Beaconites‪!‬ Zachary Rodgers

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.  

The Towne Crier, founded by Phil Ciganer in the early 70s, has a long history staging folk acts in the Hudson Valley. As a young man, Phil prowled the folk scene in Greenwich Village, a wellspring of American music during the 60s. He initially based his venue in Beekman and has moved twice, most recently to Beacon 11 years ago. 
Among the first musicians to play the Towne Crier was Pete Seeger, and this interview contains some great lore about Beacon's favorite late native son. Speaking of which, the Crier will host its annual celebration of Pete's life on May 3, the anniversary of his birth. This year’s event will be hosted by David Bernz, a dear friend and collaborator Pete’s who has authored a new book called “Pete Seeger - Chopping Wood, Thoughts and Stories of a Legendary American Folksinger." 
This episode is sponsored by Healthy In Color, a purveyor of delicious and healthful salads, breakfast options, wraps, warm bowls located at 259 Main Street. 
Photo by Michael Isabell. 
 

Adam McKible is an associate professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He grew up in Newburgh and moved to NYC, where he met his wife Julie and started a family before moving back to the area. “We spawned then swam upstream,” he says. 
Adam’s new book, “Circulating Jim Crow,” examines how The Saturday Evening Post advanced a racist ideology that supressed Black modernity through dialect fiction authored by white writers. In our interview, Adam talks about his research, the major themes of this book, and the freakish popularity of black minstrelsy in the first half of the 20th century (including in Beacon).
Photo credit: David Sampliner