Fantasy Book Club Meetup
Come hang, meet friends, talk great books, drink great drinks!
Good Work: A Series, with Nikki Volpicelli
Join writers in all genres as they read from works in progress. Signs up are first come first serve, with 7-10 minutes per reader. Guests and readers are encouraged to stick around after the event to shop, have a drink, and discuss work.
Sign up in person or online
*If signups fill up, we’ll add you to the top of the list next month
Documentary Screening & Discussion: The Story of Fascism in Europe
Join us for a screening of Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe, followed by a community discussion. The conversation will be led by Jeff Rubin.
Author Event: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, "Parks and Rec"
We’re excited to team up with The Starlite Motel to host a special literary event as part of a new “Star-LIT” series celebrating books, conversation, and community.
On Saturday, April 25, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Starlite Motel will host a fireside chat featuring New York Times bestselling author and cultural historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong in conversation with Kingston Mayor Steve Noble to celebrate the release of her new book, Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America.
Parks and Rec tells the creation story behind the beloved hit show, steeped in the Obama-era aura of optimism, hope and belief in civic service, lovingly told by Armstrong, and chock full of insight and humor.
The conversation will be followed by a book signing, cocktail hour from Catskills Cocktail Club, with themed food inspired by Parks and Recreation. The ticket price includes food and one cocktail.
Hosted on the grounds of the Starlite Motel in Kerhonkson, the event will be an intimate gathering for guests, providing an opportunity to mingle and delight in the show’s behind-the-scenes stories and enduring appeal. Books may be pre-ordered here, and will also be available for purchase on site, the day-of the event.
The event will serve as The Common Good’s headlining event for this year’s Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores and the communities that support them.
Tickets and reservations can be made HERE
Independent Bookstore Day Party
🎈Come celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at The Common Good, Saturday, April 25th! We’re going all out (again) and want to party with all our favorite people. We built this space, but YOU have helped shape the culture of community, camaraderie, and reading that makes it what it is. 🤝💛
We’ve got a full day of events lined up, so come early or pick your spots, but whatever you do, don’t miss the fun, exclusive merch, free giveaways, and of course, great vibes 📚✨
Here’s what’s happening:
🦊 10:45–11:30 — Bring the kiddos for a reading & signing w. Nancy Furstinger, featuring her beloved “Catskill Creatures”—a delightful intro to the many critters of our region.
🎈12:00–4:00 — Swing by for some truly magical balloon art from @madhattersllc
🍽️ 12:00–4:00 — Enjoy Cajun bites from Poorboys
📗 4:30–6:30 — Grab a ticket & head over to The Starlite Motel to celebrate the release of Jennifer K. Armstrong’s new book “Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America.“
🎤 7:30–9:30 — Stick around and take the mic at our open mic night (sign up on site, in advance by emailing matthew@thecommongoodny.com)
ALL DAY LONG:
📚 Buy a new book, get a used or ARC book FREE (while supplies last)
🎟️ Search for the Golden Ticket, courtesy of @librofm—win audiobooks for a YEAR
🛍️ Browse exclusive Independent Bookstore Day merch, including signed editions and limited releases + grab free giveaways (while they last)
🗺️ Grab the all-new 2026 Hudson Valley Bookstores map and tote!
🚗 Pick up an 🌟official🌟 @catskillsbooktrail passport at TCG, visit bookshops across the region, getting your passport stamped at each stop to win prizes!!
Live Music: Bill Weronick
What happens when you take the lead guitar out of your favorite songs and put it center stage?
Join us for a unique listening experience where studio guitarist Bill Weronick performs the iconic lead guitar parts from chart-topping rock and roll songs from the 70's 80's & 90's live alongside the original recordings. Hear the songs you love—vocals, drums, bass and all—but with the guitar brought to life right in front of you.
National Poetry Month Celebration w. Poet Fay L. Loomis
Join us for a National Poetry Month celebration with poet Fay L. Loomis, marking the release of her new collection Fragments of Myself.
Fay L. Loomis is the author of prose and poetry pieces, including “Dad,” Blasphemous; “One Hundred Percent,” The Writers Club; “The Play Boy From Fowlerville,” Story Sanctum and the publication's anthology Tales from the Vault: Volume III; “The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth,” Spillwords. Her work can be found in six anthologies. Fay has written three chapbooks: Sunlit Wildness (Origami Poems Project, 2024), Living the Verb (Cyberwit.net, 2025) and forthcoming Fragments of Myself ( Porkbelly Press). She is a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Anthology nominee
History On Tap: “british Prisoners of war in Ulster CO.” w. Cameron Green
TCG is honored to host Cameron Green, Director of Interpretation at The Fort Ticonderoga Association for a fascinating on-the-ground look at the American War for Independence right in our backyards!
Discover why British prisoners of war marched through Ulster County in the early years of the American Revolution. Learn about how these men and their families were treated and explore their fate as the United States declared its Independence from Great Britain.
Found Words & Images: Literary collage workshop
Hosted by Vibrant Roots Art Studio, join us for a creative experience transforming recycled books and magazines into unique works of art.
We will begin by scavenging for "sparks" in text and images, letting the found materials - rather than a rigid plan - drive the creative process. Through the relaxing process of cutting, tearing, and layering, a new visual narrative will unfold.
No artistic experience is required to enjoy this low-pressure creative activity of reimagining the printed word.
$10
.
.
live music: Mossy Undertones, One Wayness, Errant Space
Join us for a night of ambient music featuring live sets from Mossy Undertones, One Wayness, and Errant Space.
Author Event: Casey Scieszka
Author and Head Innkeeper of the Spruceton Inn Casey Scieszka joins us for a reading, Q&A, and booksigning!
“Casey Scieszka’s debut novel is absolutely delicious, like Tuck Everlasting for grown-ups. The premise is so good—an immortal woman’s search for the fountain of youth—that the writing, crisp and funny, feels like an extra treat. An excellent debut.”—Emma Straub, bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow
"A small-town mystery with a dash of historical fiction and romance, this book is perfect for readers of V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.” —Booklist
A propulsive and deeply moving novel about eternity and mortality that asks what it would mean to live forever.
Vera Van Valkenburgh hasn’t been home in one hundred and eighty-eight years. But now Vera, forever twenty-six and able to heal from any wound, has returned to the Catskills. Whatever made her family immortal happened here, and if she can uncover it, maybe she can reverse it. After nearly two centuries—an endless sequence of unnoticed, meaningless lives and a soul-shaking incident in the desert—she longs to be released.
Posing as a newly arrived forest ranger, she quickly blends into the upstate community and learns of something curious and disturbing. A mysterious, well-funded company is snapping up local property, no matter how high the asking price. But when her brother, a fellow immortal shows up, accompanied by a woman whose face is incredibly familiar to Vera, the purpose for her return gets clouded and Vera is in a race against time to find out what has caused her condition before someone else does.
Blending the spectacular with the everyday in a tale filled with humor and warmth, The Fountain explores what gives life meaning and how our understandings of our histories shape—and cage—us.
Fiction Book Club Meetup
Our March/April fiction book club pick is in, and it’s a special one. We’re reading the debut novel from Catskills-based writer and Spruceton Inn innkeeper Casey Scieszka out this week… and this is exactly the time to jump into our fiction book club if you’ve been thinking about it.
At the heart of the book is Vera Van Valkenburg, who is tired of living forever. She’s thrown herself off a roof, pulled a trigger aimed at her chest, but she’s had no luck in this unique and most intriguing tale of an immortal woman on a journey to extinguish her eternal life.
Scieszka’s Vera is a human chronicler of change over time, and she imbues her with an appreciation of flora, fauna and natural beauty that situates the reader squarely in the gentle slopes of the Hudson valley region as the seasons turn. It’s immersive, moving, and just the perfect spring read!
.
Hudson Valley Documentary Club
Join us at DocuClub HV for a night of documentary screenings of works-in-progress (trailers, samples, and rough cuts) for feedback. Food and drink available for purchase.
Music for Humanity, Free Concert Series: Featuring Jim Pospisil
On the second Friday of each month we invite you to join us for a free concert, curated by Music for Humanity. Our featured artist for this one is Jim Pospisil. Jim is a singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist, whose songs seamlessly bring together musical arrangements with compelling lyrics that can be humorous or tragic, sensitive or cutting, all drawn from a well of personal experience.
His performances on guitar, mandolin, flute and harmonica can be soft and subtle, or wild and energetic. His songs can make you laugh, cry, or think. Sometimes all at once. You will truly enjoy his talent on multi-instruments and his songwriting. Find out more here
This is a Free Event. Tips/donations are accepted. If you can’t afford anything please come and enjoy the music… you will.
Mend & Stitch Circle
Share and learn mending techniques, like patching and sewing, to give your clothes a longer life with simple, creative repairs.
Bring your craft projects—knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or anything else—and enjoy creating with others.
Open to everyone, no matter your experience or skill level.
R. Robert Pollak Presents: A Comic book tribute to the career of Bill woggon
Come to learn about the craft and history of comic work, the history of Bill Woggon’s creation Katy Keene, and see how artists pay tribute to his legacy.
R. Robert Pollak’s new comic book brings together 16 artists to interpret the Katy Keene character, including, Joe Staton, Dan Parent, D. Fish, Jamal Igle and others!
Fellow NCS member, Joe Staton will be joining Robert for this interactive presentation. Come for the history, stay to create your own Katy Keene fashion design!
.
Be a part of the tribute, and create your own fashion design for Katy Keen!
Good Work: A Series, with Nikki Volpicelli
Join writers in all genres as they read from works in progress. Signs up are first come first serve, with 7-10 minutes per reader. Guests and readers are encouraged to stick around after the event to shop, have a drink, and discuss work.
Sign up in person or online
*If signups fill up, we’ll add you to the top of the list next month
Community Book Swap
Got a book you loved and are ready to pass along? Looking for something new to read without adding to the to-be-read pile at home? Join us for a community book swap.
Bring a gently used book (or two) and trade it for something new-to-you while meeting fellow readers from around the community. (Three books max, please).
Because we’re hosting the event in the shop, there’s a $10 participation fee, which helps support the bookstore and keeps events like this possible.
Tickets can be purchased HERE
Live Music: Masha Sokol
Masha Sokol is a Russian-born singer and songwriter based out of the Catskills/Hudson Valley.
Having spent half her childhood in Russia and half in the United States, she weaves together elements from the music of her two cultures to create a unique tapestry of sound.
Sokol’s haunting vocals and visually-driven lyrics paint a picture of the human experience in an ever-changing world. Her music speaks to a generation touched by themes of loss, transformation, and hope.
Her music has been featured nationally on NPR's Democracy Now! and locally on WJFF's Now & Then. She performs live on stages of all sizes, ranging from small intimate venues such as NYC's Berlin Under A, to music festivals like Sullivan County Music Festival and Beaverjam. On the stage, she performs either solo or with her band, comprised of Simon Efrein on drums and Eamon Lebow on lead electric guitar.
Poetry Caravan w. Patrick Hammer Jr. & Will Nixon
An evening of poetry with Will Nixon and Patrick Hammer Jr.
Will Nixon's poetry books are Love in the City of Grudges (FootHills Publishing) and My Late Mother as a Ruffed Grouse (FootHills Publishing) as well as the chapbooks When I Had It Made (Pudding House) and The Fish Are Laughing (Pavement Saw). With Michael Perkins he co-authored of Walking Woodstock: Journeys into the Wild Heart of America's Most Famous Small Town (Bushwhack Books), a local bestseller. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and listed in Best American Essays 2004
Patrick Hammer, Jr., a resident of Saugerties, was formerly from The Bronx, and Paramus and Fort Lee in New Jersey. He has been on the poetry scene since the mid-70s and was a long-time member and workshop leader for North Jersey’s Bergen Poets. He co-led The Wild Angels writing workshops at Manhattan’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine for ten years, 2000-2010. During the 1980s he led workshops at the Fort Lee Adult School. For nearly 20 years he led workshops for writing and poetry appreciation at the Fort Lee Senior Activity Center. Hammer is recently co-founder of The Blue Stone Poets and their workshops meeting in the Village of Saugerties. He has 9 books published and appears widely in small literary magazines here and abroad.
Music for Humanity, Free Concert Series - Kurt Henry
Beginning on Friday March 13th Music for Humanity will present a free concert on the second Friday of the month at The Common Good in Ellenville, featuring the finest musicians in the Hudson Valley & beyond.
This first one will feature Kurt Henry and Cheryl Lambert. Kurt, a great singer/songwriter/guitarist has accompanied acclaimed artists Rick Danko and Chuck Berry. He has also opened for the following legendary groups: Procal Harem, The Byrds, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Asleep at the Wheel, David Bromberg, John Sebastian and more.
This is a Free Event. Tips/donations are accepted. If you can’t afford anything please come and enjoy the music… you will.
Find out more about Kurt & Cheryl: https://www.kurthenry.com/
Mend & Stitch Circle
Share and learn mending techniques, like patching and sewing, to give your clothes a longer life with simple, creative repairs.
Bring your craft projects—knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or anything else—and enjoy creating with others.
Open to everyone, no matter your experience or skill level.
O+ Information & Participation Session
Curious to learn more about bringing the O+ Music and Art Festival to Ellenville or ready to step up and take a role in making it happen? Come on by!
Author Event: Shannon McKenna Schmidt, "You Can't Catch Us”
Join us at the start of Women’s History Month for a conversation with Shannon McKenna Schmidt, author of You Can’t Catch Us, Lady Bird Johnson’s Trailblazing 1964 Campaign Train and the Women Who Rode with Her. McKenna Schmidt will be in conversation with Matthew Goldman, owner of The Common Good.
Book will be available for purchase and signing after the event.