Thomas Dimopoulos is no stranger on the streets of Saratoga.
He recalls walking with his daughter through the Spa City one holiday season when he was approached by a man dressed as Santa Claus. “Hey, I know you,” said Jolly St. Nick. “You’re the man who [peed] all over our town.”
For more than a decade, Dimopoulos’ name has been associated with everything involving Saratoga. As a print journalist, his name is affixed to the top of every story he has covered, from the horses at the track to the race for mayor.
Dimopoulos laughs about his run-in with Santa Claus now. As a reporter, it’s to be expected. What Father Christmas accused him of doing, he admits though, he kinda did.
How he ripped the city from its association with Don McLean’s 1971 “American Pie” is not in his book “Saratoga Stories: Magic and Loss.” It’s not a scandalous tell-all centered to dispel other cherished legends, or to uncover unsavory storylines either. Instead, the 179-paged, soft cover book shares 15 stories with legitimate ties to the city he’s known for the better part of two decades.
The book begins with an introduction that shares one of the journalists first stories, the celebration of one man’s 100th birthday in Saratoga. The centenarian looks out onto a bustling downtown scene, seemingly aware of an underlying storyline unapparent to those walking the sidewalks.
“It’s a great gift that people give to you, when they share parts of their lives, their family’s lives, their dreams,” said Dimopoulos. “And, as a writer those types of stories, you find that there are things you learn about yourself, as well. You find that there are many things that people have in common. They want to be happy. They want to be healthy. They love their kids. They want to feel a part of something special in life. Also, at the same time, everybody is different. Everybody approaches it in a different way.”
Sitting at a table in Starbucks, Dimopoulos pauses before he answers each question. He smiles as the inner wires that make the reporter seem to cross before each response. The interviewer has now become the interview subject.
Dimopoulos stumbled into journalism. An artist by nature – he studied film and wrote fiction and literary essays – he was drawn to Yaddo; Yaddo, and his want to have his children earn a good education. He thought of how he could find a way to get into the artists’ retreat. He said he picked up the phone, introduced himself as a freelance journalist and asked to speak to someone in his effort to write a feature. He was immediately offered a tour.
The next phone call was to a friend at the Albany Times Union. “Do you even know how to write journalism?” Dimopoulos recalled his friend’s reaction. The answer was immaterial to the moment. He was going to Yaddo, and he needed to write the story.
So started Dimopoulos’ award-winning journalism career. Through the years, from starting his career as a freelancer covering arts and entertainment, to pursuing crime and politics, to the gentle barbs he sends to the New York Racing Association over social media, there is a common denominator, said Dimopoulos.
“What I most enjoy is hearing people’s stories,” said Dimpoulos. “I’ve had the opportunity of people sharing their stories, and their family histories,” said Dimopoulos. “And what their perception of is of how things were.”
Join award-winning journalist Thomas Dimopoulos for a book signing and reading to celebrate the release of his book, “Saratoga Stories: Magic and Loss.” Fifteen stories, dozens of images and an exclusive timeline of Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center are woven together to tell the story of an extraordinary American city. The first printing of the book, published June 16, sold out, and a second, updated edition is currently available.
The event, which is free, will be held on Saturday, July 25, at 7 p.m. at Northshire Bookstore Saratoga, 424 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY, and will also feature a special guest appearance by musician Jeff Brisbin, whose song “Homeless Heart” was inspired by Nancy Pitts – a homeless woman who passed away in Saratoga on a winter night due to exposure.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book on the night of the event will go to support Saratoga Code Blue, an emergency shelter serving homeless people in Saratoga Springs. For more information, visit Northshire Bookstore at www.northshire.com.
