For years, Long Beach resident Darren Paltrowitz has been on a mission to have interesting discussions with personalities ranging from musicians to scientists, while highlighting Long Beach and other areas of Long Island. Now he has brought that experience to the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, and is also taking his efforts global.
Paltrowitz, 44, became interested in entertainment journalism at age 16, when he began writing for the magazine Long Island Entertainment. Under his mentor, John Blenn, the publication’s editor, Paltrowitz, who is originally from Bellmore, took on interviews, concert and album reviews, comedy coverage and other entertainment stories while building relationships in the industry.
In 2018, Paltrowitz launched a podcast called “Paltrocast,” a mix of lowbrow and highbrow subjects ranging from professional wrestling and mixed martial arts to music and history.
“Sometimes it’s talking smart about stupid things, and sometimes it’s talking stupid about smart things,” Paltrowitz said. “When I interviewed Neil deGrasse Tyson,” he added, referring to the renowned astrophysicist, “I got him to talk about music, because I wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation about astronomy.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, Paltrowitz dived deeper into Paltrocast, and since then, has grown from a handful of streaming platforms to more than 200 television stations, streaming services and on-demand outlets. The growth helped him win a 2025 Press Club of Long Island award for Best Use of Streaming Services.
Paltrowitz’s guests have included Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley, former NFL player Sam Acho and Steve Schiltz, the lead singer of Longwave and a touring guitarist for the Strokes, who created the instrumental track for the opening theme song.
“I’ve known Darren for years, and he’s just an easy interviewer to speak with,” Schiltz said. “He makes you feel comfortable, and it’s always a great conversation — even if you know you’re eventually going to get hit with a highly specific question about Long Island history or Van Halen.”
Conversations with celebrities, Paltrowitz said, have often led him back to local roots. When he interviewed Albert Hammond Jr., of the Strokes, he said, he learned that Hammond’s wife was once a nanny in Long Beach.
“You just find that all these people have been to Long Beach,” he said. “But it’s just not widely known.”
In December 2025, Paltrowitz joined the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library as a part-time librarian, before moving to full-time in February. He now leads the Emerging Adults Department, which creates programming for patrons ages 18 to 30.
Michelle Young, the library’s director, said that Paltrowitz often pitches ideas to her — like “Long Island’s Gridiron History Event,” focusing on local football heroes, which the library anticipates will take place next February.
Last Friday, the library hosted Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tracy Bonham, one of Paltrowitz’s connections from his work in the entertainment industry. Bonham said the library gave her, and patrons, the opportunity to try something new.
“I wanted to give them something different that they’ve never seen before,” Bonham said after the event. “I wanted them to have an experience of a performer who’s willing to be vulnerable on stage and leave feeling like they learned something new about themselves.”
Outside the library, Paltrowitz has worked to better communities. In September he gave a virtual academic presentation on at Utrecht University, in the Netherlands, and developed academic modules at the University of British Columbia on branding theory — how branding concepts align with a company’s growth goals and how those concepts can be applied, through pop culture case studies involving Van Halen and Kiss.
Next month, Paltrowitz said, he will present in person at the University of Southern Denmark’s Bob Dylan conference, with a focus on Lido Beach native Rick Rubin, a producer who was instrumental in the Beastie Boys’ filming a music video in Long Beach.
Later in the month, Paltrowitz said, he will present virtually at a punk history conference in Bordeaux, France, focusing on the Ramones, who are from nearby Forest Hills, Queens.
Reflecting on his work at the library and in his personal ventures, Paltrowitz said, he aims to preserve local stories while helping locals recognize the historical significance of their own communities.
“You kind of realize that if things aren’t documented, then these things never happened,” he said. “So it becomes part of your job, when you learn about history, to make sure they’re documented so that it won’t be forgotten from the public consciousness.”
