Comments | futurebird: 1. "The Urban Naturalist"

futurebird

1. "The Urban Naturalist"

Jul 19, 2006 15:04

←- →What is the nature of the joy, excitement, and, for some, the fear that we feel when we approach a big city? Is it as simple as knowing that in the city we will find many things to do and people to see? Or is it something greater? Did the Greeks feel the same way on the road to Athens? Was Machu Picchu approached by the Incas with the same sense ( Read more... )

the urban naturalist

Comments 11

gentlemoose July 19 2006, 20:26:39 UTC

Welcome back.

skinface July 20 2006, 02:15:05 UTC

you forgot to friend me back.

i like this, who wrote it? except that i disagree--cities make me feel suffocated.

how are things? come to maine. i dreamt about marta last night.

futurebird July 20 2006, 13:43:07 UTC

Maine???? Okay maybe in like two weeks... ugh. come back to the city. I'm here all sumer. I'm writing a whole book about this urban naturalist stuff.

skinface July 20 2006, 17:40:07 UTC

i'll be back aug 15th ish. are you still teaching?

did you write that? i didn't recognize the spelling. i should do a parody of it so you know what it's like to hate the city or like the country.

still writing the medieval script. do you have time to read a 65 page chunk (the 1st act)....?

futurebird July 20 2006, 19:27:56 UTC

Yes. I'm still teaching. Starting in late Aug. We should hang out when you're back in town. You can email me the script I'll have read and marked it up by the time you get back here.

Also, I'm having an engagement party on the 19th. Have not planned it yet but maybe you could come to that too?

Did I tell you A. gave me a ring?

You know I don't think I told anyone but my folks! That's why I need to have this dinner, I guess.

I wrote this. There is a lot more, like pages in one of my notebooks. I need to type it up...

Thread 5

berriz4melol July 21 2006, 00:49:15 UTC

Neat. Are you doing a chapter on the pulses of various cities you've visited/lived in? Or perhaps covering the change in pulse of Cleveland from different time periods (IE the difference between now and 1995)?

Congrats on the ring by the way.

alicemeichi July 26 2006, 15:10:53 UTC

This is brilliant. I found your journal through your post on newyorkers and I was blown away because I've never heard anyone voice this sort of opinion so thoroughly. I often discuss it with likeminded friends who are also drawn to the cities, comparing it to acquaintances of ours who often hold a snobbish view of urban living (ironically preferring to live in suburbia because they "love nature" even though they stay indoors all day and must drive their cars everywhere rather than walking or taking public transportation).

May I link to this post on my journal?

futurebird July 26 2006, 15:15:40 UTC

Of course! Link away.

:)

I started by looking for a book about these ideas becuase I talk about it all the time with people I know. I didn't find anything except for "the life and death of great american cities" by the late Jane Jacobs, but that's an urban planning book and I wanted philosophy... So I thought: I guess I have to write this thing.

alicemeichi August 21 2006, 22:22:30 UTC

You might be interested in reading Communitas, by Paul and Percival Goodman. It was written over 50 years ago, but it's pretty timeless, I think. It's a book about planning, I guess, but it's also about philosophy, and life in general.

Kelly blue book anonymous April 19 2007, 03:53:04 UTC

You like Kelly book?
http://kelly-blue-book.net4you.org/index.html kelly blue book