Recommended Springtime Reads from Newfane Vermont Authors

It’s mud season in Newfane, and the town Facebook group is full of locals comparing notes about which dirt roads are in what current condition – along with webcam shots of the wildlife that is starting to rustle about in the warmer weather.

Mud season is also a boon for literary-type folks, who abound in Newfane. While every season here is magical, there's something about the springtime that gives a Vermont writer wings. The brighter days and fresh spring air breathe fresh magic into our creative impulses, while the squishy ground and brisk March breezes encourage us to stay at our desks at least a little bit each day to harness that magic.

Here are some suggested reads by some of Newfane's award-winning authors:

Archer Mayor, Vermont’s foremost mystery writer (and NYT bestselling author), offers the spicy-sweet combination of thrillers set in beautiful small-town Southern Vermont. Check out The Orphan’s Guilt, set during a Vermont spring.

Pablo Medina, a Cuban poet and novelist, combines humor and small-time political intrigue. The Cuban Comedy is the perfect mix of messy and mysterious for our misty, muddy mornings.

Helen DeWitt, who splits her time between Berlin and Newfane, recently published The English Understand Wool – part heist story, part psychological thriller – and it sold out immediately.

In the award-winning On the Wings of a Hummingbird, Susan Mills shares the story of a Mayan girl fleeing from Guatemala. The book is based on Mills's experience as an immigration attorney. Read more about her process here.

Deborah Lee Luskin’s award-winning Into the Wilderness combines a love of music, a beautifully described 1960s Vermont small town, and explorations of being a Jewish woman surrounded by oblivious goyim.

Theresa Maggio decamps to her grandparents ancestral village, pulls out their cache of old maps, and adventures to "the smallest dots with the most appealing names" in The Stone Boudoir: Travels Through the Hidden Villages of Sicily.

Other successful Newfane authors to explore:

• Karen Hesse, author of the award-winning children’s books Out of the Dust and Letters from Rifka.
• Tom Bedell, who specializes in writing about beer and golf.
• Robert Fritz, NYT bestselling author and management consultant, who stresses the importance of the creative process in all areas of life.
• Henriette Mantel, better known for her comedy work in the big city, who has returned home to Vermont to live a quieter life … and run a gorgeous wedding venue.
• Jessica Stilling, who moved to Newfane during COVID, and found support for her work via the Vermont Arts Council, receiving a grant for her eleventh novel, which will be set in Vermont.

(Bonus fact: In addition to all these poets and novelists, there are plenty of theater geeks too. The Rock River Players hosts a one-act festival each summer, featuring works by local playwrights.)

Recommended Listen

Vermont Public's Brave Little State podcast explores the question, "What draws so many writers and poets to Vermont?" (And confirms that they hype is true ... Vermont ranks fifth in the U.S. for authors per capita.)

Notes and disclaimers:

The Town of Newfane also encompasses the unincorporated communities of South Newfane and Williamsville, in case you start reading author bios and wondering where these places are.

There are also plenty of authors in the surrounding towns, but we have to draw the line somewhere ...