A commercial real estate broker in his mid 30s, Jerry has been taking ketamine—a so-called psychedelic drug popularly more associated with club kids than businessmen—therapeutically to treat his persistent depression. And according to him, it’s working better than anything else Jerry’s tried. In cognitive behavioral therapy for some time he had been also introduced to Lexapro, an anti-depressant SSRI drug […]
Feature Story
Hip Hop Has Found its Princess on Planet Her, by Roderick Thomas
Just 3 years ago Amala Dlamini, famously known as Doja Cat could have been described as a humorous and talented niche musician. In some ways Doja Cat is an unlikely music star, however considering all her talents, ‘marketability’ and how well she mixes her various genre influences, it’s surprising she wasn’t famous sooner. On June 25, 2021 the “Streets” musician […]
Italy becomes supernormal! by Dario Pio Muccilli
What’s nowadays mostly marking the return to the so-called normality in Europe after the outbreak is the UEFA European Football Championship, a tournament played every four years. The tournament was scheduled for last year, but…. That is why the championship is still called EURO2020 despite happening this year. The structure of the whole event sees 24 national teams competing match-by-match […]
Native Eyez | Intikana, Social Justice Activist, by Mike Fiorito
I met the rapper Intikana through a series of mutual connections; some from a New York based Taíno community and some from musicians we both know. Born and raised in the Bronx, Intikana went to P.S. 76, M.S. 135, then to Dewitt Clinton High School. As a professional recording artist, Intikana has collaborated with legends such as Dead Prez, Keith […]
The Pete Hamill Way, by Joe Enright
“Enright, I need you to cover the Hamill unveiling!” It was George again. I could almost smell his cheap cigar seeping through my cell phone as I helped a friend scale a striped bass on Canarsie Pier. “Huh?” I replied in my usual sophisticated way. “Pete Hamill, you twit! You wrote a memorial to him back in August!” “Right, I […]
Eighteen Brooklyn Artists Put On Huge Pandemic-Inspired Art Show | Erin DeGregorio
The coronavirus pandemic undoubtedly devastated New York City’s arts and entertainment sector with many venues, including Broadway theaters and art galleries, remaining shuttered for more than a year. However, the arts are slowly coming back to life thanks to COVID-19 restrictions continuing to be lifted across the state and city. Eighteen artists from TI Art Studios (located in the Treasure […]
Young Upstate Woman Pens Children’s Book About Cerebral Palsy Journey | Erin DeGregorio
Samantha VanAlstyne, 25, can now list “published author” on her resume as she continues to juggle life and college during an ongoing pandemic. Earlier this year, she self-published “Hi, I’m Sam,” which details her journey with cerebral palsy and learning self-acceptance. “The whole thing started as a conversation with my niece who’s seven,” said VanAlstyne, further explaining that she is […]
Growing Up as an Untalented Musician in an Italian American Town
I wrote an article on E. Rossi & Company in Little Italy, NYC for the Red Hook Star Revue a while ago. Sometime later, I received an email from someone who’d read the article and felt strongly enough to write to me about it. That person, Janice Aubrey, told me that when her mother visited NYC, she used to go […]
BloomAgainBklyn Brightens People’s Day, Thanks to Homemade Card Project, by Erin DeGregorio
BloomAgainBklyn – a community-based, non-profit organization that repurposes unsold and once-used flowers into new arrangements – has been operating non-stop throughout the pandemic. Volunteers have upcycled fresh flowers destined for the solid waste stream, made them into new arrangements, and delivered them to frontline workers and vulnerable populations. “Some of the nursing homes that we deliver to weekly or twice-weekly […]
All Aboard! New Yorkers Tour Sustainable Sailboat from France, by Erin DeGregorio
As the Red Hook Star-Revue reported last month, French company Grain de Sail’s modern cargo sailboat finally docked in the Brooklyn Bridge Park marina in mid-May. The sailboat and its four crew members left Saint-Malo, France, on April 16 to embark on a three-month-long Transatlantic voyage that would make stops in New York and the Dominican Republic. The vessel is […]