I took a ride up to Woodstock yesterday to check out possible photographic subjects for my book on the Hudson Valley and Catskills and, at the same time, to enjoy a walkabout lecture by local historian and author Michael Perkins on the history of Woodstock and its buildings. Thanks to the Catskill Mountain Club for advertising this very interesting event! Michael is knowledgeable and speaks with an obvious passion for his topic. For me it was particularly amazing to see a building that had been relocated to Woodstock from one of the villages that had been flooded to create the nearby Ashokan Reservoir, which supplies water to New York City.
Alas, it was also an occasion to bid farewell to Woodstock's independent bookstore, The Golden Notebook. In an era when megachains and the Internet rule everything, it's great to see an indie bookstore flourishing and sad to note when one closes its doors forever, especially when it's located in such a uniquely individualist town as Woodstock. Well, possibly not forever? Barry Samuels, who owns The Golden Notebook with his partner Ellen Shapiro, says it's been a good run and hopefully someone else will pick up the mantle and continue the tradition of an independent bookstore in Woodstock. In the meantime, The Golden Notebook will close at the Labor Day Weekend after more than thirty years of serving the residents of and visitors to Woodstock. Thank you for the thirty-two years, Barry and Ellen.
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