Whether you're shopping for a student, an alum, your pet or even yourself, our UVM gift guide offers selections starting at $1 to help you cross a few names off your holiday list. Read on for gifts ideas in the Catamount spirit, available on campus and off.
New Duds
Nothing says love to your cat like a pair of catnip-filled eyeballs. Made from recycled sweatshirt fabric, the eyeballs are a big seller for New Duds, the apparel/screenprinting/craft business of young alumni couple Tessa and Torrey Valyou. You can find the eyeballs and other New Duds creations online or shop in person at their studio/store, 182 Hegeman Ave in Colchester (behind Fort Ethan Allen).
Growing Vermont
Located in the Davis Center, Growing Vermont is the go-to location for that last-minute present you forgot to buy for the office gift exchange. Aside from convenience, Growing Vermont's virtues include locally produced products sold in an enterprise that creates experiential learning for students in Community Development and Applied Economics. You see, procrastinating on buying that gift was a good thing.
Lake Studies: Meditations on Lake Champlain
Poet Daniel Lusk's new book features a cycle of 37 poems based on what lies beneath the surface of Lake Champlain. Both natural and human history inspire the work. The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is publisher of this collection by Lusk, who teaches poetry and creative writing at UVM. The volume can be purchased through the Maritime Museum's online store. Read more about the research and creative process behind the poet's work.
VKing Lawn Game
Martin and Sarah Laidlaw Wilde, both 2001 UVM grads, know something about fun and games. Martin played hockey for the Catamounts during his student days and Sarah was an alpine skier. Together they've created VKing, a lawn game based on a centuries-old Swedish contest Martin adapted from his native land. The wooden game pieces are handcrafted in Vermont. Playvking.com
Hockey Hysteria
For those hockey fans on your shopping list, consider a special edition 1970s-era UVM hockey jersey that the Catamounts will wear in their game against Umass-Amherst at the "Frozen Four at Fenway 2012" game on Jan. 7 -- or a "Legends of the Gut" painting by renowned artist Terrance Fogarty.
For the throwback jersey, the hockey program worked closely with Reebok to capture the look of the Catamounts from the 1970s when the team joined the Division I ranks. Fans can pre-order replicas of this one-time, special edition jersey online through the UVM Bookstore, or by calling (800) 331-7305. Once the jerseys arrive, fans can also purchase them in person at the campus UVM Bookstore, the Catamount Store on Church Street in downtown Burlington, and the Gutterson Fieldhouse apparel store. The game-worn jerseys from Frozen Fenway 2012 will be auctioned off via UVMathletics.com after the event.
Artist Terrance Fogerty was commissioned to create the limited edition "Legends of the Gut" print featuring prominent places, people and moments in UVM's proud history. The original oil painting is 30" x 60" and is currently available while limited edition prints, artist proofs and canvas giclees are also available for Catamount fans and collectors to purchase.
From the Farm
Give a student the savory gift of fresh, local food with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share providing weekly deliveries of Vermont's best products. Student CSA options include seasonal vegetables, pasture-raised eggs and meats, artisan cheeses and breads, organic yogurt, “Sugarsnap” soups and more, in combination or by category. Shares run Jan. 23-April 30 and can be picked up at the Davis Student Center every Wednesday (except school holidays), 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Make a CSA selection for your student online by Jan. 9.
Out of the Box Office
Give the gift of laughter with tickets to UVM Theatre Department’s The Beaux’ Stratagem, an 18th century comedy later adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig, described as “a raucous romp through the minefields of love, money and marriage.” The play is running Feb. 16 to 18 and Feb. 23 to 25 with matinees on Feb. 18 and 26 (this performance with ASL and VCB accommodations). Order tickets on the UVM Theatre website.
Just the Ticket
Memorable moments often trump stuff, especially for lovers of the performing arts. The Lane Series has fourteen wide-ranging events, from the sultry jazz with an “Afrobeat punch” of Meklit Hadero (called an “artistic giant in the early stages” by the San Franscisco Chronicle) to the master storytelling of Mike Daisey who takes on the “Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” a man he calls “the Willie Wonka of our Time.” Solo classical cellist Matt Haimovitz, who has played with many esteemed orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, will perform “Bach and Beyond” and world-class traditional Irish band Lúnasa will perform for St. Patrick’s Day. View the schedule and purchase tickets on the Lane Series website.
Sound Decision
New and notable CDs from the music faculty include bassoonist Rachel Elliot, whose Polka the Elk was named album of the week on September 20 by WQXR, New York’s classical radio station. One review noted a “haunting duet for bassoon and piano… [with] jazzy riffs… best suited for a dark and stormy night.” The album is available on Amazon.com.
For late shoppers, look for Still Light at Night, associate professor Patricia Julien’s new CD, due out Dec. 20. This is her second recording as leader of the ensemble, the Patricia Julien Project. The CD includes eleven original compositions and highlights the group's eclectic range from traditional, swinging jazz quartet performances to funky grooves and free jazz. Order from CDBaby.com.
The Golden Ass
For the younger crowd on your list, check out Professor Mark Usher's third book that interprets classical figures and stories for kids. His illustrated books Wise Guy: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates (2005) and Diogenes (2009) brought readers to Athens; his latest, The Golden Ass, tells the story of a young man, transformed into a donkey, and his adventures across the Roman Empire as he passes from one master to the next. Says one reviewer: "A faithful (if relatively clean) version of the world's oldest surviving complete novel, written 'for librarians, teachers, scholars, and extremely intelligent children.' An entertaining romp, even without the raunchy bits." The book is available on Amazon.com.
Do Your Bidding
A Carrion Death may not say “happy holidays” quite the way you’d like, but this debut novel, a mystery thriller, was well reviewed by both the Boston Globe and the LA Times. And, as of press time, it had no bids in the book auction cart at the base of the stairs in the Bailey/Howe Library. Or perhaps Kristen Ekman’s novel, Under the Snow might be right? Other titles up for bids include a large-format art book on William Shakespeare (no bids at the opening level of $5); the collected poems of Joseph Brodsky (bidding quite briskly now at $4); Howard Frank Mosher’s A Stranger in the Kingdom ($4); and a fine hardback guide to the distinctive lingo of Maine called Boiled Owls, Billdads & Wazzats (one bid at $1). Plus many others. This little-known service lets you bid on books that the library is discharging from its collections. Many are in like-new condition, but hurry, the auction closes for the semester on Friday, Dec. 9, at 3:30pm.