Books
Walking Woodstock
Journeys into the Wild Heart of America’s Most Famous Small Town
by Michael Perkins
and Will Nixon
Illustrated by Carol Zaloom #1 Paperback Bestseller of 2009, Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NY
The Pocket Guide to Woodstock
An Insiders' Guide with Suggested Hikes, a Walking Tour of the Historic Village, Maps, Photographs, and the Best Tips for a Memorable Visit
by Michael Perkins
and Will Nixon
Illustrated by Carol Zaloom #1 Paperback Bestseller of 2012, Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NYBooks
Books
Poetry
Poetry
Poetry
-
Insights
Archives
- December 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
Quotes
“Are you familiar with the writing of Woodstock poet Will Nixon? If not, you should be because of his funny, wistful, poignant poems.”
-- Catskill Mountain Region Guide“The Hudson Valley has produced some of the great peregrinations of our time, most notably by John Burroughs, an inveterate walker. Add Michael Perkins and Will Nixon to the list—these are charming essays, some of them with a bit more bite than you'd guess.”
-- Bill McKibben
Village History Walk to Visit the Dutch Reformed Church
No building dominates the center of Woodstock like the Dutch Reformed Church. The classic white columns and solitary steeple stand like the gateway to the town and its history. Yet how many people have been inside? Not until last winter, while researching The Pocket Guide to Woodstock, did I meet Reverend Josh Bode, who showed me this austere house of worship little changed since it was built in 1849. On a later visit to climb up into the steeple I hoisted myself up a wooden ladder that surely dated back to the original church built in 1805, much of which was recycled into the present building. Talk about traveling back in time! The attic smell of old wood was worthy of a museum. As for the simplicity of the place, Josh Bode described the Reformed Church (which no longer has any Dutch members) as the Zen Buddhism of Protestantism. In how many towns is Buddhism as the baseline? Another reason you’ve got to love Woodstock, where my informal walking surveys have concluded that Buddhist prayer flags outnumber laundry lines by 10 to 1.
On Saturday, August 11th, Reverend Josh Bode will be our guest for a Pocket Guide to Woodstock Village Walking Tour, starting at 10 am at the Golden Notebook at 29 Tinker Street. He’ll treat us to a tour of the church. Who knows? He might even let a youngster ride on the bell rope. The fee for the history walk is a book purchase or $10.
* * * *
The Mother Grouse Blog is produced by Will Nixon, author of My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse and Love in the City of Grudges available on-line.