A crowd of book lovers gathered on November 23 in Fields Corner to celebrate the grand opening of justBook-Ish, an independent bookstore and gathering space for local organizations, artists, and residents. Founded by Bing Broderick, the former Haley House executive director, and Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, justBook-ish offers a selection of social justice-themed books curated to the unique interests of the Dorchester neighborhood.
The event marked the success of a community-led project three years in the making, set into motion when the founders secured a competitive bid to build retail space in the new Dot Crossing building. With the strength of foundation grants, a well-supported GoFundMe campaign, local partnerships with organizations like VietAID, and pro-bono legal support, justBook-ish will be the neighborhood’s first bookstore.
In a congratulatory speech at the event, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley lauded the efforts of the founding group. “I want to tell the world that if you want to know how to truly be the architects of change and justice, you need to pay Dorchester and Fields Corner a visit,” she said. “You have provided an incredible blueprint of what is possible when we are intentional, when we are deliberate, in every single way.”
Entrepreneurs Maria Fernandes-Dominique and Melissa Mazzeo attended the event in support of their friend Tamika Francis, the culinary director of justBook-ish. Mazzeo, who owns and operates Merry Go Rounds, a children’s consignment business based in Easton, saw hope in the store’s opening.
I was happy
that they were able to open,” she said. “Whatever the city can continue to do to incentivize small businesses to open physical locations, that would be great to see.”
Hailing from Cabo Verde, FernandesDominique looked forward to the store having books that were culturally relevant to the residents of the Fields Corner neighborhood, which is home to diverse community of Americans with Vietnamese, African-American, Cabo Verdean, Irish, and Latino heritage.
“I am excited about being able to have books that tell my son and other kids in this neighborhood, especially those from Cabo Verde, about the real narrative of who they are and where they come from,” she said. “I am most excited to come here and get on the rug with my seven-yearold Black boy and read stories together.”
Pressley’s speech echoed this sentiment: “As much as it is about building community, it is [also] in defense of our children’s childhood,” she said. The representative took the opportunity to mention the introduction of her Book Saves Lives Act, which seeks to combat the rise of book bans in the United States by ensuring that school libraries maintain a diverse collection of books.
Despite the downpour of freezing rain, the warm interior of the new space served as a fitting metaphor for the business’ role as a sanctuary for the community.
“We make a promise to continue justly in partnership with the community and with this earth and this land,” said Olayiwola. “Our goal in being here is to make space for all of those voices, for all those stories, for all those narratives of y’all here with us today.”
HOLIDAY MARKET FORECAST 2024
Now that the hellish, hot nights of November have passed and thermostats across Boston have been adjusted to prevent pipes from freezing, it’s time we turn our attention to the wonderful tradition of finding tinsel, trinkets, and treats from local artists to gift to our loved ones this holiday season. Don’t miss out on these upcoming markets, and don’t forget to peep the happenings spread for even more options!
For early birds, our friends at the North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) are hosting an arts & crafts fair on December 7 (12pm-6pm) with Native American crafts and food at their community center in Jamaica Plain. All are welcome, and the proceeds from the food will be used for youth programming.
Brought to you by High Energy Vintage and Existential Thread Co., Small Mart is hosting two special edition holiday markets with 40+ vendors at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville on December 7 and 21 (11am-4pm). Don’t tell my ma, but last year I bought a pipe in the shape of a shucked oyster at this market, and it’s been a prized possession ever since.
Milk Row Studios, which shares an alleyway with Somerville’s beloved Market Basket, is opening their doors on December 8 (12pm-6pm). Enjoy three floors worth of artist wares, free snacks, and holiday vibes (and say hi to BCN family member Emma!).
Spontaneous Celebrations is hosting their annual holiday market at their Jamaica Plain location on December 13 (6-9pm) and December 14-15 (11am-4pm) allowing you to get some mid-minute local shopping in while enjoying a warm drink.
Black Market Nubian is hosting their annual Black Heritage Market at their location in Roxbury on December 14 and 21 (1pm-6pm), serving Caribbean vibes, food, and mocktails for shoppers to enjoy.
Maybe you’ve seen the sick poster of creepy Christmas creatures by the one and only @thankyou_sean floating around, but Brighton Bazaar’s Holiday Edition is on December 21 (11am-7pm) at Roadrunner. Check out the first dibs ticket option for early entry if you’re looking to beat the crowd and get some more elbow room!
Whether you’ve splurged on the perfect prints for your polycule, or decided to craft your own treats this year, the team at the Boston Compass would love to hear about your holiday wish list (and your New Year’s resolutions) at our “Confront Your Issues!” Party on December 14 (7pm-10pm) at the Boston Figurative Art Center in Somerville. Here’s a toast to another year of local art and successful newspaper issues!
“As someone who is thinking of opening up a location here in Dorchester,
MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE
“As a Palestinian Muslim woman in a world that’s tried to label me as ‘unworthy’—the most powerful thing I can do is show up, for myself, my truth, and the art that I create, completely unapologetic.” Recently shared via Instagram, these are the words of Neemz, a musician born and raised in Massachusetts. A multi-hyphenate creative who expresses her mind across multiple artistic thresholds, Neemz is an essential artist whose creations know no bounds.
Though often thrown around aimlessly, “multi-hyphenate” is perhaps the most appropriate characterization of Neemz and her art. Seldom few artists manage to make meaningful contributions across multiple creative arenas. However, with each of Neemz’s forthcoming releases, she manages to do exactly that. Whether operating as a recording artist, creative director, producer, model, or designer, Neemz always leaves her mark and ensures that audiences walk away with a piece of her psyche.
Neemz’s multidisciplinary talent is perhaps nowhere more evident than on her most recent single “Upside Down.” The last of four songs to be added to her discography in 2024, “Upside Down” is an emotional addition to her growing catalog of music. Neemz had her hands in every foreseeable
aspect of this release. Of course, she both performed and wrote this release, but her contribution doesn’t end there. Neemz also played a major role in the production of this track, and she even hand-created the release’s artwork. Completely infused with her creative vision, “Upside Down” provides a profound entry point into her artistic world.
Centered around the emotion one feels after pouring their soul out to someone who’s ultimately avoidant and uninterested, “Upside Down” captures the raw emotion that arises when someone doesn’t prioritize you the same way you prioritize them. Furnished with addictive soundscapes that fully enclose the listener, Neemz’s hypnotic vocals carry across this single with grace, ultimately resulting in a breathtaking release. And if the single itself wasn’t enough, Neemz also directed (and was the creative lead of) the official music video to accompany this single. A true, fully-developed drop from top to bottom, this single is definitely not one that Boston Compass readers will want to miss out on. As the smoke clears around “Upside Down,” give it a listen to Neemz’s discography. You certainly won’t regret it.
SHAMUS HILL
LIKE CARRIE BRADSHAW but rattier
My goal for 2024 was to go on 100 first dates. Needless to say—I saw things I had no idea were even possible. After a stint of ethical(ish) non-monogamy (we’ll get into that later once we know each other better) and a few obsessive rewatches of Sex in the City, I couldn’t help but wonder where all the love and sex columns had gone. With many trapped behind a paywall or leaning more heavily towards “advice”-esque journalism, I was itching for something that felt more personal.
I began talking about my experiences with everyone I knew, so much so that people started sending me Savage Lovecast episodes (which quickly became one of my favorite podcasts) alongside a short, “Thinking of you <3” message. Carrie Bradshaw’s and Dan Savage’s careers as sex anthropologists has been inspiring to me. It made me wonder what the ecosystem of our local dating scene is like. In a world where society and culture is ever-changing, isn’t the dating field doing the same?
Despite the fact that the most recently published “research” (by WalletHub in 2024) ranked Massachusetts as the 11th best state to be single, it feels like Bostonians on social media constantly harp on the difficulties of dating in the city. I have yet to decide where I stand on this debate. Boston is a city living in constant comparison to NYC, and yet, Carrie Bradshaw’s narration speaks to me—a young, queer, broke person living in one of Boston’s rattiest neighborhoods: Allston, Massachusetts.
Boston is no Manhattan, but the jaw-dropping revelations of interconnected friendships, scandals buried deep in the bio section of dating app profiles, and the never-ending web of relationships have driven my art and body of work as a playwright. As I take on this new form of writing for the Boston Compass, I will be excited to explore how these connections can translate to the newspaper page and how I can push boundaries by writing under an alias.
My journey through love has been a trial, tribulation, celebration, and then some, but everyone around me also has their stories. From building a personal L Word style chart of Boston with my friends to see how we all are connected, to accidentally positioning myself in between two very, very recent exes, I am excited to tell my own stories, as well as yours. With this article, I will take to the streets, dive bar booths, and internet rabbit holes to investigate what the deal with queer dating in Boston is. Along my journey, I hope to run into some of you and hear about your first dates, chat about the hottest gossip, and discuss your burning questions. I want to hear about the gray area of your friends-tohookups arc, your chaste crushes, your adventurous dedication to trying new things, and your messy make-outs at the Model Cafe. Let’s dive in!
If you are interested in submitting stories, questions, or notes for this column, please scan the QR code below and fill out the Google form! All are welcome.
NOTES FROM THE CREW a farewell
Hello humans of Boston. I am writing this farewell from my family’s yearly Thanksgiving Airbnb in the Catskill region of New York. The trees have become bare, a blanket of soft snow covers the yard, and a serene silence welcomes me into this season of allowing myself to slow down and reflect.
I have been an editorial designer for the Compass since Febru ary 2020. I was a stu dent at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and wanted to become involved in the Boston art/music scene. I reached out to Kevin Dacey, who was editor in chief at the time, and he offered me a posi tion to help
out with the newspaper’s monthly layout.
During my time at BCN, I met interesting, local creatives and was able to help local artists reach more people with their work. It has been a rewarding experience, and a way for me to find out and become involved in different artistic community events throughout the city.
As the year comes to a close and in this season of self-reflection, I have made the decision to pass the torch to new graphic designers. I hope that the BCN continues to inspire people to go out into the city and support artists in real life. Art needs an audience. Readers, please go and see bands you like play, check out local galleries, meet artists at flea markets, and stay involved in your community. BCN is a great way to find out about these events, so get out there and have a good time. Peace, love & rock n’ roll.
HANNAH B
GROWING COMMUNITY
Sowing Seeds of Hope at Eastie Farm
In 2015, East Boston residents noticed an empty lot on Summer Street and turned it into a community farm. In the nine years since, that lot has turned into Eastie Farm and has grown to include a geothermal greenhouse, food distribution, and climate justice education. As an organization founded by the East Boston community for the East Boston community, they have maintained a focus on improving people’s lives now while also sowing the seeds for a more environmentally just future.
“I started to look for something that is more tangible, something that’s more local, something that can give ongoing returns as opposed to being a long-term venture that drains a lot of energy and doesn’t give any results at all,” said Kannan Thiruvengadam, the farm’s executive director and one of its original founders.
The organization isn’t just creating community gardens, but community spaces. “We wanted to have a model where everybody can come and participate together in growing food, and if it’s need-based, you can harvest what’s there, Thiruvengadam said. “It became a space that did have music, had people coming together, hanging out, learning from each other, and appreciating tangible solutions.”
Beyond growing food at seven different sites, the organization also focuses on climate-healing practices. Eastie Farm built a geothermal greenhouse in 2018—creating a zero-carbon space to garden year-round. The space is also used in the organization’s
education programs for students. The education goal is not just to teach students about gardening and climate change, but to build a deeper connection to nature.
“We’re here to connect: connect people with each other, and connect people with nature,” Thiruvengadam said.
Though many organizations are always looking to expand, Eastie Farm is set on doing the best it can for East Boston. “By empowering other communities to act on their own, is the kind of growth we would want within the community,” Thiruvengadam said, referencing the organization’s goal of inspiring others to create these types of spaces in their communities. The hope is to empower the residents of East Boston to help create a world where “there’s no food insecurity, and everybody is climate electorate, and everybody feels that they can contribute in some way, and whatever way they contribute in not only serves the world and the community but also serves them economically.”
All struggles are intersectional, and we cannot solve climate change and environmental injustice without working to provide food justice and education for all, but Eastie Farm reminds us of the importance of being local. Changing the entire world is impossible, but we can change our corner of it.
To visit, volunteer, donate, or learn more about Eastie Farm, visit eastiefarm.com.
This November I bought a tiny, square camera off Ebay. I would call it a post-election-doom-retail-therapy purchase more than a fiscally responsible choice, but the camera prompted a new pattern of action. Though the resolution was so pixelated that it looked like an 8-bit video game, I’ve ended up framing photographs of my dearest people and places, new experiences, Allston basements, and 4 p.m. sunsets this month. Checking the scoreboard, that’s Doom: 1, Lens: 1.
The process of looking through an unexpected lens and finding meaning is how I felt about this month’s column. Slow quit, who I wrote about for November’s issue, referred me to the band warmachine—who then told me about Walk Me Home. Let’s play it forward.
Talking with warmachine is like going over to your friend’s house for dinner. The one with the “cool” parents. Their buoyant, contagious energy, fills up the space, bringing jokes forward (specifically a discussion about “boy moans” in highlighting local band gymrat). Warmachine’s music, an experimental medley of emotive vocals, keening guitars, and beats that make you want to have a teen-movie-dance-party moment alone in your poster-covered bedroom, strikes a similar chord.
We got beers at a bar in Brighton. Sitting down the line was Lex Pappas, who you’ll find on guitar and vocals, Xavier Niskey on bass and vocals, Ethan Michael on guitar, and Brendan Fullerton on drums.
Recalling his first time attending a show in Boston, Michael reminisced on how the performance spurred him into taking a step forward into the scene. “I remember thinking that all the bands that were playing were like the coolest people ever and how, like, oh my god, I wish I could be these people who are playing these shows,” said Michael.
Niskey, who moved to Boston from Minneapolis, added that Boston’s music scene contains a higher internal standard of musicianship. “I’ve jumped around a lot of places. It’s the level that everyone holds themselves to and mutual support is worlds better than a lot of other spots,” they said.
Adding on to the sense of community created through a shared love of the craft, Pappas added, “The scene offers community more than anything else. And it’s really the only thing I care about in terms of playing anywhere. As long as I feel like everyone is on the same side. And there’s no weird animosities or pretentiousness. I think the scene can function as a small world to live in that’s almost more comforting than living in the bigger world.”
“The Boston scene has turned me into a punk,” said Fullerton. “My style has become a lot more improvisational and a lot more pure energy and expression.”
Cue Walk Me Home, started by Gavi Kamen and Jaden Raso, which has a rotating cast of powerful instrumentalists. Similarly to warmachine, the band has a way of incorporating experimental sound patchwork and musicality into their rock sound. The band is splayed between Boston and Hamilton, Ontario, and you’ll often find Ben Lokuta on drums, Evan Haskin on guitar, and Noah Justice on bass, according to the band’s website. There is a pulsing undercurrent found in the marriage between poignant songwriting and that collage of sounds that feels a little bit like staring out into the expanse of the open ocean, or walking through a forest at dawn, stepping before an incomprehensibly large oak.
Founder Kamen’s entire musical life began in Boston. And he’s found a similar lifeblood of collaboration and play. According to Kamen, the city’s DIY scene is what makes it special. During the three tours under their belt across the United States and Canada, Kamen said the group has been on the receiving end of excitement and recognition of the scrappy Allston music scene.
Raso, who comes from an academic background in jazz, found that because Boston is often a transitory place for young folk who come to the city for college and eventually leave it, there’s a sense of freedom and newness as well as a lack of expectation.
“In Boston, you’re not fighting as hard for people to hear you or to be seen. Everyone is just passionate to be there and to be open for whatever happens,” Raso said. “It was really heartening to me just that it just exists. There are people in the world who want to be experiencing, and [they] have an openness to not getting exactly what they want every second. It allowed me to open up on a creative level, as well as on a performance level.”
Our conversation led to a powerful discussion of safety and queerness. To Kamen, queer spaces are a critical part of the DIY scene. To have places where queer people feel invited and safe is tantamount to community organizing.
Although the dots seemed obvious, Kamen helped me connect them further. For there to be creative experimentation, there has to be a willingness to go outside of your comfort zone. That’s a given. But finding that comfort zone, a place to feel safe to be yourself, isn’t always easy. To be able to step into a space where safety for queer folk is not only given but expected, is a luxury and a privilege. With the collective giving you strength, you can truly DIY. The conversation inspired me to be more grateful for the infrastructure of this scene.
Back to that doom I was talking about. Let’s look at the score again: Doom 1, Camera 2.
12/6 Gremlins Our kinda cult
Xmas classic. Gremlins take over the @ Coolidge Corner Theatre $15.50
12/6 to 12/8 The Black Sea Catch the premiere of The Black Sea with filmmakers Crystal Moselle and Derrick B.Harden @ Brattle Theatre $14.50
12/7 Raboday Fest Come in full to relax, dance, have fun with Djouly Best the one and only Queen of Raboday and Ti Ansyto the Master performing live! @ Pyramid Bar & Grill 9pm $40
community
12/5 Spark Media and Culture Center Open House Come check out the new Media and Culture Center at Spark FM!! Tour the studio rooms, and sign up to receive information about community events and special work shops and programs.
@ 1195 Blue Hill Ave Mattapan @ 6pm-9pm
American Indian Center of Boston for Native American crafts and food! All are welcome. All proceeds from food will be used for youth programming. @ North American Indian Center of Boston (NAICOB) 12pm-6pm All Ages FREE
12/5 Mirah plays before Queeraoke! feat. Evan Greer @ Midway Cafe 6pm 21+ $10 @thatevangreer
12/7 Ghostface Killah, GZA, Raekwon @ House Of Blues 7pm from $76.50
12/7 Black Cotton Club Emergency Jam Session We are and have been in rough times. Our health and joy are constantly under attack. Join us for a night of the people's lament, hope and solutions @ JustBook-ish @ 7pm All Ages
12/7 Transporter feat. Freya Downey, Fitz Hartwig, and Michael Rosenstein & T.J. Borden We’ve got a delicate and thoughtful night of instruments and electronics for you. Join us to close off Transporter’s first calendar year and celebrate with us! @ Boston Cyberarts Gallery 7:30 $5-25 entry donation
12/8 Thought Partner | Trip Sitter | Luddites | Flag Day @ O'Brien's Pub 21+ $10 8pm
12/11 Noise For Toys 11 A benefit for Christmas In The City, Boston. CIC runs non-Denominational holiday events around Boston for children and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm 18+ $17
12/13 SNOWGAZE FEST A two night shoegaze/dream pop celebration feat. Vivid Bloom, Slow Quit, Main Era, Still Life Sounds and more @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm 18+ $15 @justmainera
12/13 Brushes & Brews presents: Vinyl Night Paint an old vinyl record (BYO) while listening to records! There will be artistic instruction to guide you in painting a groovy design on your record. Music will be provided through a record player. @ Brockton Beer Company @ 6pm-8pm $30
12/13 Snowgaze Fest Join some local #shoegaze and #dreampop artists for a snowy two-night show this month with proceeds to benefit Warm Up Boston and ZUMIX! @ Deep Cuts Deli 7pm 18+ $15
12/13 The Femmes Holiday Spectacular Join THE FEMMES, Boston’s all women and nonbinary party band, for a night of your favorite holiday songs! Brand new songs that you’ve never heard at any other Femmes show, full horn section, three lead singers and they’ll be playing all of your favorite holiday hits. Get ready for a nonstop dance party and the night of your life! @ Crystal Ballroom 8pm-11pm $20 adv $25 day of
12/21 The Holiday Special feat. Gene Dante, Freeloader, and The Daylilies, with special guest Joey Wit! This show is an auxiliary gift drop-off location for Anngelle Wood’s 12th Annual Spectacular Gift Drive for the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families (DCF) Wonderfund! We are collecting unwrapped gifts for local foster families. Please consider bringing an unwrapped gift to donate. @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $10 cover
12/22 Bloodshot Bill | Jittery Jack w/ Amy Griffin | Hot Franks @ Midway Cafe 3pm All Ages $20 cover
12/27 AfroSocaLove: Boston One Love Music Show feat. Locally and globally renowned businesses, food vendors (African American , Caribbean , African and AfroLatin), live DJs and performances, Photo Booth (Come Dressed to Impress), giveaways and the good vibes of the community @ Big Night Live 10pm 21+ $20
Supreme Saturdays BIG ENERGY in the side room every Saturday! Your favorite afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop and more! Powered by:
H.I.M Entertainment x BVD Boston x Elite Affairs @ Icon Nightclub 10pm 21+ $35
Wally's Jazz Club Every Night! At Wally’s, they have live music 365 days a year! They feature three different bands a night, one at 5pm, one at 7pm, and one at 9pm. The first set is typically a jam session and the second and third sets have different music themes depending on the day of the week: Monday: Blues. Tuesday: Funk, Wednesday: Funk, Thursday: Latin Jazz Salsa, Friday: Jazz, Saturday: Jazz, Sunday: Funk. Come vibe at one of the oldest family owned and operated jazz clubs in existence!
12/7 + 12/8 Big Time Celebrate Tom Waits’ 75th birthday with a rare screening of his concert film Big Time @ Brattle Theatre $14.50
12/9 + 12/10 GRRL HAUS
Cinema presents: Best of 2024 The Best of 2024 festival brings together standout films from the past year, spotlighting bold new talent and unique storytelling. With screenings in Cambridge MA, Berlin DE, and online, GRRL HAUS CINEMA connects local and international audiences with radical, boundary-pushing filmmakers. @ Brattle Theater 7pm $12.50-14.50
12/10 Boston Open Screens is back with another round of open mic for filmmakers. Submit your film (under 10 mins!) before 7pm. Show is at 7:30pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre $15.50
12/11 Boston Music Awards Celebrate the best of Boston’s vibrant music scene with live performances, award presentations, and an unforgettable night of entertainment. @ Big Night Live $20 21+ 7pm
12/13 Men in Comedy Presents: Isle of Misfit Toys Men in Comedy (Boston's only all female and nonbinary monthly comedy show) is teaming up with Boing, Jamaica Plain’s beloved toy store, to raise money for women’s shelters across the city. @ Boing! 667 Centre Street Boston, MA 02130 @ 8pm-9:30pm All Ages $10
12/16 Holly Jolly Whorror! Are you a spooky ho-ho-ho? Get ready for HOLLY JOLLY WHORROR! You all loved it so much, we’re doing a round two! A festive night full of horror-inspired drag and burlesque! @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $10 cover
12/20 Hole Show Dancing, drag, and other shit! All are invited, queer is assumed, pronouns are not, and consent is mandatory! @ Crystal Ballroom 8pm 21+ $25
12/5 Pastelada Party Join Ágora this holiday season to experience the magic of preparing and enjoying this cherished Puerto Rican Christmas tradition; pasteles are a delicious blend of plantains, green bananas, and local root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and filled with spiced meat. In partnership with Discover Puerto Rico and El Pretexto Culinary Farm Lodge, you are invited to connect with this rich cultural tradition and make pasteles with Chef Luis Cabrero.
@ CROMA @ ASC 6pm-9:30pm $125
12/6 Codman Square Holiday Market and Craft Fair Friday, 12/6 at 4-8pm; Saturday, 12/7 at 9-5pm @ The Black Box Theatre at Codman Square Health Center 14 Epping St @ All Ages FREE
12/7 Brunchin’ With Santa Bring your little ones for a delightful day filled with joy and wonder! Children can share their holiday wishes and enjoy the delicious brunch buffet, and revel in the magic of the holiday season.
@ Epiphany School 12pm-3pm All Ages FREE @greaterashmont
12/7-8 & 12/14-15 Select's Winter Vintage Fest Boston Select’s bringing TWO VINTAGE HOLIDAY WEEKENDS. With 30+ Vintage and Y2K vendors, holiday gifts, tooth gems, temp tats, live DJs and much more. @ 401 Park Drive Boston All Ages 11am-5pm
12/7-12/8 Vernon Street Open Studios 80+ Somerville artists are opening their studio doors on Dec 7th & 8th. Show your support by saying hello and shopping for locally made crafts and art for the holidays! @ 6 & 20 Vernon Street Somerville 12-6pm All Ages
12/8 The Lit Lounge
Join JustBook-ish for a reading party! You can bring a book or buy a book. Snacks and tea on us!
@ JustBook-ish 6pm-8pm All Ages FREE
12/8 A Winter Nubian Land! Come celebrate the holiday season with the Roxbury Cultural District. Support homegrown artists and local merchants. @ Hibernian Hall 4pm-8pm All Ages FREE
12/8 The Vegan Market: Holiday Edition A community market featuring a variety of vegan vendors including around 30 product, food and treat makers. @ Arts at the Armory 11am-4pm All Ages FREE
12/8 Milk Row Studios A buildingwide holiday market spanning 3 floors! Featuring over 60 talented makers and artists, free snacks and drinks and fun holiday vibes. @ Milk Row Studios 12pm-6pm All Ages FREE @lex_tree
12/11 Boston Queer Polyamorous Women's Group Monthly Social Join the Boston Queer Polyamorous Women’s Group for their monthly social event. This gathering is a great opportunity to build community, share experiences, and foster meaningful connections in a supportive space. All identities are welcome. @ Life Alive in Davis Square 7pm
12/12 The Quinobequin Review presents: Neighborhood Readings and Happy Hour Your favorite local lit journal is taking over home.stead for a cozy evening of readings, guided discussion prompts, writing about home, good food good drinks & good company. @ Home.Stead Cafe 7pm-9pm $10
12/12 What's Tea! Join JustBookish for an enlightening Tea Talk and Tasting experience with Blackowned tea company Black Leaf, founded by Amber. Discover the fascinating history, unique traits, and diverse flavors of different teas, all while enjoying a curated tasting session. @ JustBook-ish 6pm-7:30pm FREE
Thru 12/6 An Evening with John Waters Catch the tail end of rare screenings celebrating John Waters as this year's Coolidge Award recipient! Don't miss the unappreciated ‘90s gem Pecker on 12/6 @ Coolidge Corner Theatre $15.50
Thru 12/27 Dracula Lives this December with iconic vampires in film throughout time, leading up to the release of the new Nosferatu on Xmas. Highlights include Gary Oldman’s version in Bram Stoker’s Dracula on 12/11 at 7pm, Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive on 12/18 at 9pm, and Jozef Van Wissem’s Nosferatu with the Dutch lite master and composer performing his live score to the original 1922 Nosferatu on 12/18 at 7pm @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
12/23 It’s the Die Hard double feature you know you need with I and II playing @ Brattle $18 double feature or $14.50 each
Opens 12/25 Nosferatu Make it a goth Xmas and see the much anticipated, Roger Eggers directed Nosferatu, starring Willem Dafoe @ Coolidge Corner Theatre @ Kendall Square Cinema @ Somerville Theatre
Thru 12/22 Noises Off is a hilarious and chaotic play-withina-play that’s the comedic break from the hectic holidays we all need @Lyric Stage Company Tix at LyricStage.com $31+
Thru 1/5 Slutcracker The bawdy burlesque tradition that is the Slutcracker is back at @Somerville Theatre Tix at somervilleTheatre. com 18+ $35
12/7 + 12/21 Small Mart Holiday Markets This cherished local market returns to Davis Square with a special holiday edition featuring 40+ local vintage vendors, artists, artisans, crafters, makers & more! @ Crystal Ballroom Somerville 11am-4pm All Ages FREE
12/7 + 12/8 JP Winter Market Come enjoy warming drinks, local artisan vendors and local food! St. Johns will be on the grounds selling their beautiful Christmas trees. (And if you pre-ordered your wreath, you can pick it up during the market!) 12pm-6pm
@ Loring Greenough House 12pm All Ages FREE
12/7 + 12/8 Cambridge Arts’ Holiday Art Market This market takes place in the heart of Kendall Square’s Canal District and ushers in the holiday season. Join for the holiday fun and an economic boost. 12pm-6pm @ CAA
@ Canal Gallery
12/7 Annual Native American Arts & Crafts Fair Join the National
12/12 Scribble Jam: Live Figure Drawing + Live Music Get a sneak peak to our exciting new weekly figure session: SCRIBBLE JAM! Starting 2025, we'll be inviting local musicians to play each week during our regular Thursday short-pose session. Nir Shtuhl will be using his loop pedal to play rhythmic guitar loops, building up layers of sound to get lost in. He'll be creating a head-bobbing, meditative atmosphere to guide your creativity while you draw. Expect a vibe with a mix of West African blues, moody indie, and relaxing video game soundtracks /electronic music. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 7pm-9:30pm All Ages $25
12/13 Lyric Lounge Youth Open Mic Come bless the mic with your choice of art expression and show us why you’re up next! Sign-ups available in-person or online at JustBook-ish's website. @ JustBook-ish 4pm-7pm All Ages FREE
12/14 Boston Compass presents: Confront Your Issues! Join the Compass team as we celebrate the past year of issues with food, refreshments, and music! @ Boston Figurative Art Center 7pm-10pm FREE
12/14 + 12/21 Black Heritage
Market This year, BLACK HERITAGE MARKET aims to fill our space with a joy unspeakable— while celebrating the brilliant legacy of our culture & creativity. Vendors, Vinyl, Vibes (and mocktails!). Join us for 2 special Marketplaces this holiday in Nubian Square. @ Black Market Nubian 1pm-6pm All Ages
12/14 The Caribbean Street Market presents: Holiday Sip & Shop Feat. 20+ local small businesses. Free soup, coffee, hot cocoa, and tea (while supplies last) @ 713 River Street Hyde Park @ 1pm-4pm FREE
12/15 Made & Mended Art Market Brought to you by the artists behind Make & Mend, join us in our basement for our first Made & Mended Art Market. You’ll find original art, stationery, stickers, hand spun + dyed yarns, clothing, upcycled goods, vintage, secondhand and so much more! @ Make & Mend 11am-5pm
12/21 Brighton Bazaar Holiday Edition For one day only, experience Boston’s largest indoor holiday market! A last-minute shopper’s paradise, with over 130 thoroughly unconventional vendors spread out across 50,000 sq. ft.! @ Roadrunner 11am-7pm All Ages $10-20
Somerville Winter Farmers Market Every Saturday! Arts at the Armory is proud to offer a weekly winter market with 71+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods, including fresh produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, tamales, pastries, chocolate, skincare products, and more. Our market accepts SNAP/EBT and HIP benefits, and we offer a $15 SNAP match to customers each week.
Every Sat. from 9:30am-1:30pm starting 11/2. @ Arts at the Armory 9:30am-1:30pm All Ages FREE
Punk Rock Aerobics for Kidz Every Wednesday! Games, songs and activities to boost self esteem, build community and have fun. Ages 6-10. 5-6pm at Play Union in Somerville. 6-7pm at Curtis Hall in JP @ FREE @punk_rock_aerobics
Make and Mend Secondhand art & craft supplies based in Somerville. Shop online or in person at their shop in Union Square! www.makeandmendshop.com
BFAC Membership The BFAC is an “art gym” and shared studio space located in Union Square, Somerville. Our sunny, expansive studio is open daily, 11am-11pm, for people to use freely, whether for their personal artwork, coworking, or just to hang out. Along with our regular figure drawing sessions and painting/drawing workshops, we’ve also hosted literary readings, film nights, yoga and sound meditation, music events, and more. Full access to the space and other offerings are available for just $75-$150 per month (student pricing offered as well), so ditch your private studio or your bedroom for a community art making space. Address: 285 Washington St, Somerville MA Website: BostonFAC.com Instagram: @bostonfigurecenter Email: draw@bostonfac.com.
advocacy
12/5 to 12/7 Cultural Survivor
Bazaar is a cultural festival, organized by Indigenous Peoples’ rights organization Cultural Survival, that provides Indigenous artists and artisans, cooperatives, and their representatives from around the world the chance to sell their work directly to the public. Each event features traditional and contemporary crafts, artwork, clothing, jewelry, home goods, and accessories from dozens of countries. In addition, the Bazaars offer cultural performances and presentations, including live music, storytelling, craft-making demonstrations, and the unique chance to talk directly with makers and community advocates. 12/5-12/7: 11am-9pm; 12/8: 11am-7pm @ Prudential Center All Ages FREE @culturalsurvival
12/14 BDS 102: Everyday Actions to Support Palestinian Liberation Somerville for Palestine invites you to an interactive education event exploring how we can all be taking action everyday to support the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions Movement. We’ll have an intro presentation on BDS and Palestine history and then rotating stations including divesting your personal investments from Israeli bonds, taking direct action to support BDS, and past and recent movement victories. Please wear a mask (we'll have extra). RSVP for location at tinyurl.com/BDS-102 3pm-5pm All Ages FREE
Lavender Education Events offer a range of programs designed to celebrate and uplift LGBTQIA2S+ history and creativity. Their offerings include immersive walking tours that explore the rich legacy of local queer spaces, as well as art workshops that invite participants to express themselves through collages inspired by themes like astrology, dreamscapes, and queer poetry. Visit lavendereducation.com/ events for more information!
Support Operation Olive Branch Mutual Aid Operation Olive Branch is a grassroots effort to amplify and support oppressed and occupied peoples on the quest to Collective Liberation in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and beyond. Find them at @operationolivebranch on Instagram
Heal the Hood Holiday Drive Give back and help Yamba Market Heal the Hood this season! They are teaming up with @myterpbaeofficial to collect donations for Heal the Hood's Holiday Drive to help low-income families in neighborhoods historically affected by the war on drugs. We are collecting new toys, dry + canned goods, and financial donations to support their cause at their location at 580 Mass Ave. More info at healthehood.org
opportunity
Gallery 263 Call for Exhibition Proposals Artists and curators are invited to pitch an exhibition for winter 2025 and bring your vision to life. Organize and present a well-curated exhibition of contemporary art from start to finish, with guidance and support from Gallery 263 staff. Open to New England artists of all media and career levels. Deadline to apply is December 8, 2024 at https://gallery263.org/call/ exhibition-proposal-series/.
Gallery 263 Call for Volunteers Gallery 263 is seeking enthusiastic, creative, and flexible volunteers!
Whether you would like to gallery sit once a week, help with organizational projects, or contribute a professional skill, they welcome volunteer
applications year-round. Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grants This program will award $25,000 in support of mature painters, sculptors, and printmakers who have been creating art for at least 20 years and who are in financial need. Learn more at gottliebfoundation.org.
Collaborative Performance Art Project: Open Call for Participation This performance is part of a program “Undoing the Archive” on January 31, 2025 in conjunction with the exhibition, an archive and/or a repertoire, January 29-April 20, 2025, at
the Tufts University Art Galleries (TUAG) and Mobius Artists Group. Visit @mobiusinc on Instagram for details on how to apply.
Pao Arts Center Year of the Snake Mural Boston Chinatown’s first community-based arts center is seeking local artists to share unique interpretations of Lunar New Year traditions, customs, and stories in conjunction with a Year of the Snake mural. More information on eligibility and submission at www.paoartscenter. org/call-for-artists-lunar-new-year. Exhibit will be on view: February 7-28, 2025. Deadline to apply is January 10, 2025.
CONFRONT YOUR ISSUES!
The Boston Compass will be hosting our annual “Confront Your Issues!” pop-up art party on December 14 (7pm-10pm) at the Boston Figurative Art Center in Somerville. Join us as we celebrate the incredible artists, writers, and designers who brought this year’s issues to life! We will also seize the opportunity to brainstorm some fresh ideas for future editions of the paper. If you're in town, stop by to raise a toast to another successful year of supporting local artists! Enjoy snacks, refreshments, and good tunes—we can’t wait to see you there.
We also wanted to give you a heads up that the Compass is hoping to take a print production break for January, with a plan to release a shorter, digital zine of happenings and messages from our sponsors. As the print cycle generally picks up at the end
of the month, we want to give our team of writers, artists, and designers a well-deserved break before the new year. Instead of producing a full January issue, we'll focus our energy on exploring new collaborations, checking in with team members, planning the party, and taking time to rest ahead of 2025.
We really appreciate all your support, and we hope that you are enjoying the December issue of
After enjoying their debut strips, turn to page eight to learn more about theirselves and the Co-op!
The Boomerang Gang by Joe Bortner
joeb draws
Recovery Times by E.B. Hutchins
Snork Opaque by Adam Green
Bird Crimes by PomPoison
MEET THE ARTIST
Catalina Rufin
I was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1993 and moved to Boston soon after. I began making comics in elementary school, and had a few strips printed in school newspapers. Since then I have been making and self-publishing comics, selling them at conventions such as the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo and Watertown Zine Fest. I believe comics have power in creating empathy and compassion, communicating deeply personal testimonies. I hope to continue improving my skills at comics so that I can make work that is beautiful and emotionally profound. My current on-going series is called Grasping At Straws, and I'm sharing my progress over on @fairywarriorcat on instagram.
CATALINA RUFIN
MAKING REVOLUTION IRRESISTIBLE
The task of the artist is determined always by the status and process and agenda of the community that it already serves. … As a cultural worker who belongs to an oppressed people my job is to make revolution irresistible. … I think for any artist your job is determined by the community you’re identifying with.
—Toni Cade Bambara
From 1979 until her death, revolutionary Black Nationalist and Cultural Worker Toni Cade Bambara worked to uncover the truth about Atlanta’s over 40 missing and murdered Black children. Refusing to accept the narrative of police, media, and politicians quick to blame the children’s parents, Bambara supported community-organized patrols, corrected lies and obfuscations, and disseminated information about the children to the community.
Bambara’s struggle for Atlanta’s missing and murdered children was an artistic struggle. In a city insistent on dehumanizing the children and their families, Bambara spent the final 12 years of her life bringing their humanity into undeniable focus through a 676-page posthumously-published novel Those Bones Are Not My Child, Bambara’s “magnum opus” according to her lifelong friend Toni Morisson.
This past February, Bambara’s granddaughter Zoe wrote, “If my grandmother, was here today, do you think she would approve of the moral apathy we’re seeing from organizations in the face of genocide? [….] In a moment that requires so much more, we are honing in on self-care and rest; while completely disregarding the importance of community care and organizing for all oppressed peoples.”
There are many contributions artists and cultural workers can make to the struggle for Palestinian liberation—many ways you can disrupt moral apathy, provide community care, and help make revolution irresistible and inevitable.
Last September, BDS Boston and local partners held a craft fair to raise funds for two Palestinian mutual aid groups: The Sameer Project and Ele Elna Elak. The fair featured a variety of pro-Palestinian art, including jewelry, linocut prints, crochet items, ceramics, collages, patches, stickers, candles, and more. The fair raised over $10,300 and lifted our spirits in a time when we needed it.
Black children would not be disposable. We insist that neither Palestinian people nor our disabled and immunocompromised community members will be disposable. Community members held different roles to make the craft fair happen—vendors sold art, service providers offered coupons for services, a people’s safety team ensured a comfortable space, welcomers answered questions, and graphic designers made flyers and social media graphics. Planning of the craft fair was decentralized, and different people joyously took on different tasks based on their skillset and capacity to build collective ownership.
BDS Boston plans to hold another craft fair to raise funds for Palestine in early December, in collaboration with local partners, and we hope to hold regular artistic and mutual aid events in the future. We invite Compass readers to share your skills and join our upcoming craft fairs! We also encourage readers to organize fundraising efforts in connection with local mutual aid groups like Warm Up Boston and Cactus Mutual Aid. As cultural workers, we must ground ourselves in our communities so that we can create work that pushes us beyond the status quo and allows us to sustain resistance. We must move beyond raising awareness and see ourselves embedded within the struggle to free the people and land of Palestine, and to free all peoples and lands resisting imperialist violence.
We end this piece as we began it, with words from our martyrs and movement elders:
“Every Palestinian (in the broad sense, meaning anyone who sees Palestine as a part of their struggle, regardless of their secondary identities), every Palestinian is on the front lines of the battle for Palestine, so be careful not to fail in your duty.”
MEET YOUR MAKERS
Founded in 2023, the Cartoonist Cooperative is an international socially-conscious, member-driven labor collective of 1000+ cartoonists who build solidarity working towards a better industry for everyone while creating a community to support each other’s work, share advice, and overall make being a cartoonist less isolating. Anyone making comics in any capacity around the world is invited to apply for membership. That includes artists, colorists, letterers, etc. You do not have to be paid as
Adam Green is a Rhode Island transplant to Worcester County. He has a BFA from Massart and grew up reading Bechdel and Crumb despite his mother trying to hide her underground comix collection under her mattress. Maybe that's why he's like this now.
The Snork Opaque is inspired by classic queer comix like Bitchy Butch and Hothead Paisan. Historically, gays have a lot to say in the funny pages, and it's often a little crass. Now of all times is not the time to self-edit the queer perspective for easier consumption. And yes, he's a TPOC so you're allowed to read this.
ADAM GREEN
MAXFOSTER is an animator and sequential artist who lives close enough to Boston, MA. Their artwork explores mindful themes through comical reflection and projection. When they’re not working, they can be found obsessing over special interests and projects until it makes them nauseous. You can view their portfolio at MAXFOSTERSTUDIO.COM
MAXFOSTERSTUDIO
We were mindful to make the craft fair accessible, providing masks and covid tests, and holding the fair at a wheelchair-accessible venue. Bambara insisted that Atlanta’s
—Bassel al-Araj
BDS BOSTON
Hi, my name is E.B. Hutchins (she/they) and I’m an award-nominated (Ignatz Award 2024, Prism Award 2018) comic book artist living in Massachusetts. My work centers on queer women and people in a number of fantasy/action settings. My work has been featured in a number of anthologies, most recently in the BIPOC anthology, We Belong.
E.B. HUTCHINS
a comics professional to join, we are open to every level between professional and casual creator to make sure we all benefit from a better industry. Learn more and join at cartoonist.coop/join/. You can also visit the website (cartoonist.coop) or follow on Instagram (@cartoonistcoop) for more information about the group.
Meet some of Co-op members in our neighborhood and visit their comic strips for the next six issues!
My name is PomPoison and I am an Italian American cartoonist using my training in fine art to make comics for adults. In NYC, where I was born and raised, I was influenced by punk and goth culture, and queer cartoonists like Hamlet_Machine, whose romantic erotic comics about radical self acceptance, kink, and found queer family I absorbed into my being.
I attended SACl in Florence, Italy, and have published several comics and illustrated book collaborations since I started cartooning in 2021: Little Death, The Feeling Without a Name, The Cradle of Eternal Night, and Omegatown Zine.
This is a dangerous time for visible trans truth-tellers. I developed my inspirational drive at a point in history where online censorship has outlawed the independent sale & commercialization of our erotic queer art. I will continue to create my work, and push back hard, alongside my friends and peers. I love comics and trans people more than I fear fascism!
I make linocut prints and sell hard copies of my comics in my online store. I also vend in art markets throughout Greater Boston. Buy my art on itch.io, square, or in person at the next event! See my Linktree for more information: https://linktr.ee/pompoison.
Joe Bortner is a cartoonist from Somerville. In his comics work, he's compelled by funny and heartfelt stories following young people in strange situations. Joe's current comics projects include The Rockford High Mystery Society, a coming-of-age comedy about teen detectives, and The Boomerang Gang, an autobiographical series of sliceof-life comic strips. Joe's work can also be found at joebortner.com, and his social media handle is @joeb_draws. He also moonlights as a boy detective, but he hasn't taken on a good case in years.
