On the 4th of July, A Few Questions Before Heading to the Grill

The celebration of our "freedom" on July 4th raises some questions this year. Here are a few that have been bothering me.

In the midst of police killings of unarmed black people and a pandemic that is keeping us from leaving our homes except to dart out for food, who in the U.S. is really free? Should cops carry and distribute face masks and lists of food pantries, health and mental health clinics and detox facilities, instead of guns? Should they be trained in conflict resolution and restorative justice techniques, instead of chokeholds?

How is it that Persons of Color contract and die from COVID-19 at a higher rate than Persons of Privilege, and might that have something to do with the history of Black people in the Land of the Free? Might it be related to 400 years of slavery, lynchings, denial of voting rights and jobs, segregation, unequal educational, recreational and social opportunities, mass incarceration and discrimination in housing and loans (otherwise known as “redlining”)?  

What would moral, psychological, economic and social reparations for Blacks look like?

And finally: European Americans say we don’t “hate” anyone, but what is it when we mimic Black music, poetry, art, language and style for our own benefit? Isn’t racial hatred just simple math: the sum of ignorance plus fear plus greed? It’s ignorance of our Black neighbors plus the fear of black men “getting” white women plus the mania for not only more wealth, but for more wealth than others have.

In the rush to our backyard grills, let us also recall those whom we have stranded at our borders and the indigenous peoples from whom Europeans stole this land, and ask: How is freedom going for them?

The Black Lives Matter movement, combined with a horrid pandemic, makes this the year that can change everything. First, though, some questions need to be answered.

A meaningful Fourth of July to all!

Mama Roux Forgives You!

Just when Mama Roux. our fabulous Louisiana-themed restaurant at Liberty and Broadway, was about to re-open after being closed for 150,000 years (it felt like) due to the COVID-19 crisis, some idiot smashed their font window. Did Stirling, the proprietor, curse the perpetrator? Did she seek revenge, or even restitution? No, she did something quintesentially Newburgh. She forgave him. At first I had no words for this response, but then two words did come to mind: “Amazing Grace.”

Can’t wait to visit Mama Roux’s new outside seating area and bar, adjacent to the wonderful restaurant at Liberty and Broadway in Newburgh.

Into the Woods and Through the 'Hoods

Today i took a “loop hike” along the new Quassaick Creek Trail. i call it my “Into the Woods and Through the ‘Hoods” walk, because the route i take runs beside the scenic creek, past the ruins of some of Newburgh’s long-abandoned mills and factories, under the amazing arches of the Mill Street Bridge and along the overpass spanning Walsh’s Road, and then emerges onto Rt. 32 for a brief “road walk” before heading down S. William to William Street and through the Heights back to my house.

i was lucky to have my daughter Rachel Quimby, who’s visiting from Worcester, Massachusetts, as my adventuresome companion. It’s a rare day that is this picture-perfect.

There are few prettier places in Newburgh than our new trail, which I followed “Into the Woods and Through the ‘Hoods.'“ Hope to see you out there!

Taking Care of Newburgh's Downing Park

Alison Filosa of the Newburgh Conservation Advisory Council took advantage of one of the last nice days we’ve had (it’s going to freeze and snow this weekend, they say) to cut back and bag the dead grasses at Newburgh’s Downing Park. I wish everyone had her energy and commitment.

Alison whacked and bagged dead grasses for us recently, and directed a helper at Downing Park. As an employee of the Newburgh Community Land Bank and a key member of Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council, she’s one of Newburgh’s unsung heroes.

Six Trees Grow in Newburgh

A miracle happened in Newburgh on April 25: On the 360 block of Liberty Street, my new friend Kula, her husband Steve, and their wonderful, energetic and friendly neighbors planted SIX syringa reticulata ("Ivory Silk lilac") trees, which will help mitigate climate change and provide peace, beauty, shade, cleaner air and soil, and less stormwater runoff for years to come. 

It was a magnificent group effort that should stand as a model of community activism here in Newburgh. From coming to a CAC meeting to explain their idea, to choosing the species they wanted, to following through with Central Hudson to get the sites OK'd, to rustling up a truck and delivering and unloading the trees and topsoil, to providing the shovels, wheelbarrows, dollies and other tools, hose and water, to  -- by the way -- negotiating all of this during a worldwide pandemic, these folks saw this project through to its very successful conclusion. No glitch along the way, including a mixup with a nursery employee not understanding the payment situation, could stop them! They have my complete admiration (can you tell?) and deserve the thanks of all.

The City of Newburgh’s Conservation Advisory Council, of which i am a proud member, provided the money for the six trees and six bags of topsoil (and also some muscle and cheerleading, as my pal Alison Filosa and i lent a hand, along with Mayor Harvey and Council member Anthony Grice), but it is “Kula and the Gang” (as i will forever call them) who are our true Newburgh Tree Heroes.

Feel free to organize your own neighbors to do the same thing. Conservation Advisory Council meetings are open to everyone.

It takes a village to plant a tree, but “Kula and the Gang” planted SIX on Liberty Street on April 25!

Stupidest Thing the Phone Says

Stupidest thing ever said by a phone (and it says this every single time I reach someone’s answering machine:): “When you are finished recording, you may hang up.”

REALLY? YOU MEAN, I DON’T HAVE TO STAY ON THE LINE UNTIL THE TIME/SPACE FABRIC RIPS AND MY MOLECULES RETURN TO THE UNIVERSE WHENCE THEY CAME? OH, GOODIE!.

I don’t know; Maybe this corona-virus, social-distancing, sheltering-in-place thing is making me a bit testy.

Meet Me at GritWorks, 3 pm on March 7!

Hey! Learn all about the new Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy and how these great folks are helping to make us all greener and healthier. I’ll be there talking about the City’s Conservation Advisory Council, which works closely with this “sister agency.”

See you there!

These are some really good people, trying to get more and bigger and better parks and green spaces around here. Hope to see you at this meetup!

Tu b'Shevat is Almost Here: Kiss a Tree!

Monday, Feb. 10 this year is Tu B’Shevat: The Jewish New Year of Trees.

In the Jewish tradition, all trees have the same birthday: the 15th of the month of Shevat (kind of like how all racehorses are considered to have been born on Jan. 1.) We celebrate trees as one of the greatest gifts of G-d because they provide us with:

• the oxygen we need to breathe

• removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

• beauty

• shade

• fruits, nuts and flowers

• air-temperature moderation

• filtering of toxins from the soil

• vantage points for birds watching for food, rivals and potential mates

• perfect locations for trail blazes

• building materials

• fuel for wood stoves and campfires

• homes, food and shelter for wildlife

• places to picnic under, talk under, rest under, marvel at, swing from, learn from, climb on and thank G-d for

There’s probably a tree you can hug right in your own ‘hood.

"Guitar King" Rules!

The University of Texas Press has published “Guitar King: Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues,” by my friend David Dann, of Livingston Manor. At 740 pages and weighing in at more than 3 lbs., this thing is not a book — it’s a TOME.

Over 10 years of meticulous research, Dann conducted hundreds of interviews with Bloomfield’s family, friends and colleagues, to present Michael Bloomfield’s entire life for the first time. Rock ‘n’ roll fans know Bloomfield as the great Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag guitarist, but he was so much more than that: He was also the guy whose astonishing artistry brought appreciation for the blues to white Americans. And here we have the behind-the-scenes story of Bloomfield’s life and adventures, both onstage and off.

Dann chronicles Bloomfield’s early years as a well-to-do, suburban Jewish kid who wanted nothing more than to be a poor, black Chicago blues player, and takes us through the acquisition of his astonishing musical skills and knowledge; his loves and friendships with the greats of blues and rock; the tragically short trajectory of his career; and his mysterious, drug-related death. Every lick of it is carefully notated, and there’s a bibliography, discography, and beautiful black-and-white photos as well.

There has not been a more thorough history of any 20th-century musician and there have been few more entertaining and heartbreaking stories of any human being, than “Guitar King.” Of course, it’s the biography of Michael Bloomfield, but it’s also the history of rock and the blues, and the social history of mid-20th-century America, as well.

You’re gonna love it.

“Guitar King” should be nominated for a Pulitzer for biography. WHAT a great book!

My New Poster for my Front Porch Window

My Republican friends have been begging me, since summer, to take down my “Impeach Trump” poster from my front porch window. I am happy (so very, very happy) to announce that I have finally done so.

Here’s my new sign in my front porch window. Hope you like it!

February Meetup At Crystal Lake!

Scenic Hudson is once again holding its Winter Fest at Newburgh’s hidden gem, Crystal Lake. There’ll be arts and crafts, fat-tire biking, guided hikes, snowshoeing, baked goodies and hot chocolate, environmental and historical info about the area, and much more … and it’s all FREE! I’m sooo looking forward to it!

This is such a good time! Take a guided hike, see the lake, ride the fat-tire bikes and try snowshoeing, enjoy arts and crafts for the kids, and much more, while enjoying baked goodies and hot chocolate or coffee around a cozy campfire. See you there!

Join Me in Early Voting!

I’m proud to have voted today, even though I could have waited until Nov. 6. I have never failed to vote in my life, and I have always done so on Election Day. So when the Two Ladies came to my door yesterday and asked me to vote early, i told them, “Don’t worry; I’ll vote on Election Day.” But they made a very good point: A lot of good people worked very hard to enable Newburgh residents to vote early. There are too many people here who fail to vote on that ONE DAY because they’re sick; because their ride failed to show up; because they had to work, or they had to work overtime; because it’s raining and they have no way to get there; or because they just plain FORGOT. This cures all of that. Voting early adds my voice (and ballot) to say HURRAH to those who fought for it.

In Republican-infested Rensselaer County, the legislature failed to put ANY early-voting polling placesin Troy, where most people (and most Dems, students, and people of color) live. Instead, they’re way out in the rural and suburban parts of that county.

NEWBURGHERS: PLEASE VOTE EARLY, so that the large number of early voters will convince our politicians to keep our polling place (the Activity Center, 401 Washington Street) as the early-voting site forever. In fact, next election season, they should ADD another Newburgh site. The library or 123 Grand Street are both in heavily populated areas, and as for location, they are to northeast Newburgh what the Activity Center is to the southwest of the city. COME ON OUT AND VOTE EARLY!

All this AND a sticker that says, “I VOTED TODAY!” Do it!

Newburgh Literary Fest Was a Profoundly Fun Weekend

The first-ever Newburgh Literary Festival brought some great writers, artists and poets together: Folks of national fame like Mitchell Jackson, Gretchen Primack, Poet Gold, Danielle Trussoni, Edwin Torres, Crystal Kim, Ruth Danon and more, plus a bunch of us local writers to mingle with, and learn from, both these superstars and one another.

The artwork at Ann Street Gallery, curated perfectly, provided an illuminating accompaniment to all the joyful, thought-provoking and uplifting words. The food, catered by Newburgh’s unique Shelter House Cafe, was yummy, nourishing and plentiful. Even the goodie-bags, provided by Thornwillow Press, were outstanding. How delightful to receive a gorgeous blank journal and several keepsake-quality letterpress-printed poems as only Thornwillow can create! I was blown away by all of it.

WHAT a good time! Let’s do it again … and again … and again.

Here’s to everyone involved in the 2019 Newburgh Literary Fest at Safe Harbors of the Hudson!

DO NOT MISS the NEWBURGH LITERARY FESTIVAL!

 The Newburgh Literary Festival begins Friday, Oct. 18 with the Spring Street Reading Series, featuring author Mitchell Jackson, winner of the Whiting Award and the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction; and poet Gretchen Primack, whose work has appeared in The Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, Ploughshares, The Antioch Review and many other poetry journals. This event will be at the Atlas Industries Building, 11 Spring St. in Newburgh. There will be a 6:30pm reception, with readings starting at 7. It’s FREE, though donations will be gladly accepted!

Then, Safe Harbors of the Hudson will host the Main Event on Saturday, Oct. 19, with a program of readings, interviews, podcasts, film clips and Q&A with nationally recognized authors and poets. Among them will be Maria Dahvana Headley, creator of the celebrated, topical adaptation of Beowulf, The Mere Wife; Molly Ringwald, actor and author of the critically acclaimed story collection When it Happens to You; Bettina “Poet Gold” Wilkerson, Dutchess County poet laureate; Edwin Torres of Nuyorican Poets Café; and award-winning novelists Panio Gianopoulos, Danielle Trussoni, Crystal Hana Kim, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Crane. This will all be held at the Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz, 107 Broadway, Newburgh, from 2pm-6pm. Topping off the festival, there will be a 6pm-8pm Local Authors Fair and Meet-and-Greet Cocktail Reception.

For some reason, they are letting me participate in this, so I’ll be there Saturday evening alongside the luminaries to meet you and to sell SIGNED copies of my new novel, “Louey Levy’s Perfect Pitch.” Tickets to this full day’s events are available online at http://bit.ly/2oDL9ld until noon on Friday and at the door on Saturday. (Students can pay just $10 at the door with valid ID.)

Sunday, Oct. 20 will feature two writing workshops, How to Tell the Story of Your Life, led by novelist and memoirist Danielle Trussoni at the Ann Street Gallery, 104 Ann St., from 10am to noon; and Surprise Yourself; Surprise Your Reader, with poet Ruth Danon at Atlas Studios Gallery, 11 Spring St., 1pm-3pm. Tickets are $25 per person, per workshop, at http://bit.ly/2oDL9ld. Seats are limited, so get your tickets soon!

And finally, as if that weren’t cool enough, on Friday and Saturday, the Ann Street Gallery will be presenting TEXT, a group exhibit of text-based art which has been curated in conjunction with the Literary Festival. Check out the art either day, for FREE!

Yeah, you can get a SIGNED copy of my new novel at the Newburgh Literary Fest this Saturday night, Oct. 19!

"Louey Levy's Perfect Pitch" ... Available Now at Oliver & Chatfield!

My new novel, “Louey Levy’s Perfect Pitch,” is on sale now at the Oliver & Chatfield giftshop, at the corner of Liberty and South William streets in Newburgh. Get your SIGNED copy at this ultra-cool venue!

Pick up your signed copy and then — BONUS — enjoy a cup of coffee from Rob’s Roast, right next door!

Asa Has Good Taste in Literature

One of our great Newburghers, my little friend Asa, clearly has good taste in literature, as can be seen in this photo taken Sept. 29 at my Book Signing and Publication Party on Liberty Street. I have no doubt that he has finished it already and is busy reviewing it for the New York Review of Books. Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/31O2g28 or here: http://bit.ly/2MZbeXe or, better yet: at 6 pm on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Newburgh Literary Festival at Safe Harbors, Broadway and Liberty Street, for just $15 (cash or check). I’ll sign it for you! Hope to see you there.

Asa is NOT waiting for the movie version.

Sugarloaf is Burning

Still don’t think Global Warming is a thing? On this hottest-ever day in September, I can look across the river from my porch and see brush fires breaking out all over Sugarloaf Mountain, just south of Beacon.

And you can’t drag fire hoses up there, friends.

I'm 70 Years Old Today: Bring On the Twist in a Cup!

I’m 70! I’ve had my life: Now i’m having my ice cream!

Thanks for all the good times, Dairy Island!!

The Difference Between Tim's Mowing and My Mowing

After Tim mows the lawn, it looks like the outfield at Yankee Stadium. After I mow the lawn, it looks like the infield at the Colloseum … the Roman Colloseum, when the lions were done chomping on the gladiators.

Somehow, the yard doesn’t have that peaceful, “Tim’s-Been-Here” look to it, after I mow.

Stopping Terrorism in 3 Simple Steps

Congress can stop terrorism in the U.S. in three simple steps. How, you ask?

1.     Look at your clothes. Right now. Look at them. Are you wearing the uniform of a municipal law-enforcement officer, or of an active-duty member of the United States armed forces? No? Then, Congress should TODAY, not tomorrow, outlaw your carrying a handgun or any automatic or semi-automatic firearm, whether “concealed” or not. Notice that this will not apply to rifles of the caliber used for hunting animals that you intend to eat. Notice also that it does not apply to blunderbusses, or matchlocks, or flintlocks, or whatever you call them, that re-enactors use.

2.     Congress should also TODAY, not tomorrow, outlaw buying or selling ammunition for any guns at all, except those hunting guns referred to above. Congress could also make an exception for non-lead ammo for shooting animals that you intend to eat. I have nothing against hunters, and I’d much rather have you shoot and eat a deer than hit one with our car (again). But birds eat many animals that have been shot, and when those animals have been shot with lead bullets, the birds die.

3.     Congress should also fund TODAY, not tomorrow, meaningful, no-questions-asked gun-buyback programs in every county in the U.S. The returned guns could be melted down and made into musical instruments, or memorials to the thousands of American citizens killed each year by terrorists – by which I mean, people with guns. 

These three steps may sound too “Big Brother” for you. If so, I ask you to recall a certain Christmastime at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And then recall the many, many mass shootings that have happened in our country since then, including, most recently, three in one week.  

Guns don’t kill people: People with guns kill people.

Notice that I say the three steps outlined here are “simple,” not “easy.” Our elected representatives have shown a wretched, supine reluctance to do anything about terrorism. We must redouble our efforts to let them know their NRA-funded cowardice is unacceptable, and for their part, they must grow a pair of ovaries and take these three simple steps. Right now. Before school begins.

Meanwhile, here is a great article from the new New Yorker: http://bit.ly/2KqYAfi