124. The Duffles

124. The Duffles

November 19, 2025 · 50 min · Season 8 · Episode 124

About this episode

Mat Zucker hosts a live author Q&A with Brian Shaefer about his debut novel and the themes of community and local culture.

Live from Hudson, NY, it’s an author Q&A with Brian Shaefer and his debut novel Town & Country . Recorded in front of a live audience at Spark of Hudson, Mat moderates a conversation about character, plot, and the worlds of weekender and local coming together. The story follows a congressional race set in a fictional town of Griffin, inspired by the Hudson Valley. “Duffles” is Brian’s word for cidiots. One lesson which I really appreciated is the importance for all of us in a community, as Brian says, in just “showing up.” We also play the Cidiot® Geography Game with instinctive reactions to a list of towns across the Hudson Valley. Be sure to get your copy at your local bookstore, via his author page , or through the Cidiot bookstore on Bookshop dot org . Places Mentioned: Hill Rock Distillery , Ancram Rogers Book Barn , Hillsdale Hillsdale General Store , Hillsdale Books & Cake , Hillsdale Zinnia’s Dinette , Craryville Random Harvest Market , Craryville Spotty Dogs Books & Ale, Hudson Spark of Hudson , Hudson Rough Draft Bar & Books , Kingston Merritt Bookstore , Millbrook Harney & Sons , Millerton Phoenicia Diner, Phoenicia Cinnamon , Rhinebeck Diamond…

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