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11 24
Coral mushrooms on a mycelium block at Flowering Sun Ecology Center in Ellenville.
Photo by Nick and Bay Nigro FOOD, PAGE 12
DEPARTMENTS
6 On the Cover: Lisk Feng
The Norman Rockwell Museum’s Unity Project aims to spur civic engagement through art.
9 Esteemed Reader
Jason Stern on the journey of a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage
11 Editor’s Note
Brian K. Mahoney recalls what happened when the Tour de Trump rolled through New Paltz in 1989.
FOOD & DRINK
12 Mushroom Magic
Mushrooms are neither plant nor animal, though they are genetically closer to humans than they are to plants. A story of how these wildly distinctive organisms created a bond between Chef Doris Choi of Silvia and Goodnight and the farmers at Flowering Sun Ecology Center.
16 Sips and Bites
Recent openings include Neverstill Tasting Room in Hudson, The Salt Line in Poughkeepsie, Hamrah’s in Kinderhook, Chemistry Wine Bar in Catskill, and Anna et Pierre in Poughkeepsie.
THE HOUSE
18 Just Add Nature
From bread to bees, a Brooklyn couple’s journey transforms an overgrown Pleasant Valley property into a thriving mini-farm, embracing natural alchemy.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
26 The Achievement Trap
Megan Hellerer’s journey from corporate burnout to fulfillment led her to develop Directional Living, a mindset and book that prioritizes curiosity and direction over achievement. Discover how her transformative approach can guide you toward a more fulfilling life.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
30 Buy Local This Season
With so many independent creators and curators across the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshires, it’s never been easier to buy bespoke. From locally sourced herbal remedies to fine jewelry, gourmet provisions, well-designed decor, and more, here’s a roundup of thoughtful holiday gifts that are sure to surprise and delight.
COMMUNITY PAGES
38 One Municipality to Rule Them All?
The town and village of New Paltz explore merging governments in a community-driven effort to streamline services and operations.
48 New Paltz Pop-Up Portraits by David McIntyre
RURAL INTELLIGENCE
54 The All-Natural Scents of WabiSabiKouki Retired botanist Marcangelo Puccio formulates fragrances in his Columbia County home from natural materials.
BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES
11 24
The intersection of Main and North Front Streets in New Paltz.
Photo by David McIntyre
COMMUNITY PAGES, PAGE 38
ARTS
56 Music
Dan Epstein reviews Nothingland by Chris Maxwell. Michael Eck reviews Look Up by Hen in the Foxhouse. Tristan Geary reviews Hide and Shine by Soft Machines.
Plus listening recommendations from Dean Jones, the Rosendale-based Grammy Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist.
57 Books
Robert Burke Warren reviews Within You, Without You: Listening to George Harrison by Seth Rogovoy, a deep dive into music of “the Quiet Beatle.”
Plus short reviews of Woodstock: From World War to Culture Wars by Richard Heppner; Donnaville by Donna Minkowitz; Tidal Lock by Lindsay Hill; She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street by Paulina Bren; and What Goes with What by Julia Turshen.
58 Poetry
Poems by Marisa E. Campbell, Frances Greenhut, Kim Kalesti, John Kiersten, Robert P. Langdon, Michelle Lerner, Will Nixon, ooznozz, J. R. Solonche, Samantha Spoto, Sigrid Wendell, and Laura Vogt. Edited by Phillip X Levine.
THE GUIDE
60 Justin Vivian Bond recently won a MacArthur “genius” grant.
63 Habib Koite plays Levon Helm Studio November 23.
64 Charli XCX held a listening party at Storm King on October 10
65 “The Gospel Truth” is staged at Bridge Street Theater this month.
66 A tour of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in Wappingers Falls.
68
Live Music: Anhoni, Dionne Warwick, Mariee Siou, and more.
69 Susan Wides’s photographs at Private Public Gallery.
70 Short List: Stomp, Anora, “The Willows,” and more.
72 Highlights of museum and gallery shows across the region.
HOROSCOPES
76 No Holds Barred
Cory Nakasue reveals what the stars have in store for us.
PARTING SHOT
80 Birds of Zena Woods
A drawing by Zoe Keller, a Woodstock-based illustrator.
Canvas for Change
Illustrating a Vision for Voter Engagement
Political posters have a long history as powerful tools for mobilizing public sentiment, from the iconic “I Want You” Uncle Sam recruitment poster during World War I to Shepard Fairey’s “Hope” image for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. With bold visuals and clear messaging, they’ve galvanized public sentiment and inspired political action across generations.
The Norman Rockwell Museum’s Unity Project 2024 is an initiative following in the footsteps of this legacy, aimed at promoting civic engagement through art and encouraging voter participation in the upcoming presidential election. The project commissioned six illustrators—Monica Ahanonu, Timothy Goodman, Edel Rodriguez, Gary Taxali, Shar Tui’asoa, and Lisk Feng—to create work dedicated to an inclusive vision of America where all voices are heard, recognizing the crucial role illustration plays in shaping cultural narratives.
“Voting is an essential act of democratic participation, one that Americans have fought for generations to preserve and expand,” says Laurie Moffatt, the director and CEO of the museum. “This initiative carries forward and deepens our museum’s commitment to a broadly inclusive democracy in which the voices of all people are valued and heard.”
“Every vote counts like a small drop of water,” says Lisk Feng, whose Vote illustration is on this month’s cover. “The more people who vote, the louder our collective voice becomes, and change starts to happen.”
Vote is a digital illustration featuring a group of young people painting a political mural on a busy city corner. The scene brims with everyday figures— students, businesspeople, mothers with children, musicians, and cyclists. Splattered paint, spilled cans, dirty brushes, pigeon tracks, and a howling dog amplify the disorder. The piece vibrates with energy and noise, portraying the complexities of American democracy and the turbulent, collective journey toward political change.
“I wanted to make it an expressive situation,” Feng says. As a professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, she feels connected to young people’s anger and frustration with the current political climate. “They want their voices to be heard,” she says. Through her art, she hopes to encourage them to speak their truths and create the change they seek. “I want everybody to participate as much as they can because their opinions are important,” she says.
Looking back through history, in every country, she says young people are the most powerful change-making leaders. Originally from China,
Feng considers the so-called white paper protests in Shanghai in 2022. City residents, primarily students and young professionals, led the protests against strict COVID-19 lockdowns. Holding blank sheets of paper to symbolize censorship, they gathered in public spaces to call for greater freedoms. The movement spread nationwide. Feng sees the same passion in young people in America.
Since immigrating to the US in 2012, Feng’s cultural heritage has remained a strong influence on her work. She blends the traditional, technical skills from her Chinese education with the individualized, feminist, and antiracist art scene of New York City, describing the move as a dooropening experience.
Much of Feng’s artwork consists of peaceful, fictional scenes (she is the author of several children’s books), often inspired by her connection to nature. “Nature is the biggest healer for me,” she says. “I tend to use my artwork to cure myself.” But recently, her work has taken a different direction. “This time I want to express something more,” she says.
“Even though it’s a voting propaganda poster, it’s still hopeful,” Feng says. She hopes viewers of her work feel its energy and are inspired. “I want people to feel something energetic or be encouraged that they can make their voice heard.”
—Maggie Baribault
Vote, Lisk Feng, digital illustration, 2024
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney brian.mahoney@chronogram.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR David C. Perry david.perry@chronogram.com
DIGITAL EDITOR Marie Doyon marie.doyon@chronogram.com
ARTS EDITOR Peter Aaron music@chronogram.com
HOME EDITOR Mary Angeles Armstrong home@chronogram.com
POETRY EDITOR Phillip X Levine poetry@chronogram.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anne Pyburn Craig apcraig@chronogram.com
contributors
Winona Barton-Ballentine, Jason Broome, Michael Eck, Gabriella Gagliano, Lisa Green, Jamie Larson, David McIntyre, Cory Nakasue, Bay Nigro, Nick Nigro, Sparrow, Jaime Stathis, Taliesin Thomas, Robert Burke Warren
PUBLISHING
FOUNDERS Jason Stern, Amara Projansky
PUBLISHER & CEO Amara Projansky amara.projansky@chronogram.com
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Jan Dewey jan.dewey@chronogram.com
BOARD CHAIR David Dell
sales manager
Andrea Fliakos andrea.fliakos@chronogram.com
media specialists
Kaitlyn LeLay kaitlyn.lelay@chronogram.com
Kelin Long-Gaye kelin.long-gaye@chronogram.com
Kris Schneider kris.schneider@chronogram.com
ad operations
Jared Winslow jared.winslow@chronogram.com new business development/media assistant
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esteemed reader
by Jason Stern
“To have a discerning mind, believe only that which one has experienced oneself.”
Solange Claustres, Becoming Conscious In a riddle from Central Asia the protagonist is a traveler returning home with three beings in his care. He has to convey a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage to their destination without any of them coming to harm. The difficulty lies in the nature of each. Given the slightest opportunity, the goat will eat the cabbage, and the wolf will slaughter the goat (the cabbage, for its part, means no harm to anyone).
All goes well until the entourage must cross a river on a raft large enough for only the traveler and one of his charges. This presents him with a dilemma for he must leave two unattended while he ferries a third across the river, or, alternately leave two on the other side when he returns for the third. Inevitably, it seems, one of his wards will be destroyed.
Our traveler ponders the dilemma. He sits by the riverbank watching the flow and observing his companions. He makes a fire, boils water, sips tea, and finally sleeps. He wakes before dawn and the solution comes.
He understands that progress does not proceed in one direction only. He sees that he must make use of an apparently retrograde movement to succeed. In order to go forward he must also be willing to go backward.
What is his solution?
This riddle is an allegory. There is a genius in its design because the effort to see the solution may lead to an understanding of the wisdom it contains.
As you have read this far you probably should stop and take a few moments to solve the riddle. Having solved it, perhaps even ponder its meaning.
Please take what follows with skepticism, as it is the product of my own pondering and experience, and you may see something different.
The wolf, the goat, and the cabbage are aspects of my own nature. With this triadic lens I see an intellect and its resident ego, a heart and its spectrum of emotions, and a body with its instincts, impulses, and appetites. Each has a role within the whole conveyance, and each has its own perceptions, associations, and intelligence.
I see that without a commanding awareness these three parts are often at odds with each other. My mind is eager to eviscerate my heart. It second guesses my intuitions, rationalizes sensitivity, asserts logic when feeling is needed. The wolf of the intellect makes apparently reasonable decisions that oftentimes lack appreciation for what is truly important.
I see the domination of feeling by the intellect playing out on the macrocosmic scale of humanity. It leads to ignorance of whole systems, unnecessary and destructive technology, abstraction of value, ruthless domination of the weak by the strong. When the intellect strays from its useful role as analyst and counselor and instead becomes an authoritarian despot, it becomes a killer of conscience.
The emotions subsume the instincts by occupation with passions of survival, with fear and anger, when survival is not presently at issue. The emotional center inexorably consumes the imperative responsibilities of the instinctive brain generating fight-or-flight conflagrations when none are required.
In assuming the adrenalized postures of the instinctive part, the emotions are prevented from conducting native qualities of feeling. These are emotions we consider rare and rarified, like joy, awe, gratitude, hope, and even love, but should be the mainstay of our emotional life.
In the life of humanity the effect of emotions feeding on instincts appears as a generalized perpetual state of anxiety and fear. The collective atmosphere is infused with a looming sense of doom. Power possessors are adept at capitalizing on this proclivity for imbalance, and they continuously present terrifying images of characters they call terrorists, despots, climate emergency, thermonuclear destruction—the list is endless, and endlessly recycled.
How would I be if the three beings in my care, the intellect, the emotions, and the instincts were able to work within the rails of their design and purpose? How would I be if the parts of my instrument were free from the need to usurp each other’s power and come into a concerted harmony? How may they be reconciled, so each is free to work with its own native energy, and do its work unencumbered by the specter of being devoured by a colleague?
In its solution the allegory suggests a practical means of working to understand how the three parts of every human nature may exist in harmony; and how their coexistence may be in service to the larger project of becoming, of returning home.
These are my insights into the allegory. What are yours?
We’re coming to the season for celebrating and great food. That’s why we stock the best selection of kitchen tools in the area— More than any other kitchen store offers. It’s why more chefs come to Warren Kitchen & Cutlery for their kitchen tools! For them, it’s personal. It’s also the reason our customers keep coming back year after year.
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by Brian K. Mahoney
Half-Baked Rebellion
Blame John Tesh. Yes, that John Tesh, the six-time Emmy-winning entertainment personality—investigative journalist, actor, sportscaster, musician (toured with Yanni), former boyfriend of Oprah Winfrey—who currently dispenses insipid life hack factoids between soft rock hits nightly on the “John Tesh Radio Show.” In the mid-1980s, he anchored TV coverage of the Tour de France for CBS, the first time the bike race was broadcast in the US. After the `87 Tour, Tesh suggested holding a similar race on the East Coast to his friend Billy Packer, a basketball commentator and entrepreneur. Packer approached representatives of various casinos in Atlantic City for sponsorship—he originally planned to call the race the Tour de Jersey. One mogul took the bait and the Tour de Trump was born. (You would have known all of this if you were subscribed to Chronogram’s almost-daily newsletter, which delivers our latest coverage direct to your inbox—plus fun Hudson Valley-related trivia questions. Sign-up now! Chronogram.com/newsletter.)
That’s why my friends and I were there in downtown New Paltz on a warm afternoon in May of `89, shirtless in acid-wash jeans, mullets blowing in the breeze. The race, which began in Albany—there’s a hilarious photo of a nonplussed Mario Cuomo standing next to a preening Donald Trump—zigzagged 110 miles south through the Catskills and over the Gunks to the
finish line on Main Street in our sleepy little town. (American hero Greg Lemond, the first American to win the Tour de France was in the mix, but an unknown Russian cyclist, Viatcheslav Ekimov, won the stage. According to Sports Illustrated, some of the pros were so irritated by an amateur beating them that they “rewarded him by jamming a feed bag into his wheel.” I’ve struggled to comprehend what that means. Ekimov would go on to win three Olympic gold medals.)
We were there to protest Donald Trump, the avatar of capitalism run amok, who had published The Art of the Deal the year before and seemed to perfectly embody the odious “greed is good” ethos of the recently released film Wall Street. When I write “we were there to protest,” I should clarify: There were a couple thousand people in the street, and the mood was festive despite a small coterie of agitators with signs that read “Fight Trumpism” and “Ivana=Imelda.” I was working my way through the college just up the hill, so I took the opportunity to move some product, selling loose joints to the assembled masses. I gave a freebie to a guy with an “Eat the Rich” placard. If Trump knew, perhaps he would have appreciated the hustle. But I never saw the man.
We weren’t very good at protesting anyway. I mean we showed up to anti-apartheid rallies, yelled at Cuomo when he came to campus after jacking up our tuition, sported Greenpeace stickers on our notebooks, and went to hear
excommunicated CIA operatives speak about secret US death squads in Central America, but we weren’t about to march on Albany over tuition hikes or take over the president’s office because of what was happening in South Africa. (Unlike the 100 protestors who were arrested on the SUNY New Paltz campus in May for their Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Whatever you think of their politics, these students are willing to put their asses where their convictions are.)
Though Noam Chomsky might disagree, the `80s weren’t a great decade for dissent. The Vietnam War hangover had given way to rampant consumerism. We were served up Micheal J. Fox’s yuppie-in-training character Alex P. Keaton on “Family Ties” as a role model. But we had watched the ugly foreign policy sausage-making process laid bare in the IranContra hearings on TV and entered college cynical and unconvinced that the juice was worth the squeeze saving the world-wise. Political engagement was out, ironic detachment was in. The Gen X of it all, as the kids say.
Fast forward 35 years. Much has changed: I pretty much wear a shirt all the time. I can buy pre-rolled joints at the store down the street. My formerly disaffected peers are now campaign donors and community organizers and desperate to create a better world for their kids. But some things stay the same—like that guy, that fucking guy.
The finish line of the inaugural Tour de Trump on Main Street in New Paltz, May 6. 1989.
Photo courtesy of Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection
Mushroom Magic
CHEF DORIS CHOI AND FLOWERING SUN’S PARTNERSHIP IN FUNGI
Story and photos by Nick and Bay Nigro
When we meet Chef Doris Choi at Silvia, the clean linens have arrived to prepare for service and the team is busily moving about, slicing bread and making notes.
A leader in the vegan and plant-based food movement, Choi was born in Seoul, Korea, and her family immigrated to New York City when she was three years old. She worked in Brooklyn for nearly 20 years before moving to Woodstock and opened Silvia in 2017 alongside her sister and their husbands. In 2024, she was one of five chefs in the Hudson Valley to be nominated as a James Beard Award semi-finalist for New York State, a remarkable achievement and a testament to what’s happening in the region’s culinary scene as a whole.
On her menu, Choi highlights he partnerships with local farmers and purveyors. When asked where she sources her mushrooms for the dishes she’s about to create, the answer is undoubtedly: Flowering Sun Ecology Center in Ellenville.
Winds and Wisdom
The farm is just an acre, and every square inch is packed. Today is community harvest day and kids joyfully zip between us, their toes in the soil,
hands filled with green beans, squash, and the last of summer peaches.
A young man and one of the owners of Flowering Sun, Daniel Kanda, greets us with a warm drink made from ceremonial cacao, honey, and homemade raw cashew milk and a basket of sweet, jammy figs. After working at meditation centers around the world, Kanda met Alexander “Z” Hackney and Sara Philkill, fellow owners and founders, at the Golden Drum in Brooklyn, an educational program dedicated to serving the community by focusing on sharing Amerikua wisdom, a Mayan word meaning “land of the winds.”
When Hackney and Philkill first stumbled upon this plot of land, it was nothing more than a flat lawn. But after years of turning and amending soil, the lawn has since transformed into an oasis of sustainably grown organic food. They started Flowering Sun as a CSA in 2017 and the following year began selling wholesale greens and vegetables locally and in New York City.
In 2022, they became a cooperative business with a mission to grow food and create a place where people of all ages can come together to reconnect with the wisdom of the Earth. The
business is made up mostly of fellow Golden Drum students, some of whom have purchased neighboring plots of land, like owner Chris Dean, an integral member of the building of the farm whose commute is just across the property’s wooded border. Together, they are committed to preserving sacred traditions and biodiversity to benefit future generations.
From Foraging to Fruiting
After harvest, Hackney and Kanda lead us to a converted barn that houses their mushroom lab. Though they first had shiitake growing on logs outdoors, the lab allows them to produce their organic mushrooms commercially and in a greater volume. Here, they can also control the environment—temperature, airflow, and humidity—for the entire sterilization, inoculation, and incubation process.
Kanda first started as a farm intern five years ago and grew up with parents who came from the Soviet Union, where foraging was a big pastime. As a kid, he spent a lot of time in the woods with mushrooms, fascinated by their shapes and colors.
“I became obsessed with foraging and finding mushrooms,” Kanda says with a laugh, “I love
them so much. I wanted to have them all the time and I couldn’t find any in the supermarkets or grocery stores, so the only way was to grow them.”
part of our ecosystem. After breaking down dead plants and animals, they release nutrients, which enable our soil and plant life to continue growing.
The Flowering Sun Ecology Center team and their children on community harvest day in Ellenville.
Mushroom and crispy egg noodle from Goodnight featuring Flowering Sun’s blue oyster and shiitake mushrooms.
Opposite: Mushroom farmers Daniel Kanda and Alexander “Z” Hackney in the grow room at Flowering Sun Ecology Center.
The growing process begins with a substrate of organic pellets, a mix of hardwood and soy hulls, which provide nutrients for the mycelium to colonize and form. The pellets are placed in a grow block and put in special bags that can withstand high temperatures. They’re sterilized and “cooked” for 18 hours to get rid of bacteria before being moved to a secondary sterilization room where the spawn is added to the substrate for inoculation and the process of fruiting begins.
Spreading the Fungus
After the lab, we move to the grow room, which is now in its third iteration, as Kanda and Hackney have outgrown the first and second. A cosmic space, it houses varieties like lion’s mane, oyster, and coral, all at different stages of growth. Red lights enable fruiting, blue lights provide vegetative growth, and a full spectrum light provides both, which is ideal.
“The mushrooms are all breathing oxygen,” explains Kanda, “and they need a lot of it.”
Mushrooms aren’t plants and don’t perform photosynthesis. Instead, they breathe just like us, and the air they breathe must be clean. They are an essential
Dan nods in the direction of a stunning specimen, blue-gray in hue and nearly iridescent. It’s the blue oyster, known for its mildly sweet flavor, delicate texture, and slightly curved cap that looks like an oyster shell.
Mushroom cultivation is a low-impact and lowresource form of food production compared to other types of agriculture and farming. But culinary mushroom farming is still relatively new and there’s not a ton of information out there about how to do it, Kanda and Hackney say. A lot of the mushroom farming industry at this point is trial and error and to learn they had to visit other farms and comb through private mushroom Facebook groups for information.
When their mushrooms first started growing, Kanda and Hackney had an overabundance, so they packed them up and drove them around the Hudson Valley.
“I’d never sold anything in my life,” Dan recounts, “But people started falling in love with them, and we started figuring it out.”
Eventually, they made their way into Woodstock and stumbled upon Silvia. Choi became one of their first supporters and today, four years later, Flowering Sun’s partnership with Choi is their biggest, longest, and most
Clockwise from left:
Chef Doris Choi prepares Flowering Sun’s blue oyster mushrooms at Silvia in Woodstock.
consistent. To keep up with the volume that her restaurants put out, she purchases over 150 pounds of mushrooms every single week— 100 pounds of blue oysters for Silvia, 30 for Goodnight, and 20 to 30 pounds of shiitake as well (in comparison, most of Flowering Sun’s customers are getting 15 pounds per week).
“For a small business like us having that relationship,” remarks Kanda, “it’s life-changing. It allows what you see here to flourish and thrive. When you’re eating local and buying local, it really is such a transformative action that you can take.”
Make Room for Mushrooms
At Silvia, Chef Doris begins by preparing her Local Mushroom and Pasta Rags First, she makes black garlic, fermented in-house for 10 days until it’s soft and almost caramelized, which is then used to create black garlic oil and whipped black garlic butter with espresso. After braising the farm’s blue oyster mushrooms in the oil with thyme and chili flakes, she sautés them and adds a spoonful of the butter.
“The mushrooms and coffee have a great affinity,” Choi says. She takes fresh pasta sheets, cut haphazardly like rags, and tosses them with the mushrooms, asparagus, peas, cream, white wine, a pinch of chili flakes, and a little bit of pasta water, all mixed with a generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
“It’s nothing fancy,” Choi mentions as she plates the dish. “Our food is more rustic, and I like big portions.”
We follow Choi down the street to her second restaurant, Goodnight, where she uses the blue oysters and shiitake for her Local Mushroom and Crispy Egg Noodle dish. She lightly sautés the mushrooms in sunflower oil before mixing them with sugar snap peas and a vegan “barbecue beef sauce,” a housemade brown garlic ginger marinade crafted with tamari, sesame oil, apple, and scallion. She places it all atop the nest of noodles, quickly fried in sunflower oil, and finishes it with Woodstock microgreens and gochugaru, a Korean chili flake.
“I love the comfort of this dish,” she shares. “The crispy noodles against the texture of the mushrooms. It’s reminiscent of the Cantonese-style beef and crispy noodles. But it’s vegan.”
Mushrooms are a great vessel, Choi explains, because they absorb the marinade so well, and also bring umami to the dish. From a nutritional standpoint, they contain essential amino acids and provide nutrients not only found in produce but in meats and grains as well.
The Future of Fungi
Edible mushrooms have been consumed and used as medicine throughout history, and today, as the demand for plant-based food grows, so too does the mushroom market.
“It’s one of the foods of the future,” Kanda says, “able to feed so many people from such a small space, which is something that can be done in countries where they don’t have as much access to food or resources.”
From oyster to lion’s mane, coral to shiitake, the future is fungi, which means that perhaps the most vital partnership we can nurture is the partnership with fungi—this agreement between the farmer and the chef and the mysterious synergy they share.
To highlight this culinary pact, less than two hours from one of the most acclaimed food cities in the world, a humble, hardworking, accomplished chef works in tandem with a co-op run by devoted friends-turned-commercial-mushroom farmers who met at a center for sacred traditions.
“I like the idea that one day we’ll stop saying it,” Choi reflects, “farm-to-table, and instead, that’s just the way it is. It’s the future food.”
What if this multidimensional mycelium that is neither plant nor animalrepresents rebirth, renewal, and the cyclical nature of transformation, holds within it the power to help save our planet?
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Casita serves regional Mexican cuisine inspired by the chef’s Mexican focused culinary training, travels abroad and Mexico City street stalls. Fresh, local and sustainable ingredients showcase the bounty of the Berkshires and the hard work of local growers and farmers. At Casita, sustainability is at the heart of every decision. From thoughtfully sourcing products and ingredients, to teaming up with Second Chance Composting-the team is dedicated to leaving a positive impact on both their plates and the planet.
Casita Berkshires
Neverstill Tasting Room
739 Warren Street, Hudson
The women-led brand Neverstill Wines emerged on the market this year with a trio of Finger Lake whites: a Chenin Blanc and a Riesling in both dry and off-dry styles. In September, the team, made up of founder Christy Counts, winemaker and Master of Wine Nova Cadamatre, and assistant winemaker Bryce Lianna, debuted their Hudson tasting room. On Warren Street, the elegant, light-filled space is comfortable with couches and arm chairs, blown-glass, teardrop chandeliers and other flowing elements that invoke water. The spot showcases the brand’s wines as well as local charcuterie. New wine releases are underfoot, with a pet nat slated for release in February, a rosé in April, and a Cabernet Franc in July. Guests can pick up a bottle or a case at the tasting room. Neverstillwines.com
The Salt Line
165 College Avenue, Poughkeepsie
At the Heartwood, a newly constructed net-zero hotel on the Vassar campus, the onsite farm-to-table restaurant, the Salt Line, is helmed by a CIA-trained chef Zachary Lovenguth, who honed his skills and built his network of local farmers at the elbows of culinary greats. From legendary local spots like New World Home Cooking and Troutbeck to Madison Square Park’s Blackbarn, Lovenguth is in his element driving a hyperlocally sourced food program. Seasonal starters this summer included a stone fruit salad with assorted heirloom tomatoes, East Coast peaches, and microgreens; and a kale and prosciutto salad with local kale, aged prosciutto,
apples, and a maple vinaigrette. Select mains include Hudson Valley steelhead trout with fennel, Castelvetrano olives, and orange reduction; and the Northwind Farms roasted half chicken with roasted cauliflower puree, salsa matcha, and sherry pan jus.
Thesaltlinehudsonvalley.com
Hamrah’s
3 Albany Avenue, Kinderhook
On October 12, Kinderhook welcomed the opening of Hamrah’s, which brings prepared Lebanese foods made to order and by the pound, baked goods, and a curated selection of Middle Eastern groceries to the village. Take your provisions to go or eat at one of the handful of bistro tables on the sidewalk. The lunch menu features several options offered in pita wrap or rice bowl format—chicken shawarma, beef kafta kebab, and za’atar cauliflower and hummus ($14-$16)—along with fresh salads. A-la-carte sides include grape leaves ($4 for two), falafel ($6 for two), and hand pies ($5). The dishes are made with local meat, fresh produce, and authentic, imported Middle Eastern specialty spices. This is not a place to skimp on dessert. Take home a pistachio-rose shortbread cookie for the road or Hamrah’s baklawa, made with chopped pistachios and orange syrup. Hamrahs.com
Chemistry Wine Bar
354 Main Street, Catskill
Chemistry Wine Bar founder Dori Fackler wanted to pair her love of historic spaces with the handcrafted products of the many boutique wineries she’s discovered over the years. She does that perfectly in her new spot in an
1800s-brick building on Main Street in Catskill. With tin ceilings, exposed brick, mismatched wood elements, peeling painted-metal accents, and plenty of Middle Eastern rugs designating sitting nooks made of plush, vintage armchairs and sofas, Chemistry has a wellworn-in look that belies its four months in business. The selection of wines is organic, natural, sustainable, and/or crafted with minimal intervention and the small plates selection is seasonal ever-rotating. September specials included a watermelon-feta salad ($10) and lemony ricotta with mint and peas with beer bread ($12). You’ll get a tasting note card with every glass that you can either take home or keep on file to remember which wines you loved. A blind flight curated by the in-house som is another fun way to try new vintages. Chemistrywinebar.com
Anna et Pierre
10 Dutchess Landing Road #2A, Poughkeepsie
Anna et Pierre is the culmination of a longtime dream for co-owner Gigi Fairchild. Named for her Caribbean grandparents, the cafe, which is scheduled to open in Poughkeepsie’s Waterfront District in November, features single-origin coffees as part of a partnership with Nespresso and French patisserie classics baked fresh daily, including pain au chocolat, croissant aux amandes, chou a la creme, as well as other pastries featuring seasonal fruits, baguettes, and other breads. Vegan specialties by locally owned bakeries Little Loaf Bake Shop and Isn’t She Lovely are also available, with sandwiches and prepared salads following in the coming months.
Annaetpierre.com
—Marie Doyon
Nova Cadamatre, Christy Counts, and Bryce Lianna in front of the Neverstill Tasting Room in Hudson before its September opening.
Photo by David McIntyre
Lily Johnson and her son August in her greenhouse. Johnson and her husband, Gavin Wassung, found the free greenhouse frame on Craigslist and, after some trial and error, adapted it into a seasonal workshop for Johnson. The couple bought their overgrown two-acre property in 2021 and slowly transfigured it into a tiny farm. After giving birth, Johnson utilized New York State’s paid family leave benefit and went through her own metamorphosis: Leaving her former career as a filmmaker and starting a landscape architecture business. “After giving birth, I felt an unexplainable surge of courage to live intentionally and focus on plants,” she says. “Gardening, both personally and professionally, became my reset.”
Throughout the natural world there’s a phenomenon that feels a little like magic: Take a few simple ingredients, add the right catalyst, and then watch as the mixture transforms into something extraordinary. With bread, explains Gavin Wassung, digital strategist by day, gentleman farmer on weekends, that alchemical agent is yeast. “There’s something magical about yeast—just add sugar and boom! It grows! How can something so tiny do such amazing things?”
Opposite, top: Wassung, a business strategist, in the family’s garden and adjacent apiary. Beekeeping was an interest Wassung began exploring after the family moved to the Pleasant Valley property. The bees have produced honey, helped with neighborhood pollination and also provided surprising insight into organizational systems. “Beekeeping is about constant learning and adaptation. In a hive, bees are always responding to changes in their environment—adjusting how they gather resources, the seasons, or protecting the colony,” he says. “In product development, you have to stay open to new information, whether from customers or markets, and continuously refine your approach.”
Opposite, bottom: Soon after moving in the couple reclaimed overgrown space for chickens and ducks and built the deluxe coop themselves. “It’s so solidly constructed that my grandparents always joke that this is their house,” says Johnson. “They want to know when they can move in.”
Yeast, Wassung notes, also turns grapes into wine, but the real magic of vinification comes with cultivation. “Growing grape vines is easy,” he says. “It’s how you steward them, and then what happens on harvest day when you pick, stem, and crush them that’s magic.” Similarly, the super organization of bees transforms pollen into honey; fresh sunlight cracks long dormant seeds turning them into rhododendrons or lilacs; and it’s still undecided whether the chicken acts as alchemical agent for the egg, or it’s the egg that magically transforms into the chicken.
Walking through the Pleasant Valley property Wassung shares with his wife, Lily Johnson, it’s clear the magic that converted simple ingredients—two overgrown acres, a modest `70s-era home—into a bountiful tiny farm, was actually Wassung and Johnson. They transformed the mundane lot into a little Eden, with multiple vegetable and flower gardens, a micro vineyard, overflowing apiary, flocks of ducks and chickens, and one careening toddler. We’ve partnered with nature to create useable, inviting spaces,” says Johnson. “Plants will always grow, but everything grows better when cared for.”
Just Add Nature Creating a Tiny Farm in Pleasant Valley
By Mary Angeles Armstrong
by Winona Barton-Ballentine
Photos
Earth to Lily and Gavin
The couple first came to the Hudson Valley in 2017 when they bought a house on a quarter acre in Beacon. They were living in Brooklyn and both in cerebral, city-based careers—Johnson produced film and TV media, Wassung was a business strategist—and needed a place to come down to earth on weekends. Slowing down and reconnecting to nature was good medicine. Wassung, who grew up in Connecticut, began a series of pursuits that took him from his head back into his hands. “Being on computers all day doesn’t reflect reality,” he says. “So, when I moved to the Hudson Valley I was drawn to several new hobbies.” Inspired by his great grandmother, he began baking bread. That led to candle making, then beer brewing, and eventually to an interest in winemaking.
Johnson, a Colorado native, felt the urge to follow her family’s farming tradition. “I’ve always loved my parents’ and grandparents’ vegetable and flower gardens. My great grandfather was a well-known sugar beet farmer,” she says. “Growing up, we had a peach orchard. In fact, we gave away
the peaches at our wedding as favors.” She planted a garden and experimented with creative designs in their yard.
They soon outgrew both their quarter acre, and the postage stamp allotment of weekend time upstate. So, they planted another garden—this one on a rented 20-by-20-foot plot at nearby Stony Kill Farm—and, with some additional office space rented from Beacon’s Beahive coworking space, transitioned to full-time life in the Hudson Valley.
Room to Grow
They were already feeling confined by their Beacon arrangement when the 2020 lockdown pushed them over the edge. “I tried to keep my office just to support Beahive,” says Wassung. That wasn’t sustainable, and he began to work from home. “Lily had her office in the second bedroom and I was working from the kitchen,” he says. “It was cramped.”
“The pandemic gave us the push we needed to hunt for a home that had both the exterior and interior space to dream,” says Johnson. Built in 1973, the two-story Pleasant Valley home was like a Nixon-era time capsule. Linoleum
The dated `70s-era home was in need of a complete rehab when the couple bought it. After removing linoleum tiles and reconfiguring the lofted, open concept first floor, they were able to create a corner dining area for sit-down dinners. They refinished the hardwood floors and commissioned a custom maple and brass table from Wassung’s cousin, Christian Neary of Warren Works.
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The couple also removed a spiral staircase and expanded a second-floor loft. Neary helped design and build the floating staircase. Underneath a cozy sitting area showcases the couple’s mix of styles.
“Gavin tends towards minimalism, with high style interwoven with more artistic sensibilities,” says Johnson. “I lean into the nostalgic and whimsical, creating sacred spaces for inspiration and comfort. Most of our furniture has been sourced from Craigslist, Habitat for Humanity Restore, and other second-hand shops.”
prevailed throughout the first-floor open kitchen and dining area, and shag carpeting lined the home’s sunken living room.
A spiral staircase led to the second-floor landing with vaulted ceilings, three adjoining bedrooms, and two dated bathrooms.
The home had a deck and a small fenced-in yard, but beyond that the two acres were wild terrain. It didn’t deter the couple. “It was completely overgrown with trees and brush,” says Wassung. “There were old tires dumped in the bushes.” They liked that the property was within walking distance to town, but felt completely secluded because of the angle of the plot. “After we ascend the steep driveway and pass through a small forest, it feels as if we are in our own private estate,” says Johnson. The 2,000-square-foot house and two acres was just enough. “I felt like I could dream big, and like I could experiment and make mistakes,” she says. “It felt like a blank canvas.”
Family Project
They bought the property in 2021 and immediately got to work. “We have renovated the heck out of this house,” says Johnson. They removed the dated spiral staircase and pulled up the linoleum and carpeting throughout the first
floor. They uncovered and restored wide-plank barn floors throughout the first floor and, by adding better steps, glass sliders, and tiling to the sunken living room, transformed it into an extra office space for Johnson.
Rebuilding the staircase and second-floor landing was a challenge further complicated by the pandemic-induced contractor shortage. The couple took a chance and hired Wassung’s 25-year-old cousin, Christian Neary, to help with the project. “He was ready to leave his job in welding and open a woodworking studio,” says Johnson. “So we sent him pictures of what we wanted and he came up with something beautiful.” Neary designed the floating wood and metal staircase and built the stringers by hand. He also opened and revamped the second-floor landing. Upstairs, they removed more carpeting and gutted the bathroom, adding new tiles as well as a walk-in shower and a full tub.
They were so happy with the results that they commissioned a custom table for a corner dining spot overlooking the yard. “He used the same maple as our staircase and welded beautiful brass legs to fit the space,” says Johnson. “It has optimized our ability to host dinner parties, which I love.”
Turning Acres into Wine
Over three years they transformed the surrounding property, and in the process transformed themselves. “It’s been our greatest pleasure to reclaim and enhance these spaces,” says Johnson. They began by uncovering the gardens closest to the house, rehabbing decades-old lilacs and rhododendrons. After clearing and then expanding the immediate yard, they added a berry garden on one side of the house and a chicken coop and herb garden on the other. Inspired by a trip to France, they also added copious lavender and more lilac bushes, along with vegetable and flower gardens.
Beyond the property’s standalone garage, the couple cleared an additional wild acre.” One day I just started trimming and cutting,” explains Wassung. “When it was cleared, we suddenly had more space to dream. It was transformational.” Wassung used the space to establish a colony of bees. He also planted a micro-vineyard which, after three years, has fruited, fermented, and is almost ready to sip.
Meanwhile, the two transformed into three when their son was born a year ago.
Right outside the garage another ad-hoc structure has become a cocoon, leading to Johnson’s personal metamorphosis. After finding an aluminum-and-foaminsulated frame on Craigslist for free, the couple established a three-season greenhouse. It’s central to Johnson’s life redesign: After taking advantage of New York State’s paid family leave for six months, she was able to rethink her priorities. “The time gave me the courage to live a more intentional pace of life,” she says. “I knew I wanted to nurture and help things grow, to spend time outside; to be on my feet and get my hands in the soil all day long.”
She decided to take her project management skills and apply them to landscape design, helping homeowners develop personal connections to their land and a sense of sanctuary. “It’s my vocation to work with nature to create new life,” she says. “Nature plays a powerful role in our lives.”
Although the 2,000-squarefoot home is within walking distance to Pleasant Valley shops, the surrounding hillside and woods make it feel like a self-contained world. Rehabbing the surrounding gardens has been a masterclass for Johnson. “These gardens have taught me so much about the fertile micro climate of our zone,” she says. “We like to have freedom and experiment but also lean into what the landscape has to offer. The property has afforded us the opportunity to fulfill dreams. “
A Hudson Hub for Gynecologic Care
Columbia Memorial Health Opens Its New Women’s Health Center
Anyone who has had to drive 30 minutes or more to the doctor’s office knows that having access to dependable and advanced healthcare options is a game changer. In a region as large and geographically diverse as the Mid-Hudson Valley, that’s no small feat. With the recent opening of a state-of-the-art Women’s Health Center, Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) is making it easier for women in Columbia and Greene Counties to access the full spectrum of integrated gynecological care available across the Albany Med Health System.
“The Women’s Health Center will provide comprehensive, specialized care for women, ensuring they have the support and resources they need close to home,” says Dorothy Urschel, president and CEO of CMH. “Our goal is to improve health outcomes, offer compassionate care, and be a trusted partner for women throughout their lives and healthcare journeys.
As part of the System, the CMH Women’s Health Center is a centralized hub that can connect patients to a broad and deep range of specialists. “We’re clinically integrated into our Breast Health Center at CMH, and if the patient requires an experienced breast or colorectal surgeon, we have the experts available locally and provide an immediate appointment,” says Urschel.
Located at CMH’s Medical Office Building
in Hudson, the Women’s Health Center is a peaceful, art- and light-filled space that is now home to 10 exam rooms, two procedure rooms, and an integrated team of six providers skilled in everything from minimally invasive surgery to physical therapy and specialized pain management. Comprehensive women’s gynecological care ranges from routine screenings to reproductive healthcare, postmenopausal health, and gynecologic cancer.
Three highly skilled surgeons, led by Chief of Gynecology Dr. Edward Marici, will have the latest technological equipment at their disposal.
“This will allow us to offer comprehensive services—from preventative screenings to advanced, minimally invasive surgical treatments—all under one roof,” Marici says. “With cutting-edge laparoscopic technology and a patient-centered approach, we can ensure the best possible outcomes for everything from large fibroid uteri to uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse, and even stage IV endometriosis.”
A local painter has been recruited to paint community-themed murals, and the purposebuilt space focuses on privacy, comfort, and calm. “We want our patients to feel comfortable here, and to be able to ask questions and feel they are heard,” says Urschel. “The environment of care is especially important to healing, and the new space provides a calming, healing environment. Every
detail is designed with the patient’s privacy and dignity in mind.”
As the primary healthcare provider in Columbia and Greene counties, CMH serves a population of about 100,000 with a diverse range of needs. “We offer women’s health services and perinatal care to all underserved individuals in both counties on our Hudson campus and at Greene Medical Arts Center in Catskill,” Urschel says. “Our mission as a rural community hospital is to provide comprehensive quality care—education, regular provider visits, and preventative care, as well as translation and financial services and assistance.”
The Women’s Health Center was funded by grants from Stewart’s Shops, the Dake Family Fund, and Fenimore Asset Management, and by donations to the Columbia Memorial Health Foundation. “This center is a testament to our community’s shared belief in the importance of women’s health,” says James J. Armstrong, chair of the CMH Foundation Board. “We cannot thank our donors enough for their dedication to making this dream a reality.”
Albanymed.org/hudson
Columbia Memorial Health opened its Women’s Health Center at the Medical Office Building in Hudson in September. Center staff from left to right: Samantha Winkler, RN, Nurse Manager; Caitlyn Sartori, FNP; Edward Marici, DO; Jennifer Gsell, NP; and Sara Wagner, Office Manager.
The Achievement Trap
Why Success Doesn’t Always Equal Fulfillment
By Jaime Stathis
What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is one of the first questions we ask kids, often before they’ve even learned how to tie their shoes. A kid shows a serious interest in building with blocks or Legos, and everyone cries, “Architect!” The same goes for the kids who love gardening, helping in the kitchen, and doctoring the family pets. While these propensities might indicate a true passion, it behooves no one to try pigeonholing a career before kindergarten. In fact, it behooves no one to pigeonhole a career ever
We also expect first-year college students to declare a major. While it’s wise to recognize strengths and enhance them through education, it’s risky to become so focused on a destination that we end up moving through life on autopilot. After trudging through a series of steps we believe will lead to fulfillment, we arrive at the predetermined destination exhausted and wondering if we’ve taken a wrong turn or completely blown by our exit.
Megan Hellerer, the author of Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life, had checked all her boxes and “done everything right,” but she was miserable.
Hellerer graduated from Stanford at the top of her class with a 3.9 GPA and then landed a job at Google, where she successfully worked her way up the corporate ladder. She was half of a power couple, traveled business class, lived in a trendy West Village apartment, and wore a to-die-for wardrobe. Hellerer thought these achievements would make her happy, but instead, she describes her state of discontentment as not only miserable but “panic attacks and SSRI miserable.”
Hellerer had started normalizing 15 minutes of anxiety-fueled crying in the shower every morning, and by normalizing I mean she set her alarm early to allow for this critical part of her day. She started having panic attacks at parties, on street corners, and in the aisles of CVS, and the first chapter of Directional Living opens with a poignant scene of her melting down on the bathroom floor at Google’s New York office, where she’s simultaneously giving herself a pep talk to pull it together and keep going while also crying out between sobs.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“How did I get here?”
“I’m sorry…”
Hellerer didn’t know exactly what she was sorry for or to whom she was apologizing, but like many people, Hellerer had worked so hard to get where she was and it was hard to admit her life wasn’t what she thought it would be. It was even harder to accept that she had to make some changes.
Okay, spoiler alert: Hellerer quit her job and created a new approach to success and achievement, which she calls directional living. After quitting her job and selling her Google stock (yes, bold), Hellerer gave herself six months on an “anti-career plan” to “test and learn” various things in what she referred to as a “Not-That Experiment.” Desperate for a roadmap out of the stuck spot she’d found herself in, Hellerer looked for clues about what to do next.
During that time, Hellerer went to museums and concerts, took cooking and photography classes, worked with a naturopath, and stopped drinking. She absorbed the teachings of psychologists, sociologists, academics, and spiritual leaders. She got a therapist. She tried The Artist’s Way. She meditated. She gutted her closet. All of it helped a little, but none of it moved the needle enough.
Hellerer discovered that the missing link had been within reach all along—she had to tell the
truth. Letting go of pretending everything is okay is both terrifying and liberating, but once you do, it can be almost impossible to muster up the strength to continue the charade. Once Hellerer started telling the truth about her burnout, other people shared their unfulfilling life experiences, and she discovered an enormous population of brilliant, accomplished people who were secretly miserable.
Because so many people feel this way, Hellerer assumed there must be a term for it, but after coming up empty, she coined her own and the concept of the Underfulfilled Overachiever was born.
What is an Underfulfilled Overachiever?
Underfulfilled Overachiever (UFOA) (n.):
1. A constant striver who is living a great-onpaper life, has checked all the boxes, done all the “right” things, and amassed achievements and external success, yet still feels secretly dissatisfied, unfulfilled, and increasingly disconnected from their work, life, and self.
2. Someone who suffers from the foundational belief that achievement is the path to lasting fulfillment.
Hellerer knew she was a UFOA, but it wasn’t until she really started talking about the concept that she realized how common it is. One thing led to another, and she took a coaching course. When Hellerer started taking on clients for practice sessions and hearing more UFOA stories, she began comprehending the pervasiveness of the problem. Deeply rooted systems had created generations of UFOAs. They were everywhere, and they were lost. Legions of people asked vital questions like:
“What are we doing with our lives?”
“How the hell do we stop doing it?”
“What do we do instead?”
These may seem like esoteric, unanswerable questions, but they’re not. Hellerer has met UFOAs from all around the world in both rural and metropolitan areas. Some are just out of college, and others are on their third or fourth career. Some are legacy Ivy Leaguers; some haven’t attended college. They are professors, authors, chefs, surgeons, bankers, and artists. “We’ve all been told that achievement is the path to fulfillment, but work isn’t working,” Hellerer says.
You Were Taught a Lie Hellerer has passed the point of mincing words and just comes right out and says it—“You were taught a lie.” Because UFOAs see success as an organizing principle and believe that working nights and weekends will earn them badges of honor, they believe the lie. Destinational living creates the mindset that leads people somewhere, though not necessarily to happiness or to a socalled “perfect life.” In many cases, it leads to a breakdown on a bathroom floor. (Why is it always a bathroom floor?)
Hellerer explains that this way of thinking is outdated. It doesn’t work in our current world, and she doubts it ever really worked. It can be hard to accept that you may have a life that looks great on paper and still not feel like you’re living your life, but living a life that doesn’t feel authentic to you will never be fulfilling.
While many people relate to this, not everyone does, and thankfully, there are droves of people who feel perfectly satisfied and fulfilled. If this is you, congratulations. But if you’re unsure and need clarification on whether or not you’re a UFOA, there’s a quiz on Meganhellerer. com to help determine if you’re already living directionally or if you need a roadmap to help orient your compass.
Where Am I Actually Going?
Hellerer’s website borrows a quote from E. L. Doctorow on writing. Directional Living is like “driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” Hellerer uses this quote to illustrate what she calls the big direction. For some people, a big direction might feel perilously close to a destination, but the nuance is between orienting ourselves toward something versus being attached to an outcome. “It’s a beacon versus a goal,” Hellerer says.
Hellerer says the headlights represent our curiosity. “We want to follow our curiosity and our interests,” she says, taking the analogy further to say that if we’re on a road trip between New York and Los Angeles, we can get started on the road without knowing the exact destination.
“The big direction would be the West Coast, but we don’t need to know the address in L.
A. and we also don’t need to know how we’re getting there,” Hellerer explains. “But it would be useful to know we’re going west versus north or south.” At the beginning stage, we just need enough structure so that we’re not driving around the country in circles wondering why we’re not getting anywhere. Hellerer adds that she’s a big fan of aimless wandering if that’s what someone needs. “Absolutely wander until you figure out the big direction.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of Hellerer’s most famous coaching clients. “Her big direction was public service. We didn’t need to know if it was running for office, community organizing, or some other iteration, but we did need to know that the big direction was public service versus hospitality, publishing, entrepreneurship, or public health,” Hellerer explains. “My big direction is coaching and writing, but now it’s also helping underfulfilled overachievers find fulfillment.”
The Road Map
Whether you already know your big direction or you’re still trying to figure it out, Hellerer outlines five actionable steps to help you get started on the path to directional living. The book goes into greater detail, but here’s a preview.
1. Break Up with the Achievement Lie
The achievement lie taught us that achievement is the path to fulfillment. If we just worked hard enough and made the “right” choices, it says, we would be successful and therefore live happy and secure lives. But, as most of us learned the hard way, it just doesn’t work like that. Achievement does not inherently lead to fulfillment.
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2. Direction, Not Destination
Most of us were taught to focus on the destination—the outcome— instead of the direction. But, this will rarely, if ever, lead to fulfillment, even if we achieve everything we set out to achieve.
To create a truly fulfilling life, we want to focus on the direction we’re moving in instead of the predetermined destination we think we want. Ask, “Is this directionally right?” instead of “where will this get me?”
3. Aligned Ambition, Not Blind Ambition
Ambition is not the problem. Ambition, which is really just desire to have an impact and make a contribution, is one of the greatest strengths of UFOAs.
Aligned ambition is inner-directed (vs. externally dictated) ambition, that incorporates your own personal authentic preferences, talents, joys, curiosities, and experiences to create a career and a life that is well-suited to you.
“Destinational living creates the mindset that leads people somewhere, though not necessarily to happiness or to a so-called “perfect life.”
—Megan Hellerer
4. Forget Your “Purpose”; Follow Your Curiosity
Many of us get stuck thinking we have to “find our purpose” before we start living it. But, in reality, we find our purpose by living into it
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Instead, we want to follow our curiosity. Our curiosity is the best proxy we have for purpose. It’s not a distraction; it’s a clue to the most aligned and fulfilling path forward.
5. Launch and Iterate
Instead of picking our destination and reverse-engineering our path, we want to approach our lives with an experimental mindset, where we are testing and learning and launching and iterating, acquiring information and data and refining as we go. Think of it like the scientific method—but for life!
Hellerer Walks the Talk
A key concept of directional living is a willingness to pivot, even when it means doing things you never would’ve expected or doing things you might’ve said you’d never do. Hellerer walks this talk. Despite getting caught in the grind, Hellerer never intended to move out of New York City, where she was born and raised, but she rented a cabin in Woodstock to finish working on her manuscript in 2021 and loved it. The following year, Hellerer and her husband rented a house in Hurley for the summer, and something clicked—they didn’t want to leave.
It seemed impossible—Hellerer’s husband is a professor at NYU— but the thought persisted. The owner of the home they rented offered them six more months to try out living upstate full-time—which coincided with Hellerer being pregnant with their first child—and they realized that living in the Hudson Valley was the right next move for them. They found a more permanent home in Tivoli, where they still live.
Megan Hellerer will be at speaking at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck on November 14 at 6pm about her book and her philosophy for creating a life of maximum fulfillment and purpose.
HOLIDAY Shopping Guide
With so many independent creators and curators across the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Berkshires, it’s never been easier to buy bespoke. From locally sourced herbal remedies to fine jewelry, gourmet provisions, well-designed decor, and more, here’s a roundup of thoughtful holiday gifts that are sure to surprise and delight.
Kingston Social for the holidays! Nestled in Uptown Kingston, this charming cafe, mercantile, and gallery is the place to discover the most delicious Italian coffee and holiday goodies, from beautifully curated gifts for everyone on the holiday list alongside the stunning Pink Water Gallery walls displaying the work of contemporary local artist Caroline Burdett. Discover everything from panettone to sipping chocolate, wonderous toys for kids, Dansk cookware for the kitchen, and so much more. Kingston Social welcomes everyone in for the holidays!
Catskills Candle Studio
5977 Main Street, Tannersville (518) 203-3181
Catskillscandlestudio.com
Catskills Candle Studio candles are the perfect gift for Catskills Mountain lovers, offering a way to bring the magic of The Catskills into the home. Each one captures the fresh, nature inspired atmosphere of the mountains, making every burn a special escape to the outdoors. Visit the Tannersville Studio, shop online, or find the candles at trusted retailers. Experience the handcrafted quality that make these candles truly one-of-a-kind.
Lightfoot Woods
Red Hook Lightfootwoods.com
Discover the enchanting world of Lightfoot Woods, where Caitlin Lightfoot crafts one-of-a-kind jewelry in the Chocolate Factory’s Five Foot Seven Studios. Using collected crystals and stones set in recycled precious metal, each piece is a unique totem, embracing mindfulness and honoring nature’s powerful forces. By appointment at the Red Hook location, experience these treasures firsthand. Connect online at Lightfootwoods.com or on Instagram @lightfoot_woods. The journey to nature-inspired beauty begins here.
Adel Chefridi Fine Jewelry
47 East Market Street, Rhinebeck Chefridi.com
Visit Adel Chefridi Fine Jewelry, nestled in the heart of Rhinebeck Village, to find a beautiful and expansive selection of jewelry, as well as a curated collection of fine gift items for everyone’s gift list. With sterling silver pieces starting at $160, a wide selection of engagement rings, and handmade fine jewelry in 18 karat gold and platinum, Adel Chefridi’s designs are true treasures of the heart. Adel Chefridi has become a fan favorite among Hudson Valley residents, earning the coveted top spot in the Chronogrammies in the Jewelry Store category for 2024.
The Rhinebeck Studio and Flagship Gallery are run by Adel and his wife Corinne, with a small team of jewelers and jewelry industry experts. Each piece that leaves the studio is personally tended to and inspected, ensuring the exacting standards they’ve become so well known for. Chefridi’s designs are handmade with the utmost care for detail and craftsmanship. Come experience the warm and inviting atmosphere of the Rhinebeck Flagship Gallery, shop online, or visit one of the 100 Adel Chefridi Jewelry stockists nationwide.
2722 West Main Street, Wappingers Falls (845) 297-3001
Gracelandtattoo.com
Be a hero for the holidays with a gift certificate to Graceland Tattoo! Its team of artists has been creating beautiful, bold work and soft, delicate pieces here in the heart of the Hudson Valley for over two decades, and are trusted in their craft. They offer custom designs, high-quality jewelry, and a commitment to safety and craftsmanship. Available in any denomination, tattoo or piercing gift certificates are a perfect present to unwrap.
Graceland Tattoo
Eleish
Van
Breems Home
11 Main Street, New Preston, CT Evbantiques.com
Rhonda Eleish and Edie Van Breems have been advocates of Scandinavian design for more than two decades. Best friends since fifth grade, the two founded their eponymous Scandinavian brand in 1997 with a focus on antiques which has since expanded to include an interior design firm and home stores. All along their mantra has been and continues to be, “bring good design to everyone.”
In their New Preston shop, find fine Gustavian and Rococo antiques, as well as Scandinavian mid-century furniture masters rubbing shoulders with sustainable and sophisticated contemporary furniture made by Verellen, Cane-line, and Thayer Coggin. Sofas and chairs upholstered in fine Belgian linens and performance fabrics, handcrafted walnut and ash lamps, tables and casegoods, rugs, lighting by Louis Poulsen and St Louis are invitingly arranged in the main rooms of the soothing and welcoming space. The Scandinavian fantasy continues into the DISH room, serving up Nordic tableware, linens, gifts, and home goods in a nod to the building’s previous shop owner, Paulette Peden. In this inviting sun drenched room the full force Rhonda and Edie’s passion for good design and ease of lifestyle on full display with Swedish and Finnish heritage brands such as Gustavsberg, Marimekko, and Skultuna and newer product designers such as Sweden’s Reijmyre glassworks.
From the heart of the Catskills to the kitchen table! Available in classic Buttermilk, Buckwheat, or Vegan varieties, Phoenicia Diner’s famous pancake mix has been redesigned in new luxe packaging. It makes a special gift for a friend or a lovely morning at home. Crafted from whole, GMOfree ingredients and produced in New York, these mixes are available from specialty stores throughout the region and at Phoeniciadiner.com.
Twin Star Orchards, Home of Brooklyn Cider House
155 North Ohioville Road, New Paltz Twinstarochards.com Brooklynciderhouse.com
Come for the Winter Market, stay for the cider! The Tasting Room at Twin Star is open for the winter with a cozy holiday bazaar as the star of the show (weekends November 23-December 22). Weekly rotating makers offer a local one-stop shop for everyone’s gifting needs—jewelry, candles, woodwork, ceramics, sweets, spirits, and more. Brooklyn Cider House ciders are a welcome addition to every holiday meal. Take a bottle home, or better yet, give loved ones the gift of a Small Batch Club subscription.
Phoenicia Diner
4 Park Place, Hudson (518) 697-5633 Hudsonroastery.com
Their recent expansion to the corner of Warren Street and Park Place offers additional seating along with a view into the Roast Room for a total coffee experience. They are known for having the best artisanal roasted coffee in town, showcasing exclusive signature blends and single origin beans, all roasted weekly. With nine exclusive types to choose from, there is sure to be the perfect gift for every coffee lover. Gift cards are also available to indulge in the total experience featuring a chef inspired breakfast/lunch along with specialty coffee beverages and freshly baked croissants.
Milestone Mill
336 Plaza Road, Kingston (845) 852-0120 Milestonemill.com
Milestone Mill is dedicated to bringing sustainably grown, nutritionally complex grains back to the table. Rooted in the Hudson Valley, Milestone Mill crafts local, artisanal, grain-based foods in order to support regenerative farming and sustainably feed the community with healthy food. It currently offers a variety of flour, corn meal, beans, popping corn, corn tortillas, and tortilla chips. No preservatives, no bleaching, just essential goodness, grown and crafted right here.
111 Greenkill Avenue, Kingston (845) 853-2400
Zephyrfloat.com
When the holiday haze has settled, most people crave a serious reset. An hour suspended in a pool of salt water at Zephyr Float offers a remedy for all that accumulated stress—and the weight of gravity itself.
“We live in a world where we’re constantly overstimulated. A sensory deprivation tank removes all the external buzzing,” explains owner Veronica Sedda, LMT, who took over the business with her husband in April after five years of working at Zephyr Float and watching clients experience its impacts firsthand.
Pioneered as a wellness technique over 40 years ago, a float session in a sensory deprivation tank delivers a variety of benefits. Zephyr Float’s five-by-eight-foot rooms provide plenty of space to float freely in 12 inches of body-temperature water dissolved with 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt—buoying a person into a state of weightlessness and mental quietude.
“The complete calm is incredibly beneficial for our minds,” says Sedda. “You also get all the benefits of the electrolytes and magnesium from the Epsom salt, which provides rest for your joints, tendons, and vascular system, and helps heal muscle tissues, lowers blood pressure, and provides temporary chronic pain relief, among a variety of other benefits.”
This holiday season, Zephyr Float is offering ready-to-gift specials and packages, including a Black Friday/Cyber Monday package ($99 for two floats, or a 60-minute massage) and a gift card promo (buy a $100 gift card, get $25 free) using promo code GIMME25. Both specials can be booked on the egift site online or over the phone. For additional offerings, visit the website.
Produced by Chronogram Media Branded Content Studio.
Hudson Roastery
Zephyr Float
Woodstock
Wine & Liquor
63 Tinker Street, Woodstock (845) 679-2669
Woodstockwineandliquor.com
Whether shopping for wine lovers, Scotch collectors, or Cognac connoisseurs this holiday season, Woodstock Wine & Liquor is the boutique wine and spirits shop in the heart of historic Woodstock with just the right gift for them all. Gift packaging and free local delivery is available, and ordering online is easy on their website.
The Common Good
119 Canal Street, Ellenville Thecommongoodny.com
The Common Good believes in the power of stories! Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains, this bookstore offers a diverse selection of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s titles, along with journals, candles, and gifts. Stop in for coffee or a cocktail and find something for everyone.
The Shops at Emerson
Emerson Resort & Spa
5340 Route 28, Mt. Tremper (845) 688-2828
The Shops at Emerson carries a distinct selection of modern farmhouse decor and furnishings, contemporary clothing, hand-crafted artisan kaleidoscopes, nostalgic toys, local food products, Catskills souvenirs, and holiday decor. With their signature personalized service, The Shops at Emerson staff is happy to help find the perfect gift for everyone this holiday season.
Birch Body Care
73 Crown Street, Kingston (845) 331-7139
Birchkingston.com
Self-care at its absolute best, right in the heart of Uptown Kingston. Massage, facials, and reiki are all available, and couples massage too! Shop the boutique for unique and fun finds, skincare, gifts, and simple luxuries. Full menu, gift certificates, and online booking at Birchkingston.com.
Newberry Artisan Market
236 Main Street, Saugerties (845) 247-3002 Newberryartisanmarket.com
This exciting artisan market hosts over 35 local Hudson Valley vendors including pottery, jewelry, unique designer clothing, eco friendly body products, vintage, art, and more right in the heart of the Saugerties Village. Come see beautiful products and meet the friendly staff who are ready to help with guidance for a total shopping experience!
Newhard’s—The Home Source
39 Main Street, Warwick (845) 986-4544
This is the season of thanks and gratitude, a time to enjoy the company of friends and family and nature’s surrounding beauty. There is no better time of year to visit the Warwick Valley! Newhard’s—The Home Source has been called the “Emporium of Everything” and is filled with treasures to make one’s home a little bit warmer, more beautiful, gracious, and happy. Take a moment to discover the town and the Village of Warwick, its history, wonderful restaurants, and friendly stores. Find Newhard’s on Facebook and Instagram.
The largest selection of Hoka’s is at Montano’s
Horses for a Change
Esopus (845) 384-6424
Horsesforachange.org
Celebrating the magic that happens when humans and horses connect in a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere. With a large indoor riding arena and heated viewing area, this nonprofit offers riding lessons all winter, for folks of all ages and levels, including pony rides for the littles and an equine-facilitated mental health program. “We emphasize empathy and understanding of our non-verbal, but very communicative companions,” says Director Nancy Rosen. Gift certificates for pony rides, lessons, and summer riding weeks available.
Stanza Books
508 Main Street, Beacon (845) 674-4707
Stanzabooks.com
77 Partition Street | Saugerties, NY 12477 | 845-246-4381
montanosshoestore.com
Mon-Thurs & Sat 9:15 - 5 pm, Fri 9:15 - 7pm
Stanza Books is an independent bookstore on the historic east end of Beacon’s Main Street. Specializing in contemporary literary fiction, genre fiction, history, and children’s books, Stanza is the place for book clubs, writing workshops, author visits, story hours, special orders, and more.
ARTY MARTINI PARTY
SAT. NOV. 9, 5-7 PM
Put on your party hat and celebrate our 60th Birthdayat our fall fundraiser! 23 Garrison’s Landing Garrison, NY 10524 garrisonartcenter.org
For tickets visit our website or use QR code
Chronogram Subscription
Chronogram.com/subscribe
Give the gift of arts, culture, and spirit, all year long. A subscription to Chronogram makes a great gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Get a 12-month subscription for only $36.
DBO Home
Sharon, CT (860) 364-6008
Dbohome.com
DBO Home is a husband and wife designer/maker team in Sharon, Connecticut. Their handcrafted pieces combine porcelain, leather, wood, and bronze to create one-ofa-kind gifts that elevate everyday moments. Each piece is made to order, one by one. Discover the perfect holiday gift to make this season truly special.
Haven Spa
6464 Montgomery Street Rhinebeck (845) 876-7369 Havenrhinebeck.com
Give the gift of beauty and relaxation this holiday season! Haven Spa is a self-care sanctuary where relaxation and pampering meet aesthetic and skin health. Day spa services include rejuvenating massages, luxurious body treatments, relaxing facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, eyebrow/lashes, and more. Med spa services include Botox, micro-needling, fillers (Juvéderm, Restylane), and more. Annual gift card promotions are available for the months of November and December. Follow Haven Spa on social media for details.
Hudson
River Homesteaders
71 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (518) 925-3515
Hudsonriverhomesteaders.com
Hudson River Homesteaders Country Store is a family-owned shop offering their pasture-raised meats, handcrafted body care, fresh breads, baked goods, and unique gifts from local artisans. Discover quality, sustainable products while supporting local craftsmanship. Their newly renovated space is an inviting place to shop and experience authentic, community-driven goods.
Michelle Rhodes Pottery
By appointment (845) 417-1369 or deepclay@mac.com
Michellerhodespottery.com
Hummingbird Jewelers
23A East Market Street, Rhinebeck (845) 876-4585
Hummingbirdjewelers.com
Hummingbird Jewelers is grateful to celebrate its 47th year as Rhinebeck’s full-service jewelry store. This holiday season, they have curated a collection of fine designer jewelry from around the globe. Whether it’s repair, restoration, repurposing of family heirlooms, or the creation of a new piece of fine jewelry, Hummingbird Jewelers is there to satisfy all their customers’ needs.
Step into the enchanting atmosphere of their annual Holiday Bazaar, where a world of thoughtful gifting awaits! From November to December, their heated popup shop transforms into a festive haven, showcasing a curated selection of clean beauty, wellness, and luxury lifestyle items that will bring cheer this giving season.
Made In
Kingston
YMCA, 507 Broadway, Kingston Madeinkingstonny.com
Made In Kingston is a celebration that highlights all things handcrafted and created in Kingston, featuring more than 70 local artists, businesses, food vendors, and more. Thursday, December 5th, 3-8pm at the YMCA in Midtown. Free parking and admission. Shop local for the holidays!
One Municipality to Rule Them All? NEW PALTZ
By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by David McIntyre
Once again, the town and village of New Paltz are considering the idea of forming a single government.
Opposite, bottom:
The idea, first raised in the 1940s and last discussed in 2013, has never made it through a referendum, and when it was first brought up in 2024 at January’s joint board meeting—the first such meeting post-pandemic—community members in attendance had plenty of questions and the conversation was lively. The vote was in favor of applying for a grant that would fund a study of the question; as of October, the town was soliciting volunteers to form a steering committee to flesh out details of a plan, an eight-month process that will lead to a 2025 referendum.
New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers believes that the community is in a stronger position to consolidate than it was when he first took office in 2014. “We’re already sharing the assessor, the court, the fire, and the police department. We have two separate building departments, but they have a good working relationship now,” he says. “Optimally, you would do something
Historic Huguenot Street is a 10-acre National Historic District containing seven stone houses and several accompanying structures built in the early 18th century.
Opposite, top: The SUNY New Paltz women's field hockey routed SUNY Oswego 8-0 on October 12 at home.
A rock climber ascending above the Undercliff Trail on the Mohonk Preserve.
as simple as having those same staff just sit next to each other, and then they can share a copier, and then you see efficiencies just for doing simple things like that.”
Rogers is looking forward to seeing what the public has to say. “You need to get them very aware,” he says, “and have a detailed conversation so that people are satisfied that no stone is left unturned. It would make us eligible for a million dollar tax credit, 70 percent of which must be used to bring taxes down and 30 percent toward a new project, maybe a new municipal building.” Rogers feels that since 2013, things have fallen into place that make consolidation more attainable. “We know where the fire department and the police and court will be for the next 50 to 100 years. I don’t want to leave future leaders with the same inefficient structure we currently have—I mean, we make it work, but if you were designing a government from scratch, never in a million years would you end up with this.”
Meanwhile, Rogers—re-elected in 2023 to another four-year term—is hard at work on other major projects, including water, sewer, and sidewalk upgrades, new pickleball and basketball courts, a solar array on the
firehouse, and the completion of the Henry W. Dubois bike path, “a big, disruptive project that will be fantastic once it’s done, and people will forget the disruption and just enjoy,” he says. “If we could make these things happen by magic in the dead of night, we would.”
Zero Place
Housing, he says, is being tackled on a number of fronts, from tenant protection, short-term rental, and affordability requirements for developers to three apartment buildings totaling 165 units now at the site preparation stage and a 250-unit development currently in front of the planning board.
Sixty-eight of the planned units, including seven affordable ones and 7,500 square feet of commercial space, are planned for the Route 32 North corridor on what was once the site of the Agway building. The build-out of that neighborhood began in 2019 with the creation of Zero Place, a multi-award-winning 46-unit four-story sustainable structure completed in 2022. There are five affordable units; others start at $2,047 a month, all utilities included.
Opposite: Some of the farmers at the Gardens for Nutrition, a community garden along the Wallkill River.
On the ground floor of Zero Place, Noah Michaels operates Dry Fly Coffee Company, serving pastries and what some claim is the finest avocado toast anywhere. “We originally put it on the menu as a placeholder, and sort of ironically, but now I guess it’s locked in,” Michaels says.
“The opportunity to be part of Zero Place has been really nice; they mirror our values.” Sustainable tactics at Dry Fly include a zero-emissions roaster, counters and tabletops of reclaimed heartwood pine from Kingston bowling alleys, and mindful sourcing.
Michaels, who grew up on Long Island, went to the Culinary Institute of America and had been “looking for a reason to move back here ever since,” says things are going beautifully. “A lot of people come in multiple times a week, a lot of people work from here. We do lighter roasts, we pay attention to the source the way wine folks pay attention to terroir, and a lot of people are responding to that.”
Artist and arts educator Ally Bell came to New Paltz for college and never left. Now she’s hoping the community will take to her new space, We Did It Boys Studios on Main Street, organized like a co-working space but “more
arts-oriented. I used to work in the [coffee bar] Cafeteria downtown and I loved the vibrancy. You can bring your own coffee or whatever. There’s space for about 10 people to work, side-by-side or collaboratively, and we can plan and host small events like singer-songwriter evenings. I love the synergy that happens among artists. I think it’s a big part of what makes New Paltz special. People come here and realize, ‘Oh, you mean I can actually live this way?’”
Tourist Season
Down the hill at Water Street Market, New Paltz native Theresa Fall has been running Jar’d Wine Pub for 12 years and the Parish Restaurant for nine with coowner Matt Sweeney. For several years, she served as a coordinator for the whole market, organizing community events to help locals discover its possibilities, an effort she feels was and is successful. “I love rolling through here on a Saturday or Sunday morning and seeing all the tourists and cyclists and locals, the familiar and the brand new,” she says. “Some say New Paltz is overrun with tourists, and in October it does get especially hectic, but people are in high spirits. They’re
The Bernstein Bard Trio performing in front of the Antiques Barn at Water Street Market.
Handmade and More owner Melinda Minervini with Jessica Covert and Kelly Covert on the top floor of the boutique on North Front Street.
The Dutch Reformed Church on Huguenot Street hosts Applestock, a community harvest festival, each fall.
heading out hiking, or off to a farm; they’re leaf-peeping— it’s lovely, really. They’re here for some fresh air and a hometown experience, and tourists become regulars in their own right. I love my work, I love the vibe we’ve created here—real people, having real conversations.”
Fall is looking forward to the Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving morning 5K run that attracts over 1,000 participants and benefits Family of New Paltz. “It starts here at the market, and they have a band, and people come just to hang out and watch the fun,” says Fall. “I always open Jar’d on Thanksgiving morning, and we get busy starting at 8 am.”
On December 15, another community festival will touch down on Water Street, this year’s Holiday Hoopla, starting with an afternoon Winter Carnival, will feature a “Peace ands Light” parade down Main Street to the market, which will be styled as “Water Street Wonderland.” The Hoopla is one of a great many initiatives coordinated by the town’s Office for Community Wellness under the leadership of social worker Phoenix Kawamoto, who became community education coordinator after a four-year Drug Free Communities grant ended in 2016 and the town saw huge
potential in continuing the work of public healing and positivity.
“I started as a department of one,” says Kawamoto, “and in 2023, we worked with over 100 community partners. I’m an old-school community social worker—you meet the client where they are—and my client is the whole community. I work very hard to find the gaps and help provide opportunities for connectivity, bring resources in, and help people know what’s available to them.”
To bring about reconnection in these trying times, the game plan includes determining where people find passion and purpose, the better to connect them to opportunities and serve needs. “It just continues to expand,” says Kawamoto. “We do everything from outdoor movie nights and barbecues to overdose and suicide prevention, and everything in between. The Holiday Hoopla started in the depths of the pandemic, with me in a polar bear suit and [Youth Center director] Jim Tinger in a Santa suit, a couple drummers from Rosendale, and a couple of hula hoopers, going all over town giving out individually wrapped candy canes and resource cards, and that turned into a winter
The view across the pond at Brooklyn Cider House at Twin Star Orchard on North Ohioville Road just east of the village.
carnival and a parade, and now it’s four events. New Paltz cares. The heart, the commitment, the generosity of spirit is overwhelming. We just ask everyone two things: What lights you up, and how can we help you get there?”
In 2020, Kevin Case became the executive director of the Mohonk Preserve, an 8,000-acre nonprofit nature preserve. “During shutdown it was the uncertainty around keeping the lights on, and then we were just inundated with offthe-charts numbers of people,” he says. “I think we learned a lot from managing that. Now, it’s great but not crazy, and it feels like we’ve gotten to a good place.” Projects underway include everything from adaptive climbing and wheelchair-friendly carriage roads to smarter signage, the possible replacement of the failing Duck Pond dam with a flowing stream managed by beavers—and a fresh emphasis on making sure everybody feels included.
“We handed out 4,000 free six-week passes to county residents as part of healthy Ulster last year,” says Case, “and we’re doing free passes for clients of Family of Woodstock. You can go to the library, 60 different libraries this year, and borrow a three-day pass. There’s a big focus on welcoming and belonging.”
Linda Ferrante has been working at Wallkill View Farm on the flats just west of the Wallkill River for over 40 years, since she began dating second-generation owner Sandy Ferrante at 14. This time of year, the Rotary Club she helps direct is busy making sure families in need will get some holiday gift cards for food and a couple of extra gifts. Year round, they operate the Backpack Program that keeps kids fed on weekends. “Of course it’s changed since I grew up here, and changed some more since the pandemic,” she says. “Our regulars, both the locals and the tourists, are amazing, and that’s never changed. We’re a strong community. We have to embrace growth, and visitors, and people who come here to find a home. I’d love to see people hold onto the spirit of connection and gratitude that was in the air right after the pandemic—listen to each other, work together gracefully.”
Top: Noah Michaels, owner of Dry Fly Coffee Company, located next to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in the Zero Place building on Route 32.
Bottom: Cousins Danica and John Ferrante, the third generation of Ferrantes to run Wallkill View Farm.
Top row: Alexandra Voukitivitch, Doree Lipson, and Bri Cordi, psychotherapists at Wellness Embodied; Alexis Wojtanowski, Steve Hazel, and Maeve Hazel; Catherine DiNardo and Todd Essig, psychologists; Walter Marquez and Cosmo Lizzi, managers at Water Street Market and the Antiques Barn.
Middle row: George Fischer, retired IBM engineer and Cami Fischer, graphic illustrator at Cameo Art Studio; Barry Koffler, retired; Eric Hennessey, Hudson Valley Trailworks with Henri Hennessey; Ben Garthus, Brooklyn Delhi, with Chitra Agrawal.
Bottom row: Andrew Bajardi, director of Visitor Experience at the Mohonk Preserve and Megan Napoli, associate director of conservation science and research at the Mohonk Preserve, with Lady and Little; Amy and Alex Bartholomew, SUNY New Paltz professors, with Annabeth and Aubrey Bartholomew; Rachel and Howie Matza, gardeners, with Otis; Jennifer Diorio with Lunabelle Marie.
Fall festivities were in full swing when we stopped by Water Street Market in New Paltz for a photoshoot on October 5. The Bernstein Bard Trio was playing, folks were dancing in the courtyard, and cyclists were passing through on the cider donut circuit. Thanks to all the New Paltz residents who came out to represent.
New Paltz
Pop-Up
Portraits by David McIntyre
Cider Donut Bike Tour participants: Frank Marcovitz, Bill Cabrera, Deb Cabrera, and Paul Brodhead.
Top row: John and Joanne Chack, retired; Justin Napoletano with Dominic Napoletano; Lindsay Dalton, school programs manager at Historic Huguenot Street and Georgina Liucci, annual fund coordinator, at Historic Huguenot Street; O’Malley Hayes and Jake Packer of Karma Road; Kenny Daley, movement facilitator.
Middle row: Cody Musser, product manager with Laura Westman, creativity coach; Christiana Fortune-Reader, musician and Eric Fortune-Reader, professor, with Kiefer and Juniper; Kay Zakarin and Courtney Pekusic, SUNY New Paltz students; Seth David Branitz, artist.
Bottom row: Peter Cricchio, chief technology officer at Hawk Studios; Matt Sweeney, the Parish Restaurant; Remy Commisso, SUNY New Paltz student; Maureen Hopkins, administrative assistant and gardener at New Paltz Gardens for Nutrition; Noelia Santos and Mike Maser, cyclists.
Top row: Orphenus Burger, photographer and SUNY New Paltz student; Mark Bernstein, Steve Bernstein, and Robert Bard, musicians with the Bernstein Bard Trio; Gabriela Mayr, registered nurse; Paulo Netto, director and Alison Goggin, cofounder Atelier Sartorio.
Middle row: Noah Brown; Maya Projansky, Hudson Valley Writing Project and Carrie Molay, Optimera; Richard Yi, cidermaker at Brooklyn Cider House; Ronnie SueJaffe, Woodland Pond with Alice Loaiza.
Bottom row: Scott Greenberg, Marcia Burns, Dale Montelione, Barry Koffler, Rick Faloon; Stephen Liss; Theresa Fall, owner Jar’d Wine Pub, co-owner the Parish Restaurant.
Nearby New Paltz
For every major Ulster County town, there is an ever-brightening constellation of nearby communities. As New Paltz has grown in popularity and prosperity, so too have Gardiner, Highland, Kerhonkson, and Stone Ridge—offering locals and visitors a bounty of thriving businesses that call the Shawangunk Mountains home.
Whitecliff Vineyard is all about wine. The tasting room vibe is mellow, the view of the Gunks is spectacular, and the staff focus is on wine education for those who want it. Whitecliff is a beautiful and relaxing spot to finish a day of hiking on the Shawangunk Ridge, to gather with friends, or simply to discover the high quality of Hudson Valley wines. They have been open ince 1999 and have won more international awards than any other producer in the Hudson Valley. There are now two locations, one in Gardiner (home base) and one in Hudson, and both open year round. Stop in for one of their many food popups (all listed on the website events page) and see why they keep winning awards for Best Winery and Best Wine in the Hudson Valley.
Hero’s Journey ® Foundation at Lifebridge Sanctuary
Lifebridge Sanctuary, home of the Hero’s Journey® Foundation, is a 12,000 sq. ft. eco-friendly retreat center nestled on 95 acres of serene forest in Rosendale. With stunning views of the Catskill Mountains, they offer an ideal space for retreats, workshops, and gatherings. They host up to 50 day-use guests, and offer comfortable overnight accommodations for up to 33 visitors. Committed to sustainability, Lifebridge creates a peaceful environment for personal reflection, group connection, and transformation. They are honored to be serving as a local resource for growth and renewal in the Hudson Valley.
Century House
Historical Society
Centuryhouse.org
Widowjanemine.com
Rosendale Natural Cement was used in the building of some of the most enduring landmarks of our nation-The Brooklyn Bridge, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and the wings of the U.S. Capitol Building, just to name a few. The Century House Historical society, stewards of the Widow Jane mine is dedicated to the history of the Rosendale cement region.
Full Circle
297 Bruynswick Road, Gardiner Fcgardiner.com
Full Circle is a vibrant collective of small, locally owned businesses in the Hudson Valley. Come visit Gardiner Bakehouse for delicious pastries and sourdough breads, Benton for casual local fare and curated beer and wine offerings, and Full Circle Studio to enjoy live music and engaging classes and events.
Mind the Forest
High Falls, NY
Mindtheforest.com
The mindfulness practice of Forest Bathing has taken hold globally both as an essential part of our well-being, and critical to our role as care-takers of the earth. This guided experience is more saunter than hike, allowing us to shift from our thinking minds, where we spend most of our time, to a direct sensory experience of and connection with the natural world. Private walks and group retreats by appointment.
Sun Creek Center
8 Sun Creek Lane
Stone Ridge (845) 687-6341
Suncreekcenter.com
Sun Creek Center offers healing arts services in a homelike atmosphere: individual, group, and family psychotherapy, somatic treatment/body work, acupuncture, and psychedelic/ ketamine assisted therapies. Visit their website for more information.
The Disgruntled Chef
125 Main Street, Gardiner (833) 592-3353
Thedisgruntledchef.com
The Disgruntled Chef is a thirty seat restaurant and market serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the heart of Gardiner. They offer a fully stocked grab and-go case packed with ready to eat bites and meals, and also a variety of housemade ice cream. During warmer months, outdoor seating is available.
Creekside Bar & Bistro, established in 2019 and located in the heart of Rosendale, offers seasonal American cuisine, indoor and outdoor dining with stunning creek views. Enjoy happy hour, weekday specials, and their ever-changing weekend features. Pair a meal with delicious cocktails or local and popular beers. Just 10 minutes from New Paltz.
The Nose Knows The All-Natural Scents of WabiSabiKouKi
By Lisa Green
Engaging in a conversation about fragrance with Marcangelo Puccio opens a door to a scentified, layered, complex, world-encompassing universe of extracts and distillations. While a botanist with a long career in education in California, he spent three decades studying perfumery as avocation. Now retired and living in Columbia County, he is formulating fragrances to sell, with a growing line of scents under the name WabiSabiKouki.
Puccio, who says that he falls somewhere between a hobbyist and a professional perfumer, is passionate about using only natural raw materials. He sources them from around the world but also grows or forages locally for wild materials to create all-natural fragrances—and to make them affordable. “For me,” he says, “the process of sourcing, collecting and supplying very fine raw materials is every bit as intriguing as developing new fragrances.”
Puccio may call himself part hobbyist, but he’s been writing online about fragrance materials for 20 years, and his engagement with online creative communities has afforded him some reputation as a “nose.” He frequently receives samples of fragrance ingredients to review—a nice perk in his line of study, since these top-shelf oils and extracts from every part of the globe are often rare and extremely costly.
“The only things I’m using are products extracted from plants in some way,” Puccio says. That includes grain alcohol, essential oils, and natural isolates—purified chemicals extracted from a mixture. For those of us without
a background in chemistry and botany, the science gets complicated. There’s talk of molecules and fermentation, distillates and evaporation. One can imagine him at his workbench, micropipette in hand, zealously layering, weighing and sniffing, adding one ingredient, trying again with a different blend. It’s alchemy—a mix of chemistry and art, with more than a dash of romantic imagery in a fragrance’s descriptives.
Puccio works on a limited number of fragrances at a time—the nose has its limits. He’ll proceed with different aspects of the work: Take a sniff, then do some organizational task and get some fresh air. (By the way, that candle shop trick of sniffing coffee beans between smelling candles? “It’s nonsense,” he says.)
Some of the ingredients are familiar: sandalwood (“like a blanket, it softens everything and has a long duration on the skin”), patchouli (a really high grade, not the musty hippie stuff), wild rose, vetiver, and jasmine (the latter is one scent he can’t live without: “It’s one of the most beautiful things on the planet”). From his garden he distills mint, lemon thyme, lime mint, rosemary, sage and wild rose.
Every Friday, Puccio brings his “instructional collection” to the New Lebanon Farmers’ Market. The market the store is held in already holds inventory of his fragrances on its shelves, but he sets up his bottles and vials of perfumes and raw materials for customers to sample, layer, even create their own perfumes. Puccio loves to share what goes into making a fine fragrance.
Top left: WabiSabiKouKi smallbatch fragrances are made from all-natural materials by Marcangelo Puccio.
Top right: Puccio’s workspace at his Columbia County home.
To wit: Ambrosia, a fragrance he created for his daughter. Puccio’s description includes this: It is compounded with benzoin and myrrh resin so there is quite a bit of suspended particulate matter before it is filtered. It’s built around a heart of natural vanillin, benzoin, ambrette seed absolute, rose absolute, patchouli, labdanum, myrrh, and oud. The top notes feature bergamot, lavender, rose otto and angelica. The balance in this fragrance is tart, powdery, herbal, and richly floral at first, settles into a balanced musky rosy amber, and dries down to a sweet, spicy, vanillin scent. In the very end, a sweet clean addictive skin scent remains.
Because of his longtime online presence, Puccio is in communication with luxury-niche vendors in Turkey, India, and elsewhere, who distill the natural materials. Those companies produce large quantities of extracts for sale to perfume companies, but there are other sources who purchase from the big vendors and sell small quantities to small-batch perfumers like Puccio. He also has some connections with the Japanese fragrance community and appreciates that culture’s fragrance esthetic. Thus the name WabiSabiKouKi.
“Wabi sabi is a Japanese aesthetic that values the inherent imperfection, transience, and temporary nature of all phenomena,” he says, explaining that “Kou” means fragrance, and “Ki” is the same word as “chi” in Chinese (as in Tai Chi) — spirit, heart, or vital energy. “The two words combined mean something pretty close to ‘perfume maker,’” Puccio says. Natural fragrances are not sculpted to be perfect, and they themselves age over time, but not always in a bad way. Puccio says he designs them to improve over time.
The WabiSabiKouKi collection at the New Lebanon Farmers Market ranges in price from $19 to $38.75. Puccio does sell his daughter’s Ambrosia scent, as well as Eau de Cologne, Superieur, the recreation of a classic Eau de Cologne, a refreshing unisex citrus and herb cologne; Wild Rose Triple Eau de Cologne, with tart, fruity, geranium, and fresh rose water notes; Eau de Patchouli, an adaptation of an old recipe, a mix of Indonesia patchouli oil and patchouli extract with neroli and rose oil; and Poet’s Jasmine, musky in its opening notes, transitioning to a delicate, natural jasmine flower skin scent. More will always be forthcoming.
Puccio says he’s on the cusp of selling online, but his quantities are quite small. He’s using locals as a testing ground for his limited-batch, artisanal fragrances made with the finest natural materials through years of study. If you like perfume, follow your nose to New Lebanon on Fridays. @wabisabikouki
27 Housatonic St. Lenox, MA Open 5pm to 1 am
Many of Puccio’s extracts travel with him in his “instructional collection.”
Photo by Lisa Green
cows and holly
sandra boynton tries to explain her wild new christmas album thu dec 19 at 7pm
Chris Maxwell Nothingland (Goathouse Music)
Moving past the history and accolades of Chris Maxewell’s stint as guitarist of Skeleton Key (who toured with some of the most influential arty post-hardcore?) bands of the late ’90s is difficult, but Nothingland, his third “solo” album demands its own something. This is mingling, merging, and meshing of diverse themes, genre-bending sounds, lyrical seduction, fearless instrumentation of new and old technology, and free-spirited collaboration with worldrenowned master creatives. Maxwell is the wizard casting spells over a sticky cauldron boiling down an intoxicating and gluey stew of sound. An artfully deft, soup-to-nuts concoction. Luring us in and connecting dots of thought, he ironically achieves connection from tales steeped in the tragedy and beauty of humanity’s disconnection. The endless search for love, the nagging attempt to understand and accept death, the questioning of what the hell is America and why. The music is ambient and theatrical at times, vulnerable and cheeky at others. It is also playful, and any preciousness is offset with a sense that Maxwell isn’t falling into a trap of taking it all too seriously. How could you when combining Soviet-era synthesizers with Americana soul and conducting perhaps the world’s best guitar player (Nels Cline)? The Woodstock party is joined by longtime superstars producer/bassist Eli Crews, Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel, Marco Benevento on keys, Otto Hauser and Manuel Quintana on drums, David Lizmi and Jeff Lipstein on bass, Sam Evian on sax, and Zach Djanikian on sax and keys, with vocalists from the halo of Sufjan Stevens completing the menage. Recorded on analog tape, Wilco fans rejoice.
—Jason Broome
Hen in the Foxhouse Look Up (Independent)
Hen in the Foxhouse’s debut, Look Up, is a collaboration joining well-travelled Kingston singer/composer/lyricist Elena Sophia Krell and UK engineer/ keyboardist Ru Lerner. The disc hints at Hudson Valley neighbors the Dust Bowl Faeries and Kimberly Hawkey, but the fey sense of humor and lush but never-overbaked production often recall, in the best way, a rural, rootsy take on Belle and Sebastian, whether on the vaguely Balkan “Whatever They Want” or the snarky “War on Little Girls.” Krell continually shows a real invention in marrying words to melody in unexpected ways. If reading the lyrics makes them seem overwritten, listening to them never does, which means the songs are doing their job. “Toothbrush,” with its clincher “Me and my house hope you are home,” puts a heartbreakingly tender spin on the pandemic. And “Animalistic” parallels a human relationship with monkeys “up there in the trees” who “feel the same.” Beautiful.
—Michael Eck
Hide and Shine Soft Machines
(Portable Black Hole Records)
One of the last releases mixed by the late Steve Albini, debut double album Soft Machines from Kingston-based band Hide and Shine is a volatile powder keg of overdriven power trio music. Laden with a punk attitude, the music is nonetheless spiritually inclined. Maybe it’s because of founding guitarist and singer-songwriter Chris Kelly’s interest in the I Ching, or his trust in the subconscious in songwriting, but the music, apart from being grungy as a graffitied rock club bathroom, is interstellar in its lyrics, like when “Here There and Every Nowhere” takes the listener out of this world with the words “born outside of time and space I never thought I’d find a place with drifters of a quantum plain.” The second track, “You and Yesterday,” gives the band a moodiness, full of gravely strumming and snaking guitar riffs. Other standout tunes include “Mindless Apparition,” which sounds like a song that will go big.
—Tristan Geary
SOUND CHECK | Dean Jones
Each month we ask a member of the community to tell us what music they’ve been digging.
I’ve been really enjoying my “Radio Cake” show on Radio Kingston. It’s pretty freeform, with just a couple of self-imposed rules: Keep the songs short, lots of variety, equine- and kid-friendly (because my producer is a horse and kids are goats), and my major human peeve is the huge percentage of music I encounter in which the singer seems to be saying “My hair is looking amazing today. In fact, I’m looking so hot right now.” Here’s some music I like with more (or less) substance over ego.
I love Elizabeth Frazer’s Sun’s Signature. The Cocteau Twins singer’s long-awaited album is more than I could have hoped for. Incredible, dreamy songs and sounds from my favorite singer. Then there’s Paul Spring’s Kind of Heaven. Spring is from Minnesota and has a band called Holy Hive with Homer Steinweiss (Amy Winehouse, El Michals Affair). He’s recorded Bach transcriptions for 12-string guitar, cowrites on tons of people’s records, and last year did a tour of towns along
the Hudson River in a canoe. Oh, and he has two great albums out this year. He’s a busy bee with a beautiful voice and a lot to say. There’s Mo Phillips’s Sock Planet—full disclosure: I recorded this album. Mo is so fun and absurd. He’s simultaneously shallow and deep. I also like Beatrice Deer’s Little Songs
While she’s known for mixing indie rock and Inuit throat singing, this is the Inuk/Mohawk artist’s first album for kids. Mostly percussion and voices on this sweet and unusual record. I also like Bug Club’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System. The Welsh band Bug Club is ratty, humorous, and hooky—nonchalant pop punk. Other albums that I’ve been digging are Cosimo Sheldrake’s Eye to the Ear, Dora Jar’s No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire, Beth Anderson’s I Can’t Stand It, Adn Maya Collective’s Cuarto Album, and Foushee’s Pointy Heights.
Dean Jones is a Grammy Award-winning producer and a multi-instrumentalist. He also hosts “Radio Cake,” which airs Sundays from 5-7pm on Radio Kingston.
Woodstock: From World War to Culture Wars
Richard Heppner
EXCELSIOR EDITIONS, 2024
It might be shocking to think that one of the region’s most politically progressive towns was once a hotbed of conservatism, but Woodstock town historian begins his chronicle of life in “the most famous small town in America” with a portrait of a Republican-dominated municipality at the start of World War II. How it evolved is Heppner’s engaging and well-researched tale, from locals looking for Nazi planes at the Observation Post on Overlook Mountain to the recent revitalizations of longtime cultural centers Colony and the Bearsville Theater. Heppner reveals how beneath the surface, there are always small, interconnected things that eventually lead to changes in the character of a place.
Donnaville
Donna Minkowitz
INDOLENT BOOKS, 2024, $16
Beacon author Donna Minkowitz has spent her career writing memoirs, columns, and investigative pieces. Her range as a mostly nonfiction writer, from her restaurant reviews to reporting on the white supremacist movement, has broadened with her first novel, Donnaville. It’s a fantasy city that exists exclusively in the author’s mind. The book is a psychological thriller depicting a society similar to our own with parks, bars, religion, and, in the center of it all—a prison. Donna is both the incarcerator and the prisoners, who are trying to escape. Donnaville is full of queer and political themes reflecting parts of Minkowitz’s own identity and passions.
Tidal Lock
Lindsay Hill
MCPHERSON & COMPANY, 2024, $24
Tidal Lock is Hill’s first novel in over a decade since Sea of Hooks (2013). Prior to novel-writing, the Bard College alumnus was known for his six books of poetry. His new novel, published by Kingston-based McPherson & Company, blends together reality and illusion in a psychological slow burn. Olana, the protagonist, begins to question the world she lives in and the people around her as she unravels the mysterious disappearance of her father. It’s a narrative-heavy book split into sections that are a few sentences to a few paragraphs long. The trippy pacing and uncertainty of time leaves the reader to unravel the mystery alongside Olana.
She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street
Paulina Bren
W. W. NORTON & COMPANY, 2024, $29.99
Bren is a professor at Vassar College, where she is the director of the Women, Feminist, and Queer Studies Program. She’s written numerous scholarly books and essays specifically about communist history in Eastern Europe. Her first book, The Barbizon, explored the most famous residential hotel for women in New York City after World War l. With She-Wolves, Bren dives into the modern history of the sexist Wall Street culture and the women that fought for a place in business. The book describes the experiences of individual everyday women from the 1980s up to 9/11.
What Goes With What
Julia Turshen
FLATIRON BOOKS, 2024, $34.99
Kingston resident Julia Turshen is a New York Timesbestselling author and the host of her IACP-nominated podcast, “Keep Calm and Cook On.” In her cookbooks and classes, she combats diet culture and strives to make cooking accessible. Her fifth cookbook, What Goes With What, has 100 recipes for simple ingredient homecooking. Exactly like the title suggests, Turshen teaches readers how to create something simple yet delicious just by throwing together a few common pantry items. It’s organized into six different sections, so whether readers want a fresh salad or a hearty pasta dish, Turshen has them covered. Catch her on her book tour at the Hudson Library and Historical Society on November 18.
—Remy Commisso
Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison
Seth Rogovoy
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, AUGUST 2024, $25
Although saddled with the reductive label “the Quiet Beatle,” George Harrison was anything but retiring. As musician and journalist Seth Rogovoy’s excellent Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison makes abundantly clear, Harrison’s artistry—as a Beatle, but even more so as an ex-Beatle—provided the world with much joyful noise. Decades later, his work still reverberates—in the air, on streaming services, and in collective memory. With engaging, conversational prose, Rogovoy reveals not only the stories behind iconic Harrison songs—“Taxman,” “Something,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “My Sweet Lord,” et al.—but also fascinating details of Harrison’s less-known, seminal post-Beatles production work.
It was Harrison who mounted the first-ever multi-artist benefit extravaganza, 1971’s Concert for Bangladesh, which featured his pals Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar, and Leon Russell. This unprecedented event—two soldout shows at Madison Square Garden, plus a hit soundtrack album and acclaimed documentary film—set the template for all such charity concerts to follow, from Live Aid to Farm Aid to the Concert for New York City. Prior to the Concert for Bangladesh, few if any rock stars thought to use their fame to do “good work” on such a scale.
In the `80s, Harrison’s production company HandMade Films essentially saved the struggling British film industry, financing hits like Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail & I, and Mona Lisa. And before “world music” had a name, Harrison was introducing Western audiences to the music—and by extension, the spirituality—of India, including modern-day mainstays like meditation and yoga. Rogovoy, a Hudson resident and Chronogram contributor, deftly squires us through all this varied terrain, from recording studios to stages to ashrams to film sets, and, inevitably, courtrooms, enlivening the characters with whom Harrison collaborated to realize his ever-unfolding, multifaceted artistic vision.
It all starts, of course, with the Big Bang that was the Beatles: 16-year-old phenom Paul introducing 14-year-old guitar whiz George to 17-year-old mischief maker John in 1958. (Ringo would join in ’62, just before liftoff.) Rogovoy excels at fleshing out these three distinct young Liverpudlians, all from humble beginnings, and bound by a shared, maniacal love of rock ‘n’ roll. No original songs yet, but lots of personality. Rogovoy reveals that, upon joining Lennon’s band, Harrison was tasked with teaching the punky front man how to properly tune his guitar.
Indeed, Harrison would be treated very much like the “little brother” Beatle, his songs routinely rejected in favor of Lennon/McCartney tunes, which Harrison’s stellar guitar work—the sonic glue in the Beatles’ sound—helped turn into hits. Harrison was rarely allowed more than a tune or two on Beatles albums, yet Rogovoy reveals how, all through the Fab Four’s reign, the frustrated guitarist’s creative engine churned clandestinely, his faith in his own songs undimmed. When at last his classic 1970 solo debut, All Things Must Pass, hit shelves, it became the first number one album by a former Beatle. Such was Harrison’s backlog of songs, his coming-out masterpiece would be a triple album, and would spawn two evergreen singles: “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life.”
More so than any of his bandmates, Harrison was outspokenly ambivalent about the Beatlemania madness. While some might see this as a kind of ingratitude, Rogovoy chillingly posits that such wariness was perhaps prescience, as both Harrison and Lennon would be attacked by crazed fans, Lennon fatally. While Harrison survived multiple stab wounds from an assailant in 1999, he never fully recovered, his weakened body succumbing to metastatic cancer in 2001.
During the 58 years George Harrison lived in what he called “the material world,” he cut a singular, winding path, and Rogovoy has expertly researched much of it, pulling quite a compelling tale from the shadows. The further he takes us from the drama of the Beatle years, the more George Harrison comes into focus as a visionary artist in his own right: a man who loved to pen a catchy song on which he could play slide guitar, but who also took great pleasure in sharing the light he’d found within himself and others. For those who want some reprieve from the darkness, Seth Rogovoy’s Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison brims with that light.
—Robert Burke Warren
Art Sick
This time the virus takes up studio in the recesses of my core painting itself deep into my stomach. The first stroke came unexpected and left a memory of my last meal— a messy, chunky Pollack—flung to the floor.
Its been days now since it let me keep anything down and I’m afraid to eat for fear of a spur of the Moment Movement. I instinctively guzzle water, but another Hokusai wave makes it’s sweeping path to the porcelain bowl.
It has settled in my throat too, experimenting with psychedelia and working up the acid to a frenzy in my gullet. A bad trip of Peter Max scorching oranges and fiery yellows slosh around leaving sour strokes on the walls of my throat.
I get inspired after a few days of palleteless stocks and spoonfuls of rice and my entrails chisel an unexpected abstract. My masticated masterpiece is revealed at the opening for all to see (and hear) as another Manzoni makes it into the can.
—Robert P. Langdon
Emerge Gallery
—for Robert Langdon
Empire’s last hurrah lost in the paint. Art Manifestos of the past now read like gibberish. Entire knowledge systems gone in a few brushstrokes. Reality eating itself into abstraction to be beautiful again. Great revolutions dead in museums. New revolutions Evolving into sights & sounds faster than theories.
Galleries guarantee nothing but friendship. All we can do, such weak creatures of flesh & blood: Laugh & lament & Laugh again & lunge after Every last chance to be sparklers, burning & Ready with a brush to paint ourselves a new day, Yellow & blue & yelling a fresh mess on the canvas.
—Will Nixon
Pin Oak
The tree man came to do tree work. You should cut down that dead pin oak, he said. Why? I said.
It’s dead. It could fall in the first big storm, he said. How long has it been dead? I said. Hard to say. When did it leaf out last? he said. I’m not sure. Two or three years ago maybe, I said. You should get rid of it, he said.
What’s the proper period of mourning for a dead pin oak? I said. I never heard of a proper period of mourning for a tree, he said. Me neither, but I’m starting it. Four years for a pin oak, I said.
—J. R. Solonche
VOTE
—p (another white dude for harris)
Light in Every Sense
On the drive through the mountains of Morocco, my new friend Misha tells me the story of Sroka, a bird drawn to gold, silver, anything that sparkles, really, and I think this is what I’ve been trying to say about soulmates all along. I am a scavenger, untethered, and she, the shiny spectacle I soar toward in every life.
If the red bird represents our past, then I, this iridescent feathered hoarder of light, must teach the world about Misha, about luck, futures full of good fortune. How, in a time of lessening, she is bounty, how, among thistle and dandelion down, she rehomes me in a mosaic of brilliance.
When I meet her again months after our trip to the shores of Imsouane, she hands me a watercolor of two birds on a telephone wire at sunset, wings slack in a sky fevered bright. Look, I say. Do you see it? Do you see it, too?
—Samantha Spoto
Flooded; or, I’m tired of your opinions
Another day of chatter: their thoughts, then someone else’s.
Someone over there retells one story then there’s this offense by them, and did you hear about that thing she said? Seriously, I cannot believe it either. Appalling.
There was that time, long ago, I think, it’s near, the memory. Perhaps I’m wrong, but then we looked up, not down. Then we listened, earnestly, to those right before us. We
didn’t already have an opinion. Maybe. Perhaps. I could be misremembering. That wasn’t truth, was it? I’m tired of your opinions, and I haven’t even heard them yet. Enough voices.
Too tired. There’s another.
Let me just check
—Laura Vogt
real quick
Huwara 2/26/23
“Israel’s military called the settler attack on this Palestinian town a ‘pogrom.’ Videos show soldiers did little to stop it.” —CNN
I was afraid to get my DNA tested didn’t want to know if my red hair contained a quantum of Cossack blood, the reason Jewish law identifies the tribe only by maternal side. Rifles sabers torches lead-footed boots across every threshold— it didn’t help to run. My grandfather as a child watched Jewish men get hanged from trees.
It seems we learned the lesson well.
In Huwara we become the Cossacks four hundred settlers kill Sameh Aqtash as he stands in front of his sisters, in front of his daughters we smash windows, set fire to the houses, children locked inside, set fire to the cars, mutilate the sheep, the boy’s orange kitten, leave them to die together.
The government, the Czar, the IDF all look on and nod.
The Torah says kill everything but the fruit trees and we do.
Now the streets are quiet no one is outside a silence we carry in our veins in our genes, our DNA the reason pogrom means thunder the way the ground crackles after lightning hits the way the very dirt recoils.
—Michelle Lerner
Iridescent moon
her shoes match her makeup
—Frances Greenhut
autumn flowers chrysanthemums quite a mouthful
—John Kiersten
There’s an Implied “Effing” in There Somewhere …
Even if he croaks, His crowd still rages and speaks, Blame echoes like shouts.
Belly-aching loud, Wrathful whispers fill the air, Frustration won’t fade.
“They are out of touch,” I mutter, wishing for peace, Time to clear my mind.
Forever I seek, Calm waters where shadows rest, Leave their storm behind.
—ooznozz
Jessibel Joe
Thinking bout your love and your sexy ways.
Muscle shirt with your skirt and your hair sprayed with care lipstick red sexy lashes a flair
With each kiss you arouse our affair
Me and Jessibel Joe
Sexy moves as we walk second Av-e-nue
To our place where we dine and sip wine
Where we dance to the `80’s disco
Me and Jessibel Joe
Thinking about your love and your sexy ways
High heeled shoes disco glitter sends chills up my spine
Such a deep love it feels like a crime
Love supreme made in heavenly bliss
Me and Jessibel Joe
Beaming smiles laughter glows like the sun in the sky
And we know that we’re living our truth
Yes we’re being authentically true
Me and Jessibel Joe.
Riding high in our platforms and bellbottom pants
Sexy thighs, sexy hips sway and prance
Eyes are caught in a trance to see
Me and Jessibel Joe
Thinking about your love and your sexy ways.
Thinking about your love and your sexy ways.
Thinking about your love and your sexy ways.
—Kim Kalesti
Connective Tissue
I’m told it’s the fascia that makes my left shoulder creep up my neck like a possession
the fascia that keeps my guts in place, hardens if I don’t move, if my body repeats itself
years ago, when you pinched swirls in my back twisted the thing you were meant to hold
I asked an acupuncturist to prod my knotted flower bulbs
he couldn’t melt the cold lace, frost on leaves are you who I am now?
the stiff mist under my skin, keeping me together
—Sigrid Wendel
Wonder small wonder that we keep pressing on despite the weight of the skies the bucking of the waves and the shifting of the ground.
We wake with the sun make coffee while birds scatter words about the weather and which yards yield food. While pundits feed us scraps that we swallow with our meals.
We forget our extraordinariness that our atoms and molecules linger from before our existence. That we are mathematical equations both linear and abstract and the truth of poets and the divine.
We will one day, perhaps shrug the sky from our shoulders skim the waters like a finely thrown rock bend before we break holding wonder in our hands.
—Marisa E. Campbell
Genius at Work
JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND RECEIVES A MACARTHUR FELLOWSHIP
By Peter Aaron
Sometimes referred to as the “Genius Grant,” the MacArthur Fellowship is a yearly prize awarded by the John and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation to between 20 and 30 individual US residents working in any field who have displayed “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.” They receive $800,000 of unrestrictd funding over five years. Since the program’s 1981 inception, its recipients have included writers Cormac McCarthy, Thomas Pynchon, and Ta-Nahesi Coates; literary critic and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr.; jazz musicians Max Roach and Ornette Coleman; filmmaker John Sayles; playwrights LinManuel Miranda and Anna Deveare Smith; and dozens of other deep luminaries of arts, letters, activism, and science. Among this year’s list of select honorees is artist, performer, singer-songwriter, and actor Justin Vivian Bond, who lives in Columbia County. While Bond is elated with the award, when asked if it’s true that they’re the first creative from the cabaret world to become a MacArthur fellow, they’re more on the ambivalent side. “I never like to use the word ‘first’,” they say. “It’s always a crapshoot when it comes to who’s really the first to do something. But if I am, that’s great.”
Called “the best cabaret artist of [their] generation” by the New Yorker , Bond, who is transgender, initially rose to fame with the Tony-nominated duo act Kiki and Herb before embarking on a solo career. They’ve received Obie, Bessie, GLAAD, Ethyl, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and other prestigious awards, and throughout their decades-long career they’ve created stage and studio work that is often intertwined with their passionate parallel efforts as a vocal LGBTQ+ rights activist. As a visual artist, Bond has seen their work displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the New Museum in New York, and at galleries in the US and the UK. For Bond, the merging of disciplines began during their childhood in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Finding Definition
“I did drawings and pastels, some watercolors and paintings in acrylic,” they recall. “I’d show my pieces at the county fair, and they won first, second, and third place. I’d buy 8x10 glossies of movie stars and I’d take them home and do drawings of them from the photos. I was in musicals starting at [age] 11 or 12, in local community theater. I was in the chorus for ‘The Sound of Music,’ and then I was in ‘Brigadoon,’‘Pajama Game,’ and others. I took singing lessons, and I sang in church, which had a very welcoming community. Hagerstown, though, is a very conservative town. Being a trans kid, although at the time the word trans didn’t even exist, I was lucky because I had great friends. But the day after I graduated high school, I hightailed it out of there.”
They headed north to Long Island, to study acting at Adelphi University. A mid-1980s turning point was seeing
Judy Collins at Carnegie Hall. “She’d been my favorite singer from my time as a kid,” says Bond. “My sister had [Collins’s 1967 album] Wildflowers. I loved that she just refused to be defined by any one style. She did Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen songs, but she also did her own songs and songs from Stephen Sondheim and the avant-garde. That showed me how you can sing anything and still be the same person. You don’t have to do just one thing.” After graduating from Adelphi, Bond returned to Maryland to take dinner theater roles and serve as a maitre d’ at the Kennedy Center. Their next trajectory would take them west.
By the Bay
In 1988 Bond moved to San Francisco, where they discovered the city’s queer theater scene. “I felt like there was a place for me,” they remember. “I found out about Theater Rhinoceros.” (Established in 1977, it’s called the world’s longest-running gay and lesbian professional theater company.) A breakout role came when playwright Kate Bornstein cast Bond in “Hidden: A Gender,” which was based on the life of French intersex person Herculine Barbin. The play was an underground success, but Bond, nevertheless, didn’t want to stay locked into acting only. “I was on a date with a boy, and I told him that I wanted to be a cabaret singer,” Bond says. “And he said, ‘Oh, you should meet my friend.’”
The friend was musician Kenny Mellman, who shared Bond’s sense of humor, wide musical taste, and strong queer activist stance. The pair created a lounge act called Dixie McCall’s Patterns for Living, which elevated Bond within the queer community and soon saw them hosting the Pride parade finale show and the first San
Justin Vivian Bond, one of the winners of this year's MacArthur "Genius" grants.
Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Francisco Drag King Contest. Their film debuts came with 1993’s Mod Fuck Explosion and 1994’s Fanci’s Persuasion not long after Bond and Mellman’s had act morphed into the punk cabaret duo Kiki and Herb, in which Bond played an over-the-hill, alcoholic lounge singer named Kiki DuRane. Kiki and Herb’s everchanging live show saw Bond’s seemingly always-drunk character delivering rambling, hilarious monologues between the pair’s ragged renditions of everything from Broadway show tunes to songs by Nirvana, Britney Spears, Joy Division, and REO Speedwagon.
Back in the New York Groove Bond returned to New York in 1994 for a residency in the West Village, working at a bookstore and doing telemarketing on Wall Street on the side. They convinced Mellman to come east and relaunch Kiki and Herb there, where, after a brief split, they became the new king and queen of the city’s colorful and edgy downtown performance scene, steadily building a following with shows at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame restaurant (a regular audience member was Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator and star, John Cameron Mitchell, who would cast Bond in his 2006 film Shortbus). On the musical front, as Justin Bond, the artist appeared on 1995 and 1999 albums by San Francisco experimental musician Bob Ostertag, and soon Kiki and Herb were headliners at the Knitting Factory and holding down a weekly gig at Fez on Lafayette Street; in 2000 the duo released their first album, the kitschy-Christmas set Do You Hear What We Hear?.Bond’s dream was realized when the duo headlined Carnegie Hall in 2004, an event documented on Kiki and Herb Die for You: Live at Carnegie Hall
(2005). “My mom took the bus up from Maryland to see the show and brought her friends,” Bond says. “I think after that she finally thought that I might not have made a mistake with my career choice.” Kiki and Herb collaborated with Debbie Harry, Sandra Bernhard, and others; appeared in the 2004 movie Imaginary Heroes; and played frequently in London, where Bond studied scenography at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design. In New York, their show “Kiki and Herb: Alive on Broadway” ran for five weeks in 2006, and in 2007 they performed a holiday show at Carnegie Hall. Although Kiki and Herb would reunite several times later, by 2008 Bond and Mellman decided to retire the act. Bond went on to a vibrant and diverse solo career, working for several years as Justin Bond.
The show “Justin Bond is Close to You,” a show that saw Bond reinterpreting Karen Carpenter’s album Close to You, was staged for the 2007 Joe’s Pub in the Park series in Central Park and at Australia’s Sydney Opera House, and the 2008 show “Lustre” premiered at PS122 in New York and toured the UK. In 2009, they released the live EP Pink Slip, which was followed by the full-length debut Dendrophile, a Judy Collins-inspired folk-pop collection featuring a duet with UK singer-songwriter Beth Orton; Silver Wells, conceived as an homage to writer Joan Didion, appeared in 2012, the year that brought a starring role as Warhol superstar Jackie Curtis in “Jukebox Jackie” at LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club.
At Home in the Hudson Valley Bond began a long relationship with Bard College in 2013, when they brought the long-running “Weimar New York” revue to the Spiegeltent during college’s annual
BardScape Festival. The matchup went so well that Bond was invited to curate and emcee a cabaret season at the Spiegeltent in 2014 and would return to host and organize the series for the next five years, bringing in such A-list guest names as Alan Cumming, Suzanne Vega, Stephen Merrit, Lea Delaria, and Amanda Palmer, who calls Bond “a one of one performer: past magician, part den mother, part brainiac.” The period of performing and programming at Bard led to a teaching position at the college, although Bond, who staged “Jasmine and Cigarettes” at SummerScape 2024, has since moved on from the faculty.
“Viv is an extraordinary, pioneering artist, whose joyful practice defies and transcends categorization,” says the Bard Fisher Center’s artistic director, Gideon Lester. “Their relationship has been transformative for us. Their time as curator and host of the Spiegeltent infused that beloved space with a spirit of fierce glamor and queer resistance unlike anything I’d experienced. Viv is a national treasure, and we’re blessed to have her in our community.”
Currently, Bond divides their time between their homes in Columbia County and New York City, where their productive bond with venerated venue Joe’s pub continues with more shows there this year. “What other choice do I have?” they say when asked if they plan to keep on performing and not slow down. “I’m hardheaded, this is who I am.”
Justin Vivian Bond will perform in “Oh Well” at Joe’s Pub in New York on November 7-10 and in the holidaythemed “Flakes” at Joe’s Pub on December 12-15 and December 18-22.
Justin Vivian Bond at Joe's Pub in 2021.
Photo by David Andrako
A Singing Archive
HABIB KOITE
November 23 at Levon Helm Studios Levonhelm.com
For centuries, griots have played a crucial role in West African society. These troubadours, who each descend from a long line of previous griots, are tasked with keeping their tribal and family histories alive via oral tradition, accompanying their sung or spoken narratives on a musical instrument. One of the most well-traveled and revered griots is Malian singer-songwriter Habib Koite, who led the band Bamada (which featured his fellow Malian icon Toumani Diabate), has toured the world and collaborated with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. Koite will perform at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock on November 23 at 8pm. Tickets are $35 and $45. The singer and guitarist answered the questions below by email.
—Peter Aaron
You come from a family of griots, although you hadn’t planned to become a griot yourself (Koite initially studied engineering). What was it that made you want to continue the tradition?
Not everyone is a griot; you are born with a surname that generates the fact that you are a griot. Whether you practice or not, you are a griot. The very first griot [song] we sang was called “Koite,” like my family name. The other griots sang our praises. And we were called the noble griots. All this to say that I was born a griot, my father was a griot, my mother sang and I accompanied her; I saw her sing, her friends and relations gave her money when she sang the praises of the family. My father played guitar, accordion, and banjo. He was a miller on the Mali railroads. When he wasn’t working, he’d get together with musician friends to rehearse and jam. All my older brothers [Koite has 17 siblings] play a bit of guitar, and I play guitar and a bit of flute. I’m a
musician first, and then I’m a griot. The griot tradition still exists. Here in Mali, there’s no wedding, no christening, no death without a griot. You always need the griot. It’s the griot who speaks for the person concerned. It’s a way of moving things around. Marriage is even more complex: Without a griot, it won’t happen. It’s the griot who knows what has to be done until the marriage takes place. At death, it’s the griot who can speak, because at that moment, people are sad. He’s the one who can speak. And he knows how to speak to the audience without getting too emotional.
Which Western artists did you hear while growing up in Mali?
In the ’70s, when I was starting to listen to a lot of foreign music, we listened to rock from the UK, rock from the USA, and rhythm and blues music from the US. As I’m interested in the guitar, I was very interested in rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Marc Knopfler, Joe Satriani... there are lots of others. And the singers: James Brown, who had a big impact on us, Clarence Carter, Otis Redding, all their songs had a big impact in Mali and probably in Africa. And then, UK bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Genesis. What also struck me was that this was music that was already well produced, with good professional mixing experience live or in the studio. If you compare it to what we were doing in Africa at the same time, we weren’t at that level of mixing.
The political situation has been tense in Mali recently (the civil war that began there in 2012 is ongoing). How is life there now? Are you able to tour in Mali?
The political situation in Mali is, of course, tense for those in the know. They know it’s difficult because we’re looking for a certain pride or superiority that has long been scorned. There are still things to be adjusted, to be settled. But the Malian people remain hopeful and have confidence in our leaders, for the task ahead is immense. First of all, there needs to be a change of mentality in terms of new ways of leading, new behaviors. Some
festivals have been cancelled or no longer exist. The biggest, the Festival in the Desert, took place for the last time in 2012. We were there, and there was a lot of security, armed forces. We won’t be going there anymore. One musician left [Mali’s capital city] Bamako to play in the north and was kidnapped a few months ago, then finally released. But there are still big musical events in Bamako along the river, like Bama Art. Concerts are gradually coming back.
There’s been a wave of interest in African artists in America lately. Does it feel to you like Western and African music are becoming more closely intertwined than when you began touring abroad? There are evolutions, it’s inescapable in a world that moves at 100kmh—this mixture through travel and the internet. I think it mostly started with African artists living in the West and at some point, their music took on a certain color, quite naturally, because there were Western musicians in the group. There were also Western musicians who liked African music, who liked to play on this music or with these African artists. For my part, I did a whole album in Bamako with the American bluesman Eric Bibb, I went on stage with Jackson Browne, in Edmonton, I think. There are many African artists who have settled in the West and who play with Western musicians or with mixed groups of Western musicians and others from their own country, from Africa. It’s an unstoppable force of understanding.
What do you hope that the audience gets from attending your concerts and hearing your music? I’m not looking to dazzle anyone, I’m not easy on myself, because I’m searching a lot. Maybe I’m not smart, because what I’m looking for—maybe others can find it more easily with the snap of a finger. I search a lot to make a piece and when I manage to put it on a record, which I let my fans discover, I know that there are people who will buy the record with their eyes closed; they take it as a souvenir, in addition to the concerts they’ve enjoyed all these years.
Habib Koite plays Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock November 23.
Brat Fall
CHARLI XCX TAKES STORM KING
We are officially doing brat fall, and what better place to make such an announcement than the region that is world renowned for its glamorous and lively autumns— the Hudson Valley.
Charli XCX's pop-up event at Storm King Art Center in New Windsor on October 10, which was announced via the pop star’s Instagram story to her 6.4 million followers just two days before, was her official release party for her remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat, which was released on all streaming platforms on Friday morning. Charli’s post read “nyyyyyy i want to play you my new album :) shall we go upstate?” Underneath, there was a link to RSVP, and within seconds, thousands of people from all over the Northeast had put in their information in hopes of getting a confirmation email, which more than half of the hundreds of people lined up outside Storm King’s main entrance did not.
Since the event was announced a mere 48 hours before the Storm King doors opened, and especially because it was at 3pm on a Thursday, many people had to take off work. According to an onsite Chronogram poll, at least half of the people in the unconfirmed line had skipped work, banking on the slim chance that they may be able to see Charli for free, amidst the biggest and most expensive tour of her career. Some had driven five or more hours to be there and an extra special fan by the name of Aaron Madaej had even chosen to skip
meeting his newborn nephew to be there. He ended up getting in.
“I’ve been here since 12:30,” says Aram Rampers, a fan from Westchester who wanted to be the first person in the unconfirmed line. “I was in a BJ’s when I saw Charli’s post, and RSVPd immediately. I was really hoping they’d confirm people by zip code, but I never got a confirmation email.”
However, thanks to the sponsorship of Twitch, a popular online platform used to watch and stream digital broadcasts who partnered with Charli to host the release party, local fans who did not get confirmed— as well as anyone else around the world who felt like tuning in—were able to experience the intimacy and magic of the afternoon remotely. According to Twitch, the event was live streamed to 300,000 viewers.
At 3pm sharp, fans were let in to Storm King. First, they let in family, friends, press and confirmed guests, and then there were a lucky few on the unconfirmed list who made it in. After the security checkpoint, guests either strolled or were shuttled through about a mile of pristine fall foliage and larger-than-life sculptures by 20th-century artistic titans like Alexander Calder and Louise Bourgeois. Right near the stage, local vendors were giving out free food and drinks, as well as commemorative t-shirts.
As fans gathered patiently near the stage, the original Brat blasted on repeat through the speakers. Finally, at 4:36 pm, the crowd of a 1,000 people roared. The queen had arrived.
“We’re fine arts bitches now,” said Charli as she stood on top of the booth that was handmade for her by the production team at Storm King.
The booth was tucked in the corner of a lime green monolith, made to look like an open CD case. All along the inside were the names of all the new remixes, which includes features from other A-list musicians across a variety of genres such as Yung Lean, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Julian Casablancas, Bon Iver, Troye Sivan, and Billie Eilish.
The installation, which is going to stay up on the Storm King property as an immersive Charli XCX experience to promote her new album until Monday, did not include a barricade. Fans were pressed right up against her DJ booth, and could have reached out and touched her if they wanted to. But that’s the thing about Charli’s cult—they respect her. Not a single person acted rudely or out of place, no one yelled when she was picking songs off her phone to play, people even picked up their trash at the end of her set.
“I think the audience of people who want to come and do something immersive and amazing with a recording artist as interesting as Charli XCX are also people who, we believe, would really like to come to Storm King and have immersive experiences with lots of works by contemporary artists,” says Nora Lawrence, artistic director and chief curator at Storm King.
Lawrence and the rest of her staff are hopeful that the worldwide publicity from Charli’s event will bring a newer and younger audience to Storm King’s grounds. Though they didn’t explicitly say that Storm King was going to continue to bring big musical acts to their exhibitions, there was a sense of excitement in the air of the possibilities that lay ahead for the Hudson Valley.
—Gabriella Gagliano
Charli XCX hosted an exclusive album release listening party with 1,000 fans at Storm King Art Center on October 10.
Photo by Gabriella Gagliano
Gospel Truth
“THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THOMAS JEFFERSON, CHARLES DICKENS, AND COUNT LEO TOLSTOY: DISCORD”
November 14-24 at Bridge Street Theater in Catskill Bridgest.org
“They’re all very passionate defenders of their beliefs— but each in his own way is a failed human,” says Carmen Borgia. The failed humans Borgia is referring to are the protagonists of “The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord,” a play he is directing at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill this month.
The characters appear in chronological order: Jefferson (born 1743), Dickens (born 1812), Tolstoy (born 1828). Their chronology also defines their knowledge of each other. Dickens knows of Jefferson, Tolstoy has read the other two, but Jefferson has never heard of the later-born writers.
They find themselves in a small room—described by the playwright, Scott Carter, as an “interrogation room”—with a metal table, three metal chairs, and a two-way mirror (which is, in fact, the “fourth wall” facing
the audience). At first, the three try to understand where they are. Jefferson asks: “Might we be in the place where the wicked are sent to start over?” to which Dickens responds: “Australia?”
Their differing temperaments affect their responses. “Jefferson is trying to find this rational solution, Dickens is trying to put on a show, and Tolstoy’s just exasperated,” Borgia remarks. The play may be seen as a variant of the old joke: “A rabbi, a priest, and a Frenchman walk into a bar…”
The play’s title is, in fact, quite literal. All three characters wrote their own version of the Bible—as Dickens says in the play: “So we three were gospelists!” Jefferson, a hero of the Age of Enlightenment, removed all the miracles from his Bible, because they violated reason. Dickens, the ultimate Victorian sentimentalist, loved the dramatic and the miraculous. Tolstoy, a Russian mystic, centered his version on the Sermon on the Mount. To rewrite the Bible is, in a sense, to play God—and each of these authors has that bravado.
“Three Jonahs in a whale’s belly. May God soon expel us,” Tolstoy remarks.
Disagreements emerge between the three. Jefferson declared a war; Tolstoy was a pacifist. “Tolstoy tells Dickens he was one of his favorite writers, and then Dickens just proceeds to be a total, well, dick,” Borgia
observes. There is also a lively argument about Shakespeare. “It is a great evil that the world thinks Shakespeare a genius,” Tolstoy pontificates. (He gets a lot of the best lines, being the biggest cynic of the three.)
For years, Carter was writer and executive producer of “Politically Incorrect,” Bill Maher’s talk show, for which he received eight Emmy nominations. One feature of the program is a roundtable where pundits with opposing viewpoints argue about an issue. In “The Gospel According to...” Carter takes this idea one step further, into the realm of intellectual history. The play was first produced in 2014.
None of us live up to our ideals, but most of us don’t write our ideals down for all time. Jefferson composed the line “All men are created equal,” yet freed only two of his 600-plus slaves. Dickens was a champion of the oppressed, but became so alienated from his wife that he had a brick wall built in the middle of their bedroom. Tolstoy, at the age of 80, decided to leave his wife of 48 years because he found her looking through his papers.
Borgia compares this play to “No Exit,” Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 drama where three strangers meet in the afterworld, inside a sealed room. The famous line from that play: “Hell is other people.”
—Sparrow
Gregory Isaac as Thomas Jefferson, Brian McCann as Charles Dickens, Charles McMahon as Count Leo Tolstoy from the 2022 Lantern Theater production in Philadelphia.
You Don't Have To Call It God
THE CHAPEL OF SACRED MIRRORS
By Jamie Larson
Ashort drive from the consumer spectacle of the Poughkeepsie Galleria and into the forest of Wappingers Falls exists the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM). It’s a museum as well as figurative, literal, and legally recognized church that channels and celebrates the power of visionary art. That power is blasted out into a mesmerizing entangled web of energy and love that CoSM’s founders, artists Alex and Allyson Grey interpret as God. It’s the same God reached through the prayers and meditation of all world religions, the Greys say—they just visited this ethereal dimension through the use of psychedelics.
While some may not connect with the Greys’ illicit methods of transubstantiation, there’s no denying there’s magic in the madness. What they’ve built in Wappingers Falls, is a world-class, expertly curated, culturally significant, professionally run museum dedicated to the history and contemporary relevance of visionary art—centered around the prolific artistic output of the Greys. The 40-acre campus at CoSM, the site of a former Christian camp, contains a large Victorian house with 10 rentable guest rooms, the Mushroom Cafe, a dining hall, another cozy gallery, a gift shop, and Entheon, a 12,000-square-foot exhibition space that opened in May of last year. There are trails and an outdoor gathering area where bonfires are lit regularly for full moon celebrations. The Greys have hosted over 270 lunar parties since founding CoSM in Manhattan in 2004.
“CoSM is a sanctuary of visionary art and I think that psychedelic art is a kind of contemporary sacred art,” Alex Grey says. “Worldwide, it is still somewhat of an underground activity, but it’s a ubiquitous form of art with history that goes back millennia. Many, many people have found something extremely sacred in their psychedelic experiences and this art becomes identified with those experiences.”
One and the Same
Entheon also tells the story of the Grey’s life together, as visitors wind up three stories of the renovated carriage house. The story starts with their inspirations and the works of other visionary artists, then ascends through gallery after gallery of the couple’s symbolically complex paintings, depicting snapshots of a spiritual universe that binds living things together.
“We’re all both unique and the same simultaneously, without conflict,” Allyson says. “We’re authentic, and also unified. We are individuals but there is a thread of unity with all beings and things, and we have found that thread is the same with everybody’s psychedelic experience.”
Alex is well known for expressing these ideas through his vibrant paintings of figures that often feature geometric radiation, bodies in X-ray, fractals full of eyes, interdenominational religious icons, and fantastical narrative imagery. (Alex’s painting Praying appeared on the cover of this magazine in November 1999.)
For how visually busy most of his paintings are,
they’re surprisingly legible, a talent informed by former jobs as an illustrator for medical texts and as a billboard painter. Alex’s most zeitgeist-capturing work has been creating album art and performance imagery for the metal band Tool.
Allyson’s more abstract creations explore order and chaos through kaleidoscopic geometry and a secret alphabet of symbols made known to her in psychedelic visions. Her Chaos Order Secret Writing Zone gallery is a sensory bombardment on the second floor of Entheon. Though the couple’s styles and processes differ, they’ve worked together, often on the same canvas, since sharing their first acid trip in 1975. The couple recently returned from Burning Man, where their tandem live painting exhibitions have been part of the desert festival’s slate of attractions since its early days. They travel the world to electronic music festivals throughout the year and their work has become fundamental to the visual language of modern psychedelic culture.
Order and Chaos
During a life-changing trip in 1985, the Greys had a shared vision of the Sacred Mirrors series as a “sanctuary for spiritual renewal through contemplation of transformative art,” according to Alex. The current chapel on the top floor of Entheon is the temporary home of the 21 ornately framed paintings, eventually destined for an extravagant circular temple to be built elsewhere on the CoSM grounds. The “mirrors” are paintings depicting
life-size figures in various states of existence—multicultural nudes, the internal biological systems, religious deities, and humans at different phases of entanglement in the organized chaos of the extraplanar divine realm that the Greys feel connects everyone and everything.
Functionally, as a church, CoSM worships creativity, not, Allyson stresses, drug use. Beliefs personally held by the Greys about the shape and design of God are a part of a mercurial lore that the couple don’t push on visitors or even their growing collective of regular attendees.
The only semblance of doctrine here is an encouragement to make art. CoSM’s services take the form of regularly scheduled Art Church where anyone can come to paint and make art together in a meditative state.
Allyson says CoSM isn’t without rules, however. “We do talk openly about psychedelics here but we don’t have any here, and we make sure that we don’t have any here,” she says. “We have security [personnel] who make sure that people aren’t passing it around or offering it to other people. We want to be a safe place for our community to come together.”
Journey into Entheon
While the extravagant exterior of massive faces, figures, and sacred symbols has not yet been completed, Entheon makes an immediate impression. Visitors open the brass doors—a bronze relief titled Creating a Better World by Alex depicting Adam and Eve surrounded by the iconography of world religions—and become immediately aware they are in a museum like no other. Entering the All One Gallery, you’re greeted by the painting Ana Suromai by Amanda Sage, featuring a screaming woman holding up her skirt and blasting lightning out of her vagina in the direction of a corporate boardroom and a landscape populated by instruments of oppression.
Other works include the arresting colors and textures of paintings by the late Ernst Fuchs, considered the father of the visionary art movement, and a number of paintings from the rich vein of South American visionary artists, including Pablo Amaringo. The gallery, which will exhibit a rotating collection, is a repository for dozens of pieces by established and emerging artists, in a movement rarely collected in one place.
Also featured are the slick psychedelic sculptures of Ryan Tottle, an Oscar Award-winning Disney animator, who has worked closely with the Greys to help 3-D model and engineer the large-scale sculptural elements planned for Entheon’s exterior. Alex says all these artists agree that psychedelic visions have influenced their work.
“Anybody can have that experience,” Alex says. “Anybody can feel connected with the infinite. You don’t have to call it god. There’s a million different names you could use. Some people who connect with the psychedelic experience are looking for a reference point. CoSM can be that point.”
Deeper into Entheon, the Psychedelic Reliquary is an altar to the scientists who discovered and isolated psychedelic compounds as well as psychonaut researchers and philosophers. There are also relics from across the timeline of psychedelic history, including 4,000-year-old mushroom eater sculptures, historically significant acid blotter sheets (behind glass), and even some of Timothy Leary’s ashes.
Along with Allyson’s solo gallery, the second floor of the museum is also home to the Progress of the Soul gallery, displaying Alex’s series on life from conception to death, and the Gaia Gallery, devoted to his paintings exploring man’s influence on the Earth. There’s an insightful gallery of Alex’s many yearly self-portraits, and another devoted to the Greys’ storied performance art career.
The third floor is home to the Sacred Mirrors series, as well as the Great Hall, which serves as an event space and repository of some of the Greys’ most iconic works, including Alex’s Net of Being, a massive depiction of an endless vista of many-faced columns and voids. Before the painting is a stage, where regular talks and performances are held.
The Greys say while they may be CoSM’s figureheads, their goal is to encourage people to build fellowship. “For Alex and I, what we always wanted was to create a container,” Allyson says. “To build a temple that could be the container for the experiences of other people. So that’s the art of CoSM. It’s a social sculpture. It means that we collaborate with everyone.”
top:
The Psychedelic Reliquary hosts treasured artifacts and ephemera, including the spectacles of Dr. Albert Hofmann and the ashes of Timothy Leary.
The Great Hall of Entheon, featuring works by Alex and Allyson Grey. Opposite: Alex and Allyson Grey in the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Kissing, Alex Grey, oil on linen, 1983
From
A multimedia installation of the Chaos, Order, Secret Writing world of Allyson Grey.
Anhoni
November 2 at Mass MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts
Singer, songwriter, performer, and visual artist Anhoni first played Mass MoCA in 2003 with Antony and the Johnsons, between the releases of the band’s powerfully wistful and brooding debut and sophomore albums, Antony and the Johnsons (2000) and I am a Bird Now (2005). A name change to Anhoni came with the release of her first solo album, 2016’s Hopelessness; after a 13-year hiatus, the rechristened Anhoni and the Johnsons reappeared with last year’s My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross. (Lulada Club serves salsa November 9; Kasambwe Brothers play November 16.) 8:30pm. $45-$75.
Dionne Warwick
November 10 at Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill
Recently honored with a street in her name in her hometown of East Orange, New Jersey, multiple Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dionne Warwick is one of the most prolifically charting singers of her generation. Just consider the hits: “Walk on By,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” “Alfie,” “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart”— classics, all. Here, the divine diva and octogenarian makes an increasingly rare area appearance. (Air Supply arrives November 7; Songbird sings Barbara Streisand November 22.) 7pm. $84-$108.
Alisa Amador
November 16 at the Falcon in Marlboro
In 2022 singer-songwriter Alisa Amador’s “Milonga Accidental” became the first Spanish-language song to win NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. Raised by Latin folk-musician parents in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Amador, who sings in English as well and studied jazz, funk, and rock, was nominated for New Artist of the Year and won Folk Artist of the Year at the 2022 Boston Music Awards. Her debut album, Multitudes, was released on the Thirty Tigers label in June 2024. Beane opens. (Sikane soars November 1; Guthrie’s Ghost haunts November 21.) 7pm. Donation requested.
Bill Frisell Trio
November 17 at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock Bill Frisell has emerged as one of today’s leading and most diverse guitarists, a player known for effortlessly moving between jazz, Americana, rock, classical, and experimental styles. With many of his recordings released on the crucial ECM label, Frisell has enjoyed fruitful collaborations with saxophonist John Zorn (as a member of Zorn’s explosive band Naked City); in trios with the late drummer Paul Motian and saxophonist Joe Lovano and bassist Ron Carter; and many others, in addition to leading his own bands. (Graham Lesh gets grateful November 2; Bruce Cockburn crows November 7.) 8pm. $45-$55.
Mariee Siou
November 17 at Colony in Woodstock
Along with drawing frequent comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Joanna Newsom, California folksinger
Mariee Siou has recorded with Bonnie “Prince” Billy (2012’s Bonnie and Mariee) and Native American flutist Gentle Thunder. Siou performed in the short-lived psych-folk project BrightBlack Morning Light, and her own music, which has a Woodstock-perfect healing/ spiritual vibe, has led to her opening shows for the likes of Mazzy Star, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Bert Jansch, and other luminaries. With Reed Foehl. (Jim Lauderdale lands November 7; Amy Helm holds forth November 15 and 16.) 7pm. $17.46-$34.93.
Bill Orcutt/Steve Shelley/Ethan Miller Trio November 19 at Tubby’s in Kingston
This all-star underground trio brings together guitarist Bill Orcutt (Harry Pussy), drummer Steve Shelly (Sonic Youth), and bassist Ethan Miller (Howlin Rain). The three make the kind of loud, fuzzed-out, exploratory, psychedelic noise jams that would’ve made Hendrix and the circa-1986 Butthole Surfers proud, so mark this night down as one on which to give your ears and brain a workout—which, after the election, might make for a good cleansing. Orcutt opens the night with a special solo guitar set. (Circuit des Yeaux and Bill Nace jam it November 6; Wild Pink and Friendship rock November 8.) 7pm. $18.
—Peter Aaron
Alisa Amador plays the Falcon in Marlboro on Novemebr 16.
Photo by Jacquelyn Marie Photography
Whispers of Water
“VOICE OF SILENCE”: PHOTOGRAPHS BY SUSAN WIDES AT PUBLIC PRIVATE GALLERY IN HUDSON
Through November 10
Privatepublicgallery.net
Last spring, I met Susan Wides at an arts gathering in Kingston and we immediately launched into a passionate conversation about environmental crises and ecological forces as they relate to her art practice. It was the kind of intense chat that leaves one devastated and elated at once—devastated for the ills that our species has inflicted on the planet yet elated by this straighttalking woman whose art offers a poetic meditation on the urgency of these matters.
Wides’s current solo show, “Voice of Silence” at Public Private Gallery in Hudson through November 10, features a group of exquisite images that she photographed at tributary locations along the Hudson River, including the Kaaterskill, Catskill, and Plattekill creeks. Her sanguine photographs provide a visual healing through aesthetic embodiment, as if faceplanting straight into the magical molecular make-up of the natural world and breathing in the divinity of Mother Nature herself.
(Longtime readers might remember the Wides photograph that appeared on the cover of the
September 2012 issue of the magazine.)
Wides’s focus on water sources highlights this indispensable foundation of our existence: “Water— our most valuable life-force: a site of impermanence, transformation, flux, renewal, instability, environmental peril. All those meanings are in play in the work,” she states. These powerful themes establish a baseline that grounds her explorations in photography and discloses a metaphysical-meets-ecological dialogue. The work reveals a cosmos both familiar and fantastic, where scenes from nature morph into abstract compositions drowned in rich hues that invite us to submerge into a gloriously gooey ambience.
Consisting of chromogenic, dye sublimation aluminum, or UV pigment on Dibond, Wides’s series of sublime visions defy their status as photographs and appear more like transcendent imaginings conjured by a supreme architect with a flair for exalted details. In Voice of Silence 0305 (2024), for example, a hazy green and yellow color field stretches outward while a swath of icy condensation tears through the middle of the composition in an act of magnificent defiance, leaving a cascade of dancing disco-ball shimmers as it boogies along.
Another syrupy work, Voice of Silence 7931 (2024), could be a fleeting glance of the overwhelming neontinged blowout of Times Square on a raucous Saturday night, yet on second look we are made ever more
aware of the miraculous power of nature as the ultimate lighting designer. In yet another sumptuous work, Voice of Silence 9896 (2023), a frosty shape reaches up the middle of the image while a black shadow illuminates the white configuration from behind, a moment further sanctified by patches of lime-green and hazard-orange in the background, producing a hallucinatory threedimensional effect that is quasi holy in its grace. In the words of the artist, this “abstracted method provides direct access to pure color and light, coaxing direct emotion, imagination, an experience of the spirit.”
Wides indicates that her creative process includes “building the photos slowly” by using a focal manipulation of the camera lens, welcoming improvisation and reflections as she gives over to the development of the images that manifest. “The lens manipulations are made poetic by a synthesis of abstract shapes and (often) focused water shapes with a formal rigor that imbues the work with a presence, optical gravity, beauty hinting at optimism” she states. Responding to this pure orchestration of color by Wides, a poem by Robert Kelly is included in the exhibition catalog: “We forget, in our shallow reasoning, / that light once made / is permanent, has a life of its own” he writes. Indeed, the feeling that each of Wides’s photographs possesses a singular soul is the blessing of this lush exhibition, a reminder that Mother Nature favors beauty and bounty above all.
—Taliesin Thomas
Left: Voice of Silence 0305, Susan Wides, Fuji crystal archive print, 40 x 60 inches, 2024
Right: Voice of Silence 9896, Susan Wides, Fuji crystal archive print, 40 x 60 inches, 2024
short list
“No Cowards in Our Band”
November 2 at Hudson Hall
“No Cowards in Our Band” is a musical drama about renowned activist and abolitionist Frederick Douglass through his own words, based on a libretto by Anthony Knight, Jr. In one of his most famous orations, the “West Indian Emancipation Speech” of August 1857, Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” The piece honors him, starring Masud Olufani, with a trio of opera singers: soprano Nia Drummond, Metropolitan Opera tenor Edward Washington II, and Opera Ebony and Syracuse Opera’s Gregory Sheppard, bass. With the performance just days before the presidential election, the piece is a striking reminder of the power of the pen, the voice, and the vote. $19-$45. 7pm.
“The
Thanksgiving Play”
November 7-17 at Bethany Hall in Kingston Larissa FastHorse’s satirical comedy “The Thanksgiving Play” is hitting the stage of Kingston’s Old Dutch Church in a Voice Theater production just in time for America’s annual harvest celebration. Directed by Shauna Kanter, the play centers on four well-meaning but comically clueless individuals trying to create a politically correct Thanksgiving production for Native American Heritage Month. As their efforts spiral into chaos, audiences are treated to a clever and insightful exploration of cultural appropriation and identity. “The Thanksgiving Play” made its Broadway debut in 2023 and has earned praise for its witty dialogue and sharp social commentary. Tickets are $25 for students and seniors, and $33 for general admission.
Anora
Opens November 8, Starr Cinema at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck
The Florida Project director Sean Baker’s new film is a sex-fueled modern-day Cinderella story about a stripper, Ani, played by Mikey Madison (Scream). After sleeping with Ivan, a client and the son of a Russian oligarch, they decide to get married in Vegas, stirring up family drama. Ivan’s family discovers he has married a sex worker and demands that they get their marriage annulled. In an anxiety-inducing series of events, Ani and Ivan try to save their marriage while navigating cultural mores and existing on the margins of society.
Uncanny Valley Puppetry Slam
November 9, Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz in Newburgh
This adults-only puppet slam features puppeteers from New York City, the Hudson Valley, and New England. Hosted by Creatures of Yes, an experimental television show in Brooklyn, the show takes inspiration from kids TV shows from the `70s. Local performers include Cabot Parsons, Brad Shur of Paper Heart Puppets, Gil Verrelli of Redwing Blackbird Theater, and Dov Manley of Up In Arms. “Uncanny Valley” puts a dark humor twist on the vaudeville and cabaret world of entertainment and creates a funny, thought-provoking show. This is Newburgh’s first ever puppet slam. 7pm. $20.
“Gay History for Straight People!”
November 10 at Park Theatre in Hudson
“Gay History for Straight People!” is a comedic performance written and performed by Will Nolan, hosted by Leola, a sassy, senior-citizen redneck lesbian with a passion for sharing her take on queer history. Leola invites audiences to take her slightly arthritic and well-moisturized hand and skip through her interpretation of gay history. There will be jokes, store-bought snacks, and surprise giveaways—one lucky audience member may win a gently used lipstick! The show offers an offbeat, over-the-rainbow-cladded sermon on gay history, blending personal storytelling with cultural reflections, all delivered with Leola’s sharp wit and signature flair. $20-$25. 2pm.
Stomp
November 17 at UPAC in Kingston
The international sensation Stomp is set to transform the stage into a vibrant landscape of rhythm, where everyday objects become powerful instruments. Brooms sweep the floor in unison, wooden poles clash in sync, and garbage cans turn into booming drums. Each member of the eight-person troupe moves with precision, creating a symphony from the clatter of Zippo lighters and the snap of matchboxes. The air vibrates with energy as the performers use their bodies and found objects to create intricate, pulse-pounding beats. With a mix of humor, choreography, and sheer noise, Stomp turns the ordinary into an extraordinary spectacle of sound and movement. $44-$69. 8pm.
Wicked
Opens in general release November 22
Based on the hit Broadway musical, the highly anticipated prequel to the two-part film adaptation makes its way to the big screen. The November premier is years in the making as both Covid and the SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed production and filming. The film has a star-studded cast including Ariana Grande as Galinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz. The film follows the two witches in the land of Oz and tells the story of their friendship and later rivalry through songs of Stephen Schwartz. The second movie is set to come out in November of next year
Esther Perel in Conversation
November 22, The Local in Saugerties
Globally acclaimed relationship therapist Esther Perel will join Buddhist psychoanalyst Dr. Mark Epstein in a conversation about modern relationships and enhancing a deeper connection with friends, family, and romantic partners. Perel has a therapy practice in New York City and her TED talks have gotten over 40 million views. Her podcast “Where Should We Begin” shares a name with her card game, which helps people facilitate storytelling. Epstein and Perel will end the conversation with a round of Where Should We Begin, inviting the audience to explore their own ideas about relationships. $50.
“The Willows”
November 23 at Spencertown Academy Arts Center
“The Willows” is a haunting theatrical adaptation of Algernon Blackwood’s 1909 supernatural horror story, performed by acclaimed British actress Victoria Finney and directed by Alex Harvey. This immersive performance uses sound, candlelight, and spoken word to transport audiences into Blackwood’s eerie world. The writer is renowned for influencing H. P. Lovecraft, who praised “The Willows” as “the finest supernatural tale in English literature.” It blends the gothic horror of the 19th century with the psychological horror of the modern age, evoking dread from natural settings and the unseen. $15-$20. 7:30pm.
Hudson Valley Hullabaloo
November 23-24 at Andy Murphy Center in Kingston
The annual Hullabaloo has become an annual buy local shopping staple. The event brings together skilled and creative makers, artists, designers, and crafters who will be offering their distinctive, high-quality, bespoke wares to buyers and perusers. Included are vendors specializing in handmade clothing and textiles, ceramics, candles, soaps, jewelry, pottery, leather items, paper goods, hemp products, maple syrup, chocolate, spices, handbags, baskets, vintage items, and more. While attendees shop they can listen to Radio Kingston's DJ Mr. Chips or visit Tom DeLooza’s tintype vintage photo booth for a shopping break. Hungry? The Phoenicia Diner will serve selections of their classic roadside fare. Samosa Shack has plant-based Indian food and Whole in the Wall Donuts has something for the sweet tooth. 10am-4pm. $2.
—Maggie Baribault and Remy Commisso
Mark Eidelstein and Mikey Madison star in Sean Baker's Palme-D'or-winning sex worker comedy Anora
Outpost Life, Ian Wilson Clyde, acrylic and oil on board, part of the solo exhibition "Touch Grass" at Super Secret Projects in Beacon.
1053 GALLERY
1053 MAIN STREET, FLEISCHMANNS
“Magicians, Musicians, and Mystics.” Group show curated by Carol McCranie and Javier Magri. Through November 17.
415 MAIN STREET GALLERY
415 MAIN STREET, ROSENDALE
“Shweta Bist and Kevin Bennett Moore.” Photography show curated by Colin Beattie. November 8-17.
ANN STREET GALLERY
104 ANN STREET, NEWBURGH
“Threads in Time.” Work by Matthew Gilbert, Nicole Hixon, and Zeinab Manesh. Through November 24.
ART OMI
1405 COUNTY ROUTE 22, GHENT
“Shaboom: Presumed Ignorant.” Installation by the Shaboom collective: Silky Shoemaker, Paul Soileau, and Lex Vaughn. Through January 26.
ART SCHOOL OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
1198 ROUTE 21C, GHENT
“Abstract Landscapes Through the Seasons.” Group show. November 9-December 13.
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
225 SOUTH STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA
“Abelardo Morell: In the Company of Monet and Constable.” Paintings. November 23-February 17.
DANIEL ARTS CENTER
AT SIMON’S ROCK
84 ALFORD ROAD, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA
“Harry Levenstein.” Ceramics. Through January 15, 2025.
D’ARCY SIMPSON ART WORKS
409 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“Wither and Bloom.” Paintings by Jordan Baker. November 30-December 31.
DIA BEACON
3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON
“Bass.” Installation by Steve McQueen comprising 60 ceiling-mounted lightboxes that journey through the complete spectrum of visible light in concert with a sonic component. Through December 31.
ELIJAH WHEAT SHOWROOM
195 FRONT STREET, NEWBURGH
“Encyclopedia of Light (Today in Two Parts).” Installation by Matthew Lusk. Through December 1.
ETHAN COHEN KUBE
211 FIHKILL AVENUE, BEACON
“Yigal Ozeri: The Truth of a Portrait.” Photorealist paintings. October 19-January 20.
FIGUREWORKS GALLERY AT GREEN
92 PARTITION STREET, SAUGERTIES
“Erasure.” Mixed media by Susan Newmark. November 2-30.
FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER
124 RAYMOND AVENUE, POUGHKEEPSIE
“Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency.” Group show. Through February 2.
"Care Everywhere: Photography and Print as a Lens on Care." Group show. Through January 5.
“My grandmother's Whispers: Indigenous Prints and Beadwork.” Through February 2.
FOXTROT FARM & FLOWERS
6862 ROUTE 82, STANFORDVILLE
“Sunflower Variations—This is Ukraine.” Exhibition of letterpress prints. Through December 1.
FRONT ROOM GALLERY
205 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
ARTS SOCIETY OF KINGSTON
97 BROADWAY, KINGSTON
“Recent Work.” Members group show. November 2-30.
BAU GALLERY
506 MAIN STREET, BEACON
“Joining Sky and Earth.” Paintings and works on paper by Linda Lauro-Lazin and Kejoo Park. “Apparitions.” Photographs by Pamela Vlahakis. “Fishing with Matisse.” Drawings by Jebah Baum. All shows November 9-December 8.
BILL ARNING EXHIBITIONS / HUDSON VALLEY
17 BROAD STREET, KINDERHOOK
“Over Decades.” Work by Judy Glantzman and Stephen Lack. Through December 8.
BUSTER LEVI GALLERY
121 MAIN STREET, COLD SPRING
“Balance/Imbalance.” Paintings by Barbara Smith Gioia. November 1-December 1.
CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY
622 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“Echoes.” Work by Frank DiPietro, Louise Laplante, Olan Quattro, Vincent Pomilio, Ralph Stout, and Joe Wheaton. Through December 1.
“Flight Lessons.” Ceramics and installations by Sascha Mallon. Through November 24.
GARDINER LIBRARY
133 FARMER’S TURNPIKE, GARDINER “Alegria.” Work by Annie O’Neill. Through December 2.
GARRISON ART CENTER
23 GARRISON LANDING, GARRISON
“Constructed Paintings & Drawings.” Work by Brian Dickerson. November 2-January 25.
GEARY CONTEMPORARY
34 MAIN STREET, MILLERTON
“I have time for death and rebirth.” Work by Eve Biddle. Through December 15.
GREEN KILL
229 GREENKILL AVENUE, KINGSTON
“26 Salvages + Dicte: A Triptych.” Work by Kimbra Truitt and Sam Truitt. November 2-December 28.
GRIT WORKS | GRIT GALLERY
115 BROADWAY, NEWBURGH
“River Reflections.” Work by Maria Lago. Through January 12.
HAWK + HIVE
61 MAIN STREET, ANDES
“Fictions from the Real World.” Work by William Abranowicz and David Graham. November 16-December 22.
HESSEL MUSEUM OF ART/CCS BARD
BARD COLLEGE, ANNANDALE
“Carrie Mae Weems: Remember to Dream.” Retrospective. Through December 1.
“Ho Tzu Nyen: Time and the Tiger.” First indepth examination of Ho Tzu Nyen in the United States. Through December 1.
HOWLAND CULTURAL CENTER
477 MAIN STREET, BEACON
“Lattimore Studio of Fine Art.” Group show. Through November 17.
HUDSON HALL
327 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“Between the Cracks.” Group show curated by Reginald Madison. Through November 17.
HUDSON VALLEY INTERARTS
40 JON BARRETT ROAD, PATTERSON
“Of Flesh and Fruit.” Installation with ceramic sculptures by Karen Jaimes and a mural by Marco A. Barrioz (D.I.A.L.E.K.T.O). Through November 10.
HUDSON VALLEY MOCA
1701 MAIN STREET, PEEKSKILL
“Crit Ecologies: Artists, Community, Criticality.” Group show curated by Patricia Miranda. Through December 7.
“Psychological Portraiture.” Group photography show. Through June 30, 2025.
JACK SHAINMAN: THE SCHOOL
25 BROAD STREET, KINDERHOOK
“Lie Doggo.” Work by Nina Chanel Abney. Through November 16.
JANE ST. ART CENTER
11 JANE STREET, SAUGERTIES
“Welcome Home.” Juried group show. November 9-December 14.
KINDERHOOK KNITTING MILL
8 HUDSON STREET, KINDERHOOK
“Cradled.” Objects, soundscapes, lighting, ephemera, and experience curated by Frances McDormand and Suzanne Bocanegra. Through December 1.
LABSPACE
2642 NY ROUTE 23, HILLSDALE
“Rituals.” Paintings, ceramics, and sculpture by Susan Carr. Through November 24.
LENOX LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
18 MAIN STREET, LENOX, MA
“Pastoral Landscapes and Still Lifes.” Watercolors by Deborah Hanson Greene. Through November 30.
LIGHTFORMS ART CENTER
743 COLUMBIA STREET, HUDSON
“Metamorphosis of Fear.” Group show of painting, colored light, video, performance, sound, music, and social collaboration. November 8-30.
LOCKWOOD GALLERY
747 ROUTE 28, WEST HURLEY
“Indeterminate Landscapes.” Paintings and sculptures by James Holl. November 2December 1.
LONGYEAR GALLERY
785 MAIN STREET, MARGARETVILLE
“City to Country-Recent Paintings.” Landscapes by Ron Macklin. Through November 16.
MAD ROSE GALLERY
5916 NORTH ELM AVE, MILLERTON
“Daniel Jocz: Ripped, Shredded, and Sprayed.” Through November 17.
MAGAZZINO ITALIAN ART
2700 ROUTE 9, COLD SPRING
“Maria Lai. A Journey to America.” Retrospective of work by Maria Lai (1919-2013). November 15-July 28.
MANITOGA / THE RUSSEL WRIGHT DESIGN CENTER
584 NEW YORK 9D, PHILIPSTOWN
“The Moss Room. outdoor sculpture by Alma Allen and Bosco Sodi. Through November 18.
MARK GRUBER GALLERY
13 NEW PALTZ PLAZA, NEW PALTZ
“Holiday Salon Show.” Group show. November 16-January 31.
MASS MOCA
1040 MASS MOCA WAY, NORTH ADAMS, MA
“Like Magic.” Simone Bailey, Raven Chacon, Grace Clark, Johanna Hedva, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Cate O’Connell-Richards, Rose Salane, Petra Szilagyi, Tourmaline, and Nate Young. Through August 31.
"Jeffrey Gibson: Power Full Because We're Different." November 3-December 31, 2026.
THE MILDRED I. WASHINGTON ART GALLERY, DUTCHESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
1 GALLERY CIRCLE, POUGHKEEPSIE
“The Art of Tarot: Rachel Pollack”. Tarot designs by Rachel Pollack. November 4-December 13.
MUROFF-KOTLER GALLERY
491 COTTEKILL ROAD, STONE RIDGE
“Making.” Work by Michael Asbill, Thomas Sarrantonio, and David Soman. Through December 6.
OLIVE FREE LIBRARY
4033 ROUTE 28A, WEST SHOKAN
“In the Still of the Night.” Annual small works show curated by Nathalie Andrews and Susan Shaftan Perrin. November 16-January 4.
ONE MILE GALLERY
475 ABEEL STREET, KINGSTON
“You Are The Ghost That Haunts Your Home.”
Art and textiles by Keri Oldham. Through November 15.
Untitled, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, oil on canvas, 2001, part of the group exhibition "Magicians, Musicians, and Mystics" at 1053 Gallery in Fleichmanns.
PAMELA SALISBURY GALLERY
362 1/2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“A Long Journey.” Paintings by Brenda Goodman.
“Merry Company.” Work by Katie DeGroot. “Two’d and Three’d.” Work by Willard Boepple, Margaret Saliske, and Don Voisine.
“We’ve Been Waiting for You.” Paintings by Rachel Schmidhofer.
All shows through November 23.
PHILIP DOUGLAS FINE ART
545 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“A painter’s rule: Have a plan but be willing to throw it all away.” Paintings by Jennifer Reeves. Through November 10.
PINKWATER GALLERY
237 FRONT STREET, KINGSTON
“By Moonlight: The Magical Landscapes of Caroline Burdett.” Through January 7.
PRIVATE PUBLIC
530 COLUMBIA STREET, HUDSON
“Voice of Silence.” Photographs by Susan Wides. Through November 3.
REHER CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT CULTURE AND HISTORY
101 BROADWAY, KINGSTON
“Taking Root: Immigrant Stories of the Hudson Valley.” Through December 1.
ROBIN RICE GALLERY
234 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“No Ordinary Blue.” Paintings by Erica Hauser. Through December 22.
SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART
1 HAWK DRIVE, SUNY NEW PALTZ
“In and Out of Lineage: Tracing Artistic Heritage Through SUNY New Paltz Faculty.” Group exhibition featuring artwork by 20 members of the University’s Departments of Art and Design. Through December 8.
THE SPARK OF HUDSON
502 UNION STREET, HUDSON
“Our Town On The River.” Work by Chiarra Hughes Mba, David McIntyre, Gretchen Kelly, Ifetayo Cobbins, Jonathan Simons, Kim Bach, Michelle Fox Smith and Pauline Decarmo. Through December 7.
SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY ARTS CENTER
790 ROUTE 203, SPENCERTOWN
“Small Works 2024: Regional Fine Arts and Crafts.” Group show curated by Meryl Enerson. November 16-December 15.
STABLE AND BARN WOODSTOCK
24 SCHOONMAKER LANE, WOODSTOCK
“Between Light and Dark.” Paintings by Helena Palazzi. Through November 10.
STORM KING ART CENTER
1 MUSEUM ROAD, NEW WINDSOR
“Arlene Shechet: Girl Group.” Six large-scale outdoor sculptures. Through November 10.
SUNY WESTECHESTER CENTER FOR THE DIGITAL ARTS GALLERY
27 NORTH DIVISION STREET, PEEKSKILL
“Art or Merch?” Work by Marcy B. Freedman. Through November 24.
SUPER SECRET PROJECTS
484 MAIN STREET, BEACON
“Touch Grass.” Paintings and sculpture by Ian Wilson Clyde. November 9-December 7.
SUSAN ELEY FINE ART
433 WARREN STREET, HUDSON
“Flowers Shall Grow.” Ellen Hermanos retrospective. Through December 22.
THE RACONTEUR BAR & KITCHEN
10 MARBLE AVE, PLEASANTVILLE
“Women in Gold.” Paintings by Steven A. Worthy. Through December 17.
THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
218 SPRING STREET, CATSKILL
“Alan Michelson: Prophetstown.” Site-responsive solo exhibition. Through December 1.
TIME AND SPACE LIMITED
434 COLUMBIA STREET, HUDSON
“Address Earth: Flora and Fauna.” Group show curated by Bibiana Huang Matheis. Through November 10.
TIVOLI ARTISTS GALLERY
60 BROADWAY, TIVOLI
“Farms, Feathers, and Fields.” Group show. Through November 10.
TREMAINE ART GALLERY AT THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL
11 INTERLAKEN ROAD, LAKEVILLE, CT
The Circle Effect: Women’s Creative Power
Reclaims the Narrative.” Work by Madeline Conover, Donna Dodson, Katiushka Melo, Dana Robinson, Chelsea Steinberg Gay. November 14-January 25.
TROLLEY BARN GALLERY
489 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE
“The Duo Show.” Work by Kimmah M. Dennis and Marielena Ferrer. Through November 8.
TROUTBECK
515 LEEDSVILLE ROAD, AMENIA
“The Urgency of Leisure.” Work by Dana Robinson. Through January 12, 2025.
THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
15 LAWRENCE HALL DRIVE, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA.
“Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art.” Teddy Sandoval retrospective. Through December 22.
WOMENSWORK.ART
12 VASSAR STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE
“Last Breath: Death and Contemporary Art.” Group show. Through November 24.
WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM
28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK
“Masters of Divinity: Religious Art from the Permanent Collection.” Group show curated by Nicole Goldberg. Through December 31.
“More Than an Object.” Work by Shanti Grumbine. Through November 17.
“Water: Source of Life.” Group show curated by Daniel Aycock and Kathleen Vance. Through November 17.
WOODSTOCK BYRDCLIFFE GUILD
36 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK
“The Doll Show.” Group doll show curated by Eva Melas, Portia Munson, and Carri Skoczek. Through November 24.
Partial indoor view of Encyclopedia of Light (Today in Two Parts) by Matthew Lusk at Elijah Wheat Showroom in Newburgh.
Horoscopes
By Cory Nakasue
No Holds Barred
November hosts both Scorpio and Sagittarius—two signs known for the transgression of boundaries. In the case of Scorpio, it might see limits as targets to penetrate with its indefatigable will. Sagittarius tends to spill over limits with acts of excessive bravado and appetite. We will likely see both characterizations this month in ruthless power grabs and sloppy, cartoonish hubris. The month opens with a fairly straightforward new Moon in Scorpio on the first of the month. The one thing that makes it particularly ominous is that it’s ruled by Mars’s opposition to Pluto. This is the first Mars-Pluto opposition we’ll experience out of three, due to retrogrades. When Mars and Pluto align (as they will on November 3), they symbolize cataclysmic moments of catharsis. Not only do situations come to a head but they tend to do so with complete (Pluto) force (Mars) and violent passion. This showdown takes place hours before Mars enters Leo.
Venus’s entrance into sobering Capricorn on the 11th might help cool the inflammation, but her influence is limited. A destabilizing full Moon in Taurus conjoined with Uranus takes place on November 15. Expect another round of freak-occurrences, reversals, and shocks to all kinds of systems. Luckily Saturn stations direct on the same day, hopefully mitigating disruptions. On the 19th, Pluto enters Aquarius, where it will stay for the next 20 years. We are embarking on an era that is less material and more energetic, networked, and experimental! The last week of the month is a complete shift in tone as the Sun enters Sagittarius on the 21st. We trade the intense precision of Scorpio for bombastic flagrance. There is more to Sagittarius than just being loud, but with Mercury stationing retrograde in the sign on the 25th, we’ll experience its unruliness much more.
ARIES (March 20–April 19)
You may have to cut ties with the past, your heritage, or current home base to make a bigger change in the trajectory of your life. There’s a belief about who you are and where you belong that feels safe, but is actually holding you back from a necessary evolution. Any difficulties you’re having with authority figures, reputation, or finding meaningful work can be helped by releasing yourself from family narratives that don’t support your need for more agency. You may not even want more control over your life, but like the proverbial baby bird, you’re getting kicked out of the nest.
TAURUS (April 19–May 20)
A surge of righteous idealism may possess you early this month. Notice when you’re being intolerant of anyone else’s ideas or shutting down another person’s expression. This energy would be better utilized in a solitary research project, or the writing of a manifesto or polemic. Your moral and ethical positions are at the tail end of a long process of metamorphosis. You may feel like it’s you against the world when it comes to your belief systems. You don’t have to become an enemy of the people to fully embrace your own philosophies. Subjectivity doesn’t make your opinions invalid.
Cory Nakasue is an astrology counselor, writer, and teacher. Her talk show, “The Cosmic Dispatch,” is broadcast on Radio Kingston (1490AM/107.9FM) Sundays from 4-5pm and available on streaming platforms. AstrologybyCory.com
GEMINI (May 20–June 21)
Getting emotionally attached to objects, money, and whatever you think of as “mine” is natural. Don’t let it get in the way of allowing a partnership to deepen. If it’s too uncomfortable to share your “stuff” with someone else, ask yourself if they’re truly unworthy of your trust or if you’re just trying to maintain control. If you need to protect yourself, by all means, raise your defenses! Fight for what’s yours. If you’re just hoarding power by hoarding resources, you may be missing out on an opportunity to grow your net worth, self-worth, and a real sense of security.
CANCER (June 21–July 22)
There’s a simultaneous desire to both defend against and succumb to annihilation in personal relationships. There are powerful forces in your life disguised as people who want to help you transform your sense of self. Joining forces with them would cost you parts of your ego that make you feel safe. There are also people around who just want to extract something from you. In both cases, a part of you dies. Compromise for those who are truly invested in you, and you could end up growing into a more powerful version of yourself. This isn’t a transaction, it’s regeneration.
LEO
(July 22–August 23)
Hidden or rejected desires are pushing their way into your consciousness. Why were they exiled to begin with? Following that question could lead you down a rabbit hole of inquiry around the subject of emotional safety. Certain judgements against feelings of anger, aggression, and imposing your will can have the effect of muting your needs. Anger and desire are intimately related. Oftentimes when we’re chronically confused or are plagued with ambivalence, it’s a sign we haven’t sufficiently processed or expressed anger. Allow yourself a tantrum or tirade in the interest of waking up your life force. Anger is natural and healthy.
VIRGO
(August 23–September 23)
When a volcano purges itself, it expands itself. New rocks are formed and whole islands take shape. It takes more than a trickle of lava to do this though. It has to cough up its whole contents. You might have to do this as well to reach a new audience, or get closer to a cherished goal. I don’t see this as a wholly unpleasant process, though it does involve you sharing yourself in a forceful and more complete manner than you’re used to. Pick people who are excited by your intensity. You’ll be frustrated if you have to make too many concessions.
LIBRA
(September 23–October 23)
Ambitions for worldly achievement intensify and you have the drive and energy to accomplish more than usual. You’re looking to preserve a position of power and influence in your sphere. This might be taking place in your community, on the football field, or in your career. The harder you push for any kind of dominance, the more you will excite those that oppose you. Are there ways you might be able to cloak your ambitions? You can go hard without announcing it to the world. Sneak attacks from your opponents are likely now as well.
Chronogram BUZZING FOR BIODIVERSITY
November 14
5:30-7:30pm at The Fuller Building 45 Pine Grove Avenue
No charge. Please RSVP.
Join Partners for Climate Action and Chronogram to meet some of the unique bees,
Valley and gain practical tools for supporting pollinators at a variety of scales, from containers, gardens and lawns to multi-acre
Horoscopes
SCORPIO
(October 23–November 22)
You are capable of a tremendous amount of creative mental work right now. You are also capable of unearthing and dismantling mental constructs that keep you from truth and key pieces of information. Everything in life begins with a thought, and thoughts should be respected for the immense potential they carry. However, they are still just thoughts. We have the choice of identifying with them or not. Invest your will, emotions, and actions in the ideas and beliefs that expand possibilities for yourself and those you care for. Polarizing thoughts are rarely accurate or useful.
SAGITTARIUS
(November 22–December 22)
The way you assert yourself in the world is going through a big change. If at any point in time you have equated control over another person with personal security, you’re about to be tested. You may have to confront someone more powerful than you and explore feelings of submission. Submitting to a person with integrity could be a thrilling experience. Power shifts. You can’t always be the one holding it. When your turn is up, graciously, or ecstatically, let someone else have their turn. Trust is a practice. Open up to letting go.
CAPRICORN
(December 22–January 20)
You have an opportunity to clear the air in your important relationships. You may even clear the air so much that it wipes existing relationships off the map. The energy and the stamina to do some deep transformative work in any partnership is yours for the taking. Relationships that are satisfying and running smoothly can also benefit from this time. Constant agreeableness can be a sign that a union is hovering on the surface, and more difficult material is being avoided. The tough and risky topics are what makes relationships come alive. Please be mindful of the urge to dominate.
AQUARIUS
(January 20–February 19)
It’s time for a deep cleanse—soul deep. You’re ready to sweat for a cause, a goal, or a change that is so important to you that you’ll sacrifice anything that is not related to your pursuit. You’ll sacrifice fun, your ego, and all your old safe-guards that keep you from feeling the depths of your desire. This month is about getting clean, healthy, and disciplined. I don’t mean this to sound scary. You might derive great satisfaction and joy from this time. In fact, you must be quite ruthless. Giving anything less than your all will not feel good.
PISCES (February 20–March 19)
Your drive for pleasure could be ruinous if you let it. This month, you’re inclined to party too hard, play too rough, and be too impatient about getting your treats first. Instant gratification and indulging feelings of entitlement will be tough to tame and it could rub your friends the wrong way. Find appropriate outlets for this energy. Instead of chess, choose rugby. If you know you’re going to indulge in substances, make arrangements for your safety and the safety of others beforehand. Get consent before getting physical with anyone. A little self-awareness and communication will go a long way.
The Common Good ................................35
Creekside Bar & Bistro 52
Curious 75
Custom Window Treatments 21
Cutting Edge Design / Nick Brown Wood Working 22
Daily Planet Diner, Red Line Diner 15
DBO Home 37
Dia Beacon 10
Disgruntled Chef .....................................52
Doma 29
Eleish Van Breems Home .......................32
Emerson Resort & Spa 35
Full Circle 53
G.L. Decorative Finishes 22
Garrison Art Center 36
Garvan’s Gastropub 44
Glenn’s Wood Sheds 76
Graceland Tattoo 31
Green Cottage 77
H Houst & Son ........................................36
Habitual Designs 22
Harmonious Development .....................79
Haven Spa 37
Hempability 28
Hero’s Journey Foundation at Lifebridge Sanctuary......................52
Herrington’s 22
Historic Huguenot Street 44
Holistic Natural Medicine: Integrative
Arts 28 Horses for a Change 36 Hot Water Solutions, Inc. 1 Hotchkiss School ...................................75 Hudson River Homesteaders 37 Hudson Roastery ....................................33 Hudson Valley Bounty 16
Hudson Valley Hospice 29
Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra
Harm nious Development
“The Zena Woods are sacred to me,” says illustrator Zoe Keller. “I spent my early years watching Great Blue Herons nest in those woods. I chased the toads and frogs that passed through our yard after hatching from the forests’ vernal pools, and watched hopefully for the bears that occasionally emerged from the trees.” Following the purchase of 625 acres across from her childhood by developers late last year, Keller spent the spring
and summer of this year walking daily along the perimeter of Zena Woods and the neighboring Israel Wittman Sanctuary, photographing birds and recording their calls. This close observation resulted in a series of illustrations of the 125 species she observed. They are available for purchase on Keller’s website (Zoekeller.com) and a portion of the sales to the local group Stop Zena Development.
K. Mahoney
—Brian
Birds of Zena Woods, Zoe Keller
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