Beaconites!

Kristen Holt-Browning is a poet, editor and (now) novelist. Her debut work of fiction, Ordinary Devotion, juxtaposes the lives of two women separated by 700 years. Kristen grew up nearby in the hamlet of Stone Ridge, spent some years in New York City (Manhattan, then Brooklyn) before moving back to Beacon 15 years ago. 

In this interview, she talks about her experience growing up in the Hudson Valley, raising kids in Beacon, the literary scene here and the pile-up of thoughts and memories in middle age. And she reads two poems and a passage from her novel.

This interview is the latest in a series with Beacon and Hudson Valley-based writers. See also: Ruth Danon, Lucy Sante, Sam Anderson and Danny Goodman.

Sam Anderson is a master of the essay form whose work spans a huge range of human experience and culture. 

As a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, Sam has interviewed and written about Weird Al Yankovic, writer John McPhee, NBA point guard Russell Westbrook, travel guru Rick Steves, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami and the people trying to rescue Michaelangelo’s David from ruin. He has spent time with the last two white rhinos on Earth and visited the bat volcano in Calakmul, Mexico. And he wrote a book, Boom Town, about Oklahoma City which is both a profile of one Midwestern municipality and a meditation on the dueling forces of rapacious development and “place making” that are at war in every American city, including Beacon. 

In each of his projects, Sam brings a trademark personal touch, situating himself in relation to his subjects with a disarming vulnerability. He weaves in his anxiety, depression, body image, feelings of loss and fear of death through introspective asides that illuminate rather than upstage his subjects. That all sounds serious and not very funny, but Sam is a hilarious person so this episode has a good number of laughs in it. 

In our interview, Sam talks about his early ambition to be a writer, his creative process, animals, aging, drawing and much more.

Yvette Valdes Smith knows firsthand how spiraling housing costs have made Beacon unaffordable to many. Yvette and her husband rented in Beacon for years, but moved to Fishkill when they realized they couldn't afford to buy a home here. 

“Housing is a huge issue. It’s going to require us not being NIMBY about things. We have to increase housing stock," she tells Beaconites.

Raised in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, Yvette went to college in New York, became a public school teacher and started a family before winning a seat on the Dutchess County Legislature, where she is Minority Leader in the Republican controlled body. Now she’s running for NY State Senate District 39, which encompasses Beacon along with parts of Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties. 

In addition to housing affordability, her campaign is focused on issues like abortion rights, gender-affirming care, gun safety. She's especialy passionate about creating more resources for young people. 

“We need more youth services,” she says. “I’m a mom. I’ve experienced the lack of childcare in this county. I’ve experienced youth programs closing or not being available. Think about summer camps, how they’ll go online and they’ll be gone in three seconds.” 

But winning won’t be easy. The current State Senator in the seat she’s running for, Republican Rob Rolison, is a seasoned pol who won the spot by about 7,000 votes two years ago. In this episode, she talks about what it will take to beat him – including lots and lots of canvassing in purple and red areas of the district.  

Are you into the weird, the magickal and the macabre? You’re going to like this week’s interview with Amy Wilson, owner of the Otherworldly Waxes spellmaking shop as well as the Moon, Serpent and Bone “night markets.” Otherworldly Waxes produces customized spells in the form of candles that are inscribed with the intentions of her clients and burn for seven days. Meanwhile her night markets are haunted events — spooky, sexy, a smidge Satanic — full of makers who offer unique and weird items. These happenings are scheduled throughout the Hudson Valley during October and early November. In our interview, Amy talks about her early introduction to esoteric forms of spirituality (through her father, a medium who read tea leaves), the history of witchcraft in the New York City area and how people can attend her events.

Danny Goodman is the author of Amerikaland, a new novel that presents a twisted mirror-image of America and New York City. It centers on two characters, both professional athletes, ensnared by dark forces unleashed by a national white power movement. Danny started writing Amerikaland in 2017, in the wake of Donald Trump's election.

In our interview, Danny talks about his upbringing in Danbury CT, his 20 years in NYC and how he and his wife made a snap decision to move to Beacon in the early days of the pandemic. 

Amerikaland is published by Leftover books. Copies are available at Stanza Books.

In this joint interview, fire chief Tom Lucchesi and veteran firefighter Pat Kelliher talk about fires and firefighting in Beacon. 

Not so long ago, volunteer firefighting in Beacon was a generational tradition. “When I started, there were 200 volunteers,” says Pat. “Your grandfather was one. Your father was one. You were one.”

In those days the city’s three firehouses had as many as 75 volunteers each. By contrast, today’s fire department has 18 career firefighters and just five volunteers. The downward trend in volunteerism is not unique to Beacon. Across New York and the United States more broadly, the equipment and techniques of firefighting have become far more  advanced and professionalized, requiring extensive training, and the nature of fires has changed as well. People also have less time — and time off from work — to answer the call when a fire breaks out. 

Tom also talks about the new $14.7 million firehouse, which is nearing completion. 

A little more on our guests: 

Pat Kelliher is a 54-year veteran of Beacon’s volunteer force who retired earlier this year. The son of a Beacon police officer and the grandson of Irish immigrants, he was among the earliest wave of Vietnam draftees. On returning home, he found the fire department offered some of the camaraderie and shared purpose he experienced in the war. 

Fire Chief Tom Lucchese was obsessed with emergency services from a young age. Raised in New Windsor, he worked for the Newburgh fire department through a series of budget cuts and layoffs. During a single one-month period he was demoted from Captain to Firefighter, then promoted to Captain, then promoted again to Assistant Chief. “It would only happen in Newburgh,” he says. “We can laugh now, but I feel very fortunate. There were many firefighters who lost their jobs.” 

Taylor Jackson’s introduction to astrology and the tarot was casual and fun, but quickly grew into a more dedicated practice. In our interview, she talks about the evolution of Black Satin Venus and how she supports her clients' spirtual, personal growth and mental health journeys. 

Taylor was raised Baptist, educated at Stanford and worked for a time in marketing before pouring her energy more fully into astrology, reiki and the tarot. Much of her work involves helping people articulate what they want and achieve harmony with their own “blueprint.” 

“To me, someone making progress on their mental health is about accepting and no longer fighting what their blueprint is,” she says. “Recognizing what that is, having passion and contentment, being able to feel their own humanity and their own vulnerability. Often people feel adrift because they’ve suppressed what they actually want, what they’re crying out for.”

Lucy Sante is the author of “Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York,” “The Other Paris,” and many other works. Her latest book, “I Heard Her Call My Name,” is a memoir that examines her life through the lens of gender and details her decision to transition from “Luc” to “Lucy”  in her 60s. 

Hannah Brooks is an organizer of Beacon LitFest and a former surgeon. She had an Orthodox Jewish upbringing in Queens, and as a child and young adult grappled with her mother’s bipolar disorder. She moved to Beacon a few years ago and is an organizer of Beacon LitFest among other local happenings. 

As an extension of this year’s LitFest, Hannah and Lucy will discuss Lucy’s new book during an event at The Town Crier on June 20. More info here.

Bob Bozic’s life story reads like pulp fiction. After a tough upbringing, Bob ran away at 14 and lived on the streets of Toronto. A gangster bookie took him under his wing and taught him to fight. Bob won bout after bout, eventually becoming the amateur heavyweight boxing champ in Canada and fighting Larry Holmes at Madison Square Garden (Bob didn't fare well). After retiring in his 20s, Bob got mixed up in smuggling and attempted to rob a bank, among other crimes. He eventually married and had a child, earning money as a bouncer and bartender — including 25 years behind the bar at Fanelli Cafe in New York City. 

Bob's new book, "So what happens is..." comes out in June. Check out his June 9 book launch at Fanelli. 

This episode is sponsored by Berg + Moss Architects, a small architecture studio based in Beacon.  Since 1999, Berg + Moss has specialized in housing, hospitality, healthcare and adaptive re-use of historic structures throughout the Hudson Valley and tri-state area. 

Shane Bly Killoran is the force behind a crazy assortment of film, theater and literary arts programming in Beacon — many under the banner of Hit House Creative. To list a few... She has curated movie screenings, documentary series’ and comedy standup nights at the Beacon Movie Theater. She’s about to kick off a series of play readings at Reserva, in which Hudson Valley playwrights (and other writers) will workshop their plays-in-progress in front of a supportive live audience.  She has acted in plays including Red Silk and the Vagina Monologues. And she is a co-curator of Beacon LitFest.

After studying acting and women’s studies at NYU and doing post-graduate work at the University of London, Shane worked as a dramaturg on productions such as August Strindberg’s Playing With Fire and Tendulkar’s Sakharam Binder. In our episode, she talks about her journey in theater and talks about upcoming shows, screenings and readings.