Live from Hudson, NY, it’s an author Q&A with Brian Shaefer and his debut novel Town & Country. 

Recorded in front of a live audience at Spark of Hudson, Mat moderates a conversation about character, plot, and the worlds of weekender and local coming together.  The story follows a congressional race set in a fictional town of Griffin, inspired by the Hudson Valley.

“Duffles” is Brian’s word for cidiots. One lesson which I really appreciated is the importance for all of us in a community, as Brian says, in just “showing up.”  We also play the Cidiot® Geography Game with instinctive reactions to a list of towns across the Hudson Valley. 

Be sure to get your copy at your local bookstore, via his author page, or through the Cidiot bookstore on Bookshop dot org.

Places Mentioned:

• Hill Rock Distillery, Ancram
• Rogers Book Barn, Hillsdale

• Hillsdale General Store, Hillsdale
• Books & Cake, Hillsdale
• Zinnia’s Dinette, Craryville
• Random Harvest Market, Craryville
• Spotty Dogs Books & Ale, Hudson
• Spark of Hudson, Hudson
• Rough Draft Bar & Books, Kingston
• Merritt Bookstore, Millbrook
• Harney & Sons, Millerton
• Phoenicia Diner, Phoenicia
• Cinnamon, Rhinebeck
• Diamond Mills Resort, Saugerties
• Camp Catskill, Tannersville

About Brian Shaefer:

Brian contributes regularly to The New York Times and has written for The New Yorker, New York magazine, and more. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Arts Journalism and was a finalist for the Livingston Award for International Reporting. He earned his master’s degree in creative writing from Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. He and his husband live in New York City and the Hudson Valley. Town & Country is his first novel.

Early praise for Town & Country:

• “A big-hearted and true debut novel set in a small rural town amid a congressional race that forces the candidates, their families, and a clique of gay second homeowners to confront lies, betrayals and shifting allegiances. —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Price winner
• “Rich in sex and social intrigue.” —The New York Times

Thanks for listening to Cidiot®, the award-winning podcast about moving to the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the newsletter at Cidiot.com and please rate and review the show here or in the Apple Podcasts store. Come visit.

• Photo credit: Stephen Mack
• This episode’s guest editor is Julian Blackmore. 

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

Meet Patrick, owner of Lily’s Natural Pet Store, which just opened its second location after Poughkeepsie in Hudson.

We talk dogs—a favorite subject—and why he chose Hudson, why not on Warren Street for his second location, why it’s not your average pet store, about running a pet business (I was thinking of doing one!), and tackle my burning questions such as the smell of bully sticks and what’s so great about raw. And like on many other Cidiot® episodes, we end with favorite places in the Hudson Valley… to take dogs.

Lily’s Natural Pet Store — 76 N 7th Street, Hudson, NY 12534

• “Soft opening” in November (check hours).
• Grand opening Friday, December 5, 2025.
• Tell ‘em Cidiot sent ya!

Other places and businesses mentioned:

• Red Wing Park, East Fishkill
• Pause Dog Boutique, Rhinebeck

Guest editor: Drew English of Upstate Podcast Studio

Thanks for listening to Cidiot®, the award-winning podcast about moving to the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the newsletter at Cidiot.com and please rate and review the show here or in the Apple Podcasts store. Come visit.

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

Meet Amy and Joyce, owners of The Yoga House, now with three locations in the Hudson Valley — Kingston, Highland and Poughkeepsie. 

One grew up in the HV; one is a transplant from Queens—what a great fit for coming on Cidiot. 

We talk about yoga, the different types, and poke a bit of fun (well, I do, and they’re good sports about it).  They share how they got into yoga, which you won’t believe has quite a bit to do with roller derby. They also share some travel advice for cidiot bodies in the car or on the train coming upstate.  They helped even helped me turn it into a blog post you’ll find on Cidiot.com with photos as well. 

Special Offer for Cidiot® Listeners:

Mention "Cidiot" and get a FREE CLASS  and receive access to a special 15% off discount on regularly priced class passes and memberships.  Notes: Limited time, one per person, first time customers only. Thanks, Joyce and Amy.

Learn more at The Yoga House: https://www.theyogahouseny.com/

Timestamps to segments:

• 01:25 Mat's history with yoga
• 02:50 Their connections to the Hudson Valley
• 06:32 How and why they started The Yoga House
• 07:40 Types of yoga, including for people like Mat
• 13:37 Guide to yoga for cidiot travelers on train and car (see blog post)
• 17:20 More on practice types and defining them
• 22:02 Cidiot geography game, this time with stereotypes for how they practice yoga (hilarious)
• 29:40 Favorite place in the Hudson Valley

Quotes from the episode:

“Yoga House is founded on a basic principle that yoga should be accessible, enjoyable and affordable for every body”— Amy

“We teach more to energies — are you looking to chill out, do you want something more energetic?” — Joyce

Thanks for listening to Cidiot®, the award-winning podcast about moving to the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the newsletter at Cidiot.com and please rate and review the show at the site or in the Apple Podcasts store.  Come visit.

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

James Lauren is a board certified nurse practitioner who recently opened up a primary care clinic in Hudson. James is also a new homeowner and bravely let me try in-person recording at his adorable farmhouse with my miniature new recording system. 

We talk about primary care—what it is and why it matters, plus who their clinic serves. Short answer: everybody.

We also chat  about being a new homeowner, bartering labor, talking to people, being nice, painting a subfloor (which is a thing) and what a carpet knife is. Yes, I am still learning new things.

Ice cream comes up and we trade notes about our favorite spots across the Valley, plus an upcoming visit to a corn maize. Tune in for a great, timely conversation, and if you are looking for a medical provider, check out James practice called Westside Family Medicine in Hudson, NY.  

Links to places mentioned in this episode:

• James Lauren’s web site with appt scheduling
• Westside Family Medicine, Greenport/Hudson
• Tommy B’s Pizza, Craryville

• Random Harvest market, Craryville
• Zinnia’s Dinette, Craryville https://www.zinniasdinette.com/
• Sideshow Vintage, Craryville
• Samascott’s Orchards, Kinderhook https://www.samascottorchards.com/
• Stewart’s (multiple locations)
• Fortune’s ice cream, Tivoli
• Holy Cow, Red Hook
• Del’s Dairy Farm, Rhinebeck and Hudson 
• Story Screen Cinema, Hudson
• Plaza Diner Hudson, Greenport
• Grandma’s Hands Bakery

Thanks for listening to Cidiot, the award-winning podcast about moving to the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the newsletter at Cidiot.com and please rate and review the show at the site or in the Apple Podcasts store.  Come visit.

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

Let’s talk about money and about Beacon. This episode, Mat chats with Lena Rizkallah of Conte Wealth Advisors, who is a Chelsea-turned-Beaconite financial advisor.

Through Lena, we’ll get to know Beacon better, including lots of great places to eat. We’ll also hear Lena’s story and all she does as a part of the community and building financial literacy in the rest of us. She hosts panels and speakeasies about money, and even does stand up storytelling. Lena was named 2023 Chronogrammies Best Financial Planner of The Hudson Valley, and she was on a great episode of another regional podcast, “Beaconites.” Tune in, and you’ll know why.

Links to places, stores and restaurants mentioned:

• Lena Rizkallah (website)
• Beaconites! Podcast

• Poor George, Cold Spring  (store)
• Madam Brett Park, Beacon
• Long Dock Park, Beacon
• Lyonshare Public House, Beacon (bistro)
• Beacon Bread Company (breakfast)
• Moreish, Beacon (English-style breakfast)
• Oda Wine Garden, Margaretville
• Brushland Eating House, Bovina 

Events:

• Lena has an upcoming Women in Business panel at Hudson Yards in NYC Tuesday September 30, 2025.  Please email her at [email protected].
• Money Speakeasy happens the 2nd Tuesday of every month in Cold Spring. Email her [email protected] to be added to the mailing list.

Thank you for listening to Cidiot® , the award-winning podcast about living the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the Cidiot listener newsletter and review/rate the shot at Cidiot.com.

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

“Libraries are rooms of requirement.”

— Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System

This week on Cidiot®, we’re talking libraries — not just the quiet, book-filled havens you remember, but vibrant community hubs evolving with the times. I’m joined by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS), which spans 66 libraries across 70 locations in five Hudson Valley counties.

We cover everything from the history and future of libraries to banned books, digital access, and how libraries are stepping up as civic centers. Plus, we dive into one of the coolest things happening right now: the Mid-Hudson Library Road Trip. It’s a self-paced adventure through October where you can visit as many libraries as you like — no library card required. Just pick up a map, hit the road, and explore some of the region’s most charming buildings. Perfect for a sunny Saturday or a rainy day wander.

And if you love libraries like I do, we talk about how you can support — whether that’s downloading Libby to read more or signing up to be a library advocate through the New York Library Association.

Links mentioned in the episode:

LOCAL BOOKS & AUTHORS

• Perfectly Broken*, Robert Burke Warren
• History of the Hudson River Valley, Vernon Benjamin
• The Forest Euphoria*, Patricia Kasian

( *Available in the Cidiot bookstore on Bookshop.org)

PLACES

• Innisfree Garden (Millbrook)
• Find your local library⁠

ACTIVITIES 

• MHLS Road Trip (web); @midhudsonlibsys (Insta)
• Tag your photos with #MHLibraryRoadTrip

• Sign up to be a Library Advocate
• Unite Against Book Bans

Photos: Courtesy of the Mid-Hudson Library System

“This area attracts talented creative people seeking opportunities to play out, all seeking opportunities to play with each other.” — MK Scully

Join MK Scully, afternoon host and promotions director at WKZE in Red Hook, as Cidiot® digs deeper into the local music scene. Who are the local bands? Where would you go to see them? We talk about both as well as about songs about the area. Genre wise, it’s everything. Singer-songwriter-folk to rock and roll to metal to funk bands to (great) cover bands.

Link to resources mentioned on the episode:

• MK on Instagram: @mk.ultramatic
• WKZE 98.1 FM
• Radio Woodstock
• Radio Kingston
• Mat’s audiobook produced at WKZE (via Amazon and Audible)
• Home from Here with John Burton Show
• DIY Kingston - @diykingston
• Utopia Studios (Bearsville Studios), Woodstock
• Reddit/Hudson Valley: https://www.reddit.com/r/hudsonvalley

Local bands you should know:

• The Felice Brothers
• The Band
• The Big Takeover
• What?
• Schmave
• Seymour
• Western Skies
• Schwizz
• Bluestone Quarry
• Matt Duncan
• Miles Taylour
• Leo Lovechild

Local venues with music:

• Unicorn Bar, Kingston
• Snug Harbor, New Paltz
• The Lemon Squeeze, New Paltz
• The Park Theatre, Hudson
• Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock
• Tubbys, Kingston
• Avalon Lounge, Catskill

Songs about the area:

• “The Catskills Stole My Heart,” Burnell Pines

• “County Road 14,” Dante De Felice
• “Story of Fred Short,” Marco Benevento
• “My Enemies”, James Felice (2025)

Thank you for listening to Cidiot® , the award-winning podcast about living the Hudson Valley. Sign up for the newsletter and review/rate the shot at Cidiot.com.

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark

In Episode 117 of Cidiot®, host Mat Zucker sits down with Christy Counts, the president and founder of Neverstill Wines, a New York State-based winery with a tasting room right in Hudson, NY. Christy shares her journey from wine enthusiast to entrepreneur, detailing how she built Neverstill Wines with a focus on sustainability, community, and a deep love for the Hudson Valley.

Christy discusses her philosophy behind the Neverstill label, including her commitment to minimal intervention winemaking and supporting local farmers. She also talks about the inspiration behind the name "Neverstill"—a nod to the ever-changing nature of wine, the landscape, and life itself. The episode delves into the distinct character of Hudson as a destination for wine enthusiasts, artists, and urban transplants, and how Neverstill Wines is designed to be a gathering spot for locals and visitors. Christy and Mat discuss the importance of fostering community through wine and the growing New York State wine economy. 

Terms to know for this episode:

• Minimal intervention: A winemaking approach that limits additives and manipulation, letting the grapes and terroir shine.
• Tasting room: A dedicated space where visitors can sample and purchase wines directly from the producer.
• Flight: Curated selection of wines, usually 3 to 6, often presented for tasting comparison and exploration

Links from the episode:

• Visit Neverstill Wines, 739 Warren St., Hudson, NY
• Follow Neverstill on Instagram for updates on new releases and events: @neverstillwines

• Feast & Floret 13 South 3rd St., Hudson (Restaurant - dinner or weekend brunch pick)
• The Quiet Botanist, 426 Warren St., Hudson (Shop)
• Talbott & Arding, 202 Allen Street, Hudson (Cheese & Provisions Market)
• Quinnies, 834 Route 66, Hudson (Restaurant - lunch pick)

Other Regional Wine & Bev Links:

• Dutchess County Wine Trail (Dutchess County Tourism)
• "Hudson Valley Wineries" (recent feature in HV Magazine)
• "Artisanal Beverage Makers in Columbia County" map (Columbia County Tourism)
• Shawangunk Wine Trail (13 wineries across the region)

Thank you for listening to Cidiot®, the award-winning podcast about living the Hudson Valley. Tune in and raise a glass with us!

Special promotion from Neverstill: Drop by Neverstill Tasting Room on Warren Street and mention "Cidiot," and you’ll get a complimentary wine tasting. Certain restrictions apply. For a limited time.  Thanks, Christy!

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

This episode was inspired by a spontaneous poetry commission on the street in Hudson, NY. A poet named Jacqueline crafts “Cidiot, Come Hither,” and Mat takes stock of escaping bubbles and breaking routines.

Thanks so much for listening. Please rate and review Cidiot® and sign up for the show’s newsletter at Cidiot.com.

Links to places and resources mentioned in the episode:

• Moto Coffee, Hudson, NY (https://www.motocoffeemachine.com/)
• Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY (https://walkway.org/)
• Innisfree Garden, Millerton, NY (https://www.innisfreegarden.org/)
• Hudson Food Festival, June 7, 12-6 pm, Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Hudson, NY
• The Workshop Experience, May 10 and 11, Hillsdale, NY area (https://www.theworkshopexperience.org/)
• Hudson Valley Food Truck Festival, June 21, Barton Orchards in Poughquag, NY
• Upstate Art Weekend, July 17-21 https://www.upstateartweekend.org/about
• Destination Dutchess Calendar https://destinationdutchess.com/calendar
• Trixie’s List (Hudson, NY) https://www.trixieslist.com/

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.

Meet Madeline Hung of Castle, a finance app that helps homeowners save time and money managing their homes. Madeline says she’s a San Francisco cidiot trying to recreate her Bay Area lifestyle here in the Hudson Volley. She and her husband Hugo have created a service that does two things: One is to understand the money you’re saving, and the second part is to help you optimize and save. Their average customer, as you’ll hear, is saving $10,000.00. That’s real money.  “It seems like it all should be knowable,” says Madeline.

Terms you should know for this episode:

• DIY - Do it yourself
• SEDI - Someone else does it

Links:

• Head over to www.getcastle.com to sign up for your two-week free trial of the Castle mobile app today. 
• Vote for Cidiot® for Regional Podcast in the Chronogram Readers Choice Awards through May 15, 2025.

Thanks for tuning in this season. Please send in feedback and rate and review the show at Cidiot.com. Most of all, come visit. 

©2025 Mat Zucker Communications. Cidiot® is a Registered Trademark.