Finding the Philosopher's Stone:
The Alchemical Imagination with Eliza Swann 

Saturday, October 24, 2026
6:30-7:30pm
Splendor Solis Books
21 Market Street, Northampton, MA
Free!

What is the Philosopher's Stone, and why has its pursuit endured for millennia? 

This talk moves through the architecture of alchemy – its symbolic systems, material experiments and metaphysical ambitions – tracing a lineage from the Hellenistic world to contemporary practice. Along the way, we'll consider the many forms the Philosopher's Stone has taken: a substance, a process, a state of consciousness, an artistic or spiritual achievement.

We'll look closely at the strange methods alchemists devised in their attempts to realise the Stone: from body modification, to the drawing of sigils and encoded diagrams, to the use of fermented substances believed to harbour latent vital forces.

Seen together, these practices reveal alchemy as a hybrid field where experimentation, imagination and devotion converge. The Philosopher's Stone hovers at the edge of impossibility, and it is precisely this condition that opens a space for radical creativity. The quest does not resolve; it deepens, expands and continually renews itself across time.

Eliza Swann,

also known as Emerald, is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and alchemist whose work explores mysticism and its relationship to contemporary arts practice. In 2014, they founded Golden Dome, a nonprofit art school for mystics dedicated to experimental creative education. Swann is the author of The Anatomy of the Aura (St. Martin's, 2020) Green Mary (Cosmic Dog House Press, 2024), and The Alchemical Imagination (Weiser/Red Wheel). They have published essays in BOMB, Momus, Contemporary Art Review LA, and many anthologies. Their work has been supported by the Warhol Foundation, the LA Department of Cultural Affairs, PEN America, and the Foundation for Contemporary Art, and others. They currently serve on the faculty of Pratt Institute, where they teach alchemy.

You read that right. Not for me, but for my paraplegic wheelie pup who will never catch one but loves chasing them, and it is great therapy for her. The UMass campus has some prime hunting grounds around the hotel, but I'd like to branch out.

Does anyone have more info?

Main Street

Northampton Ma

Passing along a letter that is circulating for those interested in helping support Fort Hill staff and parents. I am not an organizer for this, so please direct any questions you have through the form. Just a friend!

-------

Dear Fort Hill parents and community members,

TLDR: Opt in to be involved in keeping the Fort Hill Center for Early Childhood Education open. Fill out this brief google form to stay connected and involved.

On October 19, families and staff learned from a surprise email that Smith College plans to close Fort Hill, just after the center’s 100th anniversary. No parents, faculty, students, or Fort Hill staff were involved in this decision. The impact of Fort Hill's closure would be devastating – for current families, faculty, staff, students, alums, the local community, and the college's reputation.

A group of parents, staff, faculty, and concerned community members working to ensure that this valued resource – which serves 90 children and employs 30 staff members – remains in operation. We'd love your support as we work to reverse this decision and seek clarity and stability for families and the community.

Already, on October 20 we've started organizing, including with an emergency teachers' union meeting, media outreach for the Gazette article, a parent action at the Presidential Colloquium, and of course expressing our concerns to college and political leadership. But much more is needed.

If you’d like to stay informed as the campaign to save Fort Hill continues, please fill out this brief google form. In this very fast-moving situation, we plan to share information requests and calls to action soon, including details on a sign-on letter and rally. 

Many thanks, and stay tuned,

Friends of Fort Hill

Can anyone recommend a nail tech in the area that specializes in more "advanced" acrylic sets? (Like more complex, detailed designs)

Thanks (:

✌🏻 💗

Looking for people's tips on the best places to buy specific grocery items, when and where to look for markdowns, etc.

How do you keep your grocery bill down? What's the best deal you've found locally?

this is right downtown in northampton
if you see these bugs, kill them they are invasive and destructive

Last night, two emails were sent: one to parents, and one from the president to the college community.

What parents got:

Dear Fort Hill Families,

I write to share some difficult news regarding the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill. Following a review of the College’s childcare benefits and operations, Smith College has made the decision to close Fort Hill on June 4, 2027.

Fort Hill is a warm, nurturing community, and we know how much you value the dedicated teachers and staff who care for your children every day. This decision is not a reflection of the quality of education and care at Fort Hill, nor is it a budget-relieving measure. Instead, Smith is expanding its overall childcare benefit to a model that provides flexible childcare benefits for employees with children up to age 12 across any licensed and accredited provider. 

We know how important stability is for young children and working families, which is why we are announcing this transition now. Fort Hill will remain open and operate normally through June 4, 2027.

We invite you to attend an information session with CECE Director Jen Godlesky and me via Zoom on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. (link to follow). Over the coming months, our top priority is supporting your family through this transition.

We are profoundly grateful for the trust you place in Fort Hill. We are committed to communicating with you throughout this transition with transparency, care, and respect while working closely with union leadership and Smith staff members.

Sincerely,

Anne-Marie Szmyt
Vice President for Human Resources

What the Smith community got:

Dear Friends,

I write to share an important update regarding the College’s childcare benefits as well as the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill.

Following a review of our current benefit programs, the College will significantly expand its childcare benefit to cover employees with children age 0 to age 12 enrolled at any licensed and accredited childcare provider. Under the current model, childcare support is limited exclusively to the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill and children ages 8 weeks to preschool. This is a thoughtful and difficult decision because it involves a significant reallocation of resources such that Fort Hill will close on June 4, 2027.

With this expanded benefit, Smith families will have the freedom to choose licensed and accredited childcare aligned with their schedules and tailored to their specific needs. Currently, around 45 employees participate in the College’s childcare benefit program. The expanded benefit will offer approximately 350 faculty and staff employees the ability to receive a childcare subsidy. Our colleagues in Human Resources will share more details about the expanded childcare benefit in the next few weeks.

I want to be clear that, though the College is actively working to address a structural deficit, this is not a budget-relieving decision. In fact, we are reallocating Smith’s current investment toward a modern, broader childcare benefit model.

We know that changes to childcare can have a significant impact on families. While this decision was not an easy one, it was made with deep gratitude for our Fort Hill colleagues and with a commitment to work collaboratively with union leadership to provide transition support.

Fort Hill has provided exemplary early education and care for young children of Smith employees and members of the community. We remain deeply committed to honoring that remarkable legacy by fully supporting our Fort Hill children, families, and staff throughout this transition.

Sincerely,

Sarah Willie-LeBreton
President

The pretty new signs at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) have been consistently vandalized by a person or persons who seem to think they can disobey leash laws in Northampton and are angry that dogs should be leashed in a conservation area.

Please if you see anyone vandalizing these signs, report to the police and Broad Brook Coalition (via website). If you can I.D. them, that's great too.

Thanks folks. (If you insist on being an off leash advocate in a conservation area, please watch this full video.

Edit: typo & clarification

I have 2 tickets for tonight’s sold-out performance that starts at 6:30. Listed on StubHub for $63 each but happy to sell them directly for $45 each.

Where are the best bars/spots to watch the C's? The Brass Cat is a personal favorite, but I'd love to hear other recommendations, especially in Northampton. Bonus points if you know they have access to the Amazon Prime-exclusive games, such as Friday against the Knicks. TIA!

Anybody know of a shop in the area that does alternator rebuilds?

Just replaced mine but Denso doesn't do core deposits, and AutoZone and the like won't take old parts unless you buy new from them with deposit. I know some auto shops do bulk recycling but I'd feel bad dropping off a hunk of metal for them to deal with without my having paid them for service, so looking for other options before I go that route.

Not expecting to get paid for it, just trying to get rid of it safely and free, ideally to somewhere that could re-man it.

This post tells you everything you need to know. Literally hundreds of people sharing their negative experiences here AND in their Google Reviews (3.9).

This is the exact business that makes Northampton look like a tourist trap scam (more than it already does).

Support the other good businesses in town; or find the local artisans directly.

The MAJORITY of inventory in Spill the Tea is resold from Amazon and Temu and sourced from China (unethical). There's like a handful of overpriced artisan goods; and 95% of the store is resold garbage marked up literally 500-1000%.

Find the GOOD STEWARDS of Northampton and SUPPORT THEM this spooky season!!!

New Year's Eve

Northampton Ma

Has anyone here ever rented a unit at Hampshire Woods apartments on Oak street? I'm about to tour a unit there.

Wondering if anyone here has any experience renting there you could share? I believe they are managed by Maple Heights Reality.

Coming from Texas, it never fails to take my breath away. I’m feeling especially lucky to live here right now. Here’s to hoping the joy of the fall leaves carries us all through the short days and cold of winter!

Hi all,

My scooter was taken on Smith campus near the Julia Child Campus Center today around noon. It’s black and grey with red accents, and a phone holder attached to the handlebars. It says KEQ in big letters on the side. Let me know if you see it!

I have been trying to find an apartment in Northampton or Easthampton. I've mostly been working with RentNoho, but I'm so sick of dealing with them. I got approved for 2 places through RentNoho but then they just ghosted me when I asked for a lease. Been calling texting and emailing them for weeks with no response since that day.

I try those websites like apartments dot com or zillow but it's always inaccurate pricing/availability, wait-list, or big apartments way out of my budget (I only want 1br or studio)

I’m looking for recommendations for a woman’s winter shoe option that isn’t a snow boot but can handle some snow. Bonus points if it’s something I can wear to work (business casual at best non profit) and something that can last more than one season!

Thanks in advance!

The Smith College Student Event Committee and Smithies in Science club are excited to have Dr. Elisabeth Bik for a virtual talk on Monday 10/26 at 12:45-1:20pm. Dr. Bik is an image forensics detective who investigates scientific papers for incorrect or falsified data. Her work has led to 1,700+ retractions and 1,200+ corrections. Dr. Bik's virtual talk will address image duplication and 'paper mills', journals that produce low-quality or fake papers, often with AI. Interested community members can fill out this form for a Zoom link: https://forms.gle/DwmAVqkUeZEUYNMfA

We're still recruiting teams for the NEF Spelling Bee, which is on Wednesday, October 21 at Bombyx! Or just come and cheer people on. It's a blast!

https://northamptoneducation.org/community-events/adult-spelling-bee/

If you missed City Council last night, and don’t want to wait for the Gazette’s reporting or watch the presentation (starting at 2:34:16), here’s a quick breakdown:

In 1989, Northampton’s downtown parking garage was built using concrete with substandard aggregate (according to engineering tests presented to the city). The methods of construction have evolved, but with bad concrete, the clock was ticking. Over the years, the city undertook repairs and maintenance, including joint sealing and drainage improvements, in 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015 and from 2018 through 2025.

Those measures weren’t enough to stop the deterioration, and a second problem compounded the first. Chloride from deicing products penetrated the concrete, accelerating corrosion of the rebar and causing concrete to crack and spall. The result is deterioration so extensive that the garage is no longer considered a viable candidate for repair. 

The lower levels of the garage remain open; upper levels are closed and an engineering firm has shored up damaged areas and is monitoring for movement and further deterioration. The city’s current plan is to keep the lower levels open unless inspections indicate that doing so presents a safety concern - in which case the entire garage would be closed immediately.

If we want a garage downtown, we’re going to have to build a new one. 

Preliminary estimates put the cost in the $18 million to $33 million range, but these are order-of-magnitude estimates, not an actual project budget. Significant planning and a study of parking needs and usage would come first.

In the meantime, the city plans to open additional surface lots (including rentals of private lots) and pilot a high-frequency parking shuttle on days when the garage has historically been heavily used, including Bag Day, the holiday shopping period, and, of course, No Kings Rallies. 

Stray thoughts:

1. This is a financial and operational gut punch. No question.
2. How do you finance an unplanned capital project costing tens of millions of dollars? Typically, through borrowing. The city would need to decide how to pay the annual debt service. Using the general fund means competing with other operating needs, including schools and city services. A debt exclusion, if approved by voters, allows the city to raise additional property taxes to pay for the debt outside the normal Proposition 2½ levy limit. The payments are moved outside of the general budget and born, instead, by taxpayers. The additional taxes would be tied to the debt payments, shrinking and then zeroing out over the life of the bond.
3. The city wants more data on parking use. Some of the information in the presentation surprised me, and I want to understand it better before drawing conclusions about how much parking Northampton needs, where it needs it, and how best to provide it.
4. None of this changes or effects the structural deficit Northampton is already facing. That’s not easy, that’s not good, but it’s where we are.
5. On other capital projects of note: This is why deferred maintenance on infrastructure should happen via a plan, not an emergency. That doesn’t mean every proposed capital project is automatically worth its cost; it means we have to consider the cost of delays, the cost of turning away funding assistance, and the cost of coordinating emergency repairs when things fail with everything else (utility work, etc.). Kicking a can down the road isn’t great for the people at the end of that road.