Lost in Jersey
So close to NYC, New Jersey is a melting pot of creativity, ambition, and culture. Everyone has a Jersey story and on Lost in Jersey, we’re here to share them with you.
Lost in Jersey
Headlines, Harmonies & Medieval Magic: The Many Lives of Dana Hawkins-Simons
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This week, our guest Dana Hawkins-Simons takes us on a journey that’s anything but ordinary — from her roots in rural Kansas to adventures around the globe. A celebrated journalist, singer, and tireless advocate, Dana’s story is equal parts grit, globe-trotting, and groove.
We talk about her career in international journalism (including the Barcelona Olympics!), her battle with Pernicious Anemia, and the Wall Street Journal article that turned her into a voice for patients everywhere. And of course, we get into her passion for music — from belting the blues to Montclair Early Music's MedievalFest, where knights, hurdy-gurdy's, and costumes collide.
Mark your calendar for August 24th from 11am-5pm at the Montclair Art Museum and prepare to be transported back in time as Dana shares how music, history, and community come together for a day that’s more than just an event. It's an experience you don't want to miss!
Dana's Wall Street Journal article about Vitamin B12 Deficiency
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Welcome and Introduction
Speaker 1Welcome , Dana . I'm so happy to have you on Lost in Jersey .
Speaker 2I'm thrilled to be here . Really , I am a big fan of the pod from the very beginning . Thank you .
Speaker 1We're so excited to have you on just to talk about , of course , the Montclair early music and also the medieval fest coming up , claire , early Music and also the Medieval Fest coming up . But before we get there we want to know a little bit for our listeners , a little bit about your background and where you grew up and , of course , how'd you get to Jersey ?
Speaker 2Okay , it's a long , circuitous route . So I was born and raised in rural Kansas . Jeanette , I know you're from Texas . Yeah we're kind of sisters yeah , we are . So I went to undergraduate there and then I worked in television for a year at the local Cape Sunflower Cablevision , covering the University of KU and also weekend anchoring , you know that kind of fun thing . And then I kind of I really wanted to see the world . I just really wanted to get the heck out of Dodge .
Speaker 2I was actually born in Dodge City , kansas , so I wanted to get out and I wanted to explore the world . I love languages . I wanted to study languages more , so I ended up living abroad for three years . I was in Madrid for a year on a literary fellowship and then I went to Taiwan . I wanted to you know , kind of circle the planet . And I was there for almost a year teaching English at the National University and studying Chinese . And then I was in Brussels for about a year studying French and working at Business Week , as like the junior bureau chief there at Business Week , as like the junior bureau chief there . And when I was there , my boss who was incredible he said you have to go to Columbia Journalism School , graduate school . And I was like what's that ? I mean , I had no idea .
Speaker 3I mean , if you're from rural Kansas you know , back in the day I didn't even know what a Navy League school was . I love that because I remember when I met Rachel she had to explain the difference between Penn State and Penn University .
Speaker 1I was like why did I ? That sounds awful . Why did I explain ?
Speaker 3that ? No , I think I didn't know . I mean I just didn't know . I'm like you . It's such a difference , being from the North and the South when it comes to the type of academia , like world . So I love that you said that , because I don't think people realize how it's just not not the thing there .
Speaker 2Yeah , I had no idea . It was an option . You know , maybe something on television or in the movies ? You know maybe something on television or in the movies , yeah , um , so I applied , I got in , uh , I went there for a year and then I graduated and started working for us news and world report in new york . Fantastic experience , great people loved it . Uh , learned so much and I mean this is partly just good fortune is that I had a good friend who was working with NBC and she was going to be covering the Olympics in Barcelona . I spoke fluent Spanish , so she's like get over here , I swear I can get you a job . She did .
Speaker 2I was a field producer for NBC and so we were interviewing the athletes and also I was the only one who spoke Spanish . So I was doing like pre-interviewing and field producing and it was so much fun . And the first day my boss from the DC station , nbc station , pat Collins , he said Dana , what are our stories , what are we going to do ? So I gave him a list of the 10 stories that we did . You know , like the pins , las Ramblas , the Sagrada Familrada Familia Church , the architecture , the nude beaches .
Speaker 3It was hilarious .
Speaker 2Yeah , he loved my ideas . Now it was really fun . And then after that I was planning on just you know staying in Europe . I was having a great time , but US News called me and they said please come back , we'll promote you . We'll move you to our headquarters in DC . So I did and that was great . But US News called me and they said please come back , we'll promote you , we'll move you to our headquarters in DC . So I did , and that was great too . I love DC . I ended up living there for like 17 years . I was at US News . That's where I met my husband , who , Rachel knows .
Speaker 3Our lovely lovely husband , I'll pause there because , rachel , before we got on the interview , she actually said you know , her husband is so nice too . I have the best husband .
Speaker 2I love him . He's amazing , very supportive , very smart and fun and he's just a great guy . So and anybody who
From Kansas to Journalism
Speaker 2knows him knows that and we got married , had our daughter Ella in DC and then he got a job in the New York City area . I was I was deep into journalism , research mode , trying to find the best place to live in the New York area and there were all these calculators like Money Magazine and everybody had the best place to live calculator and I kept putting in all the things that we wanted . We wanted a diverse community , we wanted affordability , we wanted culture , we wanted a decent commute , we wanted great schools . And guess what Town kept coming up . My husband and I are interracial couple , he's black , my daughter's mixed race , so it just kept coming up like off of the list . So it was kind of a no brainer , you know , to move here . So that's how I ended up in Jersey .
Speaker 3I think why a lot of people end up here is because of that checklist and it hits all of those things Because I think there's so many towns that are wonderful within the New York Metroplex area , but Montclair just clicks these boxes , you know . So how long have you been here now ?
Speaker 2We moved here in September 2009 . Okay , we've been here 17 years , with a two-year stint in London in 2018 to 2020 . For my husband , he was working with the Wall Street Journal and the London Bureau .
Speaker 3That's about how long I've been here too , but I didn't have that two-year break , rachel , you did , you had a break . Yeah , that two-year break , rachel , you did , you had a break . So you came back , and now are you still doing reporting work , or have you shifted to something else ?
Speaker 2Well , I ended up freelancing for a bit and then I had this illness . So there's something I should probably talk about . It's something called pernicious anemia that people don't really know much about . It's an autoimmune condition . It's fairly common . It's basically my body does not absorb B12 , the vitamin B12 , the way yours does . It doesn't matter what I eat or what I do . My body doesn't absorb that vitamin and you need that vitamin every day to live . You need to have that for your red blood cells , for your cardiovascular , for your digestive system , for your brain . It really affects every system in your body . So you know it's something that's genetic , it's hereditary . I was born with it . I didn't know I had it until you know about 10 , 15 years ago 10 years ago , okay .
Speaker 1How did you finally get to that diagnosis ?
Speaker 2Yeah , I kept getting sicker and sicker over the years . This was mostly in Montclair , but about 20 years ago that I started definitely not feeling as well and so I was just focusing on raising Ella , you know , just putting everything into that and like you know , like , oh , maybe it's just that I kept getting worse and I kept . I went to so many doctors over the years I'm sure you've heard this story before . It's it's really awful without getting answers and finally , and getting told , you know , things that were like , oh , it's perimenopause and all this . And you just , you know it's not that . You know it's much worse than that . You know it's affecting your entire body on a daily basis .
Speaker 2So I got to the point where I could barely stand up and move and I just went to my doctor's office , without an appointment even , and just said I am a medical journalist , all right . So I had done a lot of research and I figured it out . I'm like this is B12 deficiency . I probably have pernicious anemia . So I went and I made them test me and yeah , that's what I had . Oh my gosh , yeah me . And yeah , that's what I had . So they gave me a shot right there in the office and it's unbelievable how much better I felt within like 15 minutes . I mean , you know , I still had , I have all the symptoms , but it just was night and day .
Speaker 2Doctors in the U ? S just don't know much about it . Um , in the UK they they are better about it , and in Europe but the US , because there is no cure , it's chronic , but because the medication is a simple B12 shot , it's very inexpensive . I have to give myself shots every day because that's the medicine that no one's making money from it . So , like doctors , don't even learn about it . You know , doctors learn very little about
Finding Montclair
Speaker 2vitamins and med school .
Speaker 1Anyway , what you're saying is also a very good lesson , and just keep getting reminded that you have to be your own your own advocate you know all of that and and for your family too , because a lot , lots of doctors will just look at you , know a baseline numbers , and be like you're fine and but if you know yourself , I'm not fine .
Speaker 3You have to keep at it and I'm glad that you found you know the solution , but how did that interact with your work ? I mean , it sounds like it made you have to put it on hold .
Speaker 2Yeah , it had a tremendous impact . For many years I still was freelancing at home . Then we went to London and there I got . That's where I learned about the Pernicious Anemia Society , because that's where they're based . It's a UK charity and they are so much more advanced on this than we are , and so I ended up writing a really like six page very long article for the Wall Street Journal . It was their number one article on their website Wow , for one month . So glad I did it because that I know that article has helped a lot of people . So now I consider myself a patient advocate for the Pernicious and Amused Society and , you know , it's probably hopefully it's going to be my next act . I'm going to more with them and with that I already am kind of like their US you know person .
Speaker 3Well , before we get off of this subject , I just like to know what are the symptoms that someone might have that they need to look closer at this . Good question .
Speaker 2Yeah , that is a great question and that's hard too because it's kind of so many things . It's a neurological condition , so anything that affects your brain , your nervous system , which includes your digestive system and includes your cardiovascular system , so that's what makes it tough to diagnose . You have symptoms head to toe . You know everything from brain fog to tinnitus . I'm just going to go down my body to like a thickened tongue , to like feeling like something stuck in your throat , to numbness in your arms and legs , to digestive issues , and then , as it progresses , you have trouble walking and all this . And mine did progress to the level where I do have permanent nerve damage , but it went untreated for so many years even though I was trying desperately to find out what it was .
Speaker 1And when you get your blood work done , do you look at the iron and ferritin and iron absorption levels or it doesn't really show there . Do you need to get vitamin B12 checked ?
Speaker 2Yeah , and fortunately it does not show in your iron testing , although some people that is also a concern . But yeah , you need a specific B12 test , but there's so many problems with that test . There's no gold standard test . There is a specific test for that , which is very helpful , but it's really hard to get . It's the kind of thing where , basically , if the B12 shots help you , then you know that . If you test positive for pernicious anemia , then you know you have it . If the B12 shots help you , you know you have it .
Speaker 3Well , thanks for sharing that . I mean , hopefully you know that will help somebody that might be having these symptoms and are lost and don't even know about this . You know so , yeah , and wouldn't know to ask .
Speaker 2Yeah , I mean you can . They can start by searching for my article . So if they search Dana Hawkins , Simons , Wall Street Journal and then the other thing is to go to the Pernecious Endemic Society's website , We'll put a link in the show notes .
Speaker 3It's helpful information and I'm glad that you found what is
Health Journey and Advocacy
Speaker 3working for you . So it sounds like now one of the things that we know that you're involved in is with music and also a Renaissance festival , and we want to get to the bottom of both of these . Tell us about the two of these things .
Speaker 1Yeah , and that you sing . How did you first become involved or find the Montclair early music ?
Speaker 2I do sing . I love to sing . I'm a singer . I've sung in probably a dozen different bands and groups . I started a group when I lived in DC Dana and the Juke Jammers and we played at festivals and events and I was the lead singer . We did jazz and blues and pop and all kinds of fun stuff .
Speaker 3And then when I worked at US News .
Speaker 2We had Blues you Can Use and that was a 12-piece . It was so much fun . It was a 12-piece band and we had a sax player and an harmonica player and I was a lead singer there too with two other folks and we performed at the White House Correspondents Association . We performed at different bars in DC and that was fun . And then in London I sang in the Belsize Community Choir , which was quite lovely . And then back in Montclair , before we left , I had sung in Parents who Rock . I usually would do it when I had the benefits of years sing like a jazz acapella . So the last two years I recently joined the New Jersey Oratory of Society .
Speaker 2So that's like classical music and , oh , rachel , you should come to . We did Carmina Burana . Oh my God , it was so beautiful .
Speaker 1Oh , I really need to go because I have heard about it and I've known different people through the years who have been in it . It's based out of Montclair .
Speaker 2Oh , wow . And then the one other group that I'm involved in called rock voices and they are . That's really fun . I just joined that over the last spring that we have an incredible director , Larissa J , and we perform just like pop music covers , and and it's , it's great . It's just kind of so fun .
Speaker 3First you've had such an incredible you know career and now it seems like you you're involved in so many like things that give , give to you and like your , you know your talents thanks .
Speaker 2Well , do you want to talk about montclair early music ? Okay , so montclair early music is a non-profit based on montclair , started several years ago by julianne pape . She's a wonderful woman who recently retired from the group , although she still plays with us in our instrumental ensemble . And then Medieval Fest last year was our first one . We didn't quite know what to expect , although I was getting so much great response that I kind of thought , wow , this could be big . Well , it was huge . There were over 900 .
Speaker 3Over 900 people , wow , and that's all in front of the lawn in front of the Montclair Art Museum , right , we also had inside the Lair Hall and we had like several hundred people in there learning this incredible folklore dance from medieval times .
Speaker 2But it's super exciting . I mean dance from medieval times , but it's super exciting . I mean over half the people I would say came in costume last year . I sing in the quartet and you know I'll be there in costume . You guys , oh my God , you have to come and come .
Speaker 1We will , we do , we will , we will come and we will take video and .
Speaker 3I'm excited . I was telling Rachel that I had been to a medieval festival years ago . I've only been to one . People love them .
Speaker 2There's an incredible one in Texas . There's a whole documentary about it . Oh , I know , did you ?
Speaker 3watch that documentary .
Speaker 2Yes , I did .
Speaker 3Holy cow , that documentary was wild . What is it ? What is it ? It's that one guy , that guy that did it all . He was wild .
Speaker 2Wait , I need to know what this is . Oh , rachel , I don't know , man it is . I think it's called ren fair yes , oh , yes .
Speaker 1Okay , jeanette , you did tell me to watch that , oh my god .
Speaker 2Yeah , it was kind of a creepy king situation .
Speaker 3It is in the creepy king situation , yes , for sure . But you know , they are really , really popular for a variety of reasons . I mean , you don't have to be into Renaissance , like world , to enjoy them , they're just , it's just otherworldly , definitely Right .
Speaker 2It's a party and it ours is , very ours is . It's like a mini . There's the one in Tuxedo Park that people love , which is great , but it's huge and it's such a big deal to get there and to be there and it's so expensive . It's kind of family friendly and kind of not .
Speaker 1Okay , we're going to do a clip and it's going to be fun and awesome to tell everyone what Medieval Fest is and why they need to come .
Musical Life and Performances
Speaker 2Medieval Fest is Montclair's most popular summer event . It's Sunday , august 24th to the Montclair Art Museum . Last year we had over 900 revelers having a great time and I would say half of them came in costume . So don't hold back . We have the Montclair Brewery there with their Medieval Fest Ale Mead , which is delicious . We have all kinds of other wonderful vendors Sankofa , cilantro Food Truck , montclair Bread Company . We have Point 5 Jersey , which is a new non-alcoholic beverage . Oh yeah , they're going to bring their non-alcoholic beer , cocktails , wine , adaptogens and nootropics to keep your energy up for the festivities .
Speaker 2We have an incredible medieval reenactment group called the Knights of Acre and they come and they are very serious with their historically accurate costuming . They do battles . They do battle demos and play games with the children and do even poetry readings and things like that . And then we have music all day . So all afternoon we have Montclair Early Music Ensemble will perform . Our children , the Dragon Bards will perform , the seniors are in the group called the Musettes . We also have special guests . The Gypsy Funk Squad is coming and we also have Avon Fair , which is a beautiful group of women who sing Celtic music . We're looking for more sponsors . We have a few . We have Egan's and Holstein's and Red Eye Cafe and Barbara Eclectic , but we're looking for more sponsors , so please get in touch if you're interested in that . Yeah , we're just looking forward to a great afternoon of family-friendly fun and bringing history to life in Montclair .
Speaker 3I love that Sounds like a blast . What time is it from ? It's 11 to 5 . 11 to 5 . And where do people park ? Yeah ?
Speaker 2that's up to you .
Speaker 1I love that . Good luck on that . Take your horses . You get premier parking spots if you take a horse and you're historically accurate .
Speaker 2The mayor came last year and she's already been emailing me like oh , you know , I'm so excited . Like you know , she's planning on coming again and delivering our welcome and let me tell you you were the most beautiful costume last year , so I'm hoping she I'm not surprised that again .
Speaker 3I know Renee Renee Baskerville will be there , but I'm sure a lot of people in town will be going there . As you said , last year there were 900 people there
Medieval Fest: The Big Event
Speaker 3and I bet you're going to have more this year . That's amazing for a first year that you had so many people show up , so you must have done some impressive marketing too .
Speaker 1You hit the jackpot . Yeah , nice job . I really want to dress appropriately , but do I Google what to wear Because I don't really know ?
Speaker 3You could . Oh my God , rachel . Yes , we have to try , we do .
Speaker 1I don't .
Speaker 3I'll be very understated . I'm sure I'll be like I don't know if you can wear all black .
Speaker 1Oh yeah , you have a sword , don't you have a sword ?
Speaker 3in your house . Medieval times sword story is such a thing . Oh my God , medieval times . Does anybody from medieval times come out there ? Not that I know of , we'd love to have them .
Speaker 2You can think broadly , like you can dress like a fairy . You can dress to have them . You can think broadly , like you can dress like a fairy . You can dress like a pirate . You can dress like a Viking . With some great Viking costumes you can , you know , like the woman who won the cost the costume contest last year , had these gorgeous like antler antler head and then this big , beautiful white dress .
Speaker 3So do you have to sign up to be in the competition ? No , how does the competition for the costume thing work ?
Speaker 2To be honest , last year it was actually as far as the moment Because somebody had given us some nice gift you know , coffee pot or something and we're like , well , let's give this away . Who are we going to give it to ? And then I said , let's have a costume contest Because we had all these great costumes . Let's have a costume contest because we had all these great costumes . So we just got on the mic and we're like , okay , everybody who wants to enter come up to the front . And then we had people come up to see who won and it was pretty obvious that this one how fun , $100 gift card to Egan's the winner goes .
Speaker 3Oh , okay , now I'm really going to try . What year are we talking about here when we think in Renaissance ? Does anybody here know , know medieval period ?
Speaker 2is considered like , I think , the 1300s , to like 1100 , to like 1500 . But you know what this is ? The thing is that there's not an exact like scholars will differ .
Speaker 3Let's just say that scholars will differ yeah , I'll figure out what the persians were wearing around that time .
Speaker 2Yeah I would love that . And so for sponsorships , again , I'm going to put out another play 50 get you mentioned in our program and on our website . We have different levels , all the way up to $1,000 . And for $1,000 , you can get a free concert , personal free concert . Oh I love that .
Speaker 1Well , I also want to direct people to the Montclair Early Music website where you could see the videos and hear it . I love your voice , dana , so it was nice to like hear you singing . I was listening to the one at the Montclair public library so you can go on and see . Just so you can get excited hearing what you're going to be able to hear and just get into it . Yeah , like rock out , rock out to the flute no , lute , not flute .
Speaker 1Well , I want to ask , though , about the instruments , because I was looking to see what instruments you know recorder , and you have cello , I saw , but like so what ? Are the different instruments that are allowed for that period are allowed for that period .
Speaker 2Yeah , there are a lot , a lot of options . We I wish we had more , but we do have some . We do have a good base . We have all types of recorders , so it's not just that recorder . There's soprano , there's tenor , there's bass , there's buffoon , there's like really huge One person plays something that's like that tall , like really big . And then there's cello , where we did have a violin player . We have great percussionists . The percussion is very important and we have a percussionist , louise . And then we also have the most fascinating , fascinating instrument we have is something called the hurdy-gurdy .
Speaker 1Oh , I've heard of the hurdy-gurdy .
Speaker 2Look it up . They're beautiful . They look kind of like a cross between an accordion and a guitar maybe Only they're gorgeous wooden instruments . We have a woman who plays it incredibly well , wow , and it's just a great sound . It's a great sound .
Speaker 3I'm so glad that we got to talk to you and learn about this festival and also just hear about your background . You've had such an interesting life .
Speaker 2And you can come from , you know , Dodge City , Kansas .
Speaker 1So speaking of that , from Kansas to Jersey , do you have something that you would say
Festival Details and Costume Contest
Speaker 1is your favorite thing about living in New Jersey ? I love Montclair and I love .
Speaker 2Jersey . Who knew right . I grew up thinking that way . I love nature , so I love things like Duke's Farm , if you haven't been there . I love all the gardens . I love the Iris Garden . I love Van Fleck . I love her sculpture . I love you know all that Longwood . I also love going to Princeton it's such a beautiful , fun town and the museums there and the Newark and Newark . I'd love to go to Newark downtown . There's so many coffee shops and restaurants and the Newark museum . And in Montclair . Can I name a few of my favorite restaurants ? Of course I love the brewery . Of course I love Sankofa cafe . I also love the new cafe called skip to my brew on . Oh my God , you have to go . It's adorable . It's so beautifully decorated and they have lattes . I love Ube and just adore U decorated and they have Ube lattes . I love Ube , I just adore Ube , so they have Ube lattes . I also love Zubma . I love Marcel's , I love Le Souk Mercado , samba .
Speaker 3You're just naming off restaurants at this point You're naming off every place there is .
Speaker 1And we're going to have the longest link tree for Dana's episode and we're going to have the longest link tree for Dana's episode .
Speaker 3I remember creating a reel for Paper Plane and then I just faded it out . He just kept naming places and I was just like just go to our webpage .
Speaker 2My goal is that when people talk about all the great festivals in Montclair the film festival , the literary festival what's the other great festival ?
Speaker 3The Jazz Festival . Jazz Festival , yeah you have amazing festivals , guess what the Gay ?
Speaker 2Pride Festival , gay Pride Festival . We also have Medieval Festival . I think we have earned it .
Speaker 3I think we belong in that pantheon of amazing Montclair festivals , I feel like you're way on already on the , I mean to kick it off with 900 , your very first time out and Rachel think about joining us on your violin .
Speaker 2We would love to have them .
Speaker 1Oh , okay , oh , but violins , when were they invented ?
Speaker 2I should probably know that we're trying to get the mayor to you know she plays cello . Did she tell you that ? No , she didn't tell us that I told her step in . Anytime join us . You know , just jump in .
Speaker 3Well , this has been great . I'm so glad , so nice to meet you and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the festival .
Speaker 2Thank you so much . This is a pleasure to be here with you . Wonderful ladies , I really admire what you've done with this .
Closing Thoughts on New Jersey
Speaker 3You're doing an incredible job . I mean , I love it . Thank you so much .
Speaker 1Thank you . This podcast was produced by Rachel Martens and Jeanette Afsharian . You can find us on Spotify , itunes and Buzzsprout . Thanks for listening . See you next week .
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