Policy and Persuasion

Blog in Aspic

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 14:46:19 -0500

I have posted blogs on a weekly basis since late 2009, partly to entertain and inform, but largely to acquaint potential clients with my critical thinking and writing skills. I have achieved some success on both counts.

I have found this endeavor a creative adventure but one that I leave now. Please visit my archive and enjoy the many links to informative sites.

I moved my site to a new web host provider to preserve it after Apple terminated MobileMe. I do not wish to remake the site with new software so am preserving it for at least two years. I was particularly disappointed to see all the lively comments left by readers did not migrate.

Pro-Social Evolution

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 07:49:37 -0500

Evolving a city: David S. Wilson is an evolutionary biologist who is conducting a deep study on one city, Binghamton, NY, where he is a SUNY professor. I heard him on the radio early this morning talk about his choice to study a specific urban human environment and see the role of evolution. There always exists a mismatch between our evolving species and the world we navigate. Changes are happening at warp speed and the mutations can be identified. He talked about the terror unleashed by George Washington in that geographic area upon Native Americans and the evolutionary after-effects. Wilson made the point that evolution includes more than the current obsession with genes.

Pro-Social: Professor Wilson is candid about his goal to work toward better neighborhoods. He has a 12-step program. I particularly am drawn to one,
9) fast, fair conflict resolution (I removed the incorrect comma). We drag out arguments, frustrate all with protracted negotiations. A final decision too often is a mirage.

Evolution of the funkiest: Darwin Tunes Evolution Project. People copy; mutations arise from imperfect transfer, just as in the physical world. You can join the experiment online and decide what types of musical combinations should survive. The researchers are based in London so it’s appropriate they have appropriated Darwin’s survival of the fittest. I appreciate this site directly asks you if they can set cookies for Google Analytics. (I recently visited KUT-FM and hit a wrong key; I was sent to a porn site. I quickly eliminated that cookie - I don’t recommend visiting kut.com.)

At right is a visually stunning illustration of specific musical sound.

Evolution of Tech Week: It has grown since last year, and the energy at the Merchandise Mart is palpable. Diet Coke and cupcakes, performance art providing tea refreshments (at left), email and voice mail vendors, lots of swag. Rahm offered the opening address and I understand he knew of what he spoke. TaskRabbits now are in Chicago, and I met a few of their roving young professionals. I find it laudable that these recent grads are energetic in facing the lousy economy handed them, offering their services on all manner of errands and domestic duties.

I may be a digital immigrant but I weekly contribute time to improving my knowledge of, and ease with, Internet capability. I am particularly smitten when I see the conjunction of new technology with what I value in our culture. The tea poured from this piece of sculpture tasted better for the participating conveyance.

U VA Devolving? I have been enthralled by this WP series on the high drama at the University of Virginia, where Rector Helen Vargas executed a months-long sub rosa campaign to remove highly regarded President Teresa Sullivan without a vote - or substantial reason. The campus is in turmoil, although most students are gone for the season. Governor McDonnell has issued an ultimatum to the Board of Visitors to rectify the situation Monday or they will be removed en masse by mid-week. Sullivan served many years in the University of Texas system so she is politically adept when not blind-sided.

The Lifeboat as evolution: Charlotte Rogan wrote a contemporary book set in the early twentieth century, after the sinking of the Titanic. We never tire of asking ourselves how we would behave if life hung in the balance. What if we were in competition for food, water and status - when it could prove fatal to be passive or kind? I liked that I didn’t like or dislike the main characters. This is a first novel for a middle-aged author who studied architecture. An evolving career.

Evolution of friendship: Too many real social relationships fray due to lack of presence. You can be friends on Facebook without meaning, consequence or affection. I treasure the sense of tradition one establishes with those outside family bonds. Jan Keeler and I have taken each other out for birthday lunches for over a quarter century. She had her first date with her husband on my birthday when we worked together. I still remember the birthdays of girls I attended grade school with so we began these twice annual outings. On another note of tradition, I began wearing blue more often after the death of my mother, who wore it often. This photo was shot by Jan after our Saturday lunch in the Water Tower gallery.

There are quirks in the blog layout as MobileMe dissipates and dies June 30. This is my last blog with this host. My website evolves when I move it; I know not where until I confer with Thirst Design Friday afternoon. The Comment section seemingly disappeared today so you may leave a message on a previous blog if you wish.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Product Distinction

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 21:04:07 -0500

Graduates Going Pro: Ivy League schools have product distinction. Confidence comes with that. Michael Lewis, a writer with a keen understanding of success, kindly suggested to Princeton’s new graduates that they should recognize the distinction of luck. You may have heard about the better publicized David McCullough (English teacher, not the writer) speech about graduates not being special. The parents must have squirmed.

I’m eschewing political topics in this posting because the cascade of bad news, incapable political leadership and calcified positions defying realities are known to all. Design and beauty instead during a beautiful week in Chicago. I even had a pleasant conversation about New York living with Jules Feiffer at Jean Albano Gallery. He was in town for the great book fair on Printers Row.

I played a Steinway on the stage of the CSO: for only a moment, but I was magnificent! Concert titans spoke with us for 90 minutes last Sunday, using an array of piano inventions to describe how tickling the ivories has changed over the centuries. The crowd was invited up to view the various instruments. A talented audience member played for several minutes on the 18th century piano similar to one that Mozart used to compose his later pieces.

I hadn’t realized how pianists must calibrate their playing to address the tonal, string and pedal differences. One of the speakers noted the setup of instruments resembled the poster showing the ascent of our ancestors to homo sapiens stature. A young boy of about nine asked a question and was invited up to view this Hungarian instrument. It was enjoyable for all of us to see him bask in the attention.

Ian Schrager defined his profession - product distinction - at NEOCON: Schrager spoke eloquently about his passion for his hotel career, and showed many slides of creative solutions. His Public Hotel in Chicago includes the storied, but previously worn-looking, Pump Room. I usually am the first in a large crowd to ask a question because I know the importance of someone jumping up to get others in question mode. He mentioned not enlarging the tiny bathrooms in the hotel in order to keep the price points acceptable; my 1925 vintage condo bathroom prompted my query. Ian’s suggestion: tile over tile, painted mirrors above the tiles to add size; glass shelf above the sink.

I have done work for IIDA and enjoy the annual invitation for NEOCON. Public policy visits design, and I learned about electronic toilets, the trend in office design to keep the workforce standing, new colors (too much lime green for my taste). I have enough bags of various sizes, design and purpose for at least the next year of toting in all weather. PoCampo was one of my favorite small vendors at the shows; accessories for the bike always interest me.

Songa Design International: Truth in advertising, this is a business co-owned by a relative; I am not disinterested. Rwandan artisans produce contemporary, lightweight, affordable designs that use readily available local resources. The website is up, as are sales. The Internet makes businesses possible that couldn’t have existed a decade ago. Rwandan artisans paid upfront for their production is a refreshing business model getting attention.

Note: There will be quirks in the blog layout as MobileMe reaches “end of life” at Apple.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Chekhov’s Gun

Mon, 4 Jun 2012 16:07:33 -0500

Chekhov’s Gun: Lane’s suicide in last night’s Mad Men episode was the shot, although he used a rope. Those of you who watch the show surely were mesmerized by the acting. Jared Harris, the actor who played him, is the son of the late Richard Harris. I wonder how Jaguar executives viewed this story arc, with jokes about the car’s unreliability. They could suggest ads showing the car is suicide-proof. Lane could have benefited from time at Ragdale to salve his wounded spirit, and this view from one of the guest rooms suggests serenity.

Ragdale’s open house yesterday gave me the opportunity to visit a bit of heaven in Lake Forest, a northern suburb with more than its share of celestial-quality sites. Artists, writers, musicians and other creatives can apply for a sojourn in a contemplative setting that fosters creative work. A major renovation preserved the timeless quality of the property. Dancing, poetry, music and art were all on display. I particularly enjoyed the music of Kelly Brand and her bassist husband. Both live in Chicago and are known on the local jazz scene. Kelly has been a recidivist at Ragdale. She included a lovely composition about mental illness.

Food / Creativity: All those who have stayed at Ragdale rave about the quality of the food. Guests are asked to stay on the property during their two, four or six-week guest pass. Applicants come from all over the world. A friend of mine who made a presentation in Chinatown Saturday about her book, Mulberry Child, and subsequent documentary film, stayed at Ragdale during her eight-year writing project.

I was stunned by the vistas of the property and discovered that Lake Forest Open Lands bought adjacent acres, including trails and untilled prairie. Almost divine. It’s open to the public.

Author’s Note: I set up my website in December 2009 on Apple’s iWeb and have written a regular blog to chat with known friends and unknown observers. I’ve been able to track the location of visitors through Google Analytics and have been delighted to have readers from every continent.

Apple is discontinuing support for the publication of websites on their MobileMe service, which has its end of life June 30. I must make arrangements with a new vendor to host my site. I have not decided whether to purchase additional software to enable regular changes and additions to geraldineconrad.com, but I shall post the final decision by the end of June.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Keys to the City

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:49:33 -0500

Emanuel Ax is curator: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has declared Sunday Chicago Piano Day, as part of a longer series of events and concerts in the Chicago's Keys to the City Piano Festival May 23 to June 12. Note the myriad free events on the schedule that day. I enjoyed a half-hour performance by Ax at Apple Tuesday night that inaugurated the festival. David Hyde Pierce is going to play a duo with him Sunday at 1 pm and is dutifully practicing. Grand pianos have been placed around the city for civilians to play. For complete information, go to cso.org - the mid-right hand side of the page has links to video, schedule and other features.

Keys- and perhaps a brew - to Police Commissioner Garry McCarthy: He must have enjoyed the last few days, as he has been heralded, even by a rank-and-file not easily pleased with its leaders. Many city inhabitants were inconvenienced but some of us simply avoided the affected areas while NATO was in town. The last of the 70 motorcades didn’t leave until Tuesday afternoon, so that was a surprise expressway tie-up. One music venue near McCormick Place was closed for good after a policewoman walked around before NATO and didn’t like the graffiti. The police complained to the landlord and kaput. Let freedom make noise!

I was by Wrigley Field Saturday just prior to the game the dignitaries attended; it was quiet on the street. I’ve long suspected a significant portion of the game day crowd is made up of those who come to drink in the bars and hang out. Pictured is Marisol, a beer devised by Rick Bayless and Goose Island. I’m not a big beer drinker but I like this. The GI employee who worked on it said I made his day when I asked specifically for the beer.

Keys to Patrick Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald surprised us this week, and although many of us are sad to see him leave his position as the northern district federal prosecutor, he needs a change. I laugh when I see TV news put up the names of potential successors. Anita Alvarez? Please .... Sam Skinner, who once held the post and later served in the Cabinet, suggested that several on staff in the office now could perform admirably, and also said an excellent judge would be attractive. John Kass has a plan: have Fitz submit names to Sen. Durbin and let our two senators pick from that list. Mark Kirk went to his Chicago office this week to meet with,and receive an award from, the Polish delegation. His rehabilitation is progressing.

Keys from the Arts Club: I was invited to a lively lunch at the Arts Club recently. Its highlight: truncated performances of the Mixed Mamas show last weekend at Links Hall, a performance space seeking larger quarters. A professor new to performance spoke of her equestrian background and how she has synthesized her upper-class childhood and love of horses with her lesbian academic persona. Funny - and deep. She dressed in full riding costume.

Keys to heat: Please don’t let the temperature approach 100 Sunday! I don’t have AC and, although the lake breeze is lovely on most days, I once had my swimming cap melt into a piece of clothing when 100 visited us before. Say it ain’t so, Joe (or in this case, Tom Skilling).

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Deliverables

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:57:02 -0500

Sous-Sherpa: I spent two days Thursday and Friday with some of the smartest people in the field of preparing for summits; their use of this term of art intrigued me. In fact, the theme of this blog was inspired by the frequent reference to deliverables at The Apex of Influence - How Summit Meetings Build Multilateral Cooperation. Daniel Drezner, Ph.D, made the point that deliverables are fewer in meetings of allies, and that pageantry may be excessive but almost unavoidable at this point.

The keynote was presented by Berenice Diaz Ceballos, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Mexico G-20 sous-sherpa. There is an entire academic and practitioner community devoted to summits, their preparation, execution and deliverables. Those in attendance agreed Ceballos had been a stellar sherpa.

Uri Dadush, Ph.D., is at Carnegie after a career that included service as Director of International Trade at the World Bank. He talked at some length about the Eurozone’s heightened crisis - one he termed competitive rather than fiscal. The Euro is too high for peripherals who cannot devalue as they once might have. Dadush emphasized this crisis didn’t occur without notice - that the problems got worse when exchange rates began to freeze about 15 years ago. He said austerity is part of the solution while structural changes are undertaken. We have to recognize if countries (small ones) can’t make it. That means Greece and Portugal. Italy is too big to bail. Politicians will have to rise to the occasion to right this ship.

Video from the event is archived at fora.tv/partner/Stanley_Foundation. If you have limited time, I recommend you watch this panel on NATO, including an insightful and candid presentation from Turkey’s Ahmet K Han, Ph.D.

I can’t leave discussion of this meeting without mentioning the talk by Paul Walker, Ph.D, of Global Green on WMDs. Were you aware there are nine chemical stockpiles in the US, some only lately discovered? Walker described them as being found - literally - in our backyards. They are still a year away from completing cleanup of a section in northwest D.C. that began in 1993 during construction of a backyard gazebo. It affected 1000 homes.

The participants, many who traveled from other continents to attend this seminar, were mightily impressed by the view from the Art Institute’s new Modern Wing at the reception Thursday night. I learned so much about what to expect from the NATO Summit coming to Chicago next Sunday. I remain unconvinced the world needs 70 motorcades to address security issues.

North Grant Park: a new deliverable breaks ground this Fall. There was a sparkling presentation at the lunchtime program Wednesday at the Chicago Architectural Foundation, and you’ll soon be able to explore it online - virtually. I was particularly charmed by the concept of the ice ribbons, rather than a rink. We’ll be able to skate around more land mass and in summer the space will be available for dry skaters and skateboarders. They haven’t quite solved the problem of access to Lake Michigan across ten lanes of Lake Shore Drive traffic but the din will be ameliorated.

I stopped at Donna’s Cafe on South State Street for a salad to bring to the lecture - what a cozy place offering fabulous food without the long waits common in the Loop at noon. Donna is a retired police officer who is busy planning spoken word and poetry events at the cafe, in addition to the Friday live jazz. You can order online or eat in one of the comfy chairs pictured in the link.

Herta Muller delivered, as did her translator: This Romanian-born, German-speaking 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature winner appeared at the Poetry Foundation Wednesday night before a standing-room crowd, with a translator equal to the task. I particularly enjoyed the Collage Poems, presented on a screen. The foundation always serves some refreshments in line with the theme of the day, and we were treated to German sausage, among other treats. Collage #8:

milk is the twin of tar
you can lie in white or black
mother rolls a candy back and forth inside her mouth
father telephones with the flies

Justice not always a deliverable: I attended an evening event at Jenner & Block on Working Together to Prevent Wrongful Convictions in Illinois. (This was the view from the law firm.) Inferior quality of defense, acceptance of questionable confessions, judges without discernment and racial disparities were a few of the problems discussed. I was impressed by the passion of former Appellate Court Judge Warren Wolfson, now a law professor at DePaul.

Price of deliverables: I’ve long been annoyed by ads everywhere in civic life, and am particularly perturbed by the rolling ads on the bus shelters that do not shelter, but merely serve as a vehicle for delivering ads. Another dubious Daley gift. This new book and column explaining some of its highlights speak to me! Not everything should have a price.

 

Daniel Duell delivers: Duell a former ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet, is artistic director and choreographer with Ballet Chicago. Duell moved to Chicago in the 1980s and quickly had to regroup after the predecessor Chicago City Ballet dissolved shortly thereafter. I recently attended a program of Balanchine Masterworks and saw in the program all the in-kind contributions that help keep this cultural resource afloat. Duell and his wife even provide student housing.

Quiet folder deliverable, earth as a solar-powered jukebox: You probably have noticed we are subject to unremitting annoying sounds, even in the country where polluters love their snowmobiles and motor boats that wake the dead. I started to write that I expect to see lobbying for shooting ranges in national parks; I did a search and realize they already exist. Listen to this acoustic ecologist share his observations and recordings in nature, where you can hear elks from two miles away. Gordon Hempton defines quiet as absence of noise. He points to Olympic National Park in Washington as the best place left in the country to experience this. Did you know people are less likely to help one another in a noisy atmosphere?

Civil rights deliverable: President Obama evolved full circle back to his 1996 position on same sex marriage. There has been a sea change in understanding and acceptance of this issue in a relatively short span, although it doesn’t feel like that to those who have been waiting to enjoy these rights.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Set Design

Tue, 1 May 2012 18:23:12 -0500

Austin in April: before the heat descends. I attended a reunion at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and spent time at the Academic Libraries as well, where I’ve done some editing and proofreading. I stayed in a wind stream for a “keeping Austin weird” experience (and returned with over 20 mosquito bites). The Dean took a few of us to dinner within the UT football stadium, many steps above typical stadium fare. We had intellectual sustenance as well with several superb professorial presentations. Jeremi Suri, PhD gave a powerful presentation referencing his recent Liberty's Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from Washington to Obama. He holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, and yes, that is the UT-Austin football coach. This links to my essay about my school experience and the value I derived from the degree.

The photo at left is where I ate lunch one day, in a parking lot downtown; I had about the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten. Austin has a strong contingent of these truck restaurants. I told the operator he could set up shop in Chicago and be cooler this summer. This is a set design to delight the taste buds. The other photo shows one of my classmates with me at the reception.

Set Design for Walter Cronkite Plaza: dedicated while I was in Austin at the Communications Building. Two of Walter’s children were present. Fire trucks massing for a small fire in an adjacent building added to the multi-media nature of the event. Link for the art installation that lights at dusk each night.

Who Do We Think We Are? at The Second City set designs were spare but the stellar talent on stage made us laugh for a couple of hours. I loved their announcement that the auction money collected to win favored topics for improvisation would be donated to Planned Parenthood. Nobody objected. One Canadian man sitting in front of us paid $40 for a skit on tax cuts; he was an accountant, and feeling no pain. You’ll all be seeing new cast member Edgar Blackmon in future. He dominated, in both male and female roles.

Set Design at Steppenwolf was better than the play when a friend and I attended the four-star reviewed Time Stands Still recently. The audience seemed to agree. The acting was fine but the script did not impress.

Short-Term Celebrity: A professor friend with Northwestern University’s Integrated Marketing Communications program hosted a barbecue dinner Saturday night for dozens of leading business leaders from China. I knew I had arrived at the correct house because at least 15 men were on the lawn taking photos. I was asked to pose for at least 30 photos with the various attendees and only wish I spoke Mandarin. My photo may be in several provinces of China by the end of the week.

Designs on Film: Author Cathy Whitlock, an interior designer with a passion for movie sets, spoke at the Merchandise Mart last week about her new book. We learned about uses of waxes and other potions to transfer illusions. Black and white films dictated the use of black water and sets in various shades of gray to convey crispness. Set designs may be cheap up close but they transfer beautifully to the screen.

Trees in Silos: who would have predicted this? Rural abandonment has its limits and the sheer serendipity of this unexpected story made me smile.

Set Design in City Council: offensive! Mayor Daley’s gifts continue - to those in power. We now discover he engineered a sweet deal for aldermen pensions. They are set for life - $58 million for 21 retired pols. That’s on top of their several salaries - whether for judge, zoning services, etc.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Book It

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 13:07:16 -0500

Book it; celebrate it: Anthony Grafton addressed a large crowd gathered for his Chicago Humanities Festival appearance. Subject: the past, present and future of the book. His talk was far superior to the title. Grafton, a superb historian, did not rail against the demise of print, but provided a wonderful history of books. He spoke about how new technology does not presage the end of literacy. He shared a research site with us, arXiv.org, which allows quicker access to new knowledge through the largesse of Cornell University. We should all hope that budget line item remains. Grafton included a humorous slide titled Conan the Librarian (photoshopped with Arnold) above this germane poem:

What is best in life?
To shush the noisy
To see them driving home
To hear the silence of the library

Book it; Curate it: I enjoy slipping into the role of perpetual student, and took advantage once again of the SAIC Visiting Artists Program. Last night’s guest, Kellie Jones, is curator and author of the award-winning EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art. In the first section of her substantial talk, Kellie introduced us to several Black artists who often were ahead of their time, invisible to most in the art world. She emphasized Alma Thomas, Fred Eversley, Jack Whitten and Tom Lloyd. I’d like to own work by any one of them.

Jones described exhibit organization as a pedagogical exercise. She recently curated Now Dig This; Art and Black Los Angeles 1960-1990, which soon will be seen in New York. Kellie took us through the show in slides and I was particularly taken with the sculpture pieces. Ghost Merchant (seen at left) by John Riddle was the subject of extended remarks. He was a seminal figure whose work is in numerous collections - but largely without catalogue documentation.

Book it; Save it: Preservation Chicago announced its annual seven keenly endangered buildings. There are three hospitals on the 2012 list; healthcare architecture was once one of monumental edifice. Reuse is possible but large scale buildings involve myriad challenges.

Most windows are permanently closed, even in buildings where they were built to welcome clement temperatures and breezes. Our health club is in an upgraded vintage building, more charming than most. Spin class air grows rank at times; the instructor must rely on fans rather than open the several tall windows glued shut.

Book it; Film it: Mulberry Child is a book written by a friend, one who grew up in China and experienced the Cultural Revolution through her parents’ fall from Communist grace. The juxtaposition of Jian’s upbringing contrasts with that of her daughter, and is a significant theme of the movie version, narrated by Jacqueline Bisset. The Siskel Film Center has had multiple screenings this week. And sold out. I met Jian when she was preparing to decamp to Ragdale in Lake Forest for a writing retreat. (There is a free event - open to the public - June 3 at Ragdale after its renovation.) My childhood couldn’t sustain an entire book because there was little drama (aside from books read aloud about martyrs), and no persecution.

Book ‘em; Strip ‘em: I get angry at dog owners who unleash their animals in the park but I wouldn’t want them to be strip searched for this infraction. Muffler shops should advertise specials on replacements to prevent strip searches! I have never returned a library book late so I’m safe on that score. I ride a bike without a bell because nobody can hear them in traffic. My sister once ran up a fine for a forgotten magazine she checked out; I can’t imagine her undergoing this procedure for what I term a civil error. It has the endorsement of the Supremes now.

The Supreme Court lost me over Bush v Gore, although I have warm feelings for the stalwart few who have not behaved like strident partisans. The concern for broccoli voiced by Justice Scalia in the three days of hearings on Obamacare confirms that his reputation for intellect is as inflated as his ego. The sense of majesty left the building with the green vegetables. Did you know that at one point in the 18th century citizens were required by law to purchase firearms? And that there was mandatory health insurance in 1790? Don’t tell this court! But read this nuanced commentary for insights on both cases.

I will be traveling to Austin later this month and must complete writing assignments before I leave. I may not post another blog until the end of the month.

Link to Go to Archive for all previous posts at http://bit.ly/aiA2sr - or hit the Archive icon.

I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Redefining Dreams

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:56:30 -0500

Dreams can be fictional. I commented on Columbia College’s Story Week last Friday; its theme was Surviving the American Dream. I wonder at this point whether we can reach agreement on what defines our collective dream. Many are living a nightmare and can’t wake up. The drama surrounding the Supreme Court this week underscores we have different definitions of freedom. Civics and history no longer rank as important in school curricula, leading to ignorance among many citizens about basic tenets and processes of the ways we govern ourselves.

The dream of serving in Congress must seem nightmarish for many who find their main job is fundraising. You must listen to This American Life’s March 30 show. Kudos to Dick Durbin for having the guts to participate. John Boehner’s office said it wasn’t a good use of his time.

AIG’s tax gifts continue: I dream of a day when capitalism’s giants don’t rely on government for their inflated well-being. Capitalism AIG’s way is fictional.

Dreams can be musical, too. Listen to Bruce Springsteen’s keynote on the magic of music at SXSW online; it’s an hour well-spent. This man can write a song, but he can write a speech, too. Some politicians could benefit from hiring him to draft a few statements. His Wrecking Ball communicates more effectively than many news reports the current state of states.

Billy Blake and the Vagabonds were live in concert Thursday night at the Poetry Foundation - using the poetry of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The foundation often serves refreshments that reflect the theme and last night we were served platters of varying breads, butter and English ales. Yum! A portion of The Little Vagabond:

Then the parson might preach, and drink, and sing
And we’d be as happy as birds in the spring;
And modest Dame Lurch who is always at church,
Would not have bandy children, nor fasting nor birch.

I missed all but the last song because I had been attending No Do-Overs: Compromise and Complicity in Architecture at the Graham Foundation, a fascinating discussion between two professionals steeped in architecture and design, one of whom works for Newark, NJ. Sam Jacob and Damon Rich offered great insights in worlds where pure vision is rarely achieved. Jacob showed one new building (shown to the right) he worked on that is isolated, with many floors of apartments, topped by single-family houses on the roof. Oh, and there is a Swiss Chalet-like small building near the entrance.

Water Dreams: Readers know I am obsessed with the Great Lakes; I was focused Wednesday while attending a seminar at John Marshall Law School on the implementation of the Great Lakes Compact. Our watershed does not respect political boundaries so leaves us open to the reality of the tragedy of the commons. Users are tempted to use a resource until it is depleted if there are multiple users. The GLC is a mixed model of water compact, fusing aspects of the western states scarcity model and the eastern states abundance model. The keynote speaker, Sara Rollet Gosman, from the University of Michigan Law School, lauded the state of Michigan’s water withdrawal assessment tool, showing site specific reviews. She outlined threats to the basin: climate change, growth outside the basin and the new water uses (fracking is one) that don’t fit into traditional water management schemes. Matthew Parlow, from Marquette University Law School, did a stunning job in analyzing the Waukesha application for diversion, which could set precedents we can only imagine if its request for water from Lake Michigan is approved. Waukesha is outside the basin, so would have to find a way to replace the water it requests. Waukesha is full of residents who fled the urban center of Milwaukee, with tax rates much lower than Milwaukee. The application states they are unable to reach non-onerous conservation goals (only 68 residences have participated in a low flow toilet exchange). The community wants high quality water from a municipality it disparages. The residents may dislike taxes but want about $75 million from the feds to assist this project. I will be distraught if Waukesha’s application is approved. If you want more details of this morning-long event, print the handouts from this link. You’ll know much of what we learned. I was pleased to discover the Illinois diversion is not harmful to Lake Michigan and that our state is in compliance with the compact thus far.

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I make an effort to link to good sources so I hope you click on red whenever it interests you.

Story Lines

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:02:14 -0500

Story Week has been marvelous - again! Seven days of presentations, conversations, screenings and even music - a gift from Columbia College to the city. There are forms to fill out, including zip codes, that are necessary to snare some grants, but that is the only work required of a grateful audience. It ends tonight with a rousing group read by many authors, some of them professors at Columbia, as they choose favorite paragraphs by other Chicago writers.

Bonnie Jo Campbell stood out in the week, partly because I attended two events for which she was on stage. I particularly was struck by her emphasis that people have to be heat-treated, using an industrial metaphor particularly applicable in the heartland. I went immediately to the library Monday evening and checked out Once Upon a River after her references to it, including her explanation that it partly an homage to Mark Twain’s writing on the subject of river journey. Bonnie read two short stories from American Salvage aloud and her pleasant demeanor belies the toughness of her writing. Her website includes the litany of her professions - a combination beyond imagining - including a degree in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and a graduate degree in Math, even working in a rodeo. Someone should make a movie based on her life, don’t you agree?

John Sayles is not only a fine film maker and writer, but an excellent raconteur. There was a screening of his new movie Wednesday daytime which I could not attend, but the focus of his Thursday conversation was A Moment in the Sun, an epic sweep that will not be made into a movie. I was happy to have the opportunity to thank him for Lone Star, one of my favorite movies.

Dagoberto Gilb exclaimed over the building at 2800 North Milwaukee Ave. where Wednesday night’s reading occurred, saying he’d like to buy it. He said he missed the streets while living in Austin, Texas and said, half-humorously, that it is too green, hilly and hippie for his taste. I warned him I would quote that, particularly when I spend a few days there next month. Green is possible now because central Texas has had rain of late.

All Story Week events were taped so you can enjoy them, too. I particularly suggest the panel on TEXT/IMAGE: A CONVERSATION ON SEEING NARRATIVE. The stellar cast included: a self-described Afro-Viking with a best-selling novel, a film and literary festival and a Mixed Chicks YouTube channel, Heidi Durrow; a cartoonist with a poor self-image but great talent and humility that makes him attractive, Ivan Brunetti; featherbooks publisher Zach Dodson, who destroys books while making them more beautiful; Jay Wolke, photographer extraordinaire who relies on non-digital cameras and just published Architecture of Resignation: Photographs from the Mezzogiorno. Audrey Niffenegger is a multi-faceted artist who extends her efforts beyond writing best-sellers.

I sat with a student at one event who lives at home, and said she often is teased about it. Her parents are without great resources, so she has borrowed so much money she expects to spend her entire life paying off the loans. She helps her parents financially, too. Fiction writers are a dedicated subset, not planning the trajectory of their lives on the biggest payoff possible. I wish her well, and find it disheartening that so many must mortgage their lives to pursue higher education. Those lucky few who can rely on their parents for total financial support won life’s lottery; I hope they appreciate it.

ICE in 85 degree weather: We’ve set warmth records for April in March here in Chicago. Our flowering trees must be so confused. St. Patrick’s Day was like a July afternoon, one I spent at Corbett vs. Dempsey art gallery for a flute concert by Claire Chase, with the International Contemporary Ensemble. I am grateful Claire didn’t wear green. We later went to a Latin American restaurant to avoid the St. Pat crowds. I went down Addison where it was like a Cubs home game outside Wrigley Field. This has been the easiest winter weather I’ve experienced in the midwest and hope it doesn’t augur a hotter summer.

We’ll have less maple syrup as a result, and will no doubt pay in numerous ways for these sunny days and welcome breezes.

Narrative in Song: I can’t sign off without mentioning a concert Monday night at Fourth Presbyterian Church, where the Grinnell Singers performed the world premiere of Anything Can Happen by Mohammed Fairouz, a collaboration with Seamus Heaney. Divine music in a divine space.

Color Stories by Ben Moore: Narratives and stories are in every discipline now. I’m invited to a symposium at the Merchandise Mart next week covering color stories, with “240 complex interior colors.” I would so enjoy assigning colors to everything I see.

Jim Yong Kim - the just-announced Obama nominee for World Bank President - has a great life story. He can rap about it.

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