Sam Anderson is a master of the essay form whose work spans a huge range of human experience and culture.

As a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, Sam has interviewed and written about Weird Al Yankovic, writer John McPhee, NBA point guard Russell Westbrook, travel guru Rick Steves, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami and the people trying to rescue Michaelanelo’s David sculpture from ruin. He has spent time with the last two white rhinos on Earth and visited the bat volcano in Calakmul, Mexico. And he wrote a book, Boom Town, about Oklahoma City which is both a profile of one Midwestern municipality and a meditation on the dueling forces of rapacious development and “place making” that are at war in every American city, including Beacon.

In each of his projects, Sam brings a trademark personal touch, situating himself in relation to his subjects with a disarming vulnerability. He weaves in his anxiety, depression, his body image, feelings of loss and fear of death through introspective asides that illuminate rather than upstage his subjects.

In our interview, Sam talks about his early ambition to be a writer, his creative process, animals, aging, drawing, strategies for overcoming depression and much more.

Yvette Valdes Smith knows firsthand how spiraling housing costs have made Beacon unaffordable to many. Yvette and her husband rented in Beacon for years, but moved to Fishkill when they realized they couldn't afford to buy a home here.

“Housing is a huge issue. It’s going to require us not being NIMBY about things. We have to increase housing stock," she tells Beaconites.

Raised in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, Yvette went to college in New York, became a public school teacher and started a family before winning a seat on the Dutchess County Legislature, where she is Minority Leader in the Republican controlled body. Now she’s running for NY State Senate District 39, which encompasses Beacon along with parts of Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties.

In addition to housing affordability, her campaign is focused on issues like abortion rights, gender-affirming care, gun safety. She's especialy passionate about creating more resources for young people.

“We need more youth services,” she says. “I’m a mom. I’ve experienced the lack of childcare in this county. I’ve experienced youth programs closing or not being available. Think about summer camps, how they’ll go online and they’ll be gone in three seconds.”

But winning won’t be easy. The current State Senator in the seat she’s running for, Republican Rob Rolison, is a seasoned pol who won the spot by about 7,000 votes two years ago. In this episode, she talks about what it will take to beat him – including lots and lots of canvassing in purple and red areas of the district.

Are you into the weird, the magickal and the macabre? You’re going to like this week’s interview with Amy Wilson, owner of the Otherworldly Waxes spellmaking shop as well as the Moon, Serpent and Bone “night markets.” Otherworldly Waxes produces customized spells in the form of candles that are inscribed with the intentions of her clients and burn for seven days. Meanwhile her night markets are haunted events — spooky, sexy, a smidge Satanic — full of makers who offer unique and weird items. These happenings are scheduled throughout the Hudson Valley during October and early November. In our interview, Amy talks about her early introduction to esoteric forms of spirituality (through her father, a medium who read tea leaves), the history of witchcraft in the New York City area and how people can attend her events.