Nothing of Insignificance

Brian Hollander, former editor of the Woodstock Times, celebrates Woodstock in this new book of 40 essays.From his very first article, a profile of a pool hall legend in Kingston, Hollander has searched out the unexpected stories that give Woodstock its character. He drives a doctor's treasured sports car, plays with his bluegrass band at a reception for Bill Clinton, hangs out in a boxing gym above a police station in Catskill that trained Mike Tyson, and joins with Woodstockers driving relief supplies to lower Manhattan in the wake of 9/11. With his great eye for detail and his empathetic heart, Hollander reveals people to be at their best when they pursue their passions, be it a lingerie shop owner who moonlights as a baseball umpire or a Woodstock artist who fulfills a commission for the San Francisco Giants. He profiles famous figures such as Sonny Rollins, William Kennedy, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, and Philippe Petit. Yet ordinary people also have extraordinary stories. From 30 years of journalism with the Woodstock Times and the Kingston Daily Freeman, Hollander has selected 40 of his favorite pieces.