Woodstock: Everyday History

"Woodstock - Everyday History" by Richard Heppner offers the reader a unique look at a number of chapters that, over the years, have bound the story of Woodstock, N.Y. together. Taken from his popular essays as found in the pages of the Woodstock Times, Heppner goes behind the headlines of one of America's most famous small towns and reveals many of the stories and challenges that have moved Woodstock forward as a community. Through essays that examine the hardships, joys and struggles of life in a small town and the impact of the world around it, "Woodstock - Everyday History" also brings forward the belief that local history is more than just a town's "highlights." In many respects, as Heppner offers, by chronicling the paths of individual Woodstockers, their families and every day community life, we approach a democratization of history through which we better understand the foundation upon which our present lives rest. And, by claiming our own, "everyday history," we also raise the truth about our past above nostalgia and manipulation by commercial interests. Buffeted by changing times, these are the stories of an independent-minded citizenry that have endeavored to build a community on a foundation of purpose and collective spirit in the heart of the Catskill mountains. Simply put, "Woodstock - Everyday History" shines a welcomed light on Woodstock's "everyday" past while encouraging all to take command of their own stories. Praise for Woodstock - Everyday History: "Every community needs a historian like Heppner to show the human side of its bygone days." Brian Hollander, Editor, Woodstock Times "Richard Heppner is the best sort of historian - he goes to the sources... He's the real thing." Edward Sanders - Historian and Investigative Poet