Chronogram September 2020 by Chronogram

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HOME & GARDEN 16 Home Skool Hoppy Quick and Julie Snyder are two artists whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve embraced the school bus-as-house lifestyle, creating a magical home for themselves in rural Ulster County. Story by Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by Winona Barton-Ballentine

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Stacked slices at Ollie’s. Photo by Josh Goleman SLICE OF HEAVEN, PAGE 12

FRONT MATTER

ARTS

8 On the Cover 10 Esteemed Reader 11 Editor’s Note

52 Music

FOOD & DRINK

Album reviews of Nonet by the Mammals; Chaotic Good by Johanna Warren; The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison by the Jerry Granelli Trio; and VT 7/21-22/18 by Garrin Benfield.

53 Books In his new novel, Anthropica, Cold Spring author David Hollander spins a dizzying tale of giant killer robots, Ultimate Frisbee, and the end of the world; plus short book reviews.

12 Slice of Heaven Ollie’s Pizza in High Falls is making Roman-style al taglio pizza in a chic and scenic setting in the heart of the hamlet.

54 Poetry Poems by Sue Books, Laurie Byro, Jacob Gamage, Cliff Henderson, Matthew Johnson,Carly Lenhart, Blake Pfeil, David Thomas and Deana Burke, Bonnie Towle, Jeffrey van de Visse, Diana Waldron, and Roger Whitson. Edited by Philip X Levine.

HEALTH & WELLNESS 26 Connecting Through COVID Nearly six months into the pandemic, with no end in sight to face masks and social distancing, we have to be creative and even go beyond our comfort zone to meet one of our most basic needs: connection.

HISTORY 32 Spans Across the Water The great era of Hudson River brdige building began in the 1920s, with the completion of the Bear Mountain Bridge, and ended in 1963 with the opening of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

COMMUNITY PAGES 36 Living Streets: Hudson As the city bounces back from pandemic lockdown, its residents are facing big issues—the positive and negative impact of tourism, a lack of affordable housing, the purpose of public space—that COVID brought into bright relief.

REOPENINGS

THE GUIDE 57 The annual Spencertown Academy Festival of Books, goes virtual September 4-October 12. 58 The Woodstock Film Festival goes online and al fresco this year, with drive-in screenings September 30-October 4. 59

Live events this month include performances at the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck as well as concerts by Modern English and Joan Osborne.

It took 35 years to bring the zany `80s comedy Chief Zabu to the screen. Writer/director Neil Cohen explains the film’s strange road to streaming.

64 Choreographer Chase Brock has transformed a former train station in Accord into a dance studio and retreat space called Modern Accord Depot. 66

Gallery listings plus highlights from our favorite exhibitions this month.

38 Getting Back to Business The Hudson Valley is very much open for business—even gyms and bowling alleys! We check in with local business owners on how they’re adjusting to the new abnormal.

72 Parting Shot Woodstock teenager Alex Ober is one of the world’s top competitors in the emerging sport of freestyle soccer.

HOROSCOPES 68 Starts with a Smolder Lorelai Kude scans the skies and plots our horoscopes for September. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM 5

I TY G

R ANT P

SPONSORED

partner ChronogramMedia 2020

Celebrate Local Business Now more than ever, we need to celebrate the diversity of our locally owned business community. Chronogram Media is supporting BIPOC-and-women owned organizations by donating services and advertising. We plan to donate $250,000 in 2020. We invite you to join us in supporting our local partners.

CO. RHINEBECK A cooperatively-owned community center, with shared workspaces, a vibrant event venue, and coworking, dedicated to providing premium space for us all to be more productive, collaborative, and joyful in our work. Coworkwith.co

KARUNA PROJECT Providing compassionate grief counseling as well as experiential workshops on writing through grief, coping with illness and diagnosis, vicarious trauma in the workplace, and the benefits of creativity to turn loss into growth. Thekarunaproject.com

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EDENESQUE, LLC A socially-conscious manufacturer of artisanal nut milks and nut milk products with a vision to inspire, uplift, and educate communities on the power of social good through our health-conscious food products. Edenesque.com

MAXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S KANSAS CITY PROJECT Dedicated to providing emergency relief to individuals in the arts in need of housing, medical, and legal aid, and committed to empowering teens through the arts to aid them in leading healthy, productive lives. Maxskansascity.org

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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney bmahoney@chronogram.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR David C. Perry dperry@chronogram.com DIGITAL EDITOR Marie Doyon mdoyon@chronogram.com ARTS EDITOR Peter Aaron music@chronogram.com HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITOR Wendy Kagan health@chronogram.com

COME UP FOR AIR Escape to nature this summer.

HOME EDITOR Mary Angeles Armstrong home@chronogram.com POETRY EDITOR Phillip X Levine poetry@chronogram.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anne Pyburn Craig apcraig@chronogram.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Phillip Pantuso ppantuso@chronogram.com

contributors Winona Barton-Ballentine, Jason Broome, Angelina Dreem, Roger Hanigan Gilson, Lisa Green, Lorelai Kude, Katie Navarra, Haviland S Nichols, Kaitlin Van Pelt, Carolyn Quimby, Seth Rogovoy

PUBLISHING FOUNDERS Jason Stern & Amara Projansky CEO Amara Projansky aprojansky@chronogram.com BOARD CHAIR David Dell

media specialists Kelin Long-Gaye k.long-gaye@chronogram.com Kris Schneider kschneider@chronogram.com Jen Powlison jen.powlison@chronogram.com SENIOR SALES MANAGER Lisa Montanaro lmontanaro@chronogram.com

marketing DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS Samantha Liotta sliotta@chronogram.com

interns EDITORIAL Cerissa DiValentino, Nikki Donohue, Abby Foster MARKETING & SALES Theresa Marzullo, Igor Ramirez SOCIAL MEDIA Sierra Flach

administration FINANCE MANAGER Nicole Clanahan accounting@chronogram.com; (845) 334-8600 BUSINESS MANAGER

A TIMELESS ESCAPE AT THE HUDSON VALLEY’S MOST ICONIC RESORT An unforgettable getaway to nature is our specialty. And this year, we’re taking every precaution to keep our employees and guests safe, so you can relax and reconnect with the ones you love. Your overnight rate includes all meals, endless hiking, boating on Lake Mohonk, swimming in our indoor pool, and more. Enhance your stay with a visit to our world-class spa and cocktails at sunset. Join us on the mountaintop and feel your stresses melt away.

Molly Sterrs office@chronogram.com; (845) 334-8600x107

production PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Kerry Tinger ktinger@chronogram.com; (845) 334-8600x108

Come for the day with a round of golf or day spa visit. Or book a room for the ultimate staycation.

PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kate Brodowska kbrodowska@chronogram.com Amy Dooley adooley@chronogram.com

office 45 Pine Grove Ave., Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401 • (845) 334-8600

mission

844.859.6716 | mohonk.com | New Paltz, NY

Chronogram is a regional magazine dedicated to stimulating and supporting the creative and cultural life of the Hudson Valley. All contents © Chronogram Media 2020. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM 7

on the cover

“Sometimes photographing is uncomfortable and socially awkward. I’m trying to stay in the feeling of being uncomfortable and go a little further, because usually on the other side of that is something that helps you grow.” —Angelina Dreem Photograph of Abida Begum and Noshin Tasnim on the Hudson waterfront by Angelina Dreem

have a horrible memory, so photography has always been a great way for me to remember things and gauge the passing of time,” says Angelina Dreem, the photographer who captured this month’s cover image and the photos for the Hudson Community Pages (page 36). “I have become really fascinated with capturing situations that are happening in normal life and the iconography of American cities and towns.” Dreem grew up in a home of hobby photographers, playing with cameras and lenses, snapping shots, and honing her eye over time. But it was lockdown that finally coalesced Dreem’s decades-long fascination with photography into a coherent professional pursuit. After founding and running Powrplnt, an educational nonprofit teaching teens digital art and design skills in Brooklyn, Dreem moved to Hudson two years ago. “I ended up in the Hudson Valley and started capturing what it is to exist here right now,” she says, “to find little moments and landscapes that can capture the beauty in it.” She had done some lifestyle and product photography for businesses in Hudson, but photographing the community for Chronogram offered Dreem a new level of access to her community. “It helped me feel like I had a sense of purpose. It gave me a degree of entitlement,”

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Dreem says. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to use this as an excuse to engage with people. I felt a degree of intimacy and vulnerability that me, just walking by with my dog, wasn’t able to break through to before.” Starting at the farmers’ market on 7th Street one Wednesday morning in August, Dreem cruised through the city on her bike, hopping on and off to take photos along the way, until reaching the waterfront. “I wanted no inhibitions between me and the moment,” she says of taking her bicycle. “It was nice, I could stop and veer off and find people.” Lately, Dreem’s personal aesthetic evolution— plus sensitivity around consent—has her gravitating toward portraits rather than anonymous street photography. “I feel like good photography is a mix of getting the consent to capture someone’s image and then also being invisible enough that they don’t feel the pressure of someone watching them for a photo,” she says. “I also just love people acknowledging the camera and looking at it, like ‘yeah, this is me.’ That is a more interesting image to me. Photography is a process of falling in love and letting that love be part of the engagement.” Dreem certainly connected with her subjects. Her day of photography included being offered fries, going on a boat ride to the HudsonAthens lighthouse, and even extracting a

fish hook from a catfish’s mouth. When she approached a man at the waterfront who had just caught the large fish, Dreem thought she had stumbled upon a perfect photo op. “I was like this is a great shot—it’s perfect, human. He had this big ass catfish,” she says with a laugh. “But he ended up being kind of afraid of the fish. He had it on the ground and couldn’t get the hook out. I ended up participating and giving my camera to this kid. It would’ve been a good shot, but whatever, I got to show off how good I was at taking hooks out and help the guy. And then I smelled like fish. Luckily, there’s hand sanitizer everywhere.” Photographic proof or no, the anecdote seems to fit the theme of Dreem’s day and her experience with shooting in general: “It’s really fun when you’re not thinking about yourself. You can experience life and tell people’s stories.” Chronogram’s community pages photographers don’t often live in the communities that they shoot, so Dreem’s insider access adds a dimension of intimacy to the photos. “The vibe was really good that day,” she says. “Everyone has been kind of hiding or reclusive, so having a moment to be like, ‘Yes, I’m participating, I’m here, I exist. Thank you for noticing,’ was really nice.” —Marie Doyon Portfolio: Angelinadreem.net

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Small Classes = Big Opportunities Early Education - Grade 12 Co-Ed Interfaith Fine Arts & Applied Sciences

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esteemed reader by Jason Stern

Esteemed Reader of Our Magazine I am pleased to share a piece of writing from an author and thinker I have long admired. His name is Charles Eisenstein and he is author of seven books, including Sacred Economics: Money, Gift, and Society in the Age of Transition and his most recent, Climate: A New Story. The excerpt is but a few hundred words of an essay of over four thousand. My hope is that the reader will dig deeper into the important insights of this visionary thinker. An excerpt from “The Conspiracy Myth,” by Charles Eisenstein: “Conspiracy theory” has become a term of political invective, used to disparage any view that diverges from mainstream beliefs. Basically, any critique of dominant institutions can be smeared as conspiracy theory. There is actually a perverse truth in this smear. For example, if you believe that glyphosate is actually dangerous to human and ecological health, then you also must, if you are logical, believe that Bayer/Monsanto is suppressing or ignoring that information, and you must also believe that the government, media, and scientific establishment are to some extent complicit in that suppression. Otherwise, why are we not seeing New York Times headlines like, “Monsanto whistleblower reveals dangers of glyphosate”? Information suppression can happen without deliberate orchestration. Throughout history, hysterias, intellectual fads, and mass delusions have come and gone spontaneously. This is more mysterious than the easy conspiracy explanation admits. An unconscious coordination of action can look very much like a conspiracy, and the boundary between the two is blurry. Consider the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) fraud that served as a pretext for the invasion of Iraq. Maybe there were people in the Bush administration who knowingly used the phony “yellowcake” document to call for war; maybe they just wanted very much to believe the documents were genuine, or maybe they thought, “Well, this is questionable but Saddam must have WMD, and even if he doesn’t, he wants them, so the document is basically true…” People easily believe what serves their interests or fits their existing worldview. In a similar vein, the media needed little encouragement to start beating the war drums. They knew what to do already, without having to receive instructions. I don’t think very many journalists actually believed the WMD lie. They pretended to believe, because subconsciously, they knew that was the establishment narrative. That was what would get them recognized as serious journalists. That’s what would give them access to power. That is what would allow them to keep their jobs and advance their careers. But most of all, they pretended to believe because everyone else was pretending to believe. It is hard to go against the zeitgeist. The British scientist Rupert Sheldrake told me about a talk he gave to a group of scientists who were working on animal behavior at a prestigious British University. He was talking about his research on dogs that know when their owners are coming home, and other telepathic phenomena in domestic animals. The talk was received with a kind of polite silence. But in the following tea break all six of the senior scientists who were present at the seminar came to him one by one, and when they were sure that no one else was listening told him they had had experiences of this kind with their own animals, or that they were convinced that telepathy is a real phenomenon, but that they could not talk to their colleagues about this because they were all so straight. When Sheldrake realized that all six had told him much the same thing, he said to them, “Why don’t you guys come out? You’d all have so much more fun!” He says that when he gives a talk at a scientific institution there are nearly always scientists who approach him afterwards telling him they’ve had personal experiences that convince them of the reality of psychic or spiritual phenomena but that they can’t discuss them with their colleagues for fear of being thought weird. This is not a deliberate conspiracy to suppress psychic phenomena. Those six scientists didn’t convene beforehand and decide to suppress information they knew was real. They keep their opinions to themselves because of the norms of their subculture, the basic paradigms that delimit science, and the very real threat of damage to their careers. The persecution and calumny directed at Sheldrake himself demonstrates what happens to a scientist who is outspoken in his dissent from official scientific reality. So, we might still say that a conspiracy is afoot, but its perpetrator is a culture, a system, and a story. Is this, or a deliberate conspiratorial agenda, a more satisfying explanation for the seemingly inexorable trends (which by no means began with COVID) toward surveillance, tracking, distancing, germ phobia, obsession with safety, and the digitization and indoor-ization of entertainment, recreation, and sociality? If the perpetrator is indeed a cultural mythology and system, then conspiracy theories offer us a false target, a distraction. The remedy cannot be to expose and take down those who have foisted these trends upon us. Of course, there are many bad actors in our world, remorseless people committing heinous acts. But have they created the system and the mythology of Separation, or do they merely take advantage of it? Certainly such people should be stopped, but if that is all we do, and leave unchanged the conditions that breed them, we will fight an endless war. Just as in bioterrain theory germs are symptoms and exploiters of diseased tissue, so also are conspiratorial cabals symptoms and exploiters of a diseased society: a society poisoned by the mentality of war, fear, separation, and control. This deep ideology, the myth of separation, is beyond anyone’s power to invent. The Illuminati, if they exist, are not its authors; it is more true to say that the mythology is their author. We do not create our myths; they create us. Read more at charleseisenstein.org.

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editor’s note

by Brian K. Mahoney

Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls

wenty years ago, as part of our first “Best Of ” survey, we posed a number of questions to readers, the likes of which we are all familiar: What’s the best burger in the region? Best milkshake? Best vegetarian restaurant? Best swimming hole? Swimming hole? Swimming hole?!? This query made quite a splash, and its ripples were felt in some of the responses we received: “Nope. No way. No how.” “Are you nuts?!?” “Why would I tell you?” “What other secrets of mine would you like to know, my bank account information perhaps?” While most readers’ responses were not as aggrieved as those quoted above, and some even gave straight answers, it was clear—even back in ye olden days—that there was an unspoken omerta about Hudson Valley swimming holes. Fast forward to July 19, 2013. We publish an article on Chronogram.com on “Seven Fantastic Swimming Spots in the Hudson Valley,” which is as advertised—a recommendation of where a water-immersion-seeking person might take a dip. (The magnificent seven: Lake Awosting, Peekamoose Blue Hole, Taconic State Park, Belleayre Beach, Onteora Lake, Kingston Point Beach, and Kaaterskill Falls.) The piece goes largely unnoticed, as we are not giving away any (New York) state secrets, just highlighting what we love, as we do with many categories of things: ice cream stands, bike paths, waterfront dining, alpaca farms, drive-in movie theaters, sunset vistas. Curation is our business. Fast forward to October 1, 2019. We publish, in print and online, “Hudson Valley Waterfalls to Check Out on Your Next Hike,” offering a guide to the region’s various cataracts and their distinctive properties. As the article’s author, Ian Halim notes, “No two visits to a waterfall are the same—with falls swelling in the spring melt and heavy rains, freezing in wintertime, or casting arched rainbows in refracted sunlight.” The natural wonders we endorse are Verkeerderkill Falls, Glens Falls and Ice Box Falls, Stony Kill Falls, Indian Brook Falls, and Kaaterskill Falls. After publication, the article joins the great archive of Chronogram content without much fanfare. Fast forward to August 1, 2020. We publish, in print and online, “Death by Misadventure,” a report by Roger Hannigan Gilson about the danger and overcrowding at some of the region’s scenic hotspots. Particular emphasis is given to two locations: the portion of the Rondout Creek that in High Falls that has been a popular— albeit illegal—swimming area for decades; and Kaaterskill Falls in Greene County. Both of these areas have been the site of

accidental deaths this year. While this is, sadly, not unusual, the overcrowding that had been building in recent years has reached critical proportions. This, at a time when we are told by health authorities to stay farther away from each other rather than get all cheek by jowl on a narrow ledge or creekside. To add insult to injury, this swarm of visitors is not practicing Leave No Trace principles, and locals have had to organize trash cleanup brigades. We also publish photos of an endless stream of cars along the road near Kaaterskill Falls and bags of trash left behind at the High Falls trailhead. The gist of the piece, TLDR-style: people feel alienated from their own backyards, as one long-time resident reflected on the evolution of the region over the past two decades. “All the swimming holes had much less people. I hardly go anywhere anymore, as far as our little secret spots, because nothing’s secret anymore, and they’re all covered in trash and thousands of people. So they’re kind of gone in a way.” This article too slips by largely unnoticed. Fast forward to August 13, 2020. We update the “Seven Fantastic Swimming Spots in the Hudson Valley,”* article and republish it via our Eat.Play.Stay newsletter. Within moments, readers are posting comments on our website along these lines: “Yet another flippant mention of Kaaterskill Falls as a swimming hole. No place to park and no shoulder to walk on a narrow twisted state highway. A steep, difficult and crowded climb not suitable to children or flip flop-wearing masses. Averages one death a year and several rescues a weekend. A local publication should be more responsible.” Other comments express disappointment and disgust with this magazine for betraying the region by publishing a piece like this. From Upstate Myass: “Shame on you Chronogram for publicizing this article from 2013 in your recent newsletter. If you have been to any of these places since then you wouldn’t have run this article again. Due to advertising them as if they’re an amusement park, these places have been trashed and some are permit only. There are literally diapers and human waste and garbage everywhere. How about you go to these places and do some real reporting on what has happened to them? Please run a story on how trashed visitors have made these places.” The above is a small but representative sampling of the comments on the piece. In response to the outpouring of

commentary and criticism we received, I reached out to some of the folks who took the time to comment and started a dialog with them. (Though everyone knows, I feel compelled to say it anyway: Even the most surly and rude of online commenters is usually polite in a one-on-one situation— or maybe that’s only if you’re an editor. I wonder.) My big takeaway from these conversations: Hudson Valley residents feel that they are under siege—both literally and figuratively. The pandemic still has us on a degree of lockdown, holing ourselves up from the invisible asailants of the viral siege. Trump is still our president, and he’s doing all he can to cast doubt on an upcoming election he looks likely to lose. (Wishful thinking.) Gun violence is up in cities across the region this summer, from Newburgh to Albany. Housing prices are rising at a precipitous pace as urbanites flee cities across the country to move to the Hudson Valley, driven by the pandemic and the ability of professionals to relocate with their jobs—a fact that will fundamentally reshape our region. Let’s face it: We’re all in mourning—we’re grieving for everyone we’ve lost to COVID, the economic catastrophe that sends the stock market ever higher but ruins workers and small businesses, for the world we knew before the pandemic. Part of the prepandemic world involved less crowded trails and swimming holes. We at Chronogram need to take a more active role in advocating and protecting our region’s natural resources, a task we are well-equipped for. We as a region need to acknowledge that the pace of change has picked up and we need to follow the advice of the Serenity Prayer. And have empathy—for newcomers too—even as they slip over the ramparts in this siege. As Philip Larkin wrote in his poem “The Mower”: “We should be careful / Of each other, we should be kind / While there is still time.” *Since we resurfaced the piece on August 13, we have updated it to address readers’ concerns regarding overcrowding and its related problems, and we have deleted the section on Kaaterskill Falls, which readers were right to call out as needing no publicity. The revised piece only publicizes public spots and calls for people to follow Leave No Trace principles (with link). 9/20 CHRONOGRAM 11

food & drink

Elliot Goleman enjoys a slice of Ollie’s pizza in the outdoor seating area. Opposite, from top: The Forza Forni wood-fired oven was imported from Italy and custom-tiled by a local craftsperson. The 14-inch neo-Neapolitan pizza comes in three classics: rossa (no cheese), margherita (classic), and white pie. To any of these you can add a range of toppings, including pepperoni, shallots, anchovies, pepperonicini, and Calabrian chilis. The outdoor seating area at Ollie’s is a pastoral spot right in the heart of High Falls’s downtown. Photos by Josh Goleman

SLICE OF HEAVEN

Ollie’s Pizza in High Falls By Marie Doyon

igh Falls has struggled to find its center of gravity, even as quaint Main streets from Rosendale to Germantown reinvent themselves. But with any luck, that’s about to change. In early August, in the heart of town, a new eatery celebrated its grand opening. Bringing together a team of hospitality industry veterans with local ties, Ollie’s offers up woodfired Neapolitan and al taglio pizzas under the direction of a seasoned Brooklyn pizza chef in a rustic, small-town setting. The “downtown” of High Falls is small, even by upstate standards. At the main intersection of the Ulster County hamlet, one corner is occupied by a grassy lot and a tall, 1850s barn. A few years back, local antiques dealer Ron Sharkey saved the structure from near-certain ruin, renovating it and painting it a trendy shade of black, before transforming it into a space for pop-up events and a weekend antiques market called Field and Barn.

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The operation puttered along but never quite took off, and in 2019 Sharkey put the barn on the market, where local couple Sophie Peltzer-Rollo and Innis Lawrence scouted it. “My wife and I were trying to organize a popup with pizza and natural wine that we’d do on weekends,” says Lawrence “And then when the barn became available, we thought, ‘Can we make this happen here?’” The potential significance of the lot for High Falls’ economic and cultural vitality is not lost on Lawrence, who grew up a mile away. “I’ve watched the town change a lot,” he says. “This barn is a big part of the town, and the lot has a lot of history. I wanted it to become something great for the town. I believe that restaurants have always been the first thing in a town that starts to change it and the rest follows.” The pair called up their best friend, Ilan Bachrach, performer, artist, and eternal

pragmatist (as well as Lawrence’s childhood friend from a nearby camp), to partner on the project, and together they built a team of hospitality industry professionals around a mutual love of pizza and Ollie, Lawrence and Peltzer-Rollo’s daughter. It took months of due diligence, but on December 3, 2019, the partners closed on the property and broke ground on Ollie’s a month later. While Lawrence praises Sharkey’s liferesuscitating efforts, the barn needed major infrastructural work—there was no plumbing, no septic, and the electric was minimal. Working through winter—and later, through the pandemic—Lawrence oversaw all of the renovations, construction, and design, thanks to his background as a builder, operations manager, lighting designer and collector. In addition to extending the barn to house bathrooms, pizza ovens, and prep kitchen, the

team added windows to brighten the interior and plaster to the lower walls. “When I first thought about this project, the first thing I wanted to do was Tudor-style plaster, between the handhewn beams,” Lawrence says. “It seemed like the natural thing to do to keep the inside as original as possible while making it cleaner, lighter, and more inviting for dinner.” The lofty barn is outfitted with sapele hardwood booths and mixand-match marble tables. But the jaw-dropping centerpiece is the circular bar—crafted from a single continuous piece of lilac marble. Lawrence, who is an avid collector of early 20th-century lighting, used fixtures from his private collection to illuminate the barn’s interior, including pieces ranging from Victorian-era to Art Deco. “The space is this bridge between modern and antique aesthetics, within the original barn,” he says. “The theme is taking these old Tudor and Victorian influences and updating them, making them feel livable and inviting.” But with the interior closed to the public until further notice, as the partners monitor the everevolving pandemic situation, all that aesthetic goodness isn’t on display to the public. So let’s get back to the important stuff: the pizza. It’s Amore Helming the pizza operation is Frank Pinello of Best Pizza in and “The Pizza Show” fame. Using San Marzano tomatoes and his nonna’s sauce recipe, Pinello is training the Ollie’s kitchen team in two styles of pizza: al taglio or Romanstyle pizza, which is cooked in rectangular trays with a thicker crust (though nowhere near as hefty as Sicilian crust); and what he calls “neoNeapolitan,” a wood-fired thin-crust pizza that rival’s New York’s finest. Alongside tried-and-true specialty ingredients imported from Italy, Ollie’s uses Hudson Valleygrown and milled flour for their dough, which is proofed overnight and stretched on a cool, smooth slab of white marble. The local, organic toppings come from local food distributor Hudson Valley Harvest. The neo-Neapolitan pizzas, wood-fired in an Italian Forza Forni oven, come in three classics: rossa (no cheese), margherita (classic), and white pie, made with ricotta, mozzarella, and caramelized onions, sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with parsley. The 14-inch pies range in price from $15-18. The al taglio pizzas, which are made over several days using the triple proofing method, are served by the slice ($3.50), half-sheet $24, and full sheet (price TBD). To either style you can add a range of toppings including pepperoncini, shallots, anchovies, pepperoni, Calabrian chilis (watch out, they’re hot!), and vegan cheese. To round things out, the menu also includes a seasonal summer salad and damn good garlic knots. If August was anything to go buy, the people have been hungry for some authentic pizza. For the first two weekends, Ollie’s was sold out by 5pm, which led them to up the amount of dough they were preparing by 30 percent. When they’ve settled into a rhythm down the line, they’ll introduce some simple, classic Italian-American staples to the menu, like focaccia, meatballs, and local, seasonal sides. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 13

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Keeping with the partners’ original dream, the drink program focuses on natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, which are served alongside a limited menu of classic cocktails, craft beer, and, in true Italian fashion, espresso. Their house wine, on tap, is a Matthiasson white blend from Napa for $8 a glass or $25 a carafe. They’ll also have a rotating selection of six or so wines ranging in price from $11 a glass to $60 a bottle. Ollie’s keeps it simple on the beer front, with two draft options (currently an IPA and a craft cider), two canned craft options, and the everyman’s pick: a $4 Narragansett tall boy. And in a refreshing break from the craft cocktail mania, the Ollie’s team has taken an easy, laid-back approach to their drinks list: non-alcoholic options that you can add booze to (or not). For summer, the choices are: regular and cucumber mint lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmer, and freshsqueezed orange juice ($3.50-$6). And for an additional $6, you can pick your poison: white rum, tequila, gin, vodka, or champers for a $10 mimosa (trend forecast: brunch pizza). A Summery Setting While the public debut of the refreshed and refinished barn interior will have to wait, the front garden, outfitted with lofty white umbrellas, socially distanced picnic tables, and red Adirondack chairs—all bordered by potted plants and wildflowers—is a lovely spot to grab a bite. Even in the hot August sun, neighbors chatted while kids ran around and dogs lazed in the shade of the tables—a picturesque scene that makes it easy to imagine Ollie’s as a social and culinary cornerstone of High Falls for years to come. “We are trying to make some place that is as welcoming and considered outside as what we have inside,” says partner Ilan Bachrach. “I’ve made a lot of experimental theater and contemporary dance. So, a lot of what I do is create and present experiences at a very high level. My role in this has drawn on that experience—asking, ‘how will people interact with the space?’ and ‘what will be the things they notice even if they don’t pick up on it?’” Next year’s plans include building a greenhouse for larger parties that Bachrach dreams of filling with “odd and rare” cacti and succulents, exotic fruit trees, and basil. “Pizza is this really basic thing that, when done right, can be an amazing thing. Our pizza is so heartfelt. We want people to have the same experience sitting here as when eating pizza.” The three main partners—Lawrence, kitchen manager, Peltzer-Rollo, chief of operations, and Bachrach, manager, plus namesake little Ollie—can be seen buzzing around the place, mingling, throwing pies, cleaning, and generally keeping the show going. “This feels like a natural transition in my mind,” Lawrence says. “This project is bringing together a bunch of different things I’ve done in my life—and in my hometown—so it feels really good.”

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16 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 9/20

HOME SKOOL By Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by Winona Barton-Ballentine

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n 2016, Julie Snyder drove a school bus for the first time. Snyder, also known by her stage name, Kat Mon Dieu, had been living in New York City for 30 years, raising her children and renting apartments everywhere from the South Bronx to Coney Island, all the while performing on the burlesque circuit and as a Marilyn Monroe tribute artist. Her varied career has included modeling at the Art Students’ League, creating headdresses for other performance artists, and working as a registered nurse for almost 20 years. “I’ve always wanted my own home,” she explains, “but I could never afford to buy one.” With her children growing up, her nest was emptying and she realized she needed much less space. Snyder was also tired of renting and wanted a place she could call her own. Snyder, an Adirondack native, first considered an RV. “I loved the idea of having a home,” she says, “but also being able to go somewhere and just take my whole house with me—take my cats, take my kids, and whoever else wanted to come along.” Snyder quickly nixed that idea when she couldn’t find any RVs that she really liked. She decided to get a school bus and customize it to fit her needs. School buses, Snyder explains, are built to last. “They are built to protect children and they’re well maintained,” she says. Usually retired at around 100,000 miles, with the right engine they can often go for almost a million miles. After some searching, she hit gold in Philmont, where she found a 2002 Freightliner FS65. Thirty-eight feet long, with 200 square feet of interior space and tinted windows, the bus had been previously used for sports trips and featured

large undercarriage storage containers. “That was one of the main selling points,” she explains. It was also affordable: Snyder bought the bus for $3,000 with her tax return from that year. Snyder immediately began converting the bus into her permanent residence. First, she removed the bus lettering from the sides and painted the now multicolored exterior. Her brother, Curtis Snyder, a solar engineer with Crest Solar, installed 400 watt solar panels on the bus roof. She hired someone in the Bronx

Hoppy Quick and Julie Snyder at home. They met at a 2017 tiny house convention and soon realized they were kindred spirits. “We’ve had parallels running through our whole lives,” explains Quick.

9/20 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 19

stove for heat and designed each space to either convert to extra sleeping space or accommodate extra storage. She named her bus Brigantia after the Celtic goddess of victory, and for three years parked it on the street in Williamsburg while she was still working in Manhattan.

Top: Quick tore out the interior of his bus and rebuilt it from boards from a close friend’s house and wood salvaged from a barn. “I don’t like taking down trees,” says Quick who mostly utilizes fallen logs or otherwise salvaged wood for his work. Bottom: Adjacent to Quick’s bus, the couple built an outdoor kitchen with a clear plastic roof and a large fire pit nearby. They use both through the winter. “We are trying to be as off-grid as possible,” he says.

20 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 9/20

to remove the 44 original passenger seats and grind out rusted bolts. Next, she ripped up the rubber and plywood covering the metal floor, powerwashed the interior and sealed it against further rust, adding insulation as she went. With battery-powered tools charged from the solar bank on her roof, Snyder went to work creating the first incarnation of the bus’s 27-foot-long interior, building a kitchen, eating and sitting area, bathroom, closet space, and two sleeping spaces in the back. She added a removable wood

Bear Hearted A series of life changes, challenges, and a little bit of kismet led Hoppy Quick down a similar path. A Catskills native whose family has been in the area since the 1600s, Quick has worked as a professional woodsman and carver for most of his life, earning himself the nickname the Bear Man for his distinctive chainsaw carvings of black bears. After splitting up from his wife, Quick was living alone in the house he had once shared with his family but was descending into a deep depression. “I knew I needed a change,” Quick remembers. A discussion with his two daughters led him to the conclusion that he was ready to lead a more bohemian lifestyle. He recalls the moment in 2016 when he decided to let go of his old life and ready himself for something new. “I sat on the edge of that cliff and I just let it all go,” he explains. At that point, everything seemed to fall into place. Quick also decided he wanted a bus, preferably vintage. The next day, he found a picture of a 1951 Ford F6 school bus online. It was for sale in Connecticut, but Quick didn’t have the money to pay for it. He posted the picture on Facebook and said to himself, “if I have acquired any spiritual power I need to manifest this.” When Quick awoke the next morning, there were two

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Clockwise from Top: After cutting out the back half of the bus’s metal roof, Quick built a queen sized loft bed under a raised wooden roof. Below another full sized bed offers extra sleeping space. Quick took a stained glass from his previous residence and installed it at the bunk’s entrance. At the back he installed a circular stained glass window depicting the moon. Quick is crafting a separate guest quarters in the style of a European Romani vardo wagon at his on-site wood working studio. Built on a hay wagon chassis, it will eventually have electricity and feature stained glass windows by Cassidy Ryan. The front seat of Julie Snyder’s bus, which she’s named Brigantia. The bus is drivable and Snyder has taken it all over the northeast. “It fits in exactly two parking spaces, end to end,” she explains. The benches in Snyder's bus were salvaged from the recent renovation of Shadowland Stages in Ellenville. Snyder used some of her quarantine time to rework the bus’s back half. What was once her bedroom is now an art studio and lounge with a convertible sofa bed. As with the first iteration she primarily did the work herself. “Brigantia translated means lofty one,” she says. “It feels like you’re high up when you’re inside. Plus, there are all sorts of anagrams that come out of it, like giant and big. That’s what it feels like, even though it’s a tiny house. It feels big.”

9/20 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 23

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messages in his inbox. One was from an acquaintance who offered to buy him the bus in memory of her mother. The second was from another friend—a mechanic who wrote, “Hoppy, what’s the story of that bus? If you’re getting it I want to work on it, and I don’t want any money.” This was just the beginning of a series of serendipitous encounters that led Quick to acquire the bus and haul it to his property in Olive, where, like Snyder, he began the redesign himself. After tearing out the old interior, Quick used salvaged wood— including floorboards from the house of a close friend who had passed—to create a finely crafted interior space. In the front of the bus, Quick built a kitchen, with a slab wood table and benches, as well as a small bathroom. He cut out a large section of the metal back roof and built a wooden pop-up space for a queen-sized loft bed, installing stained-glass windows created by artist Dave Lombardi along the sides. “It’s a chrysalis on one side, a caterpillar on the other and then the butterfly,” Quick, who has a fondness for stained glass, explains. “I see it as my cocoon because it was something that made me really happy.” Quick named the bus Donna Grace in honor of the friend who helped him buy it. Bus Stop and the Bear Man Snyder and Quick’s paths crossed in New Paltz when the 2017 tiny house festival brought Snyder and her skoolie to the area. (“Skoolie” is the affectionate term used by the community of owners for a school bus that’s been retired from service and repurposed as a living space.) “Most of the homes were tiny modular homes, I was the only school bus,” says Snyder. Snyder invited Quick to tour her bus and he realized he had met a like-minded soul. “I knew meeting Julie and seeing her bus was exactly what I came for,” he says. The two quickly became friends, realizing that in addition to their shared lifestyle vision, they had many other things in common. Not only were they born the same year, there were many other parallels in their lives. “Our artistic and bohemian tendencies are pretty strong,” explains Snyder. Their friendship grew and last year Snyder moved to the area full-time. The two parked their buses on property adjacent to Quick’s family property, combining their households and lives. Since then, they’ve added an outdoor kitchen along the side of Quick’s bus, as well as an adjacent fire pit, dining gazebo, and garden. Quick built a propane-fueled outdoor shower nearby. Quick is also converting a Vardo wagon—a traditional horse-drawn wagon popularized by the Romani people of Europe—into guest quarters for their children or other friends to come stay. Their mutual love of their skoolies, which are both still drivable, has also inspired another change in their lives. Last year, both underwent training to become school bus drivers, earning their CDL passenger licenses. They now drive for the Onteora school district. The pandemic has inspired both Snyder and Quick to refine both their buses and also share the skoolie lifestyle with the world. Snyder used the time off in spring to completely revamp the interior of her bus—rebuilding her kitchen table and refining her existing counter space. She also added a one-person tub, converting a former horse trough and then painting it dark blue and lining the sides with tile. In the back of the bus, she converted the space that was once her bedroom into a small art studio, with a handmade floating desk and a seat, salvaged from Shadowland Stages in Ellenville Theater, bolted to the floor. (The space still has a pull-out bed for guests.) The pandemic inspired a new post from Quick, this one a video. “Be optimistic and plant seeds. Seeds are faith and a way to think of the future,” he suggested. The post went viral, with thousands of shares and comments, so Quick created another one, this one thanking viewers. His followers wanted more, so Quick created new video posts for 70 days straight—from March through May—hoping to comfort people, and reconnecting viewers with nature and a simpler lifestyle. The worldwide community inspired by Quick’s postings about their homes, shared lifestyle, and philosophy has continued to grow, inspiring one filmmaker to begin a documentary about him and the buses. “It’s not really about me,” explains Quick of the movement. “It’s about shifting consciousness back too empathy. It’s about getting back to the reality of nature. If we move with nature, we can survive. Anybody who plants a seed has hope.”

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an understandably large role in serving local communities. The Back to Business grants are just one of the ways it’s working to deliver on its responsibility to the region. Amid the height of the pandemic this spring, the utility also contributed $100,000 to local community-support agencies like Ulster County’s Project Resiliency, Orange and Sullivan counties’ COVID-19 response funds, Dutchess Responds, the Hudson Valley Food Bank, and the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center at SUNY New Paltz for the purpose of producing face shields. While grants and donations are a linchpin of corporate responsibility, Central Hudson is working to produce financial relief on the customer level as well. In an effort to expand the number of customers who meet income

qualifications for bill discounts, the utility is working to include families who participate in programs beyond the Home Energy Assistance Program, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medical Life Alert. Residential customers who are looking to manage their budget can benefit from Central Hudson’s energy efficiency initiatives that support the state’s ambitious 2019 commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. According to Central Hudson, meeting these goals will require curbing carbon emissions in the two largest emitting sectors—building heating and transportation. In an effort to save 75 million kilowatthours of energy usage—the annual equivalent of roughly 10,000 homes—Central Hudson has committed $43 million in clean heat initiatives over the next five years.This initiative alone will cover one-third to half the cost of the installation of heat pump technologies. Residential customers can also take advantage of an array of other household benefits, from discounts on the purchase of energy-efficient products at the online CenHub Store to incentives for recycling old refrigerators or freezers and rebates for transitioning to highefficiency natural gas heating systems. Despite the pandemic, Central Hudson continues to provide work for more than 1,700 employees and contractors, a majority of whom call the Hudson Valley home. These jobs not only continue to bolster the local economy during these challenging times, but are vital to Central Hudson’s work of maintaining and improving energy infrastructure to meet customer needs as well as modernization initiatives for a cleaner, more efficient energy system for years to come. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 25

health & wellness a virtual coffee hour afterwards where we hang out and talk.” Encouraged to find a kind of intimacy in cyberspace, she started taking Qi Gong classes on Zoom as well. Her granddaughter had taught her how to FaceTime, and in July, she tried FaceTime lessons with her flute students—and was surprised to find she could enjoy teaching that way. “I feel alive again,” she says. “I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but in some ways, it’s better than having the kids come to my house because they’re not exhausted after being at school all day. Scheduling is easier, and I get to see them in their own spaces.” Even if things aren’t perfect—she still craves visits with family members that live far away, and she can only see local loved ones from a distance—Bell is amazed that a late-life tech awakening has given her new solutions. “I feel like I have my life back.”

CONNECTING THROUGH COVID STRENGTHENING OUR SOCIAL TIES CAN HELP US SURVIVE AND THRIVE. By Wendy Kagan

efore COVID-19, Sarah Bell’s life was sweet. At 83, her world revolved around her six children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, and she savored her career as a professional flutist and flute teacher. She had a rich spiritual life observing Contemplative Christianity, a nonfundamentalist practice that centers on meditative prayer and stillness. But when the pandemic hit in March, everything changed. “I had to cancel my lessons, my church closed, and my kids couldn’t come home,” recalls Bell (not her real name). “I’m an extrovert and I love to be with people, yet I couldn’t be with friends. It was like my life came to a screeching halt.” Perhaps the hardest part was that she had no rhythm to her days, and hardly anything got done because there

26 HEALTH & WELLNESS CHRONOGRAM 9/20

were no deadlines—no students arriving for 4 o’clock lessons, no meetings with friends. “I felt nonessential. It’s lovely to have a vacation, but when it became my life, well, nothing had much meaning anymore.” Her students inquired about virtual lessons, but at first, she resisted. “My generation didn’t do computers, and I only started doing email a few years ago,” she says. “I had this attitude that anything online was going to be artificial and there was going to be no connection.” Yet, when her priest, Matthew Wright at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, started holding Sunday morning services on Zoom and Facebook, Bell discovered that it could be a satisfying experience. “You almost feel like you’re there, with the altar in the background. We have

Avoiding a Social Recession Nearly six months into the pandemic, with no end in sight to face masks and social distancing, we have to be creative and even go beyond our comfort zone to meet one of our most basic needs: connection. We’re in a quandary because, thanks to a tiny spiked virus, some of the very things that make us human—talking faceto-face, laughing, hugging, singing, and the constellation of ways in which we interact with others—may also have the power to take our lives away. But science shows that without satisfying social connections, humans can wither and wilt like unwatered plants. Chronic loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic, according to a 2010 meta-study led by pyschologist Julianne HoltLunstad, PhD. Twice as lethal as obesity, having poor social connections can shave about eight years off your life, and lonely people are more likely to suffer from dementia, heart disease, and depression. On the flip side, having a supportive network of friends and family comes with significant preventative effects, helping us recover from disease faster and increasing our chances of longevity by 50 percent. When COVID abruptly shut the door on our usual ways of interacting, loneliness ticked up alongside fear and anxiety. During strict lockdown in April, nearly half of Americans reported in a Kaiser Family Foundation poll that the virus was taking a toll on their mental health. Yet, a loneliness epidemic existed well before the global crisis, and in many ways, the virus has simply brought it to light. Data collected pre-pandemic reveals that one in five people in the US and UK are chronically lonely, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness, a research and outreach organization based in London. While isolation is an objective state, loneliness is subjective, defined by the Campaign to End Loneliness as “the unwelcome feeling of a gap between the social connections we have and the social connections we want.” Because of this gap, we can be in a crowd and still feel lonely if our interactions don’t feel satisfying or meaningful. Equally paradoxical, we can be alone and not feel lonely at all if we’re

connecting with ourselves or with nature and savoring the peace, creativity, and communion that solitude can bring. A Social Media Catch-22 “Solitude is a choice,” clarifies Allison Chawla, a licensed clinical psychotherapist and intuitive healer based in Rhinebeck. “You can choose to come out of solitude, whereas now [with COVID], it feels more like confinement or isolation. I’m seeing people at this point of the pandemic start to wear down a bit from the loneliness.” And while technology has been a lifeline through quarantine, it too represents one of the paradoxes of aloneness. Used in moderation, it can help fill the gap and bring people together, but if we overdo it—especially social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat—it can backfire and make us feel lonelier. A 2018 study from the University of Pennsylvania found that reducing our time spent on social media can significantly decrease feelings of loneliness and depression, and a 2019 poll from YouGov found that Millennials, the social media generation, are the loneliest age group alive right now. Yet, Chawla has been inspired to see clients living alone in studio apartments in New York City who have created beautiful communities online, complete with virtual dinner parties. Her single clients have been going on dates via Zoom and Skype, which can be bizarre but better than no dates at all. “We’re lucky to have this technology, but we’re missing the sensory experience of a 3D physical interaction where we can smell and touch as well as hear and see. That type of exchange is so energizing, so fulfilling, and none of us are getting enough of it.” Chawla recommends trying differing venues of connection, beyond our screens—like penning a handwritten, old-fashioned letter. “Receiving a letter in the mail right now is exciting,” she says. “Our devices become draining, but opening an envelope and seeing your friend’s handwriting, you can tell they put love and energy into it, versus clicking away at keys. Little things like that I have found really help to make me, my kids, and my friends feel less lonely.” Having a daily gratitude practice, in which we recognize the abundance we already have, can also help to adjust our perspective and keep us emotionally strong. It’s key, too, to practice forgiveness, because our grudges only serve to create more alienation. “Repairing relationships and forgiving ourselves and others is so important,” says Chawla. “At this time especially, when we’re under so much isolation and pressure, we need to go easy on ourselves and other people.” Leading a People-Centered Life Loneliness is an ache—it’s a universal longing we’ve all felt at some time or other—and we can accept it and welcome it like an occasional guest. Only when it becomes chronic does loneliness have the power to affect our health, which is why we need to keep tabs on it and take proactive measures to keep it in check. In Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection

in a Sometimes Lonely World (2020), former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, writes about the importance of strengthening our social ties and leading a more people-centered life. One way to do that is to help others, and volunteer initiatives are booming right now, many of them geared toward easing the burden on socially isolated populations. Rhinebeck Responds, a mutual aid group that formed during COVID, created Neighborly Chats, a program with the goal of reaching out by phone to every Rhinebeck citizen over 70. “Our mission is to provide community members with a point of human connection so they

While technology has been a lifeline through quarantine, it too represents one of the paradoxes of aloneness. Used in moderation, it can help fill the gap and bring people together, but if we overdo it—especially social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat—it can backfire and make us feel lonelier. can feel less isolated through this challenging time,” says Isabel Murray, a lifelong Rhinebeck resident and pre-med student at the University of Michigan, who led the initiative while she completed her junior year online during shelterin-place. Powered by 36 call volunteers, the group also provides triage to additional services if the seniors need food, medicine, or other assistance. In total, Neighborly Chats has reached about 450 seniors, and some have chosen to sign up for weekly phone calls to keep the connection going. “One call recipient’s son got on the phone and said it was an amazing idea, thank you, and that he hoped that he could pay it forward one day, as his mom is very lonely and just likes interacting with others,” says Murray. Other call recipients needed urgent help, like a man experiencing chronic pain who didn’t have a bed to sleep in (Rhinebeck Responds is fundraising to buy him a new mattress). And several volunteers have befriended the seniors, including one pair that

goes on weekly walks together. “A lot were able to connect over shared family histories, common interests, and similar life experiences,” notes Murray. “It’s powerful to know that this project helped bring Rhinebeck’s community closer together in an everlasting way.” Beyond a Loneliness Mindset Clearly, there’s power in the collective—yet in our hyper-individualistic American culture, which idealizes independence and autonomy and often devalues seeking help from others as “weak,” being lonely can carry a sense of shame. We don’t have to fall for that, and we can recognize the strength that it takes to reach out and forge connections. “Before COVID, many of us got a lot of our social needs met passively by just going to work or school,” says Thomas Shooman, a psychotherapist at Resolution Psychotherapy in Poughkeepsie. “You didn’t need to schedule time to hang out with someone because you were probably going to see up to a dozen people just by accident every day. When that disappears, you can start feeling pretty bad without necessarily knowing why.” Shooman recommends reaching out and setting up time in advance to talk on the phone, have a video chat, or see someone in a safe, socially distanced way. Doing so can feed our need for connection while also creating new social zeitgebers—time keepers or cues that can anchor our day—which many of us have lost in our vague, unscheduled post-COVID lives. Creating new zeitgebers online has been a godsend for flute teacher Sarah Bell. With the infection rate relatively low in New York, she has been cautiously seeing friends and family outside, with distance. Although she rarely feels lonely now, she does have a kind of existential sadness sometimes. “I feel sad for the whole world— parents with young children, small business owners, everyone who’s struggling. I give myself permission to feel that, but I don’t let myself get swallowed up in it,” she says. “It helps that I had a really grounded spiritual practice going into this. There’s a conviction that I’m being held by more than just me, and that I’m not in this alone. We’re all in it together.” Chawla, the psychotherapist in Rhinebeck, also finds grace and hope in the bigger, cosmic picture. “[COVID has] woken us up to recognize how small and fragile we are in the grand spectrum of life,” she says. “We are intellectual beings and we feel that we are the dominant species, yet this teeny tiny microscopic virus is taking so many of us. If that’s not going to shift perspective, I don’t know what would. I’m seeing a lot of kindness, people extending themselves to create new relationships, repairing broken relationships, volunteering. It’s brought us together in many ways, as far apart as we feel.” RESOURCES Allison Chawla Allisonchawlapsychotherapy.com Campaign to End Loneliness Campaigntoendloneliness.org Rhinebeck Responds Rhinebeckresponds.org Thomas Shooman Resolutionpsychotherapy.com 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 27

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ou can get 90 percent of a diagnosis by listening to someone’s story,” says Dr. Amy Davison, an osteopathic physician who practices out of her home in Germantown. For Davison, osteopathy’s emphasis on truly understanding a person’s individual journey to well being is part of what draws patients from all over the Hudson Valley to her. Once a little-known segment of medicine, today, osteopathy is growing in popularity among those looking for something different from the status quo. In contrast to the symptoms and disease focus of allopathic medicine—the style most practiced in the US—osteopathic medicine focuses its treatment on the whole body through finely tuning the relationships of its diverse, but connected systems. It was osteopathy’s alternative style that made it a perfect fit for Davison. When she decided to go to medical school at 35, she was a mother of two who already had a career as an accomplished equestrian trainer, instructor, and competitor. She was led to osteopathy by a college counselor at SUNY Stony Brook, who told her she should explore it since osteopathy

had a reputation for inclusivity, especially for nontraditional students. “I started shadowing doctors and I liked the approach, how it took in all aspects of the patient’s life, work, stressors, and family life,” Davison says. “It looks at everything, not just the disease process.” Osteopathy is a hands-on style of medicine. In its emphasis on the musculoskeletal system, physicians rely on techniques for manipulating the spine, muscles, and bones in diagnosis and treatment. During her training, Davison found that this was a skill she had already honed over years of working with horses. “I had really developed a sixth sense for knowing how the body moves,” she says. In tandem with manual manipulation, thoroughly exploring and listening to every part of a patient’s history helps Davison discover the unseen relationships at play. In traditional Western medicine, when symptoms manifest in one part of a patient’s body, the temptation is to treat that symptom. That’s where the storytelling comes in. A patient may come to Davison with severe headaches or lower back pain. But it’s only

through listening to their symptoms alongside their complete history and habits that she may find the source of those symptoms hiding in a car accident from years before. “I have to take all the layers off,” she says. Davison’s philosophy of total wellness carries over into every part of her life. When she moved to Germantown in the early 2000s, it was to start a small sustainable farm where horses could be a regular part of her life again. Today, she has a 33-acre farm where she grows vegetables that make appearances at the local farmers’ market and keeps horses, chickens, and goats. She’s also intimately involved with the town government in Germantown and is a member of several committees, including those for economic development, waterfront advisory, and parks, as well as the zoning board of appeals. “So much of osteopathy is really being grounded in yourself and having a sense of peace,” says Davison. “I get that same sense of peace when I ride my horses or when I look out from my office and see rolling hills and trees. It’s part of feeding the whole mind, body, and spirit.” Adavisondo.com 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 29

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edical imaging plays such an important role in the diagnosis of almost all illnesses. It’s not just broken bones, screening for mammography, or visualizing babies during pregnancy,” says Rhonda Makoske, director of medical imaging at Columbia Memorial Health. “There’s hardly an inpatient or emergency department patient that we don’t touch.” In recent years, Columbia Memorial Health has significantly increased access to state-ofthe-art medical imaging technology like an open MRI, 3D mammography, digital X-rays, and even portable ultrasound machines that played a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients this spring. Thanks to Columbia Memorial Health’s affiliation with Albany Med, patients in Columbia and Greene counties now have the benefit of high-tech medical imaging in the community and access to a highly trained network of specialists to interpret their results. Since Columbia Memorial Health and Albany Med use the same imaging system, interpreting radiologists in the system now have access to diagnostic images taken in the local community from anywhere. “In the past, we would perform an exam and the patient

would then be referred to a specialist or higher level of care and they would not have access to the patient’s imaging exam,” says Makoske. “Having CMH and Albany Med on an enterprise PACS (picture archiving and communication system) really reduces fragmentation of care.” Columbia Memorial Health’s medical imaging services are available to patients in Columbia and Greene counties at three locations—the hospital in Hudson, Catskillbased Greene Medical Imaging, and Valatie Medical Imaging. According to Makoske, access to an open MRI at Greene Medical Imaging is particularly important. “We’re the only true open MRI in the area,” she says. In contrast to a closed MRI, an open MRI allows a patient to lie comfortably on an easily accessed open table. It’s the perfect solution for patients with claustrophobia, children, and individuals whose weight might otherwise prevent the use of an enclosed machine. “The thing I’m most proud of is that we have 3D mammography in all three locations,” says Makoske. “That’s the gold standard of breast cancer screening and detection.” The advanced technology generates a three-dimensional picture of the breast,

which gives providers a more complete view of tissue than conventional 2D mammograms. In addition to 3D mammography, Columbia Memorial Health also has minimally invasive 3D breast biopsy technology that allows physicians to precisely sample abnormalities identified at the time of the 3D mammogram. Access to these technologies provides patients with the peace of mind that earlier detection of breast cancer can provide. On-site access to a CT scanner has also played a pivotal role in Columbia Memorial Health’s emergency department. “It is really important to the community that we’re able to get a CT scan done and diagnose a stroke quickly, often within 45 mins of the time the patient arrives,” Makoske says. And if a stroke patient needs a more specialized level of care, their medical imaging files are readily available to the wider network. Rural communities like those in Columbia and Greene counties haven’t always had expedient access to medical care. By strategically working to create a system that links together accessible local technology and services with a wider network of specialist care, Columbia Memorial Health is helping to bridge that gap. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 9/20 CHRONOGRAM FEATURE 31

history

Clockwise from top left: Repainting the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the early 1980s. The expanded north span of the bridge reopened on June 2,1984. The nearly completed Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge in 1888. When it opened a year later, it was the longest bridge in North America. Workers wrapping cab;e on the Mid-Hudson Bridge in 1930. When it opened, the Mid-Hudson was the sixthlongest suspendion bridge in the world. Images courtesy of Historic Bridges of the Hudson Valley/Arcadia Publishing

32 HISTORY CHRONOGRAM 9/20

SPANS ACROSS THE WATER Bridges of the Mid-Hudson Valley

here are seven bridges that cross the Hudson north of New York City and south of Albany: the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, the Walkway Over the Hudson, the Mid-Hudson Bridge, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, the Bear Mountain Bridge, and the Mario Cuomo Bridge (formerly known as the Tappan Zee). For most of us, these engineering marvels are as fixed in in the landscape as the Taconic Mountains or the Catskills—only the oldest among us will remember a time when crossing the river required a ferry ride. The great era of Hudson River bridge building began in the 1920s, with the completion of the Bear Mountain Bridge—then the longest suspension bridge in the word—in 1924. It ended in 1963 with the opening of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, though this span

would undergo further construction to expand its capacity until 1984. (The outlier here being the Walkway Over the Hudson, the linear park opened in 2010 on top of the former Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, which was the first bridge to cross the river between New York City and Albany when it opened in 1889.) What stoked the bridge-building boom, as Kathryn T. Burke explains in Bridges of the Mid-Hudson Valley (Arcadia Publishing, 2020), was the rise of the car. “The popularity of the automobile necessitated the building of the bridges. The Hudson River, which had been a main transportation thoroughfare for so many years for freight and people, had become a barrier, and it must be crossed. Ferries, in some locations in use for hundreds of years, were limited to seasonal use and could not run when the ice formed on the river. Long lines of cars

waiting to cross gave evidence of the inefficiency of ferry service. Each community in its time was provided a crossing.” Today, the bridges not only allow for transport; some of the spans are tourist attractions in and of themselves. Walkway Over the Hudson attracts nearly 600,000 visitors a year. The Hudson River Skywalk, established in 2019, connects the homes and studios of Thomas Cole and Frederic Church across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. The Mario Cuomo Bridge features a dozen pieces of public art in addition to a 3.6-miles pedestrian path designed with six overlooks and amenities at each landing. While we drive and walk or bike over these bridges constantly, it’s worth taking a look back at engineering marvels these projects were at the time of their building. —Brian K. Mahoney 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HISTORY 33

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community pages

Living Streets

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kept my distance from the other reporters at the March 16 press conference at City Hall in Hudson. The three of us nervously adjusted our cameras and tested pens for ink, not touching the walls, not touching anything. There were no masks. No one knew about the masks yet—no one knew much of anything—but the virus didn’t wait for us to play catch-up. A New Rochelle man with severe symptoms was hospitalized less than two weeks before, and there were now more than 1,300 confirmed cases in the state. Mayor Kamal Johnson, only three months on the job, stepped to the podium, wearing all black. He glanced at his prepared remarks, then began. “Due to both nationwide and local limitations on medical supplies and the limited availability of life-saving medical equipment...” Johnson declared a State of Emergency. Hudson had shut down. 36 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 9/20

The Not-So-Great Divide There is a divide in Hudson, one that runs through politics, economics, and the map of the city itself. On one side are locals—those that were born here, or at least in the county—and transplants, who generally hail from New York City. Locals tend to be less affluent, and many of them are Black, while transplants tend to be affluent and white. Just 20 years ago, it was cheap to live in Hudson. The average rent was $390, according to the census. As the city attracted more and more wealthy transplants, prices rose, and by 2018, rents had nearly tripled. Hudson now faces a housing crisis, and the locals are the ones feeling the squeeze. One of the groups helping out residents in need during the spring shutdown was the Hudson/ Catskill Housing Coalition, originally formed to

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empower residents of the two communities’ public housing projects. But the group’s goals changed when the pandemic hit, according to Quintin Cross, an organizer for the group. “We spent a lot of time going door to door handing out pamphlets on where they should go to get help on rental assistance…we were giving out thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies in both Hudson and Catskill,” Cross says, most of which were basic necessities: “laundry detergent and pregnancy tests and all types of razors, and shaving cream and soap and household needs.” None of this need is visible as I walk down Hudson’s Warren Street the first Saturday in August. The city is busy, busier even than normal. Chic couples amble down toward the Hudson River, letting their gazes wander from storefront to storefront. Hip-hop thumps from Moto Coffee/Machine as one of the proprietors exits the shop to chat with a man leaning on a classic motorcycle. In late spring, three Hudson citizens—Peter Spear of Future Hudson and Tambra Dillon and Sage Carter of Hudson Hall—started formulating a plan to make the city safer when the state re-opened. The basic concept of Shared Streets was to allow pedestrian traffic on Warren Street so people could socially distance when out and about. Vehicular traffic would be limited to 5mph, and Warren Street’s shops and restaurants, many of which are too small for social distancing, would be permitted to expand their interiors into parking spaces, giving shoppers the relative safety of open air. The concept is based on the European concept of woonerf——Dutch for “living street.” It has been adopted by several American cities while reopening during the pandemic. The city adopted the plan after a trial weekend in late June, and by August 3, 19 businesses had spread out to parking spaces and 13 others had applied, according to Spear. Verdigris Tea and Chocolate, located on lower Warren Street, had reconfigured its interior for the pandemic. A series of counters now forms a U-shaped barrier separating customers from employees. Owner Kim Bach says the business invested in a lot of Plexiglas. Though Verdigris never closed, revenue dropped about 40 percent when the shop only offered curbside pick-up during shutdown, Bach says. The store is now doing better but is still down 15 percent when compared to the same time last year. Though the store hadn’t expanded outside, Bach says she fully supported Shared Streets, and the store probably benefited from increased foot traffic. Feeling the Impact Several businesses have closed in Hudson since the pandemic hit, including the toy store Bee’s Knees, the Italian restaurant Vico, and Willa’s Bakery. The city has suffered financially as well, as revenues from parking, building permits, and the city’s lodging tax all plummeted, according to the Hudson Treasurer’s Office. The city’s sales tax revenues were also down. Hudson City Treasurer Heather Campbell created projections in May about how the pandemic could impact the city’s finances, estimating the drop in non-property tax revenues 9/20 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 39

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40 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 9/20

could be 21 percent in a “low-impact” scenario, and 29 percent in a “high-impact” scenario. The high-impact scenario predicts these revenues will improve by the end of the year, but remain 10 percent below December 2019’s revenue, while the low-impact scenario assumes December’s revenues will be in line with prepandemic predictions, according to Campbell— essentially assuming a complete return to normalcy by then. I ask Campbell how important attracting outof-town visitors to local businesses was for an economic recovery. “I think it’s a key component of the economy,” she says. “Obviously, it’s what keeps the businesses in business for the most part.” Though there are no figures for the impact tourism has on Hudson’s economy, Columbia County depends more on tourism than any other county in the Hudson Valley, according to a 2018 study by Tourism Economics. More than 11 percent of the county’s jobs are sustained by visitors. Hudson seems to be attracting more visitors this summer than in years past. “From Fourth of July on, every weekend has been really full of people visiting, which is what is Hudson is all about…but it’s kind of shocking that there’s so many,” Verdigris owner Kim Bach says. On weekends as of late, “it’s all New Yorkers or people taking Northeast summer vacations—instead of getting on an airplane, they’re all getting in RVs and cars and doing shorter trips.” Susan Decker, the owner of Blue Star Farms, one of about 500 agricultural operations in Columbia County, says her sales at the Hudson Farmers’ Market had actually been better than usual, even in May, when the virus was killing up to 200 people a day in the state. The increase in sales was from New York City residents staying in their second homes during the pandemic, Decker says, a sentiment that was echoed by other vendors at the farmers’ market. At Back Bar, a hip pub and eatery that has moved most of its operation outdoors for the pandemic, General Manager Alex Glen says he noticed the change in early July. “There’s a lot more—I don’t even want to say they’re transient anymore, because a lot of their secondary or tertiary homes are now in Hudson, or within 20 miles of Hudson—but it seems as though a lot of people from the Tri-State Area have moved up here permanently.” Mayor Kamal Johnson said Shared Streets has gotten “mixed reviews,” with some businesses taking issue because their customers were unable to drive up directly to their storefronts and park. Bob Lucke runs Cascades, a locals’ lunch spot on Warren Street. Some residents had been concerned about pedestrians walking in the street, Lucke says, but he thinks the initiative had been “working out pretty well.” With its established local customer base, Cascades was not as affected as other businesses this spring, Lucke says, and the eatery was beginning to recover to baseline. But many business owners fear the fall and winter, with the potential for a second wave of infections and the inability to spread their businesses outside. Cascades normally had a dozen interior tables but was limited to four or five because of social distancing rules. “I think it’s going to be problematic for many places,” Lucke says.

Bob Lucke, owner of Cascades a long-time favorite restaurant of locals.

Domestic Disturbance Hudson’s July 21st Common Council meeting had less decorum than usual. “Lotta F-bombs today,” quips Common Council President Thomas DePietro after the fourth or fifth one dropped. The council had just voted down a resolution supporting a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for a 77-unit affordable housing project. The four council members who voted against the PILOT said they needed more details or were afraid of getting such an important and permanent project wrong. A month later, the proposal is dead. The developer pulled it just before the August 18 Common Council meeting, saying it could not attract sufficient support from the council. A background issue during the PILOT negotiations was the identity of the developer: the Galvan Foundation, a nonprofit that directly or indirectly owns about 80 tax parcels in the city, making it by far the largest private property owner in the city of 6,000. Galvan itself is often accused by city residents of being a main driver of the city’s affordable housing crisis, and of “warehousing” properties instead of renting them out, squeezing the housing market. “Working with the Galvan Foundation is a little controversial in this city,” Mayor Johnson says. “They have their pros and cons, so whenever their name is at the table, of course it’s going to be met with skepticism. For me, I’m just focused on getting housing, getting the best possible project that we can.” Dan Kent, Galvan’s vice president of initiatives,

Kim Bach, owner of Verdigris Tea and Chocolate

9/20 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 41

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says the proposal was intended to lessen the number of residents who are rent burdened, as well as economic disparity in the city. The project would have included three kinds of apartments with income limits equating to between $20,000 and $110,000 a household, according to the Galvan Foundation. Joan Hunt, the project director at Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, a nonprofit that works with the city’s youth, says a lack of affordable housing in the city is a constant theme. “There’s rarely a day that goes by that people don’t reach out to us asking if I know of any affordable apartments in the community,” Hunt says. Though there are both public housing and several complexes that accept Section 8 vouchers in the city, there are still not enough of these apartments to fill Hudson’s need. There are 75 individuals or families waiting for apartments in public housing to open up, and 90 individuals or families waiting for Section 8 apartments in the city, according to Hudson Housing Authority Administrative Assistant Tricia Mayo. Thirty-seven-year-old Quintin Cross of the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition, a fifth-generation Hudson resident, says the city has changed dramatically since his youth. Most locals are either squashed into rentals in the city’s northwest corner or live in public or subsidized housing, he says, and many others have been forced out. Many who are being pushed out are not impoverished, but working-class families, Cross says, and most had deep, historical ties to the city. Concerns about Galvan were “absolutely legitimate,” according to Cross, who says many of their tenants had negative experiences. However, he supported the project, saying it was the only option on the table, and that people born in Hudson were “becoming extinct in this city.” In reaction to the proposal being yanked, Cross says the council needs an alternate plan. “The council has to come forward with a plan for affordable housing,” Cross says. “Since this was not a plan that they agreed with—which is their right—they should immediately move forward with a different plan.” Galvan and the city modified the PILOT proposal in the eight months before it was yanked, reacting to concerns the deal would not generate enough tax revenue, especially as the city faced shortfalls because of the pandemic. Galvan agreed to substantially increase the payments, and to enter a new PILOT when the first expired to assuage fears the foundation would take the property off the tax rolls. However, the proposal is now dead, and there is not another large affordable housing project on the horizon. Many Hudson locals have already been forced out. One who’s moved out of the city is Melissa Madison. The 37-year-old waitress was born in downtown Hudson, and last lived in Greenport, a suburb surrounding the city. When she and her partner split, she was unable to find housing in her price range in Hudson or Greenport and had to move her family across the river to Catskill. The children were able to attend Hudson schools for a year after they moved, but then had to switch schools, Madison says, which was fraught, since there is a harsh rivalry between the

Quintin Cross in front of Bliss Towers, one of the only afforable housing developments in Hudson.

youth in the two communities. Most people she knew in Hudson had moved. She recently switched jobs to a La Mision Restaurante in Hudson and said she has yet to wait on anyone she knew. Madison also brought up Shared Streets, which she said she discovered while driving. “Well, that ain’t for the damn people of Hudson,” she recalls exclaiming when she saw it. “That’s for people from the city. Who eats at those restaurants? Not the people from Hudson.” The Makeup of the City Mayor Johnson’s gaze flitted over his city as we sat a picnic table in Seventh Street Park at the top of Warren Street. A bald man with a weathered face was laid out on a park bench, snoozing in the mid-day heat. A woman missing one foot scooted her wheelchair along with the other. The pandemic could play a huge role in deciding who lives in Hudson in the future, he says. Some Hudson residents feared eviction after the end of the state’s moratorium on July 31, and

Johnson says there would not be many options if this happens. “That’s going to cause a lot of isolation in our city, because there’s nowhere for them to go,” he says. I asked how the pandemic divided the city, and how it brought it together. The division came from identity, Johnson said—of what Hudson was and who represented it. “There’s a side who are like, ‘Y’know, don’t worry about them, worry about us, we’re the makeup of the city,’ and there’s another side that says—‘Why are you worried about them, when you should worry about us? We’re the makeup of the city.’” But the city has also come together, Johnson said. The city’s youth center delivered hundreds of meals a day to families out of work, and many people with higher incomes also helped out, donating money and volunteering. The divisions in the city—between rich and poor, between locals and transplants—are always just below the surface. But if Hudson does not find a way to create affordability in the city, the issue will be moot: One side will no longer exist. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 43

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2. BarlisWedlick Architects 17 North Fourth Street (518) 822-8881 Barliswedlick.com BarlisWedlick is an award-winning, full-service architecture firm known for designing expressive, sustainable, and soulful places to live, work, and gather. 3. Basilica Hudson 110 S Front Street Basilicahudson.org Basilica Hudson is a nonprofit arts center that aims to foster a more sustainable community, ecology, and economy through cultural activism and the presentation of innovative multidisciplinary programming. 4. Columbia County Chamber of Commerce 1 N Front Street (518) 828-4417 Columbiachamber-ny.com The Chamber of Commerce sets the standard for excellence in member service, community collaboration, business growth, and achieving a high quality of life in Columbia County. 5. Columbia Memorial Health 71 Prospect Avenue (518) 828-7601 Columbiamemorialhealth.org CMH provides services to more than 100,000 residents in Columbia, Greene, and Dutchess counties, focusing on primary care, health education, and advanced surgery. 6. Columbia-Greene Community College 4400 Route 23 (518) 828-4181 Sunycgcc.edu Inspiring our community and creating lifelong learners. 7. D'Arcy Simpson Art Works 409 Warren Street (201) 452-7101 Darcysimpsonartworks.com D’Arcy Simpson Art Works exhibits beautiful, well-crafted, and relevant art from local creatives at accessible prices. We foster a supportive and collaborative community with artists, artisans, and art enthusiasts.

8. DISH Hudson 103 Warren Street (917) 971-9533 Facebook.com/dishhudson Casually elegant dinnerware, serveware, glassware, and tabletop accessories from local makers and far-off places, as well as exclusive and custom table linens, coasters, and pillows— some made of vintage cloth. Online shop coming soon. 9. Galvan Foundation 400 State Street (518) 822-0707 Galvanfoundation.org With over 200 units of rental housing, including affordable rental units, in operation and another 77-unit, lowincome housing project under development, Galvan's mission is to improve the quality of life in Columbia County. 10. Geoffrey Good Fine Jewelry 251 Warren Street (212) 625-1656 Geoffreygood.com Called "a true original” by Vogue, Geoffrey Good provides the Hudson Valley’s ultimate custom jewelry experience, as well as an array of extraordinary readyto-wear pieces. Appointments recommended. 11. Herrington's 1 Graham Avenue (518) 828-9431 Herringtons.com A family-owned and -operated building materials supplier, Herrington's has been in business for over 100 years, specializing in lumber, hardware, engineered wood, windows, doors, kitchens, countertops, flooring, roofing, stone, tile, and paint. 12. Hudson Area Library 51 N. 5th Street (518) 828-1792 Hudsonarealibrary.org Enriching the quality of life in Hudson by providing free and equal access to programs, services, and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn, and grow. 13. Hudson Clothier 443 Warren Street (518) 828-3000 Hudsonclothier.com Hudson Clothier exclusively celebrates American manufacturing, showcasing quality products with a wide range of prices, focusing on day-to-day, simple necessities that promote functionality and comfort.

14. John A Alvarez and Sons 3572 Route 9 (518) 851-9917 Alvarezmodulars.com Family-owned business for over 60 years offering custom modular homes, with over 5,000 homes to date. Experience is the difference. 15. Kasuri 1 Warren Street (518) 249-4786 Kasuri.com Avant-garde Japanese and European fashion from the likes of Westwood, Miyake, Yamamoto, and Owens. Staffed by true fashion devotees, Kasuri is a place where experimentation and tradition integrate in everevolving ways.

21. Source Adage Fragrances 314 Warren Street (518) 697-5397 Sourceadage.com Escape into a curated world of fragrances. This distinctive fragrance house features its own premium scented candles, diffusers, and niche perfumes made in Hudson. 22. Susan Eley Fine Art 433 Warren Street (917) 952-7641 Susaneleyfineart.com SEFA Hudson is a pop-up gallery featuring a dynamic roster of American and international artists. SEFA focuses on contemporary works by emerging and mid-career artists spanning a range of media.

16. Lawrence Park 260 Warren Street (518) 697-7612 Lawrenceparkhudson.com An oenophilic sanctuary in the heart of bustling downtown Hudson, Lawrence Park focuses on farmer-made wine, independent craft beer, thought-provoking cocktails, and elevated small bites.

23. Wagner Hodgson 430 Warren Street (518) 567-1791 Wagnerhodgson.com Wagner Hodgson is an awardwinning professional landscape architecture and design studio founded in 1987 with offices in Hudson, New York and Burlington, Vermont.

17. Nicole Vidor Real Estate 727 Warren Street (518) 929-6003 Nicolevidor.com A small, personal, full-service real estate office, we give extraordinary attention to detail, networking, and presentation and are committed to fulfilling the dreams and desires of our clients.

24. Walnut Hill: Exhibition Framing and Fine Art Services 551 Warren Street (843) 324-5614 Walnuthillfineart.com Picture frame shop specializing in contemporary handmade frames made from regionally sourced hardwoods. Normal hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm. Appointments are recommended.

18. Olana State Historic Site 5720 Route 9G (518) 751-0344 Olana.org Olana—the home, studio, and designed landscape of Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), a preeminent American artist of the mid-19th century—is the artist’s greatest masterpiece. 19. Red Dot Restaurant & Bar 321 Warren Street (518) 828-3657 Reddothudson.net One of Hudson's oldest bars. Enjoy our indoor seating and beautiful courtyard in the warmer months. We are here for our community and continue to offer great food and service during this time.

25. Wunderbar Bistro 744 Warren Street (518) 828-0555 Wunderbarbistro.com Serving delicious, progressive American comfort food made with high quality ingredients at affordable prices. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Now taking online orders through our website. 26. Carrie Haddad Gallery 622 Warren Street (518) 828-1915 Carriehaddadgallery.com Representing artists of the Hudson Valley and beyond since 1991 with rotating exhibits of contemporary painting, photography, mixed media and sculpture. Open daily from 11-5pm.

20. Sarah Falkner 84 Green Street, #2 - ground floor (347) 436-6725 Sarahfalkner.com Sarah Falkner, LMT, is an interdisciplinary artist and statelicensed healing arts practitioner.

This directory is a paid supplement.

46 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 9/20

Illustration by Kaitlin Van Pelt

1. American Glory Restaurant 342 Warren Street (518) 822-1234 Americanglory.com A full-service restaurant serving classic American comfort food and wood-smoked barbeque in a 1785 red brick firehouse with an elevator and a large event space. We also offer catering.

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reopenings

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS By Katie Navarra

n late May, the Mid-Hudson region entered Phase One of the state’s reopening plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. The region steadily progressed through Phases Two and Three in the months that followed. Business owners qualifying for phases One to Three breathed a sigh of relief. But bowling alleys, arcades, fitness centers, museums, and aquariums remained closed until August 24. While the coronavirus pandemic devastated some industries like travel and entertainment, it has served as a boom for others. Here’s a look at how the pandemic has affected an array of businesses in the Hudson Valley. The “Other” Toilet Paper Shortage Revolution Bicycles recorded its busiest season since opening 11 years ago, according to coowner Samantha Moranville. She estimates, the Kingston bike shop conducted 10 months of sales from March to June, selling out almost its entire stock. “Early on, we deliberately emptied an area of the sales floor and posted on social media, ‘hurry in, bikes are like toilet paper,’” she says. “In a few days that became a reality.” To help customers follow quarantine rules, Moranville offered to deliver online orders.

48 REOPENINGS CHRONOGRAM 9/20

Within weeks, they sold out of kid’s bikes. As the Trek dealer for the region, inventory for adult bikes was soon depleted, too. In May, she placed an order for 25 bikes, but only four were available. She currently has a pre-order list for 85 bikes, which she hopes to fill by November/ December, but it may take until March 2021. “One manufacturer makes the majority of components, like chains, derailleurs, and shifters for repairs, and they supply all the bike manufacturers,” she explains. “The makers have frames but they don’t have all the parts and you don’t have a bicycle until you have all the parts.” Parts shortages have complicated repairs. In one week, three customers dropped off bikes for repair. One had to wait a month before a supplier found one part hidden away on a shelf in a warehouse. “We’ve had to think on our feet and rethink how we do things on an almost daily basis,” she says. “We’re extremely grateful that we’re able to stay in business, and doing a lot of business because peers in our community have not been able to, and that’s heartbreaking.” Checking off the Honey-Do List When the coronavirus pandemic brought daily life to a screeching halt, homeowners

took advantage of the time to tackle home improvement projects. New York City residents flocked to their second homes upstate and made their houses into primary residences with kitchen and cabinetry upgrades. Stores like Williams Lumber, which has four locations across the Hudson Valley, were included in the state’s list of essential businesses, and could provide project supplies. “We were blessed to be declared an essential business,” says Kim Williams, senior vice president of Williams Lumber. “We employ close to 250 people in the Hudson Valley—most have families to support. We offered a voluntary layoff because some people wanted to selfquarantine.” Initially, store hours were reduced to provide more time to maintain cleanliness and to help with staffing. Protective shields were installed, and a mask policy was instituted to protect associates and customers alike while sales remained strong. Online ordering, virtual tours for custom window and door orders, curbside pickup, and delivery services are helping to fuel the continued shopping by giving customers options. While paint, lawn, and garden sales have remained at unprecedented levels throughout

Opposite: Revolution Bicycles in Kingston has seen a boom in business due to the pandemic. Above: Roe Jan Brewing Co. in Hillsdale created an expanded outdoor dining area to boost their total number of seats within the COVID restrictions.

the pandemic, the construction trade is bouncing back after being forced to close early in the crisis, fueled by an exodus from Manhattan properties. The influx of new home buyers has made it hard to come by some building materials, like lumber, which requires time to cure. “When building was halted, our contracting business was too. It was very difficult for our contractors,” Williams says. “Like everyone, we still don’t know what will happen, so we remain living day to day and try to keep a positive outlook.” A Wild Ride Shell-shocked. That’s how Kathy Bluestone describes the first six weeks of business for Roe Jan Brewing Co. in Hillsdale. Kathy and her husband, Steve, opened on February 5 and closed on March 15. The Bluestones grappled with a voluntary closure before officially being forced to close on March 15. “We had tankfuls of beer that needed to keep moving or else we would have to throw it out. We didn’t want to do that,” she says. “In early April, we started Growlers to Go.” The Bluestones donated tips and profits to the 30 staff members who were laid off. As customers bought beer to go, they requested food, too. “We considered food in the beginning but we were so

new that we hadn’t planned on takeout,” she says. “We decided to do something different for takeout—selling refrigerated and frozen food people could heat up at home.” Opening a restaurant in the best of times is an especially stressful experience. Add to that the complications of a worldwide pandemic and it feels like a herculean task. However, Bluestone says the brewery was well received when it first opened and they have been able to build upon that early momentum. “People just really liked the food and the beer. They loved the space too, so we had a lot of good will by the time we had to close. We continued to build on that when had to do takeaway,” she says. Although indoor seating is reduced by 30 seats, making use of an outdoor space increased their total capacity to 50. At first, no one wanted to eat inside, but Bluestone says they are slowly seeing patrons request indoor options, especially in inclement weather. Since reopening, the brewery’s revenues have reached preCOVID-19 volume. “We’re concerned about when the weather gets colder—how we’re going to seat people and whether people will be more comfortable coming inside,” Bluestone says. “We’ll be at a reduced capacity so we’re going

to have to rethink staffing and maybe ramp up takeout again.” Back to School Students at Bard College at Simon’s Rock went home for spring break in March 2020 and never returned, finishing the semester virtually. In the months since, school leaders put new protocols in place for a return in August. Luckily, as a small institution where the average class size is 15 students, the school hasn’t had to change much in the classrooms to accommodate social distancing, according to John B. Weinstein, provost and vice president. “We have enough rooms of enough sizes to do what we need to. We’re not like schools that have 100-person lecture halls,” Weinstein says. “We are also able to offer science labs and arts that are hands on.” In August, students began arriving for the new school year. Upon arrival, they were quarantined and tested twice a week for the first two weeks. Weekly testing will continue throughout the semester. Students are expected to wear masks everywhere on campus, except within their dorm rooms with entry limited to roommates. Once at school, students are unable to travel outside Great Barrington—that also means staying on campus 9/20 CHRONOGRAM REOPENINGS 49

Canal Towne Emporium & Crystal Connection Nestled in the valley between the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains is the historic village of Wurtsboro. Center point for the Delaware and Hudson Canal, and named after the canal’s founders, Wurtsboro has been a central spot for travelers for over a hundred years. At the center of the village is Canal Towne Emporium, which has been owned and operated by the Holmes family since 1869. In 1976, the store was transformed into Canal Towne, the brainchild of Doris Holmes who restored the building back to its original look and décor. From the moment you step on our original floorboards, you’ll know you’ve left the modern world behind. Peruse the aisles for fine, locally handcrafted gifts, decorative accessories, country furniture, foods, and candies. Across the street is Crystal Connection which joined the village in 2008, growing into the premier crystal metaphysical destination for New York and the northeast. It’s a very unique space and experience housed within an 1890s antique church lined with molded tin up the walls and ceiling. As soon as you drive up you’ll view all the giant stones out front in its medicinal crystal garden and rose quartz rock garden. Once inside you’ll be in awe of the inventory and variety from all over the world. Weekends offer Aura Photography, Tarot and Intuitive Readings as well. You’ll certainly leave refreshed, in harmony with yourself and with a new perspective for the beauty of nature. CANAL TOWNE EMPORIUM • 107 SULLIVAN ST, WURTSBORO, NY (845) 888-2100 • CANALTOWNE.COM CRYSTAL CONNECTION • 116 SULLIVAN ST, WURTSBORO, NY (845) 888-2547 • CRYSTALCONNECTIONNEWYORK.COM

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Bailey manufactures their famous pottery equipment in Kingston and distributes their world-renowned kilns, wheels, studio hardware and ceramic supplies from a little side street in the Midtown Arts District. They plan to be open to the public in late summer and currently offer curbside pick up for local customers.

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The O Zone A Resource Center for Sustainable Lifestyle Options! Grab your containers and come refill your household & personal care products! We have a growing selection of well-researched bulk items & plastic-free goods, including reusable wares, books, gifts, and children’s items. Earn ‘carbon credits’ while participating in our recycling & composting initiatives. Check out our learning center’s online calendar for upcoming happenings. 148 PITCHER LANE, RED HOOK • THEOZONEHV.COM 50 REOPENINGS CHRONOGRAM 9/20

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for weekends instead of visiting family. The families of day students who live at home and attend class on site are being asked to follow the same protocols. “Because this is a low-COVID area, we have asked families to keep their lives fairly restricted during this time and not go to large family reunions,” he says. “Everybody as a community understands that if we follow safety guidelines it can work, because we are a closed community.” School leaders and instructors have found creative ways to adapt. For example, the theater department will perform a Greek tragedy with a smaller cast. Since performers in traditional Greek tragedies were masked, it pairs well with current events. “We’re finding ways to be inventive in this situation and make mask wearing and social distancing part of the activities,” Weinstein says. “It is forcing us to think about how we structure activities, and some are things we will continue to do post-COVID.”

“We’re concerned about when the weather gets colder—how we’re going to seat people and whether people will be more comfortable coming inside,” Bluestone says. “We’ll be at a reduced capacity so we’re going to have to rethink staffing and maybe ramp up takeout again.” —Kathy Bluestone, Roe Jan Brewing Co. Still Waiting Just one week before Governor Cuomo forced all nonessential business to close, musicians from the Hudson Valley Philharmonic were crammed into the Beacon Theater in New York City for a concert with Jane Birkin, Iggy Pop, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The theater had 2,600 people in attendance—no one was wearing masks or social distancing, recalls Bardavon/UPAC Executive Director Chris Silva. A week later, everything changed. Silva cancelled a March 13 show featuring Brit Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band. The most challenging part was convincing the band’s manager in England that the COVID-19 threat was real. The theater has been shuttered since. “To be doing your normal thing and then a minute later everything is closed is very weird and disorienting,” he says. For the first month, all 20 employees remained on the payroll. When it became apparent COVID-19 would have a longer-lasting impact, he had to furlough 18 staff members. All ticketholders to future events—20,000 people—had to be notified of cancellations. “People aren’t demanding refunds, they are holding tickets for future dates,” he said. “Philharmonic subscribers only got to see three of the six annual shows, but they are saying to keep the money and donating extra. People are being really awesome and supportive.” Silva switched into fundraising mode, striving to raise enough funds to maintain the group for the next year. “After a couple months of depression and disorientation for everybody in our business, we switched over to raising funds and creating programming,” he says. The Bardavon/UPAC launched Ghost Light Minutes on all its social channels, which welcomes artists performing and giving a shout-out to other performers. New programming also includes two free online series, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Virtual Concert Hall, curated by HVP Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer; and an Albums Revisited series that kicked off with a 55th anniversary celebration of the release of Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited curated by Production Manager Stephen LaMarca with commentary Silva and others. On plus side, the pandemic has also given staff time to address building maintenance issues that there haven't always been time to deal with. The theaters are also receiving an influx of requests to rent the spaces for small independent films. “It is weird working in a different format, but we had to adapt into a format that people can enjoy, and safely enjoy.” Silva says.

Race Brook Lodge At Race Brook Lodge, we are breathing new life into our property and re-focusing our energies on our farm-to-table operation, creating outdoor dining options throughout the property, and refining our offerings to the local community and beyond. As we plan for the future, we look forward to hosting our rescheduled retreats and weddings, as well as the ones yet to come. Book your next milestone event or retreat, surrounded by the natural beauty of The Berkshires and shared with friends and family. • WWW.RBLODGE.COM/WEDDINGS • WWW.RBLODGE.COM/RETREATS • (413) 229-2916

Roe Jan Brewing Company We offer a rotating lineup of craft beer brewed on-site, including traditional ales and lagers as well as trending styles like IPAs and sours. Our creative pub menu features seasonal wood-fired food made completely in-house, right down to the ketchup and hamburger buns. Located in a restored mercantile building that dates to 1851, our spacious dining room features an octagonal bar surrounding a vintage grain hopper, with additional seating in cozy club chairs and at café tables, all appropriately socially distanced. Don’t want to sit inside? Bring your canine pal and enjoy seasonal outdoor dining in our beer garden or on our wraparound deck. Visit us at roejanbrewing.com, or call 518-303-8080 to book. 32 ANTHONY STREET, HILLSDALE, NY • (518) 303-8080 ROEJANBREWING.COM 9/20 CHRONOGRAM REOPENINGS 51

music The Mammals Nonet (Humble Abode Music) Themammals.love. Recorded before the pandemic, Nonet is a tonic for these times. The sheer, organic beauty of the music dances with the love affair with nature interweaving many of the album’s songs, which were written by the husband-and-wife team of Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar, the group’s creative core. The Mammals’ folk-roots credentials are well established, but on Nonet the group equally embraces gospel-soul (“Someone’s Hurting,” “East Side West Side”) and Fleetwood Mac-style pop-rock (“California,” “What It All Is”) boasting catchy melodies, abundant hooks and layered, male-female vocal harmonies provided by band members plus an all-star lineup of Hudson Valley talent, including Kate Pierson (the B-52s) and Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie). The revelation of the album, however, may be Ruth Ungar’s gorgeous vocal instrument, with its subtle nuance, impeccable phrasing, and nakedly emotional tone. It would be easy to overlook the lyrics in her hands, so directly does she convey their meaning, but that would be a huge mistake—Merenda’s “If You Could Hear Me Now,” which Ungar sings, would have sat comfortably on Bob Dylan’s second or third album. Merenda’s gentle, idyllic ode to hospitality, “You Can Come to My House,” is so inviting I may just drop by sometime soon. This homespun effort, recorded locally at the Clubhouse in Rhinebeck and Humble Abode Music in West Hurley, was coproduced by Merenda, Ungar, and Adam Armstrong. It includes a five-song bonus disc that captures the group jamming with their hair down. —Seth Rogovoy

Garrin Benfield VT 7/21-22/18 (Independent) Garrin.com Recorded live in Brattleboro, Vermont, Garrin Benfield’s latest is a mix of covers, traditionals, and originals. Sung and played clear and simple in the folk tradition by a man and his guitar. Ideal for a rainy summer Sunday by the lake, the voice is agile and alluring and fine company for the pristine and intricate acoustic steel string guitar. The covers include fan faves from Paul Simon, Garcia/Hunter, and Dylan with a Bowie and Radiohead tune thrown in for good measure. Benfield’s originals fit comfortably alongside the well-knowns, and the two-set presentation is somehow flowing and languid. The concise pairing of one voice and one instrument, recorded straight from the sound board, manufactures a welcome respite from the swirling space and time of this malestrom in the human experiment. And, in this dearth of live music has there ever been a better time to sit on the porch and play some covers in the socially distant oblivion? If you can’t play, the Columbia County-based Benfield provides a viable alternative for your portable device. —Jason Broome

52 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM 9/20

The Jerry Granelli Trio The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays Vince Guaraldi & Mose Allison (RareNoise) Rarenoiserecords.com Smart, playful, swing. That’s what unites the seemingly disparate music of Vince Guaraldi (stately, pensive) and Mose Allison (earthy, sardonic). Drummer Jerry Granelli, who during his epic career has accompanied both of these legendary jazz pianists, is the living embodiment of this rare sensibility. Here, with bassist Bradley Christopher Jones and Kerhonkson keyboard king Jamie Saft, the percussionist explores a gorgeous set of tunes from the oeuvres of the titular giants. The charcoal brushstrokes and soft bossa nova of “Star Song,” off Guaraldi’s 1963 album with Bola Sete, feel especially breezy and fine on an August afternoon; no doubt the version of “Christmas Time is Here,” from his beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, will make December divine. On Allison classics like “Parchman Farm” and “Young Man Blues,” the threesome pulls and stretches the blues into a molasses/taffy mixture worthy of the maestro himself. Tasty stuff. —Peter Aaron

Johanna Warren Chaotic Good (Carpark Records) Johannawarren.com Be still, my pagan heart, here’s a magickally thinking bard, incanting and casting to grapple the darkness. Hudson expat Johanna Warren’s nuanced, ethereal voice conjures folk artists and singer-songwriters like Julia Jacklin or Tori Amos as the opening track of her fifth record weaves a tale of home-grown potions and spirits: “What you call God / I call the mysteries of the Universe.” Her frolicking vocal on the piano-based “Only the Truth” is heartbreaking: “I see love everywhere I go / I see the light inside of all of you / What more can I do?” Gentle guitar and delicately layered harmonies propel the wistful wonder of “Bed of Nails,” while the propulsive “Faking Amnesia” summons Shana Falana mode. Tempo mutation is unavoidable as Warren shifts, unleashed and screeching, in the energetic “Twisted,” returning to a string-squeak guitar serenade in “Hole in the Wall.” Keep your eyes on the stars, poets and visionaries, and sample this online. —Haviland S Nichols

books Other Girls Like Me Stephanie Davies BEDAZZLED INK PUBLISHING, 2020, $16.95

UK native turned Hudson Valley resident Stephanie Davies reminisces on her own coming of age story as a young girl. All she wants to do is dress like the boys, play sports, and fight apartheid in South Africa—which doesn’t make her life easy in rural England. When she hears of a group of lesbians, mothers, punk rockers, and activists trying to stand their ground and protest nuclear war outside of a US military base, Davies decides to answer the call. Embarking on an adventure that would inevitably change her life, Davies finds love, breaks the law, and finds her voice along the way.

Upstate: Living Spaces with Space to Live Lisa Przystup Photos by Sarah Elliott MONACELLI PRESS, 2020, $36

Nearly all of the luxurious full-page images in this coffee table book tend to be out of focus so as not to distract from the decor and furnishings. White is definitely a theme here, with walls, ceilings, trim, and even floors all painted in gallery-like pale tones, which turns all of the furniture into objects to be considered as art. The book’s more colorful homes in Tannersville, Ghent, and Claryville stand out in stark contrast. There’s not a person or pet included in any of the images, and the lack of any relationship to the wonders of the natural world waiting just outside takes away from the passionate stories of the families who created these eclectic, showroom-style homes. But with the continuing exodus of city dwellers to “Upstate,” this book may come in handy for those seeking inspiration for their own new interiors.

The Next Great Jane K. L. Going DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2020, $18.99

K. L. Going, a teacher at the Homestead School in Glen Spey, is best known for her 2003 YA novel, Fat Kid Rules the World, which was made into a movie. Going’s latest book is a sweet novel for middle schoolers about Jane Brannen, who wants nothing more than to become a famous author like Jane Austen—she just needs to a story to tell. Jane finds it when a hurricane hits her tiny town of Whickett Harbor, bringing with it not only weather but a parental custody battle and some frenzied matchmaking for her marine biologist father. Along the way, Jane discovers secrets about Whickett Harbor and herself in this happilyever-after story.

American Mental Mike Jurkovic LUCHADOR PRESS, 2020, $13

Mike Jurkovic’s latest volume of poetry documents the comings and goings of the residents of the fictional Hudson Valley town of “shit-lorn” in the mode of Edgar Lee Masters’s Spoon River Anthology. The shit-lorn’s unfortunates are 21st-century America’s forgotten: the complicated poor like Can Man, “Bent by the weight of deposit”; the miscalculating, “I come from a long line of weathermen / who swore Noah’s storm was a passing shower”; the old and infirm, “Marty’s 81, has a parched, post-pneumonia cough / and the shits from diverticulitis.” Jurkovic’s profane vernacular of epic Americana is the nexus where heroic Walt Whitman and degenerate Charles Bukowski meet.

When Cassandra Speaks Elizabeth Lesser HARPER WAVE, 2020, $27.99

Elizabeth Lesser is Hudson Valley spiritual royalty—she cofounded Omega Institute, is the best-selling author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow and Marrow: Love, Loss & What Matters Most, and is a member of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100. Her latest book, subtitled “When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes,” she reveals how humanity has outgrown its origin tales, hero myths, and other stories and empowers women to trust their instincts, find their voice, and tell new guiding stories for all people. With humor and insight, Lesser reminds us that our cultural origin stories are just that—stories—waiting to be rewritten. —James Conrad, Cerissa DiValentino, Brian K. Mahoney

Anthropica David Hollander ANIMAL RIOT PRESS, 2020, $20.99

Reading David Hollander’s new novel Anthropica is like trying to put together a puzzle with pieces from several boxes: challenging, perplexing, and, ultimately, deeply satisfying. The book—which defies structure, mixes forms, and bends genre—explores the paradox of existence. In the novel, the universe’s survival hinges on the Anthropica Theory, which is the idea that the world (past, present, and future) only exists because of human desire. To put it another way: The world is here because we want it to be. And if human desire is what keeps the world spinning, what would it take to tear it apart? In Anthropica, a rag-tag group of passionate believers called Exit Strategy decide to find out. Led by Laszlow Katasztrofa, Exit Strategy believes humans are a “virus” draining the world of its beauty and resources without remorse. Humanity is a problem to fix, and Laszlow believes he’s found the solution—ironically, in other people. Those people include Grace Kitchen, a failing author who wrote Human Be Gone! (Exit Strategy’s adopted manifesto); Stuart Dregg, the scientist who discovers the Anthropica Theory; Finn Daily, an Ultimate Frisbee-playing grad student; Henry, a philosophy professor whose mind gets stronger as his body succumbs to ALS; and Laszlow’s legion of devoted followers. Over the course of the novel, this tapestry of characters and many others (including brains in jars and superintelligent murderous robots) come together to help Laszlow reach his goal of destroying the world. While much of the book focuses on a plot to wipe humans off the face of the earth, it’s also about academia and exploding sperm banks and chickenfried vulture and the slow burn of falling in (and out) of love. Anthropica’s plot has subplots and those subplots have sub-subplots. About everything and nothing, the novel is full of joy, humor, and existential wonder. At one point, Grace, who has been taking care of her dying father, thinks about how she’s waiting for “his disease to kill him, or for Laszlow to bring the world to an end, or for tenure.” It’s a pitch-perfect example of the dark humor that permeates—and elevates—the novel. In addition to being about the impossibility of endless human consumption, Hollander’s novel is also about construction: of our lives, the world, and the book itself. Meta from the jump, Anthropica’s title page features the subtitle Human Be Gone! and three crossed-out author names above David Hollander’s. Throughout the novel, each of those people or entities seem like they’re constructing this novel. In the playful and level-setting prologue, Joyful Noise, a God-like character, explains that this book is “self-generating and self-perpetuating and formed of the same bits of matter” as the world. The tension between creation and destruction serves as the novel’s through line. Clocking in at nearly 500 pages, Anthropica demands rereading but, more importantly, rewards it. Hollander, a Cold Spring resident who teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, is a skilled and confident writer who litters allusions and connections throughout the text. Anthropica is a distinctive book that feels as vast and complicated and dizzying as the universe it concerns itself with. —Carolyn Quimby 9/20 CHRONOGRAM BOOKS 53

poetry

EDITED BY Phillip X Levine

The Astronomer’s Bedroom

Letter to a Survivor

The art of moving? It’s more of a mathematics, really: the complex geometry of square boxes stacked next to ironing boards in the back of the U-Haul, the precise angles required to fit the couch through the door frame, the circumference of table tops.

July 13, 2020

Wheeling Elgin Coral Gables Kendall Round Rock or maybe it’s more of a science: a narrative of Darwinian mutability and adaptation in geologic time, tectonic plates drifting and colliding, erosion and accretion; the Taconic orogeny layers of sediment, shale, slate, scree, the history of the great migrations. Sunrise New Berlin Coral Springs Kissimmee Orlando “You’re going too fast,” my daughter interrupts as we read a bedtime story Oh! The Places You’ll Go “You’ll get to the end too fast,” she complains with the profound wisdom of a five-year old. North Lauderdale Jupiter Boynton Macomb Rochester I pause and notice: the clusters above me are not constellations, not even stars, but bright glow-in-the-dark stickers glued to the ceiling to scale. She must’ve been a perfectionist, stepping on a ladder, a pencil between her teeth calculating the relative distance between Orion and the Pleiades, Betelgeuse and Rigel in flawless placement. Madison Tivoli Visalia Bedford Hills Poughkeepsie I think about endings, how we accelerate toward them, how, not paying attention, we are oblivious to our speed. “Keep reading,” she says. I move on, turn the page. I place one foot firm on the floor to stop the room from spinning, this earth from its rotation, that motion that keeps me still.

Dear survivor, I am writing to you in the midst of a global pandemic, which the US on the whole has handled egregiously. From the top, self-interest has prevailed. As of today, almost 135,000 people have died, many needlessly. The grief and devastation around all these deaths (and all still to come) hangs in the air. Today brought the news that Houston’s hospitals are now over-run, so patients needing ICU beds are waiting, sometimes for days, as doctors and nurses, overworked and distraught, cope as best they can. This tragedy could have been predicted—was predicted. Deep down I still feel that this will pass, that we’ll return to something familiar, even if not exactly to life as we knew it. Still, I fear that even this best-possible scenario will be a reality only for a few. That’s the more optimistic voice. Another voice says things are actually far more dire. Many political leaders have shunned their most basic responsibilities of protection and instead are sacrificing their own people, seemingly for nothing more than the possibility of political gain. Houston dominates the news today, but vast swaths of the country are under siege. When schools reopen in a few months, who knows how widely this lethal virus will spread or what it will leave in its wake—economic collapse, more inequality, ever more desperate poverty, more distrust of each other, leading finally to a bloody revolution in the streets? If so and you are faced with the need to help build a better, more humane society, please ponder carefully the role that greed has played in the rise and fall of this one. The opportunity to profit drove slavery as it has driven so much that followed: continued exploitation of the most vulnerable, rationalization of cruelty and moral shaming, mass incarceration, grossly unfair tax policies, and self-serving immigration policies. A political system corrupted by wealth has undermined democracy and any possibility of equality. Don’t make this mistake again. Now comes the most difficult part. Where to start to redesign a society? I can offer little guidance beyond what I believe must ground everything else: • • • • •

Nurture trust, and do not betray those who trust you. Share. Do not hoard and do not condone hoarding. Care for others. Do not exploit and do not tolerate exploitation. Love your brothers and sisters, and make brotherhood and sisterhood real. Be compassionate. No one chooses the circumstances of their birth or often of most of their life, especially now when so many lives are cut short. • In short, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

—Jacob Gamage

The Moon or Canada? I don’t even know if I’ll be able to read this in the morning But if the flames from the fire were enough to guide my hand Then I just want to say That I can’t tell if the moon or Canada seems farther from here I can’t see the moon through the trees, So I can’t really see Canada, Across the St. Lawrence Seaway, Except for the measured inhales and exhales From the tower antennas on the shoreline And even though the moon is almost 239,000 miles away Canada feels just as far But since I can’t go to Canada, Should I just go to the moon instead? —Blake Pfeil 54 POETRY CHRONOGRAM 9/20

With hope, Sue —Sue Books Down the Mountain XV If all I leave behind Is what I wrote And two pairs of shoes And my winter coat, I’m sure my next of kin Won’t have to read a will. They can burn my diary, Give my wardrobe to Goodwill. It really doesn’t matter What happens to my things. I have nothing of value, No cash or diamond rings. —Roger Whitson

A Peruvian woman carries her child down the mountain— her husband does not follow. Black sandals slide under cracked heels and her chest rises and falls as she stumbles over stones in the dust. Soft fingers curl around her own as she struggles to carry the weight on her back. Her smiling son hugs her as he plays with the tears on her cheek. —Diana Waldron

Midnight Train

The Prettiest Girl in Pottsville

Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman But she was another man. —Lennon-McCartney

Summers and at Christmas, she worked in her father’s shoe store. Lucky when I passed if she was near the window. Little chance to see her otherwise. They were Florsheim and Bostonian. We were Buster Brown and Tom McCann. We were nowhere socially. She was merchant royalty.

Good Golly, all them who knowed me, Honey, would board me on a train with my sixteen boxes of gold lamé suits, my silver high heel boots. Pack me off to Macon Georgia, my home town. Get back, A-WOP-BOM-A-LOO-MOP-tops, told me, get back to where you once belonged. My daddy, he was rough. Told me “I wanted six sons, you went and spoiled it.” He couldn’t beat it out of me, this love of pretty things. And I’m the prettiest, Lord, and that’s not taking his name in vain, Child. Since I be working on being a preacher man, I put some of that nonsense behind. I learned from the Book, that Adam, he married Eve and not Steve. But I still can’t part with them ruby-rhinestone jumpsuits, those capes with the purple boas. Down-under in Australia when I was talking to them aboriginals with the blue eyes, I never seed nothing like them boys. I thought I was the true original, the architect of rock and roll. They told me to prove it to Jesus, so I took off all my jewelry and throwed it into the ocean. That diamond piano ring? Saying goodbye to that child was a hard cross for me to bear. Now I be looking for that shark. But goodness gracious Honey, I not be needing those fine things in Macon or where I’m going when I shake off this tired old skin. I be going to a righteous stage, where I see Mary and Sarah over there on the buffet line. Woo hoo, hiya Ladies. I can hardly wait, all those Saints and Kings be calling me by my Christian name: Richard Wayne. Now, shut up. —Laurie Byro Corporate Tree

At Bay

I thought to myself As I drove past H&R Block If I were a tree I would want to be A willow on the sloping edge of a river bank Crying forever as the river was never the same twice A mighty oak Seeing whole families of humans come and go for generations A birch Doing something birches do But here I am Reincarnated in the parking lot of an Applebee’s And as the gardener carefully lays the mulch at my feet I think This is the life

In a certain light Eyelids closed Appear as sailboats.

—David Thomas and Deana Burke Spring Everlasting Ghosts are carried in the wind My body holds onto the breeze Like an afterglow I sway back and forth as I sleep On grass that pokes at me Swollen lilacs like a dream I see the ghosts of spring In veins of leaves I hope they never leave me be —Carly Lenhardt Full submission guidelines: Chronogram.com/submissions

—Jeffrey van de Visse

Gracie My little dog is “long in the tooth.” Ajar forsooth, that tooth. Sweet, deaf, blind as a bat. Her hair, assessed, assessed as “mat.” We hold on, she and I always at my side. She wakes at dawn. Her appetite needs prompting. Those toilet needs most often “wanting.” But, we hang on, she and I always at my side. —Bonnie Towle

Then too, when I was twelve, she was seventeen. Should I chance to meet her glance I would remain unseen. Of course she married someone on his way to fame, fame, that is, as currently proclaimed. Years later, I met him in a restaurant on the pike. Aren’t you, and what brings you here (meaning what immortal task)? I’m on my way to see my kids, he said (not glad I asked). So it didn’t last. I was alarmed. But when was beauty ever proof from harm. I’d like to tell what she looked like then, angel wing, low above her brow, blue eyes, or were they brown. What does it matter now What cannot be contained is what remains, ineffable, illusory, a sense of self as witnessed in another. Now more a yearning than a memory, it plays about the lips and brings a smile. She proved to me, a boy, the world was made for love. Somehow, some way, somewhere, I hope she understands. She left a fortune in my hands. —Cliff Henderson

A Prescription from Dr. J First, take enough fish To save Pittsburgh, And the floundering ABA If you can; and also, Philadelphia basketball, Which had been irrelevant Since the departure of Wilt Chamberlain. If lack of playing above the rim persists, Skywalk to the closest Bill Walton, And then throw it down On his curly, red face. —Matthew Johnson 9/20 CHRONOGRAM POETRY 55

art

Shack of Sit, Tim Davis, from Cartoons, archival inkjet print, 24” x 30”, 2018 “Tim Davis is not so much a street photographer as a road photographer. He goes about his work the old-fashioned way, by hunting and gathering, and he finds wild and unexpected combinations of color, form, and meaning just sitting there on the roadside where anyone could have seen them, but nobody else did. He is an aesthete, an exacting technician, a connoisseur of all the incongruities in the semi-domesticated American landscape.” —Luc Sante, from an essay in When We Are Dancing I Get Ideas, the exhibition catalog to Tim Davis’s recent show of photographs and ephemera at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. Davis, whose work has appeared on the cover of Chronogram, lives in Red Hook and teaches at Bard College.

56 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 9/20

the guide

Adam Weinberger examines a bookshel in a still from the documentary The Booksellers, part of the programming at this year's all-virtual Spencertown Academy Festival of Books.

Paging All Bibliophiles SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY FESTIVAL OF BOOKS September 4–October 12 Spencertownacademy.org When we headed into summer, no one knew if or how our favorite summer events —performing arts, galleries, annual festivals—were going to survive. Many, if not most of them went online, and so did we. Virtual events work, we learned, and the annual Spencertown Academy Festival of Books, taking that knowledge, has shifted to a virtual festival September 4 through October 12. Over its 15 years, the Festival of Books has featured distinguished authors and documentary filmmakers, children’s programs, and the immensely popular book sale. This year, instead of activities taking place on the Academy’s campus, the venue will be Zoom. Some of the featured authors this year include Joyce Carol Oates, who will discuss her latest book, Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars; journalist Robert Kolker; and local children’s book author and illustrator Jacqueline Rogers, who will lead art workshops for the kids. Admission to all events is free, but advance registration is required as Zoom capacity is limited. The festival, which began in 2006 as a book sale to raise funds for the academy’s community arts program, has grown into one of the biggest and most eagerly anticipated cultural events of the fall season. Board members David Highfill and Jill Kalotay, who co-chair the festival, didn’t want to disappoint anyone. “It’s been a learning curve, for sure,” says Highfill, who happens to be vice president and executive editor at publisher William Morrow. “We had to consider how much bandwidth we have as a group, and how much can we do as volunteers?”

Just because Highfill’s in publishing doesn’t mean engaging authors is a piece of cake. It’s a who-knowswho exercise among all of the volunteers, and in some cases, Highfill admits, “it’s a matter of cold calling agents and managers.” But, as in every year, the lineup of authors is a stellar one, and the co-chairs are particularly excited about snagging Joyce Carol Oates. “She’s a giant of American letters, with almost 60 novels, poetry, and prose in varying styles,” Highfill says. “A lot of people will have read her new book, which is about racism, white entitlement, and family drama.” Journalist Robert Kolker will talk about his New York Times bestseller, Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, about one midcentury couple and their 12 children who were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Children’s book author and illustrator Jacqueline Rogers will read from her latest book, Goblin Moon, a spirited story that captures Halloween fun, and then lead a related workshop for kids 5 and up. A second workshop, “Create a Halloween Book Cover” is designed for older kids. Other events include a discussion by D. W. Young, director, and Dan Wechsler and Judith Mizrachy, producers of The Booksellers, a documentary about antiquarian booksellers, the impact of technology on the trade, and the importance of books as physical objects. Richard Gehr will discuss his book, I Only Read It for the Cartoons: The New Yorker’s Most Brilliantly

Twisted Artists and then interview two current New Yorker cartoonists, David Sipress and Emily Flake. Ed Ward will discuss his book, The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock. He’ll be joined in conversation with Gerald Seligman, an academy board member who has over 35 years of experience in the music industry. Then there’s that sine qua non of the festival, the book sale. It’s back as an online edition and will focus on “The Special Book Room” collection of about 300 books. As in past years, volunteer Wayne Green is spearheading that, assisted by a team of volunteers assessing conditions, writing descriptions, and taking photos of books on architecture, art and design, photography, fine art, and food; signed editions; and more, priced from $5 to $350. The book sale will run through October 12 (or until the “shelves” are empty), and purchases must be picked up by appointment at the academy. Finally, the festival folds in an event for the academy’s second Community Reads book, This America: The Case for the Nation. Author Jill Lepore will discuss her book live with historian Sheila Curran Bernard on September 22. “We usually make quite a bit of money for the academy, so we’re kind of handcuffed this year,” says Kalotay. “But as much as we’ll miss gathering in person, we look forward to enjoying stimulating literary events at home and, of course, still shopping for fabulous books.” —Lisa Green

For comprehensive calendar listings visit Chronogram.com/events. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 57

film

This year's Woodstock Film Festival features the East Coast premiere of Kenny Scharf: When Worlds Collide, about the influential East Village artist.

Screen Time THE 2020 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL September 30–October 4 Woodstockfilmfestival.org

Back in March, when the cavalcade of coronavirus closures began, Woodstock Film Festival cofounder Meira Blaustein, perhaps like most sane festival organizers this year, considered canceling the beloved event. But not for long. Instead, Blaustein, who cites “a healthy dose of insanity” as part of what made her want to start the 21-years-and-still-running film festival in the first place, didn’t yield to pressure. Taking a cue from the artistic spirit of the fest’s namesake town, she and her—to borrow the festival’s famous tagline—“fiercely independent” team of fellow film lovers got creative. With traditional movie theaters currently closed in New York State, they made astute use of technology and found alternate venues at which to screen some of this year’s hand-picked selection of over 30 full-length movies and nearly 40 short films. And so (insert clapperboard clack! here) the 2020 Woodstock Film Festival will take place from September 30 through October 4, after all. In addition to the many films that will show online exclusively through the festival, there will be special screenings at Greenville Drive-In in Greenville, Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie, and a pop-up drive-in at the Bearsville Theater in Bearsville. Several of the insightful panels and talks that have long been signature elements of the event will take place via Zoom; one such program promises Amy and Daniel Paladino, showrunners of the hit Prime Video series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Special events are also set to happen at Colony’s beer garden in Woodstock. Among the standouts on this year’s list of judiciously chosen films are the world premiere of Los Hermanos/ 58 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 9/20

The Brothers, a poignant documentary about Cuban brothers and virtuoso musicians Ilmar and Aldo LópezGavilán, who are reunited after a lengthy separation due to world politics (a live musical performance by Ilmar Gavilán will accompany the showing); Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks For Me, a powerful portrait of California congresswoman Barbara Lee making its East Coast premiere; and another documentary making its East Coast premiere: Kenny Scharf: When Worlds Collide, which centers on the titular visionary artist and his vital role in the 1980s East Village art scene. A special component for 2020 is the festival’s 35th anniversary tribute to celebrated horror producers Glass Eye Pix (Depraved, The Last Winter, Habit) that features three locally filmed genre films: Wendigo (2001), Bitter Feast (2010), and Stake Land (2009). “Glass Eye Pix presents three films from its canon of over 50 movies, each highlighting the director’s unique voice, and each offering a glimpse at the range of stories found in the horror genre,” says head producer and area resident Larry Fessenden. “All shot in the Hudson Valley at different times of year.” Blaustein, whose passion for indie cinema was ignited by regularly attending art house screenings as a teenager in her native Israel, was well prepared to manage a film festival by the time she and fellow movie maven Laurent Rejto established the Woodstock Film Festival in 2000. Previously, she had worked with the Hudson Valley and the Newburgh film festivals. “We could see how Woodstock would be a good place for a film festival, there was already such a high level of art and music in the

area,” she recalls, adding that many of the film-industry figures who’ve visited for what’s now one of the world’s major film events loved the area enough to settle here. “I remember Parker Posey apologizing for being late to one of our events because she’d decided to go out looking at houses,” Blaustein says. “It’s a great festival,” says actor Paul Rudd. “It’s what a film festival should be, which is really independent films showcasing the work of filmmakers you might not know about. I love that, and Woodstock is a town that goes hand in hand with that. I can’t think of another place that seems better suited to have an independent film festival than Woodstock.” “It’s definitely been a bear, figuring things out [logistically],” says Blaustein, whose operation’s regular year-round programming of WFF-branded efforts like its Summer Youth Film Lab for local teens helped test the web for the festival’s transition to mainly online screenings and panels for 2020. “But this year, with everything that’s going on in the world, we’re really proud to be able to deliver so much—so many great films that people won’t be able to see anywhere else. It’s a miracle festival, really.” The 2020 Woodstock Film Festival will run from September 30 through October 4. All-inclusive passes (films and panels) are $150; online-only film passes are $125; and panels-only passes are $50. Individual drive-in and panel tickets are also available. For a full schedule of screenings and events, visit Woodstockfilmfestival.org. —Peter Aaron

Newburgh Free Library is hosting “Journey to Freedom,” a year-long series of arts, cultural & educational programs, inspired by the courage, vision & strength of the American abolitionist & political activist, Harriet Tubman. This sculpture of Harriet Tubman by award-winning artist Wesley Wofford will be on display in front of the Newburgh Free Library from October 12 to December 12, 2020. For more info, please visit our website at newburghlibrary.org. Funded in part by Humanities New York.

ANIMULA - big little soul Jan Harrison

Paintings and Sculptural Installation

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 29, 12-6PM AUGUST 29 - OCTOBER 4, 2020

11 Jane St. Art Center, Saugerties, NY

9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 59

film

The Road to Zabu Q&A WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR NEIL COHEN Chiefzabu.com In 1986, fledging writer Neil Cohen and enigmatic character actor Zach Norman (Romancing the Stone) teamed up to film Chief Zabu, a low-budget comedy about a New York real estate developer with political ambitions that was filmed almost entirely on the Bard College campus. In addition to Norman, the film features a who’s who of character actors from the 1980s, including Allan Arbus (“MASH”), Ed Lauter (The Longest Yard), Marianna Hill (The Godfather Part II), and Allen Garfield (Mother, Jugs & Speed). The Hollywood Reporter described the film thusly in its review: “Though its mix of the loopy, the broad and the deadpan is uneven, its story of American business designs on a tiny Polynesian nation still has satirical bite. Due to a series of unfortunate (and typical-to-Hollywood) events, it was never released. Last month, Chief Zabu became available to stream via Google Play. Codirector Neil Cohen, who divides his time between California and the Ulster County hamlet of Accord, chatted with us recently about the film’s strange 34-year journey to release. —Brian K. Mahoney

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Tell me about how Chief Zabu came to be made. I was an assistant to a talent agent and just hated it. I had no idea what I was doing. I was very, very unhappy in that job. And one day into the office walked Zach Norman, who had made any number of crazy, offbeat movies with a guy named Robert Downey Sr., who was Robert Downey’s father. They had been friends for many years and they had done a bunch of things together and they were looking to hire one of the actors we represented. The boss of the agency had no idea who these two guys were, but I did. So, he put me on that case and the deal took about, I don’t know, somewhere between 18 and 38 minutes. I walked them to the elevator and this guy, Zach Norman, said “You look like the unhappiest dude in the world man. What’s going on with you?” I mean, I was wearing a tie. I said, “Yeah, I’m so unhappy.” He said “Why?” I said “Well, I don’t know what I’m doing here.” “What do you want to do?” “I’m a writer.” He said, “Well show me some.” So I showed him a script. He called me a week later and said “Quit your job. Come work for me.” Next thing you know I’m working with this very eccentric, wonderful character, comedian, real estate guy, actor, Zach Norman. He financed the release of Hearts and Minds (1974), an anti-war documentary that won an Academy Award. We were writing some scripts and some of them were funny, but they were all very big kind of comedies. One day over margaritas or something like that he told me the story of going to a hotel room at the SherryNetherland to meet a guy named Chief Kapu. And Chief Kapu was a legit guy who was trying to get independence for Namibia from South Africa and Zach walked into this suite and all he saw was every hustler in New York. Every con artist, every shyster surrounding this guy, along with Warren Beatty and Elizabeth Taylor. At that point, Zach knew this man was doomed and he made a U-turn and left the suite. I told Zach that’s the most insane story I ever heard and that’s our movie. We’ve got to stop everything, write that movie, because that’s something I think we can shoot. We took the location from Namibia and moved it to the South Pacific, where at that time a number of the island nations were trying to break free from France while at the same time France was still doing open-air nuclear testing. It was a South Pacific fantasy, with the edge of a legit issue and an Abbott and Costello comedy of a real estate guy who had pretensions of wanting to be involved in politics, who was not very bright but had a lot of energy, and a New York guy, and we were certainly

aware of Trump because we always used to see the Trump Pavilion, which was the most horrible building in Queens on the way to the airport. We kind of modeled the lead character a bit on Trump. Trump was definitely on your mind. He was totally on our mind. There were a lot of guys in New York like him, but he was the one that had the spotlight on him. So we wrote the script. Zach closed some real estate deal and before he could spend the money on something else, I said, “We have to make this movie.” But you might not have had much experience making films, but Zach did right? Yeah. But Zach did, so he called a friend to be the line producer. This line producer came to us, read the script, saw what we were up to and said, “If you make me the producer, I know the head of maintenance at a college in the Hudson Valley and we can sneak in there for two weeks between the spring and the summer semesters.” We said “Great, let’s do it. We’ll head up there and do it.” The guy came back to us and said “Okay, we’re going to slip in there. The only thing is we have to use 22 students as interns on the movie and do it real fast because I don’t know how high up in the administration they know we’re actually doing this.” We went up to Bard and the crew, who were all very, very young people from the New York Indie scene and this crazy collection of 1980s character actors and myself and Zach all lived in the dorm with these 22 students in bunk beds. But everybody was very well behaved and we ate in the cafeteria. In 15 days, we shot all the interiors for a day and a half in Manhattan without permits, just running around. If you see the businessmen go into the Plaza Hotel, we’re in some location inside at Bard. If they’re going into the French Embassy, two men walk into the French Embassy, then there was a scene in the French Embassy. That was set in Bard. Then we did a scene on the Taconic Parkway with Zach and Allen Garfield. It’s sort of uncut, pure cinema. We had no permits. There were no tow cars. There was no platform. All we did was we bolt the camera on a piece of wood, which we chained to the hood of Zach’s Mercedes and then stuck a microphone in the backseat and sent them up the road. What you’re seeing is this scene that’s being shot without a cameraman present, without a director present, without a soundman present. It’s just two guys staying in camera, driving down the Taconic talking about something that’s very funny and very important to the movie.

As I was watching Zabu, it reminded me of the other comedies of that time—National Lampoon’s Vacation, Trading Places. When you were writing it and putting it together, did you have kind of other movies in mind that you were thinking of? Were there certain touchstones for you? Some of it was some of the early Robert Downey Sr. movies like Putney Swope. I guess the other guys who would probably be most influential, not putting us in that thing, would be Hal Ashby, who made Being There and Shampoo and things like that, that were a mix of comedy with some undertone, but kind of a bizarre style in the shooting. The movie wrapped in 1986 but didn’t get released until 2020. What happened? Well, if you can imagine, we made a movie in 15 days. It’s the first time Zach and I have ever directed a movie and we think it’s normal to make your first movie with 43 speaking roles, 23 locations, purportedly taking place in three cities and two continents. In those days, to cut a picture together, it had to be 90 minutes to get distributed, and at 90 minutes it was kind of shaggy. The distributor liked it and was going to put it out, and a couple of weeks before it was supposed to come out, that distributor went bankrupt. At that point, it was going to be a big legal thing to get the film back from that company that was now in bankruptcy. I was already out in Los Angeles starting to write scripts and making a living as a writer in that system. Zach was acting in Hollywood movies and also back into the real estate. We weren’t that in love with what we had done, the 90-minute version. And to recut it in those days it would cost something between $200 an hour to $2,000 a day to hire an editor with a Movieola that would be able to cut 35-millimeter, film and then you’re going to have make all these different editions of the movie. It was just dauntingly expensive about something that we had somewhat soured on. Cut to years later, Trump comes down this escalator. Zach and I had stayed friends, but it was like—let’s not talk about Chief Zabu. Maybe one day we’ll put the driving scene on YouTube or something. He comes down the elevator and we say “Wait a second. We made a movie about a New York real estate developer who wants to have political power. Why don’t we go find our movie and just cut everything out we don’t like? We don’t care how short it is. Maybe it’ll be 40 minutes, maybe it’ll be 20 minutes. We’ll just throw it on YouTube, because it’s a safe platform and we know there’s some fun stuff in it.” We transferred a VHS tape to digital and we sat in this apartment in North Hollywood and cut out everything we didn’t like. We got it down to about 73 minutes. We really liked the movie. We put it on video on demand this week. Wow. You never directed again? No. It’s not my thing. I mean, I love writing and I love being in the editing room and I love whispering in people’s ears what to do. But I’m not that guy. I want to tell all you kids out there, whatever they tell you to do and what you’re supposed to want to do—you don’t have to be that guy. I’ve kind of made this stumblebum living out of it and did a kids’ book recently that I wrote and illustrated, American Gargoyles (Rare Bird Books, 2019), about gargoyles on a Manhattan skyscraper who scramble to save their home from destruction. Illustrating this book was more to my level and my comfort zone than being a director. Opposite top: Zack Norman and Allen Garfield in a scene from Chief Zabu filmed on the Taconic State Parkway. Opposite, bottom: Writer/director Neil Cohen. This page, from top, scenes from Chief Zabu: Allan Arbus plays a shyster who tries to convince a consortium of businessmen to invest in anisland in French Polynesia. Zach Norman and Betty Karlen in their Manhattan real estate office, which was in fact filmed at Bard College, like most of the film's interiors. Lucianne Buchanan plays the sex-straved wife of a financier whose estate looks a lot like Bard. Garfield and Norman in a scene filmed at the former Kingston Tea Garden at the corner of Wall and John streets in Uptown Kingston. 9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 61

Chase Brock and dancers of the Chase Brock Experience Photo by John Abbot

Local Motion CHOREOGRPAHER CHASE BROCK’S MODERN ACCORD DEPOT Chasebrock.com

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Although renowned Broadway choreographer Chase Brock and his musician husband Rob Berman had long been enamored of Accord’s turn-of-the-century train depot, when it went on the market in 2017 they hadn’t planned on buying it. “Like all artists do whenever they see an old building, we’d thought, ‘I wonder if there’s enough space in there to make into a studio’,” says Brock about the historic structure, which the couple recently remade into a dance studio/residential retreat and B&B called Modern Accord Depot. “We’d always liked the look of the building from the outside. When we saw it was for sale, we figured, ‘Well, we should at least go and take a peek.’ Once we did, that was it. We weren’t exactly ready to buy another place and take on a renovation project, but we knew we had to do it.” Then again, the pair weren’t planning to buy a home in the hamlet of just over 500 before they did exactly that in 2010. “We had that dream of getting out of the city and getting a place upstate [the couple has held onto their Brooklyn apartment], but we figured it would be 10 years before we did anything like that,” the dancer recalls. “We had a friend who’d just closed on a place in Accord, and he told us there was another house for sale that we should really come see. We just came up on a lark, and the place was fabulous. We put in an offer two days later and we got it.” Raised in North Carolina, Brock made his Great White Way debut at age 16 and has gone on to become one of the scene’s most prolific choreographers, directing concert dance, theater, ballet, opera, TV, and video game dance productions. His resume

includes Broadway’s “Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark” and “Picnic”; the stage adaptation of Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”; and TV’s “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”; he’s also the subject of the Emmy-nominated 2013 documentary Chasing Dance. At 23, he launched his own dance company, the Chase Brock Experience, whose residencies at Modern Accord Depot are set to alternate with those of visiting dance troupes and weekending B&B guests. For the remodel, Brock and Berman turned to Kerhonkson architect Marica McKeel’s Studio MM firm, which balanced their goals of making the space suitable for dancers and other artists and maintaining the 1902 building’s historic character—while also adding just enough of Brock’s colorful flair. Last month, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the facility began a partnership with arts organization New Dance Alliance on the latter’s Black Artists Space to Create Residency program, which has provided three recipient dancers with the opportunity to live and work at the Accord site for two weeks. In a case of cosmic coincidence, Brock learned during the depot’s renovations that the legendary local Black dance figure Peg Leg Bates had once performed in the building. “We definitely took that as a sign from the universe,” Brock says. “This convergence of, not just local history and Black history, but of dance history and this whole parallel of the movement of trains and travel with the movement of dance. It feels really good to be honoring all of that.” —Peter Aaron

dance

Marica McKeel's architecture firm Studio MM transformed the 1902 train depot in a space for contemporary dance. Photo by Brad Feinknopf

Emmy Spaar and David Hochberg (in studio) of the Chase Brock Experience Photo by John Abbot

9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 63

Dos Mundos: (Re)Constructing Narratives

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Maajeida (from the series “Untitled”), 2020

September 12 – November 22, 2020 SAMUEL DORSK Y MUSEUM OF ART

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT NEW PALTZ

Artist Playlists

A weekly series of playlists curated by artists

Artist Web Projects

Twenty-five years of commissioning projects for the web

KINGSTON CERAMICS STUDIO

www.newpaltz.edu/museum

CERAMICS CLASSES & OPEN STUDIO FOR ADULTS. PRIVATE LESSONS, PARTIES, & GIFTS FOR EVERYONE. New students use code

CH RONOG RAM and receive 1 free trial class

77 Cornell Street Suite #309 Kingston, NY 12401 845-331-2078 kingstonceramicsstudio@gmail.com

kingstonceramicsstudio.com

Dia Blog

Read, watch, listen, interact

Watch & Listen

A comprehensive digital archive of twenty years of public programming at Dia

THOUGHT PROVOKING FINE ART

Explore Dia’s online projects and resources at diaart.org

FRANKAZZOPARDI.COM 64 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 9/20

live events Cyro Baptista

Although the pandemic has resulted in many local arts events being cancelled, postponed, or migrating online, there are several happenings—with COVID-adjusted parameters in place—that have been scheduled for the coming weeks. Please check websites or call for updates and additional advisories.

“American Son” September 4, 6, 12, 18, 20, 26. The Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck’s recently erected outdoor stage has become quite a hit with local theater lovers. Written by Christopher Demos-Brown and set in a police station, the 2016 original play “American Son” addresses the intertwined issues of systemic racism and police brutality as it chronicles a mixed-race couple’s efforts to find their son after a traffic incident. Audience members should arrive with masks and bring a blanket or lawn chairs. There will be no refreshments available to purchase, but patrons should feel encouraged to bring their own. (The musical “Songs for a New World” runs September 5, 11, 13, 19, 25, and 27.) 7pm. $20. Rhinebeck. Centerforperformingarts.org

Art Studio Views September 5, 6. The 13th annual Art Studio Views Tour brings art aficionados into the private studios of 27 artists in Germantown, Tivoli, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Hyde Park on a free, self-guided tour over Labor Day Weekend. Artists include printmaker Melissa Katzman Braggins, photographer Dan Goldman, painter Tarryl Gabel, and many others, practicing a diversity of disciplines from ceramics to glass blowing. The artists will also have work in the “Sampler Exhibit,” hosted at the Harvest Gallery at Grieg Farm throughout the weekend. Tours 11am to 5pm each day. Brochures are available on the ASV website. Current health protocols will be followed at all studios, and visitors must adhere to wearing masks and social distancing requirements. Artstudioviews.com Cyro Baptista and Glossolalia September 12. Innovative and adventurous percussion polymath Cyro Baptista has worked with a wildly diverse range of artists: everyone from Trey Anastasio to Sting, John Zorn, Herbie Mann, Laurie Anderson, and his fellow Brazilians Tom Zé, Caetano Veloso, and Marisa Monte. For this night during the Falcon’s outdoor Waterfall Series, he brings his own exciting Glossolalia band. (David Amram returns September 13; Jim Campilongo jams September 19.) 7:30pm. Donation requested. Limited seating, reservations recommended. Patrons must order a meal. Liveatthefalcon.com

Modern English September 19. Few who were alive in the shameless ’80s can forget Modern English’s mega-hit “I Melt with You.” Formed in 1977 as punk band the Lepers, the British outfit, who visit Daryl’s House this month, altered their style to Joy Division-esque postpunk before signing to the seminal 4AD label. The aberrantly poppy, anthemic “Melt,” a

single from their 1982 sophomore album After the Snow, became an MTV blockbuster via its inclusion on the soundtrack of the hit teen comedy Valley Girl. With Bootblacks. (Brand X brings the prog September 13; the Dan Tyminski Band tears it up October 2.) 7pm. $40, $55. Pawling. Darylshouseclub.com

Joan Osborne September 19. Singer-songwriter Joan Osborne struck Top 10 gold with her 1995 smash hit “One of Us” before going on to perform with the Dead and Phil Lesh and as a member of Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman’s super group, Trigger Hippy. Here, the Lilith Fair songbird lands at City Winery Hudson Valley as part of its Outdoor Concert Series for a special performance at the site’s lawn, which is partitioned off into socially distanced “pod” sections, each with space enough for two to ten people. As of this writing, Rear Lawn area pod tickets are available. (Amy Helm appears September 5; Chris Thile holds forth September 12.) 3pm. $240 per pod. Montgomery. Citywinery. com/hudsonvalley

Art Walk Kingston September 26, 27. Sponsored by Arts Mid-Hudson, Art Walk Kingston celebrates the vibrant arts community of the thriving Ulster County city each year. And while 2020 has, of course, transformed into an annus horribilis like no other, the festival has transformed itself along with it; instead of the freewheeling gallery crawl and performance panoply of previous installments, this year’s return will be limited to showings at selected galleries and private spaces, as well as a special virtual gallery. Events will be held from noon to 5pm each day, and participating artists include painter Cyndy DiBenneditto; sculptors Diane Tenerlli, Hans Van Meeuwen, and Pamela Blum; jeweler Marysa Sacerdote; and mixed-media artists Rosalie Frankel. See website for locations and information. Artsmidhudson.org

Robin Trower October 3. UK guitar god Robin Trower got his big break as a member of Procol Harum, joining the group immediately after they scored a worldwide hit with 1967’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and appearing on their self-titled debut album. By 1973 he was leading his own band, whose molten brand of Hendrix-y heavy psych/hard-rock blues hit its white-hot apex with the following year’s stoner classic, Bridge of Sighs. The titanic Trower taps into our region for this episode of the Egg’s ongoing Guest Music Presentations Series. (The Mutts Gone Nuts comedy dog spectacular is off the leash October 4.) 8pm. $39.50, $49.50, $59.50. Albany. Theegg.org

9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 65

Lukas Milanak, Antimatter Clock

Deirdre O'connell, Accordion

Meg Hitchcock, Impermanence

“LUKAS MILANAK: ALLEGORY AND APPARATUS” AT BAU GALLERY

“SAINTS AND SISTERS: NEW WORK BY MALCOLM MORAN AND DEIRDRE O’CONNELL” AT SUSAN ELY FINE ART

“ILLUMINATE: WORKS ON PAPER BY MEG HITCHCOCK” AT GARRISON ART CENTER

With the mind of an experimenter and an artist’s approach, Lukas Milanak’s zany body of work seeks to delight, entertain, and spark curiosity with viewers. Spanning countless materials and formats, his art projects draw on science and engineering in a whimsical modern study of alchemy. Using mundane objects, Milanak builds complex systems that, when taken as a collective exhibition challenge our notion of the common. “What happens in between seeing potential and realizing it goes well beyond simply building an object. There is magic in the making, alchemy in the experimentation, and joy in sharing that with others,” he says. September 12–October 4; opening reception September 12, 12-9pm at BAU in Beacon Baugallery.org

Award-winning actress turned self-taught artist, Deirdre O’Connell pulls inspiration from her theater background, including scenes and characters from works by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Acrylic and mixed media on board, her works are stark, lonesome, and haunting, even while showing, in some cases, scenes of opulence. O’Connell’s work will show at the Susan Ely gallery alongside Malcolm Moran’s series of portraits, which he has split into sinners and saints. These muted-toned paintings and drawings represent figures, both personally familiar to the artist and not, that have shaped the course of his life, though the series title is not a value judgement. September 24–November 1; opening reception September 26 in Hudson. Susaneleyfineart.com

Meg Hitchock’s works weave together text, color, and form into textured studies of her overlapping interests in religion, and, in particular, sacred words or mantras, literature, and psychology. Using words themselves as sculptural elements, Hitchcock builds fluid new texts that provoke visual and spiritual contemplation. “I find it to be deeply comforting to exchange my belief in God for a trust in humanity,” Hitchcock says. This exhibition at Garrison Arts Center will show a large body of work in two galleries. September 19–November 8. Garrisonartcenter.org

11 JANE ST

CORNELL CREATIVE BUSINESS & ARTS CENTER

GALLERY 330

“ANIMULA - big little soul: Jan Harrison.” Sculpture, performance, and paintings. Through October 4.

“We Are All Human.” Group show juried by MariaElena Ferrer. September 14-November 30.

ANN STREET GALLERY

DIA:BEACON

“Linda Puiatti: Color of Light.” Through color, light and shadow, Puiatti shares her impression of nature and the drama of a moment in time in her paintings. September 5-26. Opening reception September 5, 5-8pm.

“Influenced by Nature.” Group show. Through September 5.

Works by Lee Ufan, Sam Gilliam, Mel Bochner, Bary Le Va, Richard Serra, Dan Flavin, and others on long-term view.

11 JANE STREET, SAUGERTIES

104 ANN STREET, NEWBURGH

ART OMI

1405 COUNTY ROUTE 22, GHENT “Howardena Pindell” Photo collage and video art by American painter and mixed media artist. Visits must be reserved. Through November 1.

BAU GALLERY

506 MAIN STREET, BEACON “Allegory and Apparatus: Lukas Milanak.” Lukas Milanak applies the do-it-yourself ethos to science and engineering, inventing playful sculptures and art-making machines. “Weightless.” Daniel Berlin. Painting, monotypes, and sculpture. Both shows September 12-October 4. Opening reception on September 12, 12-9pm.

CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY

622 WARREN STREET, HUDSON “Pattern Play.” Group exhibit features new work by Donise English, Bruce Murphy, Vincent Pomilio, Susan Stover, and Stephen Walling. Through October 11.

CLARK ART INSTITUTE

225 SOUTH STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA “Arrival of the Animals.” Lin May Saeed. Drawings of animals on and with paper as well as sculptures in Styrofoam, steel, and bronze. Through October 25.

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129 CORNELL STREET, KINGSTON

3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON

EMERGE GALLERY & ART SPACE 228 MAIN STREET, SAUGERTIES

“Isolation: Art Created During the Pandemic.” This virtual exhibition highlights the creative burst 57 artists experienced during the Covid-19 lockdown between March and July 2020. A wide range of work using various mediums is included in the exhibit. Through September 13.

FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER VASSAR COLLEGE, POUGHKEEPSIE

“Miracles on the Border: Retablos of Mexican Migrants to the United States.” Retablos are thank-you notes to the heavens dedicated to Christ, the Virgin, or saints to consecrate a miraculous event. The votives in this exhibition—spanning the entirety of the twentieth century—were offered by Mexican migrants and their families to commemorate the dangers of crossing the border and living in the United States. September 5-December 13.

FERROVIA STUDIOS

17 RAILROAD AVENUE, KINGSTON “David Schoichet: Recent Work.” Schoichet’s black and white photographs are exclusively of people of color; his subjects range from brief interactions with strangers at public events such as protests, rallies, and marches, to intimate portraits of family and friends. Ongoing.

330 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE

GARRISON ART CENTER

23 GARRISON’S LANDING, GARRISON “Illuminate: Meg Hitchcock.” Solo exhibition of works on paper. September 19-November 8. Opening reception on September 19, 5-7pm.

LABSPACE

2642 NY ROUTE 23, HILLSDALE “In My Room: Susan Carr.” Paintings, drawings, sculpture and ceramics. September 4-November 8. Opening on Saturday September 12 and 13, 1-5pm.

LOCKWOOD ART GALLERY 747 ROUTE 28, KINGSTON

“An Abstract Conversation: Janice LaMotta.” Paintings by Janice LaMotta. Through September 12

MAGAZZINO ITALIAN ART

2700 ROUTE 9, COLD SPRING “Homemade: Group Show.” New work created by eight New York-based Italian artists—Alessandro Teoldi, Andrea Mastrovito, Beatrice Scaccia, Danilo Correale, Davide Balliano, Francesco Simeti, Luisa Rabbia, and Maria D. Rapicavoli—during the global quarantine. Reservations required. Through September 7.

MARK GRUBER GALLERY

NEW PALTZ PLAZA, NEW PALTZ “Marlene Weidenbaum and Jim Cramer.” Paintings. September 5-October 17.

exhibits

Susan Stover, Otto

Earl Swanigan, Self-Portrait

Zulma Steele, The Big Mountain, Ashokan Reservoir

“PATTERN PLAY” AT CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY

“THE EARL SHOW” AT TIME AND SPACE LIMITED

“ZULMA STEELE: ARTIST/CRAFTSWOMAN” AT KLEINERT/JAMES CENTER FOR THE ARTS

This group exhibit brings together the work of five artists in a curated examination of the gestural and graphic pattern variations in abstract painting and sculpture. From the exuberant color and textural composition of Vincent Pomilio to the jewel-toned, wall-mounted wooden sculptures of Steven Walling to the geometric abstractions of Donise English, to the abstract landscapes of Bruce Murphy to Susan Stover’s sewn sculptures, the pieces on display collectively probe the interaction between color, dimension, shadow, and line. Through October 11 in Hudson. Carriehaddadgallery.com

This posthumous retrospective of Earl Swanigan’s work will inaugurate the cafe-cum-gallery at TSL in Hudson a year and a half after the artist’s death. Swanigan’s colorful, figurative outsider art is a beloved and common sight in Hudson shop windows and has been collected by art enthusiasts around the world. This show brings together paintings, window signs, furniture, and other work along with personal stories of Swanigan’s interesting, idiosyncratic, and controversial life in the stripped-down and reimagined former cafe at TSL. Advance registration for tours required. September 5–October 4. Timeandspace.org

Born in 1881, Zulma Steele was one of the first residents of Byrdcliffe Colony and a founder of the Arts and Craft movement. Her progressive aesthetic helped shape the movement as well as the vibe at the arts colony. The show includes a range of Steele’s signature crafts, including ceramics, furniture, and furniture designs, as well as 20 paintings, works on paper, and some recently unearthed notebooks for a panoramic view into the creative process of the artist and artisan. Primarily focused on landscapes, Steele’s paintings bring in elements of Impressionism, Tonalism, and later Cubism, as she turned her gaze to Hudson Valley sites like the Ashokan Reservoir. Through November 22. Woodstockguild.org

OLIVE FREE LIBRARY

SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART

THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

“If Only.” Group show of feminist artwork by Katharine Umstead, Jacinta Bunnell, Carole Kunstadt, Yvette Lewis, and Natali BravoBarbee. September 26-November 7. Opening reception on September 26, 2-4pm.

“Pollinator Pavilion.” A 21 ½-foot-high, painted wood, architectural confection draped with flowers, plants, and paintings by Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood. Ongoing.

“Infinite Uncertainty.” Group show features work from regional artists responding to the uncertainties of our times. September 1-October 10. Virtual opening reception on September 3 at 7pm.

“Dos Mundos: (Re)Constructing Narratives.” Twelve artists who center stories at the fringe of public attention: hidden sanctuaries, subcultures, painful identities, far-away homes, spirituality, transcendence, broken promises, and all too easily ignored social ecologies. artists of color across the diaspora and beyond. September 12-November 22. “Hudson Valley Artists 2020: New Folk.” Group show curated by Anna Conlan. September 12-October 25. ‘We Wear the Mask: Race and Representation in the Dorsky Museum Permanent Collection.” Curated by Jean-Marc Superville Sovak. September 12-November 22.

PAMELA SALISBURY GALLERY

STORM KING ART CENTER

“Mortal: Robert Palumbo.” “Don Voisine: Time Out.” Lisa Ivory: Save Gardens.” All exhibitions, September 4-October 4. Opening reception September 4, time TBD.

“A stone that thinks of Enceladus: Martha Tuttle.” Outdoor exhibition is series of human-made stone stacks or cairns, built of boulders gathered at Storm King, and molded glass and carved marble stones. Plus permanent collection. Advance ticket purchase required. Ongoing.

PARTS & LABOR BEACON

SUSAN ELEY FINE ART

“Lois Dodd and Shara Hughes.” Recent paintings by Hughes and paintings by Dodd from 1966-88. Through October 25.

“Saints & Sinners: New Work by Malcolm Moran and Deirdre O’Connell.” September 24-November 1.

QUEEN CITY 15

‘T’ SPACE

“Women.” Group show dedicated to identifying, interpreting, and expanding the definition of women. September 4-26. Opening reception Saturday September 5, 4-6pm.

“Hiroyuki Hamada: Recent Work.” Guggenheim Fellow Hiroyuki Hamada will exhibit his recent paintings and sculptures. Through October 31.

ROCA

TIME AND SPACE LIMITED

“The Feminine Perception: Beauty and Nonsense: Leslie Fandrich.” “Look at Me: Works by Kris Campbell.” Both shows, September 10-October 4.

“The Earl Show: A Retrospective of Earl Swanigan (1964-2019).” September 5-October 4. Opening reception Saturday September 5, 2-7pm.

4033 ROUTE 28, WEST SHOKAN

OPALKA GALLERY

140 NEW SCOTLAND AVENUE, ALBANY

362 1/2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON

1154 NORTH AVENUE, BEACON

317 MAIN STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE

27 SOUTH GREENBUSH ROAD, WEST NYACK

1 HAWK DRIVE, NEW PALTZ

1 MUSEUM ROAD, NEW WINDSOR

433 WARREN STREET, HUDSON

137 ROUND LAKE ROAD, RHINEBECK

434 COLUMBIA STREET, HUDSON

218 SPRING STREET, CATSKILL

TILLY FOSTER FARM MUSEUM

100 ROUTE 312, BREWSTER

“Collaborative Concepts: The Farm Show 2020.” Collaborative Concepts presents its 15th annual sculpture exhibit, featuring over 40 artists at a new outdoor venue. September 5-October 31.

TIVOLI ARTISTS GALLERY 60 BROADWAY, TIVOLI

“Members’ Best.” Exhibit of member work. Through November 15.

WOMENSWORK.ART

4 SOUTH CLINTON STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE “The Feminine Agenda: A Group Exhibition.” September 4-27. Opening reception Saturday September 4, 6-9pm.

WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM 28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK

“Focus Online: A Different Kind of Now.” Group exhibition juried by Douglas Culhane. WAAM’s first online focus exhibition examines the ways in which recent changes are expressed, and possibly implemented, through the creative voice. September 20-October 31.

WOODSTOCK BYRDCLIFFE GUILD 34 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK

“Zulma Steele: Artist/Craftswoman.” The exhibition of work by one of the pioneering women of the Arts and Crafts movement and Modernism in New York includes ceramics, furniture and furniture designs, paintings, and works on paper, as well as some important Zulma Steele (1881-1979) notebooks that have recently come to light. Through November 22.

9/20 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 67

Horoscopes By Lorelai Kude

STARTS WITH A SMOLDER, ENDS WITH A BIG BANG September begins on a positive note, with the Full Moon in Pisces September 1, and Mercury in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn. This harmonious healing energy facilitates reconciliation, deep emotional understanding, and powerfully transformative words of healing and hope. Take advantage of this transit in your personal life and relationships, because by the end of September 2020’s long-smoldering powder keg of frustration is ignited into a public-facing conflagration. Mars, planet of war, conflict, and aggression stations retrograde on September 9 in his home sign of Aries, where he’ll be traveling “backward” until November 13, just days after the elections. Retrograde Mars will be forming intense, aggressive, challenging squares to Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn in status-quo loving Capricorn between now and November. The “feminine Mars,” asteroid Eris, also in Aries, brings “angry women” to the forefront of the social revolution. All of 2020’s issues—a raging viral pandemic, deception and denial from the highest places of government, jackbooted federal storm troopers, nationwide protests against racial and social injustices—are addressed via fed-up women’s voices on the spectrum between righteous indignation and rage. Jupiter in Capricorn stations direct September 12, on his way to the final of the three 2020 conjunctions with Pluto November 12, and his big conjunction in December with Saturn, also stationing direct September 28. Public outrage is triggered at Mercury’s square to Pluto with Moon in Scorpio September 20, when secret power-plays among the elite are exposed; Mercury’s square to Saturn and opposition to Mars September 2324 demand justice for the oppressed. Ignoring smoldering resentments and denying personal responsibility results in the big bang of retrograde Mars square Saturn September 29, audible throughout the rest of 2020. Gather your beloveds, cover your ears, and prepare to stand your ground behind the barricades.

ARIES (March 20–April 19) Mars in Aries stations retrograde September 9. Prepare for a journey backwards through November 13, returning you to a crucial decision-making point you encountered between July 25–29 of this year. Venus and Mars square September 4 while the Moon is in Aries, setting up relationship ultimatums between the desire for stability and the need for action. Relationship negotiations either produce a breakthrough or a breaking point September 24 at Mercury in diplomatic Libra opposition to retrograde Mars in impulsive Aries. Self-control is tested September 29 at Saturn’s square to retrograde Mars, giving your welldeveloped patience muscle a real workout.

TAURUS (April 19–May 20) Venus in home and family-oriented Cancer opposes Saturn in work and career-centric Capricorn September 2 is a difficult transit, highlighting feelings of loneliness, insecurity, and fear of deprivation. You may be tempted to demand ultimatums from a partner at the square of Venus to Mars September 4, with Mercury at the last degree of critical, hyper-analytic Virgo sextiling Venus in emotional Cancer the same day. Beware of wounding words, which cannot be unsaid. Regather your strength and pride when Venus enters Leo September 6. Venus square Uranus September 15 attracts unusual attention; Venus trine Mars September 28 restores self-confidence. A practicing, professional astrologer for over 30 years, Lorelai Kude can be reached for questions and personal consultations via email (lorelaikude@yahoo.com) and her Kabbalah-flavored website is Astrolojew.com. 68 HOROSCOPES CHRONOGRAM 9/20

Horoscopes

GEMINI (May 20–June 21) Mercury’s trine to Pluto on the Full Pisces Moon September 1 births powerful, transcendent, healing, and utterly transformative magic words: Speak to your own heart and free yourself from toxic secrets you’ve kept too long. Creative chaos morphs into fresh structure at Mercury’s trine to Saturn September 3, beauty and balance is restored September 5 when Mercury enters Libra. Last Quarter Gemini Moon September 10 completes projects; Mercury square Jupiter at the New Virgo Moon September 17 enlarges analytics of closely held beliefs; Mercury square Pluto September 20 empowers you to jettison what no longer resonates with your soul.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Full Pisces Moon September 1 confirms intuitive spiritual wisdom; Last Quarter Moon in Gemini September 10 invites you to release fears around the ultimate ambiguity of what can be objectively called “knowledge”. Trust your analytical discernment at the New Virgo Moon September 17; First Quarter Moon in Capricorn September 23 opens up a new and surprisingly stable, well-endowed opportunity to build something entirely new with a partner. Though home and family are consistent themes in your life, they now call for your best diplomatic skills after the Autumnal Equinox September 22, when you’re called upon to be peacemaker.

LEO (July 22–August 23) Your values are being aligned with your valuables now, if your bank balance and your heart balance aren’t on the same level, there’s going to be a deficit somewhere and you’ll be in the proverbial red. Sun trine Uranus September 2 empowers major career changes; Sun trine Jupiter September 9 casts favorable light on roles in which you are of practical service. Sun opposite Neptune September 11 shines an accurate spotlight on potential distortions around shared resources; Sun trine Pluto September 14 supercharges your personal power and charisma, Sun enters harmonious Libra September 23, inviting partnership, playfulness, and passion.

VIRGO (August 23–September 23) The Full Pisces Moon August 1 with Mercury’s trine to Pluto primes powerful words of truth you’ve struggled for so long to articulate to a partner. Though you’re famously analytical, you haven’t yet figured out how to have your cake and eat it too. You want to tie it up in a big bow and file it away when Mercury trines Saturn September 3 and sextiles Venus September 4 before moving into Libra September 5, but loose ends and unresolved conflicts around responsibility, maturity, and commitment between Mercury-Pluto square September 20 and Mercury-Saturn square September 23 delay permanent closure.

LIBRA (September 23–October 23) A sober Venus-Saturn opposition September 2 recalibrates the planet of love, inspiring her to set her house in order, square Mars September 4 prior to her entrance into fabulous, dramatic Leo September 6. With social activities severely curtailed, you may feel all dressed up and nowhere to go, and you’re tempted to rebel September 15 at Venus’s square to iconoclastic Uranus. Don’t panic: You’ve still got what it takes to attract others. Your divine spark lights all fires, even from afar, when Sun enters Libra at the Autumnal Equinox September 22, and September 28 at Venus’s trine to Mars.

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huguenotstreet.org 9/20 CHRONOGRAM HOROSCOPES 69

Life Changes. Plan. THIRD EYE ASSOCIATES

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Horoscopes

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) Mercury trine Pluto at the Full Pisces Moon September 5, powerfully initiating deeply transformative and healing communications between you and a beloved. Sun’s trine to Pluto September 14 empowers radical change; wherever you’ve felt stuck is exactly where you may now blast through the rock with the powerful dynamite of the enlarged consciousness you’ve worked so hard to develop. You’re able to see yourself in the light of your new growth, and to hold space to examine past actions with equanimity. Mercury square Pluto September 20 demanding honest answers to valid, legitimate questions, which you’re now ready to deliver.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 22) Sun/Jupiter trine September 9 is a spiritual chiropractic, realigning your emotional spine in areas involving your career. Upgrade your relationship to work and money. You hate being out of sync with your spiritual ideals; Jupiter’s retrograde, which began mid-May and gave you the opportunity to review your deepest soul beliefs, ends September 12. Reject offers not in sync with your personal values. Mercury square Jupiter at the New Virgo Moon September 17; details and fine print become important as you negotiate a better deal. Restlessness peaks September 21–23; circumvent the boredom of being “good” with a safe but fun getaway.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 20)

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Venus opposite Saturn September 2 illuminates how isolated and lonely you feel when allowing work to consume your life. Mercury trine Saturn September 3, ideas to streamline responsibilities and allow more intimacy pop like lightbulbs on an overloaded circuit. Sun trine Saturn September 17 at the Virgo New Moon smoothes ruffled feelings and orders messy emotions, making them manageable so answers appear. Saturn’s direct station September 28 and square to Mars the 29th signals a change in gears, energetic upswing, and renewed vigor in everything you set your mind to—and the number-one priority should be self-care and emotional wellness.

AQUARIUS (January 20–February 19) Sun trine Uranus September 2 resurrects moribund ideas and enlivens original insights into almost everything except the deepest secrets of your own heart. Venus in solar opposite Leo from September 6 onward wants attention, warmth, laughter, and adoration: what are you doing that’s so very important, making you too busy to pay attention to her? Conflicted feelings arise when Venus squares Uranus September 15, weighing the need for closeness and love with the price of relinquishing uniqueness. Allowing intimacy does not invalidate your individuality! Deconstruct relationship fears September 26–27 and discover the only thing to fear is fear itself.

PISCES (February 20-March 19) Though you speak with the tongues of men or angels, at the Full Moon in sensitive, psychic Pisces September 1 with a supportive sextile to powerful Pluto and trine to communicative Mercury, you won’t speak without the deepest kind of love—the kind that enables a great release of toxic emotional baggage now. Sun opposite Neptune September 11 sheds practical light on ideal dreams and vision; Jupiter’s direct station September 12 empowers manifestation of the most viable of those dreams and visions in your material world when brought down from the clouds of imagination with utmost respect and care. 70 HOROSCOPES CHRONOGRAM 9/20

Ad Index

Our advertisements are a catalog of distinctive local experiences. Please support the fantastic businesses that make Chronogram possible.

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Pennings Farm Cidery . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Rosendale Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

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Benmarl Winery & Fjord Vineyards . . . . . . 69

Hudson Business Coalition . . . . . . . . 40, 45

Berkshire Food Co-op . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Hudson Clothier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Hudson Hills Montessori School . . . . . . . 34

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Hudson Valley Native Landscaping . . . . . 21

Cabinet Designers, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Hudson Valley Sunrooms . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Canal Towne Emporium . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Jack’s Meats & Deli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Carrie Haddad Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Jacobowitz & Gubits . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Cassandra Currie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

John A Alvarez and Sons . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Catskill Cryo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

John Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Central Hudson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Kingston Ceramics Studio . . . . . . . . . . 64

Columbia Memorial Health . . . . . . . . .4, 31

Kol Hai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Corcoran Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Larson Architecture Works . . . . . . . . . . 18

Crystal Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Liza Phillips Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Daryl’s House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mark Gruber Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Dia Beacon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Masa Midtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Doane Stuart School . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mohonk Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dr. Dunham Integrative Family Health . . . . 30

Mohonk Mountain House . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Fairview Hearthside Distributors LLC . . . . 18

Mother Earth’s Storehouse . . . . . . . . . . 30

Falcon Music & Art Productions Inc. . . . . . 59

N and S Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Fionn Reilly Photography . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Newburgh Free Library . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Foster Flooring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Northampton Sex Therapy, LLC . . . . . . . 30

Frank Azzopardi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

The O Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Freestyle Restyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Pegasus Comfort Footwear . . . . . . . . . . 4

Sassafras Mercantile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Stoneleigh-Burnham School . . . . . . . . . 34 Sunflower Natural Food Market . . . . . . . . 4 The Surface Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Susan Eley Fine Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Third Eye Associates Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . 70 Vanikiotis Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Waldorf Schools Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Walnut Hill Fine Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Warren Kitchen & Cutlery . . . . . . . . . . . .9 WDST 100.1 Radio Woodstock . . . . . . . 68 Williams Lumber & Home Center . . . . . . . inside front cover Wimowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Woodstock Healing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Wunderbar Bistro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Yin Yoga with Will LeBlanc . . . . . . . . . . 28 YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County . . . . 28 Chronogram September 2020 (ISSN 1940-1280) Chronogram is published monthly. Subscriptions: $36 per year by Chronogram Media, 45 Pine Grove Ave. Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401. Periodicals postage pending at Kingston, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Chronogram, 45 Pine Grove Ave. Suite 303, Kingston, NY 12401.

9/20 CHRONOGRAM AD INDEX 71

parting shot

Portrait of Alex Ober by Franco Vogt

While team sports continue to cancel upcoming tournaments and seasons due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, individual activities, like cycling, have surged in popularity. One individual sport you’ve probably never heard of is freestyle soccer (or freestyle football for our readers overseas). A relatively new sport, freestyle soccer is all about one person, one ball, and a heck of a lot of tricks. Watching an accomplished freestyler perform is like breakdancing mixed with Lionel Messi-level ball control in a series of mind-boggling tricks. Competitions are judged figure-skater style, with an emphasis on difficulty of trick, control, flow, and musicality—the ability to syncopate the tricks to music. One of the top competitors in the US is a 16-year-old from Woodstock, Alex Ober. A rising junior at Woodstock Day School, Ober started playing soccer when he was six. He took up Freestyle five years ago after seeing a video on YouTube by French freestyle star Sean Garnier. Ober then taught himself tricks by imitating Garnier and others online, eventually creating his own routines from the various tricks he’s learned. “One of the best feelings in the sport,” says Ober, “is when you work really hard and try for many hours to land one trick and you get to the point when you can execute it consistently. It’s cool to push yourself to the next level and achieve that level of accomplishment from something you just figured out by yourself.” (Ober’s level of accomplishment is achieved through his four-to-five-hour-a-day practice regimen.) Currently, Ober is competing in the Red Bull 2020 Freestyle Football Championships, the sport’s top competition in the world. Because of the pandemic, the competition has moved online, with freestylers submitting videos of themselves in action. (One of the youngest athletes in the competition, he made it through the first two rounds as of late August to the top 80 and was working on third round video submission when we spoke.) Looking ahead to 2021, Ober hopes to finish in the top eight at the national championships. A video of the Woodstock phenom can be viewed in the online version of this article at Chronogram.com. —Brian K. Mahoney

72 PARTING SHOT CHRONOGRAM 9/20

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