t been to New Hampshire, this book will give them an interest and curiosity to come visit the Granite State. For people who have lived in New Hampshire, I hope it gives them a sense of pleasure to recognize the places and descriptions of New Hampshire.
