The Jiffy: Stories From Upstate New York

Shaker Mother Ann Lee: A 'True Legend'

Send us a textMother Ann Lee is one of the most consequential (and least understood) figures in early American religious history.In just ten years in the colonies, during the chaos of the American Revolution, she helped give rise to a movement that would shape communal life, labor, design, music, and belief across America (and even Europe) for generations.This episode of The Jiffy traces Ann Lee's life from industrial Manchester to upstate New York, from persecution and imprisonment to the founding of the Shakers' first American settlement near Albany and across New England.With guidance from Kathleen Lynch, curator and director of collections at Hancock Shaker Village, we examine what can be known about Mother Ann, and what survives only as testimony, memory, myth, and legend.As renewed attention turns toward Ann's life, this episode offers the long view that intends to place her where she belongs: not as an abstraction or aesthetic, but as a human being whose convictions helped shape a country still defining itself.By the way, Kathleen took me on a tour of the 1830 Brick Dwelling in 2024 for my series, "This Old Vibe," and showed me the Shaker concept of borrowed light. You can watch that video here.You can visit Hancock Shaker Village at: https://hancockshakervillage.orgHere's more info on "Ann the Word: the Story of Ann Lee, Female Messiah, Mother of the Shakers, the Woman Clothed with the Sun," by Richard FrancisThis is part of my series throughout 2026 looking at how New York looks at itself during the Semiquincentennial: The Jiffty250. Support the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us. Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave Subscribe to the newsletter here.

To The Clock Tower!!

Send us a textIn the first episode of the New Year, we get as close to the concept of time as possible: by climbing into Chatham’s 1872 clock tower with village timekeeper Stephen Piazza.Here are some things we learned:It's very steep to the top and hard to do with a microphone and really large headphones.Don't touch the pendulum.Why heat and cold change a pendulum’s paceHow gravity pulls on the gear train differently from 12 to 6And why a tiny turn smaller than a 64th of an inch can mean minutes gained or lost. We talk through the choreography of daylight saving, from stopping the clock to avoid “fall back” confusion to advancing the hands ever so gently in spring so the village sees the new time without phantom bells throwing everything into disarray.We also made it into the Village Timekeeper's Logbook for all of time to see!Here's more on "Selling the True Time," by Ian R. BartkyHere's more on the Chatham Clock Tower from the Chatham Village Historical SocietyHere's my previous "Guide To The Many Chathams" episodeSupport the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us. Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Friend of The Jiffy: "Music Person" Presents A Postcard From The Hudson Valley

Send us a textDylan Tupper Rupert joins the show today in my first-ever feed drop to take us on a ride-along with her podcast "Music Person!"It's the first part in a three-part series for her show, dedicated to mapping out how the Hudson Valley’s history, density, and seasons shape a vibrant indie music scene today. In part 1, which we feature here, Dylan visits Hannah Cohen, Sam Evian, Flying Cloud Studios, and Big Pink (and Jenn Pelly and Olivia Bee make some cameos).Go check out Dylan's full series here: https://www.talkhouse.com/artist/music-personListen ad-free and support her show here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/musicpersonAnd follow Dylan on Instagram here! @yaydylanSupport the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us. Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave Subscribe to the newsletter here.

A Break For Local Holiday News And Gossip

Send us a textWhile on a holiday break in December, I'm sharing this special episode featuring local news and gossip from the Rhinebeck Gazette of the 1800s, available through the Hudson River Valley Heritage Historical Newspapers Archive.I'll be back to normal programming soon. In the meantime, be sure to stock up on your boots, shoes, and rubbers!These news items are from the following issues:Rhinebeck Gazette: Dec. 1, 1857Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 8, 1857Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 22, 1857Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 21, 1858Rhinebeck Gazette, Dec. 27, 1859Rhinebeck Gazette: Dec. 5, 1865To support my end of year fund drive and keep The Jiffy going into 2026, you can become a sustaining member, or (and??) make a one-time donation here:Become a sustaining member hereDonate hereSupport the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is a small adventure, told with curiosity, humor, and the occasional text message from a stranger.New episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us.Support the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us. Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Don't Mess With Taylor

Send us a textWhat is the job of a County Clerk? In Ulster County, it can mean managing DMV processes, preserving 300-year-old land records, and keeping the legal paper trail of everyday life in order. But earlier this year, that job landed one local official, Taylor Bruck, inside a national constitutional standoff.Only a few months into his role as Acting County Clerk, Taylor received something unusual: a legal judgment from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, asking him to accept and process it in New York. The judgment involved a New York doctor, telemedicine, abortion medication, and a question that reaches beyond healthcare: Can one state make another enforce its laws?In this episode, I visit Taylor in his Kingston office to talk about how a routine administrative role quickly became a test case for New York’s brand-new shield law. We talk about constitutional boundaries, state identity, what it means to uphold local law in a national dispute, and how it felt to go from archivist to defendant in a case that could one day reach the Supreme Court.Support the show"The Jiffy Audio Newsletter Podcast" is an audio documentary zine – the official podcast of The Jiffy – exploring the odd histories, cozy mysteries, and surprising characters of upstate New York. Each episode is an adventure, and new episodes drop every other week. Subscribe, share, and take the scenic route with us. Follow James on Instagram: @jamescave Subscribe to the newsletter here.