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DION OGUST
CONTENTS
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NEWS AND POLITICS
COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK
26 THE NEVER ENDING STORY
35 ULSTER INDIE
Lorna Tychostup interviews journalist, author, and radio producer David Barsamian on the latest developments in Lebanon and explores the roots of the conflict.
Jay Blotcher profiles spends time on the set of Nicole Quinn's Racing Daylight, an independent production starring Melissa Leo and David Straitharn in Accord.
32 BEINHART'S BODY POLITIC
39 ART OF BUSINESS
Political observer and author Larry Beinhart (Wag the Dog) jumps into the healthcare debate with an endorsement for the Democratic Senate primary.
Jonathan D. King takes a trip back in time to the '80s with the English Beat at Frank Pallett's entertainment complex, the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie.
ARTS & CULTURE
WHOLE LIVING GUIDE
46 PORTFOLIO Painter James Dustin's imagned landscapes and pavilion models.
94 BODY BY NATURE Lorrie Klosterman reports on personal care products, explaining
48 LUCID DREAMING Beth E. Wilson posts a column from France, where she is
the difference between true all-natural products and slick synthetic substitutes.
examining 19th-century plein air painting, yet still thinking about the Hudson Valley. 51 GALLERY DIRECTORY What's hanging around the region. 54 MUSIC Sharon Nichols walks down the basement steps at grandma's house to
98 INNER VISION Mark A. Michaels and Patricia Johnson examine the spiritual power that can be unlocked in silence and listening.
BUSINESS SERVICES
chat with up-and-comer Richard McGraw. Plus Nightlife Highlights and CD reviews.
71 TASTINGS A directory of what’s cooking and where to get it.
58 BOOKS Nina Shengold profiles Woodstock-based writer Abigail Thomas, author of
100 WHOLE LIVING DIRECTORY For the positive lifestyle.
the acclaimed memoir A Three Dog Life.
111 BUSINESS DIRECTORY A compendium of advertiser services.
60 BOOK REVIEWS Fever by Peter Richmond (reviewed by Jay Blotcher); My Father
THE FORECAST
Married Your Mother, edited by Anne Burt (reviewed by Susan Krawitz);
119 DAILY CALENDAR Listings of local events. Plus previews of the Artists Soapbox
Sex as a Second Language by Alisa Kwitney (reviewed by Erin Quinn).
Derby, the annual gravity-powered kinetic sculpture race in Kingston;
66 POETRY Poems by Nancy Beard, Allen C. Fischer, Reina Hardy, Travis Matteson,
the Woodstock Fringe Festival, Emmanuelle Devos and Vincent Lindon in Emmanuel
Jaime Garcia Pulido, John Scilipote, and Charlotte Seley.
Carrere's La Moustache at TSL Warehouse in Hudson; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young at
68 FOOD & DRINK Harold Jacobs profiles the renovated Main Course in New Paltz.
LOCALLY GROWN 79 HIDDEN HARVEST Amanda Bader asks the great local food question: If the Hudson Valley is so packed with farms, why can't we find local food in the supermarket? 87 FARMERS' MARKETS A comprehensive list of weekly marketplaces in the region.
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ACTION! IN ACCORD: Jason Downs in Racing Daylight, a local independent film.
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SPAC and Bethel Woods, and a world music concert at Art Omi in Ghent.
PLANET WAVES HOROSCOPES 134 WHAT IS A PLANET Eric Francis Coppolino explains how the International Astronomical Union defines a planet. Plus horoscopes.
PARTING SHOT 140 An untitled ink wash drawing by Jake Berthot.
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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney bmahoney@chronogram.com ART DIRECTOR David Perry dperry@chronogram.com NEWS & POLITICS EDITOR Lorna Tychostup tycho56@aol.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jim Andrews jandrews@chronogram.com MUSIC EDITOR Sharon Nichols music@chronogram.com BOOKS EDITOR Nina Shengold books@chronogram.com WHOLE LIVING EDITOR Lorrie Klosterman wholeliving@chronogram.com POETRY EDITOR Phillip Levine poetry@chronogram.com COPY EDITORS Andrea Birnbaum, Susan Piperato INTERNS Nora Balantzian, Patrick Shields PROOFREADERS Teal Hutton, Laura McLaughlin CONTRIBUTORS Emil Alzamora, Amanda Bader, Nancy Beard, Jay Blotcher, Amber S. Clark, Eric Francis Coppolino, DJ Wavy Davy, Allen C. Fisher, Becca Friedman, Jaime Garcia Pulido, Reina Hardy, Hillary Harvey, Annie Internicola, Harold Jacobs, Patricia Johnson, Jonathan D. King, Susan Krawitz, Travis Matteson, Jennifer May, Mark A. Michaels, Erin Quinn, Fionn Reilly, Terry Rowlett, John Scilipote, Charlotte Seley, Sparrow, J. Spica, Robert Burke Warren, Beth E. Wilson
SUBMISSIONS CALENDAR To submit calendar listings, visit www.chronogram.com/calendar and click on "Add My Event" and fill out the form. E-mail: events@chronogram.com / Fax: (845) 334-8610 Mail: 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401 Deadline: August 15
POETRY Submissions of up to three poems at a time can be sent to poetry@chronogram.com or our street address, see above.
NONFICTION/FICTION Fiction: Submissions can be sent to fiction@chronogram.com. Nonfiction: Succint queries about stories of regional interest can be sent to bmahoney@chronogram.com.
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PUBLISHING FOUNDERS Jason Stern & Amara Projansky PUBLISHER Jason Stern jstern@chronogram.com PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Lara Buongiorno lbuongiorno@chronogram.com ADVERTISING SALES WEST OF HUDSON RIVER Jamaine Bell jbell@chronogram.com, x112 EAST OF HUDSON RIVER Ralph Jenkins rjenkins@chronogram.com, x105 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE MANAGER Lisa Mitchel-Shapiro lshapiro@chronogram.com, x101 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Becca Friedman bfriedman@chronogram.com, x120 OFFICE ASSISTANT Matthew Watzka mwatzka@chronogram.com, x113 TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Justin Zipperle PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Yulia Zarubina-Brill yzarubina@chronogram.com, x108 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kiersten Miench kmiench@chronogram.com, x116 PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Jim Maximowicz jmaximowicz@chronogram.com, x106 Julie Novak jnovak@chronogram.com, x102 BUSINESS CONSULTANT Ajax Greene OFFICES: 314 Wall St. Kingston, NY 12401 845.334.8600 fax 334.8610 SUBSCRIBE Send $36/12-issues or visit www.chronogram.com/subscribe MISSION Chronogram is a regional magazine dedicated to stimulating and supporting the creative and cultural life of the Hudson Valley. ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2006
LU M I N A R Y
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FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
Erin Quinn is the author of Pride & Politics, based on her experiences covering Mayor Jason West’s samesex marriages for the New Paltz Times; she also earned the New York State Press Association’s 2004 First Place Award for Best News Story for her reportage. Born and bred in New Paltz, Erin is married to Casimir Trzewik, and mother of three young children: Seamus, Tadeusz, and Zofia. In 2006, Erin, with Jeffrey McGowan, author of Major Conflict, founded the website www.newpaltznation.com. Erin’s review of Sex as a Second Language by Alisa Kwitney appears on page 65.
Susan Piperato “escaped” a boring childhood in the Hudson Valley only to return to raise her own two sons, born in Australia and now teenagers. A freelance “wordworker,” she lives in a Victorian house that she’s renovating in Kingston’s Rondout. Currently she writes for Yoga+ magazine and New York House, teaches poetry to incarcerated youth; runs a Catskills Elderhostel program, and does public relations. Susan's preview of the Artist’s Soapbox Derby appears on page 126.
Mark Michaels (Swami Umeshanand Saraswati) and Patricia Johnson (Devi Veenanand) are coauthors of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality (Llewellyn Worldwide). A devoted married couple, they have been teaching Tantra and Kriya yoga together since 1999. Their teachings have been featured in several publications, including the Village Voice, Now Magazine, Jane, and Breathe Magazine. Their article on silence as part of a spiritual practice appears on page 98.
Lara Buongiorno is a marketing assistant at Luminary Publishing. She recently graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in public relations, having migrated south from New York’s Finger Lakes region. Luminary is happy to have her here, relating publicly with Chronogram readers and advertisers via e-mail, telephone, and most recently, a booth at the Rosendale Street Festival. In her spare time she enjoys being in the sun and baking for her coworkers. Lara’s photo fellow Chronogram staffers playing at the Rosendale Street Festival appears on page 21.
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ON THE COVER
Man With Axe TERRY ROWLETT | OIL ON CANVAS | 2005
A
native of rural Arkansas, Saugerties-based painter Terry Rowlett grew up as an evangelical Christian. But while traveling to the Holy Land on a spiritual pilgrimage after graduate school, Rowlett witnessed the prejudice and meanness of clashing religious convictions and returned to the US having lost the faith that had previously driven him to paint. “I realized that my religion, from my perspective, was bogus. I didn’t like it,” Rowlett said. He added that his work is somewhat autobiographical, “My paintings reflect the evolution from being a Christian to not being a Christian.” As a result, Rowlett’s oil paintings turned toward themes of wandering. The hand of God faded away and his spiritually questing characters became framed in scenes which increasingly celebrated landscapes and nature. For example, the solitary traveler in The Neighbor, a young boy walking his dog, is depicted at the moment of just setting out on a bright-eyed journey. And in Seasons, showing a woman walking towards two others holding out flowers, and The Walk, depicting a father and son walking a dog, the scenes are contemplative and set in the dappled golden light of a gorgeously-rendered late autumn forest. Aside from spirituality, Rowlett has also delved into political and social commentary. Everto depicts a figure of a oil rig worker in a hellish landscape, while Man With Ax depicts his frustration with the Iraq war and President Bush. According to Rowlett, the cover image is a depiction of “that macho Texas mentality. And I’m trying to show how ill placed this macho, flaming red, tough guy is.” Rowlett’s paintings will be exhibited at the Catskill Gallery in Saugerties through August 7; www.thecatskillsgallery.com. An extensive portfolio of Rowlett’s work can be viewed at www.terryrowlett.com. 14 CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
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Esteemed Reader Esteemed Reader of Our Magazine: I have invited a deceased fellow magazine publisher William Segal to guest-contribute my column in this issue of Chronogram. Segal (1904-2000) was a magazine publisher, artist, and spiritual explorer. The results of his study and practice of Zen and eastern philosophy often found their way into his artwork, writing and publishing endeavors, and the teachings he gave to small groups of students. He said, “One attribute of the human being is the potential to keep on growing, to keep on developing. And I think there’s room in each of us. I hate to hear someone say, oh well, that man or that woman is sixty or seventy or eighty or ninety or a hundred, so he’s finished. There’s always something that can be transformed on the upward spiral.” Segal accepted my invitation, so I present here the results of his pondering on the subject of thoughts. Recommendation: Read quietly. —Jason Stern
THOUGHTS Is there a vibration not ordinarily experienced? Don’t answer. Yes won’t do. No won’t do. How not to forget the many possibilities each moment brings? A unique relationship is here, in this present moment. It is a question of calling attention back to yourself, simply being aware of your doing what you are doing. Attention is the magnet that draws energy to the right places, and creates harmonious order. We have been given a mind, we have to know it. We have been given higher mind, we have to earn it, to find it. We have been given receptivity, we have to develop it. Sometimes when, through shock, dispersed attention is suddenly collected, one comes to an abrupt awakening, glimpses the relationship between energy and attention. Impressions are received differently, perceptions are wider and sharper. Unexpectedly, another side of oneself is revealed. The value of existence of all living things, takes on new meaning. It is the awakening of Self that brings unselfing. The “is-ness” of each thing contains all and everything. Attention is an animating principle in each living organism which serves to connect and relate energies with systems of higher and lower orders...a moving entity with possibilities for diminishing or expanding intensity. Just as there is a network of communication, a worldwide sharing of ideas and applications, a sharing on a psychic level is also taking place among us. Nobody acts without influencing others. If one rises in his understanding, he becomes a substantial help to others. If he falls, he harms. Outside of intentional cooperation there is always constant, unconscious cause and effect—unwitting influences that can and do embrace wider circles than we realize. The Japanese have a saying: When a cow eats grass in Osaka it fills the belly of a horse in the neighboring province of Kyushu. A man who rises in spirit in London helps his fellow men in Walla Walla. We are called to witness the existence of the finite and the presence of the infinite. Both call, both are here. They only lack a witness to their presence. Witnessing/watching is the quintessential human task. Self-remembering takes man to the highest power. We suffer from lack of wholeness caused not only by fragmentation and imbalance, but, primarily, by lack of contact with Self, with the realty that is in each one—never born, never dying. Body/mind/feelings—continually betraying our reality. Self is to be interpreted not relatively but absolutely. The life of the Self, unconditioned, determines one’s everyday life. The misfortune of man is due to the fact that the life of Self does not enter into the life of self. Most of the time, we put our trust only in our sense perceptions. I look at you. I see you. I even touch you. But I still do not see or touch the essential you. There is a reality to this inner you far beyond sense perceptions. In the same way I fail to recognize my essential self—the reality beyond mind cognition. Perhaps it can only be comprehended through opening to an awakened moment which comes to astonish and bless. To be continued... From Opening: Collected Writings of William Segal 1985-1997, © 1998 by William Segal 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM 17
WRITING CONTEST Fall Literary Supplement Chronogram is sponsoring two writing contests for the upcoming Fall Literary Supplement, to be edited by Mikhail Horowitz and Nina Shengold. For our annual Fiction Contest, we’re seeking outstanding short stories, up to 4,000 words in length. The guest judge will be Valerie Martin, prize-winning author of Property, Mary Reilly, and The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories. The winning story will receive $100 and publication in the Literary Supplement. Honorable Mention stories will be eligible for publication in future issues of Chronogram. All entries must be unpublished; Chronogram requests first publication rights only, with reprint and all other rights to remain with the author. Submission deadline is August 15, 2006. Please send your best work (no more than one story per writer) to fiction@chronogram.com, or by mail to Chronogram Contests, 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401. For our first Humor Contest, “Joined at the Hip,” we invite you to help us eliminate bookshelf clutter by double-booking great works of literature. Please provide a title and one-line concept pitch for a literary twofer, e.g.:
Huckleberry Finnegans Wake. A plucky lad and a runaway slave fall asleep on a raft in the stream of consciousness.
Inherit the Wind in the Willows. A mole, a rat, and a toad are brought to trial by weasels for daring to believe in evolution.
Moby-Dick-and-Jane. “Look, Ishmael! See Dick breach. Breach, Dick, breach!” Entries will be judged by Shengold and Horowitz (who, contrary to popular belief, are not joined at the hip). Each winner will receive a Chronogram t-shirt. Submission deadline is September 15, 2006. Please send up to three entries to Humor Contest, fiction@chronogram.com, or by mail to Chronogram Contests, 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401.
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CHRONOGRAM
SEEN The events we sponsor, the people who make a difference, the Chronogram community. Here's some of what we saw in July: HUDSON VALLEY SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL SPIEGELPALAIS AT BARD ROSENDALE STREET FESTIVAL GREAT HUDSON RIVER PADDLE
The Michelle LeBlanc Quartet performed in Poughkeepsie's Waryas Park as part of the 10th annual Hudson Valley Summer Music Festival. Photo Provided.
Wild dancing at the SpiegelPalais at Bard to the olah Gypsy sounds of SpiegleMaestri Maedhbh Ni Chomuladh and Nik Quaife at the SpielgelPalais at Romano Drom. Photo by Stephanie Berger. Bard College. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
Chronogram staffers Julie Novak, Justin Zipperle, and Jim Maximowicz (aka
Kayakers in the Hudson River near Saugerties, part of the Great Hudson River
Gigantic) at the Rosendale Street Festival. Photo by Lara Buongiorno.
Paddle tour from Albany to New York City. Photo by Fionn Reilly.
CHRONOGRAM SPONSORS IN AUGUST: ARTISTS' SOAPBOX DERBY WOODSTOCK FRINGE FESTIVAL WELCOME TO BOLLYWOOD
Going to be there? Take a picture and if we print it, you'll win a stylish Chronogram t-shirt! E-mail 300 dpi JPEGS (up to 10MB) to seen@chronogram.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM 21
EMPTYPRESS design plus.
www.emptypress.com
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Editor’s Note
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING After Congressional hearings in 2004 suggested that the Food and Drug Administration was partly to blame for the lack of flu vaccine available at that time, top Democrats launched an investigation into the FDA. In late June, after a 15-month inquiry, the Democrats released their findings, foremost among them: enforcement of the nation’s food and drug laws has declined sharply during the first five years of the Bush administration. The investigation found the following: that the number of warning letters that the FDA sent to medical device manufacturers and drug companies dropped 54 percent; the seizure of defective or mislabeled products slumped by 44 percent; the lone exception to the enforcement declines was in cases of products that were recalled from the market: that increased 44 percent. “Since one of the goals of an enforcement system is to deter violations and keep dangerous products off of the market,” the inquiry report stated, “the increase in recalls is not a hallmark of effective enforcement.” In one widely publicized case, a nursing home worker in Xenia, Ohio mistakenly hooked up a tank of nitrogen to the home’s oxygen delivery system. Four residents were killed. The FDA concluded that BOC gases, the company that delivered the tanks, was partly to blame for the mix-up. FDA investigators recommended prosecution, but the agency took no enforcement action. Source: New York Times Before the Iraq war began, White House budget director Mitch Daniels predicted that the total cost of a US invasion and occupation would be between $50 billion and $60 billion, dismissing an estimate of $200 billion as being at the “upper end of a hypothetical.” With the cost of the global war on terrorism approaching $500 billion, the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan Congressional study group, cautions that monthly costs of continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are rising. In a new report, issued after President Bush signed into law the 2006 supplemental funding bill for the war effort that
us buy it—on the supermarket shelf (Hidden Harvest, p. 79). Because of the highly developed distribution models at chain supermarkets, small- to medium-sized farmers are excluded from the supermarket system as they cannot provide the quantity, nor the quality—in terms of flawless shape and color rather than exquisite taste—that large retailers demand. Locally, however, farmers and independent supermarket owners are finding innovative ways to collaborate on bringing locally grown food into retail spaces to meet rising customer demand. Thoughtful food is thick on the ground in the upcoming weeks, with events promoting local food stretching from Putnam County into the Catskills. Whitecliff Vineyard Gourmet Burger Celebration On August 26 and 27,Whitecliff Vineyard in Gardiner is hosting a grass-fed burger event, featuring beef from two area producers—Brykill Farm and Kiernan Farm— along with local corn andWhitecliff’s own wines. (The AwostingWhite, while not perfectly suitable for beef, is a favorite in my house.) (845) 255-4613. Orange County Land Trust Day on the Farm On August 26, six Orange County farms in the Warwick area will host tours all day, allowing visitors to experience the fun and hard work of farm life. Farms will include W. Rogowski Farm, run by CSA-advocate and MacArthur “genius” grant winner Cheryl Rogowski. www.warwickinfo.net.
Glen Wilson
Over the Fourth of July weekend Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi won his sixth straight world championship title at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Contest on Coney Island, eating 53 3⁄4 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes, a new world record. Kobayashi, a short but athletically built man of prodigious stomach, is considered to be the dominant competitive eater of his generation. (Competitive eating, as a sport, has taken off in recent years, much in the way poker has, though on a much smaller scale. Competitive eating competitions are held in a diverse array of disciplines, includingVienna sausage, conch fritters, baked beans, matzo balls, ice cream, rhubarb pie, butter, grilled cheese sandwiches, and turducken. Prize money is often in the tens of thousands of dollars.) While I didn’t catch the competition this year, I watched on TV two years ago as Kobayashi dominated the field of hot dog gorgers on the boardwalk, his closest rival a young Japanese woman smaller than himself, who gamely scarfed down 38 hot dogs and buns to his 53 1⁄2. Kobayashi’s technique, to break the hot dog and bun in half, dip each piece in cups of water, and then throw the slick, sodden mass down his throat like a goose with opposable thumbs, was an innovation in 2004, but has since been copied by his competitors. (Kobayashi narrowly won this year, beating an American, Joey Chestnut, world record holder in asparagus eating—6 1⁄4 pounds, tempura deep dried—who was able to stomach 52 of Nathan’s Famous.) If you have not seen it yourself, I will tell you this much—the effect of witnessing 20 people inhale hot dogs, even on TV, is not particularly stimulating to the appetite. I do not recommend watching next year’s competition with a platter of pigs in a blanket and playing a mini-version along at home. Aside from the purely visceral disgust of the spectacle, I suffered a kind of conceptual nausea as well. The competition is a perfect analog to the current eating systems in this country—fast, cheap, and senseless. (The fact that Nathan’s chooses to hold its competition on Independence Day raises some interesting questions for possible revisionist historical analysis:Was this the reason we kicked the British out so many years ago? Was the Boston Tea Party a botched attempt at a tea drinking competition? And while Thanksgiving dinner with its overstuffed table often feels like an endurance event, was that the original intent of the Massachusetts Bay colonists? Did they throw down with the Native Americans in a succotash slurpfest?) And while we have a sense of humor at Chronogram, we take food very seriously. In our Locally Grown Supplement this month, we’re featuring an article by Amanda Bader on the challenges farmers face in placing their food where the majority of
Vinarelli On August 19, the Woodstock School of Art is throwing a unique benefit, based on an Umbrian festival, in which local artists will paint watercolors using wine in lieu of water, and guests will be served a multi-course dinner prepared by Gianni Scappin, formerly of Gigi’s in Rhinebeck, using local ingredients, paired with wine from Millbrook Vineyard. (845) 679-2388. —Brian K. Mahoney
includes $67 billion for the military, the congressional service estimates the military is spending about $8 billion a month on Operation Iraqi Freedom and about $1.5 billion on Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. That is about $2 billion more per month than in fiscal 2005 and about $4 billion more than in fiscal 2004. The report warns that even with a substantial drawdown, reducing the number of troops involved to no more than 74,000 by fiscal 2010, total US expenses could exceed $808 billion—assuming there are still some troops in Iraq by 2016. Source: Marine Corps Times In response to an article in the New York Times detailing how the US is secretly tracking terrorist financial networks, Ann Coulter wrote in her nationally syndicated column on July 12 that if Times editor Bill Keller were convicted of treason, she “would have no problem with him being sent to the gas chamber.” Coulter elaborated: “I prefer a firing squad, but I’m open to a debate on the method of execution.” On July 14, the New York Times received an envelope containing a suspicious white powder. When asked about the incident by a reporter, Coulter replied, “So glad the New York Times got my letter.” Source: Women’s Wear Daily Memo Pad According to a report released on July 18 by the Brookings Institution, poor urban residents frequently pay hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars a year in extra costs for everyday necessities. A few examples: Poor people are more likely to patronize a check-cashing outlet, paying a premium for converting their paycheck into cash. People earning less than $30,000 a year pay two percentage points more for a car loan than more affluent buyers, and pay an average of one percentage point more in mortgage interest. Poor people are more likely to buy furniture and appliances through a rent-to-own business, where a $200 TV set might end up costing $700 with interest. Poor neighborhoods are less likely to have large supermarkets, so residents rely on the more expensive, lower quality offerings of small groceries or convenience stores.
The report said that finding ways to eliminate these costs, the so-called “ghetto tax,” could be an important dimension to alleviating poverty. Source: Los Angeles Times, Brookings Institution On July 18, the United Nations reported that an average of more than 100 civilians a day were killed in Iraq in June, the highest monthly tally of violent deaths since the fall of Baghdad. UN officials also said that 14,338 civilians had died violently in Iraq in the first six months of the year, basing their figures on tallies provided by two Iraqi agencies: the Ministry of Health, which collates violent deaths recorded at hospitals around the country; and Baghdad’s central morgue, where unidentified bodies are delivered. UN officials also said that the number of violent deaths had been steadily increasing since at least last summer. In the first six months of this year, the civilian death toll jumped more than 77 percent, from 1,778 in January to 3,149 in June, the organization said. Last month, the Los Angeles Times, drawing from similar statistics as the UN, reported that at least 50,000 people, and perhaps many more, had been killed since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. (In the only official US estimate of the number of civilian casualties in Iraq given last December, President George W. Bush said some 30,000 Iraqis had been killed since the invasion.) Source: Reuters Earlier this year, investigators for the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, placed 900 phone calls to 10 of the largest companies that offer drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries. The investigators were provided with accurate, complete responses only one-third of the time. Two of the 10 companies gave inaccurate information at least 75 percent of the time, and some operators gave different answers to the same question. The GAO report, released on July 10, read: “Relatively few customer service representatives were able to accurately identify the least costly plan and calculate its annual cost.” Source: New York Times
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NEWS & POLITICS World, Nation, & Region
THE NEVER ENDING STORY An Interview with David Barsamian By Lorna Tychostup
F
ollowing the fall of the Ottoman Empire after WWI, the League of Nations mandated direct control of the five provinces that make up modern-day Lebanon to France, while giving it a lesser degree of control over what is known today as Syria. Providing for a Maronite Christian president with veto power over legislation drawn up by the parliament, a Sunni Prime Minister and a Shiite Speaker of the House, the French-designed Lebanese constitution balanced power among the different religious groups as per a census taken in 1932, yet ensured Christian political dominance over the Muslim population. Gaining independence in 1946, Lebanon, more than any other Arab state began to receive hordes of Palestinian refugees after the Arab/Israeli wars of ’48 and ’67, and then again in the early ‘70s, when Jordan fought off an overthrow of its monarchy by Palestinian militant groups, most notably Yasser Arafat’s PLO, forcing them into Lebanon. Upset by the government’s lack of authority over the camps from which the PLO increased attacks into Israel, Christian Maronites responded by setting up their own paramilitary groups. Feeling they had become the majority population in Lebanon by 1960, Muslims were unable to obtain proper representation in the government due to what they saw as the Christian minority’s control of parliament. Frustration over representation issues and the problems it created between the different religious groups, sandwiched by Israel and Syria and their related sovereignty claims, and the presence of the PLO’s autonomous state-within-a-state, saw Lebanon erupt into civil war in 1975. Before its end 15 years later, almost every group involved—Christian, Shiite, Sunni, Druze, Palestinians, and non-religious militias—had sided with and fought against the other. Sectarian violence, civilian massacres, massive destruction, both Syrian and Israeli intervention and occupation left an estimated 100,000 dead and another 100,000 handicapped. Fast forward. AP report, July 12, 2006: “Hezbollah kidnaps two Israeli soldiers in cross-border raid. Israel responds by sending in tanks and by bombing bridges and roads in south Lebanon to try to prevent
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the hostages from being taken north.”What the media is not calling a war has begun. Days before, while cleaning my office here in the idyllic Hudson Valley, I came across an envelope given to me by Steve Gorn, a locally based, internationally acclaimed bansuri flute and Indian classical music master. Inside were recorded tapes of an interview of Eqbal Ahmad by David Barsamian, the founder and director of Alternative Radio, the independent award-winning weekly series based in Boulder, Colorado. Named one of its “Top 10 Media Heroes,” by the Institute for Alternative Journalism and the winner of the winner of the ACLU’s Upton Sinclair Award for independent journalism and of a Democracy Media Award, Barsamian, a radio producer, journalist, author, and lecturer on US foreign policy, the media, propaganda, and corporate power in the US, Canada, Brazil, India, and Europe, has been working in radio since 1978. His interviews and articles appear regularly in the Progressive and Z Magazine, and his latest books are Imperial Ambitions with Noam Chomsky and Speaking of Empire & Resistance withTariq Ali. Listening to the tapes I longed to speak with Eqbal. His words, were at once eloquent, clear, and concise, explaining and putting forth fresh and unique ideas as to how to go about solving the problems of our modern world. Learning he had died in 1999, I decided to interview Barsamian to revive Eqbal’s voice and learn more about the man. And then what not is being called a war broke out. Lorna Tychostup: Most Americans have little knowledge about what is happening in Israel and Lebanon. Please give a brief history as to what led up to this current conflict.
David Barsamian: A brief history. [Laughter.] It’s very ambitious. One could start at the creation of the French colonial project in the Middle East following WWI, when the British seized Iraq and Palestine from theTurks.The French took Syria and formalized what had already been a de facto separation in 1922 creating a state in Lebanon. Historically, Lebanon
and Palestine had been Greater Syria [Editor’s note: Anton Sa’adar, founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (1932), an opponent of Arab nationalism, argued that Syria was distinct from the Arab world and developed a Syrian national ideology advocating the establishment of a Greater Syrian national state, which was to include present Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq. Barsamian describes it as “a geographical designation of this region before formal nation states were created.”] The French found willing allies among Maronite Christians in Lebanon. Natural allies in the classical imperial divided rule, they created this state in Lebanon. It is very unusual in its political construction because it’s based on a confessional system, and there are not less than 18 different sects, all of whom, according to the Lebanese constitution, are entitled to representation. For information on David Barsamian, visit his website at www.alternativeradio.org.This interview is edited from a longer version.You can read the full transcript of this interview at www.chronogram.com. LT: Confessional?
DB: Confessional is a term for “religious grouping” which in this case means the different sectarian groups: Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, Sunnis, Druze, Shiite—these are confessions. This is the European use of the word not widely used in the US. Lebanon’s last census was in 1932 and all political representation in the Lebanese parliament and government have been based on that 1932 census. Of course, in the 75 years since then, the demography of Lebanon has radically changed but has not been reflected in the political system.The Shiites probably constitute at a minimum 40 percent of the population. Some say the figure may be as high as 45 to 50 percent. They have minimal representation in the country. Hezbollah has 12 members of parliament, and two cabinet ministers. In other words, the Shiite have one more cabinet minister than the Armenians, who only number 100,000 in the whole
REUTERS/SHARIF KARIM
A BRIDGE LINKING THE CAPITAL BEIRUT TO SOUTH LEBANON IS DESTROYED AFTER ISRAELI AIR STRIKES ON JULY 23. ISRAEL UNLEASHED MORE AIR STRIKES ON LEBANON AND HEZBOLLAH FIRED ROCKETS AT HAIFA AS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL JAN EGELAND DEMANDED A HALT TO THE VIOLENCE TO ALLOW AID TO REACH DESPERATE CIVILIANS.
country.You have to know this background to understand the inherent, colonial, feudalistic system that is still operating in Lebanon. Lebanon has historically, since the French colonial period, been ruled by a combination of Sunni and Maronite elites.These are the large landowners, the large industrialists when the industries began to form particularly around silk, and trade, and banking.The major cities of the country along the Mediterranean coast: Tripoli, Sidon, and Beirut are pretty much controlled by the Sunnis. And in East Beirut to the north of the city, Maronite Christians dominate.The Druze, led by Walid Jumblatt, control the Shouf area. It is not an absolute thing I am describing here. There is a mix. LT:When the French stepped in, they divided up a land that was previously without boundaries?
DB: Precisely.There was fluidity. One could go from what was a region of Palestine to Lebanon to Syria. These designations came later, after WWI, and the census in 1932. Historically, with the Shiite, there is also some—one hesitates to use the word—racism involved. Obviously they are almost all Arab. Armenians are not Arab, for example. The Kurds are not Arab.The Maronite Christians, the most prominent name is the Gemayal family, the Samoon family—are large, dynastic forces. Some of the Maronites feel that they are not really Arab even thought they have names like Abu Hamiq Khalil and Gemayal, and are descended from Phoenicians. This sets them apart
from Arabs and is one of the internal dynamics that goes on in Lebanon. Historically, the Shiite, who predominate in the south but live in other parts of the country, have been viewed in very derogatory terms: good for sweeping the streets, cleaning the toilets, garbage collecting, and the like. They have never been accorded the kind of decency and respect— LT: Who has viewed them in this way?
DB: The Sunni and Maronite elite.This extends into the general population. If you are from the south of Lebanon, it’s like a Polish joke—you’re primitive. Not cool or sophisticated. LT: Historically this comes from the actual break of Sunni and Shiite. The Shiite took a more religious fundamentalist view that the spiritual leader is a descendent of the prophet Mohammed’s bloodline, and the Sunni wanted the best person for the job.
DB:That is partially correct.There are also differences between the two communities but the split occurred very early in the evolution of Islam.The Shiite felt the descendency should be hereditary through Ali—who was not only a first cousin of the Prophet, but had married the Prophet’s daughter—as well as Ali’s sons, Hassan and Hussein, the Prophet’s grandchildren. There was a major division then in Islam, quite akin
to Protestantism breaking off from mainstream Catholic Christianity. The Shiite have long been oppressed, working as serfs, sharecroppers on large agricultural estates and the like. I think the growth of Hezbollah began partly as a response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, after a first invasion in 1978.There had been routine Israeli assassinations and bombings inside of Lebanon, including the assassination of one of Lebanon’s most prominent writers, Ghassan Kanafani in the early 1970s. Israel has always viewed Lebanon as a kind of punching bag in which it can go in throw some punches and then withdraw quickly. Of course, the 1982 invasion led to an 18-year occupation, in which some 20,000 Lebanese were killed, many more were wounded, tortured, held in prisons like Khiam and Ansar in southern Lebanon. In the same way [Ronald] Reagan created the Contras, the Israelis created the mercenary South Lebanese Army run by a notorious cashiered Lebanese army officer, Antoine Lahd, to control the southern region. Not only was Israel there, but it also had a mercenary force operating.When Israel withdrew in May of 2000, they took these mercenaries with them, many of them guilty of war crimes who should have been brought to justice. They are in Israel today.The Lebanese know this. Many are aware of these kinds of things. But this is totally unreported and unknown in the Western press. LT: If you are an Israeli, what would you say about Israel’s 18-year occupation of Lebanon and the root of it? 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM NEWS & POLITICS 27
REUTERS/GIL COHEN MAGEN
ISRAELI POLICE OFFICERS SURVEY THE SCENE OF A ROCKET ATTACK IN THE NORTHERN ISRAEL TOWN OF ACRE ON JULY 23. ISRAEL NEARLY 500 PEOPLE, MOSTLY CIVILIANS, HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ISRAEL AND LEBANON SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES ON JULY 12 FOLLOWING THE KIDNAPPING OF TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS BY HEZBOLLAH.
DB: Israel has always been trying to create a vassal state in Lebanon as part of cementing what Israel wants to do in Palestine, which is annex large portions of Palestine as they have been doing for almost the last four decades. So it is about formally incorporating the Golan Heights, also East Jerusalem, which has been annexed and brought into Israel in violation of Security Council resolutions. There has been a lot of talk today about Security Council Resolution 1559. [On September 2, 2004, the UN Security Council adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1559, calling “upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon” and “for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.”] I would dare say Israel is in violation of probably more Security Council resolutions than any other country, certainly General Assembly resolutions. When the US is not vetoing resolutions in the UN, 32 by my count have been critical of Israel. But some of them have passed through [such as asking Israel to return] East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights. LT: I am just wondering if Israel’s forays into Lebanon have anything to do with Israelis feeling the need to protect their own country—and correct me if I am wrong—at this point it is the only member of the UN that has not defined its boundaries?
DB: That’s right. Israel is the only state in the world that has not defined its actual international frontier. 28 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
LT: Some would argue that Israel is simply trying to survive in an unfriendly area, especially after 1982. In a speech released in 2004, Osama bin Laden said Israel’s attack on Lebanon that year and America’s support via the Navy were the reason for the 9/11 attacks and Al Qaeda’s aggressions.
DB: Palestine has been used, not just by Bin Laden, but by other Arab leaders, as a kind of political football where they can beat their breast very loudly about the terrible things the Israelis are doing to the poor Palestinians, meanwhile ignoring their own populations and doing very much the same kinds of things—rigging elections like Mubarak does in Egypt, a deeply corrupt, tyrannical country. Mubarak’s regime is doomed in my view. In this last rigged election the opposition was literally jailed. It is very likely that the Muslim Brotherhood will come to power. They are doing the same kinds of things that has made Hezbollah so popular in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah, which means Party of God, has created a vast social welfare program [that includes] clinics, hospitals, schools, training centers, and day care centers filling a huge void due to the Lebanese government historically viewing the Shiite as sweepers, unworthy of attention, unworthy of any kind of economic construction and wellbeing. So just to describe Hezbollah as a terrorist organization that has this military wing misses a lot of what it has done and what it is doing in Lebanon that has created a very strong base of support among the Shiite population. Of all the Lebanese that I have interviewed and talked to, many, many—even if they despise Hezbollah and their politics—acknowledge that they
have done a lot of good work in the south. And they acknowledge that is was largely Hezbollah that drove Israelis out of Lebanon in May of 2000. That is, the Moqwamah—the resistance movement. And one of the demands of Hezbollah, when I spoke to them, was the return of Sheba’a Farms.The Israelis say it is Syrian territory. The Lebanese say it is their territory. LT:Yes, but the UN Secretary General’s January 20, 2005 report states: “The continually asserted position of the Government of Lebanon that the Blue Line is not valid in the Sheba’a Farms area is not compatible with Security Council resolutions.The Council has recognized the Blue Line as valid for purposes of confirming Israel’s withdrawal pursuant to resolution 425 (1978). The Government of Lebanon should heed the Council’s repeated calls for the parties to respect the Blue Line in its entirety.” You talked about that [in an interview broadcast July 19] with Tariq Ali.
DB: But this is one of the positions of Hezbollah.And according to Lebanese author Gilbert Achcar, the UN did not determine whether the 1967 Israeli-occupied Sheba’a farms are a piece of Lebanese territory or a piece of the Syrian Golan Heights that Israel officially annexed in 1981—a move that has never been approved by any international body or state. Officially the UN rather considers the Sheba’a farms to be Syrian. However, this dispute is obsolete since the Syrian government acknowledged Lebanon’s (and Hezbollah’s) claim over them—even though no formalities were undertaken to ascertain that.
LT: That the Islamic fundamentalists, their point, very generally speaking, pretty much says, “No infidels in our land. We want it back the way it was back in Mohammed’s time.”
DB: That would be dar al-Islam, the realm of peace where the ummah [people] live and Muslims rule. That is the actual Arabic term for what you are describing.Where that doesn’t exist, the counterpoint to that is dar al-Harb, the realm of war. What you say is accurate. I don’t think it is universal. LT: My question is, if they are fighting over this little tiny piece of property, then what about the existence of Israel?
DB: Hezbollah has told me that they regard Israel as an illegitimate state. I said, “Where are they supposed to go?” Hezbollah’s second-in-command, Deputy Director General Sheikh Naim Qassim, said, “They can go back to Europe.” I asked, “Do you think that is a reasonable option?” He said, “Yes.” I found that extraordinary and I just let it stay at that. If they really believe that that is an option for Jewish Israelis I think it is rather delusional at best. But Hezbollah is also a political party, not just this military wing. It also has representation in parliament—12 seats and two cabinet ministers. LT: Based on the census this is unequal.
DB: Totally. There has been a huge shift in Lebanese demography. There has been a huge outflow, for example, of Lebanese Christians, over the last several decades, as well as Sunnis. The Shiite have been increasing in population. The occupation had a huge impact and perhaps a part of what is going on is some sense of evening the score, payback, on both sides. Hezbollah wanting to achieve some sort of military victory and stick it to the Israelis. And the Israelis wanting to stick it to Hezbollah because a lot of Israelis were very bitter about their experience in Lebanon and being forced to leave. If we are to believe the accounts, this was the first instance since the creation of Israel in 1948 that Israel was actually defeated and withdrew from territory under coercion. It is speculative, but it may be a factor here as well. LT: You are laying out an argument that Hezbollah, is in some ways representative of Lebanon, and not as some say a terrorist state within a state.
DB: I didn’t say that. It is totally representative of the Shiite population. And there are many others in Lebanon that appreciate what Hezbollah has accomplished socially. LT: My concern is this: there is an unfair situation, under representation. You want change and get involved in the government. This is democracy. But at the same time, as a created entity, you are stockpiling munitions, creating your own regions within a country, and having an armed resistance.
DB:Yes.This is in the vacuum created by a very weak Lebanese government in Beirut. There has never been a strong central federal state in Lebanon. Lebanon has historically been divided in fiefdoms. LikeWalid Jumblatt, a warlord who runs the Shouf area east of Beirut—a private area. Historically, part of the problem in Lebanon is that the warlords in some ways are very much like [those in] Afghanistan. LT: And as we are seeing now in Iraq. If Saddam Hussein and his sons had disappeared three years ago, I don’t think we would be seeing too much difference in what is going on today. The US might be involved or not, but we would see some kind of an intense conflict. Maybe an entire population would have been subjugated by yet someone else.
DB:Yes, I think that’s very probable.The Shiite in Lebanon have felt justifiably, aggrieved—that they have been mistreated, looked down upon by the ruling elites of the country. Hezbollah gave them dignity, a flag, social welfare programs. I could see it as I traveled through southern Lebanon and south Beirut where Hezbollah has its headquarters.The yellow Hezbollah flag is everywhere. There is another Shiite formation called Amal, led by Nabih Berri, who is the speaker of the Parliament. Hezbollah formed probably about 1985, formally as a party. Amal led the initial resistance against the Israelis in 1982. [Editor’s note: Amal became one of the most important Shiite Muslim militias during the Lebanese CivilWar, growing strong through its close ties with the Islamic regime of Iran, and the 300,000 Shiite internal refugees from southern Lebanon after the Israeli bombings in the early 1980s. At its greatest, Amal had 14,000 troops fighting a long campaign against Palestinian refugees in the Lebanese Civil War called the War of the Camp [1985-86]. After the War of the Camps Amal fought a bloody battle against its fellow Shiite group Hezbollah for Beirut which ended with massive Syrian intervention.] LT: Can you touch upon the connective tissue between Iran, Iraq, and the Shiite.
DB: Hezbollah has some very interesting connections with Iraq because Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, who is the General Secretary of Hezbollah, was formerly a guerilla leader who fought in Hezbollah militias against the Israelis. His reputation was greatly enhanced—he wasn’t just an armchair radical—[when] he actually went out into the field. In 1992, the Israelis assassinated Abbas Musawi, his wife and three-year old child in a helicopter attack, and Nasrallah succeeded him. But before that, going back to the 70s and 80s, Nasrallah was in Iraq. And who was he studying with? Muqtada Sadr’s father, the great Ayatollah, who Saddam assassinated. So you have that connection between Nasrallah and Sadr. LT: We must speak clearly. We are talking about radical religious fundamentalist Islamic groups. Hezbollah, on the surface, is doing things socially for the people. But at the same time they are building up this military. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM NEWS & POLITICS 29
REUTERS/SHARIF KARIM
A LEBANESE MAN REACTS UPON SEEING THE WRECKAGE OF HIS HOME AFTER ISRAELI AIR STRIKES IN SOUTHERN BEIRUT ON JULY 23.
DB: They are. There is no dispute of that. LT: What would your solution be at this time?
DB: One: Settling the issue of Palestine is central. There has to be, in my view, a complete Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders. That includes the annexed East Jerusalem and Golan Heights; complete evacuation from the West Bank; hopefully, the removal of the wall, which has annexed more Palestinian land and in some instances, cut off villagers from their farms and children from schools. And there must be some international guarantees, clearly defined and enforced with the UN. I don’t think the US is an honest broker in the Middle East because is it is so heavily prejudiced on one side. It is not viewed as a neutral party. Two: I think there has to be an end to feudalism in Lebanon, and a way to do that is to hold a free and fair census of the population, principally the Shiite. There must be a general peace treaty signed. There must be mutual recognition. Lebanon and Israel are still in a de facto state of war. Only Egypt and Jordan have recognized Israel. I think that could provide for the basis of some kind of solution to this problem. Someone asked me in an earlier interview, “Are you hopeful? Is there a way out?” I just point out what happened in 1975 when the US finally left Saigon and Vietnam. If you would’ve predicted that 30 year later Vietnam and the US would have such close commercial, political, even military ties—the US Navy is now docking at Vietnamese ports—if you would have told someone that in 1975—you remember how deeply bitter people were about the 58,000 Americans killed, about the torture of the POWs—people would have thought you were insane. Of course it is not analogous but we have examples. 30 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
LT:Your published interview with the legendary Eqbal Ahmad in 1996 was actually the catalyst for my wanting to interview you. A prolific writer and journalist, Eqbal was widely consulted by revolutionaries, journalists, activist leaders, and policymakers around the world, including his colleague and friend, Edward Said, who once said of him, “ he was that rare thing: an intellectual unintimidated by power or authority…perhaps the shrewdest anti-imperialist of Asia and Africa.” In 1968, soon after the PLO’s emergence following their fighting off the Israeli attack on the Palestinian refugee camp in Kerameh, Jordan, Eqbal argued openly and to Arafat, that “armed struggle was supremely unsuited to the Palestinian condition.” He said that armed struggle is “less about arms and more about organization, that a successful armed struggle proceeds to outadminister the adversary, not out-fight him.”
DB: Eqbal, like Gandhi understood the British, who had all these liberal pretensions: the rule of law, open forums. And Gandhi was able to use that against the British. And Eqbal always saw the Palestinians, by trying to do things out of the barrel of a gun, that against this particular opponent because of its historical circumstance and situation—coming out of WWII and mass murder—armed resistance would be totally inappropriate and ineffective. But unfortunately, he was largely ignored, as was Edward Said. LT: You and Eqbal talked about US policy back in Nixon’s time, to “develop strategic assets” in the Middle East, and how Israel [and Iran and Turkey] was viewed as “the local cop on the beat” “taking care of the region.”You asked if that were the case, then why did the US go to such great ends and make efforts to keep Israel out of the first Gulf War?
DB: If you train someone to be your attack dog, your enforcer and you have this military situation, why don’t you use it? That would have inflamed Arab and Muslim opinion and would have broken the coalition that Bush 1 had cobbled together. Syria was part of that coalition. LT:You interviewed the Deputy Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles,Yaran Gamburg. In response to claims that there is this disproportionate “overwhelming response” by Israel vs. Hezbollah’s actions, he said, “What is proportionate?” and talked about the random bombing of Israel by Hezbollah vs. Israel’s claim that they are target bombing the infrastructure. He gave reasons of why the Israelis are bombing what they are: the Beirut airport because this is where arms are being delivered to Hezbollah and so Hezbollah cannot take the captured Israeli soldiers out of the region. He gave the same reason for the demolition of the roads.They want to lock the place down, get their soldiers, and he was pretty clear that Hezbollah was the primary target.
DB: He is essentially doing his job. He was absolutely reproducing the tropes of the Tel Aviv government ministries.That’s what he is supposed to do and that’s what he did. He said [Israel’s response] is proportionate, avoiding civilians whenever possible, it is taking great care. But I did locate him into a contradiction. I asked him, “The [Israel Defense Forces] is telling residents of southern Lebanon to leave the area for their own safety.” He said, “Yes, absolutely.” “Well, if that is the case, why has the [Israel Defense Forces] bombed 46 bridges and destroyed most of the road infrastructure making it impossible to leave?” And then he said, rather glibly, “There are other ways to get out.” Well, yeah, they could swim.
REUTERS/KAI PFAFFENBACH
A WOUNDED ISRAELI SOLDIER IS BROUGHT BACK FROM FRONTLINE FIGHTING INSIDE LEBANON TO THE ISRAELI VILLAGE OF AVIVIM ON JULY 24.
LT: His response was that Hezbollah is preventing these people from leaving. He said that twice.
DB: He does not have extra sensory perception. He does not know that the Lebanese population are secretly—because this is what all the Israeli spokespersons are saying without exception— that most of the Lebanese are quietly rejoicing and celebrating what Israel is doing. I can quote you verbatim what the Israeli Consul General in New York whose name is Arye Mekel, said. He said, “Israel is doing huge favor to Lebanon by its military action.” And that was repeated the next day by the Israeli Ambassador to the UN. The very same words. LT: Israel’s stated goal is to dismantle Hezbollah. To date the Lebanese government has not dismantled Hezbollah’s military strength.
DB: His name is Mekel. This was on MSNBC [on July 18]. “They are doing Lebanon a huge favor.” And then he repeated that statement and he changed “huge” to “big.” And then Tucker Carlson, the program host, went on to say, “I believe that completely. Hezbollah has metastasized like a cancer all over Lebanon.” LT: This disturbs me because this is just the left and the right going at each other. The bottom line is in my vision when I see this, there is a huge—I understand Hezbollah is doing socially good things for the people while they are stockpiling their military armaments—but at the same time we are talking about religious fundamentalism. Generally speaking, the left does not address the subjugation of women and seems to be afraid to talk to Islamic people about these ill effects of their religion. Depend-
ing on what crowd you are hanging with a person who takes up arms can be a freedom fighter or a terrorist. Hezbollah is doing these wonderful social things but I never hear any discussion about the treatment of women under these religious fundamentalists or their talk of eliminating Israel. Women in Lebanon, specifically in Beirut, once known as the Paris of the Middle East—are allowed an extraordinary amount of freedom. If Hezbollah gets control of Lebanon, if they get elected, what will the demographics be then? Is it going to be OK because it is their culture and we should stay out of it?
DB: This is now going to open up another whole range of discussion. I am not avoiding it. I don’t have the time to talk about Islam or any of the— Let’s talk about American fundamentalism and the Taliban in this country and Ayatollahs like Pat Robertson, Falwell, and other crazies. There has been a huge surge of fundamentalism in the US, in Sri Lanka, in India. This is a global phenomena right now. LT: And I think it is fair to say that the governments of Muslim countries, especially emerging democracies in places such as Morocco, Jordan, and Turkey, and including Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, are very concerned about radical Islamic fundamentalism taking control. Saddam was this horrible dictator, he did horrible things, but he was barely keeping his kite strings together regarding the religious fundamentalists.
DB: He saw the Brotherhood, the fundamentalists in Egypt, as the major threat to his rule. Assad sees the same thing in Syria as well. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM NEWS & POLITICS 31
Commentary
Beinhart’s Body Politic:
FOR YOUR HEALTH
The best thing you do for your health this year is vote. Specifically on September 12, you can vote for John Tasini instead of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate. The American health care system is in crisis. • There are 42,500,000 people without health insurance. • We also have many underinsured, people with huge deductibles, low caps and a wide variety of excluded problems. • We pay more, but get less. According to Salon, “The United States spends a stunning $3,724 per person on health each year. But measuring how long people live in good health—not just how long they live—the Japanese beat Americans by four years, and the French lived three more healthy years. Yet Japan spends just $1,759 per person on health and France $2,125.” That article is from June 21, 2000. US per capita spending is now up to $6,100 and the disparity between the US and other industrialized nations is even greater. • American businesses with good benefits can’t compete with foreign companies that have national health at home or with non-union, low benefit companies—foreign or domestic—that operate inside the United States. General Motors and Ford both face bankruptcy because of their high health care costs. Also because their management is too stupid to join forces with their unions to lobby for a national health plan to get them off the hook. Our current Senator, Hillary Clinton, has a hodge-podge of 10 health-related items on her website. She’s against Obesity; for drug safety; for mental health and substance abuse treatment; for more money for the National Institutes of Health; she voted for more money for HIV/AIDS; she wants to make sure we have a reliable supply of flu vaccine; and she introduced legislation to form a committee to “recommend thoughtful reforms to Medicaid.” She introduced one piece of legislation, the Healthcare Quality andTechnology bill. Her co-sponsor was Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. I generally don’t believe in guilt by association but Mr. Frist has grown rich as a result of the healthcare frauds committed by his family’s company, HCA; he’s known as “the healthcare industry’s man in the Senate.” It’s fair to say that anything he does puts industry profits ahead of the public welfare. Clinton’s solution for the 42,500,000 without coverage is “to allow uninsured individuals to buy into existing health insurance programs.” Median family income in NewYork is $44,140. In many of our upstate counties, it’s closer to $35,000. An employee working fulltime at the US minimum-wage ($5.15 an hour, somewhat less than NewYork’s $6.75 an hour), makes $10,700 a year. The average health care premium for a family of four is $10,800. So I’m not sure how it helps to “allow” people to put somewhere between 25 percent and 101 percent of their income into a health care plan. For historical and ideological reasons American healthcare plans have been paid been employment benefits administered through insurance companies. In a world of stable businesses, strong unions, lifetime employment, moderate medical expectations and low healthcare costs, that worked pretty well. But every one of those conditions has changed. Moreover, each of the changes exacerbates the others. Weak unions mean non-union companies enter the field with fewer health benefits. In some industries, like the airlines, that means that all but one—American—of the older companies has disappeared or gone through bankruptcy as a 32 NEWS & POLITICS CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
PHOTO: DION OGUCT
BY LARRY BEINHART
means to get out of their obligations. Lack of insurance or poor insurance pushes people away from low cost preventive care. They only seek care when things come to a crisis. That makes the whole system more expensive. That puts more pressure on companies that give good benefits. Our ideological resistance to national health comes from the idea that free market capitalism does everything better and governments do everything worse. But how, for example, can market forces deal with our epidemic of obesity? There are lots of free market forces selling us the causes of obesity: fast food, bad food, too much screen-watching time, suburban sprawl, door-to-door automobile travel and tax cut movements that take sports, music, and art out of public schools. The medical market system only responds when it can sell a product (drugs) or a service (surgery). So it only responds after obesity has led to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory problems, stomach, liver, and kidney problems. In any case, we don’t have a free market in medical care. Our health plans are selected for us by our employer or union or, as a last resort, some group they belong to. Anybody unfortunate enough to actually be out in the free market all alone, pays more and gets less. On the other hand, insurance companies, HMOs, hospital chains, and pharmaceutical companies have a great deal of influence.They select what research gets done, they buy influence with doctors, medical schools and journals, and they push the procedures and types of medical care that will bring the most profit with the least effort. Eighty percent of the world’s Ritalin is given to children in the United States. Ritalin is banned in Sweden. It can’t be that American children have 80 percent of the world’s attention deficit disorder and that Swedish children have none. One is the corporate-profit model, the other is the social-interest model. The industry also exercise its influence by supporting the legislators that they love. Rick Santorum is number one on their list. Clinton is number two. Johnathon Tasini has an institutional solution. He calls it Medicare for All.You can read it at www.tasinifornewyork.org. Individuals and firms who now have medical plans could buy into Medicare. (Medicare spends only two percent for administrative costs; private health care uses up 25 percent on administration, profits, executive salaries and bonuses, marketing, and advertising.) Tasini wants Medicare to use its power in the market place to get drugs, equipment, and supplies at the best price. The savings from that would be used to extend coverage to those who can’t afford it. Our political and civil health suffers from the same disease that our healthcare system does. Money is the gatekeeper. Nobody is left to speak for the public interest. Tasini speaks for the public interest. That’s probably why his positions are so clear and sensible. Clinton is running on money. I invite you to go to both of their websites and compare. She says nice things—“I am strongly committed to the protection and promotion of good health for all our children”—but she doesn’t believe it enough to put it ahead of the insurance company profits. For your health, for the health of your family, for the health of our community, for our national health, get out and vote, September 12. Larry Beinhart is the author of Wag the Dog, The Librarian, and Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin. Larry is a Fulbright fellow, he’s won an Edgar, a Gold Dagger, and several Emmy awards. He lives in Woodstock.
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM NEWS & POLITICS 33
34 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK
ULSTER INDIE
On the set of Racing Daylight by Jay Blotcher photos by Dion Ogust
O
n an oppressively humid Saturday afternoon in early July, Oscarnominated actor David Straithairn lies in a field in the Ulster County town of Accord. He’s been stabbed, a fact of little concern to the 20 people surrounding him. “Don’t leave me,” he groans, as blood dribbles over his lower lip. Straithairn falters and collapses into the tall grass. The 20 bystanders—the tech crew of the independent film Racing Daylight—discuss his performance in hushed admiration as Straithairn arises and wanders over to craft service to nibble a pretzel stick. He wears the navy blue woolen uniform of Harry, a Union soldier from the Civil War. Harry is the central character in this tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption that reaches across three centuries. It was written by actor and first-time director Nicole Quinn, who owns the field where Straithairn has been fighting and bleeding since 7am. It is the third day of a three-week shoot. Straithairn has been working in film for three decades, drawing the plaudits of critics and fans. In the past year, his bravura turn as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck made the Dutchess County resident a star. So why choose this barebones $250,000 production and even defer salary? “The story,” Straithairn says. “I love the story; it’s a very complicated story, intricate.” Racing Daylight is part romance, part ghost story, part murder mystery, weaving together the lives of three present-day characters: Sadie, Billy, and Henry. The tale opens with the reluctant homecoming of Sadie Stokes (played by actress Melissa Leo, an Ulster County resident), summoned to care for her dying grandmother at the family farm. Each leading character has an ancestor (whom the actors play in flashbacks) who has suffered a tragedy—accidental murder, lost love—which they seek to redress through their modern counterparts. Sadie’s ancestor Annie, for instance, wants to reunite with her lover Harry the soldier, just as Sadie wants to catch the eye of Henry, the eccentric handyman. (Straithairn plays both men.) But when Annie mistakes Henry for Harry, Sadie must compete for love with a ghost.
Nicole Quinn, who has worked for filmmakers John Singleton and Jodie Foster, HBO and Showtime, began writing Racing Daylight in 2002. There was a staged reading that year with Leo and Straithairn at Actors & Writers, the Olivebridge theater ensemble which Quinn belongs to. Known for his integrity in a profession often lacking it, Straithairn has remained with the project through rewrites and funding setbacks, the latter which trimmed back the original $600,000 budget. Quinn was forced to jettison several special effects, including walls of mist and talking grave stones, but feels the enforced frugality was a blessing. “It has become a much tighter, cleaner, simpler project.” The film’s themes of death and redemption spring from Quinn’s own experience. In the past three years, she has lost her mother, sister, and brother to terminal illness. Before they died, however, Quinn asked them to speak about facing mortality. Their deathbed observations shape the narrative. “For me, this [film] is all a hope and forgiveness thing,” she said. “What I realized was that when people are dying, the thing they're looking for is forgiveness. And what ultimately it came to was that the only one who can forgive you is yourself.”
T
he morning filming of the Civil War skirmish is over. A production assistant announces lunchtime and the soldiers trudge over the hill, faces blackened by gunpowder make-up, returning to Quinn’s rambling farmhouse, which serves as make-up room, wardrobe room, and everything in between. They sit down to fried chicken and salad on paper plates. There is no star trailer for the lead actor. Instead, Straithairn has perched on the edge of the porch in the shade, grabbing a few winks. An elbow on each knee, his upturned palms provide a cradle for his sleeping head. Behind him, a man in period leather breeches and a peasant shirt plays a lively fiddle. Quinn is thrilled to be working with Straithairn and Leo, both longtime 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 35
36 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN HARRIS AND NICOLE QUINN SETTING UP A SHOT ON THE SET OF RACING DAYLIGHT, QUIINN’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, FILMED IN JULY AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE ULSTER COUNTY HAMLET OF ACCORD. PREVIOUS PAGE: SABRINA LLOYD GETS MADE UP; JASON DOWNS AND DAVID STRAITHARN IN A CIVIL WAR SCENE.
friends. “It makes for a shorthand. We know what each other’s strengths are, and what each other’s weaknesses are. What our bad habits are.” Melissa Leo agrees, adding, “Every single person here, to a man, is here because they want to be here; they’re drawn to the project. There is a magic to it.” Sitting alone beneath a tree, finishing a sandwich, is Gus Truin of Tivoli, a Civil War re-enactor and historical consultant to the film. Between scenes, Truin remains in character as Sgt. Gregory Traven, a quartermaster with the first battalion of the 128th New York volunteers. Fingering his heavy wool jacket, Traven grunts and says, “We sweat it out with these here. There’s a lot of sunstroke in summer weather. It’s routine to have a hospital half-full of guys that went down from sunstroke, dehydration.” Sunstroke is avoided today, but the morning wasn’t casualty-free: One actor was struck with a gun butt, opening a gash above his eye. He was sped off to a local doctor for stitches and then ordered to convalesce the rest of the day. Actor Giancarlo Esposito sits in a lawn chair, his woolen pants and sackcloth shirt encrusted with mud. He plays the Drifter, a man accidentally killed by the 1800s farmer Edmund and hastily buried in fear, but who follows the man through life. Twigs and leaves are tangled in his hair. The Obie-award-winning New York actor admits that he takes many indie film roles for modest pay and another day on set is typically met with a painful “here-we-go-again” sigh. But not here. “When you get something that is a very original story and is ambitious as well, I get excited by that.” As moths dance around him, Esposito speaks emphatically of intimate connections, both in the storyline and on the set. He acted with Melissa Leo on an episode of TV’s “Homicide” and first performed with Straithairn in the Tim Robbins 1992 satire Bob Roberts. They’d not crossed paths in 14 years. When Esposito came on set this week, Straithairn was deeply involved in a conversation. But as Esposito passed by, the actor threw up his hand for a warm high-five. “It’s nice to work with people that you consider family.” The film’s message of the importance of breaking down fences—between people, between centuries, between life and death—is a personal mission for Esposito, he says, which is why he took the role. He leans in and recounts a dream from the previous evening: He was on a hill overlooking the countryside and discovered that every last fence in Ulster County had disappeared. All around him, neighbors were shaking hands, getting to know one another. “I hope this film turns out as well as it’s written,” he says. “I think it will. It has the ability to center people to a new level of consciousness. For me, that’s what film’s about.” Lunch is over. Actors and techies walk back uphill, along a path that has been mowed into the high grass. A bucket of charcoal chuffs smoke into the air for atmosphere. One woman sitting in a canvas chair methodically sews white lace trim to the bottom of a blue gingham dress. As the director of photography sets up the next scene, director Quinn offers plastic cups of cold water to sweating crew members. The film’s twin mascots—a golden retriever named Indiana and a Jack Russell terrier dubbed Ferris—wander around the set. Waiting to shoot his close-ups for the skirmish scene, Straithairn carries a bayonet. When Ferris jigs at his feet, the actor leans over and offers the dog a backscratch with the blunt edge of his weapon. “We’re closing in on picture,” the first assistant director yells. “Settle in for picture.” Straithairn obediently lies down, his wounded body propped up on one arm. The make-up girl moves in to refresh the blood on his lip. Quinn squints at the Union soldier in the grass before her and smiles. “The blood is lovely.”
Gifts with a Twist 299 WALL STREET KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401 845-338-8100
In The Heart of The Stockade District LIGHTING • JEWELRY • ART • GIFTS • FUNKYETHNIC 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 37
38 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
THE ART OF BUSINESS
POUGHKEEPSIE PANDEMONIUM The Chance Theater
BY JONATHAN D . KING
W
PHOTOS BY AMBER S . CLARK
hen the English Beat broke into their 1982 smash hit “Save it for Later,” the crowd, compromised largely of people who probably watched English Beat videos introduced by Martha Quinn on a fledgling MTV, responded with a roar. People danced and sang along with frontman Dave Wakeland as the Beat put on an energetic ska-flavored reunion show in mid-July at the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. The small orchestra pit that doubles as a dance floor makes for intimate shows connecting the crowd and band, and Wakeland and crew made the most of it, bantering with the dancers in the pit all night. The balcony hangs down close to the stage on three sides, allowing the feeling of being able to reach out and touch the performers. The high ceilings give this intimate venue both a big room feeling and sound. Built in 1918, this historic building on Crannell Street in downtown Poughkeepsie began its life as the Dutchess Theater. It first opened as a bar in 1970 as the Last Chance Saloon, but soon afterwards fell on hard times and closed, to be reopened as the music venue it is today in 1982 by antique dealer Peter Francese. Then in 1994, a precocious young headbanger named Frank Pallett
offered to buy the Chance from Francese, talked his cousin and father into going in as partners, and quit his construction job. Pallett is a muscular man in his mid-30s with a compact build and a clean shaven head. (When I first saw Pallett, I thought he was a bouncer.) He related the unlikely story of becoming a club owner at the age of 24. “It was a huge challenge, because I was basically a kid when I bought it. It was just my father, my cousin, and me, and we didn’t put a lot of money down and we were able to end up with the property and business. But the business, as it was, wasn’t worth anything because it was losing money. So I took on the jobs of four different people.” Even though the Chance still had a name, it had become tarnished with some booking agencies and one of Pallett’s first goals was to restore the theater’s reputation and to put it back on the map as a quality live music venue. “I would say it took me a good two and a half to three years to get it back to what it once was, bringing in national bands, the caliber of bands that need to be here for this to survive,” says Pallett. He easily recalls the seminal dates in the Chance’s history since he took over bookings: “May 10, 1997. I can remember that from
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 39
40 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
MIKE MILLER AND FRANK PALLETT, OWNERS OF THE CHANCE ENTERNTAINMENT COMPLEX IN POUGHKEEPSIE; PREVIOUS PAGE: THE ENGLISH BEAT TAKES THE CROWD BACK TO THE ‘80S AT THE CHANCE IN JULY.
one of the first big bands I booked, Collective Soul. It took me a long time to re-develop the Chance and get it back on the scene. But once I was able to get the place back on the map for East Coast tours, things finally started to fall into place.” As business took off and Pallett looked to expand their operations, Mike Miller bought out Pallett’s cousin. (His father still remains a silent partner to this day.) In 2000 they purchased the two buildings adjacent to the Chance when they became available and decided to open a pizzeria. To his dismay, Pallett found himself with yet another job, making pizzas one night a week. He bluntly describes that period as “a complete nightmare.” They sold the pizzeria, but when the new owner defaulted on the deal Pallett and Miller found themselves taking the space back. That’s when Pallett and company decided to connect the buildings and open Club Crannell Street as a gateway to the Chance. With that, they created what is now the Chance Entertainment Complex, consisting of four venues: the Loft, the Platinum Lounge, Club Crannell Street, and the Chance. Since 2002 they have been running four separate rooms, three live music venues, and one which hosts a dance club. “There were a lot of bumpy roads and it was never clear that this would happen in the end,” Pallett says of the zoning hoops he had to jump through. “We wound up buying these two buildings here with the plan of being where we are today, but it’s been hard, so we never knew. I’ve gone through tough times and some days it was like two steps forward, three steps back.” The fact that all of their venues interconnect gives the owners flexibility for arranging the performers and entertainment allowing them to market the place in different ways and bill themselves as a venue for just about any size act. In addition, they use the three different-sized rooms to move bands about based on the response of ticket sales. Pallett said, “The band Used played that stage,” gesturing to the small stage in the corner of Club Crannell Street, “for 50 bucks. Then they played the Chance next door and they sold out. And then they played the Poughkeepsie Civic Center. Just last week this big pop-emo band, Shoot Is What We Aim For, was booked to play Crannell. Ticket sales took off and we moved them into the Loft,” which is located upstairs over the Platinum Lounge and Club Crannell Street. The Chance Theater Complex employs about 70 part-time employees, the majority of whom are security guards. On a typical Saturday night, Pallett says that between the four rooms he could have as many as 30 security guards working, depending on the types of bands playing, plus two box office people, eight bartenders, and a couple of managers. But being a club owner is not always the glamorous job many people imagine. Two particular events in the last 10 years have made being a club owner one of the most lawsuit- and regulation-challenged professions today: 9/11, and the tragic fire at a Great White concert in Rhode Island in 2003, in which 97 people perished when flammable soundproofing material 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 41
42 COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
THE CHANCE HAS THE FEEL OF A BIG CLUB WITHOUT THE DRAWBACKS OF A LARGER VENUE—EVEN ON THE SECOND FLOOR, THE BALCONY IS CLOSE TO STAGE, FOSTERING INTIMACY BETWEEN PERFORMER AND AUDIENCE.
ignited in response to the band’s pyrotechnics. After the Great White fire, says Pallett, every town official across America asked, “What if that happens here?” and looked more closely at live music venues. “That particular incident cost me thousands and thousands of dollars and probably a couple of years off my life,” says Pallett. “It started affecting me to the point I would be out at other places and I would be thinking about how many exit signs I could see while I was trying to eat my meal!” In addition to his duties booking at the Chance, Pallett has also expanded his promotional and producing skills to include the largest venue in Poughkeepsie, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. The Civic Center is a nonprofit hall and the promoter rents it by taking all the risk, and covering liability, exposure, expenses, and payouts. It’s not an easy venue to book, and most people who have tried running it don’t last long. Clear Channel Entertainment, Pallett’s predecessor, reputedly lost hundreds of thousands of dollars running the Civic Center in only a year. Pallett took on the job knowing a promoter couldn’t make money there without retaining a part of the concessions. Together, he and Miller restructured the concessions contract and helped upgrade the Civic Center concessionaire from a beer and wine license to a full liquor license. As a result, he has managed to make his Civic Center shows a profitable extension of the Chance Complex, giving them yet another stage to accommodate all but the largest stadium performers. It was Pallett’s love for music that drew him into the business and he still plays guitar and sings in the rock band Core, which he describes as similar to the post-grunge sound of Fuel. He also recently started playing in an ’80s cover band with two Poughkeepsie cops and they recently played the Chance stage. “I still have a passion for music, I love it,” he says. “If I ever sold the place, that is what I would really miss about it.” But there is also a long list of things he wouldn’t miss about it, with inspections and lawsuits being at the top, followed closely by insurance. Since 9/11 insurance companies have dropped a lot of clubs and other businesses they view as high risks. Pallett told me they are paying premium rates just for liability and were not covered for anything else. Shaking his head, he says, “Last month’s profits went to this lawsuit, the month before went to another lawsuit, the month before that went to pay the lawyer who defends us and on and on. It’s very frustrating for as much work as I put in here, which is pretty much seven days a week.” Not that owning a club doesn’t have its benefits. Pallett has gotten to meet a number of the big-haired heroes from his youth. One highlight was booking Judas Priest at the Chance, which led to them playing at the Civic Center. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of my favorite singers and bands including George Lynch, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ratt, and Wasp. I was a metal head in the ’80s and I’ve booked just about every band that I grew up listening to, from David Lee Roth to Vince Neil.” Alt rock band Reel Big Fish and acclaimed guitarist Eric Johnson are just two of more than 20 acts that you can see at the Chance Theater Complex in August. And Frank Pallett, a strong candidate for the hardest working man in local show business, is capable of catering to a wide variety of tastes, including those tending toward the “cool jazz” sounds of Kenny G, whom Pallett has booked into the Civic Center on August 10. Check the Chance Theater Complex’s website for a complete listing of acts at all of the Chance venues at www.thechancetheater.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM COMMUNITY NOTEBOOK 43
44 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
AUGUST 2006
ARTS & CULTURE CHRONOGRAM
James Dustin’s Pavilion Model Drawing B.22, 2004, charcoal on paper, 42 x 60 inches
Hillary Harvey
Portfolio, page 46
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM PORTFOLIO 45
PHOTO OF JAMES DUSTIN: JENNIFER MAY
Portfolio James Dustin
Above: James Dustin with Pavilion Model 166, 2004, painted MDF board & basswood, 9 x 14 x 4.5 inches. Background painting in progress: S212 Columbia County, acrylic on prepared panels, 4 x 6 feet, 2006. (The view is west toward the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and the Catskill Mountains from a vantage point near Olana.)
Above, left to right: Charcoal on paper, each sheet 42 x 60 inches: Pavilion Model Drawing B.11, Brooklyn, 2002; Pavilion Model Drawing B.15, Brooklyn, 2002; Pavilion Model Drawing B.20, Greene County, 2004; Pavilion Model Drawing B.25, Greene County, 2004. Coxsackie-based painter James Dustin trained as a graphic designer and spent years working with architects on various design projects, incuding building architectural models. In the late ‘90s, Dustin began incorporating models into his paintings in a process that evolved into his present method. First, Dustin sketches and then constructs an architectural model— what he calls“pavilions.” He then takes his model outdoors, places it on a turntable, and spins it until he finds the “crisp” light he’s after. Dustin then paints in his studio from color photos he shoots of the models. Dustin’s paintings, as well as his models, will be exhibited as part of a two-person show August 5 through September 6 at the Athens Cultural Center. (518) 945-2136; www.athensculturalcenter.org —Brian K. Mahoney
46 PORTFOLIO CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
JAMES DUSTIN ON HIS WORK Pure Space I’m interested in making pure spaces. There’s a model, and the model acts as a framing device for the painting. In the paintings you can’t tell how big everything is, there are no figures, the scale is ambiguous. You know, kind of making the perfect little space. It’s interesting, I live in this historic house. And the reason I bought it was that it was a great space, it has great proportions in terms of rooms and details. And then you look at all the rooms, and they’re filled with junk. The idea is that the model is kind of enclosed, but not enclosed, pure space. Quality and Rigor If an architect is building a building, there’s a quality of thought and rigorousness that goes into it and somehow that’s reflected in the final result. And the more buildings one builds, or the more paintings one’s made, you kind of have to be careful that they don’t become route, in terms of, oh here’s another one, here’s another one. You kind of have to come back and approach it with a fresh eye, a fresh approach to make sure it maintains that integrity and edge at the same time.
Modernism I grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, so modernism had a nasty connotation because it had been played out to some degree, whereas in the ‘20s and ‘30s it was the new thing. And so it took my art school education and a lot of work with architects to look back and appreciate the quality of the original structures and original kinds of modernist buildings versus the kind of knock-off stuff that came after. Rooftop Tableau One day when I was in Brooklyn, I thought it would be cool to set up a little model or little tableau on my roof. I just set it up provisionally. I made little skylights and blocks, like building blocks, and then photographed them and then threw everything into a box and just said, “OK that’s it.” When I made the paintings and showed the work, the dealer said, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to make some actual models?” And I jumped at the chance. It got more elaborate in terms of having to control and figure out how the thing is going to look as a model. Originally, I was dealing with more interior space, looking outward so it was more of a contemporary look then what the inside of the model looked like. Now I’m more concerned, or as concerned, with what the whole physical object looks like. When I present the paintings, I
Top Left:
Bottom Left:
Top Right:
Bottom Right:
Catskill Paintings Model 188 #5-8
Pavilion Model Drawing B.22
Pavilion Model Plan Drawings 76-100
Pavilion Painting Model 10.5, Brooklyn
2005
2004
2003-4
2005
Acrylic on prepared panels
Charcoal on paper
Charcoal & graphite on paper
Acrylic on prepared panels
Each painting: 10 x 13 inches
42 x 60 inches
Each sheet: 11.5 x 14.5 inches
48 x 72 x 3 feet (Painting is 3 panels)
present them with the models as well, so you have a point of reference and comparison between the model space and the painting space. Control I’ve always been interested in architecture and some of the other series of paintings that I’ve worked on are actually buildings under construction or in destruction. That’s why I’ve always enjoyed working with architects and watching buildings being built. The unfinished building is in some ways all the more exciting because you don’t know how it’s going to end—there’s still a process to be run out. It still has great potential to be something even better. Especially in the mind’s eye, or the architect’s mind—this is going to be the best one yet. Some buildings really do turn out pretty well, but a lot of the times there’ll be problems. I always look at a new building, with a fine-toothed comb, like oh gee, that detail should have been done better there. And a lot of it is beyond the architect’s control. It’s the contractor, it’s the budget, all these other aspects that come into it. So the half finished building always has to me a great sense of potentialness, it’s going to be exciting.
Landscape Of course I’m interested in the landscape, but I think the landscape becomes sort of a almost secondary in my paintings. I’m kind of more interested in the model. And some of these, as you’ll see, the model space kind of takes up more of the painting than the landscape does. I’m more interested, or as interested in the space, the spatial aspects of the model space, than the landscape space. You look at the local landscape and you know that it would make a great painting. And I’m not really a plein air painter. I guess in a way I’m more of a conceptual painter even though they’re realistic looking paintings. Model Airplanes I guess a part of it goes back to when I was a kid—we built model airplanes. My dad was a pilot and he thought it would be cool if we learned how to build model airplanes. Which we did, my brother and I. And it was good experience, just seeing this kit of parts, these things, and how are all the pieces going to go together, step by step. You do this, you do that, and it comes out. And it’s like looking at a building the same way. It can become overwhelming, a project.
You look at something and think, “Oh my God, how are we ever going to get this thing done?” But you take it step by step—programming, design, structural details, building, final finishes. 19th-Century Disasters The arms and armors paintings were very popular with the investment bankers and lawyers, because they’re going into battle. You know, it’s like, we’re ready for battle—suit up. And I also did a series, I did actually a hundred paintings, 25 groups of these plane crashes. And needless to say, I still have those. One of the art dealers I work with said, “Well you know Jim, we work with insurance companies, I don’t think they’ll be putting these on their walls.” But it’s interesting, I made a set of sinking ships—a 19th-century disaster—and those were sold right away to a corporate client. It was a nostalgia factor. A hundred years ago sinking ships an instant disaster, you know the same sort of thing. In the 19th century, seeing a ship disaster was sort of like a plane disaster is today, like oh no, did I know anyone who was flying, who was coming across the ocean. So it was an interesting kind of split there between the two subjects.
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM PORTFOLIO 47
Lucid Dreaming PHOTOS: BETH E. WILSON
BY BETH E. WILSON
Now And Then a letter from France As I write this column, I’m about halfway through my month-long sojourn in France, where I’m leading a study abroad course for SUNY New Paltz, looking at the development of 19th-century plein air landscape painting by visiting the work in the amazing number of museums here, followed by trips out to some of the locations in which the paintings were made. Of course, many things have changed over the past century or so, but what’s really astounding is precisely how much history has been preserved here—both in the museums and in the locations themselves. The paths of people and events past wind together to create a dense matrix, like the thick crop of ivy that now covers the graves of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo in Auvers. The very history of the places here is an inescapable dimension of experiencing them today. Taking a picnic lunch in the Fontainebleau forest at Barbizon last week, it was amazing to see the same sort of trees, the same light, the same atmosphere that inspired Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Millet, and the other painters who sought out this place in the 1830s and ’40s. In fact, disturbed by new encroachments on the ancient forest (which had been kept for centuries, up to that point, as a hunting preserve for the French 48 LUCID DREAMING CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
monarchy), Rousseau actually sent paintings by way of appeal to LouisPhilippe, then the French “citizen-king,” to enact legislation protecting his beloved forest from short-sighted commercial exploitation. (It’s been protected to this day as a result.) The village of Barbizon is small and quaint, and a number of my students couldn’t resist skipping along the cobblestone streets, singing songs from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, which must have based its vision of Belle’s town on villages exactly like this. It’s a world away from life in the States, where the inevitable grind of suburban sprawl, strip malls, and the impulse to make the way safe for cars everywhere has systematically uprooted so many old buildings and historic building techniques, the physical traces of history that would otherwise give us a sense of place, a different perspective from which to set out to understand the world. The American attitude is perhaps best encapsulated in one of Oscar Wilde’s bon mots, in which he characterized the cynic as the man “who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” How often (and how vociferously) have I heard arguments on behalf of short-sighted, absolutist property rights, whenever sensible sacrifices or accommodations
A SIGN POSTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF CLAUDE MONET’S HOUSE IN GIVERNY; OPPOSITE PAGE: VINCENT AND THEO VAN GOGH ARE BURIED IN AUVERS-SUR-OSIE, WHERE VINCENT SPENT THE FINAL MONTHS OF HIS LIFE AND COMMITTED SUICIDE.
for the public good are called for? And so we witness the decimation of local farms and rural countryside, as every square inch of land capable of being built on is given over to real estate speculation, dotting the countryside with countless bland McMansions, surrounded by ecologically unfriendly acres of lawn. Certainly, there are still places where it’s possible to experience the rural wonder of the Hudson Valley, as it was first witnessed by Thomas Cole and his followers—if you hunt them out. But one must wonder just how much of the area they would recognize today if they were to return. While there have been a number of changes here in France since the 19th century, where suburban leisure sites like Argenteuil have been swallowed up by mostly characterless block houses (erasing all trace of their allure for pleasure-seeking Parisians), a surprising amount of the historic flavor of the Impressionist locations has been preserved. It’s not that the French abhor change—indeed, Paris (in Walter Benjamin’s phrase “the capital of the 19th century”) generated greater fundamental shifts in human history than just about any other place or time I can think of—but that they seem interested in finding ways to accommodate the past while building the new. In the 1850s and 1860s, when Baron Haussmann cut through the old Paris to create the broad boulevards that gave the city its new title as “the city of light,” the memory of Old Paris was permitted to linger on in certain quarters. The closest equivalent I can think of for this sort of development in the States occurred when Robert Moses shredded old neighborhoods to create the trough of the Cross-Bronx Expressway, a hideous gash from which the Bronx has yet to recover. Spending the last few weeks looking closely at the development of landscape painting in France during the 19th century, it has become starkly apparent to me how differently the Hudson River School painters responded to their environment. Building, of course, upon European pictorial traditions, Frederic Church, Asher Durand, and their brethren seemed mostly troubled by the impact of man upon the land, as was evident in the exhibition last spring at the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz. Towns and settlements were depicted, but almost always from a distance, privileging a more pristine tract of land in the foreground, as though the painters almost regretted the incursion of Man on the wild, providential Nature of the American continent. In France, it seems that people have lived on and in the land for so many centuries that the web of history weaves together both Nature and Culture, so the question of whether people might be present seems much less loaded. In fact, perhaps it was the very paucity of European presence in America that impressed and helped to form what ultimately became the American response to the “wilderness” encountered here, from the concept of Manifest Destiny to the closing of the frontier. Things are certainly not perfect in Europe, either—the French lag far behind us in their dedication to recycling, for example, and despite the country’s unity behind the “black, blanc, beure” multi-ethnic World Cup team, there remains a sad legacy of colonialist discrimination against the French of North African origin. But somehow, at the end of the day, it’s the indelible, inexorable presence of history around every corner that leaves the most lasting memory of France for me.
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gallery directory 50
GALLERY DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
galleries ALBANY INSTITUTE OF HISTORY AND ART
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
125 WASHINGTON AVENUE, ALBANY. (518) 463-4478.
225 SOUTH STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA. (413) 458-2303.
“Picture Perfect: Photographs of Washington Park.” Through September 3.
“The Clark: Celebrating 50 Years of Art in Nature.” Through September 4.
“From Burial Place to Green Space.” Through December 31.
“The Clark Brothers Collect: Impressionist and Early Modern Paintings.” Through September 4.
ALBERT SHAHINIAN FINE ART 196 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE. 454-0522.
“The Luminous Landscape 2006.” Over 80 paintings in this group show. Through September 10.
COFFEY GALLERY 330 WALL STREET, KINGSTON. 339-6105.
“Paper Visions.” Handmade paper by Terry Ann Tomlinson. August 6.
ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM 258 MAIN STREET, RIDGEFIELD, CT. (203) 438-4519.
“Homecoming.” Through August 6. “Tom Burckhardt: Full Stop.” Through August 6.
COLUMBIA GREENE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4400 ROUTE 23, HUDSON. (518) 828-4181 EXT. 3344.
“Fine Arts Students’ Exhibit.” Through August 25.
“Mary Temple: Extended Afternoon.” Through August 6.
CRAGSMOOR ROAD GALLERY ART SOCIETY OF KINGSTON 97 BROADWAY, KINGSTON. 338-0331.
“Boats and Rivers.” August 5-August 26. Opening Saturday, August 5, 5-8pm
ARTIST WALK IN BEACON
75 CRAGSMOOR ROAD, CRAGSMOOR. 647-2111.
“Findings on the Ridge.” Photographs of the Shawangunk Mountains by James Douglas. Through August 13. “Findings on the Ridge: Photographs of the Shawangunk Mountains.” Photographs by James Douglas. Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm-5pm. Through August 13.
MAIN STREET, BEACON. (914) 844-6515.
“Windows on Main Street.” 25 contemporary artists create sitespecific works for storefront windows. August 12-September 10.
DEBORAH DAVIS FINE ARTS
Opening Saturday, August 12, 12-9pm
“Summertime Pastels.” 4 artists use landscapes for inspiration. Through August 6.
485 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE. 471-0407.
“Studio Artists, Students and Staff Exhibition.” Through August 18.
gallery directory
BARRETT CLAY WORKS
345 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 822-1890.
DIA 3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON. 400-0100.
“Vera Lutter: Nabisco Factory, Beacon.” 4 large scale pinhole photographs of the factory. Through September 4.
BASILICA INDUSTRIA 609 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-1915.
“Salt of the Valley.” Works by emerging local artists. August 4-19.
EXPOSED GALLERY 318 DELAWARE AVE, DELMAR. (518) 475-1853.
Opening Friday, August 4, 6pm
“Equus Vita.” Through September 5.
BAU
FABULOUS FURNITURE SCULPTURE GALLERY
161 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 440-7584.
“Bits, Pieces, Gold...and Waiting.” Egon Zippel, installation. Through August 6. “Same Mother, Different Children.” Abstract works. August 12-September 4. Opening Saturday, August 12, 6-9pm
BE GALLERY
3930 ROUTE 28, BOICEVILLE. 657-6317.
“Sculpture Garden.” Sculpture and furniture from wood, metal, and car parts. Through November 15.
FINE ART STUDIOS 1864 MOUNTAIN ROAD, OTISVILLE. 386-3305.
“Images of Affirmation & Compassion.” Works by Hudson Valley Artist Caroline Prieur Schulz. Through August 7.
11 MONHONK ROAD, HIGH FALLS. 687-0660.
“Judith Hoyt.” Sculpture, encaustic paintings, jewelry. Through August 6.
FLETCHER GALLERY 40 MILL HILL ROAD, WOODSTOCK. 679-4411.
“Agnes Hart (1912-1979).” August 5-September 3.
BETSY JACARUSO STUDIO & GALLERY 54 ELIZABETH STREET, RED HOOK. 758-9244.
Opening Saturday, August 5, 5-7pm
“Beneath Canal.” Photographs of Lower Manhattan by Richard Edelman. Through August 12.
FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER
BRASS ANCHOR
“Forms of Exchange: Art of Native Peoples from the Edward J. Guarino Collection.” Through September 3.
RIVER POINT ROAD, POUGHKEEPSIE. 452-3232.
“Rural America.” Through September 12.
VASSAR COLLEGE, POUGHKEEPSIE. 437-5632.
“Subterranean Monuments.” Burckhardt, Johnson, Hujar, and the Changing Life of Bohemia in Post-War Manhattan. Through September 11.
CEDAR GROVE 218 SPRING STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 943-7465.
GALERIE BMG
“Jasper Cropsey: Interpreting Nature.” Through October 29.
12 TANNERY BROOK RD, WOODSTOCK. 679-0027.
CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AT WOODSTOCK
“In Search of Eden: Photographs by Sandra Russell Clark.” Explores the remarkable coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico. Through August 7.
59 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-9957.
“Family Album.” Artists from Argentina, Canada, & the USA. Through August 6. “Preston Wadley: Pentimento.” Through August 6.
CHTHONIC CLASH COFFEEHOUSE 453 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 831-0359.
“Indigo: A Series of Portraits.” Works by Curry Mendes. Through August 11.
“Susan kae Grant.” Exhibit of photographs. August 11-September 4. Reception Saturday, August 12, 5-7pm
GALLERY 25N 25 NORTH DIVISION STREET, PEEKSKILL. (914) 293-0811.
“Chaos Art-Art Chaos.” Visions from a mathematical mind by Bill Ralph. Through August 5.
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galleries GALLERY 384
MEZZALUNA CAFE
384 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 947-6732.
626 ROUTE 212, SAUGERTIES. 246-5306.
“Sea Graves.” Drawings by Francis Hines. Through September 2.
“Mixed Media and Collages by Shelley Davis.” August 5-September 3.
GCCA CATSKILL GALLERY
Opening Saturday, August 5, 6-8pm
398 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 943-3400.
“Superartists.” Juried group exhibition of comic and sequential art in all media. Through August 5.
MEZZANINE BOOKSTORE AND CAFE
“Collages and Drawings by Rosalie A. Frankel.” Through August 5.
“Myoyu.” Abstract oil-stick paintings by Doug Elliot. August 5-August 31.
“Big Country.” Juried group exhibition of expansive landscapes in all media. August 12-September 30.
79 BROADWAY, KINGSTON. 339-6925.
Opening Saturday, August 5, 5-7pm
Reception Saturday, August 12, 5-7pm “Lynn Friedman: Following the Light.” Exhibition of oil paintings of the Hudson Valley, Andalucia and New Mexico. August 12-September 30.
6423 MONTGOMERY STREET, RHINEBECK. 876-6670.
Reception Saturday, August 12, 5-7pm
“The Fair is the Heart of Dutchess County.” Photography by Molly Ahearn. Through September 4.
GCCA MOUNTAINTOP GALLERY
MORGAN LEHMAN GALLERY
398 MAIN STREET, WINDHAM. (518) 943-3400.
24 SHARON ROAD, LAKEVILLE, CT. (860) 435-0898.
“Flora and Fauna.” Works inspired by plants and animals throughout the world. August 5-September 24.
“Joellyn Duesberry.” New paintings and monotypes. Through August 6.
Reception Saturday, August 12, 2-4pm
“Paintings by Emilie Clark, Franklin Evans, and Katia Santibanez.” August 12-September 10.
“Greene County Arts and Crafts Guild.” August 29.
GREAT SOUTH BAY GALLERY 41 CROSS STREET, HUDSON.
Opening Saturday, August 12, 5-7pm
MUSEUM OF THE HUDSON HIGHLANDS
“In America.” Paintings by Jeffery L. Neumann. Through August 31.
OGDEN GALLERY, BOULEVARD LOCATION, CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON. 534-5506 EXT. 204.
HUDSON OPERA HOUSE
“Symbols of New York.” Learn about our state’s symbols. Through September 30.
327 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-1915.
gallery directory
MONTGOMERY ROW SECOND LEVEL
“Transition.” Curated by Melissa Stafford. Through August 19.
“Alive in New York: A Growing Invasion.” 43 works illustrating plants considered to be an invasive threat. Through October 29.
HUDSON RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM
NEWBURGH FREE LIBRARY
50 RONDOUT LANDING, KINGSTON. 338-0071.
124 GRAND STREET, NEWBURGH. 563-3601.
“Ship and Boat Building on the Hudson River.” Through October 31.
“unseenamerica New York State.” Pictures of working life taken by working hands. August 4-August 31.
HUDSON VALLEY CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
Reception Saturday, August 26, 7-7pm
1701 MAIN STREET, PEEKSKILL. (914) 788-7166.
“Reverence.” Work of 33 internationally renowned artists from 13 countries. Through February 26.
NICOLE FIACCO GALLERY
“Coincido Contigo En Lo Otro.” Collision of video, animation, sculptural installations and drawing. Through August 20.
“Kico Govantes-Solo Exhibition of New Paintings.” Through August 14.
HUDSON VALLEY GALLERY
OPEN STUDIO
246 HUDSON STREET, CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON. 534-5ART.
506 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-5090.
402 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL. (518) 943-9531.
“Hudson Valley Views.” Paintings by Paul Gould, Gayle Clark Fedigan, and Robert Trondsen. Through August 13.
“The Curvature of the Earth.” Works by Josh Bate. Through September 4.
JOHN DAVIS GALLERY
ORANGE HALL
362 1/2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-5907.
“Lucy Reitzfeld: Paintings.” Through August 13.
SUNY ORANGE, MIDDLETOWN. 341-4891.
“David X Levine: Drawings.” August 17-September 10.
“Unembedded.” Photographs by four independent photojournalists on the war in Iraq. Through August 16.
Reception Saturday, August 19, 6-8pm
Reception Sunday, August 6, 2:30-5pm
JONATHAN GALLERY
PEARL FINE ARTS GALLERY
68 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. (914) 466-6895.
3572 MAIN STREET, STONE RIDGE. 687-0888.
“Glass Art of Jeremy Pfeifer.” August 22-August 28.
“New Works.” Painter Sara Harris, sculptor Russell Krysiak, designer Kieran Kinsella, and stone carver/letter cutter Nils G. Kulleseid. Through August 8.
KARPELES MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY MUSEUM 94 BROADWAY, NEWBURGH. 569-4997.
“Looking Back.” Works by Brian Shapiro spanning a quarter century. Through August 31.
KLEINERT/JAMES ARTS CENTER 34 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-2079.
“Thread Bare: Tradition Unraveled.” Through August 6.
PUTNAM NATIONAL GOLF CLUB 187 HILL STREET, MAHOPAC. 628-3105.
“Inaugural Exhibit of Public Art.” Through December 31.
RIVERWINDS GALLERY 172 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 838-2880.
“Classical Landscapes in Oil.” Works by Marilyn J. Fairman. Through August 7.
LICHTENSTEIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 28 RENNE AVENUE, PITTSFIELD, MA. (413) 499-9348.
“Current Works.” Berkshire Photography group exhibition. September 2-September 29.
MARK MCDONALD GALLERY 555 WARREN STREET, HUDSON. (518) 828-6320.
“F3- Furniture Fabric Fotography.” Modern furniture upholstered in modern fabrics displayed in photographs. Through September 10.
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GALLERY DIRECTORY CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART SUNY NEW PALTZ, NEW PALTZ. 247-3844.
“Anxious Objects.” Definition and divergence in contemporary craft. Through August 14. “Kaaterskill.” Transforming the Catskills through the lens of Susan Wides. Through August 13. “Art and Identity.” Selected work from the museums collections. Through December 10.
SILENT SPACE GALLERY 596 BROADWAY, KINGSTON.
“Hot Summer of Philocracy.” Group show bringing new artists to the Hudson Valley. Through August 30.
SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY ARTS CENTER 790 RT 203, SPENCERTOWN. (518) 392-3693.
“Looking at the Next Generation.” Paintings from the undergraduate studios of Rhode Island School of Design. August 5-September 10. Opening Saturday, August 5, 4-6pm
ST. GREGORY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2578 RT 212, WOODSTOCK. 679-8800.
“Three - Three Artists - Six Sculptures.” Outdoor sculpture exhibition, presenting the abstract works of Anthony Krauss, Basha Ruth Nelson and Shelley Parriott. Through November 20.
STAGEWORKS 41 CROSS ST, HUDSON. (518) 851-7044.
“In America: Paintings by Jeffrey L. Neumann.” Through August 31.
THE BEACON INSTITUTE FOR RIVERS & ESTUARIES 199 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 838-1600.
“Dave White: The World of a Hudson Riverman.” Through September 9.
THE CATSKILLS GALLERY 106 PARTITION STREET, SAUGERTIES. 246-5552.
“Grow: Terry Rowlett.” Through August 6.
THE DOGHOUSE GALLERY
gallery directory
429 PHILLIPS ROAD, SAUGERTIES. 246-0402.
“Staats Fasoldt and Friends.” Through September 3.
TIVOLI ARTISTS CO-OP 60 BROADWAY, TIVOLI. 757-2667.
“Red! A Group Show.” Through August 20.
VAN BRUNT GALLERY 460 MAIN STREET, BEACON. 838-2995.
“Colin Barclay: New Paintings.” Through August 7.
VARGA GALLERY 130 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK. 679-4005.
“A Horse of Another Color.” Exhibition of equine influenced works. Through August 8.
WATER STREET ANTIQUES BARN 10 MAIN STREET, NEW PALTZ. 255-1403.
“Water Street Views Exhibit.” August 7- 31.
WHITE GALLERY 343 MAIN STREET, LAKEVILLE, CT. (860) 435-1029.
“Jane Filer and Dawn Breeze.” Abstract and mixed media works. Through Aug 28. Reception Saturday, August 5, 4-7pm
WILDERSTEIN HISTORIC SITE 330 MORTON ROAD, RHINEBECK. 876-4818.
“Daisy.” Journey through the life of Margaret (Daisy) Suckley. Through October 31.
WOODSTOCK SCHOOL OF ART 2470 ROUTE 212, WOODSTOCK. 679-2388.
“Deane Keller Memorial Exhibition.” Through August 5.
YELLOW BIRD GALLERY 19 FRONT STREET, NEWBURGH. 561-7204.
“Vivid Designs and Unexpected Color Combinations.” Gloria Garfinkel. Through August 20.
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53
Music
PHOTOS: FIONN REILLY
BY SHARON NICHOLS
CAPTON
MARQUIS OF MISERY
Richard McGraw Joins Ranks with the Melancholy Nick Cave. Bob Dylan. Leonard Cohen. Tom Waits. These men were never singers. These men are vocalists, and there’s a colossal difference. Their ability to pen poignant lyrical dramas of the human-cosmic joke only doubles their genius. These sorts of artisans have nearly vanished in the age of the plastic pop icon, the laptop recording studio, and whatever constitutes college radio these days. To unearth a man who is following in the footsteps of the greats in a massively competent way is most certainly a kick. Now playing on a loop: Richard McGraw. His voice is strained, warbling, genuine, and filled with desperation. I’ve never heard such angst-laden vocals in all my years. He says he’s only ever received one negative review, and that writer said McGraw whines and complains. Bring it on! Here is a man who lies in bed at night wondering how he’s going to die. He sings of misery, memorial, mortality, and loss. He evokes religious imagery, erecting church houses to pray in and supreme beings to beseech. Women have put his heart through a meat grinder and he needs to tell you all about it. Sound familiar? If any unknown recording artist is worthy of recognition, it’s this guy. The maturity and professionalism that is evident on his second release, Song and Void, Volume One, is staggering. You’d never guess that McGraw is a month short of 30 and living in a basement in Newburgh, trying to scrape together enough money to send to his pals at Visa. The packaging of the CD alone is 54 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
enough to make you want to rip the plastic off, and in half a shake. Looks like it might even be negro spirituals, who knows? McGraw, a graphic designer who creates cosmetics packaging in Manhattan, has used raised etching on the cover of his ivory cardboard jewel case. On either side of the illustration of his 1900s-style portrait is the number 76 (year of his birth) and a blank space, a hint to the CD’s often-morbid contents. Inside the cover is an invitation to write your name on your newest acquisition and also to place a picture of yourself, a clever tactic that may resurrect memories of having done this already, way back at age eight. The album was recorded in one or two takes during the winter of 2004. It begins with the melancholy “Butter Hill,” introducing McGraw’s mournful croak —“Glory to God and all of His children”—soon followed by piano and percussion in a hymn-like death march. “Death is Not Peace” is a disturbingly brilliant track, beginning with McGraw’s tin can vocals embedded in lone piano notes, only to fall victim to a surprise avalanche of furious electric guitars à la The Bad Seeds, and return once again to a very weepy piano. Feels like being murdered, then placed on a bed of violets. “Find Me Then” is another plodding prayer which earns McGraw his “explicit lyrics” label with one four-letter word. “Natasha in High School,” the tale of a high school lay, sticks out on the CD like a sore thumb, its pop drive sounding more like something Elvis Costello would churn out on a really good day. A favorite hilarious lyric: “She’s dating a boy
named Beret / and I hear he wears one on his head / filled with all the stupid things he says.” “St. Anthony” tells of the death of an old school chum over strumming acoustic guitar, tinged with a bit of envy: “Making out in the 6th grade / you were so ahead of your time / I didn’t make out, brother / till I was fucking 99.” One must wonder if “The Many” is intentionally tongue in cheek or not; there’s just something gruesomely funny about the punctuated tuba notes and the Gay Men’s Choir of Newburgh singing “aye yie yie yie” while McGraw muses on his various death options. In addition to his destined-to-be-famous throat instrument, McGraw plays electric and acoustic guitars, and piano on this recording, joined by producer Zoe B. Zak on keys, accordion, and vocals; Robert Kopec and Daniel Goodwin on bass; Dean Sharp on drums; John Platania on electric guitar and dobro; Bob Leive on trumpet; “OT” Munkh O Turbold and Richard Leisler on electric guitar; Richard Carr on viola and violin; Deric Gorman on acoustic and electric guitars; the “Sisters of Mercy” on vocals; and David Winograd on tuba. I don’t know if McGraw is speaking to me from his subterranean chamber or not, but on the phone he seems like quite the normal, nice enough chap who is just trying to work out his trip around the sun like everybody else. He tells me he’s had no formal music training and he’s recently picked up the harmonium like one of his musical favorites, Krishna Das. When I ask what inspires his existential musical angst, he laughs and tells me it’s a loaded question. “I hit rock bottom on some of these songs. What inspires miserable songs? I guess it’s misery. When you’re happy and things are joyful, what is there to write about? Maybe I’m complaining, or Nick Cave can be considered complaining, but we’re doing it for a reason. We’re finding some sort of dignity in it, not just shooting off at the mouth.” He mentions his first release, Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs, which also contains a great deal of doom and gloom. Zen training, a major in philosophy, and a minor in psychology (Albany State) may or may not have affected his songwriting, McGraw isn’t sure, but “they trickle down to the art somehow.” His being a finalist and winning $1,000 in the 2003 John Lennon Songwriting Contest didn’t hurt much, although he thinks there’s something about it that’s “kinda cheesy.” McGraw was solicited by Rick Rubin (MTV calls Rubin “the most important producer of the last 20 years”) and played for him in a hotel room in SoHo. “I thought this was it. I thought I was being blessed by God, that my career would be made. I started to feel destiny. It wasn’t so absurd, this calling to be a songwriter. Here was the most respected producer interested in my music.” McGraw proceeded to send Rubin 15 to 20 songs. Nothing happened. But he describes the experience as an entrance into manhood. Appleseed Records (Pete Seeger) would have signed him had Rubin taken a bite. (But “you can only kiss ass and play this game for so long.”) McGraw is still without a booking agent and manager, caught in that familiar musician’s
nightmare—drop major money to make a record on your own, subsequently have no money to hire or tour, and sack out in granny’s basement. It’s a real shame some hot shot isn’t beating down his door already. Currently he’s trying to get radio promo, is gigging at various venues (already played CBGB’s, The Living Room, The Knitting Factory, and Meow Mix, all in Manhattan), and is just trying to get attention in any way he can think of (including a story by yours truly). He fully realizes he must be part of the machine, or at least elements of the machine, to get anywhere. As for his recurring fatality references, McGraw immediately refers to the CD cover. “I’m not entirely comfortable with the two bars that are at the side of my head. That’s very scary to me. I didn’t want to write my own death sentence. Ultimately, I don’t really want to think about these things or deal with them. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and it’s unfortunate. Or fortunate, I’m not sure yet. If you don’t have those great religious beliefs to cling to, then you’re screwed.” McGraw admits to being a “mild Christian” with a laugh, not really knowing what he means by that. “I try to follow Christian ethics. Whether I buy into all the metaphysical beliefs, that’s another matter.” Something in him rejects what he calls “significant immortality.” “Okay, something in me will live on, but it will not be this personality that is mine, these memories. There won’t be anything that’s recognizably me. So, it still seems like annihilation or nothingness. If I die and become energy or food for the plants, that’s not comforting to me.” What is comforting, at least, is that he has the potential to make a living as a songwriter, or even as a graphic designer, no longer having to resort to any number of other thankless jobs he once engaged in, including cart pusher and hamburger bun toaster. McGraw has plans to perform upstate soon, but nothing is yet set in stone. This is where you, reader, have to seek out future appearances on your own, and I highly advise that you do it before this character gets so famous that you can’t get anywhere near him. And if he’s in any way as smart as his music or design, he will do just that. www.richardmcgraw.com.
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM MUSIC 55
NIGHTLIFE HIGHLIGHTS
Handpicked by local scenemaker DJ WAVY DAVY for your listening pleasure. MARLBOROUGH SUMMER CONCERTS August 4, 11. Producer Tony Falco, of the quietly revered Falcon Arts Center, plots the annual outdoor concert series in Milton’s Cluett-Schantz Memorial Park, an oasis on Route 9W between New Paltz and Newburgh. Falco’s acumen for breaking acts is well known, and here he fills the Round Pond bandstand with multi-talented Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club, with opening act Sgt. Wonder and the Marvels (8/4). The Greek soul sound of Spiros Soukis Blues Band does the bazouki boogie with The Warhol Crowd (8/11). Shows are rain or shine as the park features a generous pavilion. 7pm. Free. Milton. (845) 546-0444. www.soukisblues.com
FREE103POINT9 RADIO FESTIVAL August 5. This totally captivating aural project presents a special day of radio art and performance on their 30 acres in Greene County. Festival activities will feature microradio and nature walks, outdoor sound installations, unique mobile transmissions, and live music performance including Signal-to-Pink Transmissions by Karin Bolendar, featuring FM transmissions activated by Pink, a Nigerian Dwarf goat. Catch the wave(s). 2pm. Acra. (518) 622-2598. www.free103point9.org.
WALL STREET JAZZ FESTIVAL August 5. Kudos to Kingston and the Uptown scene-makers for converting Wall Street into a pedestrian mall for this and other fabulous events. Jazz lives in Ulster County as this year’s fest stars Estrella (with violinist Betty MacDonald and pianist Peggy Stern), trumpeter Rebecca Coupe Franks, and vocalist Jay Clayton with tap dancer (!) Brenda Buffalino. In case of rain the party moves indoors to Backstage Productions. 5pm. Free. Kingston. (845) 246-4106. www.wallstreetjazzfestival.com.
BAYSTOCK August 12. The hard rock-metal-core scene flows like water, and finds its own level when it meets the Rondout Bay Café and Marina. Baystock ’06 offers two stages and close to 20 bands, including flying-V phenom Kristen Capolino, Hyngd, The Fury, and local faves Long Ben featuring Evil Matty on vocals. The producers of this all-ages show remind us that those under 16 need a parent or guardian to attend. 12pm. $10. Kingston. (845) 339-3917. www.myspace.com/nymufest.
PUREVOLUME.COM SKA-FEST August 13. Ska lives, proven by the recent reunion tour of the groundbreaking English Beat. If you’ve never bounced at a ska show, check out this roster presented by indie band site PureVolume.com, with Reel Big Fish at the Chance (with MXPX, Street Light Manifesto, Transition, and Whole Wheat Bread). On the adjacent stage of The Loft, The Pietasters take the cake, backed by Soul for Sale, The Naked Citizens, and Buddha Heroes. 7pm. $21 for both rooms. Poughkeepsie. (845) 471-1966. www.thechancetheater.com.
EDDIE PALMIERI
JAMES PEROU
August 26. Spanish-Harlem-born Palmieri went from piano to drums (at 15 he played timbales in his uncle’s band) and back to piano, claiming he’s “a frustrated drummer, that’s why I bang on the piano.” This humble innovator has been banging away over 50 years, as a musical innovator both on (his 2006 album Listen Here won the Best Latin Jazz Grammy) and off the keys (he’s also on the board of directors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, or NARAS). This Bearsville Theater show presents the legend in a rare, intimate setting. (Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks hit the stage August 5.) 8pm. $30. Bearsville. (845) 679-4406. www.bearsvilletheater.com.
REEL BIG FISH PLAY THE CHANCE 8/13
56 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
CD REVIEWS DENISE JORDAN FINLEY: READY OR NOT DOME ISLAND RECORDS, 2005
This music obsessed singer/songwriter packed a generous 20 songs onto Ready Or Not. Jordan Finley’s versatile voice warms in celebrations and whispering prayers, and her guitar work is just as flexible. Whether strumming the blues or picking a complex instrumental, she is consistent and engaging. In “Little Secrets,” twangy country guitar is matched with her yodeling lilt, creating a broken-hearted tragedy that ends with a ray of sunlight. “Memorial Day” is gleaned from tombstones in a graveyard. Her husband, Brazilian jazzman Matt Finley, plays on “Under The Radar” and “Whenever Winter Comes,” and there’s a long list of powerhouse players on the disc that include Clifford Carter and Cyro Baptista. On the instrumental “Jumping On The Bed,” Denise plays big fat notes on her perfectly tuned Rain Song graphite guitar. The last track, “Music Teacher Blues,” is a funny, live performance that tells the tale of teaching young people who don’t always want to learn, but think they are experts on the subject. You can check out cdbaby.com and listen to Ready Or Not, or go to denisejordanfinley.com to check out her extensive schedule of area appearances. —J. Spica
SWATI: SWATI SWATI, 2006
I first heard Swati (“Star” in Hindi) last year while stranded with only a car radio. Expecting to hear the momentarily interesting, but ultimately inconsequential, pop/folk/rock mush, I desultorily tuned to WDST, lucky enough to hear a live session with Swati, a 32-year-old Indian-American singer-songwriter from the Lower East Side. Who was this woman whose music was at once so sexy, sublime, sad, strident, and smartass? Swati is a paradox on this 10-song debut. Her voice is forthright and breathy, a lovely yet edgy conduit for plaintive imaginings and rhapsodic desperation. Removing four of her acoustic guitar’s 12 strings and often treating it like a percussion instrument, she manages to reproduce Indian music’s mesmerizing minor key chords and uses repetitive picking patterns to invoke passion, regret, and fury (“Big Bang” and “Money”), as well as coming-to-terms (“New Me”). Swati wears her emotions on her sleeve, singing about “dopamine rising/dopamine falling” (“Stay”), a New Jersey prostitute asking “Ain’t you got no friends?” (“Blackjack”), and escaping superficiality (“Dodge”). Her cover of Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” is steamier than the Boss could ever hope for. As she sings in “Dodge,” Swati “believe[s] in brutal honesty,” and in “Small Gods,” she “need[s]”—and gives—“more than just beautiful.” www.swatilive.com. —Susan Piperato
LISA DUDLEY: ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER STEINBRENNER MUSIC, 2005
How do you like your country music? Churned out by a honky-tonk devil or touched by an angel? Fundamentalists believe music was created solely to praise The Lord (and to beat up heathens), but Lisa Dudley offers a new genre: New Age Country. On this self-produced CD, recorded at Ozark, Missouri, the Woodstock-based singer/songwriter croons in a supple, weather-beaten voice about healing light, guardian angels perched on various body parts and the love of a far more nurturing and forgiving Jesus. The only lineage that Dudley reveals is that her greatgrandmother hailed from Oklahoma. Whether she was born and raised there and channels family history or simply has a galloping case of Dustbowl envy is not apparent. But Dudley’s compositions are a refreshing change from the usual bunch of mewling pro-war hayseed pap currently on the charts and, uncannily, have the immediate feel of a lived-in standard. Besides, I tip my hat to anyone who can sing of a convoy of trucker angels and insists it’s a true story. If Dudley’s ditties of hard luck and sweet inspiration occasionally flirt with over-earnestness, the crack team of musicians she has assembled on fiddle, mouth harp, dobro, and upright bass gallantly rescue her from bathos. www.lisadudley.com. —Jay Blotcher 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM MUSIC 57
JENNIFER MAY
Books
LEADER OF THE PACK ABIGAIL THOMAS’S THREE-DOG LIFE by Nina Shengold
A
beagle gets off his leash. It’s an everyday moment that will change whole lives. Abigail Thomas has made a career—two collections of stories, a novel, the acclaimed memoir Safekeeping—out of writing such moments, but this one is different. Six years later, the beagle barks outside a rambling farmhouse in Woodstock. Two more dogs join in as the front door swings open, emitting a waft of banana bread with warm chocolate chips and blueberries. Thomas is hosting her Wednesday night workshop. The writers—all women tonight—congregate in the kitchen, forking up cake with murmurs of bliss and, refreshingly, no talk of calories: The one writer who doesn’t partake is recovering from a stomach flu. “Bring some home,” suggests one of her colleagues. “But warm it,” says Thomas. “It has to be warm.” The group migrates into the living room, full of quilt-draped couches and comfortable chairs, a round coffee table piled high with books and a bright ball of wool. Thomas sits sideways on an overstuffed tan armchair, legs dangling over one arm. Her blonde hair spills onto her shoulders, and one of her garden-tanned forearms bears a Southwestern-looking tattoo of a salamander, which she got on her 60th birthday. She is not wearing shoes and her socks
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don’t match. Or maybe they do: Thomas’s world embraces the different. A closer look at the colorful paintings on every wall reveals primitive brushstrokes, obsessively lettered dense texts, and repeated motifs. Art critics call such works “outsider art.” For Thomas, they are something else: paintings by friends, by people who speak the same language as her husband Rich. Six years ago, Rich took the beagle for a walk and didn’t come back. Thomas got a call from the doorman of their Upper West Side apartment, telling her that her dog was in the elevator. Rich had been hit by a car. “His skull is fractured like a spiderweb. Everywhere,” Thomas writes in her mesmerizing new memoir, A Three Dog Life. The police report listed Rich as “dead, or likely to die.” But he beat the odds, surviving multiple brain surgeries. For a few eerie days, he seemed almost himself. Then he fell into a spiral of unpredictable rages, paranoid outbursts, and fragmented perceptions, losing all sense of time and even the shortest-term memory. “Rich is lodged in a single moment and it never tips into the next,” Thomas writes. “I got stuck with the past and the future. That’s my half of this bad hand. I know what happened and I never get used to it.” Eventually, Rich was transferred to a facility for patients with traumatic
brain injury in Lake Katrine, and Thomas moved upstate to be near him. A Three Dog Life is the story of coming to grips with a reconfigured life, of unspeakable loss and precious, hard-won independence. Stephen King called it, “The best memoir I have ever read. This book is a punch to the heart.” (It’s also unexpectedly funny, as when Thomas writes, “Sometimes it’s all I can do to brush my teeth, toothpaste is just too stimulating.”) “It’s so hard to talk about Rich,” she says now. “It’s such a fluid situation. There’s no answer to ‘How is Rich?’ The only way to get it so I can understand it is to write it down.” She wrote first in diaries, with no thought of publishing. Then an editor at Elle asked her to write a short piece about grief, which became the memoir’s first essay, “How It All Happened.” Both Safekeeping and A Three Dog Life are composed of short, discrete essays, which, taken together, form a complex pattern. This format may have a genetic antecedent: Lewis’s father was National Book Award-winning scientist Lewis Thomas, whose bestsellers Lives of a Cell and The Snail and the Medusa are structured the same way. “I have no memory for ordinary chronology, and really no interest in it. I don’t even believe in it. How do we know we’re going forward? We might all just be in this broth, rolling around, and time isn’t going anywhere,” Thomas claims. She calls Safekeeping “an unmoir, because I have no memory, except for moments.” Those moments gleam. Thomas’s writings are often compared to stained glass, collage, quilts— art objects assembled from fragments. Like Grace Paley, Tillie Olsen, or Alice Munro, she speaks in an unvarnished language of quirky plain truth, quintessentially female, collecting the glittering tidbits of everyday life like a magpie. Thomas didn’t start writing until her late 40s. Pregnant at 18, she was expelled from Bryn Mawr in her freshman year (her boyfriend was not asked to leave). They got married and “spent a miserable eight years together.” She spent the next years raising children, remarrying, and battling depression. After her second divorce, Thomas found herself at 38 with no college degree and no prospects. She became a slush-reader for Viking, her father’s publisher. After five years and thousands of manuscripts, she was promoted to editor. Next she became a literary agent, representing Anne Lamott, Annie Proulx, and poet Li-Young Lee, among others. “As an agent, you can work with anybody on anything,” she grins. “It’s like being the first person at a really great garage sale.” Then she met Rich, “the nicest man in the world,” who proposed to her 13 days after they met. Thomas began writing full-time. She founded a Manhattan workshop called Tuesday Night Babes; its members included mystery writer Alison Gaylin (Hide Your Eyes), who would later urge Thomas to move upstate, closer to the Northeast Trauma Center. The Wednesday night workshop started soon after that move, when Gaylin introduced Thomas to authors and Woodstock Wool Company owners James Conrad and Paul Leone. “I wanted to feel rooted up here,” Thomas says. “Nothing builds intimacy and trust faster than getting together to share what you write. We love each other. It’s my favorite
night of the week.” A world-class appreciator, she go away.” Wrestling with guilt is a big theme of A Three marvels at the workshop’s give and take: Ann Patty edited A Three Dog Life for Harcourt; Jennifer May Dog Life. “I wanted to make something that would photographed its book jacket and designed an au- be useful for other people. A lot of people think that if one’s life is happy after a tragedy, something is wrong. Everything I have now is based on what happened to Rich, and I love what I have. It’s so hard to reconcile. It isn’t a question of guilt, but accepting the life that you’ve got.” Abigail Thomas is the mother of four and grandmother of 12, including two sets of twins. She’s also a wife, though she’s living alone for the very first time. “I’m so married,” she says. “It’s nice to know that.” From A Three Dog Life: “Rich and I don’t make conversation; we exchange tidbits, how well we’ve slept, what was for breakfast. We are stripped down to our most basic selves. No static, no irony, no nuance. Once in a while Rich says something that takes my breath away: ‘I feel like a tent that wants to be a kite, tugging at my stakes,’ he said one day, out of a clear blue sky. He was lying in a hospital bed, but his eyes were joyous. In some ways, we are simply an old married couple, catapulted into the wordless phase ahead of time. An old pal of mine used to extol the virtues of basic body warmth in the days when I was thor website, www.abigailthomas.net, about which more into the heat, but now I understand. Rich and Thomas gushes, “Isn’t it wonderful? You want to I sit together, we hold hands; we are warm-blooded spend the summer there.” May also suggested a creatures in a quiet space, and that’s all the compublisher for Jo Treggiari’s upcoming young adult munication we need.” Abigail Thomas will read on September 9 at 5pm, at fantasy, The Curious Misadventures of Feltus Ovalton. Joshua’s in Woodstock. Sponsored by The Golden NoteThe room fairly hums with support. The format evolved as the group started bringing book. (845) 679-8000; www.goldennotebook.com. in ongoing projects. At first, Thomas read passages by favorite authors and doled out her trademark “two pages in which...” assignments. (A selection Chronogram is sponsoring two writing contests for the appears in her website essay “Getting Started.”) “It upcoming Fall Literary Supplement, to be edited by was like a spell,” says May. “I don’t think any of us Mikhail Horowitz and Nina Shengold. knew what we’d write until we wrote it. And then For our annual Fiction Contest, we’re seeking outstanding we would all give feedback, and of course everyone short stories, up to 4,000 words in length. The guest hangs on Abby’s feedback, because she cuts right to judge will be Valerie Martin, prize-winning author of the center. She asks the hard questions.” Property, Mary Reilly, and The Unfinished Novel and “I don’t think you can teach writing. You Other Stories. The winning story will receive $100 and publication in the Literary Supplement. Honorable see where the fire is and blow on it gently,” says Mention stories will be eligible for publication in future Thomas, who’s taught in the New School’s MFA issues of Chronogram. All entries must be unpublished; program since its inception. “My job is to find where Chronogram requests first publication rights only, with the heart is beating and tell them how good it is. I reprint and all other rights to remain with the author. want people to leave feeling that they can’t wait to Submission deadline is August 15, 2006. Please send get home and start writing.” your best work (no more than one story per writer) to For Thomas, creativity is an imperative. “You fiction@chronogram.com, or by mail to Chronogram can bake, make a garden, write, knit, give it away. Contests, 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401. How could you get through life without doing that?” For our first Humor Contest, “Joined at the Hip,” She shakes her head. “We’re man-the-maker, we’re we invite you to help us eliminate bookshelf clutter supposed to make things. You can’t just shop.” by double-booking great works of literature. Please The weeks before publication are often a weird provide a title and one-line concept pitch for a literary sort of limbo for authors, but living in limbo is no twofer, e.g.: longer foreign to Thomas. She visits Rich often, and Huckleberry Finnegans Wake. A plucky lad brings him home, to a place he sometimes doesn’t and a runaway slave fall asleep on a raft in recognize, every week. “I am doing what I can do. I the stream of consciousness. wouldn’t do more, I couldn’t do less,” she asserts. The heartbreak of loving someone who is there, Moby-Dick-and-Jane. “Look, Ishmael! See yet not there, will resonate with many readers who Dick breach. Breach, Dick, breach!” care for Alzheimer’s patients, stroke victims, or the Entries will be judged by Shengold and Horowitz mentally ill. “I don’t know how anybody does it. It (who, contrary to popular belief, are not joined at doesn’t get any easier, and it doesn’t ever get not the hip). Each winner will receive a Chronogram Treally sad, but you do it anyway,” Thomas reflects. shirt. Submission deadline is September 15, 2006. “Once you accept that this happened, it’s not goPlease send up to three entries to Humor Contest, ing to un-happen, there’s nothing that you could fiction@chronogram.com, or by mail to Chronogram have done—once the paint is dry on that, at least Contests, 314 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401. for me, when the guilt comes back, I can make it
CONTEST FOR WRITERS
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BOOKS 59
SHORT TAKES Sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll! Computer geeks and yoga freaks! A tasting sampler of nonfiction treats by Hudson Valley authors.
Fever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee Peter Richmond
THE ESSENCE OF TANTRIC SEXUALITY MARK A. MICHAELS & PATRICIA JOHNSON LLEWELLYN WORLDWIDE, 2006, $17.95
Leave your inhibitions at the door: Chronogram contributors and celebrated Tantra teachers Michaels and Johnson offer an accessible and stimulating introduction to the ancient Hindu tradition of sacred sexuality, incorporating philosophical and practical techniques to get anyone’s erotic energy flowing. “The kingdom of heaven lies within each and every one of you.”
I THINK, THEREFORE WHO AM I? MEMOIR OF A PSYCHEDELIC YEAR BY PETER WEISSMAN XLIBRIS PUBLICATIONS, JUNE 2006, $21.99
In eloquent, observant prose, local resident Weissman expresses the beauty and confusion of turning on, tuning in, and dropping out in 1967’s NYC. Tie-dyed, wide-eyed characters race through the narrative, shedding clothes and inhibitions as they go. A great read for those who were there—or those who wish they were!
GREAT PRETENDERS: MY STRANGE LOVE AFFAIR WITH ’50S POP MUSIC KAREN SCHOEMER FREE PRESS, 2006, $25
Former Newsweek music critic, “punk contrarian,” and Columbia County resident Schoemer navigates the spongy shoals of white-bread ’50s pop. Tracking down faded idols Connie Francis, Fabian, Pat Boone, Patti Page, Tommy Sands, Georgia Gibbs, and Frankie Laine, she reflects on her parents’ generation and her own personal and musical roots.
THE GEEK GAP: WHY BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS DON’T UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AND WHY THEY NEED EACH OTHER TO SURVIVE BILL PFLEGING & MINDA ZETLIN PROMETHEUS BOOKS, JUNE 2006, $25
Geeks are from Mars, suits are from Pluto—or so it may seem when technology professionals and executives try to communicate. Luckily, Woodstock Web consultant Pfleging and business writer Zetlin are richly bilingual. Their book provides a kind of Rosetta Stone to help these interdependent professionals learn each other’s language.
THE POCKET IDIOT’S GUIDE TO 108 YOGA POSES BY AMI JAYAPRADA HIRSCHSTEIN, ILLUSTRATED BY HRANA JANTO ALPHA BOOKS, 2006, $10.95
Shaky on Sun Salutations? Down with Downward Facing Dog? As co-director of New Paltz’s Jai Ma Yoga Center, Hirschstein was repeatedly asked to recommend a book that outlined fundamental yoga poses for practicing at home. Her userfriendly response features clear illustrations and explanations of each posture’s mental and physical benefits.
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Henry Holt and Co., 2006; $30
E
ntertainer Peggy Lee has long inhabited a cultural limbo. Certainly we know her finger-snapping hit “Fever” and the world-weary “Is That All There Is?” Bette Midler paid her tribute last fall with a CD of Lee classics. But Lee was perhaps too accomplished: She was impossible to be categorized in an industry bent on pigeonholing performers. Her chops were stunning, whether singing jazz, blues or the cocktail numbers that ominated her 50-year career. (Like Mildred Bailey, Lee was that rare bird: a white woman who could tame the blues like Bessie Smith or Billie Holiday.) But few remember that Lee also penned the songs for the Disney cartoon Lady and the Tramp and nabbed an Oscar nod in Pete Kelly’s Blues. GQ feature writer Peter Richmond appreciates Lee’s breadth of artistry. In this exhaustive biography, the Dutchess County resident not only revives the legendary lady but also recreates her eras, from the dive bars of the ’30s to the nightclubs of the ’50s, the frightening days of the ’60s when popular music left Lee behind, and the waning days of her career in the ’80s, when sheer narcissism kept her serenading audiences composed equally of longtime fans and the morbidly curious. Richmond has a gift for conjuring distant places and times. Drawing from sources as disparate as letters, newspaper clippings, and personal interviews with friends, relatives, and show business colleagues, he seamlessly recreates Peggy Lee’s life from the beginning, when Norma Deloris Egstrom, a shy girl from 1930s North Dakota, realized that her talent for song would be the only escape from an abusive stepmother and a loving but alcoholic father who chose to ignore his daughter’s torment. At age eight, little Norma, already performing at local events, told a childhood friend, “I’m going to be in show business some day.” In strokes broad and colorful, the author captures the jazz world. Consider this paragraph, which bops along flawlessly on its own verbal syncopation: “The Minneapolis that greeted Peggy Lee was a city of worldliness and style. The fragrance that rode the north wind down Nicollet Avenue was redolent not of cattle, but of the exhaust of taxis and the electric ozone scent of the streetcars that delivered dancers to the doors of the Marigold Ballroom, where jitterbuggers did their best to bring credence to the ballroom’s famous sign: ‘Never Grow Old Dancing at the Marigold.’” Even neophytes to the jazz-blues-swing scene get a history lesson at once illuminating and accessible. Richmond records what the avatars of the era were doing while young Peggy made her way from a stint on a Fargo radio station to her first journey to Los Angeles. Predecessors and contemporaries are shadowed until their paths cross with the platinum-haired canary who would first gain fame as a singer for bandleader Benny Goodman. Unfortunately, Richmond is just as capable of singing flat. However, a better editor would have excised Richmond’s wearying repetitions, trimming the book by 50 pages. Consider this account of Lee’s friendship with singer Bobby Darin: “For a brief time...Peg welcomed the frequent visits of another musician.” Two sentences later, Richmond continues: “He was a frequent visitor for a brief time.” Despite such recurring distractions, Fever earns its indispensability with track-by-track reviews of the best of Lee’s overwhelming, if erratic, output of 66 albums as well as vivid on-the-aisle accounts of her best (and worst) concerts. While the author occasionally oversells his subject, he doesn’t shy from Miss Lee’s four failed marriages nor her increasingly bizarre behavior: diva-like outbursts, weight gains, plastic surgeries, an embarrassing one-woman show meant to exorcise the ghosts of her childhood and, finally, years as a recluse in bed, albeit dressed to the nines, a silver shoebox of pills within reach. Meticulously researched, Fever is an engaging chronicle of a life lived unwisely and too well. Songwriter, artist, sculptor, actress, and designer, Peggy Lee first and foremost was born to sing—and live—the blues. —Jay Blotcher
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BOOKS 61
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My Father Married Your Mother: Writers Talk about Stepparents, Stepchildren, and Everyone in Between Anne Burt, editor W.W. Norton Company, May 2006, $24.95
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ecombined families aren’t rare in this age of one divorce for every marriage, but writers who write about them seem to be rare indeed. The subject of stepfamily is not one for the faint of heart, but editor Anne Burt has assembled a selection of writers brave enough to tackle it. My Father Married Your Mother is a collection of 28 piercingly honest essays that explore a wide-ranging variety of perspectives on the subject of blended family. Burt drew the idea for the book from her own experience: Her second husband had an “amazing three-year-olddaughter” to bookend her own. A stepfamily made in heaven? As Burt and the rest of the writers in My Father Married Your Mother reveal, there is no such beast. Some talented big names are featured here, along with a slew of talented newcomers. Several of the writers are Mid-Hudson locals; David Goodwillie is from Woodstock, Dana Kinstler, from Tivoli. But what all share is the willingness to explore a frequently bitter, occasionally grace-filled, and across-the-board extraordinarily challenging experience. There are stories here that represent every angle of the stepfamily equation, including a selection of stereotype-busting steps, like the stepfather who became a big part of Kate Christensen’s life after he divorced her mother, and Leslie Morgan Steiner’s stepmother, who did what no blood relative dared—she told Steiner to leave her abusive husband. There are also the typical stepmothers-from-hell that Jacquelyn Mitchard, Roxana Robinson, and Susan Cheever humbly admit they probably became. Robinson explains the syndrome beautifully. “It seems that your stepdaughter is not a whole, separate person to you as anyone else’s child would be. Your stepdaughter is a transparent form, an outline in space through which you can see Her Mother. Everything your stepdaughter does, her clothes, her haircut, her habits, her speech, all speak threateningly to you of that rival organization, The First Marriage.” There is no such thing as a normal stepfamily, says Sandra Tsing Loh, whose father’s Chinese mail order bride helped her father drop his lifelong combative stance. In Sheila Kohler’s “The Uses of Animals,” it’s a dog that bridges her relationship with her husband’s children. In “My Papa Married Your Mama,” Ted Rose’s relationship with his former stepbrother provides a marriage’s most lasting family bond. Laugh-instead-of-cry humor abounds, as in Susan Davis’s delight in discovering that, though many children of divorce suspect this of divorcing parents, one of hers was actually losing his mind. Lucia Nevai offers an agonizingly funny account of a stepfamily vacation that includes this advice: “Accept the inevitable—there will be a Big Fight that almost ruins the Second Marriage.” Hard-won wisdom can follow heartache, as shown in Candy J. Cooper’s story of a Thanksgiving gathering: “Our contours were no longer defined by blood, but by loss and then love, by present, shading past, by ritual meeting ritual.” There is no sense of pulled punches here, or of voices muted by fear of being politically incorrect. There is instead actual trauma, real flying fur, genuine blood on the floor as these writers mine the subtle fissures caused by death, infidelity, and divorce. The authors are honest to the point of possible embarrassment—showing faces they’d probably rather not acknowledge, let alone reveal. The collective result is a deeply affecting anthology that tempts the reading of one more essay, and then just one more... Kinship is where you find it, these stories say, and love can equal ties of blood. Families can arise from odd, unlikely material, and stepfamilies aren’t made in heaven; they’re forged here on earth (and sometimes, in neck-deep mud). Congratulations to the authors of this book. It takes enormous courage to become a blended family—and to write about one as well. —Susan Krawitz 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BOOKS 63
www.schneiderpfahl.com
Woodstock Landscape, Prudence See, oil on board, 10x8’
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64 BOOKS CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
Sex as a Second Language Alisa Kwitney Atria Books, 2006, $22
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n August, even the most austere of readers may start to crave something perfect to stuff in a beach bag. If you’re seeking a fun, engaging, and fast read, Alisa Kwitney’s latest novel, Sex as a Second Language, is a great bet. In 2004, the Hudson Valley resident was dubbed one of Associated Press’s Chick-Lit Breakout Authors for her novel The Dominant Blonde. Once again, Kwitney provides a girl-meets-boy story with the steam but without the sap. In Sex as a Second Language, Kwitney introduces us to Kat Miner, almost 40, almost divorced, and for all intents and purposes a single mother. She’s a former actress who can neither find a decent role nor keep her ex-husband’s paws off her dwindling bank account. In the book’s opening line, Kat declares to her group of somewhat catty girlfriends that she’s planning on retiring from sex. (This is the kind of declaration that begs to be overturned; see the title for clues.) Kat doesn’t hate men, she just doesn’t trust them, she informs her girlfriends and her mother, who keep encouraging her to get over the breakup and hit the dating scene. Kat has good reason to lack a little faith when it comes to men. Her father, a CIA operative, left home on a mission when she was 10 and never came back, or sent word. Her husband of 10 years, Logan, who co-starred with her on the popular soap opera “South of Heaven,” has abandoned her to pursue younger women and his own career, halting any contact with their nine-year-old son, Dashiell. While Logan’s acting career continues to soar, Kat has been forced to take a break from hers to raise their child. Now pushing middle age, struggling to pay the bills without child support, she can’t find her way back in. While her agent sends her on one self-effacing infomercial audition after another, Kat continues her single-mom juggling act, raising a sweet but unorthodox child and showing up for the adult English as a Second Language classes that she teaches to make ends meet. She finds herself enjoying these students from all corners of the world; two men in particular—a tall, shy Icelander named Magnus and a suave Frenchman named Luc—appear to take more than a student-teacher interest in her. As she’s trying to fend off their advances, Kat receives a mysterious package from her father, written in code, telling her that he must speak with her, that she’s being followed, and that she must be careful. One of the students pursuing Kat is a CIA agent looking for her father, but she doesn’t know which one. Nor can she figure out what to believe or who to trust. The one thing Kat does begin to discover with certainty is her own anger: toward friends who mistreat her; toward her mother, who’s loving in ways that can suffocate; and toward her soon-to-be ex-husband, who never picks up the phone to call his son, but who, Kat discovers, has been sleeping with one of her best friends. The pages turn fast, and the reader almost cheers Kat on as she tells the infomercial cameraman where to stuff it, berates her loathsome ex in a grocery store, and reluctantly takes the plunge to find both sex and love fulfilling once again. This novel has great twists and turns, but mostly it has a compelling main character. No longer a “Desperate Housewives”-like flunky, Kat finds a greater sense of passion and purpose as she turns 40 than she was able to summon during her glitzy soap-opera prime with her flaky co-star-turned-husband-turned-loser. Don’t be fooled by the chick-lit tag: Kwitney has produced a delightful new book that reveals real women and real men, living and struggling to define themselves, and to find each other in everyday life. She’s a great friend to bring to the beach.
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8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BOOKS 65
POETRY
EDITED BY PHILLIP LEVINE. You can submit up to three poems to Chronogram at a time. Send’em if you got’em, either via snail-mail
or e-mail. Deadline: August 5. 314 Wall St., Kingston, NY 12401. E-mail: poetry@chronogram.com. Subject: Poetry.
i write from here the only place i know —p
The Loud Man I
The Loud Man III
Whenever the loud man speaks he shouts His clothes are dirty, and he smells
The kid on the other side of the counter is rankling and ruffling the social order
The cafe owner wishes he’d go— stop visiting—stop hanging out The customers keep their distance, stepping aside, looking away
He offers sugar, sweet cream, cinnamoned conversation— nothing heavier than weather Warm garments woven of words
pretending what’s there is not To welcome is to risk recognizing or inviting their own loud man inside
spoken with heart offering no advice just take what you need, or, only what you want A door has just opened
The Loud Man II
The Loud Man IV
When the loud man orders coffee everyone hears—but no one listens at least, not really He still gets his coffee,
Today the loud man’s hair is trimmed, his clothes are cleaner and he boasts new shoes The kid behind the counter is gone—
sometimes a muffin, along with post-it note smiles and cellophane goodbyes meant to rush and hush and usher him
We touch, connect, leave then come back, hardening, softening risking the silent cut of a blade or is it a caress of a passing lover?
out the door, down the steps back to his own world where we dare not dwell lest we feel the thinness of our walls
How much more time does the loud man have left? They’re not listening, he’s still shouting, only maybe not as loud as before —John Scilipote
Body Haiku #3 & #4
Once More, As If You Were a Fish
my body a bike collarbones are handlebars let’s go for a ride
Been forgetting what the city is? Or how to think or see, or how to speak? Get off at the wrong stop, and walk six blocks. So cold.
.... ribcage spokes of wheel turning fast as you pedal breath and barriers. —Charlotte Seley
Orgasm Diving Between your thighs It jumps The pearl of mad silence —Jaime Garcia Pulido
66 POETRY CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
So clear and dark the edges red and blink blink blinking there it tells you to be cold. Slip into it, as if you were a fish. Eat cold things too. Buy coldness off the street or drink it as it patters from the sky. Cry cold, cold. Again, as if you were a fish. Keep that mouth open in the motion O. Perhaps some life form will swim in or out. —Reina Hardy
Big Hair, Pony Tail, Buzz Cut and Curly Locks Part I. Big Hair and Pony Tail Big Hair and Pony Tail are driving in their car down Lucas Avenue—this morning in front of me. They stop at the light and wait for the green. It comes—quickly. Big Hair is talking—I presume. Pony Tail turns to look and Big Hair gestures with a hand that swirls and flips the flop from a rigid wrist and holds a Dunkin’ Donut coffee cup in the other. The cup dances—up and down back and forth—splish splosh. Pony Tail wags her head and looks away out the side window. Big Hair’s hair rustles and the green light lingers. I rarely do it but I beep the horn. Just a little tap. But nothing. And so I tap it again—and again. Pony Tail turns to Big Hair and Big Hair shakes and drinks from the cup. I beep again—and again AND AGAIN!—Until I lay my entire arm and shoulder into the last blast. Finally, Big Hair and Pony Tail drive through the light. It turns yellow. We ooze through to the stop sign one block away. Big Hair and Pony Tail stop. Surely, they will get it right this time. They sit.—I wait. No one is coming. There are no cars to the right—to the left oncoming. Big Hair talks and Pony Tail looks—dead ahead. The Dunkin’ Donut coffee cup Reappears—tipsy up. And the right hand repeats its little dance—stuck in the groove of the point being made. I tap my horn. Just a little beep. It sounds kind of cute I think And then again and again, AND AGAIN!
Until I lean into the blast hard and long enough that I can feel the arch in my back lift my butt off the seat. Big Hair lowers the cup out of sight and drives through the empty streets toward the next light at Washington Avenue.
During my check up, my doctor remarks that my blood pressure seems to be running a little on the high side today.
Part II. Buzz Cut and Curly Locks
Gloves, Teeth
I turn left and wind my way along Grand-ma Brown’s Lane past the stadium and onto Washington Avenue. Big Hair and Pony Tail are no where in sight. I follow a small sedan into the left turn-only lane. In front of me Buzz Cut and Curly Locks stop for the red light. I stop too. The green left-turn arrow blinks on for us. ‘Ohhh, I am in luck today,’ I think. ‘I am on my way.’ But Buzz Cut and Curly Locks do not move. Buzz Cut rocks to the beat. He hammers on his steering wheel with bongo drum palms bam—ditti—de bam—bam—bam, while Curly Locks sways, taking a softer, more romantic approach to the tune. I wait and hold my breath. This cannot be. This light does not last forever and then it will be forever that we will be stuck here for. Buzz Cut reaches for the radio dial and Curly Locks flicks a cigarette ash out the window. I rarely do it. But I beep my horn. Just a little beep. But nothing. And so I tap it again, and again, AND AGAIN, until I press the heel of my hand into the center of the car’s steering wheel for as long as I can stand it in front of all the other cars—watching. Slowly, ever so slowly, Buzz Cut moves through the light and navigates a wide, smooth left hand turn onto Hurley Avenue. I make it to my appointment with five minutes to spare.
—Nancy Beard
These gloves of skin that I am wearing make it much more difficult to climb I know they are meant to protect from calluses and burns but I keep slipping My poor teeth ache from this smile or grimace that I wear daily To close my lips around my throbbing gums is my greatest desire —Travis Matteson
Software Radar shows a clear sky. Yet, to the eye, a wisp of vapor strings out like a white lie. What does the weatherman know? Seated at his computer, he punches in a front several thousand miles away and enters the prevailing winds. He telephones his contacts between here and there to track the cold advance. As data gather like tea leaves in fortune’s bowl, the question remains: what is the wisp, that thin blindfold across the face of the sky? Though it’s not on the weatherman’s screen, he can see it. He can see it lengthen, deepening like a fresh crack across an old ceiling. —Allen C. Fischer 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM POETRY 67
Food
Matter of Course
A New Paltz Staple Renovates Ask food enthusiasts who have been influenced by the natural- and organic-food wave what they want in a restaurant and you’ll get a variation on three themes: healthy, enlightened cooking that gourmands can enjoy, moderate prices, and a casual but attractive setting. Bruce Kazan’s Main Course fits the bill on all counts. Established in 1990 in New Paltz, the restaurant remains true to its original vision: It provides contemporary American cuisine that emphasizes wholesome cooking using natural, organic, and free-range ingredients drawn as much as possible from local area farms. Recently, the restaurant underwent a handsome facelift, and its menu has been shortened to accentuate its specials, which showcase seasonal ingredients and creative cooking. Kazan, one of the Hudson Valley’s most eclectic chefs, is also one of its most successful caterers. He points out that “while my restaurant holds its own in the face of heightened competition, my catering business has been growing at the rate of 20 percent per year.” Bruce Kazan graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 1979 with a degree in business and economics. But he found his true calling during his college years when he worked part-time in the former Thesis restaurant in New Paltz. After a two-year sojourn at the Culinary Institute of America, he started his culinary career in the Catskills at Rudi’s restaurant in Big Indian, working under Eugene Benard. Primarily under Benard’s rigorous and authoritarian tutelage, Kazan says he “truly learned how to cook.” During the 1980s, Kazan worked for a corporate chain in cities throughout the country and eventually managed the executive dining room for Chemical Bank in Manhattan. After almost a decade of city-based living, New Paltz exemplified the kind of country living he now sought. His idea was to create a chef-driven restaurant where everything would be made fresh from scratch; where there would be no freezing of meat or fish; where rather than relying on fat or butter to create flavor (a classic French technique taught to culinary students), aromatics drawn from diverse cultures would be used to cre68 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
text by harold jacobs photos by hillary harvey ate new taste sensations; and as he put it, “where food would be raised to an art form.” Kazan wanted to work in a place closer to the source of his ingredients for cooking, not one in which quality products were flown in overnight from, for example, France. He proudly recounts that “during most of the year approximately 40 percent of my meat and produce come straight from Hudson Valley farms, while in summer the number jumps to about 80 percent.” The purveyors Kazan uses include Murray’s all-natural chickens; Hudson Valley Foie Gras for all duck products; Valley Livestock Marketing Task Force for grass-fed beef; Coach Farm goat cheese for inclusion in salads; and Phillies Bridge, Taliaferro, and Honey Locust Farms for produce and fruit. To avoid the tight parking in downtown New Paltz, Kazan located his restaurant in a building once occupied by a bank, located in the corner of an upper Main Street strip mall. Twenty-six years later the original emphasis on catering and takeout food remains, but the restaurant itself has recently been refashioned into a warmer, more inviting, visually streamlined space. The long, stainless steel, glass-enclosed take-out counter has been shortened and supplemented by a small dining counter, with seating for four, containing a black granite top resting on a cherry wood foundation. Wooden chairs, tables, stools, and wine racks replicate the dining counter’s rich tones. Black, light gray, and white square floor tiles lend a classic bistro-like look to the setting. Walls are faux-painted in a mix of lavender and ivory. They adjoin darker, complementary-toned upholstered benches located along a side wall. The work of local artists adorns the walls, adding an additional splash of color and interest to the space. Behind the dining counter, framed by an array of wine bottles and glassware in wooden racks, a blackboard menu lists featured drinks while two others list specials and food to go. Among the drinks, you can find Zen-Gria, a take-off on Sangria made with Sake, Fu-Ki Plum Liquor, and fresh tropical fruit juices; Sparkling Lychee Cocktail; and Ginger Peach Bellini. The off-beat cocktails reflect the same thoughtfulness that goes into
THE RENOVATED DINING ROOM AT MAIN COURSE; OPPOSITE PAGE: WAITRESSES AT WORK BEHIND THE NEW WINE BAR.
the planning of the specials. Recent soup specials include unexpectedly delicious combinations: Kazan’s carrot and coconut soup is Thai-style, made with vegetable stock, sweated onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, unsweetened coconut milk, lemongrass, and kafir lime leaves (which impart a strong lemon-like fragrance), and garnished with toasted coconut and red chili oil. His fennel and walnut soup, also made with vegetable stock, features fennel, onions, potatoes, garlic, and powdered toasted walnuts, and is garnished with walnut oil. Most refreshing on a warm day is a cold watercress soup with fennel, topped with a balsamic syrup glaze. The touch of sweetness in the balsamic reduction and in the fennel’s mild licorice tang plays off nicely against the acidity of the watercress puree, which is made from watercress, vegetable stock, onion, and potato. This strained soup has a smooth, creamy consistency as well as an enticing pale green color. Among the most popular appetizer specials is calamari delicately batter-fried to a crispy finish, placed over an avocado salad garnished with queso fresco and a red mole sauce. Here, Kazan takes a traditional Italian dish, fried calamari, and playfully gives it a Mexican twist. Another appetizer gives a Japanese accent to fried soft shell crab, presenting it in sushi-style rolls laced with rice, asparagus, and mango. The rolls, standing upright on the plate like tiny sentinels, are surrounded by an avocado salsa dotted with a spicy Asian sauce made with red chili peppers. Featured on the regular menu are Maryland-style crab cakes served with an avocado remoulade. The crab cakes are loaded with buttery crab meat, a smattering of finely diced onion and red pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Just prior to being sautéed, they are dusted with panko bread crumbs. Light, flavorful, succulent, the crab cakes melt in your mouth. You can also find classic and more fanciful offerings among Kazan’s entrées. Fruit sauces have long been used to enhance the flavor of pork, providing a good balance of flavor and texture as long as the sauce is neither too tart nor too sweet. Kazan’s inspired version of a grilled pork loin accompanied by cherry compote with dried cherry corn bread pudding and sautéed pea shoots stands out as a quintessential example of how to balance the flavors correctly. On the more adventurous side, one popular special features slices of seared red tuna encasing a black beluga lentil pilaf with blue foot mushrooms. Crispy fiddle-
head ferns garnish the pilaf, and a foamy foie gras emulsion lightly sauces the tuna. The lentils have an earthy flavor and glisten when cooked, which makes them look like beluga caviar; the wild blue foot mushrooms are mild flavored and firmly fleshed, with lavender-blue stems; and the fresh fiddlehead ferns, which are shaped like the head of a violin, are only available in early spring. This nutritious dish stretches your palate and expands your culinary vision. Since specials change more or less daily at Main Course, you can always expect not only a well-prepared meal but some culinary adventure along with it. Kazan, who admits to “not being a dessert eater and not being inspired much by them,” has placed in-house responsibility for dessert in the hands of Paul Kelly, who knows how to prepare a good one. Although Main Course’s desserts are not particularly innovative, the tried-and-true carrot cake and chocolate mousse cake are both rich and sumptuous, while the strawberry panna cotta and the blood orange tart offer a lighter but still fulfilling conclusion to a meal. Salads and appetizers average $8 each, entrées run at about $18, and desserts are $5. Main Course’s relatively short wine list features value-priced American wines, at least half of which are available by the glass, averaging around $8, with bottles ranging in price from $20 to $36. Among the whites, the somewhat tropical and crisp Sokol Blosser Evolution (OR), a blend of nine varietals, goes especially well with spicy foods, and the richly textured Kunde Estate Chardonnay (CA) has enough lively acidity to marry well with most seafood and chicken dishes. Among the reds, the medium-bodied Henry Estate Pinot Noir (OR) is fruity with little or no oak character and can be enjoyed with cheese, pasta, pizza, and pesto sauces; the more robust Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon (CA), loaded with juicy ripe fruit and lush, mature tannins, partners well with heartier meat selections. All in all, Bruce Kazan’s Main Course offers one of the best bargains in the Hudson Valley to those looking for health-conscious cooking and imaginatively prepared dishes that delight the senses. Main Course serves lunch Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30am to 4:30pm. Dinner is served Tuesday to Sunday,4:30 to 9pm, Friday and Saturday to 10pm. Brunch is served Sundays 10:30am to 4pm. 232 Main St., New Paltz. (845) 255-2600; www.maincourserestaurant.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM FOOD & DRINK 69
“Now Open for Sunday Brunch” Breakfast is our specialty! Vegetarian and Low-Fat Lunch Specials Daily
29 Main Street Highland, NY 691-6913
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tastings directory BAKERIES
FARMERS MARKET
The Alternative Baker
Rhinebeck Farmers Market
“The Village Baker of the Rondout.” 100% Scratch Bakery. Stickybuns, Scones, Muffins, Breads, Focaccia, Tartes, Tortes, Seasonal Desserts featuring local produce, plus Sugar-free, Wheat-free, Dairy-free, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Organic Treats! Cakes and Wedding Cakes by Special Order. We ship our Lemon Cakes nationwide, $30 2-pound bundts. Open Thursday-Monday 8am-6pm; Sunday 8am-4pm. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Well Worth The Trip! 35 Broadway, at the historic waterfront district, Kingston. Thursday-Monday 8AM-6PM. Sunday 8AM-4PM. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. 35 Broadway, Kingston, NY. (845) 331-5517 or (800) 399-3589. www.lemoncakes.com.
The Hudson Valley’s best farmers bringing you farmfresh vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, wine, honey, bread, flowers, jam, pickles, herbs and much more. Free live music every week. Tastings and special events all season long. Municipal Parking Lot on East Market St. Sundays 10am-2pm. www.rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com.
CATERING
Blue Mountain Bistro Catering Co.
Claudia’s Kitchen Personalized celebrations and weddings, using fresh local ingredients to create delicious and elegant menus. Homemade artisanal breads, Hudson Valley cheese, fabulous appetizers, meat and vegetarian entrees, out-of-this-world desserts. Claudia works one on one to custom design your menu, your party, your wedding or special event. (845) 868-7338 or (914) 475-9695. www.claudiascatering.com.
Fresh Company At our kitchen in the Hudson Highlands, we gather great local and imported ingredients for events of all sizes and pocketbooks, from grand affairs to drop-off parties. True to our name, we emphasize the freshest, finest ingredients, because great food is the spark that ignites a convivial gathering. Our style is reflected in meals that encourage hospitality and leisure at the table, the elemental enjoyment of eating and drinking well. Garrison, NY. (845) 424-8204. www.FreshCompany.net.
Ladybird Home Catering Fresh, Seasonal, Balanced Meals Delivered to your Home. It’s the newest solution for your “what’s for dinner?” problems. Feast your eyes on Ladybird’s new sensational menus online every week. Affordable Catering, Beautiful Party Platters and Gift Certificates available. Chef/Owner Tanya L. Lopez. (845) 568-7280. ladybirdho mecatering@yahoo.com. www.ladybirdcatering.com.
Healthy Gourmet to Go See Vegan Lifestyle in the Whole Living Directory. (845) 339-7171. www.carrottalk.com.
NATURAL FOOD MARKETS
Beacon Natural Market Lighting the Way for a Healthier World...Located in the heart of historic Beacon at 348 Main Street. Featuring organic prepared foods deli & juice bar as well as organic and regional produce, meats and cheeses. Newly opened in Aug. ‘05, proprietors L.T. & Kitty Sherpa are dedicated to serving the Hudson Valley with a complete selection of products that are good for you and good for the planet, including an extensive alternative health dept. Nutritionist on staff. 348 Main Street, Beacon, NY. (845) 838-1288.
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On and off-premise catering. Sophisticated Zagatrated food and atmosphere in a rustic country setting - wide plank floors, rough hewn beams and a stunning zinc bar. Chef-owner Erickson’s Mediterranean cuisine has garnered praise from Gourmet and New York Magazines to Hudson Valley Magazine (Best Tapas in the Hudson Valley 2004). 1633 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock, NY 12498. (845) 679-8519. www.bluemountainbistro.com.
HOME MEAL DELIVERY
PASTA
La Bella Pasta Fresh pasta made locally. Large variety of ravioli, tortellini, pastas, and sauces at the factory outlet. We manufacture and deliver our excellent selection of pastas to fine restaurants, gourmet shops, and caterers throughout the Hudson Valley. Call for our full product list and samples. Open to the public Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm. Located on Route 28W between Kingston and Woodstock. Monday through Friday 10am to 6am. (845) 331-9130. www.labellapasta.com.
PUBS
Snapper Magee’s Heralded as having “the best jukebox in the Hudson Valley” by the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Kingston Times, and Scenery Magazine. Snapper Magee’s is the Switzerland of pubs, a rock & roll oasis where everyone is welcome. Daily happy hour specials from 4-7 weekdays and noon-2 on weekends. Always open late. 59 N. Front Street, Kingston, NY. (845) 339-3888.
RESTAURANTS
Aroma Osteria Aroma Osteria. 114 Old Post Road, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. (845) 298-6790.
Pad Thai Catering
Beso
Delicious, affordable, and authentic Thai cuisine served with authentic Thai hospitality to your group of six or more. Lunch or dinner served in your home by Chef & Owner Nuch Chaweewan. Please call for prices and information. (845) 687-2334.
Located on Main St. in the heart of New Paltz is Beso. Spanish for “kiss,” Beso offers casual fine dining by Chef Owners Chad Greer and Tammy Ogletree. Fresh, modern American cuisine, seasonally inspired by local Hudson Valley farmers, using as many
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organic ingredients, including beef and poultry, as possible. Get cozy in the intimate dining room under skylights and glowing candlelit tables, or sit at the bar for a more casual experience. Housemade pastas include gnocchi and cannelloni, Grilled Swordfish, or Braised Beef Short Ribs. And for dessert, Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake. International wine list. Private parties, children welcome. Dinner 5-10pm, Sunday Brunch from 11:30am - 4pm, Sunday Dinner 4pm - 9pm, Closed Tuesday & Wednesday. 46 Main St., New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-1426. www.beso-restaurant.com.
Catamount Restaurant Located near Phoenicia and Woodstock, the Catamount Restaurant has been a locals and visitors favorite for years. Experience the pastoral beauty of the surrounding Catskills as you dine creekside in the warm, inviting dining room. Chef Mike Fichtel and his team have created a locally-inspired menu that features perfectly seasoned steaks and chops, creatively prepared fish and poultry and several vegetarian dishes. And don’t miss the desserts created from the Emerson Bakery. “The Cat” as locals call it, has a full bar including a great selection of local and regional micro-brews and international wines that can be enjoyed next to one of our two large stone fireplaces. Panoramic views are the signature of The Cat, a perfect location for weddings and banquets under the outdoor pavilion. The Catamount is open for dinner Wed.-Sat. 5pm to 10pm and Sunday from 12pm to 8pm. 5368 Route 28, Mt. Tremper, NY 12457. Call (845) 688-2828 for reservations. www.emersonplace.com/dining/catamount.
The Emerson at Woodstock
The French Corner Chef Jacques Qualin, former NY Times critically acclaimed chef of Le Perigord in NYC, impresses with his innovative style of cuisine which cleverly combines ingredients typical of his native Franche-Comt, France with the sumptuous ingredients available from the Hudson Valley. All of The French Corner recipes are made on premise by Chef Jacques including the breads, pastries, and desserts. Route 213 West, just off Route 209, Stone Ridge. Dinner-Wednesday through Sunday from 5 pm, Prix Fixe $25 available every evening. Brunch Sundays from 11am. Routes 213 West and 209, Stone Ridge, NY. (845) 687-0810. www.frcorner.com.
Gilded Otter A warm and inviting dining room and pub overlooking beautiful sunsets over the Wallkill River and Shawangunk Cliffs. Mouthwatering dinners prepared by Executive Chef Larry Chu, and handcrafted beers brewed by GABF Gold Medal Winning Brewmaster Darren Currier. Chef driven & brewed locally! 3 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 256-1700.
Best authentic sushi in the Hudson Valley! Superb Japanese sushi chefs serve the best authentic sushi with extended Dining Area. Sit at the counter or tables and enjoy all your favorites from Chicken Teriyaki and Udon to Yellowtail and Special rolls. Eat-in, Take-out, and private room is available. Tuesday-Friday Lunch 11:30AM-2:30PM. Monday-Thursday Dinner 5-9PM. Friday Dinner 5-10PM. Saturday Dinner 4:30-10PM. 7270 South Broadway, Red Hook, NY. (845) 758-4333. www.hana-sushi.com.
Hickory BBQ Smokehouse Located on historic Route 28 between Kingston and Woodstock, Hickory offers diners Hudson Valley’s finest barbecue and smokehouse cuisine such as ribs, pulled pork, smoked beef, fish and free-range chicken. Whether enjoying your meal by the fireplace in Hickory’s three-star dining room or sipping a cocktail at the wood bar, Hickory’s staff is trained to make you feel as comfortable as you would at home. Hickory also features several vegetarian options, steaks, homemade desserts, happy hour specials, a complete take-out menu, and catering and special events in our private dining room. You can enjoy live music featuring the area’s hottest bands on Friday and Saturday night. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 743 Route 28 (3.5 miles from NYS Thruway Exit 19.), Kingston, NY. (845) 338-2424. www.hickoryrestaurant.com.
Joyous Cafe Is it any wonder that Joyous Cafe is the most exciting new eating experience in Kingston? Whether it’s Breakfast, Lunch, or Sunday Brunch, the wonderfully prepared food and attentive service are outstanding. Open Monday through Friday 8 am - 4 pm. Sunday Brunch 9 am- 2 pm. Serving Dinner evenings of UPAC events. 608 Broadway, in The Heart of Broadway Theater Square, Kingston, NY. (845) 334-9441. www.joyouscafe.com.
tastings
The Emerson at Woodstock enters its first summer with an inspired menu created by Culinary Institute graduate Jessica Winchell. Using locally raised meats and produce, Chef Jessica’s dishes celebrate the area’s bounty of right-off-the-farm ingredients. Enjoy specialties like an Apple Butter Glazed Double-Cut Pork Chop ($23), Green Garlic Pesto Smothered Chicken ($19), Crusted Tofu, Avocado, Arugula and Pesto Sandwich ($8), or Seared Arctic Char on a caramelized fennel bed ($20). Enjoy a fine wine, micro-brew or specialty drink from the Emerson’s magnificent bar while you enjoy the atmosphere of the transformed 19th Century farmhouse. And save room for house-made desserts and ice cream created daily. The Emerson is available for group parties and other private occasions. Open for dinner, Tu.-Sun. 5:30pm to 10pm (9m Sun.), Brunch Sat. & Sun. 10am to 3pm. NOW OPEN. 146 Mount Pleasant Road, Mt. Tremper, NY. (845) 679-7500. www.emersonplace.com.
Hana Sushi
Kyoto Sushi Kyoto Sushi. 337 Washington Ave., Kingston, NY 12401. (845) 339-1128.
Luna 61 “Best Vegetarian Restaurant.” –Hudson Valley Magazine. “Food is simply delicious, four stars.” –Poughkeepsie Journal. “Imagine spicy Thai noodles, delicate spring rolls, and the best banana cream pie you’ve ever eaten. Join the Culinary Revolution.” –Dutchess Magazine. Luna 61 is relaxed and funky, candlelit tables, cozy, and romantic. Organic wine and beer. Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 5-9PM. Friday and Saturday 5-10PM. Now Accepting Credit Cards. 61 East Market Street, Red Hook, NY 12571. (845) 758-0061.
Machu Picchu Peruvian Restaurant The only authentic Peruvian restaurant in Orange County, NY. Family owned and operated since 1990. Serving the community traditional dishes from the mountains and coast of Peru. Trained in Peru, our chefs make authentic dishes come alive. Wine list available. Serving Lunch and Dinner Sunday through Thursday 10am-10pm and Friday & Saturday 10am-11pm. Closed Tuesday. 301 Broadway, Newburgh, NY. (845) 562-6478. www.machupicchurest.com.
Main Course Four-star, award-winning, contemporary American cuisine serving organic, natural, and free-range Hudson Valley products. Wednesday and Thursday nights, food and wine pairing menu available. Voted “Best Caterer in the Hudson Valley.” Open Lunch and Dinner Tuesday-Sunday, and Sunday Brunch. 232 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-2600. www.maincourserestaurant.com.
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Marion’s Country Kitchen Nestled inside the beautiful compounds of the Woodstock Lodge, near Woodstock’s charming center is a romantic getaway where european hospitality and delicious food is created by Marion Maur (excellent awards by Zagat Survey). It is the perfect place for a cocktail at our rustic elegant wood bar. Then be pampered in our cozy & intimate dining room, ensuring you and your guests the enjoyment of Marion Maur’s light and flawless cuisine which consists of european contemporary and updated classics provided by local Hudson valley farmers. And do not forget to compliment your meal with a selection from our unique, refined and eclectic wine list. Marion’s Country Kitchen is a wonderful location for rehearsal dinners, receptions & family events! 20 Country Club Lane Woodstock NY 12498 (845) 679-3213. www.MarionsCountryKitchen.com
Monster Taco When you have a hunger that only Mexican food can satisfy, visit Monster Taco. With fresh food, reasonable prices, and a funky atmosphere, there’s no doubt you’ll keep coming back to feed the monster. Open for lunch and dinner. 260 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (845) 4523375. www.monster-taco.com.
tastings
Mexican Radio Voted best Mexican restaurant in NYC, Mexican Radio’s 3-year old branch in Hudson features the same award-winning homemade dishes and the world’s greatest margaritas! Everything made fresh daily. Extensive vegetarian/vegan choices. A Great Place for Parties! Open Every Single Day - 11:30am - 11pm. 537 Warren Street, Hudson, NY. (518) 828-7770. www.mexrad.com.
Neko Sushi & Restaurant Voted “Best Sushi” Restaurant by Chronogram readers and rated four stars by Poughkeepsie Journal. Serving lunch and dinner daily. Eat in or Take Out. We offer many selections of Sushi & Sashimi, an extensive variety of special Rolls and kitchen dishes. Live Lobster prepared daily. Parking in rear available. Major credit cards accepted. Sunday-Thursday 12-10PM. Friday and Saturday 1211PM. 49 Main Street, in the Village of New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-0162.
Osaka Japanese Restaurant Want to taste the best Sushi in the Hudson Valley? Osaka Restaurant is the place. Vegetarian dishes available. Given four stars by the Daily Freeman. Visit our second location at 74 Broadway, Tivoli. (845) 757-5055. 18 Garden Street, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-7338 or (845) 876-7278.
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OII Food. Tapas. Wine. Gallery. Catering. The newly opened OII in historic Beacon has wide appeal. Dine on contemporary American fusion cuisine in the elegant yet casual dining room while admiring the work of local artists. Sample a medley of tapas and wine at the bar. Call for your off-premise catering needs. Reservations recommended. Serving Dinner Sunday-Thursday 5-9pm; Friday and Saturday 5-10pm. Closed Mondays. Reservations recommended. 240 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508. (845) 231-1084. www.oiiny.com.
Plaza Diner Established 1969. One of the finest family restaurants in the area. Extensive selection of entrees and daily specials, plus children’s menu. Everything prepared fresh daily. Private room for parties and conferences up to 50 people. Open 24/7. Exit 18 off NYS Thruway. 27 New Paltz Plaza, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-1030.
Roasted Garlic at the Red Hook Inn
tastings
Elegant environment, comfortable atmosphere, internationally acclaimed chef/owner, the Red Hook ‘Country’ Inn, located in the heart of historic Red Hook/Rhinebeck NY has it all. This 6 room Federal style colonial, built in 1842, offers guests a walk back in time as they enjoy modern amenities including luxury bedding, linens, jacuzzis, fireplaces and wireless internet. The dining room at the Inn, ROASTED GARLIC, features a mixture of French, American and Mediterranean menus with a focus on flavor and affordability. Meet Chef Nabil Ayoub and Hostess Patricia Holden as you enjoy charm, exquisite cuisine and warm hospitality. Red Hook, NY.
Sukhothai Restaurant located in Beacon, NY, offers a delicious menu full of authentic Thai cuisine. From traditional dishes, such as Pad Thai and Som Tam, to custom dishes created exclusively by our master chef, our menu is sure to please any palate. Take–out is also available. 516-518 Main St. Beacon, NY 12508. Tel: 845-790-5375.
Soul Dog Featuring a variety of hot dogs, including preservative-free and vegetarian hot dogs, chili, soup, sides, desserts & many gluten-free items prepared in-house. Redefining the hot dog experience! Open for lunch Mon-Fri 11am-4pm. 107 Main St., Poughkeepsie, NY. (845) 454-3254.
Wasabi Japanese Restaurant Wasabi Japanese Restaurant. Open 7 days a week. 807 Warren Street, Hudson, NY. (518) 822-1888.
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LOCALLY GROWN A CELEBRATION OF HUDSON VALLEY FOOD “As recently as 1970, most of the food we bought at the market came from local growers. In the last 30 years, advances in food distribution and transportation, and consolidation in farm ownership have overridden the constraints of seasonality and local availability. Now we think of the supermarket as the place where we go to get just about anything. That’s because our food comes from just about everywhere.” —Amanda Bader, “Hidden Harvest”
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HILLARY HARVEY
CHRONOGRAM
MICHAEL SIEGEL AND BARBARA CALDWELL AT FARM & GRANARY’S STAND AT THE KINGSTON FARMER’S MARKET.
HIDDEN HARVEST
The Lack of Local Food in Area Supermarkets By Amanda Bader Has it ever occurred to you that the vegetables you put in your basket at the supermarket have done more traveling in the last week than you’ve done in the last year? The next time you go shopping, take a close look at the tiny little labels on each item before you peel them off. It’s probably not a surprise that those ripe fragrant nectarines rolled in from California, maybe on the same truck as that mix of tender baby lettuces, and the carrots and broccoli in adjoining bins. Over there, that crisp cabbage started life in Texas. Baby red potatoes and ears of corn? They’re from Florida. But wait, try an international flavor: tomatoes on the vine from Canada, onions and mangoes from Mexico. Too North American? How about tangy kiwi fruits from Chile, butternut squash from Guatemala, or apples from China? As recently as 1970, most of the food we bought at the market came from local growers. In the last 30 years, advances in food distribution and transportation, and consolidation in farm ownership have overridden the constraints of seasonality and local availability. Now, we think of the supermarket as the place where we go to get just about anything. That’s because our food comes from just about everywhere. This new world of universal food availability opens up the possibilities in your kitchen. But if you want guava in your fruit salad, there are some things to consider. Peripatetic vegetables These days, according to the World Watch Institute, food in the United States typically travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to plate. That can encompass a trip from the farm to a broker, then to a regional distribution facility and on to the supermarket. Not only is shipping a cost factor, both in dollars and environmental impact, but where food comes from also has an effect on its
Photos by Hillary Harvey
nutritional value and how it tastes. Research shows that vegetables begin losing nutritional value as soon as they are picked, so the shorter the time from field to meal, the more beneficial they are for you to eat. Often, when vegetables finally make it to the bins in your supermarket, they have been on the road for as many as 14 days, especially if they’ve come from another country. That’s not to say that the items will necessarily show any wear and tear from all this travel. Supermarket chains with large-scale distribution systems tend to buy produce that has been selected not primarily for its flavor or nutritional value, but for its ability to withstand the handling involved in mechanical harvesting, packing and shipping. Tender fruit that bruises easily, regardless of how fabulous it tastes, won’t appeal to a produce manager at WalMart. If it’s not going to arrive at the store looking good, that manager won’t buy it. As many as half of all tomatoes in the United States are harvested green for shipping, then artificially ripened when they arrive at the supermarket. Studies have found that green harvested tomatoes contain substantially less vitamin C than those that are ready to go into your salad when harvested. Not to mention the fact that recently harvested food is more flavorful than its industrially produced counterparts. Money makes the food go round Supermarkets are, first and foremost, massive retailers of a wide range of products, most of which don’t stay on the shelf for very long. They require a sophisticated supply system that supports large volume and standardization to assure a steady flow to the shelves. They have complicated pricing models to drive sales of high-profit items. In fact, supermarkets will sell some items at or below cost (commercially raised chicken parts, or in-season corn, for example) to attract shoppers who will also purchase high-profit-margin goods once they are there. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM LOCALLY GROWN 79
LEFT: OWNER EMMANUEL GERONDARAS AND STORE MANAGER JIM PHILLIPS WITH LOCAL FRUIT IN EMMANUEL’S MARKETPLACE IN STONE RIDGE. RIGHT: MY BROTHER BOBBY’S SALSA, MADE IN POUGHKEEPSIE, IS AVAILABLE AT MANY AREA SUPERMARKETS.
Stable costs and reliable supplies are keystones for these big stores. “It’s a challenge for large markets to work with local farmers,” explains Judith LaBelle, president of the Glynwood Center, a nonprofit research center based in Cold Spring, that’s dedicated to helping Hudson Valley communities resolve the tensions that can arise when rural communities undergo development. “They [supermarkets] are used to getting everything from a relatively small number of suppliers; they’re not used to dealing with the vagaries of local weather, etc.” This adds up to a tough row to hoe for a local farmer who wants to sell his goods in area supermarkets. The average supermarket carries approximately 40,000 products, each one fighting for a piece of a $500 billion industry. In an industry this size, it’s no surprise that money is a key element influencing what gets sold. The most obvious way that dollars influence demand is in advertising. Television, radio and print ads, sports and cultural event sponsorships, as well as discount coupons all contribute to visibility and consumer demand for a given product. Within the different departments, suppliers sometimes provide discounts or incentives when sales targets are met. There are also millions of dollars paid to lobbyists by a variety of food-business related organizations, including meat packers, chicken producers, and corn processors. These lobbying dollars have been instrumental in influencing such decisions as how food groups are presented in the USDA food pyramid for diet recommendations. They have also insured that governmental labeling requirements don’t inhibit interest for their products. For example, regulations requiring packaging to state whether genetically modified organisms are part of the ingredients list, or to specify the country of origin for meat, have consistently failed to be put in place as a result of pressure from industry associations. Then there are the tens of thousands of dollars collected from suppliers to insure premium shelf placement in a store. Called slotting allowances, these fees are often used to introduce a new product or retain visibility for one that may not be part of a large, successful line of products. These charges can be an important revenue source and have a distinct effect on demand when they cause a product to be placed at eye level. The deeper the pockets of the food company, the less likely it is that you’ll have to squat down to retrieve their product from a lower shelf. Most slotting fees are paid to promote packaged, branded goods, but there are even some slotting allowances in the produce department, particularly for pre-packaged vegetables, like bags of baby carrots or bagged salad. Even if they had the money to pay these fees, many local farmers don’t have a way of branding their products to make it a worthwhile method for creating demand for their specific products. Once the demand is created, it’s up to the supermarkets to provide customers with the products that they want, when they want them. Aside from selling 80 LOCALLY GROWN CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
processed foods that are heavily marketed and have high visibility, supermarket managers wouldn’t bother selling cherries in September or asparagus in December if there weren’t customers buying them. And if it’s sweet corn in high season, what supermarkets don’t want is to have none left when a customer comes in the store to buy it. Even if they’re not required by corporate policy to source their products from a distribution warehouse, department managers want to do business with suppliers who can provide them with adequate quantities of the most number of products for the least amount of effort. Independents vs. Chains Availability of local products is somewhat better at independent supermarkets than it is at regional or national chains. These markets, such as Emmanuel’s Marketplace in Stone Ridge, Hurley Ridge Market in West Hurley, Adams Fairacre Farm stores in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh, and several IGA stores in Dutchess county, see selling local food as a big differentiator between them and the supermarket chains. If for no other reason than a simpler system for receiving deliveries at the store, a local suppler will usually find a more receptive audience in the department managers at independent supermarkets than at chains. Emmanuel Garandaras, owner of Emmanuel’s Marketplace, is emphatic about selling local products. He says, “The mere idea of independent survival is to bring local flavors into our own store. That’s the only way we can compete with the chains.” He offers local produce, such as corn, tomatoes, melons, and apples, whenever he can, but admits that it’s mostly during the summer and fall. Garandaras is enthusiastic about other locally made products his store sells, calling Tony B’s tomato sauce (made in Hurley), “as good as my mother’s,” and pointing out that when customers buy (Kingston-based) Monkey Joe’s coffee, it was roasted less than a week before they bought it. He is so committed to meeting customer demand for high-quality local products, he makes a weekly pickup of pasture-raised beef from Meiller’s Slaughterhouse in Pine Plains, because the company doesn’t deliver. He buys about 2,500 lbs per week now, up from 600 when he began about two years ago. Adams Fairacre Farm could be considered a super-independent because there are three large stores. Each of these stores operates somewhat independently; department managers make their own decisions about what they will buy, then they figure out if there’s interest in the other stores and will consolidate orders, if it makes sense. According to Bill Lessner, Adams’ marketing director, “We don’t solicit [local suppliers], they solicit us. As long as they can meet New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’
LEFT: JOHN HORVERS, PRODUCE MANAGER AT ADAM’S FAIRACRE FARMS IN KINGSTON, WITH LOCAL LETTUCE PACKAGED FOR RETAIL SALE. RIGHT: LOCAL BLUEBERRIES AT ADAM’S.
food safety requirements and Adams’ quality standards, and can provide the requisite quantities, we’ll buy from them.” Lessner points out that the stores do buy produce from overseas, as well, because the biggest concern is keeping the produce bins filled. Local produce hits the big time Bruce Davenport, a local grower and proprietor of Davenport Farms, wholesales to a few area supermarkets, and it’s his sense that they want to sell locally grown food, even though it’s harder for them to buy. Davenport says, “By and large the ones I sell to do support the local farming community, but we’re not easy for them to do business with.” He points out that the manager has to take his phone call every day, and stop what he’s doing to go and count stock, so he can order what he needs. Not as simple as ordering what the department needs in a single phone call to the distribution center. Not to mention the fact that independent farmers like Davenport are competing with the warehouse on price. Sometimes a supermarket’s distribution center discounts corn below cost if they’re overstocked, and Davenport has to sell at a loss to compete with them. Other local growers haven’t even gotten as far as Davenport. Burd Farm, a family-owned enterprise in Kerhonkson that grows a variety of vegetables and fruits, hasn’t sold to area supermarket chains because, according to Nanette Burd, they couldn’t even get a call back from the produce managers of the stores they tried. They do sell to Adams and to a few smaller supermarket chains in Sullivan County, but find the bigger stores to be too hard to deal with. They do enough business through their own farm stand and with farmer’s markets and smaller local stores that they feel it’s not worth their effort to jump through the supermarkets’ hoops. Mike Biltonen, of Stone Ridge Orchards, has been a successful direct store distributor to Hannaford and other chain supermarkets in the tri-state area, selling such items as orchard fruit, like apples and peaches, berries, and cider. He attributes his success with the larger chains to understanding their requirements, such as product coding that’s compatible with their systems, bar coded labels, and meeting state-mandated food safety requirements. Biltonen’s approach to building his business is pro-active in several directions. He explains, “I’ve made a point of learning how to farm and be a horticulturalist…I do see myself as a steward of the land…but I also understand the grocery and food business.” Direct store delivery Getting the attention of produce managers at the chain supermarkets apparently can be difficult. Requests for interviews with local produce managers at Price Chopper, ShopRite, and Hannaford were referred to corporate offices, and only
Hannaford responded. In fact, Hannaford, a Maine-based East-coast chain with two stores in Kingston and one in Red Hook, actually has a corporate locally grown coordinator, Wendy Carter. Carter, a farmer and Master Gardener, was hired about a year ago specifically to revitalize Hannaford’s locally grown program. She describes her work as supporting a corporate initiative that doesn’t mandate specific purchasing habits in any stores. She points out, “Individual managers can best judge how to manage their relationships with suppliers, as each area has different products available direct from local merchants.” Carter’s emphasis is on outreach to growers, letting them know the company is receptive and educating them on how to sell to Hannaford. Why the interest in local products? “In our experience,” Carter explains, “if customers know locally grown [produce] is in the store, we can’t keep it on the shelves.” Why does local matter? Clearly there’s a customer demand for locally grown foods, and there’s an evergrowing movement to support it. People in farming communities want to have the choice to buy local produce. It may be limited in supply and at times more expensive, and it might not look as perfect as commercially distributed foods, but it gives consumers the opportunity to support the farmer who lives down the road by buying his products. That farmer’s fields are part of what gives our neighborhood its rural character. Just over 17 percent of the land in the Hudson Valley is classified as farmland; supporting farmers can preserve that land. Further, only one percent of those farms are owned by some sort of corporation. That means most of the farms we see are owned by a family who also shops locally, sends their kids to area schools, and employs other local residents. These are people with a real investment in maintaining and maximizing the production of the land in a way that will keep their businesses going. Local food makes energy sense, too. Food shipped long distances ends up using much more energy to travel to the store than it ever provides when we eat it. Trans-continental lettuce can consume up to 36 times as much energy as it provides in nutritional calories. Plus, buying local means that you’re insuring jobs for local residents, supporting a local tax base, and buying from businesses regulated by US labor and safety laws. Internationally, food is grown under a completely different set of legal requirements, often allowing much lower minimum wages and more liberal safety and pesticide regulations. Buying local is getting easier One of the problems in supermarkets, both for consumers and for managers, is 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM LOCALLY GROWN 81
MIKE BILTONEN AND THE RASPBERRIES OF STONE RIDGE ORCHARDS. BILTONEN HAS ACHIEVED A GREAT DEGREE OF SUCCESS IN PLACING HIS PRODUCE IN AREA SUPERMARKETS BY MIMICKING LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION STANDARDS AND TECHNIQUES.
how to be sure people know which are the local products. Hannaford has addressed this with a new signage program that makes it easy to see what’s from local providers. The independent supermarkets tend to label local products as such, knowing that customers seek them out, and there are a number of movements afoot across the country to raise the visibility of the importance of local consumption. The members of one movement, which began in the San Francisco Bay area, have dubbed themselves “Locavores.” They are dedicated to spending at least a month each eating food raised within 100 miles of their home. (See www.locavores.com for more information.) As people start to understand the different kinds of social and economic costs associated with buying commercially processed food at giant supermarkets, they are beginning to actively seek alternatives, and it’s getting easier to find them. The proliferation of farmers’ markets is a sure sign that people want to have a closer relationship with their food. There are now over 15 farmers’ markets throughout the Hudson Valley, open every weekend from spring through fall, and as many Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations where subscribers pre-purchase a season’s worth of local-farm raised produce and often meat or poultry as well. Buying directly from the producer allows consumers to have a better idea of where their food comes from, how it’s been handled, and even the best way to prepare it. There is a sense of community that’s fostered in these situations; one bit of research showed that the average visit to a farmers’ market leads to 10 times more conversations than a trip to the supermarket. When you buy local food, a substantially larger percentage of the money you spend goes directly to the farmer, as there are no middle-men who need to be paid for long-distance transportation, packaging, storage, and marketing costs. What’s more, each dollar spent stays in the community up to seven times longer, supporting local farms and business in a way that money spent with a national corporation doesn’t. 82 LOCALLY GROWN CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
Creating demand for local products In the Hudson Valley, there are several new cooperative and government-sponsored organizations that are increasing the visibility and availability of local food. One cooperative group that’s working to raise awareness of local food producers is the Rondout Valley Growers Association. The RVGA is comprised of area businesses and residents who aim to support the region’s family farms and preserve open space in the Hudson Valley. While not a sales arm, RVGA aims to create a consumer pull for locally produced products by raising awareness and creating a recognizable identity so that people know when they’re supporting the local economy. Member businesses all sport a white diamond-shaped logo with black handwriting, and many use it in their ads. Pride of New York, under the aegis of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, was developed 10 years ago to create a preference amongst retailers, restaurants and consumers for New York State agriculture and food products. With more than 1,600 members ranging from food producers through retailers and restaurants, the program has a substantial marketing and advertising budget to help consumers identify New York-made products. The Think Local First campaign, developed by the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce and launched before the 2005 holiday season, was designed to encourage consumers to seek out local products. Local media partners have donated $75,000 worth of print, radio, and cable TV advertising to raise awareness of the program, and participants can display logos and posters to help shoppers recognize them and contribute to the local economy. Hudson Valley Fresh One of the biggest local marketing success stories is Hudson Valley Fresh, a marketing cooperative that provides high-quality local food products to stores in Dutchess, Columbia and Ulster counties. It was conceived of by Sam Simon,
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a retired orthopedic surgeon who grew up on a dairy farm in Orange County and now raises dairy cows in Pleasant Valley. He was frustrated watching dairy farmers in the Hudson Valley struggle to compete with huge national producers, and dismayed by the quality and freshness of the milk available in stores. Most milk (even organic milk, which is hormone- and antibiotic-free) is ultra-pasteurized (subjected to high temperatures for a short time to kill bacteria) so it can travel longer from the large organic dairies—often thousands of miles—to get to the market and can stay on the shelf in the market longer. Hard to believe, but some of this milk left the cow up to a month before you buy it in the market. The ultra-pasteurization doesn’t actually do anything to make the milk last longer once it’s opened and in your refrigerator, but it does, according to Simon, change the taste and quality of the milk. Simon worked with his state assemblyman (Pat Manning) and with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County to create Hudson Valley Fresh. They located a processing facility that would keep their milk separate (at Columbia county’s Ronneybrook Farm, a high-quality local milk producer in its own right) and put together transportation to provide distribution for milk from several smaller (less than 200 cows) local farms. Simon did the early marketing himself, telling potential outlets that Hudson Valley Fresh milk would compete on quality and taste, not on price. Quality in milk is measured by somatic cell count—somatic cells are white blood cells produced in greater quantity by cows living in unhealthy or stressful conditions. The lower the count, the better the quality of the milk. Hudson Valley Fresh milk boasts a somatic cell count of 60 percent lower than that required by state law. That’s a sure sign of happy, well cared for cows. Simon found that all discussions of quality aside, the milk sold itself when people tasted it. The price is competitive with organic milk, but he is quick to point out that Hudson Valley Fresh milk is fresher, tastier, and of higher quality than most organic milks. A distinctive green bulls’ eye-style label was created, solving the identification problems frequently associated with local products. This logo makes it easy for consumers to identify the milk and recognize it as a local brand. Hudson Valley Fresh is now selling well over 1,000 gallons of milk per week at 30 or so area outlets (including a couple of chain supermarkets), and is looking to continue to broaden its distribution and other high-quality locally produced products such as cheese, meats, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, and specialty condiments. Giving food safety a new meaning Aside from the environmental and community benefits, one more issue exists in favor of buying locally grown food: safety. Intense consolidation in all levels of the farming and food production system means that a very few companies are responsible for producing, distributing, and selling a very large percentage of the food consumed in the US. In the meat packing business, very few companies control the processing or sale of substantially between 50 percent and 80 percent of all beef, pork and chicken in the country. Companies like Cargill, Con Agra, Tyson, Perdue, Smithfield, and Swift raise or process most of the meat you’ll find in your supermarket. Disruption of just one of those companies’ operations could seriously impact the availability of key food items throughout the country. Further, reliance on national and global food production, transportation, and distribution increases our vulnerability to attack or natural disaster that could make food unavailable to large parts of the country (Hurricane Katrina is a good example). What if Wal-Mart could no longer physically get the food from its distribution center to the stores where people buy it? Grains are no different; Michael Pollan, in his new book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, explores the critical part the corn plays in all processed food in the United States today. Between flour, sweeteners, fillers, and other ingredients, as well as packaging materials and fuel additives, we consume more corn than any other foodstuff on the earth. Aside from all the other issues surrounding corn being such a critical part of our food chain, one wonders what might happen if the crop were no longer healthy or available. What’s less well known is that the monoculture of crops—hundreds of thousands of acres growing a single crop (like corn), season after season—that is generally practiced by industrial farms has similar issues. Traditional farming practice dictates that different crops are planted in each field in successive season, allowing the nutrients in the soil to regenerate, and making the farms less vulnerable to diseases or insects that might attack any single crop. When a farm raises only one crop, any insect or blight that attacks that single crop can cause substantial damage to the food supply. This type of farming leads to heavier use of pesticides, as well as the use of Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs)—crops that are genetically altered for a variety of traits, including disease resistance. These food security issues have been addressed in a variety of forums, including government agencies ranging from the USDA to Homeland Security. Apparently the Department of Homeland Security recently ran war games scenarios that included the introduction of corn fungus in the Midwest and contamination in a key meat packing plant. The projected outcomes were not encouraging, including states closing borders and vigilante violence. A recent conference at the Glynwood Center was called New Perspectives on Food Security. Many vulnerabilities were explored, and the universal conclusion of the scientists and researchers who presented papers at the conference was that localizing food distribution is one way to reduce the threat to our national security. Giving up cherry pie in April If you accept that buying locally grown is one of the ways you can contribute to a healthier food system, there are a few compromises you will have to make. The first, most obvious issue could be convenience. If locally grown product is not available in your nearby supermarket, you will have to visit farm stands and farmers markets, or subscribe to a CSA to buy local fruits, vegetables, and meats. Is this a compromise? It requires a different type of planning, but can also bring about a different relationship with your neighbors and your community as you interact with them on a new level. Price may or may not be a factor; often local produce is less expensive than that which has traveled far to get to you; the fuel costs alone can make a difference. Price will vary depending on where, when, and how you buy your food. You might also end up trying to figure out what to do with unusual quantities of certain foods. If you’ve ever had a prolific squash plant in your garden, you’re familiar with the creative exercise of trying to disguise yet another zucchini. Canning, preserving, and freezing take on a whole new importance as a way to make use of your farmers’ market or CSA purchases, knowing that you’ll want to have more than just the readily available root vegetables during the winter months. Probably the biggest compromise is dealing with seasonality. Our highly sophisticated food distribution system has trained us to expect to find virtually any kind of food we can imagine at any time we can think of it. Honeydew in January? Here it is. Broccoli in March? Strawberries in November? You can get ’em, no problem. Now the question you have to ask yourself is whether you really want them. Many cooks relish the challenge of cooking with seasonal ingredients; for some it’s anathema to use produce out of season. To them, it just seems wrong to make a cherry pie in April before the local trees bear fruit. Small steps can make a big difference It can be a big change to commit to buying locally, and not one you have to make 100 percent. Many organizations that support the use of local food sources encourage you to set just $10 per week aside for locally grown food—whether it’s vegetables, fruit, meat, or locally prepared food. If each of us does even that much, it will start to make a difference by changing the demand that drives the purchasing habits at large supermarkets. And don’t forget that if you’re going to vote with your feet and start to go places where you can buy local, let your supermarket produce manager know that’s what you’re doing. When you go to the store for your staples, ask the manager what’s local in the produce department and make a point of letting him or her know that you care about where your food comes from. Bruce Davenport, who wholesales and retails, puts it very directly: “Retailers listen to their customers. If customers are asking for local produce, it will be done.” A Bounty of Resources Beyond looking at labels, there are several local food resources. Chronogram’s website, www.chronogram.com, has a comprehensive listing of local community-supported agriculture farms. For a listing of local farmers’ markets, turn to page 87. For a zip code- and product-based local farm search engine, visit www.newfarm.org or www.eatwell.org. Also trywww.localharvest.org and www.foodroutes.org, which offer zip code search to locate providers near a specific location.
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FARMERS’ MARKETS Between 1994 and 2004 the number of farmers’ markets in the US increased by 111 percent, demonstrating the strong demand for fresh products direct from the farm; there are currently over 3,700 in the US. The number of farmers’ markets in our region continues to increase year to year as well, helping to directly support the growth and sustainability of small- to medium-sized farms. Below is a comprehensive listing of markets in Chronogram’s distribution area. Compiled by Patrick Shields. Arlington Baked goods, organically grown produce, spices, flowers, salsas, organic chicken, mushrooms, and lamb. Vassar College lawn, Collegeview and Raymond Avenues. Thursday, 3-7pm. Through October. (845) 471-2770. Catskill Artisanal breads, cheeses, organic produce, and live music. Catskill Point Park at the bottom of Main Street. Saturday, 9:30am-1:30pm. Through mid-October. (518) 622-9820. Cold Spring Seasonal fruits and vegetables, plants, herbs, maple sugar products, fresh honey, wines, baked goods, dairy products, grassfed meats, candies, and soaps. The Nest, 44 Chestnut Street (Route 9D opposite Foodtown Market). Saturday, 8:30am-1:30pm. Through October. (845) 265-3611. Fishkill Farm fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade baked goods. All are sold directly by producers and bakers. Grand Union parking lot, Route 52. Thursday 10-2pm. Through October. (845) 897-4430. Great Barrington Heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers direct from the farmer. Also fruit, flowers, and baked goods. Corner of Taconic Avenue and Castle Street at the historic Railroad Station. Saturday 9am-1pm. Through October 29. Hudson Eggs, dairy, fruit, baked goods, prepared foods, jams and jellies, various fruits, vegetables in season, honey, wine, potted plants, cacti, wool yarn, various crafts, local coffee blend (by the pound or by the cup), and meat. Various events. Sixth Street and Columbia Street. Saturday, 9am-1pm. Through midNovember. (518) 828-7217. Hyde Park Baked goods, organic oil, homemade soap and sundries, wines, produce, and cooking demonstrations. Hyde Park Drive-in lot, Route 9. Saturday, 9am-2pm. Through October. (845) 229-9111. Kinderhook Fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade baked goods, jams, jellies and preserves, maple syrup, honey, cider, fish, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, herbs, cut flowers, perennials, annuals for the garden, and organically grown produce. Village Square and Green Street. Saturday, 8am-12pm. Through mid-October. (518) 758-1232. Kingston Old Town Stockade Locally grown or produced traditional and organic fruits and vegetables, herbs, flowers and potted plants, hearth-baked breads and baked goods, cheeses, meats, poultry and venison, wines, herbal bath and body products, teas and coffee beans, honey and maple syrup, ethnic prepared foods, and more. Special events and chef demonstrations weekly. Appropriate vendors accept EBT and FMNP coupons. Wall Street. Saturday, 9am-2pm. Through November 18. (845) 338-4629. Middletown Produce, fruit, and gourmet baked goods. Erie Municipal Lot, North and Depot streets. Saturday, 8am-1pm. Through October. (845) 343-8075.
Millbrook Locally grown, fresh produce (including organic), plants, prepared foods, farm products, seasonal fruits, plants, cut flowers, fresh-baked breads and pies, and organic meats. Live music every other weekend as well as various special events. Franklin Avenue and Front Street Tribute Garden Parking Lot. Saturday, 9am1pm. Through October. (845) 677-9424. www.millbrookfarmersmarket.com. Newburgh Honey, fruits, fresh meats and cheeses, produce, plants, herbs, and flowers. Downing Park at Route 9W and South Street. Friday 10am-5pm. Through October. (845) 565-5559. New Paltz Certified organic and heirloom vegetables, artisanal breads and cheeses, baked goods, canned goods, plants, fruits, free-range eggs, flowers, jams and jellies, Oliverea Maple Syrup, honey, fudge, herbs, cut flowers, and cooking and canning demonstrations. Half block west of Main Street and Chestnut Street in downtown New Paltz at the parking lot of Rock and Snow. Sunday, 10am-3pm. Through October 29. (845) 658-3016. Peekskill Produce, fruit, baked goods, and more. Bank Street. Saturday, 8am-2pm. Through September. Pine Bush Fresh local vegetables, organics, heirloom produce, fruits, homemade soaps, wines, grass-fed meats, ice cream, maple treats, jams, savories, berries, artisanal breads, cheeses, plants, flowers, local art, restaurant fare, coffee, and horse rides. Features a local artist every week. Depot and New streets. Saturday, 9am-2pm. Through late October. (845) 744-6763. www.pinebushfarmersmarket.com. Pleasant Valley Vegetables, fruit, berries, jewelry, bread, pastries, olive oil, honey, maple syrup, vinegar, plants. Key Food Plaza, Route 44 at Maggiacomo Lane. Friday, 3-7pm; October: Friday, 3-6pm. Through October. (845) 635-3918. Poughkeepsie Fresh produce, plants, venison, rabbit, lamb, honey, maple syrup, fresh mozzarella and bread, crafts, wineries. WIC program accepted. Poughkeepsie Plaza parking lot between Denny’s and the Bank of New York, 2600 Route 9. Friday, 3-7pm. Through October. (845) 471-4265. Rhinebeck Locally grown produce, homemade jams, dairy foods, plants, meats, cheeses, bread, wine, flowers, honey, live music, and various special events. East Market Street Municipal Parking Lot. Sunday, 10am-2pm. Through November. (845) 679-7618. www.rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com. Saugerties Artisanal bread, produce, eggs, regional cheeses and honey, bottled milk, herbs, cut flowers, pasture-raised meats, free cooking classes for kids, and other weekly special events. Market and Main Streets. Saturday, 9am-2pm. Through October. (845) 246-9371. www.saugertiesfarmersmarket.com. Walden Locally grown fruits and vegetables, homemade breads and pies, sweets, jams, and entrees. Village Square, in front of library on Scofield Street. Thursday, 12-4pm. Through October. (845) 294-5557. Warwick Garden plants, goat milk products, gourmet kitchen treats, as well as produce from area farmers, bakers, nursery owners, wine producers, fruit growers, beekeepers, cheese-makers, restaurateurs, specialty purveyors, and musicians. South Street Parking Lot. Sunday, 9am-2pm. Through October. (845) 987-9990.
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The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Health Center
Y Workshops 521 Main St (Rt 299) New Paltz, NY 12561 www.thelivingseed.com (845) 255-8212
Thai Yoga Massage 8/5 - 8/6 to give a full body, * learn 1 hour massage in this wonderful workshop. CEUs available.
Yoga Classes ( all levels) Family & Kids Yoga Massage Acupuncture Sauna Bellydancing Capoeira West African Dance West African Drum
PALTZ
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whole living
BODY BY NATURE ALL-NATURAL PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ANOINTING YOURSELF WITH SYNTHETIC MATERIALS ISN’T BODY “CARE”—IT’S A HEALTH STRESSOR. FORTUNATELY, ALL-NATURAL ALTERNATIVES ARE STEPPING INTO THE LIMELIGHT.
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hampoos, skin cleansers, moisturizers, cosmetics—they’re bursting with flowers and spices and all things nice, or so they smell. But mainstream body care products aren’t the “herbalicious” concoctions their advertising suggests, and are packed with synthetic chemicals. Some people have become hypersensitive to ingredients in standard products and react with skin rashes, headaches, fatigue, nausea, or serious illness. Other people won’t stand for the cruelty of testing synthetic ingredients on animals. And it’s dawning on many people who choose organic foods and excellent nutrition that what we put on our bodies nourishes—or harms—not only our skin but our inner selves. Enter the alternative. A small collection of companies offer skincare, hair care, and cosmetics made with only natural ingredients. Examples are Aubrey, Aura Cacia, Burt’s Bees, Common Sense Farm, Dr. Hauschka, GratefulBody, and The Organic Pharmacy. Herbalists and wildcrafters often make their own products; some in the Hudson Valley are Falcon Formulations, Mountain Spirit Botanicals, Primitive Lip Color, and Rosner Soap. “People really want natural skincare,” says naturopathic doctor Tom Francescott, whose new “modern apothecary” in Rhinebeck called Dr. Tom’s Tonics stocks several products lines he’s chosen for their pure, natural, organic ingredients. “They are unbelievably clean. Mineral makeups are also getting very big. It’s a huge trend.”
BANISHING THE ICK FACTOR “An oil slick is no better for your face than for the Alaskan coastline,” says the Hudson Valley’s Dina Falconi, author of Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair and creator of Falcon Formulations body care products. She’s referring to the ubiquitous petroleum-derived ingredients in mainstream products. But petrochemicals and other inexpensive, synthetic substances can irritate skin, dry it out, trigger allergies, and penetrate deeper into the bloodstream, possibly disrupting hormones and accumulating as carcinogens. Typical mainstream ingredients are paraffin, mineral oil, phthalates, parabens, alcohols, lauryl/laureth sulfates, ethanolamines (DEA, MEA, and TEA), propylene and polyethylene glycol (PG, PEG), and artificial preservatives, fragrances, and colorants, as well as lingering herbicides and pesticides. These are “junk food for the skin,” says Shannon Schroter of GratefulBody, an all94 WHOLE LIVING GUIDE CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
natural skincare company based in Berkeley, California. “Your body looks at all these ingredients and says, ‘I don’t know what this is,’ and tries to get rid of it. It should be called the ‘skin stress’ industry, because there’s no ‘care’ in it.” Many synthetic ingredients have yet to be properly tested for safety and increasingly are suspected of harming humans as well as the environment. The phthalate esters, in virtually all personal care products and detectible in our blood, tissues, and urine, are one example. As endocrine disruptors, they cause reproductive abnormalities in a wide array of animals and may alter immune function, behavior, and memory as well. There are no long-term studies of phthalate effects in humans, though concern has been growing for decades about the impact of phthalates on human reproduction, especially on development of sexual organs in male fetuses. Another turn-off of mainstream products: Cattle pieces not suitable for food are ground up (“rendered”), and the floating fat layer used as raw material for ingredients, especially in cosmetics. In July 2004 the FDA banned small intestine, brain, skull, eyes, spinal cord, vertebral column, tonsils, and other nervous system and immune organs from the mix—an action taken because “the vCJD [variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob] disease agent would likely be concentrated” in them.
GOOD INGREDIENTS: WHOLE AND SIMPLE How do we navigate through nearly illegible and unintelligible ingredients lists to sort out what’s good and bad in a product? It’s not easy. Many decent ingredients are listed by their chemical names—tocopheryl acetate is vitamin E, for example—and the Latin names for lovely plants can look dastardly. On the other hand, ingredients to avoid have multiple names, including simple trade names, and many chemical siblings. Researching them can tire even a biochemistry aficionado. (But if you’re curious, visit the Household Products Database at http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, to find synonyms for ingredients and information on hundreds of brand-name products.) But Schroter says obsessing over select ingredients plays into the hands of the billion-dollar mainstream industry. “Companies are stopping the use of well-known problem chemicals like the parabens [a group of preservatives used in cosmetics to prevent bacterial and fungal growth], but they can make a slight modification in the
chemical structure and call it ‘paraben-free.’ They are also wising up to the stigma in using petroleum, and are now using plant sources instead—coconut, palm, corn, grapeseed—as the raw material for synthetic chemicals. So they are called ‘plantbased.’ Sounds nice—and that’s the intent of the manufacturer. But, says Schroter, “the intense laboratory processes, including toxic solvents, third-party chemical agents, high-processing heat, and molecular splitting, render these ‘plants’ into biologically inappropriate synthetics.” Misrepresentation also comes in the form of labels flaunting a favorite plant ingredient when, in reality, the substance was synthesized—and dirt cheaply. It’s common practice to imply that, for example, allantoin made in the lab from uric acid (from rendered animals) came from the plant comfrey. But, Schroter explains, “a plant like comfrey is a universe, with hundreds of constituents. It is a world, a unity.” That plant’s wholeness, not individual dissected ingredients or synthetic versions, serves our physiology best. Companies that make truly natural products have a whole different concept—and spend a lot more money on ingredients to manifest it. True adherents are few. They use as starting materials fresh, whole, plants—typically organically grown—and in some cases animal-created substances such as honey, beeswax, and lanolin. Infused oils are common ingredients, made of organic botanical oils in which plants with medicinal or nourishing properties have soaked for months. Fragrances and colorings come from plants or harmless minerals. Some companies fall short of all natural by including synthetic preservatives and stabilizers. Falconi explains that “heat, light, and oxygen make oils go rancid over time, and damages the herbs. Bacteria or mold isn’t a problem with oils, but can grow when there is water in the product.” But essential oils and citrus, especially when organically grown and naturally extracted, add months to a natural product’s shelf-life. Falconi recommends refrigeration for items with water and keeping oils in a cool, dark place. Also, microorganism contamination is greatly reduced by using clean applicators, not fingers, to dip into jars. Note that while “essential oils are really wonderful and powerful,” Falconi says, “they
are potentially toxic and must be used in small amounts. People can become sensitized to them.” And people with food allergies should check products for related ingredients and avoid them. However, someone who has had a reaction to an herbal ingredient such as lavender in a mainstream product, says Schroter, may “instead be allergic to the common solvent that was used in distilling it,” of which traces remain.
GETTING LOCAL The Hudson Valley is lush with natural body care product options, from stores that stock retail lines, to local herbalists, to natural body care consultants and spas that offer all-natural products in your pampering session. At Dr. Tom’s Tonics, you can try body care creams, healing salves, makeup items, and more from our region and elsewhere, including UK-based The Organic Pharmacy—“the best line in the world,” Dr. Tom says. Many area retailers also have products you can test in the store. Look for Dina Falconi’s products at the High Falls Food Coop and Sunflower Natural Foods in Woodstock (and at the Family Farm Festival at Epworth Center in High Falls on September 10), or contact her directly for a catalogue or to take a course in natural body care or herbalism. Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair is packed with recipes for making luscious products for men, women, and children. Special needs, such as during pregnancy or for aging skin, also are addressed. Falconi teaches how to work with the body’s natural processes instead of against them. (She notes that since her book was published, she’s stopped using canola oil because of concerns and conflicting studies on it. Claims that canola oil is related to the warfare toxin mustard gas and causes Mad Cow Disease, however, are wrong.) Mountain Spirit Botanicals, located in Saugerties, was founded by Elise Muller two decades ago. She emphasizes that natural body care doesn’t have to be complex. “One of the best facial cleansers is oatmeal; one of the best moisturizers is olive oil. If you took the time once a week to just do a facial steam with some herbs, you wouldn’t believe what it does to your skin. It’s amazing.” And it’s not just what you use, but the process. “I try to bring across the value of personal ritual. And between two people, it deepens the relationship”—whether between child and parent, friends, 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM WHOLE LIVING GUIDE 95
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or intimate partners. When her daughter was young, Muller “created this game, an imaginary beauty parlor called Lucille’s,” though hers offered natural, simple cleansers and moisturizers that she created and which evolved into Sweet Baby Dreams, a line of bath products for the well-being not just of the bathing child but also the adult, who benefits from the restorative ingredients, such as lavender oil vapor, for example. Nancy Caigan and Susanna Ronner of Woodstock created “exceptionally emollient and naturally conditioning” lip colors called Primitive Lip Color, made entirely of natural ingredients and available in many stores in our area. “We believe that beauty should not come at the expense of our health,” they explain in their product literature. “According to a report in Glamour magazine, the average woman consumes four to nine pounds of lipstick in her lifetime! [And some include lead.] This supports our belief that what we put on our lips be simple, pure ingredients formulated from nature itself.”
SKINCARE FROM THE KITCHEN One way to enjoy natural products is to make them yourself. Marguerite Dunne is an herbalist in Cornwall-on-Hudson and host of “The Urban Herbalist” radio show (on WTBQ) about herbs and the latest on alternative health. She’s made many bodycare items herself and teaches students how in her herbal classes. Dunne acknowledges that making your own products is a commitment of time that not everyone will have. But a fun approach is to invite friends over. “It’s a great girlfriend thing to do together,” she says. “Do a steam, make the moisturizer, share ingredients”—like French clay, fresh herbs, organic base oils, and essential oils. Or, sponsor an at-home spa day (perhaps hiring an herbalist) to treat each other to pampering facial steams with healing herbs and deep-cleansing clay masques. It’s a fun thing for teenagers, too. You can find dozens of recipes in Falconi’s book. Body oils and facial scrubs are easiest; lotions and face creams are more challenging because they are emulsions of oils and water (follow the recipe exactly and use a blender with a good vortex). Susun Weed, herbalist extraordinaire at the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, invites you to come with questions about natural body care to a Work/Learn Day, where discussions are set by the interests of those who show up for the day. Weed leads workshops and apprenticeships in plant knowledge, including how to recognize and responsibly gather local plants, and her books and website are packed with ideas. (For instance, she says a secret to healthy skin is to avoid glycerin. “It robs the lower layers to plump up the upper layers—that can create wrinkles.”)
GENTLE ENOUGH FOR MOTHER (EARTH) The manufacture and use of mainstream products introduces millions of gallons of unnatural and toxic chemicals into the soil and water each year; phthalates can even survive water treatment to show up in municipal water supplies. By contrast, all-natural products are easy on the earth, and companies that make them often are proactive about environmental and social responsibility. For example, Mountain Spirit Botanicals works “only with farmers who are committed to land stewardship based on sustainable agriculture,” and GratefulBody sees “no difference between your skin, your body, and the planet” and only uses sustainably and humanely harvested ingredients. (Consult a company’s literature with a healthy skepticism, and contact the manufacturer directly with questions to ascertain their practices.) Local herbalists and wild-crafters do their part, too, often growing their own organic ingredients and wild-harvesting plants in sustainable ways. Seek products that proudly post ingredients that are organically grown, ethically and sustainably harvested, and entirely natural. You’ll learn to spot the real thing with some patience. A final note: the price tag for truly natural products will be higher than the artificial “green” stuff from the discount store, but you typically need less of these treasures. And for the price of a dinner out you’ll get months of luscious care that feeds your skin, your body, and washes harmlessly back into the earth.
RESOURCES Dr. Tom’s Tonics, Rhinebeck: www.drtomstonics.com; (845) 876-2904 Falcon Formulations: (845) 687-8938 GratefulBody store locator: www.gratefulbody.com Marguerite Dunne: www.herbs-on-hudson.com; (845) 651-1110; “Urban Herbalist” radio show: Mondays, 6-7 pm at WTBQ, 1110 AM in the lower Hudson Valley and WTBQ.com Mountain Spirit Botanicals: www.mountain-spirit-botanicals.com; (845) 246-1813 Primitive Natural Lip Color: www.primitivemakeup.com; (845) 679-2264 Rosner Soap, Sugarloaf and New Paltz: www.rosnersoap.com; (877) 258-1690 Susun Weed, Wise Woman Center, Woodstock: www.susunweed.com; (845) 246-8081
LOCAL INGREDIENTS SUPPLIERS Jean’s Greens: www.jeansgreens.com; (888) 845-8327; (518) 479-0471 Monarda Apothecary, Jennifer Costa, herbalist: www.monarda.net; (845) 688-2122
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THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF SILENCE AND LISTENING BY MARK A. MICHAELS AND PATRICIA JOHNSON
Yoga, Tantric practices, and most forms of meditation share a purpose: to cease what Patanjali described in the Yoga Sutras as “the fluctuations of the mind-stuff,” which has also been called “the chattering monkeys residing in our heads.” And while it can sometimes seem a monumental task to still the mind, suitable only for monks or dedicated retreat-goers, there are many simple, effective meditative practices you can use to achieve tranquility. Exploring the interplay between sound and silence, both internal and external, can be a remarkable tool for entering into meditative states quickly and relatively easily, as a gentler and subtler approach than undertaking a silent retreat. Meditation has many well-documented benefits: inner peace, increased emotional resilience, and improved concentration, to name a few.
consider it from this perspective.) The simplest meditation of this type actually occurs with every breath. The act of breathing produces a sound—a mantra that we are unconsciously repeating, constantly. The first step is to listen, and while breathing through the nose, pay attention to the underlying sound, which is often transcribed as “So-Ham” in Yoga and Tantra. This is the sound that initiates our existence and brings it to an end. Once you have become aware of the sound of your own breath, bring your awareness to the void between inhalation and exhalation, the point of silence when one is neither taking in air nor expelling it. While this may last only a microsecond, the process of becoming aware of this stillness can quiet the mind. Breathing should remain natural during this practice, since efforts to regulate it will disrupt the process.
THE SILENCE AFTER THE SOUND Many people are familiar with the power of sound in the context of mantra and chanting. The vibrational power of the chant is what makes it effective, in part. Try chanting “OM” for 10 or 15 minutes, and you will certainly experience the power of sound as a means to alter consciousness. At the same time, you are likely to discover that the really interesting states are experienced when the chanting stops and everything is still. Silence can be utilized to change consciousness and to quiet the mind. The contrast between sound and silence functions as a gateway into meditative states, and an emphasis on this contrast is typical of many forms of Tantric meditation. (And this interplay is what makes all music possible, though we seldom
INNER SILENCE There is another form of silent meditation that can be practiced while sitting near a busy city street or in any other environment. Antar Mouna, which means “inner silence,” involves focusing one’s hearing and ultimately turning that focus inward, thereby quieting the mind; external sounds themselves are the means to this end. Antar Mouna is a complex, multistage practice, but the first stage can be quite powerful in its own right; it requires you to focus your awareness on three specific aspects of your sense of hearing. The first is your experience of hearing itself, the second is the object that creates the sound, and the third is the “I” that is observing all of this. In virtually any setting, there exists an entire soundscape to explore in this way.
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The process is quite simple. You might try it while sitting in a park. Close your eyes. Begin by allowing your awareness to rest on the most obvious external sound. Perhaps it is a bird. After a few minutes, move to a less obvious sound, perhaps children playing in the distance, then on to another, such as the rustling of leaves in a breeze. Continue this practice until you feel you have completely externalized your consciousness. Finally, turn your attention away from the sound, and concentrate on your inner experience; we describe this as withdrawing your consciousness into your head, like a turtle retreating into its shell. It is a kind of disconnection from the external stimuli, though you will probably remain aware of them at some level. Sit for a few minutes and simply observe what is stirring in your thoughts and feelings. FINDING SILENCE BY FOLLOWING SOUND The classic Tantric text, the Vijnanabhairava Tantra, which is perhaps the best single guide to meditation ever written, describes another way of meditating on sound: “If one listens with undivided attention to the sound of string instruments and others which are played successively and are prolonged, then one becomes absorbed in the supreme ether of consciousness” (from Swami Lakshman Joo’s commentary in Vijnana Bhairava: The Practice of Centering Awareness, Bettina Baumer, translator). In this practice, the listener focuses on a sound that comes and goes, becoming enveloped in the vibration and following it to the very point at which it ceases to be audible. Meditating in this way awakens an awareness that all sounds emerge from and disappear into one source. When the sound dies on an auditory level, the vibration continues to pull the listener into a deeper state of meditation. Although the text refers to stringed instruments, and Indian stringed instruments such as the sitar or the sarod are particularly effective for this meditation, you can also use a singing bowl or a high-quality bell. In fact, the technique can be employed using any sound that sustains and then dies out. It can be a natural sound, a musical instrument, or even something you would normally think of as nothing but ugly noise. Our teacher, Dr. Jonn Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati), described his experience with this practice while training with the renowned Shri Yogendra in the early 1960s at the Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz, India, located near the Bombay Airport. “In 1961 the heaviest traffic was turbo-jets landing and taking off. In fact we meditated on the Ashram roof utilizing a beautiful technique of Nada Laya (sound meditation) called ‘Nishspandha Bhave’ by deliberately focusing upon the sound of the turbo-jet taking off until the mind attenuated out on the very last scrap of sound and then—nothing! Perfect, blissful silence, the ‘peace that surpasseth understanding.’” (Excerpt from Mumford’s online Om Kara Kriya Course, www.jonnmumfordconsult.com.) These techniques use sound as a means to draw your consciousness into a deeper perception of silence; sound is the hook on the end of the line that is tugged from somewhere in the void. You can use these techniques in any setting and even for just a few moments at a time, and they can lead you into a more profound state of stillness. In many ways they can be more effective than sitting down with the intention of stopping your mental chatter by, for example, forcing yourself into an extended period of silence. By bringing your awareness to sound, to silence, to the dynamic between them, and to your own role as observer, you can discover new dimensions of quietude and inner peace. Ultimately, one should strive to achieve a state of equilibrium and choice. It is important to be able to engage with the world, and it is important to be able to withdraw. By focusing on both sound and silence, we are exploring in microcosm what it means to be human; everything is ebb and flow, sound and silence, fullness and void. Our survival depends on our ability to experience the entire range, to jump into the fray when we choose to and also to go within and renew when necessary. By practicing these dynamic forms of silent meditation, we can become more fully aware and more fully ourselves. Mark Michaels (Swami Umeshanand Saraswati) and Patricia Johnson (Devi Veenanand), authors of The Essence of Tantric Sexuality (Llewellyn Worldwide), will be signing books on August 12, 1-3pm, at Inspired!, 41 N. Front St. Kingston, and presenting an “Introduction to Tantra” on September 9, at The Dreaming Goddess in Poughkeepsie. Booksigning at 3:30pm; class at 4:30pm; admission is $10. More information about the authors is available at www.tantrapm.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM WHOLE LIVING GUIDE 99
whole living guide ACUPUNCTURE
APOTHECARY
Acupuncture Health Care, PC
Dr. Tom's Tonics- A Modern Apothecary
Peter Dubitsky, L.Ac., Callie Brown, L.Ac., and Leslie Wiltshire, L.Ac. Mr. Dubitsky is a faculty member and the Director of Clinical Training at the Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and a member of the NY State Board for Acupuncture. Ms. Brown and Ms. Wiltshire each have years of acupuncture experience in private practice and in medical offices. We are all highly experienced, national board certified, NYS Licensed acupuncturists. We combine traditional Asian acupuncture techniques with a modern understanding of acupuncture and oriental medicine to provide effective treatments of acute and chronic pain conditions, and other medical disorders. In addition to our general practice we also offer a Low Cost Acupuncture Clinic which is available for all people who meet our low income guidelines. 108 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-7178.
A vision of Dr. Tom J. Francescott, Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Tom's Tonics is inspired by the old apothecaries from years ago filled with cutting edge and professional grade products backed by the expertise and support of a Naturopathic Doctor. Walk into Dr. Tom's Tonics and ask Dr. Tom or Dr. Winnie your health questions. Closed Wednesdays. (845) 876-2900.
bodhi studio
ART THERAPY
Offering Massage, Acupuncture, Natropathic medicine, Cranio sacral therapy, Skin Care, Body waxing,ear coning, Reflexology and Reiki. See also our Massage directory listing. (518) 828-2233. www.bodhistudio.com.
Dylana Accolla, LAc
whole living directory
Treat yourself to a renewed sense of health and well-being with acupuncture, herbal medicine, Chinese bodywork, and nutritional counseling. My emphasis is on empowering patients by teaching them how to practice preventative medicine. Great for gynecological problems, chronic pain, and managing chronic illness. Two locations: Haven Spa, 6464 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, and Woodstock Women's Health, 1426 Route 28, West Hurley. Haven Spa, 6464 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY. (914) 388-7789.
Hoon J. Park, MD, PC For the past 16 years, Dr. Hoon J. Park has been practicing a natural and gentle approach to pain management for conditions such as arthritis, chronic and acute pain in neck, back, and legs, fibromyalgia, motor vehicle and work-related injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, and more by integrating physical therapy modalities along with acupuncture. Dr. Hoon Park is a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, and electrodiagnostic studies. His experienced, friendly staff offer the most comprehensive and individualized rehabilitative care available. Please call the office to arrange a consultation. New patients and most insurances are accepted. Half mile south of the Galleria Mall. 1772 Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. (845) 298-6060.
Stephanie Ellis, LAc, Chinese Herbalist Ms. Ellis is a magna cum laude graduate of Columbia University in pre-medical studies and has been practicing acupuncture in Rosendale since 2001. In 2003 she completed post-graduate work in the study of classical Chinese herbal medicine. Ms. Ellis trained at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for the treatment of cancer patients with acupuncture. Ms. Ellis also has special training in infertility treatment, facial acupuncture and chronic pain. Her new, expanded location is at the medical offices of Rosendale Family Practice. Evening and weekend hours and sliding scale rates. Phone consultations available. Rosendale Family Practice, 110 Creek Locks Road, Rosendale, NY. (845) 546-5358. www.HudsonValleyAcupuncture.com.
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AROMATHERAPY Joan Apter See also Massage Therapy directory. (845) 679-0512. japter@ulster.net. www.apteraromatherapy.com.
Deep Clay Art and Therapy Deep Clay Art and Therapy with Michelle Rhodes Licensed Master Social Worker, ATR-BC. A creative and grounding approach for crisis management, transitions, and deep healing. Individual, couple, and group arts based psychotherapy. "Dreamfigures" group for women in transition. Gardiner, NY. (845) 255-8039. deepclay@mac.com. www.deepclay.com.
ASTROLOGICAL CONSULTING Eric Francis: Astrological Consultations by Phone. Special discount on follow-ups for previous clients from the Hudson Valley. Lots to explore on the Web at www.PlanetWaves.net. (206) 854-3931. eric@ericfrancis.com. www.PlanetWaves.net.
Essential Astrology Free Astrology Consultation. Call with a question and I'll give you a free 15 minute consultation to introduce you to my work and to the helpfulness of the Western and Vedic astrological traditions. Penny Seator, Essential Astrology. (518) 678-3282.
AURAS AND ENERGY The AURACLE A Spirit shop offering aura photos/ readings, Reiki attunements/ certifications, Reiki healing, meditations, gifts, and tools for the mind/ body/ spirit. Specializing in aura/ chakra imaging. Come discover your personal aura colors, and the health and balance of your aura and chakras! Join us in our weekly Sunday chakra balancing group at 11am! Couples and pet readings available. 27 North Chestnut Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-6046.
One Light Healing Touch: Energy Healing & Mystery School Also see Schools & Training category. Penny Price Lavin (845) 876-0239: pricemedia@aol.com. Nancy Plumer (845) 687-2252: nplumer@hvi.net. Check ad for One Light Healing Touch summer workshops. Rhinebeck, NY. www.OneLightHealingTouch.com.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
BODY & SKIN CARE
Judith Muir - The Alexander Technique
Absolute Laser, LLC
The Alexander Technique is a simple practical skill that when applied to ourselves enhances coordination, promoting mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Improve the quality of your life by learning how to do less to achieve more. Judith Muir, AmSAT. (845) 677-5871.
Absolute Laser offers commitment to beautiful skin through outstanding care and service. Offering Laser Hair Removal, Microdermabrasion, Vitalize Peel, and Fotofacial RF. The Fotofacial RF is the next generation in high-tech skin enhancement. These gentle, no downtime treatments are used
to improve cosmetic appearance of the face, neck, hands, and body. The results are brighter, smoother, more radiant and luminescent skin. This process delivers results that skin care products alone cannot do! Recover and rediscover the youth and vitality of your skin. Call for a complimentary consultation: Janice DiGiovanni. Springbrook Medical Park, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-7100. www.absolute-laser.com.
BODY-CENTERED THERAPY Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC - Body of Wisdom Counseling & Healing Services By integrating traditional and alternative therapy/healing approaches, including Body-Centered Psychotherapy, IMAGO Couples' Counseling, and Kabbalistic Healing, I offer tools for self healing, to assist individuals and couples to open blocks to their softer heart energy. Tensession psycho-spiritual group for women in recovery. Offices in Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. New Paltz, NY. (845) 485-5933.
Julie Zweig, MA Verbal Body-Centered Psychotherapy utilizing doctoral level training in psychology and 15+ years of experience as a therapist, as well as the principles of Rosen Method Bodywork, but without touch. New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-3566.
BODYWORK bodhi studio See also Massage Therapy directory. (518) 828-2233.
CAREER & LIFE COACHING Allie Roth Center for Creativity and Work
David W. Basch, CPCC Transition Coach Change is inevitable; growth is optional. Get your life, business, or career unstuck and moving forward. You become clearer about who you are and what you really want. We don't fix you because you aren't broken. Transitions occur more naturally and powerfully. Whatever you are up to in your career, business or key areas such as money and relationships, coaching can assist you in creating a fulfilling life, achieving goals and being more focused, present and successful. Contact David for a free session. (845) 6260444. dwbasch@aol.com. www.dwbcoaching.com.
CHI KUNG Ada Citron Explore the basics of Mantak Chia's Healing Tao System with Ada Citron, Taoist counselor and Healing Tao Instructor for over 10 years. Meet the Six Healing Sounds which transform stress into vitality. Learn the Inner Smile and the Microcosmic Orbit meditations. Also learn standing and gently moving practices that relax and rejuvenate. (845) 339-0589. www.adacitron.com.
CHILDBIRTH Catskill Mountain Midwifery Home Birth Services
See also Hypnosis directory. Hyde Park, NY. (845) 876-6753.
CHIROPRACTIC Dr. David Ness Dr. David Ness is a Certified Active Release Techniques (ART) Provider and Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner specializing in helping athletes and active people quickly relieve their pain and heal their injuries. In addition to providing traditional chiropractic care, Dr. Ness utilizes ART to remove scar tissue and adhesions in order to restore mobility, flexibility, and strength faster than standard treatments will allow. If you have an injury that has not responded to treatment, call Dr. Ness for an appointment today. (845) 255-1200.
Dr. Bruce Schneider Dr. Bruce Schneider. New Paltz, NY 12561. (845) 255-4424.
Gabriels Family Chiropractic Come visit Dr. Christopher Gabriels at 381 Washington Avenue in Kingston. Experienced in a myriad of techniques (Diversified, Applied Kinesiology, SOT, Activator, Nutrition) and providing gentle adjustments in a comfortable atmosphere. You only have one body, let me help you make the most of it by restoring your body's natural motion and balance. Call (845) 331-7623 to make an appointment. 381 Washington Avenue, Kingston, NY. (845) 331-7623.
Nori Connell, RN, DC Nori combines 28 years as a registered nurse with 18 years of chiropractic experience to offer patients a knowledgeable approach to removing the interferences in the body that lead to disease. She combines accredited techniques such as Neuro-Emotional technique, kinesiology, and Network Chiropractic to work with the body's innate intelligence and its ability for healing. Dr. Connell also offers workshops on natural health care for the family and is also one of the directors of Alternatives Health Center of Tivoli (845) 757-5555 and Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center (845) 876-5556. Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 757-5555 or (845) 876-5556.
whole living directory
Career and Life Coaching for those seeking more creativity, fulfillment, balance and meaning in life and work. Offering a holistic approach to career and life transitions. Also specialize in executive coaching, and coaching small business owners, consultants and private practitioners. 25 years experience. Kingston and New York City offices. Kingston, NY. (845) 336-8318. Toll Free: 800-577-8318. allie@allieroth.com. www.allieroth.com.
Kary Broffman, RN, CH
COACHING Jeanne Asma, LCSWR See also Psychotherapy directory. (845) 462-1182. www.JeanneAsma.com.
COLON HYDROTHERAPY Connie Schneider, Advanced Level I-ACT Certified Colon Hydrotherapist Colon Hydrotherapy is a safe, gentle, cleansing process. Clean and private office. A healthy functioning colon can decrease internal toxicity and improve digestion; basics for a healthy body. See display ad. New Paltz, NY. (845) 256-1516.
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY Craniosacral Therapy A gentle, hands-on method for enhancing the body's own healing capabilities through the craniosacral rhythm. Craniosacral therapy aids in the release of stress-related conditions such as anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, depression, digestive, menstrual, and other problems with organ function, breathing difficulties, and headaches. Increase energy, reduce pain, and improve immune system function. Effective for whiplash, TMJ, sciatica, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, arthritis, low back tension, and chronic pain. Also helpful for children with birth trauma, learning difficulties, chronic ear problems, and hyperactivity. Hudson Valley Therapeutic Massage, Michele Tomasicchio, LMT. (845) 255-4832.
See also Midwifery directory. (845) 687-BABY.
Homebirth and Gynecology Practice of Judy Joffee, CNM This practice offers a unique and exquisite opportunity for woman care in a powerfully compassionate and sacred manner. I offer complete prenatal care focused toward homebirth. For the nonpregnant woman, individualized gynecological care, counseling, and self-determination await you. Also offering school, work, and general physicals for all ages. Call for consultation. (845) 255-2096.
DENTISTRY The Center For Advanced Dentistry Bruce D. Kurek, DDS, FAGD; Jaime O. Stauss, DMD Setting the standards for excellence in dentistry for more than 25 years, the Center for Advanced Dentistry attracts clients from throughout the northeast and abroad. Their client-centered approach to providing comprehensive dental
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services for adults and children includes "old school" care and concern combined with the latest technologies. The office is conveniently located 1.5 miles east of the NYS Thruway, exit 18. 494 Route 299, Highland, NY. (845) 6915600 | fax: (845) 691-8633. www.thecen terforadvanceddentistry.com.
EQUINE FACILITATED HEALING Ada Citron - Taoist Counselor and Instructor Equisessions速 with Ada, a life long rider, are therapeutically oriented, equine facilitated encounters based on the Epona Method from The Tao of Equus, by Linda Kohanov. Riding is involved in later sessions. This year Ada will present an all day pre-conference workshop for Region 1 of NARHA, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, on Chi Kung as a tool for mounted equine facilitated healing work. She will also present, for the second time, her Chi Kung for Horse People at the conference itself. Kingston. (845) 339-0589. www.adacitron.com.
FENG SHUI DeStefano and Associates
whole living directory
Barbara DeStafano has been the owner of DeStefano and Associates, an interior design business, for 18 years. She received certification in Feng Shui from the Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design and has completed advanced work with several Feng Shui Masters. Feng Shui is the perfect marriage to interior design. It brings a spiritual dimension to your space. Barbara can create a kind of beauty that touches your spirit, and brings balance and harmony to a level that transcends the superficial. Barbara is available for consultations, guest speaker engagements, and workshops. (845) 339-4601.
FLOWER ESSENCE THERAPY Cheri Piefke- Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner Flower essences are a unique vibrational healing modality for mind-body health and emotional well-being, that are safe, effective and compatible with other medications or therapies. If you are seeking the missing piece in recovering from crisis, breaking behavioral patterns that no longer serve you, or if you simply desire support for personal growth, an individualized blend of flower essences can be the gentle loving partner that makes the difference. Call (845) 266-0230 for more information or to schedule your personal consultation. (845) 266-0230.
HEALTH & HEALING FACILITIES Guidance of Spirit, Wisdom of Heart Heart-based Intuitive Healing, Karma Release with Crystals, Space Clearings & Blessings, Long Distance Healings, End-of-Life Transitions, Guided Meditation/visualization. Thursday eve-
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nings at 7:30 pm. Self healing is a process of self-discovery. Within the space of the heart discover what you need to heal. Kate DeChard M.Ed. The Soul Sanctuary, 6052 B Route 9, NY 12572.
The Sanctuary: A Place for Healing A quaint healing center in a quiet part of downtown New Paltz. Specializing in Craniosacral Therapy, Stress Point Release through Chiropractic, Swedish & Sports Massage, Shiatsu, and Energetic Reiki. New offerings include meditation and nutritional counseling. Call for an appointment. 5 Academy Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-3337 and (845) 853-3325.
HEALTH PUBLICATIONS Hudson Valley Healthy Living A comprehensive directory of Mid-Hudson health services, products, and practitioners, along with articles on health issues of interest. Published biannually (April/October) by Luminary Publishing, Inc., the creators of Chronogram, 50,000 copies are distributed in the region throughout the year. Contents are also available on the Web at www.hvhealthyliving.com. See our website for advertising rates or call the HVHL sales team. (845) 334-8600. www.hvhealthyliving.com.
and lifestyle that truly nourish your body and soul. Infuse your life with radiant health! One-on-one counseling, lectures, wellness workshops, whole foods cooking classes, yoga, summer retreats. Beacon, NY. (646) 241 8478. marika@delicious-nutrition.com.
Priscilla A. Bright, MA Energy Healer/Counselor Specializing in women's stress, emotional issues, and physical illness, including stress-related anxiety, depression, and physical burnout. Women in transition, businesswomen, mothers, all welcome. Experienced counselor. Faculty, Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Convenient offices in Kingston & New Paltz. Initial phone consultation no charge. Kingston, NY. (845) 688-7175.
HOMEOPATHY Kimberly Woods C. HOM. With 25 years of experience and extensive training with world renowned master homeopaths and herbalists, she has helped 1000's of individuals suffering from acute and chronic disorders, from physical problems to psychological illnesses. Kimberly is truly gifted at educating the individual in natural approaches to health and well-being. (845) 688 2976. www.naturalhealthsource.us.
HERBS
HYPNOSIS
Monarda Herbal Apothecary
Achieve Your Goals with Therapeutic Hypnosis - Sharon Slotnick, MS, CHt.
In honoring the diversity, uniqueness, and strength of nature for nourishment and healing, we offer organic and ecologically wildcrafted herbs using tradition as our guide. Certified Organic Alcohol Tinctures, Teas, Salves, Essential Oils, and more. Product Catalog $1. Workshops and Internships. (845) 688-2122. www.monarda.net.
John M. Carroll, Healer John Carroll is an intuitive healer, teacher, and spiritual counselor who integrates mental imagery with the God-given gift of his hands. John has helped individuals suffering from acute and chronic disorders, including back problems and cancer. Remote healings and telephone sessions. Call for consultation. Kingston, NY. (845) 338-8420.
Julie Barone, Certified Holistic Health Counselor Live with vibrant energy! Whole foods nutrition and lifestyle consulting can help you kick the junk food habit, achieve better health, tune in to your body, and eat well for life. Individual programs are customized to your health goals. Special People Pet Wellness program for you and your pet. Whole foods cooking parties - fun, educational, and delicious! Free consultation. (845) 338-4115. julieabarone@yahoo.com. www.peoplepetwellness.com.
Marika Blossfeldt, HHC, AADP Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, Yoga Instructor You were meant to lead a happy and fulfilling life. What's holding you back? Create change now. Discover the foods
whole living directory
HOLISTIC HEALTH
Increase self-esteem and motivation; break bad habits; manage stress, stress-related illness and anger; alleviate pain (e.g. childbirth, headaches, chronic pain); overcome fears and despondency; relieve insomnia; improve learning, memory, public speaking and sports performance; enhance creativity. Other issues. Change your outlook. Gain Control. Make healthier choices. Certified Hypnotist, two years training; broad base in Psychology. New Paltz/Kingston, NY. (845) 389-2302.
Kary Broffman, RN, CH A registered nurse with a BA in psychology since 1980, Kary is certified in Ericksonian Hypnosis, Hypnobirthing, and Complementary Medical Hypnotism, hypnocoaching with the National Guild. She has also studied interactive imagery for nurses. By weaving her own healing journey and education into her work, she helps to assist others in accessing their inner resources and healing potential. Hyde Park, NY. (845) 876-6753.
One-Session Hypnosis with Frayda Kafka CHT Building on my success with smoking cessation in 1978, I have continued to help clients with weight loss, pain, childbirth, stress, insomnia, habits, phobias, confidence, and almost any behavior you can think of. Known for my easy, light manner and quick results, I have an intuitive knack for saying just the right thing at the right time so that a major shift can be initiated. Groups, home visits, gifts and phone sessions are available. Please call me at (845) 336-4646. Kingston, NY. (845) 336-4646. info@CallTheHypnotist.com. www.CallTheHypnotist.com.
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INTUITIVE HEALING Guidance of Spirit, Wisdom of Heart Heart-based Intuitive Healing, Karma Release with Crystals, Space Clearings & Blessings, Long Distance Healings, End-of-Life Transitions, Guided Meditation/visualization. Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm. Self healing is a process of self-discovery. Within the space of the heart discover what you need to heal. Kate DeChard M.Ed. The Soul Sanctuary, 6052 B Route 9, NY 12572.
JEWISH MYSTICISM/KABBALAH Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC Kabbalistic Healing in person and long distance. See BodyCentered Therapy. (845) 485-5933.
LIFECOACHING Shannon Fasce Certified Holistic Life Coach Medical intuitive-Intuitive consultant- Restoring balance for the Body, Mind,& Spirit.Using techniques such as Energy Medicine,Guided meditation,Chakra Balancing, Bach Flower Remedies & Integrated Energy Therapy. To schedule an appointment call (845)758-8270.
whole living directory
Offering luxurious massage therapy, including Raindrop Technique, with therapeutic essential oils to relieve stress, boost the immune system, and address system imbalances. Natural animal care, individual consultations for a healthy home and personal concerns, spa consultant, classes, and keynotes. Essential Oils, nutritional supplements, personal care, pet care, children's and home cleaning products from Young Living Essential Oils. For more information, contact Joan Apter. (845) 679-0512. japter@ulster.net. www.apterar omatherapy.com.
The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Center See also Yoga directory. 521 Main Street (Rte. 299, across from Econo Lodge), New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-8212. contact@thelivingseed.com. www.thelivingseed.com.
Susan DeStefano, LMT Healing Massage, Swedish. Deep Tissue. Hot Stone. Shiatsu. Craniosacral. Lymph Drainage. Tibetan Reflexology. Reiki. Touch For Health. (845) 255-6482.
Sunflower Healing Massage See also Midwifery directory. (845) 705-5906.
Sublime Bodywork- Sabura Goodban Healing from the inside out. Zen Shiatsu. Raindrop Therapy. New York Licensed Massage Therapist. (845) 246-4180.
Want to convert fear into courage, stress into power, depression into joy, worry into satisfaction? Consider empowerment life coaching. Get clarity on the life you want plus the tools and techniques to make your dreams a reality. Stop being a problem solver and become a vision creator. Rhinebeck, NY. (845)876-2194. Shirley@findingthecourage. com. www.findingthecourage.com.
Woodland Massage
MASSAGE THERAPY Ada Citron, LMT
A healing practice for body, mind and spirit. Attention artists, activists, farmers, executives, builders, teachers, truckers, healers, helpers, merchants, mothers, and weekend wanderers. Strong, gentle, knowledgeable bodywork, personalized to meet your treatment goals. Flexible schedule and fees. Accord office/home visits. Mark Houghtaling, LMT. Keep in touch. (845) 687-4650.
MEDITATION
Practicing since 1988, Ada Citron, LMT, has offered Swedish, Sports Massage, Reiki, Pranic Healing, Chair Massage, Shiatsu, Barefoot Shiatsu and Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) Chinese abdominal massage. Shiatsu and CNT are currently her preferred modalities. Classes offered in CNT. House calls fee commensurate with travel time. (845) 339-0589. www.adacitron.com.
Zen Mountain Monastery
Affinity Healing Arts Alice Madhuri Velky LMT, RYT Massage Therapy - Reiki - Yoga
MIDWIFERY
Deeply effective, intuitive and client-centered bodywork incorporating Swedish/deep tissue, myofascial, aromatherapy and energy balancing. Integral Yoga速 private, restorative, group classes. Poughkeepsie location. (845) 797-4124. home.earthlink.net/~affinityhealing.
Catskill Mountain Midwifery Home Birth Services
Bodhi Studio is a lovely and calm space nestled in the heart of downtown Hudson. We have brought together experienced and caring therapists to give you the care you need at an affordable price, so that taking care of yourself can happen often and easily. Offering Massage, Acupuncture, Natropathic medicine, Craniosacral therapy, Skin Care, Body waxing, earconing, Reflexology and Reiki. (518) 8282233. www.bodhistudio.com.
Donna Generale Licensed Massage Therapist If you have not experienced the deep, penetrating, and rigorous effects of Tuina massage, you owe it to yourself and your senses to enjoy a session. A myriad of hand and arm techniques provides a detailed massage that's incomparable for sore muscles, aches and pains. When blended with Swedish massage strokes, the treatment is tempered with soothing comfort and relaxation. Whether you want a leisure hour and a half or a 15 minute "quick relief," or any other length of time you prefer, you will feel instant benefits. Call me at (845) 876-1777. Also: Shiatsu, Sports & Medical massage. (845) 247-4098.
Hudson Valley Therapeutic Massage Michele Tomasicchio, LMT, specializes in Integrative Massage - incorporation of various healing modalities: Swedish, Myofascial Deep Tissue, Craniosacral, and stretching to facilitate the body's healing process. A session may include
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Joan Apter
Shirley Stone, MBA, Certified Empowerment Life Coach
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all or just one modality. No fault accepted. Gift certificates available. By appointment only. 243 Main Street, Suite 220, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-4832.
Offering year-round retreats geared to all levels of experience: introductions to Zen meditation and practice; programs exploring Zen arts, Buddhist studies, and social action; and intensive meditation retreats. South Plank Road, Mt. Tremper, NY. (845) 688-2228.
Give birth as you wish, in an environment in which you feel nurtured and secure; where your emotional well-being, privacy, and personal preferences are respected. Be supported by a tradition that trusts the natural process. Excellent MD consult, hospital backup. (845) 687-BABY.
Homebirth and Gynecology Practice of Judy Joffee, CNM See also Childbirth directory. (845) 255-2096.
Suzanne Berger Certified nurse midwife at the Women's Care Center offering a full range of holistic, alternative and traditional services. Serving Kingston, Benedictine and Northern Dutchess Hospitals. Kingston, NY. Rhinebeck (845) 876-2496. Kingston (845) 338-5575.
Sunflower Healing Massage Kim Beck, RN Certified Nurse, Midwife and Licensed Massage Therapist. In home prenatal and postpartum massage. (845) 705-5906.
NATURAL FOODS Beacon Natural Market Lighting the Way for a Healthier World... Located in the heart of historic Beacon at 348 Main Street. Featuring organic prepared foods deli & juice bar as well as organic and regional produce, meats and cheeses. Newly opened in Aug. '05, proprietors L.T. & Kitty Sherpa are dedicated to serving the Hudson Valley with a complete selection of products that are good for you and good for the planet, including
an extensive alternative health dept. Nutritionist on staff. 348 Main Street, Beacon, NY. (845) 838-1288.
Sunflower Natural Food Market At Sunflower we know the food we eat is our greatest source of health. Sunflower carries certified organic produce, milk, cheeses, and eggs; non-irradiated herbs and spices; clean, pure organic products to support a healthy lifestyle; large selection of homeopathic remedies. Sunflower Natural Foods is a complete natural foods market. Open 9AM-9PM daily. 10AM-7PM Sundays. Bradley Meadows Shopping Center, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-5361.
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE Naturopathic Medicine
whole living directory
Dr. Thomas J. Francescott, ND. Free Your Mind - Release Your Body - Energize Your Spirit! Solve health issues, enhance wellness, and gain awareness. Scientifically proven naturopathic solutions for challenging and/or chronic health concerns. I offer naturopathic expertise in a sacred space to help you feel better. Graduate of the prestigious Bastyr University. Call Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center (845) 876-5556. Rhinebeck Cooperative Health Center, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-5556. www.drfrancescott.com.
NUTRITION Jill Malden, RD, CSW Prominent Nutritionist specializing in eating behavior and eating disorders for 15 years. Warm, nonjudgmental treatment. Understand the effects of nutrition on your mood, anxiety level, cravings, concentration, energy level, and sleep, in addition to body weight. Recover from your eating issues and enjoy a full life! 1 Water Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 489-4732.
Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN Creating Wellness for individuals and businesses. Nutrition counseling: combining traditional and integrative solutions to enhance well-being. Health Fairs for Businesses wanting to improve employees' productivity. Providing help with Diabetes, Cardiovascular conditions, Weight loss, Digestive support, Women's health, and Pediatric Nutrition. Many insurances accepted. Offices in New Paltz and Kingston. Call (845) 255-2398 for an appointment. www.Nutrition-wise.com.
Vitamin Navigator Confused about what to eat and what not? Find your own bioindividuality, your diet is as unique as you are, your optimum health can be achieved without serious deprivation. Andrew Wright Randel HHC AADP has 15 years experience with alternative and complementary health care. (914) 466-2928. www.vitaminnavigator.com.
Valerie Crystal, MS, Clinical Nutritionist "If I don't make time for healthy eating, I'll have to make time for illness."
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Valerie Crystal, MS, Clinical Nutritionist. Assessments and diagnostic testing for chronic disorders caused by poor eating habits. Learn how, what and when to eat and heal yourself! House calls available. Free Phone consultation. (518) 678-0700.
NUTRITION THERAPIST Ilyse Simon RD, CDN Nutrition Therapist Diet is a four letter word. Nutritional therapy for emotional eating to chronic eating disorders, body image issues, insulin resistance and diabetes. Teaching normal eating based on hunger cues. Specializing in teens to adults. Bastyr University of Natural Medicine educated with non-diet approach including whole foods. Many insurances accepted. "Life is not black and white. Living is the full spectrum in between." 318 Wall St, Suite 3A,, Kingston, NY. (845) 331-6381. ilysefood@yahoo.com.
ORGANIC PRODUCTS
PSYCHOLOGISTS Mark S. Balaban, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist offering individual and group psychotherapy for adults and adolescents. Experienced in working with relationship/intimacy issues, loneliness, depression, anxiety, current family or family of origin issues, eating/body image concerns, grief, stress management, and personal growth. Convenient after-work and evening appointments available. Rosendale, NY. (845) 616-7898. balabanm@newpaltz.edu.
Peter M. del Rosario, PhD Licensed psychologist. Insight-oriented, culturally sensitive psychotherapy for adults and adolescents concerned with: relationship difficulties, codependency, depression, anxiety, sexual/physical trauma, grief and bereavement, eating disorders, dealing with divorce, gay/lesbian issues. Free initial consult. Sliding scale. 199 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (914) 262-8595.
Rachael Diamond, LCSW, CHt See also Psychotherapy directory. (845) 883-9642.
NewAgeProducts.Org Offers handmade Organic Soaps, All Natural & Organic Herbal Juice Supplements and many Organic Bath & Body Products. All high quality and very competitively priced. Your #1 place to get all your organic body care needs. An easy and convenient way to experience the difference of Organic & All Natural Body Care. www.NewAgeProducts.org.
OSTEOPATHY Applied Osteopathy Joseph Tieri, DO, & Ari Rosen, DO.
whole living directory
Drs. Tieri and Rosen are New York State Licensed Osteopathic physicians specializing in Cranial Osteopathy. As specialists in Osteopathic manipulation, we are dedicated to the traditional philosophy and hands-on treatment of our predecessors. We have studied with Robert Fulford, DO, Viola Freyman, DO, James Jealous, DO, and Bonnie Gintis, DO, and completed a two-year residency in Osteopathic Manipulation. We treat newborns, children, and adults. 3457 Main St, Stone Ridge, (845) 687-7589. 138 Market Street, Rhinebeck, (845) 876-1700. 257 Main Street, New Paltz, (845) 256-9884. By Appointment. For more information call or visit the website.. www.appliedosteopathy.com. 257 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. New Paltz (845) 256-9884; Rhinebeck (845) 876-1700. www.appliedosteopathy.com.
PHYSICIANS Doctors that Make House Calls Board Certified Family Practitioner with over 15 years will make house calls! Doctors that Make House Calls is now serving the Wappingers, Fishkill, New Windsor, Hopewell, Montgomery, Cornwall, Hyde Park, Balmville and other surrounding areas. Call for detailed brochure of our services. (845) 896-7712.
Women Care Center Empowerment through information. Located in Rhinebeck and Kingston. Massage and acupuncture available. Gynecology - treating our patients through the most up-to-date medical and surgical technologies available, combined with alternative therapies. Obstetrics - working with you to create the birth experience you desire. Many insurances accepted. Evening hours available. Rhinebeck, NY. Rhinbeck (845) 876-2496; Kingston (845) 338-5575.
Psychotherapist. Individual, family, and group sessions for adolescents and adults. Currently accepting registration for It's a Girl Thing: an expressive arts therapy group for adolescent girls and The Healing Circle: an adult bereavement group offering a safe place to begin the healing process after the death of a loved one. Most insurances accepted. New Paltz, NY. (914) 706-0229.
Change Your Outlook, Heal, and Grow - Sharon Slotnick, MS, CHt. With combination of "talk" therapy for self-knowledge and hypnotherapy to transform negative, self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Faster symptom relief. Feel better and make healthier choices. Sliding scale, Certified Hypnotherapist and Counselor. New Paltz, Kingston. See also Hypnosis. New Paltz, NY. (845) 389-2302.
Debra Budnik, CSW-R Traditional insight-oriented psychotherapy for long- or shortterm work. Aimed at identifying and changing self-defeating attitudes and behaviors, underlying anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. Sliding scale, most insurances accepted, including Medicare/Medicaid. NYS-licensed. Experience working with trauma victims, including physical and sexual abuse. Educator on mental health topics. Located in New Paltz, one mile from SUNY. New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-4218.
Deep Clay Art and Therapy "Dreamfigures" group for women in transition. (845) 2558039. deepclay@mac.com.
Dr. Nancy Rowe, PhD, LMHC, REAT Heart centered counseling, and expressive arts therapy. Emotional healing for children and adults using talk, imagery, sandplay, expressive arts, and/or movement. Background in transpersonal psychology, play therapy, family therapy, spiritual guidance, authentic movement, and expressive arts therapy. Kingston, NY. (845) 679-4827. www.wisdomheart.com.
Ione Author and psychotherapist: Qigong, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, and Dreams. Specializing in the creative process. Healing retreats, Local and Worldwide. (845) 339-5776.
Irene Humbach, LCSW, PC - Body of Wisdom Counseling & Healing Services
Beacon Pilates
See also Body - Centered Therapy directory. (845) 4855933.
The Moving Body 276 Tinker Street, Woodstock, (845) 679-7715. www.themovingbody.com.
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Amy R. Frisch, CSWR
PILATES A fully equipped classical studio that tailors each workout to fit the individual's needs and abilities. Our class times and intro packages make it easy to get started. Beacon Pilates is a Power Pilates Participating Studio. For information on becoming a certified Pilates teacher please contact us. 181 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Beacon, NY. (845) 831-0360. www.beaconpilates.com.
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PSYCHOTHERAPY
Judy Swallow, MA, TEP Integrative body/mind therapist using Rubenfeld synergy and psychodrama in her work with individuals, couples, groups, and families. Inquire for workshops and training, as well as therapy. New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-5613.
Jeanne Asma, LCSWR PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND LIFE COACH Individual, couples and group sessions for adults. Women's issues groups now forming. Specializing in relationship issues, improv-
ing self esteem, binge eating and body image, life transitions including divorce and grief issues, trauma and abuse. Many insurance's accepted or sliding scale available. Office located in Poughkeepsie location. (845) 4621182. www.JeanneAsma.com.
Julie Zweig, MA See also Body-Centered Therapy directory. Offices in Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. NY. (845) 255-3566.
Kent Babcock, MSW, LMSW Counseling & Psychotherapy Development of solutions through simple self-observation, reflection, and conversation. Short- or long-term work around difficult relationships; life or career transitions; ethical, spiritual, or psychic dilemmas; and creative blocks. Roots in yoga, dreamwork, spiritual psychology, and existential psychotherapy. Sliding scale. Offices in Woodstock and Uptown Kingston., Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-5511 x4. kentagram@gmail.com.
Martin Knowles, LCSW Taking a systemic approach to well-being and relationships for over 20 years, Martin Knowles works with individuals, couples and families in Uptown Kingston. His effective, downto-earth style amplifies and encourages natural talents and resources, bringing out the best in each of us. 845-338-5450 x301.
whole living directory
Rachael Diamond, LCSW, CHt Holistically-oriented therapist offering counseling, psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy. Specializing in issues pertaining to relationships, personal growth, life transitions, alternative lifestyles, childhood abuse, codependency, addiction, recovery illness, and grief. Some insurances accepted. Office convenient to New Paltz and surrounding areas. Free half hour consultation. New Paltz, NY. (845) 883-9642.
Wellspring Evolutionary coaching using movement and breath to access and clear lifelong patterns and transform relationships. Rodney and Sandra Wells, certified by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. (845) 534-7668.
REBIRTHING Susan DeStefano Heart-centered therapy for healing the body, mind, and emotions. Improve relationships, release the past, heal the inner child through personal empowerment. (845) 255-6482.
REIKI Affinity Healing Arts Alice Madhuri Velky LMT, RYT Massage Therapy - Reiki - Yoga Deeply effective, intuitive and clientcentered bodywork incorporating Swedish/deep tissue, myofascial, aromatherapy and energy balancing. Integral Yoga速 private, restorative, group classes. Poughkeepsie location. (845) 797-4124. home.earthlink.net/~affinityhealing.
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The Sanctuary - Reiki Rev. Denise Meyer offers Usui Reiki treatments. Experience the benefits of deep relaxation and energetic releases through this method of healing touch. Reiki energy supports and heals the mind, body, heart and spirit through the delivery of Light Energy into the energy field of the receiver. "Denise's work is way beyond the other Reiki treatments I have had." Vera P. The Sanctuary, 5 Academy Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-3337 ext. 2.
SCHOOLS & TRAINING Hudson Valley School of Massage Therapy Student clinic supervised by NYS Licensed Instructor. www.HVSMassageTherapy.com.
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology ITP is an accredited graduate psychology school offering clinical and nonclinical certificates, MA and PhD degrees. The curriculum combines mind, body, and spiritual inquiry with scholarly research and self discovery. Graduates have strong clinical skills and can communicate in a variety of complex relational circumstances. (650) 493-4430. itpinfo@itp.edu. www.itp.edu.
One Light Healing Touch: Healer Training School
whole living directory
The OLHT Training is ideal for health care workers and those desiring transformational personal growth, physical and emotional healing, and spiritual develpment. Join us for an empowering, life-changing, six-month training. 50 self-healing practices and 33 Professional Healing Techniques, Certification in OLHT Energy Healing and NYSNA CEUs. FREE OPEN EVENINGS. SPECIAL INTRO WEEKENDS: OLHT SCHOOL a six 3-Day Weekends of Training, starts Sept. 8th. For information & sessions, Penny Price Lavin (845-876-0239, pricemedia@aol.com): Nancy Plumer (845-687-2252, nplumer@hvi.net). See ad for One Light Healing Touch summer workshops. Begins Sept. 8, 2006. Rhinebeck, NY. www.OneLightHealingTouch.com.
SHIATSU Sublime Bodywork Sabura Goodban. Zen Shiatsu, Raindrop Therapy. New York Licensed Massage Therapist. (845) 246-4180.
SPAS & RESORTS The Spa at Emerson Place The Emerson Spa is open! This Asianinspired design invites guests into an oasis of relaxation that is surrounded by the Catskills' pastoral beauty. Individually-tailored treatments are created by the European-trained staff who are skilled at delivering virtually all the Emerson Spa's 40+ treatments. Men and women alike will enjoy the personalized attention they receive while enjoying experiences such as Ayruvedic Rituals, Aromatherapy Massage, Deep-Tissue and Four-Hand Massage, Hot Stone Therapy and Detoxifying Algae Wraps. (845) 688-1000. www.emersonplace.com.
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SPIRITUAL Healing, Pathwork and Channeling by Flowing Spirit Guidance It is our birthright to experience the abundance of the universe, the deep love of God, and our own divinity! It is also our birthright to share our own unique gifts with the world. We long to do it. So why don't we? Our imperfections get in the way. As we purify, we experience more and more fully, the love and the abundance of God's universe. We can have it in any moment. We can learn to purify our imperfections AND experience heaven on earth. Jaffe Institute Spiritual Healing; Pathwork; and Channeling available. Contact Joel Walzer for sessions. (845) 679-8989. www.flowingspirit.com.
Ione Egyptian Mysteries, Scarab TeachingsTM, Journeys to Sacred Sites. (845) 339-5776.
SPIRITUAL COUNSELING Spirit Asked me to Tell You. Spiritual channeling and guidance. Individuals and groups, will travel for groups. Native American spiritual teachings. I have spent ten years out West learning Native American teachings and rituals. Telephone sessions by appointment. All information in private sessions are confidential. (845) 679-0549
STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION Hudson Valley Structural Integration
TAROT Tarot-on-the-Hudson - Rachel Pollack Exploratory, experiential play with the Tarot as oracle and sacred tool, in a monthly class, with Certified Tarot Grand Master and international Tarot author Rachel Pollack. All levels welcome. Tarot Readings in person or by phone. Also see ad. Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-5797. rachel@rachelpollack.com.
THERAPY Dianne Weisselberg MSW, LMSW Individual Therapy and Personal Mythology. Over 16 years experience; eight years Process Therapy training. "I am awed and blessed by the opportunity to walk with people in the deep places of their lives, and committed to supporting each person to find and live their own journey." (845) 688-7205. dweisselberg@h vc.rr.com.
Legga, Inc. at Cedar Ridge Farm Specializing in Equine Assisted Discovery groups and individual sessions, for Children, Adolescents, & Adults. Saugerties, NY. (845) 729-0608.
Toni D. Nixon, Ed.D. Therapist and Buddhist Practitioner Offering a unique combination of techniques that integrate therapeutic goals and spiritual practice. The basic principles of Buddhism and psychotherapy are concerned with the goal of ending human suffering. Both paths to liberation are through greater self-awareness, a broader view of one's world, the realization of the possibility of freedom and finding the means to achieve it. In essence, effective psychotherapy moves toward liberation and Buddhist practice is therapeu-
VEGAN LIFESTYLES Andrew Glick - Vegan Lifestyle Coach The single most important step an individual can take to help save the planet's precious resources, improve and protect one's health, and to stop the senseless slaughter of over 50 billion animals a year...is to Go Vegan. What could make you feel better about yourself than knowing you are helping the planet, your own health, and the lives of countless animals all at the same time? If the idea is daunting and seems undoable to you, then let your personal Vegan Lifestyle Coach take you through steps A to Z. Whether you're a cattle rancher eating meat three times a day or a lactovegetarian wanting to give up dairy, it's a process that can be fun, easy and meaningful. You can do it easily with the proper support, guidance and encouragement from your Vegan Lifestyle Coach. (845) 679-7979. andy@meatfreezone.org. www.meatfreezone.org.
Healthy Gourmet To Go Try our colossal coconut macaroons dipped in dark chocolate or our delectable pan-seared cornmeal crusted homemade seitan cutlets over rosemary smashed potatoes with mushroom gravy. From old-fashioned home cooking with a new healthful twist to live/raw foods and macrobiotics, HGTG has dishes to please every palate. Weekly Meal Delivery right to your door. Organic, vegan, kosher. Baby Registry. Gift Certificates. Catering. (845) 339-7171. www.carrottalk.com.
whole living directory
Structural integration is a form of soft tissue manipulation based on the lifelong work of Dr. Ida P. Rolf. It is a process-oriented whole systems approach that seeks to improve one's health and vitality by balancing the body and re-establishing appropriate relationships. Benefits include feeling lighter, more energy, greater freedom of movement, relief from chronic pain, and positive psychological effects. We offer a safe place for exploration and work with sensitivity and compassion. Krisha Showalter and Ryan Flowers are certified practitioners of the KMI method. Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-4654.
tic in nature. Eidetic Image therapy is a unique and powerful method that encourages the liberation of the mind and spirit from obstacles that block the way to inner peace. Specializing in life improvement skills, habit cessation, career issues, women's issues, and blocked creativity. By phone, online, and in person. (845) 339-1684. www.eidetictherapy.com.
YOGA Jai Ma Yoga Center Offering a wide array of Yoga classes, seven days a week, from Gentle/Restorative Yoga to Advanced. Meditation classes free to all enrolled. Chanting Friday evenings. New expanded studio space. Private consultations and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions available. Gina Bassinette, RYT & Ami Hirschstein, RYT, Owners. New Paltz, NY. (845) 256-0465.
The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Center Open to the community for over 5 years. Inspiring movements of inner freedom and awareness. We offer Yoga classes for all levels of students, gentle/beginner to advanced. Including Pre & Post Natal Yoga, Family & Kids Yoga, as well as a variety of Dance classes, Massage, Acupuncture, Sauna & Organic Yoga Clothing. 521 Main Street (Rte. 299, across from Econo Lodge), New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-8212. contact@theli vingseed.com. www.thelivingseed.com.
Satya Hudson Valley Yoga Center Satya Hudson Valley Yoga Center is located in the heart of Rhinebeck village, on the third floor of the Rhinebeck Department Store building. We offer classes for all levels, 7 days a week. There is no need to pre-register: we invite you to just show up. Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-2528. www.hudsonvalleyyoga.com.
Yoga on Duck Pond A new approach to yoga based on the premise that we develop habitual patterns of movement that can effectively be changed by bringing unconscious movement into conscious awareness. Only then can we explore new combinations of ways to move. Learn how to experience yoga poses comfortably and beneficially, from the inside out, without strain or struggle. When we slow down, we can sense and feel more clearly and comfortably how we move. Experience a style of yoga that is dynamic, rejuvenating, empowering and transformational. Donna Nisha Cohen, RYT with over 25 years experience. Classes daily. Privates available. (845) 687-4836. www.yogaonduckpond.com.
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business directory ACTING
ART SUPPLIES
Sande Shurin Acting Classes
Catskill Art & Office Supply
Revolutionary new acting technique for Film/Stage/TV. The book: Transformational Acting...A Step Beyond, Limelight Editions. The technique: Transform into character using current emotions. No recall. No forward imagining. Shurin private coaches many celebrities. The classes: Thursday eves at 7pm, Woodstock. Master classes at the Times Square Sande Shurin Theatre. Thursday eves at 7PM. Woodstock, NY. (917) 545-5713 or (212) 262-6848.
Traditional fine art materials, studio furnishings, office products, journals, cards, maps, and gifts. Creative services, too, at all three locations: photo processing, custom printing, rubber stamps, color copies, custom picture framing, and fullcolor digital output. Pushing the envelope and creative spirit for over 20 years. Woodstock (845) 679-2251; Kingston (845) 331-7780; Poughkeepsie (845) 452-1250.
Manny’s
ANIMATION 8 Hats High 23-27 West Main Street 3rd Fl., Middletown, NY. Please also see our Illustration directory. (845) 344-1888. www.8hatshigh.com.
ANTIQUES Hudson Valley Showcase
ARCHITECTURE DiGuiseppe Architecture Inspired, Sensitive, and Luxurious...these are the words that describe the quintessential design work that is DiGuiseppe. The firm, with Design Studios in Accord, New York City, and Boca Raton, provides personalized Architecture and Interiors for each and every client. Whether the project is a Sensitive Historic Renovation, a Hudson Valley Inspired Home or Luxurious Interiors, each project receives the attention of the firm’s principal, Anthony J. DiGuiseppe, AIA RIBA, an internationally published architect and award-winning furniture designer. Accord (845) 687-8989; New York City (212) 439-9611. diarcht@msn.com. www.diguiseppe.com.
R & F Handmade Paints Internationally known manufacturer of Pigment Sticks and Encaustic paint right here in the Hudson Valley. Stop in for a tour of our factory, get paints at discounted prices, sign up for an Encaustic or Pigment Stick workshop, or check out bi-monthly exhibits in the Gallery. MondaySaturday 10am-5pm. 506 Broadway, Kingston, NY. (845) 331-3112. www.rfpaints.com.
business directory
Expect the unexpected at the Hudson Valley’s newest antiques and crafts center. The multidealer Hudson Valley Showcase in Newburgh, minutes from the acclaimed Riverfront is open 7 days, has ample parking, a cafe, and offers superb quality at affordable prices. Come check out the unique array of antiques, jewelry, collectables, crafts and more. 280 Broadway (9W), Newburgh, NY. (845) 494-1135. www.hudsonvalleyshowcase.com.
Since 1962, big city selection and small town service have made Manny’s special. We offer a full range of art materials, custom picture framing, bookmaking supplies, and the best selection of handmade and decorative papers north of Manhattan. Manny’s, it’s more than just an art store. 83 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-9902.
ART THERAPY Deep Clay Art and Therapy with Michelle Rhodes ATR-BC, LMSW See Psychotherapy in Whole Living Guide.
ATTORNEYS Law Offices of Andrea Lowenthal, PLLC Offices in Hudson and Manhattan, serving individuals and businesses throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City. Estate Planning (wills and trusts) and Elder Law (planning for you or your aging relatives), Domestic Partnerships (for GLBT families), Family Matters, Business Formations and Transactions, and Real Estate. Intelligent and sensitive approach to your personal and business legal matters. Hudson, NY. (518) 671-6200 or (917) 301-6524. Andrea@LowenthalLaw.com.
Schneider, Pfahl & Rahme, LLP
ART GALLERIES Van Brunt Gallery Exhibiting the work of contemporary artists. Featuring abstract painting, sculpture, digital art, photography, and video, the gallery has new shows each month. The innovative gallery Web site has online artist portfolios and videos of the artists discussing their work. 460 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508. (845) 838-2995. www.vanbruntgallery.com.
Manhattan law firm, with offices in Woodstock, provides legal services to individuals, institutions, professional firms, companies, and family businesses. Specific areas include: Real Estate, Estate Planning, Corporate, New Media and Arts, and Entertainment Law. Each matter is attended to by a senior attorney, who develops a comprehensive legal plan with the client. Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-9868 or (212) 629-7744. www.schneiderpfahl.com www.nycrealestateattorneys.com.
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BED & BREAKFASTS / INNS Storm King Lodge Bed and Breakfast Come and enjoy our cozy lodge, converted from an early 1800’s post-and-beam barn, and guest cottage in a country setting with gardens, pool, and mountain views. The Great Room offers a comfortable place to relax, with a roaring fire on winter evenings; or enjoy those summer nights on the covered veranda. Choose from six comfortable guest rooms with private baths. Comforts include central AC, several fireplaces, spacious lawns, gardens, and the grand swimming pool. Located near Storm King Art Center, West Point, DIA: Beacon, Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, and 1 hour from NYC. Great restaurants nearby. 100 Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville, NY (Cornwall). www.stormkinglodge.com. (845) 534-9421
BEVERAGES Esotec Ltd. Choose Esotec to be your wholesale beverage provider. For 20 years, we carry a complete line of natural, organic, and unusual juices, spritzers, waters, sodas, iced teas, and iced coffees. If you are a store owner, call for details or a catalog of our full line. Now located in Tech-City, Kingston, NY. (845) 336-3369. sales@esotecltd.com. www.esotecltd.com.
Leisure Time Spring Water
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Pure spring water from a natural artesian spring located in the Catskill Mountains. The spring delivers water at 42 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The water is filtered under high pressure through fine white sand. Hot and cold dispensers available. Weekly delivery. (845) 331-0504.
BICYCLE SALES / RENTALS / SERVICE bicycle Depot open Every Day Except Tuesday. 15 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255- 3859. www.bicycledepot.com.
BOOKSTORES Barner Books Used books. From kitsch to culture, Thoreau to thrillers, serious and silly. We have the books you read. MondaySaturday 10-7. Sunday 12-6. 69 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-2635. barnerbk@ulster.net.
The Golden Notebook A feast for book lovers located in the heart of Woodstock, we are proud to be a part of Book Sense: Independent Bookstores for Independent Minds. In addition to our huge database, we can special order any book in or out of print. Our Children’s Store located right next door has an extensive selection of books and products exclusively for the under-14 set. We also carry the complete line of Woodstock Chimes. 25-29 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-8000 | fax: (845) 679-3054. thegoldennotebook @hvc.rr.com. www.goldennotebook.com.
Mirabai of Woodstock The Hudson Valley’s oldest spiritual/holistic bookstore, providing a vast array of books, music, and gifts that transform, renew, and elevate the spirit. Exquisite statuary and other art works from Nepal, Tibet, Bali. Expert Tarot reading, astrological charts/interpretation available. 23 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-2100. www.mirabai.com.
CARPETS / RUGS Anatolia Tribal Rugs & Weavings Direct importers since 1981. Natural-dyed Afghan carpets; Balouchi tribal kilims; Russian sumaks; antique Caucasian carpets; silk Persian sumaks; Turkish kilims. Hundreds to 112
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choose from, 2’x3’ to 9’x12’. Kilim pillows, $20-$55. We encourage customers to try our rugs in their homes, without obligation. MC/Visa/AmEx. Open 6 days a week 12-6pm. Closed Tuesdays. 54G Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-5311.
CHILDREN’S ART CLASSES The School for Young Artists An Extraordinary Art Experience! The School for Young Artists provides you with the tools, materials, instruction and support to achieve your goals. Our studio is about the joy of learning and the power of making art. Classes and individual sessions for children and adults. Call Kathy Anderson. (845) 679-9541.
CINEMA Upstate Films Showing provocative international cinema, contemporary and classic, and hosting filmmakers since 1972... on two screens in the village of Rhinebeck, NY. 26 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-2515. www.upstatefilms.org.
CLOTHING
Bridge. Tuesday-Friday 11am - 6pm. Saturday 10am - 6pm. 1629 Main Street (Route 44), Pleasant Valley, NY. (845) 635-3115. www.pastnperfect.com.
The Present Perfect Designer consignments of the utmost quality for men, women, and children. Current styles, jewelry accessories, and knickknacks. Featuring beautiful furs and leathers. Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM. Sunday 12-5PM. 23G Village Plaza, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. (845) 876-2939.
CONSTRUCTION Phoenix Construction Phoenix Construction and Contracting is a company dedicated to superior addition, remodeling, and renovation work through top quality materials installed by trained professionals. Along with a high standard of work, we pride ourselves on superior job site and budget management. Our closeknit network of sub-contractors ensures the success of every project through proper delegation of its mechanical and specialist requirements. We deliver customer service coupled with quality assurance. Phoenix Construction professionally handles all details so that you don’t have to worry. (845) 266-5222. www.phoenix-b.com.
Pegasus Footwear 10 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock, NY. (845) 6792372. www.PegasusShoes.com.
Dutchess Community College Dutchess Community College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, was founded in 1957. The College offers an educational policy of access, quality, opportunity, diversity, and social responsibility. DCC’s main campus in Poughkeepsie is situated on 130 scenic acres with facilities that are aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced. The College has a satellite campus, Dutchess South, in Wappinger Falls, and learning centers in Carmel, Staatsburg, and Pawling. Poughkeepsie, NY. (845) 431-8020. www.sunydutchess.edu.
Mount Saint Mary College An independent liberal arts college offering more than 30 undergraduate programs; graduate programs in business (MBA), education, and nursing; and noncredit courses. 2,500 women and men. Its beautiful campus overlooks the Hudson River and is conveniently located off I-84 in Newburgh. Newburgh, NY. (845) 569-3222. www.msmc.edu.
CONSIGNMENT SHOPS Past ‘n’ Perfect A quaint consignment boutique that offers distinctive clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories, and a unique variety of high quality furs and leathers. Always a generous supply of merchandise from casual to chic; contemporary to vintage; with sizes from infant to adult. Featuring a diverse and illuminating jewelry collection. Conveniently located at 1629 Main Street (Route 44), Pleasant Valley, NY, only 9 miles east of the Mid-Hudson
business directory
COLLEGES
COSMETIC AND PLASTIC SURGERY M. T. Abraham, MD, FACS Facial Plastic, Reconstructive & Laser Surgery, PLLC Dr. Abraham is one of few surgeons double board certified and fellowship trained exclusively in Facial Plastic Surgery. He is an expert in the latest minimally invasive and non-surgical techniques (Botox™, Restylane™, Thermage™, Photofacial™), and also specializes in functional nasal surgery. Offices in Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck & NYC with affiliated MediSpas. Poughkeepsie, NY. (845) 454-8025. www.NYfaceMD.com.
CRAFTS Crafts People Representing over 500 artisans, Crafts People boasts four buildings brimming with fine crafts, the largest selection in the Hudson Valley. All media represented, including: sterling silver & 14K gold jewelry, blown glass, pottery, turned wood, kaleidoscopes, wind chimes, leather, clothing, stained glass, etc. Friday - Monday 10:30am-6pm. 262 Spillway Road, West Hurley, NY. (845) 331-3859. www.craftspeople.us.
Deep Clay Showroom Pottery and Dreamfigures Wood-fired, raku, and stoneware. From everyday mugs and bowls to Tea Ceremony ware. Simple forms, natural colors, islands of calm, created by artist/therapist Michelle Rhodes. Studied pottery in Bizen and Tea at Urasenke. Open by appointment year-round. (845) 255-8039. www.michellerhodespottery.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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CUSTOM HOME DESIGNERS Atlantic Custom Homes Atlantic Custom Homes is an independent distributor of Lindal Cedar Homes, the world’s largest manufacturer of quality cedar homes. Lindal is known around the world for their signature post and beam home designs, quality building materials and detailed craftsmanship. We believe that your home should be a realization of your wishes. We take the time to explore them with you, and to develop your design in accordance with those wishes, your budget and your property. (845) 265-2636.
sonality and spirit. Don’t miss the beauty and exhiliration of transforming the rooms you live and work in every day into spaces that reflect your sense of style. Portfolio showing a phone call away. (845) 532-3067.
FRAMING Catskill Art & Office Supply See also Art Supplies directory. Woodstock (845) 679-2251; Kingston (845) 331-7780; Poughkeepsie (845) 452-1250.
Manny’s
DANCEWEAR
See also Art Supplies directory. 83 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-9902.
First Street Dancewear First Street Dancewear in Saugerties, NY offers quality dancewear for Adults and Children. We have dancewear, knit warmups, ballet, jazz, tap shoes, gymnastics wear, skatewear, accessories, and gift items. We also feature a line of women’s active wear clothing suitable for Yoga and Pilates. Saugerties, NY. (845) 247-4517. www.firststreetdancewear.com.
DENTISTRY Tischler Family Dental
business directory
With over 35 years experience, Tischler Dental is the leading team of dental care experts in the area. Dr. Michael Tischler is currently one of only two Board Certified Implant Dentists in the Hudson Valley Region of NYS and one of only 300 dentists in the world to have achieved this honor. Sedation dentistry, acupuncture with dental treatment, dental implant surgery, cosmetic makeover procedures and gum surgery are just a few of the many unique services Tischler Dental offers. Their practice philosophy is that each modality of dental treatment is performed by the practitioner that is best trained in that area. Working as a team, they deliver ideal dental care. Woodstock NY. (845) 679-3706. tischlerdental@hvc.rr.com. www.tischlerdental.com/philosophy.htm.
DISTRIBUTION Chronogram Is Everywhere! Have you ever noticed how wherever you go, Chronogram is there? That’s because our distribution is so damned good. We can distribute your flyer, brochure, business card, or publication to over 700 establishments in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, Putnam and Orange counties. Now in Westchester county with new stops in Peekskill. (845) 334-8600. distribution@chronogram.com.
FAUX FINISHES Faux Intentions Cat Quinn, professional decorative artist, setting the standard for excellence in Custom Faux Finishes for your home and business. With infinite possibilities, your walls, floors, ceilings, fireplaces and furniture can be transformed using my faux finishing techniques. A full spectrum of decorative finishes using plasters, glazes and many other mediums, help to fill your home full of your unique per114
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GARDENING & GARDEN SUPPLIES Mac’s Agway in Red Hook/ New Paltz Agway Specializing in all your lawn and garden needs. We carry topsoil, peat moss, fertilizers and organics, grass seed, shavings, straw, fencing, pet food, bird seed, bird houses, and more. Hours for both locations: MondayFriday 8am-5:30pm; Saturday 8am-5pm; Sunday 9am-3pm. Mac’s Agway, 68 Firehouse Lane, Red Hook, NY, New Paltz Agway, 145 Route 32N, New Paltz, NY, Red Hook, NY. Mac’s Agway (845) 876-1559; New Paltz Agway (845) 255-0050.
The Phantom Gardener At Phantom we provide everything you need to create and enjoy an organic, beautiful landscape. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff will help you choose from an unbeatable selection of herbaceous or woody plants, garden products and books. We offer professional design, installation, and maintenance services. Visit us! Daily 9AM-6PM. Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-8606. www.thephantomgardener.com.
GIFTS Earth Lore Walk into a world of natural wonder: amethyst caves and heart-shaped druzies, quartz crystal spheres and sculptures, orbs of obsidian, lapis and jasper. PLUS a gallery of wearable art. Navaho necklaces of turquoise and coral, pendants and bracelets of moldavite, tektite and meteorite; watches crafted from oxidized copper, brass, sterling; an array of Baltic amber in all its hues: honey, lemon, butterscotch, cognac...., fashioned into jewelry that makes a statement. Earthlore also offers unique objects of home decor such as a 100 yr old camel bell from Afghanistan, a Thai rain drum, and fossilized salt lamps from the Himalayas. A great place to find gifts from around the globe. Open Tues. thru Fri. 10am - 6pm. Sat 10-5. 2 Fairway Drive, Pawling, NY. (845) 855-8889.
GUITARS McCoy’s Guitar Shop Is your guitar or bass performing up to its fullest potential? Do you have fret buzz? Is your action too high/ too low? Is your
instrument just plain old hard to play? Guitars and basses regularly need set ups, much like cars need oil changes and tune ups to keep them running well. Here at McCoys Guitar Shop our aim is to make your instrument play as well, or better than, you ever thought possible. Remember, if your instrument isn’t playing up to par, perhaps neither are you! Come to McCoys Guitar Shop and fall in love with your instrument all over again! McCoys Guitar Shop: Expert repairs, restoration, guitars and basses bought, sold and traded. Give us a call: 845 658-7467. You’ll be glad you did! Rosendale, NY. (845) 658-7467.
HOME DESIGN Eco-Arch Design Works Janus Welton, AIA, BBEI
free software, extra e-mail, K56Flex support, personal web space, helpful customer service, and no setup charges. (845) 255-2799. www.hvi.net.
Webjogger Blazing fast broadband internet access. Featuring symmetrical bandwidth, superior personal attention and technical support, rock-solid security and reliability, and flexible rates. Complementary services include e-mail, Web hosting, accelerated dialup, server collocation and management, and customized networking solutions. Webjogger is a locally grown company with offices in Tivoli and Kingston. Kingston, NY. (845) 757-4000. www.webjogger.net. www.webjogger.net.
An award-winning design architect, offering over 15 years of Traditional Chinese Feng Shui expertise to her Ecological and Healthy Building Design Practice: combining Building Biology, Solar Architecture, and Feng Shui to promote “Inspiring and Sustainable” environments for the 21st Century. Unlock the potentials of your site, home, or office to foster greater harmony, prosperity, spirit, health, and ecological integrity. Services include: Architecture, Planning, Commercial Interiors, Professional Seminars and Consultations. (845) 247-4620. ecoarchitect@hvc.rr.com. www.JanusWeltonDesignWorks.com.
LITERARY
ILLUSTRATION
Chronogram
8 Hats High is a full service animation studio and production house located in Middletown, NY. We specialize in Animation, Illustration, Storyboarding, Television Production, Photography, Post Production, Web design and more. Production: It’s what we do! For more information check out. 23-27 West Main Street 3rd Fl., Middletown, NY. (845) 344-1888. www.8hatshigh.com.
Writing workshops and private instruction for writers. (845) 339-5776.
Submit to Chronogram Seeking submissions of poems, short stories, essays, and article proposals. Accepting pieces of all sorts. With SASE, send submissions to Chronogram, 314 Wall Street, 2nd floor, Kingston, NY 12401. info@chronogram.com.
MAGAZINES The only complete arts and cultural events resource for the Hudson Valley. Subscribe and get the lowdown first. Whether you live in the Hudson Valley or just visit, you’ll know what’s going on. Send $36 for yearly subscription to: Chronogram, 314 Wall Street, 2nd floor, Kingston, NY 12401. 314 Wall Street, 2nd floor, Kingston, NY 12401. info@chronogram.com.
INTERIOR DESIGN
MEDIATION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION
DeStefano and Associates
Pathways Mediation Center
Barbara DeStafano has been the owner of DeStefano and Associates, an interior design business, for 18 years. She received certification in Feng Shui from the Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design and has completed advanced work with several Feng Shui Masters. Feng Shui is the perfect marriage to interior design. It brings a spiritual dimension to your space. Barbara can create a kind of beauty that touches your spirit, and brings balance and harmony to a level that transcends the superficial. Barbara is available for consultations, guest speaker engagements, and workshops. (845) 339-4601.
A unique mediation practice for couples going through divorce or families in conflict with the innovative, combined services of two professionals. Josh Koplovitz has 30 years as a Matrimonial & Family Law Attorney and Myra Schwartz has 30 years as Guidance Counselor. This male/female team can effectively address all your legal and family issues. Use our one-hour free consultation to find out about us. (845) 331-0100.
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS Hudson Valley Internet Local Internet access and commercial Web site hosting. Fast, reliable, easy to use, flexible pricing...Want more? How about:
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8 Hats High
Ione
Rodney Wells, CFP, Member AFM & NYSCDM If you’re separating, divorcing, or have issues with child support, custody, or visitation, choose mediation. On average, mediated agreements are fulfilled twice as often as litigated court decisions and cost half as much. I draw on my experience as a Financial Planner, psychotherapist, and pro se litigant to guide couples in a responsible process of unraveling their entanglements, preserving their assets, and creating a satisfying future. Cornwall, New Paltz, and NYC. Cornwall, NY. (845) 534-7668. www.mediated-divorce.com. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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MUSIC Burt’s Electronics Good music deserves quality sound! Avoid the malls and shop where quality and personal service are valued above all else. Bring Burt and his staff your favorite album and let them teach you how to choose the right audio equipment for your listening needs. Monday through Friday 9am-7pm. Saturday 9am5pm. 549 Albany Avenue, Kingston, NY. (845) 331-5011.
WVKR 91.3 FM Vassar College, Poughkeepsie. A listenersupported, non-commercial, student-run alternative music station. Programming is provided by students and community members, and includes jazz, new music, folk, hip hop, polka, new age, international, blues, metal, news, and public affairs programming. WVKR Web casts at www.wvkr.org. (845) 437-7010. www.wvkr.org.
MUSIC LESSONS Bibi Farber - Guitar Lessons
business directory
Guitar Lessons Acoustic / electric Pop, rock, blues & folk Beginners welcome, age 11 and up. I offer very flexible scheduling & discounts for students teaming up. Lessons in Minnewaska area or in your home, if within a 30 minute radius. Songwriting coaching & demo recording also available. Let’s play! (646) 734-8018. www.bibifarber.com.
NURSERIES Loomis Creek Nursery Inc Great Plants for Adventurous Gardeners! Tuesdays-Sundays, 9am - 5pm. Hudson, NY. (518) 851-9801. www.loomiscreek.com.
PERFORMING ARTS Powerhouse Summer Theater/ Lehman-Loeb Gallery Powerhouse Summer Theater/LehmanLoeb Gallery. Vassar College Box 225, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604. (845) 437-5902. befargislanc@pop.vassar.edu.
PET SERVICES & SUPPLIES Pussyfoot Lodge B&B The Pioneer in Professional Pet Care! Full house-pet-plant sitting service, proudly serving three counties for 32 years. Experienced, dependable, thorough, and reasonable house sitting for your pets’ health and happiness. Also offering a cats-only resort with individual rooms. Extensive horticulture and landscaping knowledge in addition to domestic and zoo animal experience. Better Business Bureau Metro NY/Mid-Hudson Region Member. (845) 687-0330.
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music. Supervised playgroups in 40 x 40 fenced area. Homemade food and healthy treats. 240 N. Ohioville Road, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-8281. www.dogloveplaygroups.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY China Jorrin Photography A Hudson Valley based photographer dedicated to documenting weddings in a candid and creative style. While remaining unobtrusive she is able to capture key, quiet and personal moments of the event. Please call for rates and availability. (917) 449-5020. www.chinajorrin.com.
Michael Gold Artistic headshots of actors, singers, models, musicians, performing artists, writers, and unusual, outlandish, off-the-wall personalities. Complete studio facilities and lighting. Creative, warm, original, professional. Unconditionally guaranteed. The Corporate Image Studios, 1 Jacobs Lane, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-5255. www.michaelgoldsphotos.com and click on to the “Headshots” page.
Marlis Momber Photography LTD ‘KEEP IT REAL’ Call Marlis for all your photographic needs: Commercial Photography, advertising, annual reports. Personal portraits, head shots, fine art reproduction. Weddings, family reunions, life’s events. Free in-depth consultations to meet your photographic needs and budget. Digital files sent directly to you. PHOTO CDs or film and great prints all sizes. Studio in the heart of New Paltz. New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-4928. www.marlismomberphoto.com.
PIANO Adam’s Piano Featuring Kawai and other fine brands. 75 pianos on display in our Germantown (just north of Rhinebeck) showroom. Open by appointment only. Inventory, prices, pictures, at adamspiano.com. A second showroom will be opening in New Paltz in November. Superb service, moving, storage, rentals; we buy pianos! (518) 537-2326 or (845) 343-2326. www.adamspiano.com.
Piano Clearing House 8 John Walsh Blvd. Suite 318A, Peekskill, NY. (914) 788-8090. www.pianoclearinghouse.com.
PLUMBING AND BATH Brinkmann Plumbing & Heating Services
PET SITTING
A third generation plumbing company operated by Timothy Brinkmann and Master Plumber Berno Brinkmann. They handle all your plumbing needs with skilled, prompt, and attentive service. Call for further information or to schedule a free estimate. Free Estimates. Fully Insured. (518) 731-1178.
Dog Love, LLC
N & S Supply
Personal Hands-On Boarding and Daycare tailored to your dog’s individual needs. Your dog’s happiness is our goal. Indoor 5x10 windowed matted kennels with classical
N & S Supply. 205 Old Route 9, Fishkill, NY 12534. (845) 896-6291. cloijas@nssupply.com.
PRINTING SERVICES
SINGING LESSONS
New York Press Direct
Ann Panagulias - Singing Lessons
At NY Press Direct we exist for one reason - to delight our customers! What does that mean to you? Worry-free shopping for all your printing and fulfillment needs. Our solutions are leading edge in the industry. Our pricing is among the most competitive in the northeast region. Call John DeSanto or Larry Read for more information. (845) 457-2442.
Concepts of classical, Italianate technique complimented by alignment and deep breathing rhythms of Eastern callisthenics; repertoire grounded in 17th-19th century Art Song extending to vintage and contemporary musical theater; training at Oberlin College and San Francisco Opera; performing professionally on three continents for twenty years. (845) 677-1134. annpandora@aol.com.
REMODELING Phoenix Construction
SPECIALTY FURNITURE
See also Construction directory. (845) 2665222. www.phoenix-b.com.
Art of the Grape
SCHOOLS Hudson Valley Sudbury School A radically different form of education based on the belief that children are driven by a basic desire to learn and explore. We trust that children, given the freedom, will choose the most appropriate path for their education. Our democratic School Meeting expects children to take responsibility for their lives and their community. Year-round Admissions. Sliding-scale tuition. (845) 679-1002. www.hudsonvalleyschool.org.
High Meadow School
Maria’s Garden Montessori School Cultivating independence, confidence, compassion, peace, and a lifelong love of learning. Serving children 3 years through first grade in a one-room country schoolhouse surrounded by gardens, woodlands, and streams. 8:30 am-3:30 pm, with part time options for preschoolers. Half or full day kindergarten. 62 Plains Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561. (845) 256-1875. info@mariasgardenm ontessori.com.
Mountain Laurel Waldorf School At the Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, not only can all students do their best in academic basics, they can find and achieve a balance in rich programs of drama, speech, Spanish, Russian, painting, music, creative writing, woodwork, and more. Waldorf Education: for the head, heart, and hands. Nursery-8th Grade. Call Judy Jaeckel. 16 South Chestnut Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-0033.
Woodstock Day School Woodstock Day School, a state-chartered, independent school and member of NYSAIS, providing quality education for pre-school through high school students since 1972. Small classes and a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio allow us to give each child the individualized consideration necessary for a positive learning experience. PO Box 1, Woodstock, NY. (845) 246-3744. www.woodstockdayschool.org.
WEB DESIGN Beyond The Box Web Design We specialize in co-developing unique designs with clients, though we also work from pre-designed templates for fast, low-cost sites. We put friendly, patient, collaborative customer service first. Our sites adhere to current web design standards (like CSS) for coding and accessibility, and include secure e-commerce and other integrated features (like forums, calendars, blogs and forms). Many of our employees are gifted high school students, so expect great savings! Visit us online, and request an online quote. (518) 537-7667. www.beyondboxweb.com.
business directory
Pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, committed to a child-centered education that engages the whole child. Intimate, nurturing, with small class size and hands-on learning. A program rich in academic, artistic, physical, and social skills. Fully accredited. Call Suzanne Borris, director. Route 209, Stone Ridge, NY. (845) 687-4855.
Let us give your tired cabinet a new life and convert it into a wine cabinet or custom design a wine cabinet to your style and taste, with matching cocktail table and/or wine tasting table. We also do bars and wine cellars. We supply everything you need to enjoy your wine. 11am to 4pm Thurs., Fri., Sat. or by appointment. 515 Columbia St., Hudson, NY. (518) 822-0770. deekeegan1@aol.com.
Curious Minds Media Inc. Want a website that works for you? We’ve got solutions to fit any budget, and we understand the needs of small businesses. Flash, E-commerce, database applications. CMM has what it takes to get you results. Mention this ad and receive 3 months FREE hosting! Call now toll-free, at (888) 227-1645. (888) 227-1645. www.curiousm.com.
WEB DEVELOPMENT 8 Hats High 23-27 West Main Street 3rd Fl., Middletown, NY. Please also see our Illustration directory. (845) 344-1888.
Curious Minds Media Inc. See also Web Design directory. Tollfree, at (888) 227-1645. (888) 227-1645. www.curiousm.com.
WINE & LIQUOR In Good Taste In Good Taste. 45 Main Street, New Paltz, NY. (845) 255-0110. ingoodtaste@verizon.net.
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR AUGUST 2006
XINA NICOSIA
the forecast
FORECAST
MR. SMILEY, STAR OF TINY NINJA THEATER, IN “MACBETH.” TNT WILL BRING ITS VERSION OF “HAMLET” TO THE WOODSTOCK FRINGE FEST THIS MONTH.
TINY NINJAS ON THE FRINGE
“You’ll never see ‘Hello Dolly’ at our theater,” says Wallace Norman, Producing
which allow the audience to see the ninja figures close up. The Royal Shakespeare
Artistic Director of the Woodstock Fringe Festival. “And I’m not knocking ‘Hello
Company has chosen “Tiny Ninja Hamlet” as part of a year-long festival of every
Dolly’—one summer I made my living doing ‘Hello Dolly.’ But we’re mostly looking
Shakespeare play at Stratford-upon-Avon.
for new work, shows that need a place like the Fringe to happen.”
This is the fourth year of the Woodstock Fringe. In June, the festival received a
Norman will direct “Women on Fire” by Irene O’Garden, a play consisting of 12
$22,000 grant from the Virgil Thomson Foundation to develop a play based on the
scenes, each a monologue by a woman. In the first scene Trudy, a photojournalist, is
life of composer Virgil Thomson. The play, tentatively titled “Oh Virgil!” is being written
speaking on the phone. Her entire studio has burned down; all that remain are the rolls
by Wallace Norman and Larry Allen Smith, and will premiere at the Fringe in 2007.
of film in her camera. Trudy was commissioned to do a photo series on contemporary
“After our third season, people are really starting to notice,” Norman noted. The
women in America. The rest of the play are those portraits come to life—the theatrical
festival also presents many musical events, including the Science Friction Orchestra,
equivalent of a developing tray. The women are a diverse group, including an ad
a new project of Woodstock virtuosos Marc Black and Michael Esposito.
executive in New York City and a construction worker in the Midwest.
Last year, I only attended one Fringe play: “Art” by Yasmina Reza, the story of
“Women on Fire” was developed here in the Hudson Valley. Three actresses
Serge, a Parisian who buys an all-white painting, thus alienating his friends. Wallace
perform the 12 roles, and each scene is named after an aspect of fire, such as
Norman appeared in the show with two other players. The acting was fine, and
“Smoke” and “Conflagration.”
complex—it was pleasurable to watch all three actors subtly reply to one another,
Also, there will be a regional premiere of “Tiny Ninja Hamlet,” a version of
like a gifted woodwinds trio. I felt, above all, their sense of duty to the audience.
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” performed with ninja action figures by Dov Weinstein. “It
All Woodstock Fringe performances will be held at the Byrdcliffe Theater, August
sounds like a joke, and when I was first told about it several years ago, I had my
4 through September 3. “First Looks at the Fringe,” staged readings of new plays,
doubts,” Norman admits. “And the show is funny, but at the same time, this man is
August 26 through September 2, is free of charge. General admission tickets to
so brilliant, it becomes a very persuasive rendering of the play.”
events are $20. The festival pass, offering full access to all festival events, is $50.
Originally, only a small audience could watch Weinstein’s plays, which were performed out of a suitcase, but now he has added miniature video cameras,
(845) 810-0123; www.woodstockfringe.org. —Sparrow
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IMAGE PROVIDED
FORECAST
EMMANUELLE DEVOS AND VINCENT LINDON IN EMMANUEL CARRERE’S LA MOUSTACHE
THE MISPLACED MOUSTACHE “What if I shaved my moustache off?” Marc (Vincent Lindon) asks his wife Agnes
Agnes not only doesn’t notice that Marc’s shaved his off, but later insists that he never
(Emmanuelle Devos) while lying in the tub in the opening scene of Emmanuel Carrere’s
had one. As Marc struggles to regain his sense of self, the film quickly spins into a
La Moustache. She kneels on the bathroom floor, and wraps her arms around him,
psychological thriller. He desperately digs through the dumpster behind their apartment
smoothing the damp hair away from his face, and smiles. “No idea. I like you with it. I
searching for his lost facial hair. Frantically, he pages through photo albums looking for
don’t know you without it,” she replies, and they share a quiet moment looking into each
documentation of his moustache. What does it mean to Marc that no one notices he’s
other’s eyes. While she runs to the store, Marc spontaneously shaves it off. We watch
shaved? Is he such a passive player in his own life that he’s easily overlooked? Should
as his face transforms, the skin above his upper lip strangely vulnerable in its newfound
he buy into how other people perceive him and live his life through the eyes of others,
nakedness. He cleans up quickly, disposing of all the evidence. The dark hair swirls into
accepting their ability to define him?
the drain, accompanied by Phillip Glass’s frenetic violin concerto. When Agnes returns,
Carrere says he believes that La Moustache “is a story of a man given the opportunity
Marc hides his face until she steps out of the shower. Greeting her with a towel, the top of it
to find himself.” Yet the director provides the film with an ambiguous ending that leaves
hiding the lower half of his face, he wraps her up, and then pops over her shoulder, smiling
viewers wondering what, exactly, the film means.
excitedly into the mirror. She smiles back at him questioningly, noticing nothing different,
“The thing about this story is that its meaning escapes me,” Carrere admits. “It was this
then reaches up gently to wipe off some shaving cream he missed before she turns away
very ignorance that allowed me to tell the story.” Perhaps the whole point of the film is that
to get dressed. Marc is left alone in his confusion, staring at his exposed face.
none of us really know whose reality to trust. “I’d like people to think about it after and wonder
The idea of losing yourself is a terrifying concept. In Hitchcock’s classic North by Northwest, Cary Grant’s character is chased in a case of mistaken identity, his whole life unraveling as he tries to prove his innocence. In Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa wakes up to discover he’s turned into a bug, and spends the rest of his life
what kind of odd thing has been placed in their brains,” Carrere says. “I’d like the audience to leave the film in a familiar state [as Marc]. Wrung out. Awake. On the lookout.” La Moustache will be screened at TSL Warehouse in Hudson on Fridays August 4 & 11, and Saturdays August 11 & 12 at 7:30pm. (518) 822-8448; www.timeandspace.org.
sequestered to his bedroom, alienated from his horrified family. But in La Moustache,
get it on. 120
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
short, long, baby, hoodie.
—Becca Friedman
buy online.
www.chronogram.com/tshirts
IMAGE PROVIDED
calendar TUE 1 CLASSES Art School Studio Summer Workshops for Kids and Adults
11am-4pm. Learn the fine art of calligraphy. Art School Summer Arts Studio, Monterey, MA. (413) 644-9630. $260/workshop.
Master Class: Vladimir Feltsman
2:30pm. Nadia & Max Shepard Recital Hall. 257-3860. $10.
MUSIC Rob Scheps & Marvin “Bugaloo” Smith
7:30-9:30pm. 2 jazz masters jam. The Terrace Tavern, Newburgh. www.robscheps.8m.net, www.halevymusic.com.
Jerry Garcia Birthday Party
8-11pm. Featuring the Meg Johnson Band. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342.
SPOKEN WORD Speed Dating Event for Single Professionals
7pm. Amici’s, Poughkeepsie. 457-2541. $34.
International Cooking for Kids
EVENTS Fair Daze
Call for times. Presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s Master Gardener Program. Horticulture Building Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz. 340-3990.
Book Worms Annual Summer Sale Days
Call for times. Puppet show, art demos, talks, music. Downtown, Kent. (860) 927-1463.
MUSIC Blue Gardenia
7pm. American standards. Helen Aldrich Park, Salt Point. PVRotary@yahoo.com.
SPOKEN WORD Seminar on Art, Kabbalah & Gender
EVENTS Vertical Wine Tasting of Pinot Noirs
Wine Tasting Dinner: The Wines of Australia
7pm. Monteverde at Oldstone Manor, Cortlandt Manor. (914) 739-5000. $85.
A James Baldwin 82nd Birthday Celebration
7:30pm. The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, Sleepy Hollow. (914) 332-5953. $5/$3 members.
KIDS Nature Stories
11am. Stories and activities for preschoolers. Minnewaska State Park, New Paltz. 255-2011.
6-8pm. Featuring The Saints. Wall Street, Kingston. 338-5100.
2 for 1 Happy Hour with Bill Cochran
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Daniel Pagdon
THEATER The Rivals
Genoveva
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
8pm. As the overture ends, we’re introduced to Velma Kelly -- a vaudevillian who shot the other half of her sister act when she caught her husband with her sister. Velma. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/ $20 seniors and children.
FRI 4 ART Imari Arts Gallery/Shoppe Opening
11:30am. Fine art, fiber arts, jewelry, handbags, sculpture, and painted furniture. Union Street, Hudson. (518) 671-6500.
Salt of the Valley
6pm. Works by emerging local artists. Basilica Industria, Hudson. (518) 828-1915.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Family Kirtan and Purana
Call for times. Opera. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
7-8pm. Kirtan is an ancient musical tradition of yoga where we feel the energetic vibration of chanting to warm and open the heart. The musical portion of the program will be led by Mira Formisano, the founder and director of The Yoga Way. It is led in a call and response format so that participants become part of the chanting experience. The Yoga Way, Wappingers Falls. 227-3223. $10 per family.
Denise Jordan Finley with Daniel Pagdon
EVENTS Women’s Sacred Moonlodge
MUSIC Genoveva
MUSIC Summer Stockade Series
7-9pm. Folk, acoustic, jazz. The Mountain Cow, Pine Plains. (518) 398-0500.
8pm. The story centers on Golo, a man whose dream of love is transformed into an obsessive nightmare, and Genoveva, a woman maligned. Bard College, Annandaleon-Hudson. 758-7900. $85, $55, $35.
Symphony Gala with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic
8pm. Performing Mozart. McKenna Theatre. 257-3860. $37/$32.
Big Kahuna
FORECAST
7pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
1:30pm. Forsyth Nature Center, Kingston. 331-1682 ext. 117.
7pm. Contemporary artists working within a global dialogue. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill. (914) 788-7166. Member $7.50/non-member $10.
Chicago: The Musical
WED 2
11am-1pm. Join children’s cookbook author Matthew Loricchio and learn to create easy dishes from Mexico, France, and Italy. For ages 10 and up. Hudson Opera House, Hudson. (518) 822-1438.
8pm. Dance, pop, rock. The Pavilion on The Hudson, Poughkeepsie. 471-2233.
Helen Avakian and Steve Siktberg 8-11pm. Maia Restaurant and Lounge, Poughkeepsie. 486-5004.
Pianist/Composer Paul Duffy
8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Crown City Rockers
9pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
Open Mike Night
9pm. Alternative, blues, country, folk, oldies. New York Cafe, Poughkeepsie. 452-7001.
The Outpatients
10pm. Blues, comedy, original, rock. Dominicks, Walden. 568-0981.
Exit 19
8pm. Musician’s song-swap and forum. Maxie’s Italian Bistro, Hudson. (518) 828-9081.
Open Mike with Setting Sun
10pm. Oasis Cafe, New Paltz. 255-2400.
THEATER Auditions for The Wizard of Oz
6-9:30pm. Call for specific audition times. Pawling High School, Pawling. 855-1965.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
THU 3 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Self-Healing with One Light Healing Touch
7-9pm. One Light Healing Touch, Rhinebeck. 876-0239.
7pm. Celebrate moon-time bleeding with ritual, song, and dance. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081.
FILM La Moustache
7:30pm. Story about a man who inadvertently loses himself. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $5/ $7.
32 Short Films About Glen Gould
8pm. 32 Short Films presents a unique, impressionistic look at this wonderfully offbeat musician, by creating a variety of snapshots, including recreations of some actual events (with Gould played brilliantly by Colm Feore) and interviews with real-life contemporaries. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 644-9040 ext. 107. $10/$14/$24.
KIDS KidsArt Discovery
11am. Spend an hour getting to know the graceful alpacas at the Austerlitz recreational area. Spencertown Academy, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
10pm. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
SPOKEN WORD Michelle Hill and Carol Grazer Call for times. Calling All Poets series. Howland Cultural Center, Beacon. 831-0077. $4.
THEATER Unheard Of! A Musical Revue
Call for times. Music and theater. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
5pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Comeau Property, Woodstock. 247-4007.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Chicago: The Musical
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
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Community Playback Theatre
8pm. Improvisation based on real-life stories of audience members. Boughton Place, Highland. 691-4118. $6.
The Little Mermaid
11am. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $8/$5 children.
Screen Printing Storm King T-shirts
SAT 5 ART Woodstock Photography Lectures
12-5pm. Mary Ellen Mark will be presenting “The World Observed.” Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. $7/$5.
Looking at the Next Generation
4-6pm. Paintings from the undergraduate studios of Rhode Island School of Design. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
Jane Filer and Dawn Breeze
4-7pm. Abstract and mixed media works. The White Gallery, Lakeville, CT. (860) 435-1029.
Agnes Hart (1912-1979)
5-7pm. Fletcher Gallery, Woodstock. 6794411.
Myoyu
5-7pm. Abstract oil-stick paintings by Doug Elliot. Mezzanine Bookstore & Café Kingston. 339-6925.
Boats and Rivers
5-8pm. Art Society of Kingston, Kingston. 338-0331.
Mixed Media and Collages by Shelley Davis
6-8pm. Mezzaluna Cafe, Saugerties. 2465306.
River Views and Landscapes, Cityscapes, and Patterns
FORECAST
6-8pm. Works by James Dustin and Tim Balboni respectively. Athens Cultural Center, Athens. www.athensculturalcenter.org.
Cowgirls of the Hudson River Valley 6-9pm. Brik, Catskill. (518) 943-0145.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT The Point of Infinity Experience
10am-4:30pm. Full day tour with exercises. New Age Center and Point of Infinity, Nyack. 353-2590.
DANCE English Country Dance
8-11pm. Workshop at 7:30pm. Hurley Reformed Church, Hurley. 679-8587. $10.
Freestyle Frolic
8:30pm. Smoke, drug, alcohol, and shoe-free environment to a wide range of music. Center for Symbolic Studies, Tillson. 658-8319. $7/$3 teens and seniors.
EVENTS Kingston Old Town Stockade Farmers’ Market
9am-2pm. Organic and traditional fruits & vegetables, breads, flowers. Wall Street, Kingston. 331-3418.
Call for times. Hunter Mountain, Hunter. (800) 486-8376. $20.
Genoveva
Call for times. Opera. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Klezmer for Kids
11am. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Radio Festival
2-10pm. Radio art and performance. Free103.9 Wave Farm, Acra. (518) 622-2598.
3rd Annual Wall Street Jazz Festival 5-11pm. Jazz and Latin music festival, with all the bands led by women. Uptown Kingston, Kingston. www.wallstreetjazzfestival.com.
Amati Music Festival Concert
8pm. Red Barn Performing Arts, Hunter. (518) 263-4908. $15.
Buckwheat Zydeco
8pm. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 679-4101. $22.
Klezmer Comes to the Maverick
8pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Puccini’s “Tosca”
8pm. Opera. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $15-$65.
Roger McGuinn and Eliza Gilkyson
8pm. Folk, rock. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0100.
The Flames of Discontent and Mancini & Martin
8pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123.
Woodstock Fringe Festival
8pm. Two evenings of cutting-edge music and spoken word. Byrdcliffe Theatre, Woodstock. www.woodstockfringe.org.
Hotflash and the Whoremoans
8:30pm. Variety. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
David Jacobs-Strain
9pm. Blues. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
THE OUTDOORS Minnewaska Loop Hike
8am. Easy 9.75 miles. Meet at Dunkin Donuts, Poughkeepsie. 876-4534.
Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike - Zaidee’s Bower
10-11:30am. Tour the Bevier Elting House. Huguenot Street, New Paltz. 255-1660.
9:30am-2pm. Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Tag Sale Benefit for Performing Arts of Woodstock
One Wheel, One Man: Unicycle Riding
10am-5pm. Help us obtain a baby barn for storage. Town Hall, Woodstock. 679-7900.
11am-1pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Hudson Ferry-Go-Round
SPOKEN WORD Hervey White Revisits Byrdcliffe
2pm. Mikhail Horowitz reads from Hervey White’s work. Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Woodstock. 679-2079.
FILM La Moustache
Treasure of Watchdog Mountain
KIDS Kids Day
Celebration of Anita M. Smith’s Woodstock History and Hearsay
7:30pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
10am-2pm. HITS, Saugerties. 246-8833. $5.
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
MUSIC Cajun Music Festival
Family Fun on Historic Huguenot Street
11am-6pm. Ride the ferry and take part in fun community events. Haverstraw Ferry Pier, Haverstraw. 352-3650. $10/seniors $5/children free.
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2-4pm. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
3pm. Readings and an art project of this children’s book. Barnes & Noble Kingston, Kingston. 336-0590.
4pm. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342.
IMAGE PROVIDED
STEPHEN STILLS, DAVID CROSBY, NEIL YOUNG, AND GRAHAM NASH.
FORECAST
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
“This is our second gig, man!” a 24-year-old Stephen Stills exclaims in the epoch-making documentary Woodstock. It’s the wee small hours of the morning on August 18, 1969, and he, David Crosby, and Graham Nash gape in wonder at the half-a-million-strong gathered on Max Yasgur’s alfalfa field for the historic Woodstock Music & Arts Festival in Bethel. Laughing, he admits, “We’re scared shitless!” Thirty-seven years on, Stills, Nash, Crosby, and Neil Young—who was there in 1969 but refused to be filmed—may still get the jitters before a crowd, but it certainly hasn’t stopped them from continuing to perform, and to record, potent, heartfelt music (both individually and as one of popular music’s more vital supergroups). Dormant since 2002, the foursome has revived and is barnstorming the country on their Freedom Of Speech ’06 tour, which includes a much-anticipated return date to Sullivan County on Sunday, August 13, at 7:30pm. It’s the first time they’ll be back to the hallowed ground where the “Woodstock Generation” was born. On this outing, however, instead of being part of a gloriously ragtag mudfest, CSNY will be the highlight of the inaugural season of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a state-of-the-art venue nestled in the rolling hills of what was once Max Yasgur’s farm. The following Saturday, August 19, they will grace the stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center at 7:30pm.The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is an ambitious, multi-venue, eco-friendly center, built largely by local artisans and craftspeople and set within 1,700 pastoral acres. The naturally sloping lawn that was made famous in the ’69 festival is now where 12,000 patrons can comfortably watch performances inside the covered 4,800-seat pavilion. CSNY’s concerts have always offered a satisfying mixed bag of everything from the hits that made the quartet famous as a greater-than-the-sum-of-their-parts band—“Carry On,” “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Southern Cross”—to the signature songs that showcase each member’s individual gifts, i.e. Young’s “Ohio,” Stills’s “For What It’s Worth,” Nash’s “Our House,” and Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair.” In addition, the recent tour features an added bit of alternative high-octane fuel in the first-time airing of material from Neil Young’s brand new Living With War, which fits seamlessly with the topical nature of CSNY’s past material. With an unpopular conflict raging overseas, the tenor of the nation has shifted back strikingly to a zeitgeist similar to the band’s Vietnam War-era heyday, and these four elder statesmen’s protest songs—both tried-and-true and newly written—have gained new tread and relevance, with some oldies even seeming to be ripped from current headlines. They may be old dudes up there rockin’, but CSNY still deliver. And these grizzled storytellers are not to be underestimated; attendees can expect renewed outrage leavening out the still-sweet four-part harmonies. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young will perform at the Bethel Woods Center For the Arts in Bethel on August 13 at 7:30pm and at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga on August 19 at 7:30pm. www.bethelwoodslive.org; www.spac.org. —Robert Burke Warren
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM FORECAST
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IMAGE PROVIDED
CARSTEN RADTKE, MUSIC OMI
2006 GUEST CURATOR.
MUSICAL MYSTERY TOUR This month world music takes on a whole new twist. Imagine, if you will, 16 musicians from 11 countries jamming for 18 days. What might the outcome be? Since July 27 and until August 13, international composers, musicians, and sound artists are assembling at Omi International Arts Center in Ghent (near
FORECAST
Hudson) for the 2006 Music Omi International Residency Program. There, they are bouncing ideas off one another and weaving their diverse cultural and musical backgrounds together to create something experimental and completely new. This collaborative experience, called Music Omi, will conclude with a public concert on August 12. The group will repeat the performance in New York City on August 14 at a venue to be announced. One can only wonder what this sonic conglomeration could possibly sound like. First, let’s take a closer look at the artists, who were selected through a competitive review process: Leandro Barzabal (Argentina) on guitar box and field sampling; Cécile Broché (Belgium) on electric violin; Joseph Daley (US) on tuba; Zofia Dowgiallo (Poland) on harp; Grant Gordon (UK) on guitar; Katsuyuki Itakura (Japan) on piano; Alexander Litvinovsky (Belarus) on electronics; Reuben Radding (US) on double bass; Jane Rigler (US) on flute; Kelli Scarr (US) on pop vocals; Jürgen Schneider (Germany) on percussion; Margery Smith (Australia) on reeds; Alexi Tuomarila (Finland) on piano; and Zhou Juan (China) on Chinese zither. The collaboration will be curated by Music Omi alumni: guitar virtuoso Carsten Radtke, composer and Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute) player Jeffrey Lependorf, and a panel of other alumni musicians. “Every year we invite exceptional musicians from around the globe who are as aesthetically diverse as possible, who have virtually nothing in common,” says Lependorf, who also serves as Program Director. “Over 18 days they collaborate intensively, composing music for one another, performing each other’s music, improvising together, and creating works together. The concert is the result of what happens during those 18 days, so none of the music, as we speak now, exists. Who knows what happens when you throw these people together? But it’s a group of musicians you couldn’t possibly have ever heard together before and may never hear together again.” According to Lependorf, the entire group might decide to form an orchestra, or they may all go off into duos, trios, or quartets. Similarly, the genres of music they create might be categorized as jazz, pop, or experimental, but it won’t be classical. Indeed, it will be a mystery bag of music. “They will stretch their own definitions about music, coming up with new techniques for their own instruments,” Lependorf explains. “Some people are more composers and it’s an opportunity for them to be more performers. Sometimes it’s the opposite. It’s always very exciting and you never know what to expect. People who have been to these concerts know that they are really dynamic and different. That’s what makes it so cool.” Omi International Arts Center hosts residency programs for international visual artists, writers, musicians and dancers as well as The Fields Sculpture Park, a year-round public exhibition space for contemporary sculpture. The New Global Music concert will take place at Omi, 59 Letter S Road, Ghent on Saturday, August 12, at 5pm. The event is free. (212) 206-6060; www.artomi.org. —Sharon Nichols
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Woodstock Photography Lecture Series
8pm. Featuring photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-6337. $7/5.
THEATER Chicago: The Musical
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
Three Anniversaries, Three Masterworks
3pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Chris Cubeta and The Liars Club
7-9pm. Adventure into the world of spirits and develop psychic skills. Mizuna Cafe, Kingston. (518) 589-7140. $25 pre-registered/ $30.
Chris Scruggs
CLASSES Art School Studio Summer Workshops for Kids and Adults
5:30pm. Cold Spring’s Riverfront Park and Bandstand, Cold Spring. 265-3200.
8pm. Rockabilly. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
The Rivals
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
WORKSHOPS Breaking Into Editorial
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
THE OUTDOORS Catskills by Foot: A Women’s Only Program
Call for times. Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville. 985-2291.
Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike - Spy Rock
Sacred Powers Workshop
9:30am-12:30pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
The World Observed
SPOKEN WORD Gallery Talk: Artist Judy Glantzman
Call for times. Body of Truth Spa, Stone Ridge. 331-1178. $350.
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
12pm. Spencertown Academy, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
Foundations in Thai Yoga Therapy
9am-4pm. Healing arts, massage practitioners, and yoga teachers. The Living Seed Yoga & Holistic Health Center, New Paltz. 255-8212. $185.
TUE 8 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT An Evening With the Afterlife
THEATER Chicago: The Musical
3pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
11am-4pm. Painting from dreams. Art School Summer Arts Studio, Monterey, MA. (413) 644-9630. $260/workshop.
EVENTS Cupid/Predating Speed Dating
7-9:30pm. Speed dating for busy professionals-ages 42-56. Crystal Run Bar & Grill, Middletown. 457-2541. $34 online/$44 at the door.
MUSIC Owen Roberts
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
WORKSHOPS Woodstock Writers Workshop
6:30-8:30pm. Writing poetry, short story, novel, memoir, creative non-fiction. Woodstock. 679-8256.
WED 9
Build a Drum
11am-6pm. Annette’s Heart and Soul Holistic Center, Beacon. 440-0724.
SUN 6 ART Juried Art Selection
1-4pm. Water Street Antiques Barn, New Paltz. 255-1403.
2:30-5pm. Orange Hall Gallery, Middletown. 341-4891.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT What is Mysticism? Retreat
10am-4pm. New Age Center and Point of Infinity, Nyack. 353-2590.
Pathwork Spiritual Lecture Reading/ Discussion/Potluck 10:30am. Phoenicia. 688-2211.
Quartz Crystal Singing Bowl Chakra Balancing Meditation
11am-12pm. Guided meditation through the chakras using the quartz singing bowls. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $7.
6pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
WORKSHOPS The Artist’s Way
11am-1pm. Discover your creativity in the workplace. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
The Language of Sacred Geometry
2-4pm. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
MON 7 CLASSES Swing Dance Classes
Call for time. Four-week series at 3 levels: essential swing, essential lindy Hop, intermediate moves. Reformed Church of the Comforter, Kingston. 236-3939. $60.
KIDS Summer Art camp
8:30am-4pm. Ages 9-15. Varga Gallery, Woodstock. 679-4005.
CLASSES Bee Buzz For Kids
Teen Night Camp
Intro Lecture on Bees and Beekeeping
MUSIC Open Mike Night
Call for times. Introduce your children to the amazing world of Honeybees. HoneybeeLives, New Paltz. 255-6113. $10.
2:30-4:30pm. Learn about the lives of honeybees. HoneybeeLives, New Paltz. 255-6113. $25.
6-9pm. Designed to teach the craft of live theater. Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, Poughkeepsie. 486-4571. $100 per week.
4-6pm. Madam Brett Park, Beacon. 473-4440 ext. 222.
Bird and Fish Haven with 3-story Observation Tower Hike 6pm. RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary, Catskill. 473-4440 ext. 222.
Hiroshima Memorial
5pm. Peace Park, New Paltz. 255-2871.
MUSIC Lisa Gutkin
1-3pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
A Day at the Hudson River with Fran Martino
10am-2pm. Hudson Opera House, Hudson. (518) 822-1438.
MUSIC Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls 7pm. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel. (866) 781-2922. $65/$45.
Blues Jam
8pm. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
THE OUTDOORS Bluffs Rising Powerfully at the River’s Shore
6pm. Franny Reese Preserve, Highland. 473-4440 ext. 222.
SPOKEN WORD How to Create a Rewarding Social Life
Humanist Book Group
THE OUTDOORS Creek and Marsh are Biological Treasures Hike
3pm. Will play solo woodwinds and brass. Deep Listeming Institute, Kingston. 338-5984. $10. $8 for students and seniors.
10am. Up to age 6. Minnewaska State Park, New Paltz. 255-2011.
Open Mike & Hootenanny
Greene County Historical Society’s Annual Tour of Homes
Joe McPhee
KIDS Hikes for Tykes
7pm. Includes a self-scoring survey and an article with question/answer time. The Institute for Human Development, Kingston. 339-6250.
8pm. Hosted by Seth Ray. All musicians & poets invited. The Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
11am. Cedar Grove, Catskill. (518) 943-6452. $20.
Call for time. Four-week series at 3 levels: essential swing, essential lindy Hop, intermediate moves. Boughton Place, Highland. 236-3939. $60.
7:30-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
EVENTS Antique Show and Flea Market
Stormville Airport, Stormville. 221-6561.
CLASSES Swing Dance Classes
SPOKEN WORD Poetry Open Mike
7pm. Featuring Jana Martin and Michael Carter. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342. $3.
FORECAST
Unembedded
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7pm. Discussing Voltaire’s Candide. Barnes & Noble Kingston, Kingston. 336-0590.
Voltage Whore
8:30pm. Wing’d Word spoken word/ performance series. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
THEATER The Rivals
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
THU 10 CLASSES Painting for Young Artists 2
4-6pm. Red Hook Library, Red Hook. 340-4576.
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IMAGE PROVIDED
KRISTOFF LALICKI IN MOSTLY GEOMETRIC AT THE
2005 ARTISTS SOAPBOX DERBY.
KINETIC SCULPTURE RIDES AGAIN “It’s all downhill from here,” jokes artist and gallerist George Donskoj about Kingston’s Annual Artists’ Soapbox Derby, which he founded with his wife Nancy 12 years ago this month. Yet, judging from the increasing number of imaginative floats and kinetic sculptures heading down lower Broadway to the Rondout Marina each August, surrounded by an ever-growing crowd, the Artists’ Soapbox Derby
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is going anywhere but downhill. “When we started we had no expectations,” says George Donskoj. “Now it’s got its own life.” The Derby was “pressed and instigated” into being by Kingston’s late Mayor T.R. Gallo, who helped the Donskojs create a low-tech version of California’s Hobart-Brown Kinetic Sculpture Race to support the struggling members of the Downtown Business Association. The first year, the Derby attracted approximately five entries and 300 people. This year, 45 participants and a crowd of 8,000 are expected—not a bad way to attract customers to the businesses clustered at the foot of Broadway. Over the past dozen years, the Derby has helped establish the Rondout as an artsy enclave and provided an impetus for creativity on the part of artists, kids, and quirky folks with its open-minded entry policy—there are rules, Nancy Donskoj says, but basically anything goes, humorous or serious, as long as it’s safe. The Derby also attracts Hudson Valley mayors, who compete with Kingston’s Mayor James Sottile for the Mayor’s Cup. (This year, buoyed by coverage of the Derby in last year’s New York Times, the Donskojs extended an invitation to New York’s Mayor Michael Blumberg.) Nancy Donskoj’s most memorable entries include spaceships; giant bubbles; a Half Moon replica; a giant hairball followed by a stuffed cat; a live lobster wearing half-lemon helmet and “driving” a remote-controlled pot; a huge paper mache head of T.R. Gallo; Bob Johnson’s “Duchamp Mobile,” “Caldor Car,” and “Big Grant,” a giant replica of a No. 2 pencil; and Alan Adin’s giant body cast of himself, which he rode down the hill. “He was after the coveted Rondout Reject Award, also called the Horse’s Ass Award because, well, it’s shaped like one,” recalls Donskoj. “He wrote on his entry form, ‘I want it. I need it. I deserve it. Give it to me now!’ So we did!” No derby participant ever leaves empty-handed, says George Donskoj. “We give away a lot of money at our awards ceremony—I love that part,” he says. This year, over $2,500 in prizes, including a retro-style bicycle, will be awarded. Guaranteed success has kept veteran entrants like wood artist Jim Fawcett, past winner of the $25 Yuri Award (“Yuri” being George in Russian), onboard for 12 straight years. Entering once again as No. 8 (“I like to get done early so I can watch the rest of the race, but not before the crowd’s warmed up,” he explains), Fawcett is also the designer of this year’s newest trophy, “The Fawcett Adjustable Rule,” also the title of this year’s entry, both of which are being built from wood and old faucet fixtures. “I’m not sure what the rules are yet,” he laughs. “I’m so encouraged each year, I keep doing it.” The 12th annual Artists’ Soapbox Derby begins at 1pm, Sunday, August 20, outside the Donskoj & Company art gallery, 93 Broadway, Kingston. Entrants lineup starting 10:30am; a $25 fee includes a t-shirt designed by artist Dan Green. Donskoj & Company is hosting the exhibition “Does Your Art Have Wings? Or: Can Your Soapbox Fly?” throughout the month of August. (845) 338-8473; www.artistsoapboxderby.com. —Susan Piperato
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The Power of Compassion
7-9pm. New Buddhist psychology and meditation class. Howland Cultural Center, Beacon. 856-9000. $8/class.
EVENTS Open House
9am. Woodstock Day School, Woodstock. 246-3744 ext. 103.
MUSIC Mr. John Mueller and Kaz
7pm. Memorial Park, Pleasant Valley. PVRotary@yahoo.com.
Songwriter’s Circle
7-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
SPOKEN WORD Poetry Readings
7pm. Featuring Lisa A. Rings & Don Yacullo. Bohemian Bookbin, Kingston. 331-6713. $2.
Seminar on Art, Kabbalah & Gender
7pm. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill. (914) 788-7166.
THEATER Women On Fire
Call for times. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
Ring Round the Room
Call for show dates and times. Presented by the Barrington Stage Company. Main Stage, Pittsfield, MA. (413) 236-8888.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Chicago: The Musical
FORECAST
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
WORKSHOPS Quilting Tips and Demonstrations
Call for times. Antiques Barn at Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
Herbal Aphrodisiacs and Love Potions
Introduction to Spiritual Healing: The Way of Love 7-9pm. Woodstock Town Hall, Woodstock. 679-2113.
Power Animals for the Seven Directions
7-9pm. A guided meditation with Manx Starfire. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
EVENTS The 6th Annual Millbrook Horse Trials Call for times. International and local competitions. Millbrook. 687-4436.
Kristina Borjesson
7:30pm. Borjesson breaks new groud by offering candid, often alarming conversation with America’s most distinguished journalist and news executives in her book “Feet to the Fire: The Media After 9/11: Top Journalists Speak Out.” Oblong Books and Music, Rhinebeck.
FILM La Moustache
7:30pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
KIDS Sir George and the Dragon
10:30-11:15am. Castle Bridge Puppets. Hudson Opera House, Hudson. (518) 822-1438.
Songster and Squeezebox Virtuoso Jody Kruskal
11am. Spencertown Academy, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
MUSIC Summer Stockade Series
6-8pm. Featuring Poni Tails. Wall Street, Kingston. 338-5100.
2 for 1 Happy Hour with Peter Einhorn
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Folk Jam
Live in Calmness While Surrounded by Chaos
Kathleen Pemble
Maps Of The Clitoris - The Whole Truth About Female Anatomy 7-10pm. Discover radically empowering information about the Arousal Network. Kingston. (518) 755-4414. $35-$50.
FRI 11 ART Night Journey
Featuring Susan kae Grant. Gallery BMG, Woodstock. 679-0027.
The Artist and Model Drawings
5-8pm. Jake Berthot. Kleinert/James Gallery, Woodstock. 679-2079.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Opening to the True Self: An Experiential Workshop with Nalini Johnson
This two day workshop is a three-fold opening to Self through the body, mind, and spirit. It is an opportunity to know who we really are and experience the certainty of Divine Order in our life. Pre-registration for the workshop is required. The Yoga Way, Wappingers Falls. $135 for both days.
A Woman’s Retreat to Awaken the Magic and Mystery of the Divine Feminine
Call for Times. International teacher of practical spirituality and author Barbara Biziou. Miriam’s Well, Saugerties. 246-5805. $295.
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
Menla Mountain Retreat, Phoenicia. (212) 807-0563.
10am-5pm. Using herbs to enhance sensual/ sexual enjoyment. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081. $75 includes lunch.
7-8:30pm. Peace Village Learning & Retreat Center, Haines Falls. (518) 589-5000.
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The Buddah and the Yogis
7:30pm. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Liszt: Mirror of the Nineteenth Century
8pm. Pre-concert talk at 8pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
The Pete Malinverni Trio
8pm. Jazz. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $20.
Brazilian Jazz Trio
8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Open Mike Night
9pm. Alternative, blues, country, folk, oldies. New York Cafe, Poughkeepsie. 452-7001.
Los Taino
10pm. New World Home Cooking, Saugerties. 246-0900.
THE OUTDOORS The Dusky Perseid Meteor Shower Hike
8-11pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
SPOKEN WORD Angels in Progress
7pm. Staged reading of Naked Angels Workin-Progress. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0100.
Readings By Local Poets: Norman Douglas & Stuart Krimpko 7pm. Basilica Industria, Hudson. (518) 828-1915.
The Healing Power of Reconnecting with Our Child Within
7pm. Lecture, group meditation, book signing and reading by Vita. Inquiring Mind Bookstore, Saugerties. 246-5155.
THEATER Tiny Ninja Theater’s Hamlet
Call for times. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
Lend Me a Tenor
Call for times. Shadowland Theater, Ellenville. 647-5511.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
5pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Comeau Property, Woodstock. 247-4007.
Chicago: The Musical
Bog Country
Work/Learn Day
Lynn Friedman: Following the Light
Guided Tour of Historic Huguenot Street Graveyard
5-7pm. Juried group exhibition of expansive landscapes in all media. GCCA Catskill Gallery, Catskill. (518) 943-3400.
5-7pm. Solo exhibition of oil paintings of the Hudson Valley, Andalucia and New Mexico. GCCA Catskill Gallery, Catskill. (518) 943-3400.
Paintings by Emilie Clark, Franklin Evans, and Katia Santibanez
5-7pm. Morgan Lehman Gallery, Lakeville, CT. (860) 435-0898.
Susan kae Grant
5-7pm. Exhibit of photographs. Galerie BMG, Woodstock. 679-0027.
Fragments and Figments
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
6-8pm. Reception for Willie Marlowe, Jeanne Crane, and Anique Taylor. Hudson. (518) 822-1890.
The Rivals
Norm Magnusson
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
6-9pm. Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon. 838-2995.
Same Mother, Different Children WORKSHOPS Power Animals for the Seven Directions
7-9pm. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
Wholistic Sexuality - An Juicy Introduction To A New Paradigm
8-11pm. Discover a new philosophy that re-integrates our sexuality. Kingston. (518) 755-4414. $35-$50.
SAT 12 ART New Works by Anya Davidson and Christopher Hawkins
Saugerties Artists Studio Tour
The artists and craftspersons on the Tour represent a wide range of styles and techniques. Various Hudson Valley locations. 246-7493 or 246-6466. Free.
Norm Magnusson
11am-6pm. Will showcase his work in a show “America’s Seven Deadly Sins.” Van Brunt Gallery, Beacon. 838-2995.
Woodstock Photography Lectures
12-5pm. Ernestine Ruben will show “New Approach to the Body.” Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957. $7/$5.
Windows on Main Street
12-9pm. 25 contemporary artists create sitespecific works for storefront windows. Beacon. (914) 844-6515.
Flora and Fauna
2-4pm. Works inspired by plants and animals throughout the world. GCCA Mountaintop Gallery, Windham. (518) 943-3400.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Sufi Zikr
7pm. Healing chant and prayer. Potluck at 5: 30. Red Branch Life Therapy, Woodstock. 6795511 ext. 5.
DANCE Swing Dance
7-11pm. With legendary Frankie Manning. Lesson at 7pm. Reformed Church of the Comforter, Kingston. 236-3939. $8.
Southern Dance Party
8pm. Ashokan Field Campus, Olivebridge. 246-2121. $10/children $5.
Welcome to Bollywood
9pm. A party so cool it’ll make you Shiva! Bollywood Bhangra house beats by Ashu Rai of NYC’s Desilicious Parties. Live music by Vindaloo Bugaloo. Guest DJs, Henna, and more...Dress for Ganesh. The Shirt Factory., Kingston. Proceeds go to Common Fire Foundation / commonfire.org. $10. 21 & up.
EVENTS Hudson Valley Poets Fest ‘06
Noon to dusk. Widow Jane Mine, Rosendale. (914) 474-7758.
11am-12pm. Huguenot Street, New Paltz. 255-1660.
2 for 1 Happy Hour
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Denise Jordan Finley with Daniel Pagdon
Chicago: The Musical
7-9pm. Guitarist with accompaniment. Inspired Books and Gifts, Kingston. 331-0644.
8pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
Elly Wininger
Turtle Island Medicine Show
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Blues Barbeque
7:30pm. Blues, folk, singer/songwriter. Dutch Arms Chapel, Saugerties. www.EllyWininger.com. $3.
Christina Biaggi, PhD
Amy Fradon, Mikhail Horowitz & Gilles Malkine
5-9pm. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693. $60.
7:30pm. Biaggi will present her book “The Rule of Mars: Writings on the Origins, History and Impact of Patriarchy,” an anthology of the best work by leading scholars on the subject of patriarchy. Oblong Books and Music, Rhinebeck.
FILM La Moustache
7:30pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
KIDS Goowins Balloowins Presents Peter Pan
11am. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 679-4101. $7.
Steve Charney and Harry
11am. Ventriloquism, magic, and music. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $8/$5 children.
Pictures on the Page
8pm. Presented by Arm-of-the-Sea Theater. Waterfront Park, Saugerties. 246-7873.
WORKSHOPS New Approaches to the Body
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
8pm. Rosendale Theater, Rosendale. 658-8989. $15.
An Evening with Branford Marsalis 8pm. With the Doug Wamble Quartet. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $15-$65.
8pm. Pre-concert talk at 7pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
7pm. Learn about fabrics, tools, sewing seams and working with patterns. Barnes & Noble Kingston, Kingston. 336-0590.
SUN 13
Ryan’s Group
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Quartz Crystal Singing Bowl Chakra Balancing Meditation
Thunder Ridge
8pm. Country, rock. Creekside Restaurant, Catskill. (518) 943-6522.
11am-12pm. Guided meditation through the chakras using the quartz singing bowls. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $7.
Next Generation Youth Show
8-11pm. Progressive, punk, rock. AIR Studio Gallery, Kingston. 331-2662.
EVENTS Hudson River Steamboat Days
Brother
8:30pm. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Call for times. Pirates, steamboats, treasure hunts, music, and food. Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown. (518) 537-4240. $7 per vehicle.
MUSIC Woodstock Anniversary Weekend
Richard Shindell
Annual BSC Corn Festival
Call for times. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel. 454-3388.
Dutchess Community College Music School Sing-A-Thon
9:45am. Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie. 431-8916.
The Young Liszt: From Vienna to Paris
9pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
12-6pm. Sweet, fresh corn, sailing and live music. Riverfront Park, Beacon. 831-6962.
Todd Giudice
MUSIC Theo Croker, Catherine Russell and The Chuck Folds Trio
9pm. Folk, roots, Americana. Cubbyhole Coffeehouse, Poughkeepsie. 483-7584.
11:30am/1:30pm. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $30.
Deuce
1:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 1pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
9pm. Acoustic, oldies, original, rock, rockabilly. Rondoutbay Cafe & Marina, Kingston. 339-3917.
Circus: A Mid-Summer Music Festival
Blues with Slam Allen & The Consultants
3:30-11pm. Live music, local artists, and area vendors. The Historic Catskill Point, Catskill. (518) 542-3892. $18/Day of Sale $20.
Virtuosity Blow Out
10pm. Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
1pm. Antiques Barn at the Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
4-8pm. Blues, contemporary, country, jazz, pop, r&b, rock, soul. The Andes Hotel, Andes. 676-3980.
10am. What will we find in our seine net? Museum of the Hudson Highlands, Cornwallon-Hudson. 534-5506 ext. 204. $7/$5/$3/$2.
Crafts on John Street
The Piano & the Nineteenth Century
Dragonflies at the Mohonk Preserve
5pm. Performance with commentary by Kenneth Hamilton. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Three Anniversaries, Three Masterworks
6pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
10:30am. Pre-concert talk at 10am. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Dale DeMarco Jazz Quartet
THE OUTDOORS Fish
Bob Grimm
9am-2pm. Organic and traditional fruits & vegetables, breads, flowers. Wall Street, Kingston. 331-3418.
2:30-5:30pm. Reformed Church of the Comforter, Kingston. 236-3939.
Teach Yourself Visually: Sewing Politics, Painting, Theater, and Poetry
Call for times. Pirates, steamboats, treasure hunts, music, and food. Clermont State Historic Site, Germantown. (518) 537-4240. $7 per vehicle.
Kingston Old Town Stockade Farmers’ Market
Lindy Hop Workshop & Discussion
11am-3pm. Young artists create an image from a favorite story or book. Spencertown Academy, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
Hudson River Steamboat Days
9am-2pm. Juried crafts marketplace. Kingston. oxbowart@hotmail.com.
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
FORECAST
Call for times. Pearl Gallery, Stone Ridge. 687-0888.
6-9pm. Abstract works. Bau, Beacon.440-7584.
10am. Two-hour herbal class in exchange for work. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081.
10am-1pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Lisa Itts
1-3pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Virtuosity Transfigured: In the Shadow of Paganini
1:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 1pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike Table Rocks 10am-2pm. Meet at the Spring Farm Trailhead, New Paltz. 255-0919.
The Moonlighters
SPOKEN WORD Liszt the Phenomenon
Tokyo String Quartet
10am-12pm. Bard College, Annandale-onHudson. 758-7900.
3pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Woodstock Poetry Society
Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams
3pm. Jazz. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
5-7pm. Benefit concert for the Arts at SUNY Ulster. Student Lounge, Stone Ridge. 687-5262. $20/$15 students and seniors.
2-4pm. Open reading with features Willard Gellis and Therese Broderick. Woodstock Town Hall, Woodstock. www.woodstockpoetry.com.
Grand Opera Before Wagner A Talk with Photographer Tim Davis
5:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 4:30pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Woodstock Photography Lecture Series
The Greyhounds
6pm. Basilica Industria, Hudson. (518) 828-1915.
5:30pm. Cold Spring Gazebo, Cold Spring. 265-3200.
8pm. Featuring photographer Ernestine Ruben. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-6337. $7/5.
THEATER Peter Pan
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
7:30pm. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel. (866) 781-2922. $126.
11am. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 679-4101. $7.
Soul Deep Featuring Joe Medwick 8pm. Blues, r&b, rock, soul. Crest Bar, Woodstock. 679-3213.
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The Providers
9pm. Blues, original, r&b, rock, soul. Mahoney’s Irish Pub, Poughkeepsie. 471-7026.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike Walkabout 6 9:30am-4pm. Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATER Chicago: The Musical
3pm. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $22/$20 seniors and children.
SPOKEN WORD Gwendolyn Bounds Book Signing
7pm. The author of “Little Chapel on the River”. Barnes & Noble Kingston, Kingston. 336-0590.
THEATER A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
WORKSHOPS How to Install Laminate or Ceramic Tiles
9am/2pm. Lowes, Kingston. 340-3990.
The Rivals
6pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
WORKSHOPS The Artist’s Way
11am-1pm. Discover your creativity in the workplace. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
MON 14 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Cultivate Loving Kindness with Tonglen Meditation
7-9pm. Guided meditation is centered on sending loving kindness to all life. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
MUSIC Open Mike Night
7:30-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
THU 17 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Opening To The Angelic Realm
7pm. Guided journey and instruction on inviting the angels into your life. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $7.
EVENTS Wine Tasting Dinner: The Wines of Burgundy
7pm. Monteverde at Oldstone Manor, Cortlandt Manor. (914) 739-5000. $85.
KIDS Summer Art camp
8:30am-4pm. Ages 9-15. Varga Gallery, Woodstock. 679-4005.
MUSIC Jazz Jam
8pm. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
Open Mike with Seth Ray
FORECAST
8-11:30pm. Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
SPOKEN WORD Poetry Open Mike
7pm. Featuring Richard Bronson and Roberta Allen. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342. $3.
TUE 15 ART Art School Studio Summer Workshops for Kids and Adults
11am-4pm. Create treasure boxes to safeguard private keepsakes. Art School Summer Arts Studio, Monterey, MA. (413) 644-9630. $260/workshop.
Kids Toddler Painting Workshop 1pm. Tivoli Library, Tivoli. www.theartscenterny.org.
MUSIC Vickie Russell
6:30-8pm. Acoustic, folk, original, pop, vocals. Greenvale Park, Poughkeepsie. www.VickieRussell.com.
WED 16 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Astrology Dinner: Astrology Goes to the Movies
7pm. Monteverde at Oldstone Manor, Cortlandt Manor. (914) 739-5000. $85.
A Planetary Awakening: The Soul of Humanity Emerges
8pm. Lecture, meditation and discussion. The Living Seed, New Paltz. 546-0146.
EVENTS Singles Wine-Tasting Mixer
8pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
MUSIC Marta Topferova
8pm. Flamenco/Latin Jazz trio. Topferova will be on vocals/cuatro, Pedro Girado on bass, and Yulia Musayelyan on flute. The Omega Institute, Rhinebeck. 266-4444. $10.
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FORECAST CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
SPOKEN WORD Seminar on Art, Kabbalah & Gender
7pm. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill. (914) 788-7166.
Our River, Life and Community 7:30pm. Garrison Institute, Garrison. 424-4800.
THEATER The Rivals
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
FRI 18 EVENTS Reading and Sing-a-Long
The Book Cove, Pawling. 855-9590.
2nd Annual Hudson Valley Ribfest Call for times. Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz. 691-9162.
FILM Refuge & Talking To The Dalai Lama 7:30pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
KIDS Babes in the Woods Hike
10am. Hike for grown-ups with babes. Minnewaska State Park, New Paltz. 255-2011.
Music & Movement
1-2pm. Hudson Opera House, Hudson. (518) 822-1438.
Chakras and Gemstones Workshop For Children
7pm. Teaching children about energy, auras, chakras, and gemstones. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $5-$7.
MUSIC Summer Stockade Series
6-8pm. Featuring Songs of Solomon. Wall Street, Kingston. 338-5100.
2 for 1 Happy Hour
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Chuck Costa
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Liszt and National Aspirations
8pm. Pre-concert talk at 7:30pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
The Jason Goldman Quartet
8pm. Jazz. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $20.
Windham Chamber Music Festival
8pm. Mahler, Brahms, Mozart, Chausson, Schubert. Windham Performing Arts Center, Windham. (518) 734-3868. $20/seniors $17/students $5.
Stone Soul Evening with Erin Hobson 8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Open Mike Night
9pm. Alternative, blues, country, folk, oldies. New York Cafe, Poughkeepsie. 452-7001.
37th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair
Rock with U-Guyz
Canvas and Canapes: A Taste of the Hudson Valley
THE OUTDOORS Mushroom Walk and Identification
10am-5pm. Juried exhibition of a wide range of arts and crafts featuring jewelry, paintings, glass, and much more. Garrison. 424-3960.
6-8pm. Eat food from around the Hudson Valley and view works by local artists. Athens Cultural Center, Athens. www.athensculturalcenter.org.
Watermelon Slim & The Workers
9pm. Blues. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595. $15.
SPOKEN WORD Music in Nineteenth-Century Culture 10am-12pm/1:30pm-3:30pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
11am/2pm. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 679-4101. $7.
8pm. The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, Sleep Hollow. (914) 332-5953. $3.
Roundtable Discussion With Salt of The Valley
9:30am-3pm. Minnewaska State Park Preserve Upper Lot, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Hudson River Inhabitants
10am. Museum of the Hudson Highlands, Cornwall-on-Hudson. 534-5506 ext. 204. $7/$5/$3/$2.
Incredible Larry
11am. Comedic juggling. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $8/$5 children.
Art Lab Summer Celebration
2-6pm. Art and music including face painting, t-shirts, and wand making. Saugerties Beach, Saugerties. 532-1197.
SPOKEN WORD Reading and Book Signing
2pm. Treasure of Watchdog Mountain. Borders Books and Music, Wappingers Falls. 297-3700.
Book Signing with Nan Bauer-Maglin MUSIC The Gypsies, the Hungarians, and the Exotic in Music
10am. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
5pm. Editor of Cut Loose: (Mostly) Older Women Talk About the End of (Mostly) LongTerm Relationships. Kleinert/James Gallery, Woodstock. 679-2079.
Wildlife Lectures: Live Animals with Bill Robinson
Mark Rust
7-8pm. Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Bernstein Bard Trio
THEATER Cinderella
11:30am. Part of the Hurley Corn Festival. Hurley Reformed Church, Hurley. 338-1661.
1pm. Antiques Barn at the Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
Open Mike
9:30am-12:30pm. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Education Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension. (518) 622-9820.
Lake Awosting Bike and Swim KIDS Missoula Children’s Theatre Presents Cinderella
The Eilen Jewell Band
9pm. Blues, country. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
10pm. Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
Between Two Schools: Liszt and the Chamber Music Tradition 1:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 1:00pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
8pm. Basilica Industria, Hudson. (518) 828-1915.
11am/2pm. Missoula Children’s Theatre. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 6794101. $7.
The Rivals
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Dana LaCroix Band
5pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Comeau Property, Woodstock. 247-4007.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
SAT 19 ART David X Levine: Drawings
6-8pm. John Davis Gallery, Hudson. (518) 828-5907.
3pm. Red Barn Performing Arts, Hunter. (518) 263-4908.
Cameo Lake Music Productions & Let’s Jam Music Present Music Showcase
4-7pm. Featuring Judy Norman Project members, Two Dudes and a Jude, and other musicians. Let’s Jam, Poughkeepsie. 471-4400.
Nadler in a Nutshell
6pm. Cabaret by Mark Nadler. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693. $35/$25.
Writing workshops and mini-spa with Ione. Ministry of Maat, Inc., Kingston. 339-5776.
Access Your Healing Potential 10am-5pm. One Light Healing Touch, Rhinebeck. 876-0239. $250.
DANCE Freestyle Frolic
8:30pm. Smoke, drug, alcohol, and shoe-free environment to a wide range of music. Center for Symbolic Studies, Tillson. 658-8319. $7/$3 teens and seniors.
EVENTS Bindlestiff’s Wild West Jamboree
WORKSHOPS Access Your Healing Potential
Call for times. One Light HealingTouch, Rhinebeck. 876-0239.
Lighting 101
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
The System for Soul Memory
2-4pm. Experiential workshop with author and psychic Susan Kerr. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
feed the piggy
2 for 1 Happy Hour
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Little Worlds Fair Grahamsville BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Memory, Secrets, and Immortality
FORECAST
THEATER The Two Gentlemen of Verona
7-11pm. Country. Festival Square, Middletown. 346-4195.
The Providers
7-11pm. Blues, original, r&b, rock, soul. Costanzo’s, Pine Plains. (518) 398-7800.
Battle of the Bands
8pm. The Kenny Garrett Quartet and The Nicholas Payton Quartet. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $15-$55.
Christ and Faust
8pm. Pre-concert talk at 7:00pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Kirsten Williams
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
SUN 20 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Ashtanga Mela Gathering
Call for times. Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Lenox, MA. (800) 741-7353.
Pathwork Spiritual Lecture Reading/ Discussion/Potluck 10:30am. Phoenicia. 688-2211.
Quartz Crystal Singing Bowl Chakra Balancing Meditation 11am-12pm. Guided meditation through the chakras using the quartz singing bowls. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $7.
EVENTS 19th Annual Tour De Goshen
Call for times. Multiple levels leaving at different times. Recreation Park, Goshen. 986-6686.
The Waterfront, Hudson. 518-822-8448.
The 6th Annual Millbrook Horse Trials Call for times. International and local competitions. Millbrook. 687-4436.
Kingston Old Town Stockade Farmers’ Market
9am-2pm. Organic and traditional fruits & vegetables, breads, flowers. Wall Street, Kingston. 331-3418.
Hurley Heritage Society’s 26th Annual Corn Festival
10am-4pm. Hurley Reformed Church, Hurley. 331-0593. $3.
Lesley Gore and Cheryl Wheeler
8pm. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0100.
Marilyn Crispell: Jazz Piano
8pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Intergenerational Week: Down on the Farm Program
Call for times. Frost Valley YMCA, Claryville. 985-2291.
12th Annual Kingston Artist’s Soapbox Derby 10:30am. Kingston.
September Issue Special Section:
MONEY AND INVESTING Extensive coverage of investing and financial planning in the Hudson Halley.
Hotflash and the Whoremoans 8:30pm. Variety. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 469-4595.
Olu Dara
9pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
MUSIC Loni Leibowitz Trio
1pm. Antiques Barn at the Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
Reserve your ad by August 14th and see a rapid return on your investment! For rates and info 845.334.8600 / sales@chronogram.com 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM FORECAST
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Late Liszt: Spirituality & Experimentation 1:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 1:00pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
Blue Harvest
3pm. Bluegrass and Americana. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
Shanghai String Quartet
3pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Terry Champlin and Friends
4pm. Acoustic, chamber music, classical, new age, original. Chapel of Our Lady Restoration, Cold Spring. 265-5537.
Edie Carey
5:30pm. Cold Spring’s Riverfront Park and Bandstand, Cold Spring. 265-3200.
Liszt and Wagner
5:30pm. Pre-concert talk at 4:30pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike Lost City
9:30am-3pm. Meet at the Coxing Trailhead, New Paltz. 255-0919.
SPOKEN WORD Gender and Musical Culture: Stern, Sand, Sayn-Wittgenstein, Schumann, and Eliot
Shamanic Drumming and Healing Circle
7-9pm. Guided into profound shamanic journeywork. Mirabai Books, Woodstock. 679-2100. $15/$20.
MUSIC Baba’s Dance
8pm. Live drumming for your dancing pleasure. Will Feature Randy Ciarlante (The Band), Carlos Valdez (Mambo Ki Kongo), and Craig Santiago (TRUMYSTIC/Acorn). Will also be playing on September 13. The Omega Institute, Rhinebeck. 266-4444. $10.
SPOKEN WORD How To Make Your Marriage Better 7pm. Includes a survey and article with question and answer time. The Institute for Human Development, Kingston. 339-6250.
8:30pm. Wing’d Word spoken word/ performance series. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925. $3.
THEATER The Rivals
FORECAST
WORKSHOPS The Artist’s Way
11am-1pm. Discover your creativity in the workplace. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
MON 21 MUSIC Open Mike Night
7:30-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Open Mike & Hootenanny
8-11:30pm. All musicians & performers welcome, featuring Half Naked. The Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
SPOKEN WORD Poetry Open Mike
7pm. Featuring Regina Cosio and Brett Bevell. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342. $3.
TUE 22 CLASSES Drawing 1
6-8pm. Tivoli Free Library, Tivoli. 340-4576.
EVENTS The Dutchess County Fair
10am-10pm. Featuring livestock, horse shows, rides, petting zoo. Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck. 876-4001. $12 for adults/children free.
THU 24 7pm. Guided journey for the new moon in Virgo. The Auracle, New Paltz. 255-6046. $12.
WED 23 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Astrology Dinner: The Astrology of Health and Wellness
7pm. Astrologer Demitra Vassiliadis is an uncommon talent. Join us for an entertaining and inspiring evening as she shares her insight into the realm of the zodiac. Monteverde at Oldstone Manor, Cortlandt Manor. (914) 739-5000. $85.
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9am-5pm. Music, exhibits, blueberry bakesale, street festival, and more. Downtown Ellenville, Ellenville. www.wawarsingny.net.
Candlelight Tours of Historic Huguenot Street
Grass-Fed Beef Gourmet Burger Event
7pm. Huguenot Street, New Paltz. 255-1660. $10.
FILM Refuge & Talking To The Dalai Lama
12-4pm. Whitecliff Vineyard, Gardiner. 2554613. $25.
Sarah Perrotta
8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Rich Milite and Blue Moon
9pm. Blues, swing. High Falls Café, High Falls. 687-2699.
Sarah Borges
9pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
Under the Tents Party
7pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
6pm. Food, refreshments, prizes, silent auction ,years of music and dancing under the stars. The Historical Society of the of Town Warwick, Warwick. 986-3236. $40.
Reggae with The Apple Pickers Union
KIDS Kid’s Discovery: Alternative Energy
FILM Refuge & Talking To The Dalai Lama
THE OUTDOORS Fire Hike
11am. Spencertown Academy Arts Center, Spencertown. (518) 392-3693.
Music Summer Stockade Series
6-8pm. Featuring Haynie & Samuel. Wall Street, Kingston. 338-5100.
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Kurt Henry Band and The Trapps
7pm. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448. $7/$5 students.
Fred Gillen Jr.
MUSIC Julliard Jazz Quintet
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Helen Avakian and Steve Siktberg
8-11pm. Acoustic, alternative, new age. Maia Restaurant and Lounge, Poughkeepsie. 486-5004.
FILM Refuge, Talking to the Dalai Lama, La Moustache, and Reno!
THEATER Smoke and Mirrors
Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448.
9pm. Blues and 60’s blues-rock. Colony Café, Woodstock. 679-5342.
Call for times. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
5pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Comeau Property, Woodstock. 247-4007.
THEATER Incognito
Call for times. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
7pm. Mortals and fairies collide in this enchanting tale of the intricacies and lunacy of love. Follow the delightful romp of a quartet of lovers through an evening of magic, mischief, illusion, revelation and reconciliation. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
An Evening with the Right Reverend Citizen Reno 8pm. A trajectory of personal stories, metaprocessing, and off the cuff remarks. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448.
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater Turtle Island Medicine Show
8pm. Contemporary fable and cautionary tale featuring giant puppets. Hasbrouck Park, New Paltz. 246-7873.
The Rivals
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
An Evening with the Right Reverend Citizen Reno 9pm. A trajectory of personal stories, metaprocessing, and off the cuff remarks. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448.
I Hate Hamlet
8pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 247-4007. $12-$15.
WORKSHOPS Quilting Tips and Demonstrations
Call for times. Antiques Barn at Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
FRI 25 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Spring Fasting and Cleansing Retreat Call for times. New Age Center and Point of Infinity, Nyack. 353-2590.
WOMEN’S SACRED MOONLODGE 7pm. Celebrate moon-time bleeding with ritual, song, and dance. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081.
DANCE Featuring The Blue Rays
8:30-11:30pm. Lesson at 7:30pm. Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie. 473-6955. $10.
FORECAST CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
11am. Wildlife expert Bill Robinson returns with an up-close and personal presentation of birds and reptiles. Learn how animals adapt for survival, as well as the importance of all animals in the balance of nature. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $8/$5 children.
Outrageous Contagious Sculpture
The House
6-8pm. Red Hook Library, Red Hook. 340-4576.
KIDS Bill Robinson’s Wildlife Adventures
6:30-11pm. Alternative, original, progressive, rock. Bodles Opera House, Chester. 4694595.
CLASSES Acrylic 1
WORKSHOPS Woodstock Writers Workshop
6:30-8:30pm. Writing poetry, short story, novel, memoir, creative non-fiction. Woodstock. 679-8256.
11am-3pm. Prayers for indigenous people, nature and local farmers. The World Peace Sanctuary, Wassaic. 877-6093.
2 for 1 Happy Hour
7pm. Roar at the antics of Mrs. Malaprop, Lydia Languish and Captain Jack Absolute as they take you on an improbable journey brimming with false identities, romance, parental disapproval and deception. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Shamanic Journey With Rose Christmas
6pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Shawangunk Mountain Wild Blueberry & Huckleberry Festival
10pm. Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
9am. Difficult hike. Minnewaska State Park Awosting Parking Lot, New Paltz. 255-2011.
J.J. Blickstein
10am-12pm. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. 758-7900.
THEATER The Rivals
EVENTS A Call To Peace
Workshops Woodlanders Gathering
Call for times. Craft skills, demonstrations, and discussions. The Warwick Center Campgrounds, Warwick. 986-5489. 3 days $210/2 days $160/1 day $85.
SAT 26 ART Woodstock Photography Lectures 12-5pm. Platon. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957. $7/$5.
unseenamerica New York State 7-7pm. Pictures of working life taken by working hands. Newburgh Free Library, Newburgh. 563-3601.
EVENTS Kingston Old Town Stockade Farmers’ Market
9am-2pm. Organic and traditional fruits & vegetables, breads, flowers. Wall Street, Kingston. 331-3418.
2-4pm. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
Call for times. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 644-9040 ext. 107.
Sonando
Call for times. El Coqui, Kingston. 340-1106. $10.
Wild Blueberry and Huckleberry Festival
9am-5pm. Shawangunk Mountains, Ellenville. 647-4620.
Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike – Duck Pond
10am-3pm. Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, New Paltz. 255-0919.
Using Fire as a Field Management Tool 5-7pm. Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz. 255-0919.
SPOKEN WORD The Divine Feminine Incarnate
8pm. Book signing and reading by Elizabeth Cunningham, author of The Passion of Mary Magdalen. Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, Kingston. 687-4699.
Woodstock Photography Lecture Series
Rossetti String Quartet
8pm. Featuring photographer Platon. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-6337. $7/5.
Nocturnal Sonatas
THEATER First Looks at the Fringe
11am. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
6pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
2 for 1 Happy Hour
6-8:30pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
2pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Woodwinds Rejoice in Nature
6:30pm. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
An Evening with the Right Reverend Citizen Reno
Helen Avakian
9pm. A trajectory of personal stories, metaprocessing, and off the cuff remarks. Time and Space Limited, Hudson. (518) 822-8448.
Studio Stu
WORKSHOPS Getting Known/Being Shown
7-9pm. Acoustic, alternative, bluegrass, classical, folk, new age. Maplebrook School, Amenia. 373-8673.
7-9pm. Jazz, exotic lounge. Inspired Books and Gifts, Kingston. 339-4646.
Elly Wininger
7:30-10:30pm. Blues, folk, originals. Schultzville Masonic Hall, Schultzville. 2668261. $6.
Ailey II - Performs Revelations and More
8pm. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $15-$55.
Denise Jordan Finley With Daniel Pagdon
8pm. Irving Farm Coffeehouse, Millerton. (518) 789-6540.
Drala
8pm. Guitar, flute. Omega Institute, Rhinebeck. 266-4444.
Juilliard Jazz Quintet
8pm. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0100.
Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops with Faith Prince
8pm. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel. (866) 781-2922. $55/$35.
Open Mike
8pm. Peekskill Coffeehouse, Peekskill. (914) 739-1287.
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
The Art and Craft of Portraiture
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
Have Fun with Plant Families
10am-5pm. Learn to recognize plants and discover their uses. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081. $75 includes lunch.
SUN 27 BODY / MIND / SPIRIT Quartz Crystal Singing Bowl Chakra Balancing Meditation 11am-12pm. Guided meditation through the chakras using the quartz singing bowls. The Auracle, Poughkeepsie. 255-6046. $7.
EVENTS Work/Learn Day
10am. Two-hour herbal class in exchange for work. Wise Woman Center, Woodstock. 246-8081.
Ellenville Day
11am-4pm. Music, art, tours, films, talks. Liberty Square, the Ellenville Library, Berme Road, and sites in-between, Ellenville. 647-7080.
Olde Hurley Guided Walking Tours
2pm. Hurley Heritage Society Museum, Hurley. 331-0593. $3.
MUSIC Denise Jordan Finley & Daniel Pagdon
THEATER The Rivals
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
1pm. Urban hip-hop spectacular. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406.
THU 31 THEATER The Rivals
Mozart a Tango
I Hate Hamlet
8pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Woodstock Playhouse, Woodstock. 247-4007. $12-$15.
3pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
Song of the Valley Chorus
3pm. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
Banshanachie & Friends
4-7pm. Traditional Irish music. Rosendale Cafe, Rosendale. 658-9048.
Sonando
5:30pm. Cold Spring’s Riverfront Park and Bandstand, Cold Spring. 265-3200.
THE OUTDOORS Mohonk Preserve Singles Hike High Peters Kill
9am-2pm. Minnewaska State Park Preserve Peters Kill Lot, New Paltz. 255-0919.
THEATER First Looks at the Fringe
3pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
FRI 1 EVENTS Christmas Ornament Sale
10am-4pm. Vanderbilt Mansion Visitor Center, Hyde Park. 229-6432.
FILM 7th Annual Woodstock Museum Film & Video Festival Call for times. Theme: Transformation. Woodstock Museum, Woodstock. 246-0600.
SPOKEN WORD Irene O’Garden and Carl Welden
Call for times. Calling All Poets series. Howland Cultural Center, Beacon. 831-0077. $4.
THEATER The Two Gentlemen of Verona
5pm. Bird-On-a-Cliff Theatre Company. Comeau Property, Woodstock. 247-4007.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Rivals
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Community Playback Theatre WORKSHOPS The Artist’s Way
11am-1pm. Discover your creativity in the workplace. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
MON 28 MUSIC Open Mike Night
7:30-10pm. Mezzanine Bookstore, Café amp; Wine Bar, Kingston. 339-6925.
Open Mike & Hootenanny
8-11:30pm. Hosted by Seth Ray. The Firebird Lounge, Rhinebeck. 876-8686.
SPOKEN WORD Poetry Open Mike
7pm. Featuring Julie Lomoe, Jan Castro, and Rob Norris. Colony Cafe, Woodstock. 679-5342. $3.
TUE 29 MUSIC Science Friction Orchestra
8pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
WED 30 EVENTS Columbia County Fair
10am-11pm. Fairgrounds, Chatham. (518) 392-2121.
David Roth
8pm. A whoosh of Will Rogers, a dash of David Letterman and a touch of James Talor meets Jerry Seinfeld. The Omega Institute, Rhinebeck. 266-4444. $10.
KIDS Nature Stories
11am. Stories and activities for preschoolers. Minnewaska State Park, New Paltz. 255-2011.
8pm. Improvisation based on real-life stories of audience members. Boughton Place, Highland. 691-4118. $6.
The Mikado
8pm. The Light Opera Company of Salisbury. Walker Auditorium, Lakeville, CT. (860) 4826586. $15-$25.
8pm. Memphis soul legend. Belleayre Mountain, Highmount. (800) 942-6904 ext. 406. $15-$65.
Windham Chamber Music Festival
8pm. Premiere of “A Bossa Nova Fantasy”. Windham Performing Arts Center, Windham. (518) 734-3868. $20/seniors $17/students $5.
Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys
9pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
Burning Sky - A Tribute To Bad Company
10pm. Alternative, rock, Bad Company Tribute. East Side Bar and Grill, Walden. 778-2039.
SPOKEN WORD Book Signing with Marlene Newman 2pm. Author of Myron’s Magic Cow. The Golden Notebook Children’s Store, Woodstock. 679-8000.
Woodstock Photography Lecture Series
8pm. Featuring photographer Michael Mazzeo. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-6337. $7/5.
THEATER First Looks at the Fringe
2pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123. $20/$17 students and seniors.
The Mikado
8pm. The Light Opera Company of Salisbury. Walker Auditorium, Lakeville, CT. (860) 4826586. $15-$25.
The Rivals
8pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
WORKSHOPS Wet Plate Collodion
Call for times. Center for Photography at Woodstock, Woodstock. 679-9957.
SAT 2 EVENTS Antique Show and Flea Market
Stormville Airport, Stormville. 221-6561.
Woodstock-New Paltz Art & Crafts Fair
Call for time. Over 300 craftspersons and artisans from across America. Ulster County Fairgrounds, New Paltz. 246-3414. $8.00/ seniors $7.00/children $4.50.
Kingston Old Town Stockade Farmers’ Market
SUN 3 EVENTS Fourth Annual Fine Art Auction
2pm. Benefit for the museum. Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, Woodstock. 679-2198 ext. 102.
MUSIC Tomas Kubinek
Call for times. Vaudevillian style. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 644-9040 ext. 107.
9am-2pm. Organic and traditional fruits & vegetables, breads, flowers. Wall Street, Kingston. 331-3418.
Bari Koral Trio
Family Fun on Historic Huguenot Street
Guy Davis
10-11:30am. Tour the Bevier Elting House. Huguenot Street, New Paltz. 255-1660.
KIDS The Great All-American Audience Participation Magic Show
11am. Center for Performing Arts, Rhinebeck. 876-3080. $8/$5 children.
MUSIC The Mountainville String Quartet
3pm. Storm King Art Center, Mountainville. 534-3115.
Erik the Amazing and the Shallaballah
3:30pm. Wakka Wakka Productions: 42nd Street Puppets. Red Barn Performing Arts, Hunter. (518) 263-4908. $7.
FORECAST
6pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
8pm. Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-0100.
Isaac Hayes
7pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
Bensen-Scott Big Band
1-3pm. Antiques Barn at Water Street Market, New Paltz. 255-1403.
6pm. Maverick Concerts 2006. Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock. 338-5254.
2nd Annual Berkshires Blues-Fest
12:30-3:30pm. Folk, jazz, acoustic. Costanzo’s, Pine Plains. (518) 398-7800.
Break
Closing Anniversaries: The Composer Speaks
5:30pm. Cold Spring’s Riverfront Park and Bandstand, Cold Spring. 265-3200.
8pm. Club Helsinki, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-6308.
The Flames of Discontent and Mancini & Martin
8pm. Byrdcliffe Theater, Woodstock. 810-0123.
They’re Playing Our Song
8pm. Dinner/cabaret. Red Barn Performing Arts, Hunter. (518) 263-4908. $57.
THEATER The Mikado
2pm. The Light Opera Company of Salisbury. Walker Auditorium, Lakeville, CT. (860) 4826586. $15-$25.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
6pm. 20th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Boscobel, Garrison. 265-9575. $25-$42.
8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM FORECAST
133
Planet Waves
EMIL ALZAMORA
BY ERIC FRANCIS COPPOLINO
What is a Planet? This month in Prague, the membership of something called the International Astronomical Union will be meeting to decide the official definition of a planet. This is a different kind of union than the United Auto Workers. It’s kind of like the governing body of astronomy, which has responsibilities like approving the names of newly discovered celestial bodies.
T
he last most of us heard, there were nine planets. However, a quick check of the Minor Planet Catalogue shows that as of last month, there are 320,000 catalogued bodies orbiting our Sun. Which of these bodies are actually planets is an issue that has been dogging astronomers for awhile. But planetary science in its current form is still fairly new. Until 1992 all we had to deal with were the “nine planets” and the asteroids. That was the year that 1992 QB1 was discovered—the first known object orbiting our Sun beyond Pluto. This confirmed the theory of Gerard Kuiper that there was a region of space which constitutes a “comets’ lair,” that is, it’s home to lots of little bits and bobs, relics of the early solar system. As more of these things (called Kuiper Belt Objects, or 134 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
KBOs, of which there are now thousands known) were discovered, it became clear that Pluto was one of them, admittedly a large one, and this is what began the debate over “whether Pluto is a planet.” I use quotes here because this is an astrology column, so any discussion of Pluto’s status being demoted is something of a joke, admittedly a not-so-funny one for those of us who are aware of having had our asses kicked by the influences of Pluto—which amounts to a little ice cube at the edge of reality. Plus, one good look at the cycles of history shows that when Pluto is active, the world changes in big ways. Two examples are the 1960s (Uranus-Pluto conjunction) and the 9/11-era (Saturn-Pluto opposition). Yet there is a precedent for such a change of status. When Ceres was
discovered in 1801, it was presumed to be a fixed star, and then considered to be a new planet (the second, after Uranus, which was discovered in 1781). The discoverer, wanting to err on the side of caution where both the public and scientific communities were concerned, announced his find as a comet, but eventually he became convinced he had discovered a small planet. Ceres is now object #1 in the Minor Planet Catalogue (MPC). In the years that followed, several more objects in the region of space between Mars and Jupiter were discovered, and as a result, Ceres got demoted to the status of asteroid. Now, most people, including astrologers, have no idea that Ceres was ever considered a planet, and if you took a random sample of 10,000 astrology charts being worked on any given week, I would be surprised if Ceres was cast into 10 percent of them. To most astrologers, it does not exist—despite taking up 25 percent of the mass of the inner asteroid belt. Current developments are more complex. With nearly half a million planets now included in the MPC, it’s clear that the current definition of a planet is inadequate. For example, it covers a couple of hot rocks close to the Sun, Mercury (more resembling our Moon than any other planet) and Venus; our lovely green and blue home; a desert planet called Mars; and then the gas giants: Jupiter (1,300 times the size of the Earth, very nearly a brown dwarf star, with two dozen satellites); Saturn (quite similar to Jupiter, but a bit smaller); and Uranus and Neptune, the smaller of the two gas giants. Then Pluto, discovered in 1930, was included, which is quite unlike any of the others. It’s a binary planet (with its counterpart Charon) around which two additional moons orbit. It’s a motley crew, to say the least, and it’s clear that the definition of “planet” is either arbitrary or based on tradition; but it’s not what you could call scientific. Added to this group in recent years are several substantially large, spherical objects orbiting our own Sun beyond Pluto: Varuna, discovered in 2000; Quaoar, discovered in 2002; Sedna, discovered in 2003; and Xena (not officially named), also discovered in 2003. Chiron, which was discovered in 1977, is not a planet candidate because it’s only 230 or so kilometers across, and technically classed as a very large comet nucleus—but that’s only for astronomers. A fair number of astrologers have either willingly embraced Chiron, or have resigned themselves to the apparent truth that this weird little thing is here to stay. One of the definitions of a planet that the IAU will be considering would count in Ceres, Varuna and Quaoar among the lot, and leave Pluto in its current status. Sedna would also be a likely candidate in this group. This is based on the ability of these bodies to hold their spherical shape based on their own internal gravitational force. There are other factors that may be considered, such as the angle to the ecliptic. In any event, my vote and strong prefer-
ence would be to count a few more objects as planets. This is partly due to my twisted sense of humor at work (I am looking forward to the astrological community going scrambling for information); my marketing savvy (I’ve been working with all of them for a long time); and the obvious fact that these planets are all meaningful astrologically (not that astronomers care). We have room here for a quick look at the delineations of Ceres, Varuna and Quaoar, the three most likely candidates, which would bring the total up to 12 and set a precedent for the inclusion of others. The Planet Waves staff is working on a more comprehensive Minor Planet Resource that will be posted online. Ceres, discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi, was named for one of the patron saints of Sicily, Ceres Ferdinandea. She’s also the goddess of food, grain and the harvest (pasta), and from her name we got the word “cereal.” Her myth accounts for the changes of the seasons. Winter comes when Persephone, Ceres’ daughter, is in the underworld with Pluto, who abducted her, and Ceres is grieving. When Persephone is above with her mother, it’s summer. Thus Ceres has come to represent the grief of mothers, and their emotional condition generally. According to mythology, Pluto and Ceres are linked by their connection to Persephone. Looking at any natal chart, it’s possible to discern more about mom from studying the condition of Ceres than by looking at the Moon or Venus alone. Varuna (discovered in 2000) was named for a pre-Vedic supreme creator god who was later relegated to the lord of waters. His name still evokes reverence in many parts of the world. His themes definitely involve water and floods (there were strong Varuna aspects right before Hurricane Katrina, for example). But in my experience, Varuna’s spiritual or psychological theme is that of “the great equalizer.” He is particularly committed to upholding the sanctity of agreements and is known to inflict extreme punishment on liars. We are currently experiencing a prolonged test of the effects of Varuna, as this archetype has been very active in the chart of George W. Bush for some time. Quaoar (discovered in 2002) was named for the creation god of the Tongva people, whose home was near Long Beach, California. This is a creation myth, based on music and dance, according to which all the gods and goddesses were “danced into existence” in a ritual. I associate this planet with the personal creation myth, as well as the creation story of each family. It’s always involved with how we internalize family patterns and then live them out. Quaoar represents the rhythm into which we are born, which “always existed” and which we pick up intuitively and then express as part of the clan. These planets certainly express appropriate themes for modern astrology. Whether this month’s meeting in Prague comes any closer to having them officially recognized as planets remains to be seen, but I’ll keep you posted. 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM PLANET WAVES 135
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20) Circumstances have encouraged, indeed, at times forced you to take greater risks, but you may still be waiting for the rewards. If I say, “They’ve already come,” you may be disappointed that they’re not what you think they would be. I’ll put it a different way: The foundation stones have been laid, and when you look back from the viewpoint of two or three years on, you’ll see that all the basic components of your new life were in place now. What you have not quite succeeded in doing is envisioning a place in the world for yourself, as you’ve redesigned that self—and that is the theme of an extended phase of your life that begins this month. The clay of creation is soft and pliable at the moment. People’s beliefs are more flexible than you imagine, as are yours. You have the tremendous advantage of having nothing to live up to, or to live down—only to live.
TAURUS (Apr 21 - May 21) Generalities do not appeal to you, particularly where your most cherished goals are concerned. Yet to escape from the small, endless expectations that have stalked you for so long, and to truly cut loose from the sense of perfection that has done little other than steal your energy and freedom, you need to let go of a false desire, or some object of your faith and devotion that is not helping you. I would propose that somewhere in the repertoire of what you believe is something that’s no longer true. You have no need to worry: What is true is standing right there next to what no longer matters. Finally, the contrast is visible, and for many months, contrast is what you have needed the most. Acting on this information will be far easier than hesitating. What today seems to present the greatest risk is really the easiest and safest option.
GEMINI (May 22 - Jun 22) For all the things we do or change in life in order to stay secure, rarely do we consider our ideas. But our ideas are the bedrock of our sanity, and the place we contact the world most intimately—surely you know this about yourself. Yet some crucial part of your reality appears to be conflicting with another. You want to be taken not just at your word, but also based on the accuracy of your perceptions. You want what you understand about yourself to be accepted by people around you as verifiably real, not merely taken on faith. Here, the leap is all yours. Faith really is good enough for this situation, and the unconditional acceptance you’re being offered will serve everyone well. You possess a unique presence of mind in the world, one that others may not be ready to accept in themselves, but are more than ready to consider with you as the example.
CANCER (Jun 23 - Jul 23) The moment bears nothing less than a miracle, if you wish to release lifetimes of psychological baggage. Therapy, spirituality, and education may have played a role in you improving your state of health, but what will help you cross the line is letting go of certain violent psychological tendencies you’ve had toward yourself. It may not be easy to admit the situation, but enduring it any further will be far less pleasant. You may feel like you’re being pushed out of an airplane unwillingly, but you’re wearing a parachute that will open, slow your fall, and give you a magnificent view of the whole landscape of your life. You get to choose where you land; you get to choose what is true for you. Once you touch the solid ground of reality, you will see that the past has lost all its hold, and that you are somehow autonomous of the pain and struggle that your predecessors unwittingly passed along to you. www.planetwaves.net 136 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
LEO (Jul 24 - Aug 23) Everything comes down to values: Every decision, perception, desire, and choice to share is reducible to how you feel about yourself, how you see yourself, and most of all, who you understand yourself to be. Suddenly you have a new perspective; something that should have long been obvious about yourself is finally dawning on you. This comes right in a crucial moment, because some aspects of your life appear to be presenting you with reasons to doubt your compatibility with some of your most intimate situations. You may even question the extent to which you truly do exist in the minds of others. I suggest you give your doubts a clear voice, because it’s only by doing so that you’ll reach the certainty waiting beneath them. At this point in your growth, questioning yourself really does have the power to accelerate your path of finding your truth, and you seem willing to settle for nothing less.
VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23) You could cut your commitments in half, and then in half again. The same could be said for what you want or need from life; there is an inefficiency you’re struggling with. Indeed, you could start over from the beginning, and remember to keep your story simple. The tendency to overcomplicate any facet of your life, your perception or your self-concept will only work against you now. Try seeing things in black and white; describe your state of being in short, simple sentences. By doing this, you will notice something you’re currently missing. You’ll connect with the truth of the role you’ve chosen to play in this lifetime, and let go of so much else that is clogging your mind. One thing I can tell you is this: You’ve got no need to worry about whether your life path is helpful to others. This is beyond question. All that matters is how good you are at helping yourself.
LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23) Trust that you are making your way in the world, that you are clearing space for yourself and your truly individual contribution. This is what many people dream of—you are doing it. Yes, at times it feels like you’re having to chisel your message into rock, like you’re having to push your sense of self into the faces of everyone else. Don’t worry, that’s only because you’re a Libra and anything but the most balanced and conciliatory discussion feels like an argument. This is good training: the experience of one point of view that you are imposing on the world. You may, at times, feel like you don’t even have a clue what that point of view is, but once you take a step back and look at just what it is you’ve carved into that stone or built into the side of a mountain, you’ll see there was a coherent plan operating all along.
SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22) Now it all comes down to working out the details. Much can be lost or gained in the process; you need to remember your entire agenda, and not forget it for a moment. I would say write it down, but you had best summarize it in three basic points and make sure you cover all three. You need to be specific, and you also need to remember something from earlier editions of this process that seems to have fallen through the cracks of the discussion. That “something” is something fundamental about you; something that potentially predates the modern agenda; something you’re likely to have forgotten and now need to remember. Perhaps it seemed dangerous, perhaps too specific, or maybe you were afraid to intimidate anyone out of going along with the whole deal. Anyway, you’re in a much stronger position now; if only you could see how strong. www.planetwaves.net 8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM PLANET WAVES 137
Horoscopes Eric Francis Coppolino
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21) Continue to push your limits, particularly the ones you cannot see. Those are the ones that fool just about everyone. However, you’ve addressed all the ordinary blocks to success and happiness quite well. Continue to assume there is a boundary to challenge, an idea you need to develop, or a deeper degree of cooperation that you can foster in every relationship. Continue to believe that more resources are available, and that you have more to offer. And most of all, I am here to remind you to do the thing that you help the world do best: Refuse to fall for the belief in lack, loss, and limitation that keeps so much life force in its grip. While you’re doing all this metaphysical work on the inside, keep offering, proposing, and outright pushing your plan on the world. It may not be the best plan since the dawn of time, but it’s a pretty darned good one.
CAPRICORN
(Dec 22 - Jan 20)
The details are coming in fast and furious. Keep track of them, and of your countless ideas that address problems old and new; situations you thought were impossible to resolve; and as you discover rational explanations for things you could barely put into words yesterday. But more to the point, what is finally coming to you is a long-range vision. You’re a methodical person even at your most chaotic, so you’ve had elements of a vision working for you all along. But what’s happening now is different. You are finally experiencing the strength and clarity that comes with refining a long-term vision. Indeed, you’re merely pulling the veils off of something that’s been there all along, guiding you and informing your actions. This is happening at the same time you’re allowing yourself to be inspired and to consider potentials you would not have dared dream in weeks or years past. Keep going.
AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19) There has long been a perception of yourself that you’ve been dragging through your relationships—and from which your relationships have barely had a moment’s peace. Suddenly, you’re able to see through that, to the point of being able to dissolve it just by noticing what you perceive. By practicing this skill, you are going a very long way toward liberating yourself from what has, perhaps, been the experience most debilitating to your happiness. It’s helping immeasurably that you no longer need to have the same sense of presence or “importance” in the lives of others that you once demanded; indeed, you seem to understand as a matter of faith that you really do matter, and you’re seeing this reflected back to you as some form of concrete reassurance that others are actually present for you. None of this is an illusion; acknowledging love will not make it go away; recognizing yourself and recognizing another are one and the same.
PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20) There’s a time to bring one’s dreams and visions into reality, and for you, the time is now. As a writer, I recognize the ongoing fear of facing the blank page, and now you are working with the most stunning empty canvas, block of marble or construction site you’ve ever imagined could exist. You are constrained by nothing, and your success is dependent only on your imagination and the application of consistent discipline to what you want or need to create. At the heart of the matter, there needs to be, and indeed is, a core idea. You need to focus on this above all else. The core idea is not just something you wish to create, but rather a sense of who you are, which is what you’re developing over, above, and beyond anything you might bring into manifestation in the world. Your outer acts of creation are just there to give you a metaphor, a model, or convenient point of focus. www.planetwaves.net 138 PLANET WAVES CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06
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8/06 CHRONOGRAM.COM PLANET WAVES 139
Parting Shot
Jake Berthot, untitled, ink wash on paper, 2005 According to Jake Berthot, his mysterious, poetic ink wash drawings are “an outgrowth of the private world of the notebook.” The figures in Berthot’s drawings are creations of his imagination—unlike most life drawings that focus on the model as the object of a drawing exercise with the viewer looking through the artist’s eye, Berthot’s works are a series of autobiographical tableaux with the artist as protagonist. Brushy, rich black areas in his drawings usually create spaces where the artist hides. Or, in the case of his last drawing of his 2006 series, the black area completely covers a large canvas, in which Berthot seems merely an appendage. Berthot’s work has been featured at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other major museums, and he is currently represented by Betty Cuningham Gallery in Manhattan. “Ink Drawings: The Artist and Model,” an exhibition of ink wash drawings by Berthot, curated by Carol March, will be shown at the Kleinert/James Arts Center in Woodstock August 11 through September 17. An opening reception will be held Friday, August 11 from 5 to 8pm and an artist’s slide lecture with Berthot is scheduled for Saturday, September 16 at 7:30pm. (845) 679-2078; www.woodstockguild.org.
140 PARTING SHOT CHRONOGRAM.COM 8/06