The Rogovoy Report 4.13.25

From around the corner to around the globe...

Apr 13, 2025

A Defense Against Gaslighting Sociopaths

(The Atlantic) - Narcissists have lower brain volume than the general population in areas related to emotional regulation (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the cingulate cortex) and reward (the ventral striatum, the orbitofrontal cortex). This is why “curing” a gaslighter is so hard. Indeed, Dark Triad traits — especially when full-blown psychopathy is involved — are almost impossible to remedy. Take special care with dating: Dark Triads can present as charming and captivating, because they tend to be more invested in getting you to love them first than they are in establishing the basis of a mutually loving partnership. If you feel you’re being swept off your feet, try to bring a healthy dose of skepticism to bear on this seeming dreamboat.

Bluesky’s quest to build nontoxic social media (New Yorker)

Is Larry McMurtry’s ‘Lonesome Dove’ the “Moby-Dick of the plains”? (NYRB)

Fed up with ‘situationships,’ Gen Z Is ready to commit (WSJ)

FASCISM WATCH:

Trump personifies the new American stupidity, by David Brooks (NYT)

We all have our foibles, our whims, our vulnerabilities. But when one person has unchecked power, irrationality becomes unchecked. Donald Trump thinks that everyone is always ripping him off. (Timothy Snyder)

Is Elon Musk an asshole or is he a Nazi? (Everything Is Horrible/Substack)

ICE director wants to run deportations like ‘Amazon Prime for human beings’ (The Guardian)

At the Naval Academy’s Library, you can find books by Adolf Hitler and Charles Murray but not any by Janet Jacobs, Maya Angelous, nor one critiquing Murray's “The Bell Curve,” thanks to Pete Hegseth (NYT)

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

William Finn, Tony Winner for ‘Falsettos,’ Longtime Berkshire Resident, Williams Alum, and Barrington Stage Playwright, Is Dead at 73

(NYT) - William Finn, a witty, cerebral and psychologically perceptive musical theater writer who won two Tony Awards for “Falsettos” and had an enduringly popular hit with “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” died on Monday in Bennington, Vt. He was 73. His longtime partner, Arthur Salvadore, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was pulmonary fibrosis, following years in which Mr. Finn had contended with neurological issues. He had homes in Williamstown, Mass., and on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Finn was widely admired for his clever, complex lyrics and for the poignant honesty with which he explored character. He was gay and Jewish, and some of his most significant work concerned those communities. Read also, The Loose Screws, Hot Flames and Infinite Joy of William Finn (NYT)

Top 10: April 11, 1970

(EIB/Substack) by Seth Rogovoy - At the turn of the decade, just as they were breaking up, the Beatles still ruled the pop charts, with the Jackson 5, Badfinger, and Simon & Garfunkel filling out a mostly stellar week in music. John Lennon had his first and biggest solo hit with "Instant Karma," one-hit wonders Norman Greenbaum and Edison Lighthouse enjoyed their brief moments of fame, Bobby Sherman scored with a bubblegum-pop hit, and Frijid Pink's acid-rock version of the 100 year old folksong, "House of the Rising Son" returned the perennial hit to the top of the pops.

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At the Norman Rockwell Museum, ‘All for Laughs’ explores lessons of historic cartoon correspondence course (Berkshire Eagle)

John Mulaney set to make Tanglewood debut as part of Popular Artist Series lineup (B Eagle)

WAMC plans to sell The Linda performing arts space (ATU)

R.B. Schlather bringing Handel’s blockbuster ‘Giulio Cesare’ to Hudson Hall (B Eagle)

In a quiet studio at the Woodstock School of Art, artists confront the challenge of capturing the human form—and discover a sense of community and calm (The Overlook)

NEWS FROM THE BERKSHIRES

A rendering of new visitor center at Hancock Shaker Village

Hancock Shaker Village to Break Ground on New Visitor Center and Shaker Studies Hub

(RI) PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Hancock Shaker Village will break ground this June on a long-envisioned Visitor Center & Center for Shaker Studies, marking the first phase of a long-term master plan to enhance both the visitor experience and its ability to care for its historical collection. The new space is intended to provide a more substantial entrance experience to the historic village and new opportunities for education, engagement, and research on Shaker culture. The project has been decades in the making. After years of design, strategic planning, and a large fundraising campaign, the museum will soon begin construction on new galleries, accessible climate-controlled storage, a research library, and expanded community and event spaces. The new center will be designed by architectural firm TSKP x IKD. Read also, Baby Animals Festival back at Hancock Shaker Village (iBerkshires)

Matthew Tannenbaum Celebrates 50 Years of The Bookstore

(Berkshire Eagle) LENOX, Mass. - For Matt Tannenbaum, it’s never been about the money. Tannenbaum, 79, the longtime owner of The Bookstore & Get Lit Wine Bar in Lenox, is celebrating the store’s 50th year in business this month — five decades Tannenbaum has connected with people through his love of books. “I started it with a loan, and I knew then that I was going to be in debt, and that was OK,” Tannenbaum said. “I wasn’t trying to make money. I found something that I loved to do. … I never wanted to be a rich man, but I’m rich way beyond money.”

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In contradiction to a previous statement, Great Barrington Selectboard states interconnection between two water systems is for emergencies only (Berkshire Edge)

Great Barrington’s Prudential Committee opposes town’s potential purchase and merger of Housatonic Water Works, Fire District (B Edge)

Pittsfield councilors bury controversial ordinance aimed at curbing panhandling at major intersections (WAMC)

North Adams Mayor Macksey reflects on challenges, successes as she runs for a third term (WAMC)

Elizabeth Freeman to be one of first two women, first person from Western Massachusetts immortalized in State Senate chambers (WAMC)

Berkshire Humane Society secures $100,000 in grants to help underserved pets (B Edge)

West Stockbridge examines in-town affordable-housing development options (B Edge)

NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY

36 Hours in the Hudson Valley

(NYT) - For a weekend escape within a two-hour (or so) drive or train ride of New York City, the Hudson Valley is hard to beat. There are hiking trails ranging from beginner-friendly to near-vertical scrambles, Gilded Age mansions filled with rich history, contemporary art destinations, miles of pastoral farmland and charming small towns. In recent years, this vast region, directly north of the city, changed dramatically as many pandemic-weary New Yorkers migrated upstate (and pushed housing prices skyward). The influx helped fuel cultural initiatives, creative businesses, a much-hyped brewery boom and diversified dining options. This itinerary hews close to the river, focusing on the central Hudson Valley cities of Kingston, Hudson and Beacon, as well as villages, hamlets and rural outposts worth a detour.

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In Hudson, the Planning Board comes under attack over plans for a giant affordable housing complex all out of proportion to the quiet, residential, working-class neighborhood due to inaccessible location in a flood plain (GoR)

Hudson City School District unveils $58M proposed budget with possible staffing cuts (HV360)

Columbia County board OKs resolution supporting libraries (HV360)

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