Editor’s Note: Food for the Soul
From the desk of NH Magazine's editor, Mike Cote
For the first time since my college days, I live in walking distance from a library. I’d forgotten how much I missed the experience of sifting through books that belong to a collective, books whose pages have been turned by other human hands.
On my first trip, I chose “Katie and the Puppy Next Door” by John Himmelman and “An Amazing Snowman” by Barbara Jane Hicks, picture books to break out when our grandkids visit. For me, I snagged a well-worn paperback of “Farewell, My Lovely,” the classic crime novel by Raymond Chandler.
The moment I left the library I already felt like a kid with an overdue book.
The Hudson Little Free Library, named for our street in Manchester, has a “Take a book if you want! Leave a book if you want!” policy. While I was not technically in arrears, I only brought two books to exchange, though they were prime hardcovers. I hope someone enjoys Walter Mosley’s “Little Green” (an episode of his Easy Rawlins detective series), and James McBride’s life-affirming “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” as much as I did.
These tiny wooden boxes, which have popped up in more than 200,000 neighborhoods worldwide, are big enough for a couple of dozen books and, at ours, a plastic container of dog treats. The more elaborate Little Free Library at Pickity Place in Mason, carved into an old ash tree, houses an original copy of “Little Red Riding Hood.”
These volunteer-run libraries stand out like beacons of hope at a time when federal and
state governments are slashing support for the arts and libraries. In her latest “Connections” column (page 92) longtime contributor Lynne Snierson addresses the fallout from the 80 percent budget cut by the Trump administration to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the impact on the 56 humanities councils nationwide that rely on it for funding.
The nonprofit New Hampshire Humanities, which learned about the cut halfway through its fiscal year, faces the difficult decision of cutting its staff of 10 by half in 2026 and trimming back its programming.
One of my home office tools is a New Hampshire Humanities cellphone stand, included in a gift basket of Granite State goodies I won at an arts fundraiser. I often use it as a “what’s playing now” CD stand atop my vintage 1970 Pioneer amplifier.
This morning, the featured disc was “The Last Pink Glow,” a 2025 release by Rocking Horse Music Club recorded in Pittsfield, NH. The concept album, which defies characterization for its blend of progressive rock, pop and blues, is an interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s novel “The Haunted Life.”
You might find a Jack Kerouac book at your local Little Free Library. But I’m not giving up my copy of “The Last Pink Glow.” That one’s a keeper.
The taste of adventure
Our annual new restaurant guide (page 46) has a wide selection of hotspots throughout the Granite State. Visit them all and support independent cuisine prepared by people who are passionate about creating exciting culinary experiences. Like a great book, a great meal can expand your senses — and your worldview — in ways you might never expect.
