March Update
Lots of literary events, an Essex County anthem, a new Jersey-centric podcast, 9 local artist opportunities, and LOTS MORE!
In February, I participated in Dense Magazine’s Jersey Art Book Fair at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City. It was great seeing familiar faces from previous JAB fairs as well as making new connections and meeting Instagram friends IRL. Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table!
The day after JAB, I was grateful to be a part of an in-conversation program with my friend Stacey Mei Yan Fong, author of the cookbook 50 Pies, 50 States, at the Montvale Public Library. We chatted about the logistics of making a cookbook, how to bake pies on a schooner, and fielded some amazing audience questions about kitchen logistics, baking troubleshooting, and what it was like for Stacey to appear on Good Morning America and Watch What Happens Live. This program was part of the library’s long-running monthly cookbook club, where they choose a cookbook to discuss and cook from and share the food at the meeting—so we got the ultimate treat of getting to see and sample the eleven pies from Stacey’s book that the participants prepared! It was truly the most wholesome (and delicious) thing.
On our way to Montvale, we also stopped at Barnes & Noble stores in Clifton and Paramus and signed every copy of our books they had on their shelves, so if you’re in the area, go grab them!
Keep reading for a list of upcoming events, some good links, an inspiring interview, a bunch of local artist opportunities, and a new feature: a monthly day trip idea!
-Kerri
Of course, the number one New Jersey thing I have to call out this month is the song Lord Let Me Die in Essex County by Chris Gethard and John Cozz. It’s so good. It’s been stuck in my head since I saw them debut it live at the final NJITW show last fall. Grab a flexi disc from the Cozz Coffee’s webstore.
I always enjoy local artist Elly Otharsson’s cheerful pink renditions of Montclair-area businesses, and I was especially excited when her drawing of Iris, where we just finished a three-week sticker machine pop-up, came across my feed. You can even glimpse our machine in the doorway of her drawing!
Sam Grinberg, who calls LA home now but is from our state, will be at East Side Mags in Montclair on March 19th! You might remember Sam as the artist behind the Jersey Devil sticker from our very first series of machine stickers. I’m also a big fan of his comic Scumburbia. Go meet him and buy his stuff! And support East Side Mags while you’re there—they hosted us back in 2022 for a New Jersey Fan Club launch event!
Just announced: Jeremy Schneider, a culture reporter for NJ.com, is hosting a new podcast launching April 2 called Jersey’s Best Podcast, which promises a “weekly dive into everything that makes New Jersey spectacular, bizarre, beautiful, maddening and, ultimately, the best.”
This is really cool: the Piscataway Public Library is doing a program on March 23rd with New Jersey Fan Club contributor Pooja Makhijani based on her essay from the book, “On Immigration and Sandwiches,” where attendees will read the essay, discuss it, and eat sandwiches from Tastee Sub Shop. I am not participating in the event in an official capacity, but I am planning to attend!
Upcoming Events
Burlington County Book Festival
Saturday, April 5 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Burlington County Library: 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton, NJ
My presentation is scheduled for 1:30 PM, and I will also have a table where I will sell/sign books!
WFMU and DJ Trouble Present After Work Thursdays: Steal This Book
Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 PM
WFMU Radio’s Monty Hall: 43 Montgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ
Educators, librarians, book lovers: come hang with like-minded people who love WFMU and libraries. All kinds of fun and games planned, with DJ Trouble as your host. I’ll be there slinging books, our anti book banning sticker, and playing Go Fish!
Geek Flea
Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
663 Kearny Ave, Kearny, NJ
Come shop a bunch of great local artists and vintage vendors!
NJ Day Trip Program
Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 PM
Middletown Township Public Library: 55 New Monmouth Rd, Middletown, NJ
NJ Day Trip Program
Thursday, May 22 at 7:00 PM
Virtual program for the Millburn Free Public Library. Join from anywhere!
New Jersey Independent Bookstore Crawl
Saturday & Sunday, June 7 & 8
I’m organizing this statewide indie bookstore crawl! I’ll share a formal post and dedicated newsletter announcement about this event soon, but save the date and watch this space for further details.
Can’t make it to an event? Shop our online souvenir shop! New Jersey Fan Club is also available wherever books are sold—if your favorite local shop doesn’t have it, ask them to order it!
In February, I went with a friend to check out the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison. I’ve been wanting to visit for a while and was glad I finally did!
The building alone is worth the price of admission—the museum is housed in the former Madison library, built in 1899, and it’s gorgeous. Remnants of the library remain in carvings, stained glass, and murals, and of course in the museum’s educational mission: “to inspire a connection to New Jersey history, culture, trades, and crafts,.”
I was impressed with the design of the permanent displays, and I enjoyed browsing the current exhibition of book art. METC is small, but they have a lot to offer for different age groups and their displays were a nice balance of interactive and informative.
Other things to do nearby
When I got to Madison I realized I don’t think I’ve really spent much time there at all. As a kid, I went to basketball camp at FDU for many summers, but as an adult I struggled to name a time I’d done anything in town. But I saw a lot of cute shops and restaurants on my drive in, so I hope to go back again soon!
The museum is surrounded by several bookstores that I didn’t get a chance to check out but will definitely pop into next time I visit the museum: Dewey’s Comic City (comics and collectibles), The Chatham Bookseller (out of print, used, and rare), and The Nature of Reading Bookshop (environmental books, nature writing, climate change books, and seasonal reading).
Welcome to the NJ Q+A, where we hear from an interesting New Jerseyan! Interview has been lightly edited for space.
This month, I talked to Ana Dobrian, founder and team captain of the Pink Pony Hockey Club, an inclusive adult women’s hockey club.
What is the Pink Pony Hockey Club and how did it get started?
PPHC is an inclusive adult women’s hockey club based in New Jersey. It started as a bit of a joke but quickly turned into something real. A year or two ago, we learned to play alongside some amazing women in Morris County. Recently, we ran into them again at a women’s scrimmage, where they mentioned they were looking to join an all-women’s team. Since there are so few in New Jersey with open roster spots, I started gauging interest—and the idea kept growing.
My friend and Reapers Hockey Club teammate, Jay Liquori, of Big Small Motion, is a true creative and started sketching a logo just for fun. Before we knew it, we had something that felt undeniably Jersey and Chappell Roan-inspired—it had to become a reality. In 2025, PPHC officially came to life with a full roster of women eager to show up, support each other’s growth, and just keep skating at the Pink Pony (Hockey) Club.
What gap is PPHC aiming to fill within the New Jersey hockey community?
Hockey has a high barrier to entry at any age, but especially for those from marginalized communities. Many existing teams have limited open roster spots or require levels of experience that make it difficult for new players. PPHC aims to be an inclusive space where players who identify as women, nonbinary, or gender-diverse can feel welcome to play, learn, and grow in the sport without judgment. We want to focus on accessibility, camaraderie, and having fun while supporting each other both on and off the ice. It’s all about community.
You recently had the opportunity to play on the ice at the Prudential Center during a Sirens game! What was that experience like?
Unreal. I grew up a die-hard hockey fan, but playing hockey was out of the question as a kid. We didn’t have something like the PWHL to aspire to, and it’s been really special to watch the women’s game grow along with the interest from sports fans in general. Experiencing a slice of something so beautiful with people I love was something I’ll never forget. It was extra special having teammates, friends, family, and even some of our hockey role models in the stands to cheer us on for a few minutes. It reminded me why we ran with the idea of the PPHC—to create more opportunities for players to experience the joy of the game at any stage of life.
A lot of people (myself included!) look at certain activities or skills and think, "I can't possibly learn to do that at this point in my life." What has PPHC taught you about learning a new skill as an adult?
First, YOU CAN and you should! It’s never too late to try something new. There are folks all over the tri-state area from 18-88 that have just laced up their skates for the first time, and there’s a whole community ready to welcome and support them.
Learning a new sport as an adult has been both humbling and rewarding. It’s a reminder that growth never stops. It has reinforced the value of accountability, resilience, and community—lessons that carry over into every aspect of life beyond hockey.
What advice would you give someone who wants to join or gather people together around a shared passion?
Start with one person. Then another. Community doesn’t happen overnight, but when you find people who share your passion and values, it grows naturally. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there—people are often looking for the same connection you are.
Second Life Bikes and Over The Moon Art Studios are seeking bicycle-themed work for a group show called Rolling Perspectives. They are seeking artists in any medium: “painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more.” Deadline: 3/15. $25 application fee.
The Feminist Bird Club of Jersey City and SMUSH Gallery invites artists, scientists, poets, conservationists, and dancers to submit work for Metroscapes, “an evening of presentation and performance based on Jersey City’s wild spaces.” Deadline: 3/17.
Middlesex County is holding a winter photography contest. Deadline: 3/23.
Drawing Rooms is looking for entries for a spring exhibit entitled “Right Now It’s All Yellow,” inspired by all things sunny. Deadline: 3/23.
The Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge is accepting submissions for a juried art show entitled “Destinations: Visual Artists Explore the Act of Travel and the Places We Roam.” Submit up to three images of any medium based on the theme of travel. Deadline: 3/28.
The FAF Coalition in Woodbury is looking to pay artists to create art live during their summer concert events. Deadline: 3/30.
SMUSH Gallery has an open call for work for “Zero to 101: an Affordable Art Show,” which will feature works of art available for $101 or less. All works are considered, but “small works, prints, and studio experiments are great for this show.” Deadline: 3/31. $0-15 sliding scale application fee.
RevolutionNJ, New Jersey's official initiative to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, is seeking designs for its History Pinned project: an annual button-collection program featuring five history sites from around New Jersey. Deadline: 4/7.
The Wildflower Sculpture Park at South Mountain Conservancy, in partnership with the Essex County Parks Department, is seeking artist proposals for a 2025 outdoor exhibition of “large-scale, nature-inspired sculptures” on the theme “Walk With Me,” which will “explore themes of renewal and environmental harmony.” Deadline: 4/11.