Roberta Harold will be reading from her new book, Portrait of an Unseen Woman: A Novel of Annie Shaw, in Brattleboro. This fictionalized account imagines the creative life a Civil War widow who flourishes in 1890s Paris. Books will be available for purchase and the author will be signing copies.

Join Roberta Harold in conversation with Baron Wormser, author of Some Months in 1968 and other novels, to celebrate the launch of Harold's Portrait of an Unseen Woman: a Novel of Annie Shaw. Free and open to the public, with refreshments and book signing. 

Celebrate the launch and return to Judevine: A Love Song for a Place and Its People, David Budbill’s work about the beloved fictional community. This new and revised edition includes introductions by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins, world-renowned musician and composer William Parker, and Lost Nation Theater Founding Director Kim Bent.

Nadine Budbill, David’s daughter, will be in conversation with actress and playwright Abby Paige, who has acted in Judevine and other Budbill plays. Paige’s first book, Piecework / Travail à la pièce, is a bilingual collection of her two plays about the Franco American experience. Both books will be available for signing and purchase.

There will be a livestream option as well. To sign up for it, please email boxoffice@lostnationtheater.org with "Launch Live Stream" in the subject line by 4:30pm on May 15th.

 No tickets/reservations necessary. Books will be available for purchase.

Poets, poetry lovers, and everyone interested in poetry are invited to gather at the historic Charlotte Grange Hall! Each month, a local guest poet is featured, and Rootstock Publisher Samantha Kolber is the guest for May, sharing her poems about motherhood ahead of Mother's Day.

After Kolber reads, audience members are then invited to recite poems, and prizes will be offered to those who can recite their poems from memory! Bring a few of your favorite poems or your own poetry to read or recite, or just come to listen.

Learn more at www.charlottegrange.org.

Nadine Budbill, daughter of David Budbill and his literary executor, will introduce his classic Judevine at the Craftsbury Public Library. Judevine: A Love Song for a Place and its People shines a light on the lives of his Wolcott neighbors who were, in turns, beautiful, ingenious, struggling to survive, and overlooked.

This event is hosted by the Vermont Humanities Council.

Join Nadine Budbill at the Hyde Park public library for a reading of David Budbill’s Judevine: A Love Song for a Place and its People. This talk introduces her father and his work, followed by a selection of his evocative and timeless poems.

This event is sponsored by Lamoille Neighbors, Lanpher Memorial Library, and VT Humanities.

Dr. Ian J. McCoog will give a reading and talk about his informative and reflective book, Leadership Bites: An Approachable Handbook for Emerging Leaders.

Meghan A. Patricia Wentworth, author of Stay Until Tomorrow, will open a celebration for National Poetry Month at Reedmor Books & Brews in New Hampshire. Copies of her poetry collection will be available for purchase and signing.

Her reading will be followed by headliner Diannely Antigua, followed by a Q&A with poet Cari Moll.

Poet Joyce Thomas celebrates the launch of her third book of poetry, Some Things in This World: Poems at the Castleton Library. Following a reading, she will be signing books.

Join us to celebrate the launch of the new PoemCity Anthology 2025 with readings from headlining poets Bianca Stone, Chard deNiord, and Toussaint St. Negritude on his bass clarinet; followed by an open mic for poets with poems in the anthology. Come and sign up at the door (first come, first serve) to read your poem from this year’s anthology! Free and open to the public. Refreshments served and autographed books for sale.

Bianca Stone is the Vermont Poet Laureate and author of seven books of poetry, most recently What is Otherwise Infinite (Tin House, 2022), which won the 2023 Vermont Book Award in Poetry. Chard deNiord is a former Vermont Poet Laureate (2015-19) and the author of nine books of poetry, most recently Westminster West (Tupelo Press, 2025), and One As Other (Green Writers Press, 2024). Toussaint St. Negritude is the former Poet Laureate of Belfast, Maine, and is the author of the poetry debut Mountain Spells (Rootstock, 2024).

Join poet Meghan A. Patricia Wentworth in celebrating the launch of her debut collection, Stay Until Tomorrow. These autobiographical poems shed light on trauma, heartache, love, loss, and the poet’s self-healing journey.

The author will read and sign books, available for sale by Reedmor Books & Brew. Light refreshments will be provided.

Shop at the U-32 Art and Craft Fair in Montpelier and pick up signed books by J. Peter Cobb and Samantha Kolber! The school fundraiser features over 100 Vermont artists and handcrafters.

Cobb will be signing copies of Some Things Aren't Meant to Be: A Novel from 11 am to 1 pm. Kolber will sign copies of Birth of a Daughter from 1 to 3 pm.

Meghan A. Patricia Wentworth, author of Stay Until Tomorrow: Poems, will be reading from her book at the public library in Newington, NH. The “meet the author” event includes a Q&A section with Wentworth.

Join Rootstock Publisher and poet Samantha Kolber, who will read poems from her chapbook "Birth of a Daughter" plus new work at a Poetry Open Mic in Brattleboro. Everyone can sign up to read at this event, which is free and open to the public.

Refreshments served and autographed books for sale. Learn more at bywaybooks.co.

Memoirist C.O. Moed, author of It Was Her New York, will be in conversation with essayist and media theorist Chris Campanioni in Beacon, New York. The talk will be moderated by Kathy Curto. Don’t miss this wide-ranging discussion!

Author Ian McCoog will read from Leadership Bites: An Approachable Handbook for Emerging Leaders at the Commonwealth University Bookstore in Pennsylvania. A Q&A will follow.

Ginny Sassaman, author of Preaching Happiness, will be speaking at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier. She will discuss gratitude for meaning, one of the pillars of personal thriving.

For more information, visit ucmvt.org.

Afro-futurist /Oro-shamanic poet and bass clarinetist Toussaint St. Negritude will be a featured performer at the Vermont State House, as part of the Farmers Night Concert Series. St. Negritude, author of Mountain Spells: Poems, “dually conjures the lyric timbre of both his horn and verse, creating his own collaborative ceremony of empathic wonders.”

This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the VT State House. To learn more, visit the series page.

Toussaint St. Negritude, poet and bass clarinetist, will participate in Burlington’s Black Experience 2025 (#BXVT2025). Join him at the Greater Burlington YMCA for a dance and movement masterclass by Christal Brown, and a reading and poetry class by Toussaint St. Negritude. All ages welcome. For more information visit https://www.blackexperiencevt.com/general-6.

The former poet laureate of Belfast, Maine returns to the city to read—and perform—from his debut poetry collection, Mountain Spells. Don’t miss this event! Toussaint St. Negritude will be signing copies.

Join Ian McCoog to celebrate the launch of Leadership Bites: An Approachable Handbook for Emerging Leaders in Pennsylvania. The author will read and sign copies during a special edition of The Last Word evening of storytelling focused on Leadership.

Celebrate Black History Month and joy at an annual community meal with poetry, music, and dancing at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier.

The Human Family Potluck will showcase Black artists and pay special tribute to Nikki Giovanni. Among those appearing is poet and bass clarinetist, Toussaint St. Negritude, author of Mountain Spells. He will be performing and reading from his debut poetry collection.

To learn more, visit the Unitarian Church website.

Each year, the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) hosts its book awards program with the aim of recognizing excellence in independent publishing, past and present. We serve the industry by rewarding authors and publishers for exemplary work and providing readers another means of navigating an increasingly noisy marketplace.

Join us online at 4pm Eastern for a Zoom awards ceremony to celebrate the winners and finalists, including four Rootstock titles!

Please plan to log in 10 to 15 minutes beforehand using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88290540720

Join the poet and bass clarinetist in a special event at the Flatiron Co-op, in conjunction with the local library and bookstore. Toussaint St. Negritude will be reading—and performing—poetry from his debut collection, Mountain Spells. Village Square booksellers will be selling copies to be signed by the author.

Celebrate First Night in St. Johnsbury with poet and bass clarinetist Toussaint St. Negritude. He’ll be performing and reading from his debut collection, Mountain Spells. Showtimes are 6 pm and again at 9 pm in the Cabaret Room at Catamount Arts.

Learn more about buying admission buttons at First Night North in St. Johnsbury.

Howard Norman’s graphic novel with illustrations by Annie Bakst will be for sale at the Holiday Bazaar at the Bohemian Bakery. I Refused to be A War Bride is a part of a series, Detective Levy Detects, with many fun cameos of local Montpelier figures.

Howard and Annie will sign copies. Other makers of jams, collage, pottery, and art will be selling gift items as well.

Toussaint St. Negritude returns to Maine, where he was the poet laureate of Belfast, to launch his debut collection in Rockland. The poet and bass clarinetist will perform and sign copies of Mountain Spells: Poems. Doors open at 6 pm; event begins at 6:30 pm

Toussaint St. Negritude—poet and clarinetist—will perform in Waterbury. The show includes a book signing of his debut, Mountain Spells: Poems.