These Spaces in Between

Airports are non-places. In-between places. You’re not really here but not really there yet. You’ve said goodbye and haven’t yet said hello. At an airport, you’re not quite in the air but not exactly on the ground. Usually, in airports we’re in too much of a hurry to contemplate the liminality of such spaces. It’s […]

How to Kill a Mockingbird, a Longing for Belonging, and the Power of Story

A Strange Introduction to Boo Radley The autumn I was 12, my big brother, Emmanuel, invented a name for our neighbor across the street: Boo Radley.  The man’s name was actually Doug. Although in his late thirties, he still lived with his mother. Doug had narrow eyes and a strange, perpetual smile. We had been […]

Does Art Have Meaning? (And If So, What Is It?)

In her article, “Beyond the Disciplines: Art without Borders,” author and artist Suzi Gablik mentions the kind of art that has “some worthy agenda outside of itself, and a socially redeeming purpose.” I love that idea, as opposed to art driven by the “professional recognition,” marketplace competition, and “brisk sales” she also mentions — things […]