Chronogram January 2024 by Chronogram

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Sixteen-year-old Olympic figure skating hopeful Jacob Sanchez training at the Ice Time sports complex in Newburgh. Photo by Franco Vogt FEATURE, PAGE 14

january

DEPARTMENTS

HOME

8 Esteemed Reader

18 Noughts and Crosses

Jason Stern senses the approaching solstice of an epoch.

9 Editor’s Note Brian K. Mahoney goes for a ride with Werner Herzog.

FOOD & DRINK 10 Restaurant Profile: Eliza The culinary crew behind Ollie’s Pizza, Fletcher & Lu, and Ollie’s Slice Shop have opened a satisfying bistro in Kingston.

13 Sips & Bites Recent openings include Willa in Millerton, Harana Market’s new location in Accord, and Small Talk in Woodstock.

FEATURE 14 Chasing Gold Sixteen-year-old Jacob Sanchez of Newburgh hopes to be the first Latino ice skater to represent the United States in the Olympics.

Gretchen Jones went from winning “Project Runway” to renovating a mystical Dutchess County estate.

HEALTH & WELLNESS 30 Five for Thriving Researchers at Harvard culled 34 years of data to come up with a handful of key lifestyle factors for longevity.

WEDDINGS 34 A Call for Simplicity Wedding professionals, from jewelers to cake makers, suggest that the big trend for 2024 is keeping it simple.

COMMUNITY PAGES 40 Great Barrington: Small Town Charm Great Barrington’s allure can be found in its Gilded Age cottages as well as its community initiatives.

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Earlier this year, a group of aviation enthusiasts fought off a lawsuit that would have closed the Walter J. Koladza Airport in Great Barrington. From left: Dave Long, Liz Shaker, Richard Schlesinger, Michael C. Mah, Noah Meyerowitz, and Lori Nashour.

COMMUNITY PAGES, 40

january

ARTS

THE GUIDE

58 Music

67 Here are the shows we’ll be attending this month:

Seth Rogovoy reviews Presence is a Present by Rager. Peter Aaron reviews Tape Collage Piece 2011 by Evan Lindorff-Ellery. Jeremy Schwartz reviews Past Due by Trauma School Dropouts. Plus listening recommendations from musician and Colony co-owner Neil Howard.

59 Books Peter Aaron reviews Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes’s definitive biography of the musician. Plus short reviews of All My Monsters Are Dead by Betty MacDonald; Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For? by T. W. Bristol; The Whispering Wall by Lissa Kiernan; Take Back the Magic by Perdita Finn; and God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man by Jack Kelly.

60 Poetry Poems by Jerrice J. Baptiste, Kemp Battle, Don Ferber, Jacob Gamage, Alice Graves, Robert Harlow, John Kirsten, Judith Lechner, Libby Grace Mosher, Ze’ev Willy Neumann, Cassidy Payne, Imogene Putnam, and Danielle Woerner. Edited by Phillip X Levine.

62 The ARChive of Contemporary Music Down a dirt road in Staatsburgh lies a pharaoh’s tomb for music fanatics: the ARChive of Contemporary Music, which houses millions of pieces of recordings and ephemera.

Super 400, Jill Sobule, Chris O’Leary Band, Sluice, Glen David Andrews, and Reed Foehl.

68 The Short List includes Nate Bargatze at the MJN Center, Mark Morris Dance Group at The Egg, and a screening of The Sweet East at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck.

69 “Ephemeral Monuments” is an exhibition of photographs by Magda Biernat at Hawk + Hive in Andes.

70 Alabama-born artist and musician Lonnie Holley plays The Local in Saugerties on January 21.

72 Listings of museum and gallery shows from across the

region. This month’s standouts include Onaje Benjamin at WAAM and Kaarina Chu Mackenzie at Art Gallery 71.

HOROSCOPES 76 Gainng Traction and a New Social Order Cory Nakasue reveals what the stars have in store for us.

PARTING SHOT 80 “Horizon Line” at Joyce Goldstein Gallery A group show of works mounted edge to edge is the final exhibit at the long-running gallery in Chatham.

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on the cover

Over the Moon, Jada Fabrizio,11”x 7”, staged photography, archival print, 2021

Adult Fairy Tales

The Off-Kilter Narratives of Jada Fabrizio

ather than using a camera to convey verisimilitude, Jada Fabrizio combines photography with mixed media to bring her off-kilter inner visions to life. Fabrizio sculpts characters, then builds, lights, and photographs sets to create “freshly minted fairy tales for adults.” Her recent “Land” series is directly influenced by the silence she experienced during the pandemic. “The world seemed an alien place,” Fabrizio says, “as if I had suddenly landed on the moon. Everything was familiar, yet drastically changed.” Over the Moon depictys two astronauts about to embrace under a giant celestial orb while a flock of birds flies away into the horizon. The landscape, building, and vehicle indicate the American Southwest, while the spacesuits suggest another planet. Perhaps that’s Over the Moon in a nutshell—at once familiar and otherworldly. About her process, Fabrizio says, “My materials are mostly scavenged or bought and modified with Sculptamold, plaster, carpenter’s foam, wood, and anything else I can find or make. The sets are usually three to four feet. The backgrounds are hand painted with acrylic.” 6 CHRONOGRAM 1/24

For the construction of this particular image, she made the landscape with aquarium sand mixed with glue and foam insulation, while the house is a cardboard box. “The figures are from the movie Interstellar (which I found on eBay). I am always looking for old trucks and cars at estate sales. The background is painted, the birds and Earth added digitally,” Fabrizio says. Generally shooting with a Nikon D850 and a 105mm Macro lens, she used miniature lights and tiny reflectors with black tinfoil to mask areas for Over the Moon. Fabrizio prefers world building with models over straight photography. “It takes a very special skill to shoot reality in a meaningful way,” she says. “I once took a class with Mary Ellen Mark on street photography and was amazed by her skill, but felt that it was not the path for me. I like creating moments from observed reality and putting my own personal twist on it. I also enjoy the handwork involved with building things from nothing.” As to how she comes up with her ideas, she says, “I try hard to always see things. I study

people and imagine what their life is like. My stories are personal but also universal. It’s very challenging for me to figure out what the emotion will be and then, like a puzzle, figure out ways to fill the frame and build the components.” Fabrizio is inspired by new topographic photographers such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz “for their poetic and breathtaking work on silence in landscape” and fantastic set builders Lori Nix (featured on the November 2003 cover of Chronogram) and Kathleen Gerber, as well as Diane Arbus and Francesca Woodman “for their raw emotion and vulnerability.” The Hudson Valley is also inspirational. Fabrizio studied creative writing at SUNY New Paltz, fell in love with poetry and art, and was married in a field in Mount Tremper. “It’s a place where I feel free and calm,” she says. While recognizing that each person brings their own interpretation when viewing art, she says, “I hope my images somehow express collective human experiences. I am not trying to influence thought, just reflect it.” —Mike Cobb

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Brian K. Mahoney brian.mahoney@chronogram.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR David C. Perry david.perry@chronogram.com DIGITAL EDITOR Marie Doyon marie.doyon@chronogram.com ARTS EDITOR Peter Aaron music@chronogram.com HOME EDITOR Mary Angeles Armstrong home@chronogram.com POETRY EDITOR Phillip X Levine poetry@chronogram.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anne Pyburn Craig apcraig@chronogram.com

contributors Winona Barton-Ballentine, Mike Cobb, Abigail Gierke David McIntyre, Cory Nakasue, Seth Rogovoy, Jeremy Schwartz, Sparrow, Jaime Stathis, Hannah Van Sickle, Franco Vogt

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mission Founded in 1993, Chronogram magazine offers a colorful and nuanced chronicle of life in the Hudson Valley, inviting readers into the arts, culture, and spirit of this place. All contents © Chronogram Media 2024. ChronogramMedia.com 1/24 CHRONOGRAM 7

esteemed reader by Jason Stern Our teachers inspire independent and insightful thinking, empathy for all, and a lifelong love of learning.

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“WE’RE REALLY TRYING TO DEVELOP A CAPACITY FOR REVERENCE IN OUR STUDENTS. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO FEEL A SENSE THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME SORT OF MYSTERY…JUST BEYOND WHAT THEY’RE UNDERSTANDING YET…SOMETHING THAT’S MUCH BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES.” KARIN ALMQUIST, SCHOOL DIRECTOR

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“Thunder within the earth: The image of The Turning Point. Thus the kings of antiquity closed the passes At the time of the solstice. Merchants and strangers did not go about, And the ruler Did not travel through the provinces.” —I Ching, hexagram 24 Fu / Return (The Turning Point) As the end of the year approaches I find myself surprised that darkness has come so early. A day seems to end before it has really begun. The diffuse light, gray skies and empty trees evoke a feeling that is both melancholic and thrilling. It is the beginning of winter and the phase brings an inner pressure for completion. In this time, I feel an instinctive need to clean things up for a period of rest and concentration in readiness for a new cycle of growth and expansion in the spring. Readying the garden for winter, cutting back plants and surrounding them with a protective blanket of mulch and leaves, is an analog of what is invited in all the areas of life. Now we bring the light inside with sparkling trees and menorahs and warm fires. We gather together with aged eggnog and fruit cake and friends and prepare to go inward, to rest. As my parents and their generation grow older I see the same impulse arising within a larger arc. They are getting affairs in order. My dad is cleaning out his desk and I get text messages—photos from before I was born, him and my mom as handsome 20-somethings, me as a baby, clips from his favorite Bob Dylan lyrics from the memory archive. Today I received this joyous, simple message: So happy just to be alive underneath this sky of blue on this new morning, this new morning with you. We live in a polyrhythmic matrix of cycles and take the biological rhythms of heartbeat, breath, sleeping and waking, seasons and years, living and dying, as givens. Longer cycles on a larger scale are more difficult to comprehend. I can’t tell if it’s the dark season or the news, but there is a sense that we are collectively approaching the solstice of an epoch. It feels like the end of a long cycle in the life of human civilization, begun five or six thousand or so years ago with what historians like to call “the dawn of civilization.” This season in the life of humanity started with a creative explosion of language and farming and religion and science and laws and architecture and perhaps other things that have been buried in the sands of time. In a sense, the big developments happened at the very beginning and have been refined, or, arguably, degraded ever since. Regardless of how one assesses the progress or lack of progress since the Sumerians began recording knowledge in cuneiform and the Egyptians built the Great Pyramid, there is nevertheless a sense that the resources of the current civilization are depleted, and have lost their usefulness to humanity and the life of the biosphere. The assessment that humanity is approaching the winter solstice of a long epoch is not a doomsday forecast or a judgment. Rather it is a sense many people share that much of what was prepared by our forebears has run its course. Many feel the institutions we relied on in our lifetimes are crumbling. Values that held systems in place have become caricatures and the social framework a gossamer web of support ready to fall to pieces and blow away in the wind. About 60 years ago, an Indian saint named Shivapuri Baba was asked about this by a visitor, Tarzie Vittachi. The following is excerpted from Long Pilgrimage: The Life and Teaching of the Shivapuri Baba, Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 1965. TV: Does the world grow and degenerate periodically? Why do people build and destroy what they build—even civilizations? SB: Everything we build must be discharged and rebuilt. This is a periodical process. Every 100 years some change takes place. Every 1,000 years some great change. Every 2,000 years the end of an epoch. Every 6,000 years a major disaster to civilization. Every 12,000 years a complete change. We are now at the end of a 6,000-year cycle. TV: Will the destruction you foresee be localized? SB: No. It will be everywhere. In cities and villages. Something will be left behind to carry on this world with people who have sensed and seen the results of material living. TV: How does one prepare for this? Not escape this—but prepare for this? SB: There is only one way. Begin to do your duty now. And meditate on the meaning of one’s life.

editor’s note

by Brian K. Mahoney

A Ride with Werner Herzog

here was a series of unseasonably warm, sunny days in November. You may or may not remember this. I know this because I check the weather app hourly from November through April to see if one of those increasingly prevalent unseasonably warm, sunny days might be in the offing and I can sneak out for a bike ride. (I use the word sneak here because a bicycle ride on a balmy winter day definitely feels like I’m cheating someone or something. God, if they exist? The unforgiving natural world, which has relented for a moment? Death? It’s probably death—the closer I get to it, the more mental paperwork I find myself filing in the folder labeled “Cheating Death” even though a bike ride under clear skies is far from daredevilry.) Take today for instance, December 15. The app says that at 2pm it will be 53 degrees and sunny. Definitely warm enough for a spin—my delicate constitution can’t take temps below 45 degrees for riding—but alas, I cannot slip out as I must finish making this magazine. While I’ll drop nearly anything to get in the saddle, there are limits to what a full-grown person with concomitant adult responsibilities can get away with. You can’t cheat death every day. I mean, staying alive is, by definition, cheating death, but it’s not special. Does anyone lie down on their pillow at night and exclaim, “Take that death! I really poked you in the eye with the shitty stick of my existence today.” (If you are such a person, please reach out. I have death-cheating scorekeeping questions.) Thanksgiving was one of those aforementioned days. As were celebrating the holiday with friends in Stone Ridge, I decided to ride the 20 miles from our home in Kingston. Lee Anne and Clancy would drive over and I would throw the bike in the car and drive home with them after the feasting as I’d be in no shape to shoehorn myself back into my spandex shorts and navigate blurrily home in the dark. In the warmer months, I ride a lot. I have a sumptuous Spanish gravel bike (a mango-colored Orbea, if you must know) that I take on a 25mile loop almost daily. The route consists mostly of two rail trails—the O&W and the Wallkill Valley. This allows me to ride to Rosendale and back with just a couple of miles spent risking my life on the road while I connect the two. (Thanks and praise to all the folks who’ve spent the last few decades constructing the region’s extensive network of rail trails—and continue to do so. Personally speaking, it has measurably improved my quality of life and likely saved it by keeping me out from under the two-ton death machines zipping down rural roadways.)

Normally, I listen to music while I ride. I’ve made innumerable mixes for this purpose over the decades, trying to find the right balance of propulsion and languor. I don’t want to listen to a 150 beat-per-minute techno banger but Erik Satie doesn’t cut it either. Mixes are quicksilver, like romance, and some linger in memory in a similar fashion. I only remember one song of the best mix I ever made: “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull. I remember cresting the pedestrian pathway of the Brooklyn Bridge at dawn when the song kicked in on my Discman. A minute-and-a-half-long stride piano intro to build the tension and then the skronking electric guitar to kick the door in. The deserted walkway. The sunrise over Brooklyn. There are moments in life you chase again and again—even if you don’t always know that you’re chasing them. As it was Thasnkgiving, however, I thought I’d switch up my routine a little, do something festive. I remembered reading a review of Werner Herzog’s new memoir, Every Man for Himself and God Against All and thought that it might be a fun listen if the author read it himself. I was in luck! This would normally be the spot where I would spend some sentences contextualizing the 81-year-old German filmmaker and writer and creative madman. But Herzog resists easy definitions. He is both profound and ridiculous, one moment making pronouncements like: “I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony but chaos, hostility, and murder.” Then he’s likely to say something like: “I always wanted to direct a ‘Hamlet’ and have all the parts played by ex-champion livestock auctioneers; I wanted the performance to come in at under 14 minutes.” (Actual quotes from WH.) Where you land on the Herzog profound-to-ridiculous spectrum says a lot about what you think of the utility of obsession, the absurdity of existence, and whether Germans can ever really be funny. At 2pm on Thanksgiving I set out for my friends’ house on my beautiful Orbea. While I don’t mind the conviviality of group rides, I prefer to ride alone. And you are never more alone then when you are listening to Werner Herzog. His voice is what foreboding would sound like if it took aural form. By the time I ride crosstown and reach the start of the O&W Rail Trail, Herzog is recalling his childhood in the mountains of Bavaria, where he grew up very poor. And grim. I’m whizzing along on my fancy bike, passing families out for an afternoon stroll on a national holiday while Herzog recalls stabbing his older brother when he

was a boy. “There was something grim in me…. In one violent quarrel, I laid into my brother with a knife. I struck him once in the wrist as he tried to fend me off and once in the upper thigh. In no time, the room was awash in blood…. In a brief family meeting, we decided, since the wounds were not grave, not to deliver my brother to the hospital to get him looked at, which would certainly have led to questions from the law.” Passing pedestrians from behind, I ring my bell to alert folks of my imminent arrival and instantaneous whooshing past. People don’t always hear me. Sometimes they’re yelling at their dogs; sometimes they’re talking in groups; sometimes they have their own ear buds in, listening to podcasts or music, maybe even Werner Herzog. Imagine it: Hundreds of us all along the linear park with the voice and visions of this Bavarian madman pouring into our ears. Herzog would hate the rail trail. The pavement, the straightness, the normies, the lack of death. I flash back to this fall when the trail was covered in caterpillars and I tried to slalom between them and succeeded for 100 yards or so before running over a dozen in quick succession. That’s more of a Herzog scene. Tragedy becomes him. A witch tried to kidnap him as a child. He fell off a barn and broke both arms. He declined anesthesia during dental surgery because pain was “the way I expected the world to be.” He smashed his collarbone ski jumping. He was struck by a stray bullet on the street in Los Angeles while filming an interview with the BBC. He rescued Joaquin Phoenix after the actor crashed his car on the highway. I make it to my friends’ house without incident, though I’m famished. At dinner, I try and try to enlighten folks about the works and ways of this strange, compelling man I’ve spent the last couple hours with. Did they know that Herzog wants to make a movie with Mike Tyson about the early Frankish kings? (Turns out the champ is a bit of a history buff.) Or that he met a pair of identical twins in England who could finish each other’s sentences and mirror each other’s actions perfectly? Or that he watches trash TV because he doesn’t think the poet should avert his eyes? Unsurprisingly, no one is all that interested. It’s Thanksgiving after all. There’s more food on the table than Herzog probably ate in the first six years of his life. We’re here to celebrate, not wrestle with the grand existential questions. But I wonder, as I pour gravy over the dead bird on my plate, what’s Thanksgiving like at Werner Herzog’s house? 1/24 CHRONOGRAM 9

food & drink

Eliza

A KINGSTON BISTRO THAT FEELS LIKE HOME By Brian K. Mahoney Photos by Josh Goleman

n acquaintance recently told me that her sole, idiosyncratic criterion for evaluating restaurants is answering the following question: Is the experience transportive? Is there some aspect of the place—food, service, decor, scene, or the amorphous but all-important quality of vibe—that takes her on a journey, hauls her out of the everyday and into a different realm. To each their own, of course—her standard sets a very high bar, indeed—but this question has been on my mind as I’ve been thinking about Eliza, a new bistro in Midtown Kingston. Partially because of something the chef, Chris Bradley, said when asked how he would describe Eliza. “It’s that restaurant somewhere in another country which you found out about because you were sitting in a train station reading a novel in the native tongue of where you’re at,” says Bradley. “A couple noticed you and said, ‘Hey, we’re American expats. If you’re looking for something to eat, you should really try this place in our neighborhood.’ It’s not on any of the tour-guide stuff. It’s been in that neighborhood for 60 years, and it’s 10 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 1/24

just simple, pure, elegant food. Nothing too fancy. There’s nothing overthought about it.” For my money, however, Eliza is anti-transportive. It feels like home—my ideal dwelling being a cozy and uncomplicated bistro serving solid cocktails, briny oysters, and a half-roasted chicken that makes me want to order chicken. Although the bistro just opened last week, it feels like it’s been there forever. Light Fare Eliza is the latest endeavor of the culinary crew behind Ollie’s Pizza, Fletcher & Lu, and Ollie’s Slice Shop, who teamed up with Bradley, an alum of Cafe Boulud and Gramercy Tavern. It’s part of the three storefronts on Broadway that also house Fletcher & Lu and Ollie’s Slice Shop, all above a massive commissary prep space spanning the entire footprint of the building in the basement. Everything for the Ollie’s group constellation of food businesses is made there: the dough for the pizzerias, the to-go cassoulet for the provisions shop, whole-animal butchery and pastas and bread for

all the outlets to share. “We knew we’d be building efficiencies in,” says Bradley. “We’re buying whole animals, we have an in-house butcher, and the labor is spread out between three or four businesses so it allows us to keep the prices lower than average.” Located in the space formerly occupied by late, lamented Tony’s Pizzeria, Eliza is a worthy successor to that local institution and despite a gut renovation, it resembles an unscruffy version of Tony’s. The bar is in the same spot (marble updates applied), distressed tile makes the floors look many-years scuffed, vintage lighting and brightly colored Vitrolite glass tiles are throwbacks, and Lite Brite Neon retooled the Tony’s sign to say “Eliza” in the style of the original. One bright improvement: the raising of the ceiling and installation of a skylight in the dining room, dispelling its grotto-like darkness. (NB: When the 25-seat dining room gets packed, it can be quite loud in there. If you’re hearing-sensitive, you might try requesting one of the three booths tucked in the back across from the open kitchen or sit at the 14-seat bar.)

Classic bistro fare like cheeseburgers and grilled chicken are simply prepared but well-executed at Eliza. Opposite: Despite a gut renovation, Eliza resembles an unscruffy version of its predecessor, Tony’s Pizzeria.

Global Society The wood-burning grill is the central conceit that holds Bradley’s European-inflected, world-traveling menu together, serving a curry-basil red pea dip ($12) alongside a delightful bar snack portion of grilled chorizo ($13) and bratwurst ($24). It’s not fusion cooking, it’s just how Bradley, a transplanted Southerner who’s traveled widely, cooks. “We’re more of a global society now,” he says. “We are comfortable with flavors coming from different places mixing. Why not make all those elements cross and fit on one menu, without it being overly didactic about what it is? It’s a mix of what I like to eat, where I come from, who I am as a person.” The menu is a choose-your-own-adventure affair, with the main proteins—the half-chicken ($28) and the daily pork, beef, and fish specials—served a la carte and diners adding on as they like from the sides. “I built it so that it’s affordable to be able to get a pork chop, a side of veg for the table to share, a salad, and you can compose your own meal around it and make it how and what suits you, and not some sort of idea I have of this dish and how it’s supposed to be composed together,” says Bradley. Eliza is global comfort food, and the sides reflect it.

The rice grits ($6) is essentially a congee, served with fermented turnips and turnip greens and the Asian flavor triumvirate of ginger, garlic, and shallots. The vegetable boulangere ($9) is a rustic French assortment of roasted carrots and cabbage served with fried potato wedges—totally worth it for the table. The fries, served with the fish and also available as a side with kewpie mayo ($8) are crisp-snappingly outstanding, headed to the brink of being oversalted before the vinegar kicks in and saves the day. An Elevated Wine Program The wine program is overseen by the knowledgeable Katie Morton, an Eleven Madison Park vet who also works at another outpost of Ollie’s Group, Kingston Wine Co., an impeccable bottle shop in the Rondout neighborhood. The list, comprising about 50 bottles ranging in price from $45 to $155, is a natural-leaning global tour. “This is more than just ‘natural’ wine, this list is about promoting a new age of wine and other fermented beverages that aim to adapt to our changing world,” Morton says. The following are a few bottles from Eliza’s list Morton thinks folks should try. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 11

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Lite Brite Neon retooled the Tony’s Pizzeria sign to say “Eliza.”

Somloi Vándor, Furmint Nagy-Somloi, Hungary, 2022, $78. “This flinty, mineral, and textured white wine is grown on an extinct volcano in Hungary,” says Morton. “Furmint has been grown there for hundreds of years and is responsible for making a very famous dessert wine, Tokaji. This is the bone-dry version of the grape that pairs well.” North American Press “The Rebel,” Baco Noir, Sonoma, 2021, $105. “North American Press asks the question, what if we planted more drought and disease-tolerant grapes in California? This is an example of just one American producer, among a handful that’s really thinking about the future of viticulture by working exclusively with Hybrid grapes,” says Morton. “The grape Baco Noir is rich and inky like a fuller Zinfandel with plummy purple fruits and great with smoked meats just off the grill.” Responsible Hedonist “Rush the Stage,” Syrah, New Zealand, 2022, $75. “Two self-described Midwest nerds, Diana Hawkins and Frank Lepera, found themselves making wine in New Zealand,” says Morton. “They previously worked in James Beard award-winning restaurants. Their wine project, Responsible Hedonist, seeks to take the bull out of snooty wine drinking and craft sustainable, fun and exciting wines from New Zealand. Their Syrah smells like fresh cherries and white pepper. Fun, transparent and easy to drink!” Some final recommendations: Seeds, Shoots and Leaves ($12). (Any Lynne Truss fans out there?) It’s a clean palate-cleanser of leafy greens, shoots, and pecorino that’s made super tart with a generous squeeze of lemon. The first time I dined at Eliza I got the pork chop special ($29), which was simple and succulent—Bradley’s team knows their way around the hearth. There’s other classic bistro fare as well, including the deconstructed elements of a seafood tower available a la carte (pickled sardines, clams, mussels escabeche) and a cheese and charcuterie board ($55). The flavors aren’t trying to rewire your taste buds, they just want to punch you right in the pleasure center. There’s not a lot of sauce and not a lot of complication. Eliza’s slogan might be: Nothing Too Fussy. Sounds like home. 12 FOOD & DRINK CHRONOGRAM 1/24

sips & bites Downstate Kitchen & Coffee

47 Lander Street, Newburgh Craft coffee and Mexican street food are the order of the day at the newly opened Newburgh cafe Downstate. Located on Lander Street, the project is a collab between chefs Brandon Grimila and Fernando Cordova. The project bridges the gap between coffee enthusiasts and Mexican food lovers with a full espresso bar offering everything from cortados and cappuccinos to matcha, chai, and cold brew combined with CDMX-inspired food offerings like tamales and chilaquiles, tortas, gorditas, and burritos. @downstatenewburgh

Brrr! It’s Cold Outside!

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Willa

52 Main Street, Millerton With a combined 18 years’ experience working at 52 Main in Millerton, coworkers and couple Alanna Broesler and Jim Buhs took over the restaurant in September. After a five-week renovation they reopened in October as the farm-to-table New American spot Willa. Under the direction of chef Daniel Meissner, Willa offers a small menu that refuses to sacrifice range for size, from winter squash croquettes ($8) and black emmer pappardelle ($30) to a smash burger and fries ($22), all the while adhering to micro-seasonal cycles. Willabar.com

Enjoy a chef-inspired menu selection served with one of our own freshly roasted coffees or handcrafted Lattes. Our warm hospitality, charming environment and delicious food will have you coming back again and again!

Harana Market

5125 Route 209, Accord After three wildly successful years in a shoebox space on Wittenberg Road in Woodstock, Filipino deli and Asian grocer Harana Market moved to a much larger barn space on the side of Route 209 in Accord in December. In the new location, co-owners Chris Mauricio and Eva Tringali and their team continue to offer all of Harana’s classic, seasonally rotating dishes as well as a few new menu items including a $7 silog rice bowl and the option to make rice plate entrees family style and receive a larger portion with no rice. The expanded grocery section offers a selection of Asian pantry items such as gochujang, fish sauce, dried and frozen noodles, and sweet treats, as well as Indigenous housewares and imported foods from independent makers and vendors. Haranamarket.com

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Oliver’s Tavern at the Howland House

1564 Wittenberg Road, Mount Tremper Steps away from the Esopus Creek and world-class fishing in the Beaverkill and five minutes to Phoenicia, the Howland House in Mount Tremper has been a Catskills destination in various incarnations since it was built in the 1860s. (Some may remember it as the location of the auberge and restaurant La Duchesse Anne.) Following a painstaking three-year renovation under new owners William and Eva Brooks, the historic inn reopened in October 2022. A year later, the onsite restaurant, British-style gastropub Oliver’s Tavern, came online in mid-December. Think cozy dishes like savory pies and pressed paninis along with craft draft beer. Howlandhouseny.com/olivers

Small Talk

1 Tinker Street, Woodstock Former co-owner of Station Bar in Woodstock Mark Landsman has worked everywhere from the Waverly Inn to seasonal restaurants out on Montauk and as the cocktail manager at Silvia. Taking what he had learned over years in the service industry, in 2021 he transformed Hunter Village Wine & Liquors into Elevated Wine & Spirits. Now he returns to the hospitality scene as the owner of the bar Small Talk. The shoebox location (formerly Que Lo Que) overlooks the village green in the heart of Woodstock and serves classic cocktails; a mix of low-intervention, classic, and uncommon wines; cheese boards; mezze platters; and chicken pot pies. The vibe is cozy and evocative of the natural surroundings with rustic wood grain and dark tones. @smalltalkwoodstock —Marie Doyon 1/24 CHRONOGRAM FOOD & DRINK 13

feature

Chasing Gold The Olympic Dreams of Jacob Sanchez By Abigail Gierke Photos by Franco Vogt

n the early hours on Saturdays when most people are sleeping in, inside the Ice Time Sports Complex in Newburgh there’s a buzz in the crisp air as a swarm of elite youth figure skaters, all dressed in black, work through pieces of their individual programs, taking turns stopping and starting their musical accompaniment. It’s beautifully chaotic as their coaches follow every move like hawks, and shivering, tired parents look on from the side of the rink. A wide-eyed, smiling young skater confidently sweeps across the rink, his arms moving softly to the music while preparing his body for another jump sequence. “Jacob’s right there,” says Johana Sanchez, mother of 16-year-old elite skater Jacob Sanchez. “He’s working on a section of his routine to perfect his triple axel.” Jacob’s skating is an incredible juxtaposition of softness and strength, emotional yet commanding, and it’s hard to look away. 14 FEATURE CHRONOGRAM 1/24

Sixteen-year-old Jacob Sanchez of Newburgh hopes to be the first Latino ice skater to represent the US in the Olympics.

Hour after hour, spin after spin, six days a week, Jacob—oftentimes the only boy—spends hours working through repetitions to develop the muscle memory and confidence to get to a point where he can visualize his routines in his sleep (which he does). Glide, jump, spin, release, repeat. Then it’s onto an off-ice workout, which could be anything from stretching and conditioning to Pilates or ballet, and then recovery—and don’t forget school on top of that. “The early mornings are always the toughest, mentally,” says Jacob during a break. “That’s why I like to get my jumps in early.” It’s competition season in the world of figure skating and the stakes are high. Jacob is preparing for his biggest skate to date at the Youth Olympics at the end of the month, where he will be the only male representing the United States in singles. He’s one step closer to his ultimate goal of making it to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, where he’d be the first Latino ice skater representing the United States. As much as skating is an individual sport, Jacob has a good group of friends and a support system through the Hudson Valley Figure Skating Club (HVFSC). “We really get along, and it’s nice to be able to have friends here.” Sanchez’s family also houses skaters who commute from as far away as Syracuse, allowing them to train with the HVFSC. “We are a big family, and it does feel like a team.” In between practice sessions at the arena, his peers gravitate toward him. They laugh and joke around, as if they were in the hallways at school

during passing time. But when he’s on the ice at practice, he’s the example. The other skaters practicing with him look to him as a leader. “Jacob is very competitive,” says Johana. “He has always been this way, even in other sports he has played in the past.” Before he landed on figure skating, Jacob played soccer, baseball, flag football, and karate. An Average Teenage Boy It’s easy to forget that Jacob is just 16 years old. When he’s not skating, he’s doing homework. He’s working a few days a week at the arena. He’s hanging out with friends. And he’s still unable to drive to practice on his own, relying on family and friends to get him there. “He’s a normal, average teenage boy,” Johana insists. “He hangs out with his friends, plays hockey and video games.” Still, when most of his friends are sleeping in, he wakes, makes himself breakfast (pancakes) and lets his mom know when it is time to go. This school year is also Sanchez’s first year attending an online school to accommodate his rigorous training schedule while still getting an education. Jacob started skating at the age of five, when his parents brought him to the ‘learn-to-skate’ program at Ice Time to find an activity for her son. “I came there to try out hockey, but I couldn’t skate in hockey skates,” Jacob says, with a laugh. “So I put on figure skates and that came more easily to me.” He landed his first single axel at the age of eight, which was when he realized that he might be onto something. Now he’s working to perfect his triple. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM FEATURE 15

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At the age of nine, he was a year and a half into skating for the club when his parents sat him down and introduced him to the idea of commitment. He’d been spending more and more time at the arena, and the sport isn’t cheap. ( Johana estimates that they spend around $40,000 a year on ice skating). Jacob’s parents both work full time and he has one older brother and one younger brother. “We asked him if he was really going to commit to the sport of figure skating,” says Johana. “We just needed to know and understand about commitment to the sport and the sacrifices he’ll have to make and we as a family will have to make,” says Johana. Jacob realizes the sacrifices made by both him and his family to get to this point and it’s something he will continue to have to be conscious of as he battles through each practice and competition. “He knows he’s not the only one in the family, though, and he is dedicated to his goals and we fully support that,” says Johana. Jacob’s rise to success happened fairly quickly, and he’s now a four-time national medalist at the Junior level and placed first last March at his first international competition, the Coupe du Printemps in Luxembourg. Anyone who talks about Jacob’s skating will first emphasize his dedication and drive. “This doesn’t just happen,” says Larisa Selezneva, one of his coaches. “This is years of training, dedication, and results. Jacob advanced through competitions and earned high points and this helped him get an invitation to the Youth Olympics.” Selezneva and her husband, Oleg Makarov, have coached Jacob now for eight years as a part of the HVFSC after watching him advance through the learn-to-skate program. “We wanted to coach Jacob because we saw that he was a hard worker, good listener, and disciplined,” says Selezneva. Makarov and Selzneva are no strangers to knowing what it takes to compete on the world stage. The two skated as a pair in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, earning a bronze medal, two World Championships medals, five European medals and four senior-level medals for the Soviet Union. Since 2002, when they emigrated to the US from Russia, they’ve been making a name for themselves by developing youth skaters to perform on the world stage. Breaking Barriers Figure skating is still a sport dominated by females, and at first, Jacob says, when he was younger he was a little hesitant as the only boy, but now it doesn’t bother him. “I’m the only boy and I’m doing it well,” he says. Not only is Jacob a male in a largely female sport, but his Puerto Rican background is something uncommon in the world of figure skating. “Jacob is breaking barriers in many ways and he needs to know that,” says Johana, who grew up in Puerto Rico. Jacob currently serves as an ambassador for Diversify Ice, a program whose mission is to support competitive minorities in figure skating.

Jacob and Johana Snachez on their way to the Ice Time Sports Complex in Newburgh where Jacob trains.

“Although there aren’t many Latino figure skaters, there are some great ones that are really fun to watch,” shares Jacob, who has a growing fan base of his own. Under Pressure Watch any athletic competition on TV and it’s hard not to notice the pressures of the sport in the chase for perfection. What was once swept under the rug is now becoming central to the conversation surrounding athletic wellness and athletes at the top of their game, most notably Simone Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin, have taken upon themselves to open up about the internal intensity of each moment. “It’s easy during a program to let mistakes get to your head. When you start to do well in competitions, expectations can take over, and that’s what happened,” Jacob says, referring to the 2022 season and what he calls his ‘bad year.’ “I was coming off some good outings and going into Nationals I let those expectations get to me. I messed up and it wasn’t a great experience.” Soon after, he started to see a sports psychologist and was able to reset and gain his confidence back for the 2023 season. He’s been seeing the psychologist now for a year and a half. “It really helps me prepare, stay focused. I’ve learned more about myself as a person and athlete. I have learned to connect with myself.” This is one of the most challenging parts of skating, according to Jacob. “There are two parts to ice skating, the physical and the mental side,” he says. “Everybody trains the physical part all the time—muscle memory, stamina, strength. But the mental part is hard for anyone at any level.” Staying motivated and ready for any situation, he says, is harder. “If you’re not ready for different things, it

can be easy getting injured, to lose yourself, and to lose the fun in the sport,” Jacob says. As a parent, Johana worries about the pressures of the sport for her child. “What worries me is that the pressures in skating can break him mentally, causing him to go on a downhill trajectory.” Music choice helps him motivate and keep a steady mindset, making it central to his performances. “It’s important to find music that isn’t going to get old or annoy you after a while. But it’s more important for me to connect with my music emotionally and physically,” Jacob says. “I’ll listen to the songs in all parts of my day. On the ice, off the ice, while I’m falling asleep, everywhere I go, to make sure it will work.” So, when it was time to choose new music for his free skate, Sanchez worked with his choreographer to build on that connection. They landed on “Sarabande Suite” by Globus. “The music in this song starts off calm, and gives the feeling like I’m preparing to go to war. Then the tempo really picks up to an energetic cadence, and I envision a battle going on,” Jacob says, “and it’s just me—one against many.” Perhaps one of his greatest attributes is his love of performing for an audience. “I really enjoy performing and expressing my emotions through skating and not by words,” says Jacob. “I want to be able to leave an impact on the people who come to watch.” His coaches believe that he does. “When you watch Jacob, he performs with such a sense of joy and the audience can feel that, there’s a magic about him and that’s what makes Jacob different,” Selezneva says. Johana agrees. “I think it is all aspects of his skating that makes him successful, but most of all I think it is the love he has for this sport; it transcends when he steps on that ice and he skates.” 1/24 CHRONOGRAM FEATURE 17

Designer Gretchen Jones in the open-concept living area of her Red Hook home. Built in 2002, the traditional space features eclectic, contemporary flourishes. Jones, a strategic business advisor to creative entrepreneurs, painted the curved staircase wall black for emphasis. “It’s an interesting mish-mash,” says Jones of the home she shares with her husband, Derrick Mead.

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the house

Designed by architect Donald E. Pulver, the home incorporates design elements symbolizing the Christian trinity. “The first owner and designer was a Christian mystic so there are many hidden religious elements integrated into the build,” says Jones. Along an exterior wall, square windows from the home’s two staircases combine with the second floor rose window to form a cross.

he rule of three is a recurring motif in Gretchen Jones’s life. Like a gingerbread house, her part craftsman, part post-modern abode is tucked away in a pocket of woods above the Hudson River. Winding wooden and stone paths—almost hidden through most of the year by a riot of bright purple flowers—lead to her threestory home clad in split-shake shingles and topped with a steep gabled roof. Bits of Christian mysticism are everywhere. The ecclesiastical pattern of three interconnected parts, representing the Christian trinity of father, son, and holy ghost, is repeated throughout both the larger and smaller details of her home’s design. The three-by-three rows of glass panes dot her first-floor, open-concept living area and 30-degree curved walls are woven throughout her home’s interior. Ornate, generous eves are propped up by three curvy buttresses on the east and west sides of the home. On three faces, giant circular windows bisected by crosses add to the home’s fairytale appeal and cast mystical shadows inside. Down the hillside path, a pool and hot tub are in the shape of three interconnected circles forming a trefoil.

Noughts and Crosses Gretchen Jones’s Mystical Dutchess County Craftsman By Mary Angeles Armstrong Photos by Winona Barton-Ballentine

1/24 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 19

The same interlocking, three-part tension is also the foundation of Jones’s professional life. A former fashion designer turned business consultant, she recently launched her business Weird Specialty, which offers business advising, studio space in Tivoli, and a Gertrude Stein-style salon. “The idea came out of a yearning for connection,” explains Jones, who has a Rolodex of clients all over the country. “There’s been a lot of disruption in the small- and micro-business world, which the pandemic accelerated. Those changes, and the rise of technology and the virtual world, have really impacted small businesses.” Small and micro creative businesses have become her specialty. So, in 2022 when Jones recognized the same yearning in her various circles, she set out to create a space where a variety of entrepreneurs could share ad-hoc office space, widen their networks, and commune over creative problem solving. Mastering the Art of Creative Tension A Colorado native, Jones set out to become an interior designer but quickly set her sights on fashion design. “I’ve always had a strong independent spirit and a fire for entrepreneurialism,” she explains. This led her to Portland, Oregon, where she cut her teeth working in the city’s indie design scene. As her creative acumen and reputation 20 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 1/24

grew, she faced challenges scaling her fashion line as her company’s sole employee. Her work had also caught the eye of producers of the fashion design reality series, “Project Runway.” When they called her for an audition, she decided to take the opportunity to scale up, and she moved to New York City to compete on the eighth season of the show. “In hindsight, it was the beginning of me realizing that I’m a very strategic-minded creative,” she says of the experience. “I come from the world of skiing and was a jock as a kid. The whole experience made me think of how competitive skiers always know where their trail is and often memorize how they are going to handle each turn and obstacle in a course.” Jones planned meticulously for every detail of the show and credits those plans for helping her navigate the tough competition and eventually win. “I stayed focused,” she says. “I realized, the more I planned ahead, the more I can stay focused.” The show not only led to larger fashion opportunities, it taught her lessons she draws on today. Taking Care of Business After the show, Jones ran her fashion business until 2015. “I loved it until I didn’t,” she says. “Creatively, it was almost impossible for me to detach from the success of each collection. I’ve also always been a very sustainable-minded

Jones and Mead converted the ground-floor den into a floor-through primary bedroom suite. They removed bookshelves and then recast the fireplace mantle with a smooth, rounded edge. They also added shape to a support pillar to play with the curviness of the home’s design. The apple head dolls above the mantel are by artist Mary Dwyer McAboy.

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Throughout the home, design flourishes often come in threes. In the living room, sets of three-by-three windows grace the north and east windows. A living room sectional by Egg Studio is matched with artwork by Brooklyn-based FAILE cooperative. “Most of our furniture is vintage sourced in the Hudson Valley or made by female designers and makers,” says Jones.

designer and I didn’t like the fast fashion. It just wasn’t fulfilling anymore.” So Jones decided to get her MBA with the intention of returning to the fashion world from a different angle. “Instead, a bunch of my friends suggested, ‘You really should try to help us,’” she says. “And that was it. I realized I had a gift for helping other creative entrepreneurs. Instead of going back into the field, I opened my practice and it’s been going strong ever since.” Meanwhile, Jones met her husband Derrick Mead, a fifth-generation Dutchess county resident. “My husband grew up on his family farm, Mead Orchards, and soon after I started dating him he brought me up here,” she says. “Falling in love with this region came naturally.” The two knew they’d eventually find their way to the Hudson Valley permanently and began searching for their forever home in 2019. They found their two-acre property close to Mead’s family and moved upstate full-time in 2020. Building Infrastructure Built in 2002, the home was designed by a local architect to reflect his passion for Christian mysticism. Although he died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the home’s completion, his philosophy and work live on through the home’s thoughtful design details. “We tried to live in the

space for a few years before doing any major renovations,” says Jones. “In part because this is such a unique space, we wanted to understand the details we felt compelled to protect.” Jones and Mead did bring the home back to some basics. A previous owner had painted the interior and trim purple and added a bronze tint to the home’s windows. The couple repainted the inside a stark white to offset the shadow play and wood floorboards. They painted the curved staircase wall a contrasting black and added lines of black interior trim to accentuate the asymmetrical edge of a second-floor lofted landing. They removed the window tint to add more light to the home, and then repainted the roof and window trim black to accentuate the cross motif throughout the exterior design. A den at the home’s ground-floor level was completely reimagined as the couple’s primary bedroom. With the help of local builder Ryan Virag, they removed a wall of bookshelves and built a contemporary white stucco fireplace casing around a gas insert. “We wanted to keep playing with the home’s curves,” says Jones, who extended the curviness to the primary bathroom with a playful, geometric brown and white wall print. The couple also added a covered porch right outside the backdoor. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM HOME & GARDEN 23

Holy Intersectional The couple have outfitted the home’s two second-floor bedrooms into combination office and guest spaces. “Each room is totally different design-wise,” says Jones. The northern most room is filled with light from three faces of rectangular windows. Mead uses the room as a work-fromhome base. In the south-facing bedroom, Jones keeps a desk for the days she’s not at her studio in Tivoli. The rest of the time it serves as sleeping quarters with an extra dose of early morning inspiration for guests. “There’s a loft in the corner of the room, which I couldn’t figure out,” says Jones. “Was it for sleeping or for storage? Then overnight guests pointed out that the loft’s cutout was designed to shine light in the shape of a cross into the room at dawn.” The second-floor landing needed a little of Jones’s consulting expertise to uncover its potential. “There were two large closets blocking the space and nowhere to sit,” says Jones. “They also blocked the view.” Jones and Mead removed the extra closets and now the open, lofted space is awash in light from the three circular windows—one to the east, one to the west, one skyward—all bisected with crosses. The oversized windows capture the surrounding Dutchess country landscape in sacred, stark relief. That light, deft touch is what Jones tries to bring to her consulting work. “My mission is to help people who want to bring integrity and purpose into their practice,” says Jones. “I think we need to redefine success in a way that’s true to ourselves, and build our businesses around that. I want to help build businesses around the things that make people light up.”

Top: A second-floor bedroom also serves as ad-hoc office space for Jones. A former fashion designer, she started her creative consulting company in 2018 and recently opened Weird Specialty, a studio space and salon in Tivoli. “It’s meant to create a hive-mind for creative business people,” says Jones of the salon/ studio. “People from different disciplines can commune with one another and get different perspectives on ideas from places they wouldn’t have tapped into otherwise.” Middle: Inspired by Workstead, Mead created the dining area chandelier. “We try to invest in small, independent businesses as much as possible beyond our own DIY efforts,” says Jones. “I am delighted by the amount of creativity, intellect, individuality, and accessibility there is here community-wise.” Bottom: Jones created the giant, three-bulb paper lantern, and collected the bird’s nests on the windowsills from the two-acre wooded property. “We love the feeling of living in a treehouse,” says Jones. “The strong personality of the house has encouraged me to embrace and get creative with design.” 24 HOME & GARDEN CHRONOGRAM 1/24

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S P ON SORED

New Year, New You The New Year is the quintessential time to start fresh and renew commitments to bettering the mind, body, and soul. Whether it’s health, finances, spirituality, or new hobbies, there is a wealth of local resources in the Hudson Valley to start those resolutions right.

An Alchemical Life namastesacred@gmail.com Alchemicallife.net

Anyone who has processed a painful part of their life with the help of a therapist knows how transformational the process can be. When work on those issues comes to a natural conclusion however, many still yearn for a guide to help them continue their journey of positive personal growth. After over 25 years of helping individuals heal from their life experiences, Dianne Weisselberg MSW, LMSW has followed a calling to teach people how to harness the theories and tools of self-evolution that she has utilized throughout her career. Through her new practice, An Alchemical Life, she weaves together teachings that synthesize a rich diversity of traditional and non-traditional healing paradigms, including psychotherapy; reiki and other energy work; belief transformation; chakra therapy; process therapy; tantra; myth and story work; and shamanism. Introductory and intermediate group workshops that demonstrate how to implement these powerful teachings in daily life are offered to groups of 10 to 15 at her Woodstock sanctuary space. For anyone looking for one-on-one attention, personalized individual sessions are available, including a six-session package. And for those who are ready to step fully into their mystical potential, Weisselberg offers an intensive one-year mentorship experience as well. “We are evolving individuals in an evolving cosmos,” she says. “We always have the possibility to learn more about ourselves, and to become more attuned with ourselves and with our environment. I want to help people tap into their own innate magical self, and their ability to create and manifest the life they want to live.” To share more about her full range of offerings, Weisselberg is offering a free online information session on January 23rd. Email her to register. Produced by Chronogram Media Branded Content Studio.

My Reiki Healer

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Lifetimes have led you here. Heal your past and live with purpose now! Michelle Rose Kennedy is a Reiki Master and Akashic Records Guide. She combines past lives, clairvoyance, cosmic energy, sound, crystals, and light to help you align and let your authenticity shine!

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Unveil the transformative power of the natural world with “Plant Spirit Medicine: Growing Awareness in Nature.” This self-paced, digital course is based on the seminal work of the Blue Deer Center’s founder Eliot Cowan, and brings together teachers and guest speakers from wisdom traditions such as Maya Tzotzil, Diné, Wixárika, Nahua, and Sangoma to help uncover an ancestral path toward balance, and spiritual connection. Find out more and register online now.

Our mission is to alleviate financial stress for individuals from all walks and stages of life, focusing on their common desire for future financial security. With our extensive experience and comprehensive tools, we are committed to making their financial aspirations a reality. Cetera Investors is a marketing name of Cerera Investment Services. Securities and insurance products are offered through Cetera Investments Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

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Kir Noel Medical Intuitive

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Kir Noel has been a medical intuitive since 1993. She lives and works in the Hudson Valley. Kir trained with a group of medical doctors in New York City. Her work is often sought by medical professionals and their patients. She works remotely and has a worldwide following. In addition, she trains individuals on how to access their intuition. She’s been running programs since 2017 as well as one-on-one trainings. See her website to sign up for appointments and/or trainings.

At WZ Accountants, we are redefining public accounting: We aren’t stuffy number-crunchers, boring bean-counters, or lifeless robots. We are friendly advisors, down-to-earth professionals, and relatable experts. We work hard to create personalized accounting for small businesses, non-profits, and individuals by keeping open lines of communication and making sure we explain things in terms everyone can understand.

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or most people, a massage or facial are luxury items. A splurge for holidays, birthdays, or on vacation. At the price of several hundred dollars for an hour at a spa, it’s no wonder. While the time for self-care may feel scarce, David Shawger, co-owner of the newly opened Massage Heights Kingston, believes that everyone deserves an accessible price point that allows them to integrate regular therapeutic massage and skin care into their lives. “It’s luxurious to care for yourself and to give to yourself so kindly, but it shouldn’t be a luxury item afforded to a few,” he says. Though massage therapy may seem like an invention of the modern wellness industry, its roots as a natural system for healing stretch back thousands of years. The therapeutic power of massage releases muscle knots, improves blood circulation, and enhances flexibility, which reduces the risk of injuries and promotes overall physical resilience. It can also lower cortisol (the hormone associated with stress), which can compound into other health issues such as anxiety, insomnia, and compromised immune function. Research also indicates that this therapy can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety by promoting the release of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters associated with mood regulation. Shawger, a former IT consultant, and his longtime friends and business partners, hospitality industry veteran Chas Cerulli and marketing consultant Maria Weitzman, decided to open Massage Heights because of the noticeable impact that massage and skin therapy had on their own busy lives. “I’ve suffered with chronic back issues for most of my 35-year career,” says Cerulli. “I have found massage therapy to be a holistic way to improve both my mental and physical well-being. It has played a tremendous role in keeping me healthy over the years.”

The key, they say, to reaping those long-term effects is all about consistency and care—two qualities that are incorporated into the way that Massage Heights does business differently. When visitors walk in the door of the sleek, brand-new facility, they are greeted by a wellness consultant who takes the time to learn about their health history and current needs, then matches them with a therapist who has experience working on their particular issues. During a massage or skin therapy session, guests will enjoy a peaceful, quiet environment with complementary aromatherapies customized to their preferences. With years of experience working at some of the region’s top spas, the team of therapists at Massage Heights are down-to-earth experts

who provide consultation on any issue, as well as guidance and tips about how to make improvements in lifestyle or wellness routines at home. “I love to watch the difference in people when they leave our space,” says Weitzman. “They go into their service stressed from the world, and they come out a whole new person.” To help their customers fit massage and skin therapy into their busy schedules and tight budgets, Massage Heights offers a oneof-a-kind membership program that Shawger says helps people become accountable to the important work they’re putting into their health. For as little as $90 a month, members will enjoy a 60-minute service plus receive half off the price of any additional service. If members don’t use their time, those minutes simply roll over to the next month—allowing them to increase the time of their session or take advantage of a dual service or a 90-minute experience. Massages are offered in various modalities including Swedish, sports, pre-natal, and deep tissue. Each session can be customized with elevations such as CBD, hot stones, and cupping. With seven different elevations from ultrasound treatments to reduce fine lines and wrinkles to LED light therapy to promote collagen, skin therapy can be highly targeted to address almost every area of concern. “We’re offering a new approach to therapeutic massage and facials that is made to work with your lifestyle,” says Shawger. “When people start to dedicate time in their lives to be well, they start to act and think differently. They can be more productive, and more at ease. There are so many wonderful things that can happen.” Massageheights.com Produced by Chronogram Media Branded Content Studio. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 29

health & wellness

Five for Thriving TIPS FOR HEALTHFUL LONGEVITY By Jaime Stathis

et busy living or get busy dying.” That famous line was written by Stephen King in 1982 and popularized in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, but the sentiment might be top of mind as we tear the cellophane from our 2024 calendars and take stock of our lives. Research tells us that resolutions don’t work—yet many of us still make them—and those lists often make us feel worse when we abandon our frantic self-improvement goals before the end of January. That said, the new year is an excellent time to think about whether our habits and behaviors are moving the needle toward living or dying. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950, and the World Health Organization reports that 16 percent of the world’s total deaths are the result of heart disease. When it comes to longevity, heart-healthy behaviors are only part of the longevity puzzle, but if we do the things that lead to a healthy heart, we’ll undoubtedly be healthier overall. Researchers from Harvard University’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health collected data over 34 years and came up with five key lifestyle factors for improving longevity: healthy diet, regular exercise, healthy weight, no smoking, and moderate alcohol intake. In addition, the Harvard study found five additional longevity factors—having a life purpose, social connections, brain stimulation, improving sleep quality, and intermittent fasting. 30 HEALTH & WELLNESS CHRONOGRAM 1/24

“It’s quite clear that many of the heart conditions I treat can be ameliorated if not avoided by focusing on ‘the basics,’ namely eating healthy, getting an adequate amount of physical activity, and achieving a healthy weight,” says Benjamin Schaefer, MD, a board-certified cardiologist with offices at the Heart Center in both Kingston and Rhinebeck. “While this may sound simple, it also represents the most challenging part of my job,” Dr. Schaefer says. “Taking a pill every day is easy, but lasting changes in behavior is hard.” We asked Dr. Schaefer and other local experts to comment on the 10 lifestyle factors for longevity and how to implement them into our daily lives. Top Five to Stay Alive Healthy Diet Dr. Schaefer says many patients ask what to eat for a healthy diet, and he recognizes that the public is overwhelmed with information, so they wonder about the benefits of keto, paleo, or lowfat eating plans. “This is not an easy answer,” he says, “But the best medical evidence probably exists for the Mediterranean diet, which is near par with taking cholesterol-lowering medications to prevent heart disease.” Regular Exercise The Harvard study defined regular exercise as at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous

activity per day, which is the bare minimum for lowering the risk of conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, certain cancers, and cognitive decline that increase with age. In their Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 to 300 minutes weekly of moderate to vigorous activity and two days of strength training. Those looking to improve mobility and balance can also include yoga, tai chi, or other balance-training exercises. “Not only is it becoming evident that physical activity can prevent heart disease, and likely will affect longevity, it helps regenerate the lining of the blood vessels, prevents dementia, and helps maintain weight loss,” Dr. Schaefer says, adding that only 20 percent of Americans meet the physical activity guidelines. If you’re new to incorporating regular exercise into your life, you don’t want to jump into longdistance running or heavy lifting. “If it feels bad, stop,” advises Ben Hendrickson, a certified strength and conditioning specialist with over 20 years of training experience. “You should listen to your body and stick with the process long enough to see results, and as you get more fit, you can push yourself more,” Hendrickson says. Hendrickson trains clients one-on-one, and he also offers group training classes through Root Strength, his studio in Kerhonkson. “Pushing yourself with other people makes it more accessible,” Hendrickson says of his group classes, which include high-intensity interval

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training (HIIT) workouts and “fire and ice,” which is a HIIT workout followed by a sauna and cold plunge. Healthy Weight Although some people maintain a healthy weight without a healthy diet or regular exercise, most of us must be mindful of what we eat and how frequently we move our bodies. The obesity epidemic began in the United States nearly 50 years ago, and is attributed to the advent of ultra-processed foods and an increasingly sedentary culture. The Harvard study originally defined a healthy weight based on body mass index (BMI), and said the optimal was between 18.5-24.9, but recent research finds that BMI alone is a poor metric for measuring health. Not Smoking Smoking falls into the category of “preventable death,” and the CDC reports that smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in this country, which includes approximately 41,000 deaths resulting from exposure to secondhand smoke. “As a nation, we’ve made great strides in reducing smoking, but quitting is very hard, and while behavioral therapy and medications can help, I think we need to do more as a medical community,” Dr. Schaefer says. “Similar to primary prevention measures, care for tobacco-cessation therapy is underfunded, and ironically, you can get reimbursed to counsel somebody to quit smoking cigarettes, but not cigars, smokeless tobacco, or vaping,” Dr. Schaeffer says. “Many people can cut down on smoking but not quit, and I make a point of congratulating them for their harm-reduction efforts.” Moderate Alcohol Use “Alcohol consumption is a controversial topic,” Dr. Schaefer says, adding that there’s no ambivalence in the medical community about heavy alcohol use, which is bad for your heart, liver, brain, and many other aspects of your health. “More and more research is pointing to the harm of even small amounts of alcohol on your health, but further research is fraught with problems, he says. “From a heart perspective, I usually tell patients that if they do drink, one drink per day is unlikely to cause harm to the heart unless they are prone to developing arrhythmia such as atrial fibrillation.” But There’s More We can’t emphasize enough the importance of eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in regular exercise while limiting alcohol and nicotine, but the additional five factors Harvard identifies in the study shouldn’t be minimized. Of all of them, social connection is probably the most important. Last May, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an 80-page report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” Dr. Murthy didn’t

pull any punches in the report’s introductory letter, where he wrote: “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.” One good thing about the additional five factors for longevity is that you can combine some of them and potentially stack them with one (or more) of the five key lifestyle factors. For example, brain stimulation can be achieved by sitting home alone doing a crossword, but a person could add a social component and meet friends for a live game of Scrabble. Even better, engage in brainstimulating conversation while walking with a friend. You can even add on cooking a healthy meal or eating together in a restaurant.

“The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” —From Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s report “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” released in May 2023 If you’re not convinced that getting together with friends or strangers can prolong your life, think again. “The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity,” Dr. Murthy wrote. Sleep quality is another factor that leads to increased longevity. However, many circumstances can disrupt our sleep, with overactive minds at the top of the list. “Minds are often busy telling stories in our efforts to perceive patterns and make sense of the world, and insomnia can be exacerbated by stress,” says Nina Smiley, PhD, director of mindfulness programming at Mohonk Mountain House. Smiley explains that when we can’t fall asleep or when we wake up in the middle of the night, we can get wrapped around the story “I’ll be a total wreck tomorrow!” making slumber even less likely, leaving us in a loop of stress, exhaustion,

and worrying about our performance when we’re running on empty. “Mindfulness meditation helps us observe with deep awareness what is happening inside and outside ourselves in a gentle, nonjudgmental way, supporting the ability to bring compassion for self and others into everyday life,” Smiley says. Overeating too late, especially heavy foods, can also interrupt our sleep. Intermittent fasting— when you abstain from eating for a set amount of time, typically 12 to 16 hours—is on Harvard’s list of additional factors that lead to increased lifespan, and is another excellent longevity hack. Both sleep quality and intermittent fasting have been proven to reduce systemic inflammation, which reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline, as well as inhibiting the development of chronic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. In addition, studies have found that intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood pressure, decreases LDL cholesterol, and leads to weight loss. If you only implement one of these longevity suggestions, intermittent fasting is a solid place to begin. Control the Controllables Much of life is out of our control, and genetics may factor in your longevity, but controlling your mindset is one way of working with what you have. Two recent studies show that optimism is linked to longevity and well-being, and Katie Peterson, LCSW, a Hudson Valley-based therapist who sees clients virtually, says there are easy-to-implement ways to increase optimism. Instead of getting overwhelmed by a long list of goals, Peterson suggests asking: “What do I want to feel like?” Do you want to learn something new? Do you want to engage more with your community? Do you want to implement new eating or movement plans? “The word ‘should’ does nothing good for our mental health,” Peterson says, “But asking ourselves how we want to spend our time and who we want to spend time with is a great way to move in the direction of feeling good.” “Many people struggle post-pandemic with what they even want to do,” Peterson says, “But learning new things is a great way to increase presence, and getting out and trying a new hobby is also a great way to engage with others who are also learning something.” Many of us work from home now, which can be isolating, and we may also have gotten into the habit of streaming fitness classes because it’s convenient, though that convenience has a cost. Whether it’s yoga, dance, knitting, storytelling, or some other item on your to-do list—the moral of the story is to get out there and give it a shot. You’ll never be worse off for improving your diet, moving your body, engaging with your community, or getting a solid night’s sleep, and you may just feel better and prolong your life. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM HEALTH & WELLNESS 33

weddings

34 WEDDINGS CHRONOGRAM 1/24

A Call for G Simplicity

2024 Wedding Trends Unveiled By Anne Pyburn Craig A cardamom, pistachio, raspberry, Earl Grey, lemon wedding cake by Banana Moon Baking Company at Basilica Hudson, covered in dried, pressed, edible flowers Photo by Inbal Sivan Opposite, top: Wedding boutonnieres from Green Cottage in High Falls. Photo by Arius Photography Bottom: A Hudson Valley Harvest Table by Harvest Real Food Catering at Owl’s Hoot Barn in Coxsackie featuring local cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables, dips, jams, jellies, gourmet breads and crackers. Photo by Here North

oogling the phrase “Hudson Valley wedding” gets you nearly 11 million hits. Wedding website The Knot references the area in dozens of “best” listicles. Style maven Martha Stewart showcases swoonworthy nuptials at our vineyards, mansions, greenhouses, and barns. Clearly, and for many good reasons—scenery, cuisine, history, hospitality—getting married in this area is a trend in itself, one that works beautifully with the post-pandemic wedding-world climate of individualism, sustainability, and resonance. “Couples are asking for photography that’s more documentary and less posed—that’s been an ongoing trend for about five years,” says photographer Christine Ashburn. “In general, there’s a trend away from conventions like the bouquet toss, and a trend away from church weddings. People these days tend to get married at the same place they’re having the reception, and often they’ll have someone they know as the officiant.”

1/24 CHRONOGRAM WEDDINGS 35

The wedding of Kelly and Leroy Aboagye at Jefferson on the Lake, in Jefferson Valley, in October 2023. Photo by Christine Ashburn

Simplicity, says Ashburn, plays out in various ways that make for a better time for all concerned. “The simpler you can make your logistics, eliminating things like moving from place to place, the more enjoyable the day will be. It used to be that the photographer would whisk the wedding party away right after the ceremony to get posed shots; these days, people prefer to get group shots before the ceremony, so they can go straight from that to enjoying the cocktail hour. It’s not ideal for the photographer, since the light tends to be better later in the day, but you can always do that and then sneak off for a couple quick sunset shots later on. People are going for what’s fun, personal, and emotional—‘first looks’ and private exchanges of vows, gender role diversity in the wedding party. The bride might have a male attendant, the groom might have a best woman instead of a best man.” Also trending, Ashburn says, are second dresses and comfortable dancing shoes, the better to light up the dance floor. “People are really letting it snap on the dance floor lately, loads of them. It used to feel more restrained. And more brides 36 WEDDINGS CHRONOGRAM 1/24

seem to be going for retro dresses—I’ve seen a lot of 1930s-inspired dresses—and gowns that are less embellished and more free-flowing, or they’ll change into something completely different and stunning for the party.” Play the Classics Rings, according to Hudson Valley Goldsmith owner David Walton, are often custom-designed these days: “Designs are returning to more classic, timeless styles. Fancy-cut diamonds are most popular, such as oval, pear, and marquise shapes.” Most couples, he says, are still opting for natural over lab-grown diamonds, and most do their ring designing together. “As for wedding bands, we’re seeing more men wanting something unique instead of a plain band, and designing custom bands for themselves, not just their partner’s engagement ring.” Charlotte Guernsey, owner of Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique in Beacon, says brides are looking for clean, classic lines. “There’s a trend away from the deep plunging neckline toward more modest square and scoop necklines, and simpler

silhouettes, like Basque waistlines, A-lines and ball gowns, possibly adorned with 3-D flowers in a lighter fabric,” Guernsey says. “The styles that are trending right now are the timeless ones, in fabrics like luminous Mikado silk or lace.” Lambs Hill also operates a venue, and Guernsey says couples are “going smaller. Rather than have 200 people, they’re keeping things more intimate, maybe spending a little more on the rings or the dress or a really great photographer. Also, extending the experience past one day is big, and it’s a lot easier to do that with 50 people than with 200.” Anything Goes At Colony in Woodstock, events coordinator Laura Anson says that a restored 1929 theater draws an entirely different crowd than a standardissue ballroom, and they’ve found themselves breaking out the white linens with increasing frequency. “People choose us because they have a thing for vintage, or for Woodstock—all our weddings are a little offbeat by definition, since most people don’t marry in a room with

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a balcony and a stage and a huge, beautiful bar. We get people who want something that’s already got a lot of flair. But aside from that, you have all the choices—you can marry on stage, beside the fireplace, in the beer garden,” says Anson. “We’ve had people bring in photo booths, tarot readers; pets as ring bearers, we had one couple do a full on Dungeons and Dragons costume wedding, and we get a lot of musicians marrying here who just get up on the stage and jam. It’s all fine—just don’t wreck the place. We have a fabulous chef and a warm, fun, elegantly sexy space that’s both set to go and very flexible, and people seem to be loving that, and we love being the place where they feel safe gathering with their people to get married.”

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—Charlotte Guernsey, Lamb’s Hill Bridal Keeping It Local Another aspect trending individualistic is the wedding feast. “Sustainability and local sourcing have obviously been big for years now, but lately it’s more pronounced than ever,” says Kimberly Weeks, owner of Stone Ridge-based Harvest Real Food Catering. “That’s become the first question people ask. They call us because they’re looking for farm-to-table, sustainable, and ethically sourced; they want to be sure that everything involved, from rentals to disposable items, is eco-friendly and local, which is really a great, loving approach.” The Hudson Valley, she notes, is the place to pull it off. “The number one request is grazing tables with a local, seasonal focus, and that’s great for us because we have everything at our disposal, all the truly beautiful produce,” Weeks says. “And I’m finding more couples requesting a completely plantbased menu without it necessarily being overly noticeable, which is actually easy and really fun for Chef Mark [Suszczynski] to do, and it results in a fabulous meal that’s fresh and different.” Also making a post-pandemic comeback, she says, are stations: “mini-buffets that are more interactive, especially for things like late-night snacks and street-style food, handheld things like tacos, pizza, and sliders,” says Weeks. Dessert, says Arlene Deahl of Banana Moon Baking Company in Catskill, is yet another case of doing what you most love. “People are becoming less afraid of going for what makes them happy, the unusual and non-traditional. People are feeling a little fearless, and I love it because that’s what I’m about,” Deahl says. “I specifically don’t do fondant cakes, because to me, it’s played out, and I don’t eat it or like it, so I just don’t work with it. Floral cakes are huge; I’ve been doing a lot of work with dried, pressed flowers and with blooms that the florist will gather for me to decorate the cake with when I arrive.” That’s if you want to have a cake at all. “People are also doing a lot of dessert bars, which I love—cupcakes, pies, brownies, all kinds of things,” Deahl says. “As beautiful and awe-inspiring as a cake can be, you’re still talking about everyone getting the same flavor, maybe two or three if you have tiers. The dessert bar lets people get what they love, and they really enjoy the variety.” Weddings seem to be shedding the elements that couples finds pointless and morphing in creative, earth-friendly directions, an overall trend that’s eminently suited to the come-as-you-are ethos of the region. You’ll still have no trouble locating a classic banquet hall experience if that’s your jam, but the range of other options just keeps growing. And after all, getting what you love most and sharing that joy with your circle—isn’t that exactly what this whole wedding experience is meant to be about in the first place?

KATIE ANELLO

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community pages

Revitalizing Small Town Charm Great Barrington

By Hannah Van Sickle Photos by David McIntyre

t’s been a hot second since the Gilded Age (the historical period, not the HBO drama whose second season recently dropped) put the Berkshires on the map as a train-stop destination for city dwellers. The term, coined by Mark Twain, refers to a time in which abject poverty existed alongside glittering wealth—vestiges of which linger in area “cottages” once owned by the Vanderbilts (Elm Court), Carnegies (Shadowbrook), and Morgans (Ventfort Hall). Fast forward a hundred years, and destinations like Great Barrington continue to captivate folks from far and wide, among them Dr. Mark A. Taylor II, who, in August 2022, moved his family from Salt Lake City to Great Barrington after one visit to a place neither he, nor his wife, Emily, had ever heard of. “Honestly, we were interested in this opportunity but really trying to find reasons not to like [the Berkshires],” says Taylor, citing the region’s rural nature. “We were most taken aback by the support and kindness of the community,” says Taylor, who recalls a recurring theme: “Everybody we met spoke fondly of how much they enjoyed living here and raising a family in the area.” 40 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

That feedback convinced him to join the medical staff at Fairview Hospital, where he is a general surgeon. Since relocating, Taylor and his family have been busy exploring. Favorite activities include trekking to Tanglewood for the first time and visiting Naumkeag— another cottage, turned into a public garden and historic site—for the Great Pumpkin Show and Winterlights—a pair of pandemic-era traditions that persist to the delight of locals and visitors alike. Cultivating Community Conversations As in the Gilded Age, there is a real wealth gap that institutions in the region are trying to address. In June, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center hosted a cohort of cultural nonprofits from Berkshire and Columbia counties to discuss findings from the Pay Equity Project launched during the 2021 Multicultural BRIDGE Inclusive Leadership Cohort, in which Executive Director Janis Martinson participated. First-hand perspectives from entryand mid-level workers at area nonprofits made one thing clear: Passion is not a substitute for liveable wages, and the

Berkshire Food Co-op marketing manager Devorah Sawyer (in red plaid shirt) plays it cool while the rest of the staff hams it up for the camera. Opposite, top: Susan Cibelli, owner of Bridlewoof Dog Breeders with a passel of seven-week-old goldendoodle puppies. Opposite, bottom: Rachel Summner and Traveling Light performing at Egremont Barn.

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local arts sector cannot make good on its commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion without addressing the issue of compensation. “For individuals coming from groups that have been historically financially disenfranchised, being asked to work at a nonprofit organization for a level of compensation that’s financially precarious is not tenable,” Martinson explains, adding that two thirds of those nonprofit employees surveyed indicate they are definitely leaving the field or likely to leave the field for a single reason: They can’t afford to stay. “It’s really a systemic issue,” says Martinson. Cultural consumers—the people who visit museums and attend performances—want to know they are contributing to something that’s being done with integrity for the people who are providing that service. “Aligning and working together is the best way forward and the notion of ‘doing more with less’ (a popular phrase for too many decades), can no longer mean less for the people who do the work.” It was a close call for the historic Walter J. Koladza Airport, which would have been shuttered without a special permit issued by the Selectboard in mid-April. Named for its former owner, a World War II test pilot turned FAA examiner, the airport (in continuous operation since the 1930s) was threatened after a trio of residents filed suit in Boston Land Court, alleging the town was in violation of its 42 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

own laws by allowing the airport to expand beyond zoning requirements. A group of locals coalesced around the cause, and the Citizens Committee to Save the Great Barrington Airport did just that—preserving a critical space for emergency medical flights and a home for 40 small aircraft. In August, the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project tapped Richard Blake—a sculptor known for shedding light on often overlooked American heroes of color—to erect a statue honoring the civil rights pioneer, scholar, and Great Barrington native in front of the Mason Public Library on Main Street. “There’s been a long history of wanting to honor Du Bois in this town…and a statue in front of the library seemed a natural match given his intellectual history as a sociologist and intellect,” says Julie Michaels, project chairperson. A late-March Idea Jam allowed for diverse voices to discuss all aspects of the sculpture project, including its potential impact on issues related to race and race relations in the community. The independent group of local citizens remains $150,000 away from their fundraising goal of $375,000 for the sculpture. On Elm Court, construction continues at the former Clinton AME Zion Church Du Bois once attended. Upon its completion, the Du Bois Freedom Center will be the first museum and living memorial in North America dedicated to Du Bois’s life and legacy. Locally, it will serve to celebrate the rich African American heritage of the

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medicare.gov Please visit berkshirehealthsystems.org/fairview or call (413) 854-9611.

44 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

Berkshires—one epitomized by President Emeritus Wray Gunn Sr., a fifth-generation descendant of Agrippa Hull, who served as a church trustee and congregant for more than seven decades. In late October, special town meetings took place in Great Barrington (and seven surrounding communities) for the purpose of voting on a proposed eight-town merger between the Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire regional school districts. While Great Barrington and three neighboring towns voted in favor of the merger—proposed on the heels of dwindling school-aged population across the region and a call for increased student options—all four Southern Berkshire towns rejected it, leaving Berkshire Hills to forge ahead with building a new high school on its own. Fairview Hospital has been a community fixture since 1913, when philanthropist Mary Mason, namesake of the town’s public library, bequeathed property, land, and cash to establish a local hospital. The 25-bed, full-service primary care hospital, part of Berkshire Health Systems, boasts a World Health Organization Baby-Friendly-certified Maternity Unit, a five-star Medicare Hospital rating, and ranks among the top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in America. “Having a quality hospital nearby is really important and unique in a rural community…especially a healthy one,” says Lauren Smith, director of community relations and development. In addition to caring for patients and connecting them to more specialized care when needed, Fairview Hospital employs 300 community members. For more than two decades, Railroad Street Youth Project has had its finger on the pulse of local teens—a group increasingly at risk of isolation in the Berkshires. “The most pressing need for young people is to have connection, support, and to be seen,” says Ananda Timpane, founder and executive director of the nonprofit. For Timpane and her team, empowering those youth least likely to have their needs met in today’s world remains top of mind. “When we show up for youth who are experiencing marginalization, we build programs and spaces that meet the needs of all youth,” Timpane explains. The project’s ongoing work with recent immigrant youth and those who identify as LGBTQIA+ has hinged on creating a sense of belonging. “We see the impact the national conversation is having on young people,” says Timpane, adding, “It’s changing their ability to access spaces for youth who are queer, and it’s changing how safe they feel in the world.” For the Fun of It A handful of landmarks lend small-town charm to the local entertainment scene. Just prior to the town’s only movie theater going dark in early June, local residents joined forces to form Save the Triplex—an effort to preserve the Triplex Cinema, considered the heart and soul of downtown. The grassroots organization—formed in April Top: The Triplex Cinema was reorganized as a nonprofit this fall. Boardmembers include Hannah Wilken, Nicki Wilson, Sam Handel, Gale Lansky, and John Valente. Middle: In August of 2002, Dr. Mark A. Taylor II moved from Salt Lake City to Great Barrington to join the surgical team at Fairview Hospital. Bottom: Ahmed McClennon, Fredy Hernandez, and Attarilm McClennon at Mamma Lo’s BBQ. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 45

Rob Brannock, owner Rob’s Records on Main Street and Rob’s Records Too on Railroad Street.

the bookloft and mahaiwe present:

ballet hispanico

terry hayes book release & talk – year of the locust mon feb 5 at 7pm

sat mar 2 at 3pm & 8pm

samantha fish bulletproof tour

sing and swing – a jazz at lincoln center production

sat mar 16 at 8pm

sat mar 23 at 8pm

Great Barrington, MA • 413-528-0100 • mahaiwe.org

46 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

and spearheaded by Nicki Wilson—successfully purchased the community fixture from longtime owner Richard Stanley (whose 1995 opening of the cinema catalyzed Great Barrington’s renaissance) in July. The Triplex Cinema reopened in mid-November as a nonprofit, revealing a fresh look and a renewed sense of purpose. “As a nonprofit, our first mission is the community, making a center where people can come to do other things besides the movies,” says Wilson, who is president of the board, in an interview with Rural Intelligence. “We will do the curating of films—including blockbusters—but will have one theater designated as a repertory theater offering film classes, documentary and art films, and talkbacks.” Old-school fans recognize Berkshire Community Radio Alliance as a valuable resource that’s made airtime and education available to the public for two decades. The low-power, nonprofit station broadcasts live on WBCR-LP 97.7 and invites proposals for new shows featuring fresh and interesting content for the community. According to Vice President Graham Dean, community airwaves are experiencing a moment. “In an age of corporate media, local radio [has become] more important than ever,” the early programmer says, adding: “The future looks bright for community media, [and] radio is only the beginning.” Just outside of town, the Egremont Barn is an unassuming joint— festooned with fairy lights and frequented by resident farm animals— featuring some of the best local, regional, and national touring acts to its rustic stage. After a January-long nap, Nick Keene and Jenny Rubin will again welcome folks for all manner of musical entertainment from karaoke and open mic nights to the stellar sounds of musicians like Jill Sobule, who kicks off the 2024 season February 1. Want in on the action? The Downtown Great Barrington Cultural District (a project of the Massachusetts Cultural Council) serves as an indepth, interactive map and directory to all the area has to offer—spanning performing arts and entertainment; food and restaurants; art and galleries; shopping and retail; as well as outdoor public spaces and an event calendar. As Taylor, the transplanted doctor, is learning, Great Barrington’s allure is vast. His family has taken to exploring by foot and basking in the beauty that abounds both on and off the beaten path. “We essentially live in the forest, which is very different for us,” he says, having grown up in a suburban, cookie-cutter house neighborhood of the Mountain West. He is quickly becoming a fan of the town’s day-to-day pace—where neither he nor his patients are simply cogs in the machine. In fact, his experience working at Fairview Hospital is symbolic of what he likes best about small-town living: “In a small community, where people know each other, it’s not only less busy but [folks] also get a lot of attention [which leads to] a very personalized experience.” Whether visiting for the day or putting down roots, discover for yourself why this town might, in fact, be the greatest of all time.

JOSHUA ABELOW MICHAEL BERRYHILL KEITH BOADWEE ADRIANE COLBURN DANIEL DAVIDSON KATYA KIRILLOFF RAINEN KNECHT MARK OLSHANSKY ALLISON REIMUS MILES SHELTON MICHAEL WETZEL

80 Railroad Street Great Barrington MA 01230 www.reedandersonprojects.com

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HIGH SOCIETY

The latest on industry news, restorative justice initiatives, community impact, dispensary openings, cultivation tips, and more.

The culture of cannabis, from Chronogram SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

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Abby Mahoney, grant coordinator and Patricia Woods, career advisor.

48 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

community pages

Great On a sunny afternoon right before the town's Holiday Shop, Sip, and Stroll on December 9, Chronogram held a community portrait shoot at Bernay Fine Art on Main Street. Thanks to all the town residents who showed up to represent Great Barrington. A note of gratitude to Lou Friedman of Bernay Fine Art for hosting the shoot. And we coldn't have done it without the coffee from Fuel and the sandwiches from Patisserie Lenox.

Johanna Wise, Wise Body Healing (held aloft by the feet of Ted Okun).

Barrington Pop-Up Portraits by David McIntyre Join us for the January issue launch party at Barrington Brewery, 420 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, on Wednesday, January 10, from 5 to 7pm.

1/24 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 49

Top row: Carrie Denoyer, owner, Cafe Deux and Sveva Marcangeli, head of media and performance marketing, Natural Diamond Council; John B. Weinstein, school leader, Bard College at Simon’s Rock; Fiona Scruggs, director of communications and marketing, Bard College at Simon’s Rock; Mark Firth, owner, Prairie Whale. Bottom row: Jamie Goldenberg, owner Hart GB; John Myers, musician and faculty member, Bard College at Simon’s Rock; Judy Braha, associate artistic director, and Jim Frangione, artistic director at Great Barrington Public Theater; Lauren Clark, gallerist and curator, Lauren Clark Fine Art.

50 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

Top row: Lili Knutson, librarian, Bard College at Simon’s Rock; Lou and Jaime Friedman, Bernay Fine Arts; Donna Norman, owner, Calyx Berkshires dispensary; Milena Cerna, retired and Tom Ferris, WBCR-LP. Bottom row: Leah Barber, Schumacher Center for New Economics; Reed Anderson, artist and director of RA Gallery; Molly and Aurelien de St. Andre, owners of Bon Dimanche; Shaw Izikson, managing editor, the Berkshire Edge.

1/24 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 51

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Top row: Sophia Ying Wang, assistant professor of Chinese language and culture, Bard College at Simon’s Rock and Xin Tong, writer and historian; Daniel and Grace Tong. Bottom row: Todd Lewis, Steve Perret, Graham Dean, and Barbara Dean of WBCR-LP. Opposite, top row: Stephen Rudy, owner Familiar Trees, with Pepper; Amy Taylor, psychologist, with Dorothy Method; Ted Okun, owner, Okun Services; Yura Adams, artist. Bottom row: Wray Gunn and Cora Portnoff, DuBois Freedom Center; Dennis Iodice, owner, Berkshire Dry Goods; Valerie Fanarjian, artist and director of student activities, Bard College at Simon’s Rock; Shane Travis Henry, spatial caretaker at Bard College at Simon’s Rock and at the Berkshire Food Co-op.

1/24 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 53

Top row: Dan Ruderman, artist and writer; Amy Truax, development director, Flying Cloud Institute; Chris Connors, consultant; Bridget Ford Hughes, massage therapist and personal trainer; Bottom row: Addison Brown and Hollis Hartnett, students; Gabrielle Senza, artist, activist, and empowerment coach;

54 COMMUNITY PAGES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

SPONSORED

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The Store at Five Corners 4 New Ashford Road, Williamstown (413) 458-6105

A chef-owned and operated cafe and specialty market serving a locally sourced, seasonally informed cafe menu featuring creative salads and sandwiches, to-go dinners, beer and wine, a scratch bakery, berkshire-made gifts, local coffee, and tea.

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Casita 1111 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams (413) 346-4467 Casitaberkshires.com

Modern Mexican cuisine through a Berkshire lens. Fresh, local, and sustainable ingredients showcase the bounty of the Berkshires and the hard work of our local growers and farmers. From thoughtfully sourcing our products and ingredients, to teaming up with Second Chance Composting—we’re dedicated to leaving a positive impact on both our plates and the planet.

Mad Macs Inc. 5 Cheshire Road, Pittsfield (413) 445-5858 Madmacs.com

Since 1998, Mad Macs Inc. has been Berkshire County’s “go-to” for Apple sales, service, and iPhone repair. Other areas of expertise include PC sales and service, network services, VOIP systems, Pro AV, and managed IT services for SMBs.

1/24 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 57

music Rager Presence is a Present (Incandescent Presents)

With a name like Rager, one might expect the music on Presence is a Present to sound like death metal or the like. But one would be wrong: The overall vibe here is dreamy, hypnotic, chill. There may be some rage in the lyrics, and there are notes of hurt and betrayal, but they are balanced by grief, mourning, love, and a sense of just holding it all together. Rager is, in fact, the “band name” of Rebecca R. Borrer, of Hudson, who recorded this baker’s dozen of tracks almost entirely at home in their attic. The singular effort was written, produced, mixed, and performed by Borrer, who sings and plays keyboards, piano, and guitar, and is responsible for the rhythm tracks and beats. The sound is mostly minimalist and ambient, which makes the crescendos, when they come, all the more dynamic and exciting. Borrer has that rare gift of knowing how to make electronic music sound personal and intimate—mostly by mixing their alluring vocals way up front. Laurie Anderson is a precursor, and the extraterrestrial aesthetic could have landed Rager one of those spots reserved for bands in the third season of “Twin Peaks.” “Good Ones” is a standout track, built around the line, “I thought you were one of the good ones, but now I’m filled with doubt.” At heart it’s an old-fashioned confessional folk pop number with a killer refrain and an adventurous melody line, couched in a Pink Floyd-like soundscape. —Seth Rogovoy

Evan Lindorff-Ellery

Trauma School Dropouts

Tape Collage Piece 2011

Past Due

(Notice Recordings)

(Independent)

With his prolific Notice Recordings cassette imprint and the many local live events that he presents, such as Opus 40’s yearly Verbatim small-press poetry/ record label festival, Kingston experimental musician and visual artist Evan Lindorff-Ellery has quietly become one of the vital young movers of the Hudson Valley scene. The title of Tape Collage Piece 2011 gives the listener a good idea of what this recent archival release on his logo is about: an extended piece of music concrete (spilt over two sides that are, roughly, 35 and 28 minutes), recorded to tape in Chicago in 2011. This is deep, ambient, immersive electroacoustic stuff; sprawling vistas of mysterious, meditative field recordings and furtive found sounds—pinging metal, distant classical music, whooshing wind, something that sounds like windshield wipers on a snowy day—that have been looped, blended, and at times lightly manipulated to create an art installation-ready soundtrack. —Peter Aaron

In lieu of some hifalutin dissertation of the latest platter from Albany’s Trauma School Dropouts, I’ll be succinct: It flat out rocks! The cover image is a composition book with the subject “Punk Rock 101,” and the glam/hardcore/power pop sounds within completely bear out this mission statement. Frankly, I was unprepared for the unbridled energy from these sneering Capital Region delinquents. Want a London-by-wayof-Lark Street sneer on lead vocals? Check! Huge, melodic power chords to conjure Redd Kross and Cheap Trick? You got it! Tunes like “The Immoral Majority” and “Registered Nurse” completely deliver on their illicit promise. Managing to be snotty and guileless at the same time is no small feat, and this record pulls off this winning combination. They channel the true spirit of rock ’n’ roll. To quote past masters Wire, “An evening of fun in the metropolis of your dreams.” —Jeremy Schwartz

SOUND CHECK Neil Howard’s Listening Picks For the large part, my musical life has been spent delving into the music of past decades, starting with the 1950s, rockabilly and doowop especially. That was back in high school and college, and it was easy enough to be exposed to the ’80s and ’90s stuff then, as it was all around me, and ’60s and ’70s stuff was still quite ubiquitous in the culture. So I gravitated further backward, and now have spent most of my listening energy on the early American recordings of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s—blues and jazz and the big bands. The Alan Lomax field recordings, Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Helen Forrest, early Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey, and everything in between. Owning the Colony has naturally been an eye opening (ear-opening?) experience in getting to bring in bands that are well established to younger audiences but have not naturally crossed my path. I’m quite

58 MUSIC CHRONOGRAM 1/24

pleased to find I’ve truly loved a lot of the stuff coming out these days, and now I avidly listen to alternative indie channel Sirius XMU. Some of the albums that have really bowled me over of late: Cool About It by Boygenius, Nightshift by Lucy Dacus, The Edge of the Edge by Panda Bear (it samples the early ’60s doo-wop classic “Denise” by Randy and the Rainbows, which delighted me when I heard it), Honey by Samia, Should’ve Been Me by Mitski, Swooning by JW Francis… the list goes on. Going a bit further back, I’ve always had a great love of Muse, Kings of Leon, and Social Distortion. As a songwriter, my greatest influences have been Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave. I’m all over the map, I guess, but it keeps it interesting. Neil Howard is a musician and the co-owner of Woodstock music venue the Colony.

books

All My Monsters are Dead or Why I Love Being Old Betty MacDonald CODHILL PRESS, 2023, $16

In this concise yet impactful poetry collection, 89-yearold Hudson Valley author Betty MacDonald reflects on a lifetime of experiences. Through a combination of short lyric and prose poems, MacDonald contemplates the joys of solitude, expresses gratitude for life, and reevaluates relationships with parents and grandparents. While poems like “Thursday Already” address senior-specific issues such as memory loss, other pieces like “Heron” delve into universal themes such as the beauty of nature. Whether she’s being somber or funny, MacDonald adeptly captures life’s subtleties, resulting in a collection that’s both accessible and resonant. Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For? T. W. Bristol QUIXOTE PUBLISHING, 2023, $18.99

Bearsville resident T. W. Bristol’s debut novel offers a delightful glimpse into the chaotic yet charming world of Theresa Bristol, a small-town girl chasing her big screen dreams in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Leaving behind the simplicity of Bobby, Texas, Tess finds herself amidst a cast of characters straight out of a Hollywood script—a boss who’s more nightmare than mentor, coworkers with quirks galore, a clique of mean girls, and even a lost dog. Written in a diary-like format, including 10 appendices, this piece of autofiction seamlessly transitions from laugh-out-loud moments to tear jerking sequences as we follow Tess’s escapades. The Whispering Wall Lissa Kiernan AIM HIGHER, INC, 2023, $18

Lissa Kiernan, the founder of West Hurley’s Poetry Barn, tackles universally relatable personal experiences in this prize-winning poetry volume. Kiernan struggles with the transition from city to rural life, copes with the loss of her father, battles addiction, and navigates the complex role of being both an artist and a domestic partner. Some of the poems also memorialize the Hudson Valley: “Woodstock Times” highlights the town’s village green, and “An Instance of This” imagines those displaced by the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir. The Whispering Wall is a captivating odyssey that examines our perception of self and the multifaceted dimensions of a profoundly lived life. Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World Perdita Finn RUNNING PRESS ADULT, 2023, $28

In Take Back the Magic, Woodstock author Perdita Finn reveals how to access the wisdom of the departed. Finn chronicles the personal journey of reconciling with the death of her father, all while offering readers guidance on reconnecting with their ancestors and the Earth. Through a blend of memoir, history, and an ecologically rooted spirituality, Finn illustrates that our life stories transcend time and are richer than we often realize. This book serves as an inspirational call to healing, reminding us of the interconnectedness of souls and that no one is ever truly lost if we initiate our own conversations with the unseen world. God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man Jack Kelly ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, 2023, $29

God Save Benedict Arnold sheds new light on perhaps the most infamous figure in American history. While Arnold’s act of treason is well-known, his contributions to the early Revolutionary War are often overshadowed, and Hudson Valley-based author Jack Kelly illuminates Arnold’s achievements as an effective leader, brilliant tactician, and courageous military officer. This narrative doesn’t absolve Arnold of his treason—making sure to show his imperfections, disloyalty, and villainy—but it offers a fresh perspective on the reasons behind his fateful change of heart. God Save Benedict Arnold presents an intriguing exploration of this enigmatic and paradoxical character, adding depth to our understanding of American independence. —Ryan Keegan

Lou Reed: The King of New York Will Hermes

FARAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX, 2023, $35

Lou Reed was the white light and the black hole. Reed, who departed just over 10 years ago, left us with some of the most sublimely beautiful music in the rock ’n’ roll canon, along with some of its most extremely abrasive examples; this was, after all, the artist who created “Pale Blue Eyes” as well as Metal Machine Music. Within his songs themselves, too, the paradox was just as strong, just as extreme: Witness the moving melody of “Caroline Says” laid over its hopelessly bleak lyrics of drug addiction and domestic abuse, from the tragic, epic tale that plays out across the heartbreaking song cycle of Reed’s 1973 album Berlin. But this barely scratches the surface of the nearly 60-year career oeuvre of this influential icon. Reed was a distinctly complicated personality, and he made no apologies for his provocative, taboo-trashing behavior, be it within his art or within his day-to-day existence. Accordingly, in Lou Reed: The King of New York, noted New Paltz music critic and NPR contributor Will Hermes’s outstanding biography of the founding Velvet Underground frontman, the author examines the pioneering musician’s life with an eye that’s informed, unflinching, and unapologetic—just the way its subject no doubt would’ve wanted it. At this point, there’s already a raft of Reed books out there, as well as several stand-alone Velvets volumes. But Hermes’s 550-page opus makes outmoded mincemeat of them all. What puts it so far above and beyond prior Reed-related tomes—besides the Queens-born writer’s intimate familiarity with Reed’s beloved New York and his own sensitive, highly context-conscious writing style; he also wrote 2011’s acclaimed Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever—is the fact that Hermes is the first Reed biographer to have access to the vast personal archive that was donated to the New York Public Library by the rocker’s estate. Drawing on these previously withheld materials, along with his own knowledge, copious interviews, and other sources, Hermes compassionately constructs a riveting, revelation-rife narrative that follows Reed from his troubled Long Island suburban origins to his novice time as an aspiring staff songwriter at Pickwick Records, Velvet years, glam rock ascendance, punk elder-statesman status, eventual lionization as a street poet for the ages and singular American musical force, and spiritually redemptive final decades with his divinely matched artist-muse Laurie Anderson at his side. The gender-snubbing Reed was a key cultural groundbreaker in the realm of queer identity, a firebrand who, through his music and the example of how he presented himself, empowered isolated LGBTQ individuals and other outsiders far beyond his mentor Andy Warhol’s Factory milieu to be themselves, the world they were born into be damned. In the book, the transgressive sides of Reed’s life are chronicled matter-of-factly and without sensation, on equal footing with the music that influenced his own music; all part of the makeup (pardon the pun, glitter kids) of the artist himself. Likewise, Hermes shines an empathetic, impartial light to get at the inner pain and consequent drug use that fueled each other, along with much of Reed’s uncompromising music, to give a better understanding into his, to put it mildly, often surly and self-destructive personality. The makings of landmark albums like The Velvet Underground and Nico, Transformer, Street Hassle, The Blue Mask, New York, et al., are explored in fly-on-the-studio-wall detail and within the vivid context of Reed’s personal life and the greater contemporary sphere when he was writing and recording them. Also examined are the dynamic collaborative relationships he had with such crucial figures as Warhol, Anderson, David Bowie, and John Cale, and Rachel Humphreys, Reed’s trans partner for three chaotic years in the 1970s. Little had been written before about the enigmatic Humphreys, who was buried in a mass grave for AIDS victims after she died in 1990, and, given the profound effect she’s long known to have had on Reed, it’s particularly intriguing to find out more about her. “If there are any lessons to be learned from Reed’s work and life, any core morality,” Hermes writes, “it’s that everyone deserves the dignity of self-definition.” Accompanied by a clutch of never-before-seen photos, it all adds up to a fascinating and more complete picture of the singer-songwriter as both an artist and a human being. The King of New York is the last word on Lou. —Peter Aaron 1/24 CHRONOGRAM BOOKS 59

poetry

EDITED BY Phillip X Levine compromise i don’t think about harming myself but i do think about having an accident —p

Consider the Labyrinth

Strawberries

Overheard in a Bookstore

As far as metaphors go the road and river get all the glory. Yes, yes we get it… the road is like life, you never know where it will take you; the timelessness of the river, the adventure, etc., etc.

there are so many things I have not seen the blue earth from space Everest’s sparkling summit the narrows of Thermopylae and those unlit beaches below Troy the cobblestones of Constantinople and the forest-crowned cave at Narni a gold medal hanging around my neck my first novel in a bookstore window a woken tiger stalking me the tornado funneling toward my home zombies stepping from the woods missiles falling from the sky

Standing nearby,

and yet I’ve seen my share— the last rattling breath of loved ones and strangers a blizzard breaking over South Georgia Island loons rising from a darkening lake Jim Morrison romancing his microphone the garden where Gandhi blessed his killer a triple rifled into Fenway Park’s left field my last child’s water birth solitary smokers in doorways children slogging through mud and sorrow love surrendering to me before vanishing away on the ebb tide sunrise spearing light across the desert floor— even the unquenchable thirst of devotion

but still disappointed in her decision, I almost called out, “Wait. They are,” but didn’t want to tell them the truth— they aren’t. They’re only available to the lucky few.

But the beauty of the labyrinth is that it’s all there in front of you, not an endless river, but compact circular timefulness, like clockwork. You know what you’re getting into, welcomed by the long path of crushed stone underfoot— it teaches you to trust well before you arrive at the entrance, a line of well-manicured green. You go slow, you only need to know so much. When we first got your diagnosis, we wanted to know everything, leave no stone, so we stayed up all night online trying to maze through it in one night—the treatment, the surgery, the recovery— be done. As you continue the approach, you understand labyrinth walls are illusions, always more around hidden corners. The labyrinth forces trust, forces listening, forces slowness, your footfalls on gravel, heel to toe, heel to toe, heel to toe, guided to the ultimate center. The end is, of course, a long way, yet there it is, visible from the beginning, predictable, geometric, nearly next to you at times. Sometimes, we’re tempted to step over the line, get there quicker, speed up the process, fast forward to recovery. But we stayed the course, followed the pattern until it stopped. Silence: that instrument that can transform noise into music. We found our centering, prayed our prayer, turned around and retraced our steps home. —Jacob Gamage Identity Theft A dog stole my identity. He bought a plane ticket to St. Thomas To start an animal adoption clinic. Once done, he flew to New York To feed the dogs in Coney Island and find them homes too. Then it was Amtrak up to Albany To dig holes So senior citizens in assisted living Could more easily plant flowers and trees. You see, he is better than me, Which explains why I never cancelled my credit cards. —Don Ferber 60 POETRY CHRONOGRAM 1/24

But after last night’s sleepless sorrow who gives a fuck what I’ve seen or not? These strawberries spilling across the kitchen table the deer grazing in my buttery meadow conjure neither sorrow or regret and matter so much more than my many hallucinations of meaning. —Kemp Battle 7 Cups My week was 7 bad cups of coffee. Rubbing heartache across my ribs. I thought of all the times I stayed. All the times I didn’t. I thought of Plath and the oven and it made me sad. I thought of tulips and bees. My year was 52 times I got back up. Washing salt from my pillowcases and starting again. I thought of waterfalls and rivers. I thought of the umpteen times I went out on a limb and didn’t fall. I thought of Oliver and wondered if the geese were calling me home.

I couldn’t see the book’s title, but would like to believe it was mine. “It’s not fair,” she said to her friend, “all these words should be available to everyone, not just poets.” I was hoping she wouldn’t, but then she put the book of poems back on the shelf and then they walked away. Hoping now it was not mine,

And only in the rarest of times. —Robert Harlow In Joshua Tree alone at last, children sleeping under the light of a sand-cracked moon, we chose to kiss instead —Cassidy Payne After After I die And after a pause You’ll continue to do The things you did Before I died —Ze’ev Willy Neumann Clouds beam glowing edge. Gray resting on golden light. Guide me home at dusk. —Judith Lechner

—Libby Grace Mosher Full submission guidelines: Chronogram.com/submissions

Rival You know too much, I need you to hush. Fingers shake in my face, you yell in the drunken air. I need a healer when the morning light perches. I run through dandelion field, blow fragile pappus. Your voice ruminates like croaking frog, barking dog. You know too much, I need you to hush. Each time I blow the lion’s tooth, anger boils in my blood. I scatter seeds along the restless river’s flood. I need a healer when the morning light perches. My body lies on stones near decaying birds’ bones. Ancestors silent like Hispaniolan Trogon, our bird’s song. You know too much, I need you to hush. I follow the path from stones to a wooden table from Hong Kong. Du Fu smiles, breath fresh of peppermint invites me to lie down. I need a healer when the morning light perches. Great-grandmother appears, she whispers in curve of ears. I drink water from her coconut shell, I hear our birdsong. You know too much, I need you to hush. I need a healer when the morning light perches. —Jerrice J. Baptiste

Mommy and Daddy Mommy and Daddy danced with a pink scarf on Saturday but it was not like ballet. Then they got a scarf that was gold, then the Rabbi gave me a toy Torah to hold! I liked that, but I’m very shy. No one knows this yet, but some babies far away got their heads chopped off today. When I’m older they will tell me about the homeland. The drummer with our Simhat Torah Klezmer band is an atheist and wonders about religions, I don’t know this yet. Someday, Mommy and Daddy will tell me about atheists. After the dancing, all the grownups, and the drummer, made a giant circle and held a long piece of paper where a lot of words were spelled I liked being with all the grownups and the kids. Some were dancing Others were sitting Some were crying

Love Song Alternate Style for BG in loving memory

Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky like a St. Bernard sprawled out on a bed We’ll sleep in slimy canine drool and wake up moist. Let us walk neon nights rock music blaring from bars overflow crowds dancing in the street. How long since we danced shoeless on the grass? We’ll explore the fruit orchards taking huge bites from apples, pears and peaches. In the room the women sip their tea And talk about shows on TV. Let’s not waste time streaming when we can experience Coney Island throw caution to the wind and ride the Cyclone. Twice! Let us roll up our pant legs wade into salty seafoam and not clean the sand burrowed between our toes. Let us go to the opera and not wear a tie Let us go to dinner in our bathing suits Let us wear our pajamas during the day and our pants and boots to bed. In the room the women sip their tea And talk about eternity. Our hair is thinning Our skin is sagging we’ll soon will be gone sing the song of the poor swan Let us romp and jump and run Let us bounce and leap and fly One day we will be leaning on an old stick or riding in a chair with wheels In the room the women sip their tea and talk about arthritic knees.

—Imogene Putnam

Who knows how long we have until the great gods call us home and we return to nothingness our ashes dissolved in the winds? Who will remember us when those who remember us are gone?

these hounds of desire never flagging, at my heels häagen dazs on sale

Eat a peach, goddamit! Eat two or three! Toss away your tea cups No more useless blather Throw yourself into the first mosh pit you find.

—John Kiersten

The wind has a bite and so does my neighbor’s dog: unfriendly weather —Danielle Woerner

—Alice Graves 1/24 CHRONOGRAM POETRY 61

arts profile

Preservation Society THE ARCHIVE OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC AND ITS SEARCH FOR A NEW HOME By Peter Aaron Photos by David McIntyre

ou’re driving up a dirt road across farmland on a cold Dutchess County afternoon. After admiring the orchards and open fields for several minutes, you park next to a long, low, brightly painted stone-block outbuilding, a structure that you later learn was originally built as a piggery, and then step out of the car. Having dashed through a passing flurry, you’re soon knocking at the back door. Inside, it’s a pharaoh’s tomb for music fanatics. Chesthigh, labyrinthine stacks of cartons filled with LPs take up the entire floor of the room, and the walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling industrial shelves filled with more LPs and white cardboard boxes of seven-inch 45s. In the next room of the sprawling interior, it’s even more of the same, along with crates, shelves, and boxes of 10-inch 78s, cassette tapes, CDs, and music-related books, DVDs, VHS tapes, and ephemera (photographs, periodicals, press kits, sheet music, T-shirts, promotional items, memorabilia), and the walls are adorned with framed posters and album covers, many of them signed by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, the Sex Pistols, and other luminaries. In the other rooms, it’s the same story, seemingly going on forever. A short walk away is a giant 62 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 1/24

former cow barn whose first floor is packed solid with pallets of records and other materials, all of the items representing every style of music from around the world. Welcome to the ARChive of Contemporary Music. In total, the ARChive’s two-structure facility in Staatsburg—called the Arc by its staff—occupies 10,000 square feet, and there are spaces in California totaling 3,000 square feet. At this point, the organization has collected and cataloged over three million sound recordings containing more than 100 million songs. And that number is growing, each and every day, through estate donations and other acquisitions. But now the Arc has to move. And at present it has nowhere to go. “The buildings we’re in are still zoned agricultural, which we didn’t know would be a problem when we relocated here,” explains Bob George, the ARChive’s cofounder and director, about the property, whose usage was donated by its owner, luxury hotelier Andre Balazs. “We had to get out of our original space and Andre very generously offered to let us move here, so we jumped on it. But it turns out that because of the zoning designation we can’t get the required permits to be able to install enough shelving and the other amenities we need. And in the meantime, most of the collection is just

sitting here on pallets, inaccessible and in danger of deteriorating.” Hence the desperate hunt for new digs for the nonprofit. Pump Up the Volume Interested in art from an early age, George grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and spent much of his 20s traveling, soaking up the cultures in regions like Afghanistan, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, and India, where he briefly had a job preparing corpses for ritual cremation. He came to Manhattan in 1974 to study in the Whitney Museum studio program. While at the Whitney he befriended another young creative mind: Laurie Anderson, whose first commercially available recordings would appear on Airwaves, a 1977 experimental music compilation album on the label he launched to release it, One Ten Records. A record obsessive in the thick of the punk/new wave explosion, George coauthored 1980’s Volume, the first comprehensive discography of the new music. In the pre-internet days, the book served as an essential reference for those who were following the frenetic output of the DIY-driven movement. After corresponding with the influential British DJ John Peel, George became a frequent guest on his BBC

ARChive of Contemporary Music founder and director Bob George in front of the collection of blues records gifted to the archive by Keith Richards, who's on the board. Inset: A copy of David Bowie's Hunky Dory signed by the artist, who also applied glitter to the album cover. Opposite: One wall of George's office is lined with signed album covers.

show, always bringing along the latest US underground records; one such item was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s formative 1982 hip-hop milestone “The Message,” which sent shock waves through the UK music scene. In 1981, One Ten released Anderson’s debut single, the game-changingly abstract “O Superman,” which, thanks in part to Peel’s championing of the track, was a surprise number two hit in England and cemented her worldwide status. In 1985, George and his late collaborator David Wheeler established the ARChive of Contemporary Music in a Tribeca loft with a lofty goal: To create an eternal repository of modern music by acquiring and preserving a copy of every known popular music recording made by every culture and race in the world, in every format it was manufactured in. “I’d built this huge personal collection and I wanted to keep it together for future generations, but no other institutions wanted it,” he explains. “You had places that collected older ethnic music or classical music, or the Smithsonian Institution, which was more interested in folk music. But they weren’t looking for the kind of stuff we have, which includes funk, hip-hop, reggae, contemporary African music, and rock ’n’ roll. So we decided to do it ourselves and build on what we already had.”

Critical Mass George, who claims not to own a single record himself nowadays—he started the ARChive by donating his own collection of 47,000 discs to the foundation—began reaching out to music-industry friends and to the public about deeding the records and related materials they’d amassed to the effort and monetarily supporting its collection’s storage and maintenance. Among the names on the ARChive’s advisory and emeritus boards are David Bowie, Todd Rundgren, Martin Scorsese, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Nile Rogers, Courtney Love Cobain, Q-Tip, Carl Bernstein, Jonathan Demme, and Keith Richards, who directly backs its blues library and even gifted it a rare original copy of Robert Johnson’s 1937 “Me and the Devil Blues.” Another board member and booster is the B-52s’ Fred Schneider, who has DJed and performed at ARChive-sponsored events. “The ARChive is a sort of Noah’s Ark of music to me,” says the singer via email. “You’re not gonna get 95 percent of any of what they have in the ARChive on the streaming services, which sound like crap anyway. I’m so happy to have been a part of it.” As it continued to acquire important collections— for example, that of 1960s/1970s Michigan music 1/24 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 63

Clockwise from top left: An example of a bootleg recording known as roentgenizdat that was smuggled into the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Recordings were pressed into any available materials, including x-rays. Most of the archive has yet to be categorized and remains in storage. The archive is temporarily housed in a former piggery in Staatsburg owned by the hotelier Andre Balazs. Tim Broun and Fred Patterson (foreground) cataloguing materials in the archive's office. Records from the blues collection of Keith Richards. A photo of Iggy Pop signing an autograph for a fan is part of the archive's collection of ephemera..

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scene figure Jeep Holland, whose collection was so voluminous that it was literally causing his house to sink—the ARChive was steadily outgrowing its Manhattan space. On top of that, by 2020 the rent in the once-destitute, now-tony Tribeca neighborhood had gone stratospheric. Thus, one $60,000 moving invoice later, the ARChive’s East Coast holdings were in Staatsburg. And at present, four years later, the organization, which subsists partially by providing archival images and recordings to publishers and movies—for example, George recalls how director Ang Lee came calling for songs by obscure folksinger Bert Sommer to use in his 2009 film Taking Woodstock—is looking at another massive move. Gimme Shelter It’s hard not to think of the ARChive’s priceless riches and not recall the 2008 Universal Studios fire that destroyed thousands of original master recordings— masters being the equivalent of the Mona Lisa that hangs in the Louvre to its souvenir-shop repros—of irreplaceable works by Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Bing Crosby, Muddy Waters, and other giants. While the ARChive doesn’t concentrate on masters, its expertly collected, sorted, and cared-for artifacts provide a vital contextual window into the eras they emanate from. Although the Arc hasn’t been open to the public, George’s vision for its new home adds a public component, with space for live music, DJ dances, talks,

and other happenings as well as a wing for scholarly research access. Partnering with a university is one idea, and there’s been some discussion with Bard College about collaborating on a property. Another angle could involve a culturally conscious donor helping the foundation purchase vacant land and build a new center on it, or to acquire and convert a former IBM campus in Poughkeepsie. In the interim, though, George and his staff expect to begin packing up on February 14. So with the advent of digital media, why hold onto and move all of this stuff? Schneider’s comments about the scarcity and sonic superiority of the items collected by the ARChive aside, there’s George’s succinct answer. “A lot of what exists only online is going to go away someday,” he says, adding that as backups to the original pressings it has, the ARChive recently digitized its 106,705th seven-inch 45-rpm single and has done the same with over 370,000 78s for the San Francisco-based Internet Archive. “The majority of what’s only commercially available is going to disappear. For over 1,000 years, people in Europe had forgotten how to build domes, until Brunelleschi studied how the Pantheon was built and based his design of the Florence Cathedral on it. To really understand the music and times of the past, it’s important that people in the future be able to access and understand that music in the way it was heard by the people of the past. Physical things last.”

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Winter is glorious in the Hudson Valley but it lingers too long like a bad relationship. Or even a good one, the embraces that are marvelous for a finite period can become suffocating. Or not. The back and forth sense of simultaneous desires to “Make this end” or “make this linger” rhymes with our erotic, romantic, and familial vibes. The weather intertwines with all those triggers of holding other beings’ bodies tightly—and Winter’s Long Embrace intends to make the most of those contradictory feelings.

17 Broad Street, Kinderhook, NY Winter 2024 Hours Saturday, 11–4PM and by appointment

Jan 6 – Mar 9

Special Groundhog Day Weekend Artist Reception Saturday, February 3, 12–3PM

Featured Artists Nick Barbee Sallie Barbie Chris Bernsten Nayland Blake TJ Griffin Karsen Heagle Joe Klockowski Philip Knoll Scooter LaForge Stephen Lack Thedra Cullar Ledford Jean Paul Mallozzi Mark Ponder Gerardo Rosales Elijah Ruhala Carol Saft Michael St John David Sokosh Michael Walden

Michael Walden, The Last Waltz II, 2022. Oil On Canvas, 48 x 24 inches.

Winter’s Long Embrace

Bill Arning Exhibitions

Come see what’s new! Winner Best Museum in the Hudson Valley SAMUEL DORSKY MUSEUM OF ART

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT NEW PALTZ

www.newpaltz.edu/museum

Libby Paloma, Chingona AKA Libby, from the series Lo Que No Sabías (What You Wouldn’t Know), 2019. Acquired with funds from the Alice and Horace Chandler Art Acquisition Fund

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live music Super 400 play Hangar on the Hudson in Troy January 19. Photo by Shannon DeCelle

Reed Foehl

Super 400

Jill Sobule

January 6 at the Colony Vermont folksinger Reed Foehl, who makes this early January jaunt to Woodstock, was nominated for a Grammy for “Fly,” a song he cowrote with Brent Cobb that was covered by country queen Lee Ann Womack. “From traditional folk ballads to barroom singalongs, this tunesmith’s emotional, deeply personal lyrics and indelibly infectious choruses…leave the listener with an overriding sense of optimism,” gushed Glide magazine. “[It’s] something we could all use a little more of these days.” No argument there. Jude Roberts opens. (Robert Burke Warren’s David Bowie tribute returns January 12 and 13; the Lustre Kings lionize Elvis Presley January 18.) 8pm. $23.37. Colonywoodstock.com

January 19 at Hangar on the Hudson Hard rock trio Super 400—named after the iconic Gibson hollow-body guitar played by rock ’n’ roll pioneer Scotty Moore and others—are massive in Europe as well as their hometown of Troy, where Mayor Harry Tutunjian declared February 25, 2006, “Super 400 Day.” The band released several singles last year and has been touring ahead of the release of the upcoming album, Spirit in the Sound. Super 400 was inducted into the Capital Region Music Hall of Fame in 2022 and 2023, earning the title of Best Rock Band two years in a row, and their appearances at Hangar on the Hudson, are packed affairs—so don’t sleep on grabbing tickets. 8pm. $17.85. Thehangaronthehudson.com

February 1 at the Egremont Barn In 1995, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule made history when “I Kissed a Girl,” a track off her self-titled second album, became the first-ever openly queer-themed Billboard Top 20 single; another song from the same release, the satirical “Supermodel,” was featured in the movie Clueless. She costars with former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Julia Sweeny in “The Jill and Julia Show” and has performed with Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Warren Zevon, Tom Morello, and John Doe and on bills with Don Henley, Joe Jackson, X, and Lloyd Cole. The songstress will do this enticingly intimate evening in the Berkshires. 7:30pm. $20. Theegremontbarn.com

Sluice

Glen David Andrews

January 23 at Tubby’s Sluice is the stage name of North Carolina-born indie folk musician Justin Edward Morris, whose 2023 sophomore album, Radial Gate, was named one of that year’s best albums by the Guardian, which called him “a craftsman who appreciates the art of painting vivid pictures—at times beautiful, sad, funny—with an economy of words.” The record was highly rated by Pitchfork as well, and the critical attention led to an opening slot for acclaimed singer Indigo De Souza on her 2023 tour. Sluice visits Tubby’s for this midmonth performance. (Hush Woods celebrates its new album January 6; Chris Brokaw and Alan Licht light up February 1.) 7pm. $18. Kingston. Tubbyskingston.com

February 2 at the Falcon The name of trombonist and singer Glen David Andrews’s latest album, Le Treme Carnival, gives a clue into the ebullient vibes within. The New Orleans native’s origins musical roots run deep and broad: His big brother Derrick Tabb plays with the renowned Rebirth Brass Band and their cousin is the celebrated Trombone Shorty. Andrews leads his own boisterously swinging band, which fuses traditional jazz with funk, gospel, blues, and rock to make each of their engagements—such as this one in Marlboro—a big damn party. (Nels Cline’s Concentrik Quartet explores February 7; the Junco Partners jam February 9.) 7pm. Donation requested. Liveatthefalcon.com —Peter Aaron

Chris O’Leary Band January 13 at Towne Crier Cafe Blues artist Chris O’Leary will be familiar to many audiences thanks to his six years as the singer for Levon Helm’s band the Barnburners. The Chris O’Leary Band’s debut CD, Mr. Used to Be, won the 2011 Best New Artist Debut CD Blues Blast Award and was nominated for best new artist debut at the 2011 American Blues Music Awards. O’Leary, who worked with Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keyes, Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin, and others, brings his crack band to Beacon for this searing show. (Buffalo Stack piles on January 5; the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow raises a glass January 12.) 8pm. $28. Townecrier.com

1/24 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 67

short list

Simon Rex and Talia Ryder star in The Sweet East, the directorial debut of Sean Price Williams (pictured above), which screens at Upstate Films on January 17.

Out of This World January 1 at the Newberry Artisan Market Originally organized by poet Bruce Weber in Manhattan in the late ‘90s, “Out of This World” is a New Year’s Day spoken word performance extravaganza now in its fifth year in the Hudson Valley. With over 120 poets, writers, musicians, and dancers—including notable names like Michael Bisio and Lissa Kiernan—this seven-hour event embraces a spirit of democracy with an open mic session. Admission is free, but consider donating nonperishable food and drink for the Saugerties Food Pantry or books for the Greene Correctional Facility. Newberryartisanmarket.com

“Cabaret” at the Center for Performing Arts January 6-21 in Rhinebeck Set in the tumultuous world of 1932 Berlin, Kander and Ebb’s classic musical reflects on the importance of action and the costs of indifference. This tale of love and life in Weimar Germany follows American novelist Cliff Bradshaw as his quest for book material leads him to Berlin’s infamous Kit Kat Club, where he encounters English cabaret performer Sally Bowles. Amidst characters like pragmatic landlady Frau Schneider and Jewish fruit vendor Herr Schultz, the specter of the Nazi party’s ascent casts a foreboding shadow. Centerforperformingarts.org

Animal Tails

with Peter Gabriel and Laurie Anderson as well as opening for David Bowie and David Byrne. Dcspca.org

Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Parade January 15 in Beacon The dream of long-time Beacon resident Pete Seeger, this singing parade honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and promotes unity. Now in its 10th year, the event has witnessed hundreds of participants singing in unison while displaying handmade posters, banners, and signs that advocate for peace, justice, and equality. The parade will begin in front of the Springfield Baptist Church at 9am. For those in need of car transportation to participate, inquiries can be made by texting (845) 522-0780. Beaconsloop.org

The Sweet East January 17 at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck The Sweet East, the directorial debut of Sean Price Williams, follows high school senior Lillian (played by Talia Ryder) on a journey through various goofy American subcultures. Featuring cameos from Jacob Elordi, Jeremy O’Harris, and Gibby Haynes, it captures the essence of gonzo ‘70s cinema in a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. A Q&A with director Sean Price Williams follows the show. Upstatefilms.org

January 7 at Towne Crier Cafe

Ilana Glazer Live at UPAC

The Dutchess County SPCA is set to host Animal Tails, an annual New Year’s storytelling event and fundraiser where people share anecdotes about animals that have positively impacted their lives. Following the stories, there’ll be a solo performance by Joy Askew, a highly regarded singer and songwriter known for collaborations

January 18 in Kingston

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Best known for cocreating and co-starring in the quickwitted Comedy Central series “Broad City,” Glazer has an array of recent achievements. Her debut standup special, “The Planet Is Burning,” is available on Amazon

Prime, and she cowrote and starred in the A24 film False Positive, a contemporary riff on Rosemary’s Baby. The show has a 15+ age requirement, with doors opening at 7pm and the performance starting at 8pm. Bardavon.org

Nate Bargatze at the MJN Center January 20 in Poughkeepsie Grammy-nominated comedian and podcaster Nate Bargatze is scheduled to perform at the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center in Poughkeepsie, presenting two shows (4pm and 10pm) as part of his ongoing “The Be Funny” tour. Bargatze has made over 10 appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and has garnered recognition from industry veterans like Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, and Marc Maron. Known for his deliberate and inoffensive style of comedy, Bargatze mines humor from the minutiae of daily life and shares anecdotes about everyday experiences and family dynamics. Midhudsonciviccenter.org

Mark Morris Dance Group at The Egg January 25 in Albany Dubbed the “preeminent modern dance organization of our time” by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Mark Morris Dance Group is an international touring dance organization formed in 1980 by choreographer Mark Morris. As a cornerstone of The Egg’s “Dance in Albany” series, the group will be presenting a program that blends new works with classics like “Sport,” “Italian Concerto,” “A Wooden Tree,” and “Water”—each accompanied by a mix of live and prerecorded music. Theegg.org —Ryan Keegan

art

In 2013, photographer Magda Biernat and her husband, illustrator Ian Webster, traveled from Antarctica to the Arctic, visiting 17 countries. They voyaged for the entire year, using every conveyance one can imagine: car, bus, train, plane, boat, bicycle. Meanwhile, the couple were writing and taking photos. Their monthly reports were published on the New Yorker website. “Ephemeral Monuments,” a show of photographs from that epic pilgrimage, is at Hawk + Hive Gallery in Andes until January 28. Biernat works like a 19th-century photographer, using real film, a tripod, and a Mamiya 6 camera. Taking a picture is a ceremony of capture. And like the 19thcentury photographers, she’s also an explorer. Riding a bus in Bolivia, Biernat noticed red adobe towers in the distance. After making inquiries, she discovered that they were chullpas, funeral monuments built by the Aymara civilization in the 10th and 11th centuries. Biernat documented them, creating a series she calls “Towards the Reborn Sun.” Each of the towers has a low entrance facing east, through which the sun penetrates in the morning. The corpses within, which were generally those of nobles, have been curled into a fetal position. These structures were little-known outside Bolivia and Peru before Biernat observed them. Another series, “Adrift,” pairs images of glacier fragments in Antarctica with abandoned hunters’ cabins in the Arctic. Temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctic are rising twice as fast as anywhere else in the world. This warming tendency breaks icebergs into shards and changes the migration patterns of the caribou herds in the far north. Inupiat Eskimos must give up their traditional hunting huts, in many cases moving into towns. The photographer painstakingly paired the forlorn

hunters’ cabins with the mini-glaciers, choosing similar shapes—polar cousins. Some of the huts are oddly pinkish. Does the harsh arctic sun transmogrify white into pink? One of the cabins, particularly decrepit, has a tangled swing set—probably twisted by the wind—and a forlorn basketball hoop. Children once dwelled in this simple hut! Biernat prefers a muted palette—at first, I thought the hunters’ huts were shot in black and white—which makes the cerulean blue of the iceberg fragments more startling. The title of the show is carefully chosen. What, exactly, is a monument? Usually monuments celebrate a hero, and there is an air of heroism in these images. One theme is the persistence of native culture: the Aymara burial towers, the Inupiat cabins, a bewildered-looking bison at Deer Time Ranch in Oklahoma (which contains the only human being in this exhibition, caught in the mirror of a car). A bizarre cement teepee, now abandoned, near Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas, may have been a prop from a smalltime theme park. The original culture of our continents continues to stalk us. A photograph is ephemeral, but also a monument. A moment that has disappeared forever remains, preserved. Biernat is drawn to noble minimalism: a clear central subject with very few distractions around it. But there are exceptions. The image from the show that remains in my mind is that of the Department of Records in Montevideo, Uruguay: a room stuffed full of manila folders containing photographs of the dead. In order to register to vote in this nation, a headshot and fingerprints are required, which are housed forever in a bureaucratic mausoleum. Now that everything is computerized, we have largely lost the romance of manila folders. This picture is a monument to the good old days of government surveillance, when an actual human being steamed open your mail and followed you down the street. —Sparrow

Poles Apart “EPHEMERAL MONUMENTS” AT HAWK + HIVE GALLERY IN ANDES Through January 28 Hawkandhive.com Left: Concrete Teepee, Palo Duro Drive, Texas, Magda Biernat, photograph, 2013 Right: Adrift #5, Antarctica, Magda Biernat, photograph, 2013

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music

An Improvised Life LONNIE HOLLEY AND FRIENDS AT THE LOCAL

Left: Lonnie Holley with his art in 2019. Right: Lonnie Holley with Dave Nelson and Marlon Patton performing at Pickathon in Happy Valley, Oregon, in 2018. Photos by Matt Arnett

January 21 Thelocalsaugerties.com

Alabama-born artist Lonnie Holley responded to the atrocious social conditions of the Jim Crow South of his childhood by elevating himself via the creation of his own beautiful world, turning trash into whimsical, surreal sculptures that were championed by esteemed art collector Bill Arnett. His works have since been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, Ikon Gallery, and the National Gallery of Art. Holley was abandoned by his mother when he was four—traded for a bottle of whiskey, he says—and started working when he was five, going on to do time at the infamous Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children. While still a child he was hit and dragged by a car, spending several weeks in a coma. His art career started in 1979 when he carved headstones out of sandstone for his sister’s two children, who had died in a housefire. Soon after that first foray, Holley, a USA Artist Fellow who himself has 15 children, began creating his signature assemblages as well as quilts, paintings, and films. Music is another medium for the septuagenarian, who has released seven albums: 2023’s Oh Me Oh My features guests Bon Iver, Michael Stipe, and Sharon Van Etten. Lonnie Holley and Friends will perform at The Local in Saugerties on January 21 at 6pm. Tickets to the perfromance are $29.87. —Peter Aaron You started your artistic career by carving sandstone sculptures and then moved more into painting and the assemblages that you’ve become so well known for. What led you into working in these other mediums? I have always made things. Ever since I was young, traveling in the creeks and ditches. The sandstone carvings were the first thing I’d made that anyone paid any attention to, but I’d always created other things. Even when people knew about me, they’d walk right past sculptures to look at sandstones. Bill Arnett was the first person who ever took any interest in my foundobject sculptures. Most people before him were just blind to them. I remember the first day I met Bill, he was so excited looking at and hearing me tell him about the 70 THE GUIDE CHRONOGRAM 1/24

sculptures. He was the first person who even asked me what they were about. Even now, I make work out of whatever materials speak to me. Your artworks are often imbued with symbolic meaning, sometimes several layers of it. When you create a piece, does it usually reveal its meaning to you after you’ve finished it, or do you tend to be conscious of the meaning during the process of making it? Do you ever begin making a piece with the aim of wanting it to say something specific? It can happen all different kinds of ways. I would say usually I have an idea before I start making something. That’s almost always true with a sculpture. It’s usually the material that inspires the piece. If I see or pick up something that had a previous use, that often inspires the work. If I’m putting things together, I’m taking the lives of all the materials and giving them a new life and new meaning. If I’m painting, usually an idea comes to me and the painting is a response to that idea. But sometimes I just start painting and it soon starts to make sense to me. All of my art, either visual art or music, is about something. There is so much always going on in the world that it wouldn’t make sense not to art about it. How does your approach to making music compare to the approach you have to making your other art? I’ve always said that my art and my music come from the same brain and are like twins. I don’t see much difference between a keyboard and a paint brush or my voice and piece of material. My art pieces are like a song, but you have to use your eyes to hear them. And my music is like a sculpture that you have to use your ears to see. I made my first real recordings in 2006, but never really did anything with that stuff. I think my first record came out in 2012, but I didn’t think of myself as a professional. The things I sing about and the things I make art about are really the same. I always tell audiences that I’m not there to rock them or make them dance, I’m there hopefully to make them think. Your music is improvised but it also seems like it has a strong feeling of gospel music, and you made

your first recordings in a church in 2006. Did you play or sing gospel music when you were a child? What music and which musicians have moved and inspired you during your life? Matt Arnett [son of Bill Arnett] was recording the Gee’s Bend quilters and he rented out one of the churches in Gee’s Bend to do that. He invited me to come down and record some of my music after the gospel music recording was finished for the day, so it wasn’t intentional that my first recordings happened in a church. When I was little I lived right behind the drive-in theater and right next to the state fairgrounds. I listened to so much music in those two places. I also learned so many field songs at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children. When my grandmother got me out of there, I spent time in church with her and heard a lot of gospel and spiritual music. And she used to wake up in the morning and I’d hear her moaning and singing. I wanted to sing in church and give testimony, but I never really had much chance. My testimony was too long. I always listened to a lot of different kinds of music. Everything from Johnnie Taylor and James Brown to Loretta Lynn and Bob Dylan, who is one of my favorites. All music inspires me. What do you most hope people feel when they see your art or hear your music? In these especially turbulent times, how does art help people and help the world? I’ve said it before, because it’s true, that art saved my life. I don’t think I’d be alive today if I hadn’t found art as a way out. I don’t think I want people to feel any particular way when they see my work or hear my music. I just want them to listen and look. How it moves them or doesn’t is up to them. For so long people like me didn’t have outlets for our work. Museums and galleries didn’t show it and venues didn’t invite us to perform. So I’m just honored that I can travel and share my music and people can go in museums and see my art and read about me. I hope they are moved, but it’s up to them to decide how. If you are looking for fiction, my art and music are probably not for you. I try to bring the truth every time.

The Student Showcase Exhibition OPENING RECEPTION

Thursday, February 22 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Casey Kelly, Digital Storytelling, 2018

ON VIEW

February 2 through April 26

A group show dedicated to the work of current credit and non-credit students, including alumni, who make the arts at the Center for the Digital Arts possible. This event is an opportunity to witness a diverse range of artwork, and to see how emergent technologies influences creative processes.

Center for the Digital Arts Gallery

Visit centerforthedigitalarts.gallery Email peekskill@sunywcc.edu

27 N DIVISION ST, PEEKSKILL, NY

Call 914-606-7300

Silver Linings Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection September 30, 2023 – January 28, 2024

Betty Blayton, Vibes Penetrated, 1983, acrylic on canvas, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Spelman College Purchase. © Estate of Betty Blayton

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center Free and Open to Everyone | vassar.edu/theloeb

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art exhibits The Violinist, Onaje Benjamin, photograph, 2022, from "Storytelling in Black and White" at the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum.

1053 GALLERY

ART OMI

CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY

DIA BEACON

“Light Codes.” Photographs by Jessica Eaton, Don Freeman, Claire Gilliam, Emily Johnston, Parker Manis, Brendan Pattengale, Kate Quarfordt, Kathleen Sweeney, Dan Tapia, Caroll Taveras, and an installation by Lindsay Comstock and Monte Wilson. Curated by Lindsay Comstock. Through February 25.

“3WI.” A newly commissioned installation combining video, sound, and performance by Dion “TYGAPAW” McKenzie. Through February 17.

“Vanishing Point: An Exhibition of Landscapes.” Work by James Bleecker, Sue Bryan, Susan Hope Fogel, Tracy Helgeson, John Kelly, Andre Moreau, Eileen Murphy, Joseph Rapp, and Judy Reynolds. Through January 28.

“Mary Heilman: Starry Night.” Long-term view. “Andy Warhol: Shadows.” An installation that surrounds the viewer with a series of canvases presented edge-to-edge around the perimeter of the room. Long-term view.

THE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AT WOODSTOCK

DISTORTION SOCIETY

1053 MAIN STREET, FLEISCHMANNS

510 WARREN STREET GALLERY 510 WARREN STREET, HUDSON

“Flowers and Forests.” New paintings by Jim Koester. January 6-28.

THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM 258 MAIN STREET RIDGEFIELD, CT

“Chiffon Thomas: The Cavernous.” Three monumental sculptures. Through March 17. “Yvette Mayorga: Dreaming of You.” Eight paintings, an artist-designed wallpaper, and a ceramic vase. Through March 17.

ART BITES

8 SECOND STREET, HIGH FALLS “Holiday Group Exhibition.” Work by Meg Beaudoin, Irja Boden, Lisa Breznak, Susan Spencer Crowe, Eduardo Cure, Simon Draper, Gene Gort, Elizabeth Gourlay, David Halliday, Lyn Harper, Marnie Hillsley, Beth Humphrey, Carole Kunstadt, Janice La Motta, Peter McCaffrey, and Jessica Poser. Through January 7.

ART GALLERY 71

71 EAST MARKET STREET, RHINEBECK “Kaarina Mackenzie.” Work by the Woodstockbased artist. January 5-February 4.

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1405 COUNTY ROUTE 22, GHENT

BANNERMAN ISLAND GALLERY 150 MAIN STREET, BEACON

“Annual Small Works Exhibition.” Featuring paintings, pastels, drawings, photography, and mixed media works measuring 9” x 12” and under. Through February 5.

BAU GALLERY

506 MAIN STREET, BEACON “Desire Lines: Phantom Geographies.” Paintings and works on paper by Linda Lauro-Lazin. Through January 7. “Forged in Fire.” Wood-fired ceramic art by Barbara Allen, Meg Beaudoin, Sarah Fox, and Eileen Sackman. Through January 7. “Cords and Knots.” Multimedia work by Mary McFerran. January 13-February 4. “Spur.” Paintings by Olivia Wargo. January 13-February 4.

BILL ARNING EXHIBITIONS / HUDSON VALLEY

17 BROAD STREET, KINDERHOOK “Winter’s Long Embrace.” Work by Nick Barbee, Sallie Barbie, Chris Bernsten, Nayland Blake, T. J. Griffin, Karsen Heagle, Joe Klockowski, Philip Knoll, Scooter LaForge, Stephen Lack, Thedra Cullar Ledford, Jean Paul Mallozi, Mark Ponder, Gerardo Rosales, Elijah Ruhala, Carol Saft, Michael St. John, David Sokosh, and Michael Walden. January 6-March 9.

BLUE STAR GALLERY

622 WARREN STREET, HUDSON

474 BROADWAY, KINGSTON

“Levee: Photographs by Adrianna Ault.” Southern landscapes. January 13-March 17.

CLARK ART INSTITUTE 225 SOUTH STREET, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA

“50 Years and Forward: British Prints and Drawings Acquisitions.” Work by Thomas Rowlandson, J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Girtin, Hugh William Williams, John Constable, Samuel Palmer, Thomas Frye, Evelyn de Morgan, and Anna Alma-Tadema. Through February 11.

CMA GALLERY

AQUINAS HALL MOUNT SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE, NEWBURGH “Aflame Anew: Re-Igniting, Re-Engaging, and Re-Purposing.” Work by Auguster D. Williams Jr. Through January 27.

DANIEL ARTS CENTER AT SIMON’S ROCK 84 ALFORD ROAD, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA

“Slow Dancing.” Paintings of dancers by John Musall. Through January 22.

3 BEEKMAN STREET, BEACON

155 MAIN STREET, BEACON “Between Facing Mirrors.” Paintings by Michelle Silver. Through February 3.

EXPOSURES GALLERY

1357 KINGS HWY, SUGAR LOAF “Africa Awakening.” Photographs by Nick Zungoli of Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Through April 30.

FRONT ROOM GALLERY

205 WARREN STREET, HUDSON “Passing East.” Photographs of trains by Stephen Mallon. Through January 31.

GALLERY 495

495 MAIN STREET, CATSKILL “The Eagle Flies Free, But Why Not Me?⁣⁣” Assemblages by Jamel Robinson. Through January 13.

GARRISON ART CENTER

23 GARRISON’S LANDING, GARRISON “Beauty, Marks, and Blemishes.” Works on paper by Sky Pape. Through January 7. “PHOTOcentric 2023: Hiding in Plain Sight.” Group photo show curated by Jessica Brier. Through January 7. “2024 Member Show.” January 20-February 4.

3 MAIN STREET, MILLERTON

GREEN KILL

“Harper Blanchet: Abstract Paintings.” January 1-March 31.

“Steven Lewis.” Paintings. Through January 6.

229 GREENKILL AVENUE, KINGSTON

art exhibits

Kukeon, Katie Kaplan, screenprint, monoprint, relief, and dye on fabric, batting, wood, 60 x 108 inches, 2023, from "I Should Have Been a Pair of Ragged Claws" at the Wassaic Project. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM THE GUIDE 73

Hope House, Kentaro Hiramatsu, acrylic on wood panel, 18 × 33 1/2 inches, 2005, from "Landscapes of Transcendence: Part 1 - Magical Realism" at Susan Eley Fine Art.

GRIT WORKS | GRIT GALLERY

LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER

“The Pull.” Pokemon-inspired painting and sculpture by David Lionheart. January 6-April 14.

“Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection.” Highlights from the Spelman College collection. Through January 28.

115 BROADWAY, NEWBURGH

HAWK + HIVE

61 MAIN STREET, ANDES “Ephemeral Monuments.” Photographs by Magda Biernat. Through January 28.

HEADSTONE GALLERY

28 HURLEY AVENUE, KINGSTON “Rumor Mill.” Work by Gretta Johnson and Christine Stiver. Through February 26.

124 RAYMOND AVENUE, POUGHKEEPSIE

LONGYEAR GALLERY

785 MAIN STREET, MARGARETVILLE “Invitational: Artists Choosing Artists 2023.” Group show. Through January 7.

MAGAZZINO ITALIAN ART

2700 ROUTE 9, COLD SPRING

162 MAIN STREET, BEACON

“Mario Schifano: The Rise of the ‘60s.” Eighty works from 1960 to 1970. Through January 8. “Welcome to New York!” Work by Michelangelo Pistoletto. Through June 24.

“Animal Tales.” Stoneware by Alison Palmer. Through January 7.

MARK GRUBER GALLERY

JANE ST. ART CENTER

11 JANE STREET, SAUGERTIES

“Holiday Salon Show.” Group show. Through January 31.

“A Chorus of Angels.” Group exhibition. Through January 6.

OLANA STATE HISTORIC SITE

HUDSON BEACH GLASS GALLERY

JOYCE GOLDSTEIN GALLERY

19 CENTRAL SQUARE, CHATHAM “Horizon Line.” Group show curated by David Humphrey and Susan Jennings. Through January 6.

KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART 134 JAY STREET, KATONAH.

“Stories of Syria's Textiles.” Through January 28. “Rhonda Khalifeh: Immortal Stitch.” Through January 28.

KLEINERT/JAMES CENTER FOR THE ARTS 36 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK “5 by 7.” Group small works show. Through January 7.

LABSPACE

2642 NY ROUTE 23, HILLSDALE “Holiday.” Group show of small work. Through February 11.

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13 NEW PALTZ PLAZA, NEW PALTZ

5720 ROUTE 9G, HUDSON

“Spectacle: Frederic Church and the Business of Art”. Exhibit combines immersive video technology with Olana’s archival holdings to demonstrate how Church’s art responded to the most advanced scientific thought of his day. Through March 24.

OLIVE FREE LIBRARY

4033 ROUTE 28A, WEST SHOKAN “I See Red.” Sixth annual small works show. Through January 6. “Now & Then.” Group show curated by Jennie Currie featuring work by Mizuyo Aburano, Harriet (Hallie) Adamo, Robin Adler, Laura Avello, Bob Barnes, Lynne Bilenkey, Elizabeth Broad, Nancy Campbell, Heather Caufield, Scott Clugstone, Marie Cole, Maxine Davidowitz, Carol Davis, Dominique de Cock, Bobbi Esmark, Martha Hill, Pat Hough, Yoko Izu, Pat Kelly, Polly Law, Annie Lewis, Mary Anne Malkine, Dorothea Marcus, Noah McGrath, Wilma Miller, Gloria Mirsky, Ann Morris, David Munford, Andrea Myers Mannix,

Nancy O’Hara, Jacqueline O’Malley-Satz, Geraldine Popko, Ann Porter, Eileen Power, Yvonne Rojas-Cowan, Susanna Ronner, Sandra Scheuer, Roberta Sickler, Susan Silverman, Janet Siskind, Suse Volk, and Sheila Yoshpe. January 20-March 2.

PAMELA SALISBURY GALLERY

362 1/2 WARREN STREET, HUDSON “All Small.” Work by Steve Bartlett, Scott Brodie, Maud Bryt, Daisy Craddock, Glen Cunningham, Elisa D’Arrigo, Katie de Groot, Julie Evans, Dave Gloman, Valerie Hammond, Robin Hill, Diana Horowitz, Holly Hughes, Warren Isensee, Lisa Ivory, Joshua Marsh, Michael Meehan, Ron Milewicz, Kathy Osborn, Kevin Paulsen, Judy Pfaff, Nicole Phungrasamee Fein, Andre Pretorius, Richard Saja, Margaret Saliske, Rachel Schmidhofer, Pete Schulte, Carleen Sheehan, James Siena, Bonnie Smith, Barbara Takenaga, Kamilla Talbot, Christina Tenaglia, Don Voisine, and Eric Wolf. Through January 21.

PRIVATE PUBLIC

530 COLUMBIA STREET, HUDSON “The Thin Film of Living.” Work by Karlos Carcamo, Deborah Dancy, Emily Feinstein, Kylie Heidenheimer, Maciej Markowicz, Russell Steinert, and Tad Wiley. Through January 13.

RA GALLERY

80 RAILROAD STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON “Michael Berryhill and Rainen Knecht.” Paintings. January 13-March 3.

STONE RIDGE LIBRARY

3700 MAIN STREET, STONE RIDGE “Hudson Valley Landscapes: Oil Paintings by Kate Masters.” January 9-February 25.

SUSAN ELEY FINE ART

433 WARREN STREET, HUDSON “Landscapes of Transcendence: Part 1—Magical Realism.” Work by Karin Bruckner, Jim Denney, Katharine Dufault, Laurie Fader, Allison Green, Kentaro Hiramatsu, James Isherwood, April

Dawn Parker, Lily Prince, and Ulla Scheinemann. Through January 28.

THE MILDRED I. WASHINGTON ART GALLERY, DUTCHESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE GALLERY CIRCLE, POUGHKEEPSIE “Spring 2024 Student Art Exhibit.” January 17-February 16.

THE WASSAIC PROJECT

37 FURNACE BANK ROAD, WASSAIC “I Should Have Been a Pair of Ragged Claws.” Featuring work by Gabrielle Banks, Natalie Baxter, Alexandra Borovski, Gherdai Hassell, Davina Hsu, Padyn Humble, Ayumi Ishii, Alex Jackson, Katie Kaplan, Susan Klein, and Sun Young Park. Through March 16.

TIVOLI ARTISTS GALLERY 60 BROADWAY, TIVOLI

“Figures & Faces.” Group show. January 12-February 11.

TREMAINE ART GALLERY AT THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL

11 INTERLAKEN ROAD, LAKEVILLE, CT “Tierra Prometida | Promised Land.” Photography by Lisa Elmaleh. Through January 15.

WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION AND MUSEUM (WAAM) 28 TINKER STREET, WOODSTOCK

“Geometric Abstraction.” Work by Ilya Bolotowsky, Konrad Cramer, Rollin Crampton, Ernest Frazier, Helen Gerardia, Anne Helioff, Ralph Moseley, Rolph Scarlett, Miron Sokole, Harry Tedlie, Bernard Steffen, and Roman Wachtel. January 19-April 14. “Onaje Benjamin: Storytelling In Black and White.” Black-and-white photographs. January 19-February 25.

Long-term view

Andy Warhol: Shadows Beacon and Newburgh residents receive free admission. Dia Beacon Riggio Galleries 3 Beekman Street Beacon, New York diaart.org

UNIS N The new home of Unison Arts: 9 Paradies Lane • New Paltz, NY

Coming Spring 2024

www.unisonarts.org

LOCAL NEWS. A WORLD OF UNDERSTANDING. therivernewsroom.com

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Horoscopes By Cory Nakasue

Gaining Traction and a New Social Order The astrology of January 2024 looks like all systems go: By month’s end all planets will be in direct motion, Mercury stations direct on January 1, Mars enters its exalted placement in Capricorn on the 4th, and Mercury and Venus enter Capricorn on January 13th and 23rd respectively. Having all of the inner planets moving forward through the sign of Capricorn is ideal for efficacy, consolidation, and containment. No more ambiguity, false starts, or watching our best-laid plans derail. In Capricorn, things hold their shape, contracts bind, and we’re more likely to stick the landing. This is wonderful news if you’ve been floundering, maybe not-so-great news if life has been feeling too rigid. A consequential new Moon in Capricorn on January 11 adds to the pressure to adhere to the rules, while there’s a touch of allowance for more daring behavior. A monumental shift occurs on January 20. Not only do the Sun and Pluto conjoin at the last degree of Capricorn, they both enter Aquarius on this day as well (welcome Aquarius season). Pluto, planet of death, rebirth, and power, starts a new cycle in relation to the Sun. This represents a moment of purification and strengthening for Pluto. At the ultimate degree of Capricorn, this would indicate an enhancement of Pluto’s ability to destroy whatever structures or systems are on their last legs and start composting the detritus for future projects. Thus, the beginning of Aquarius season will have a palpable sense of finality. Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius marks its 20-year tenure in the sign (save for a three-month break in the autumn of 2024). At the full Moon in Leo on the 25, we should get our first clues about this new era; could it be a redistribution of power, king-making, or a reshuffling of the social order?

ARIES (March 20–April 19)

The new year starts with questions about authority. Who do you answer to? Who answers to you? How influential are the expectations of others regarding your ambitions? If there is anything unsatisfactory in your relationship to authority, now is the time to make some changes. There may be valuable information contained in your relationship to parents, bosses, and paradigms expressed through organized religion or formal education that can help you understand your attitudes about authority. Perhaps the biggest question you’ll ask is: “Where is authority located?” It’s time to fully acknowledge who has the final word about your decisions.

TAURUS (April 19–May 20)

A curated guide to Hudson Valley homes

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76 HOROSCOPES CHRONOGRAM 1/24

FAMILY

Amidst a period of staggering personal expansion and experimentation, the beginning of 2024 challenges your recent growth spurt by asking you to codify it. What worldviews might you be willing to commit to after some philosophical flirtations? If you’ve recently finished a course of study, now would be the time to declare how you’re going to put new knowledge into practice. Can you define your political stance or make peace with how a spiritual practice has shaped you? Or, to flip the script, now that you know some new things about yourself, how do they align with the practices of the world? Cory Nakasue is an astrology counselor, writer, and teacher. Her talk show, “The Cosmic Dispatch,” is broadcast on Radio Kingston (1490AM/107.9FM) Sundays from 4-5pm and available on streaming platforms. AstrologybyCory.com

Horoscopes

GEMINI (May 20–June 21)

Your ruling planet, Mercury, stations direct on the first day of the new year, and by the time it enters Capricorn mid-month, you’re ready to go deep. Most people think that Gemini is incapable of plumbing the depths, but most people don’t know that one of Mercury’s chief responsibilities was guiding the dead through the underworld. And thus, this month has you communicating with parts of yourself that need unearthing. This could also look like major transformations in relationships and shifts of power that require discretion. Or, you may simply have some conversations with the dearly departed.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

The sustainability of your relationships is the topic of the month. Your job is to find a sturdy container that you can soften into. Sure, you already do a great job of defending your most precious parts, but it’s time to let someone else be your defender. It may take a few brass-tacks conversations and clearly delineated requests, but any work you do right now to secure your partnerships will pay off later in emotional satisfaction. As a Cancer, your vulnerable parts are your most valuable parts. Appoint the right people to handle them. Who really has your back?

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LEO (July 22–August 23)

You’re in a rare position to make some of your fondest aspirations a reality. It’ll cost you though. On the one hand, you’ve been offered some liberation and expansion in regard to whatever you think of as your calling, but this month you find that this offering has strings attached. What appears to be a lot of sacrifice on your part is simply the price of admission. If anything, the labor that needs to be executed is the ballast that will secure some of these too-good-to-be-true opportunities. This is a test of devotion. How hard will you labor for love?

VIRGO (August 23–September 23)

It’s time to get serious about self-expression. For Virgo, the fifth house, where this month’s cluster of Capricorn planets reside, is not a frivolous place. Even though the fifth house contains joy and pleasure for everyone, for you, the joy comes from the meticulous construction of something that truly symbolizes your essence. This could look like teaching your children something personal, winning a high stakes game with a signature move, perfecting your latest sculpture, or carefully nuanced love-making. Bring intention to fun, purpose to creativity, and gravitas to romance. This month, feeling alive is a formal undertaking.

LIBRA (September 23–October 23)

It may have taken a little longer than you thought, but you’re ready to land. You’re also ready to commit. Commitment, whether to a place, a practice, or a moral stance, has less to do with addition or accumulation, and more to do with winnowing and weeding out. You’re ready to discard anything and anyone that you can’t commit to, and, in doing so, you’re more able to feel the ground beneath your feet. With Pluto leaving the sector of your chart that has to do with your sense of rootedness, you’re ready to drop into the home of your body. 1/24 CHRONOGRAM HOROSCOPES 77

Horoscopes

SCORPIO (October 23–November 22)

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LAUNCH PARTY

A mental contraction that’s happening right now makes it easier to locate valuable nuggets of information and put them to use. You can decipher the signal from the noise. Another possibility is that your mind, in its contracted state, may become a little dry and heavy. Unnecessary dark moods can accompany a mind that is solely focused on material realities. Some imagination can keep you balanced. Your mental contractions can also signify imminent birth! Maybe the gestation period of your dreams or ideas is coming to a close and you’re ready to make a declaration.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 22)

It’s time to take stock of and analyze your currency; how much do you have and where and with whom is it valued? Quite possibly, the more important thing to take note of is how much you value your own currencies. Reorganizing your finances right now is a no-brainer—are you getting the most for your money and are you allocating it to the best places? You also have certain privileges. How and where do you trade on your advantages? Do you exploit others? Do you exploit yourself? Take note of all of your skills and talents. Are you “spending” them responsibly?

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 20)

January 10, 5-7pm Barrington Brewery Great Barrington Let’s raise a glass to the Chronogram community Join the Chronogram Media staff at Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington to celebrate the January issue of Chronogram. Enjoy happy hour deals on drinks and food.

Chronogram.com/LaunchParty RSVP