May Day feeds our souls

As we walked to our car after spending  our Sunday at the May Day Festival, a fellow pedestrian wished us a happy May Day.  He added, “It’s Minnesota Christmas!”  We laughed, but it wasn’t far off.

Spring returned in time for the celebration of art and community.  I’d been worried that we would have to bundle up to watch the parade since it snowed only a few days before, but whatever the weather, I was happy that it was happening at all.  There was some possibility that it wouldn’t happen due  to limited funds this year.  That certainly would have been like canceling Christmas.  The May Day parade is more than just another parade.  It reminds us of where we are in the world, that we’re part of a community, that we can make our world a better place.  As a sign in the parade stated, “May Day feeds our souls.”

This year, in particular, the parade story celebrated people everywhere and wished us well with a larger than life cautionary tale themed “See the World.”  The program quoted Carl Sagan’s words from The Pale Blue Dot:

“Look again at that dot.  That’s here.  That’s home.  That’s us.  On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives . . .”

Here we are, and we’re in this together.  Let’s see the world and cherish it.  My soul is full, and I am well-fed.

Waiting for Spring

Last weekend there was a collective sense of glee in the Twin Cities as we got our first taste of nice weather after months of seemingly endless winter.  We were all mischievous little bears borrowing hats with a shout, metaphorically speaking.  Of course, I always think life is like a picture book, and in this case, it’s like Red Hat by Lita Judge, in which there are no words–only sounds–to tell the story of some animals having a lot of fun at the end of winter.

We were right there with them.  No hat stealing that I saw, but the sounds of spring were in the air.  The park near our building was packed with families playing, grilling, smiling.  It felt like we lived at the park all weekend, and it was glorious.

This week has been decidedly less glorious outside, and the general glee has dulled as we debate whether we need winter boots and coats now or if spring jackets will do.  As we faced a snowy forecast on Wednesday, I tried to avoid complaining, but even my bright-side nature can only go so far against snow in May.

In the end, the snow missed us to dump record-breaking amounts to the south and east of here.  I stuck with my sneakers and spring jacket with only a slight sense of regret as I waited for my bus at 7 a.m. with a sharp wind chilling the air.  A winter coat might have been a warmer choice this morning, but I very happy to be leaving my boots in the closet.  Not exactly a “Roweeeee!” kind of happy, but I’ll take what I can get.

We just need a little more patience, and the cold, rainy, brown will turn to green, wonderful spring.  Actually that reminds me of another picture book:  And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano.  It’s a quieter book than Red Hat.  It’s more about the waiting, but the spring, when it finally arrives, is no less wonderful.

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Thoughts from my Local Precinct Caucus

I’ve lived in Uptown for three years.  In that time, I’ve had a lot to say about local issues and city politics, but I’ve said it all in my living room to my friends who know even less about local politics than I do.  They nod or shrug depending on my tone of voice, and we move on because none of us really know what to do about it.  It’s hard enough to stay informed about the national or state issues that everyone is talking about.  City and neighborhood issues take some commitment to stay current.  I have that commitment, but I have stayed firmly in my armchair while I sought out stories and opinions about local issues and elections.  Until now.

This past week, I put aside the anxious I’m-not-welcome feeling that comes with being a newish, non-home-owning resident coming to the political table mostly occupied by older, longtime residents with homes that rival the size of my entire apartment building.  I attended the DFL precinct caucus.  For those who are new to politics (as I am), a precinct caucus is where the party chooses delegates to attend the ward convention, which is where the party decides endorsements.  This is a pretty big deal since in Minneapolis, the candidate with the DFL endorsement usually wins.  Or so they say.

Anyway, it sounded pretty simple.  Elect some delegates, maybe get to know some neighbors, go home.  Right?   . . . right?  Well, now I know.  It was nowhere near simple.  In fact, the complications escalated pretty quickly.  Here’s the MinnPost write-up about it for more of the details.  My take is a bit more personal thanks to my reading material of late.  I am currently reading Jonathan Haidt’s book about the social psychology of politics and religion and just finished reading Chris Stedman’s book about his interfaith work bringing together theists and non-theists.  My worldview has been thoroughly invaded by thoughts of civility between opposing (or seemingly opposing) groups and a renewed sense of optimism that cooperation is possible.

I spoke with people who live within a block or two of me who cite crime as this neighborhood’s big problem, which surprised me.  I generally feel safe here even after dark, but it is interesting to know that not everyone does.  That’s the perspective I was looking for when I showed up.  But then the conversation then turned to that one gas station (you know the one) that they see as a haven of drug dealers and criminals.  Now, I’m not going to say that nothing criminal has ever happened at that gas station.  I know that isn’t true.  But I do know that most of the people at that gas station aren’t criminals.  That long-haired, tattooed, black-clad guy buying smokes?  Not a criminal.  He’s a local rocker on his way to play a show.  He isn’t as scary as he looks.

Uptown is increasingly diverse–the Wedge especially.  It’s a wild mix of large homes with residents who have families or older folks who have already raised their families and rentals occupied by all sorts of people who live here for its urban feel and proximity to night life.  In this neighborhood, you can turn a corner and find a very different demographic.  My demographics are a bit muddled. I’m a mom with a professional career, and my partner is a musician who plays shows at local bars.  I can sort-of fit in with the moms at the park and the late night bar crowd, and I can tell you with confidence that both groups care about Uptown.  We might disagree with each other on what the big issues are, but we are in this together.   It’ll be a better place if we can accept and engage everyone.  That’s the kind of leadership I’m looking for in our next city councilor in Ward 10.

As I sneaked out of the caucus room before any decisions had been made to get home for my baby-sitter, I felt exhilarated that we had so many people who wanted to participate.  We have a lot of people who care what happens here.  I’m happy to be among that group.

 

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Community Matters at your library

No two libraries are alike.  I learned this young.  My family moved around a lot for my dad’s job when I was young, so we criss-crossed the country collecting library cards along the way–thanks to my mom’s deep love of reading combined with her frugal nature.

We mostly lived in smaller towns where the local public libraries had to do the best they could with small spaces. Even in a small building, it always felt like the library was the heart of the community.  It was where you could get a sense of a town.  Huge, new children’s area?  The town must have lots of young families.  Foreign language collections?  Immigrant population.  Look at what’s on display.  Those aren’t random choices.  The librarians pull out the books they think you’ll want to read.  We always visited our new library first–to see what we were getting into.  :)

Later we moved to the Chicago area, where the local library was much, much bigger than any I’d seen before.  I remember telling my out-of-town family about the library’s size with real awe in my voice.  There I discovered the real potential of a library to engage the community to a level I hadn’t realized possible.  In addition to the rows and rows of books that I had come to expect of a library, there were computer classes, children’s programs, book clubs, and all sorts of other opportunities to come together.

Here in Minneapolis, we are lucky to have a library system via Hennepin County that provides a gathering space for everyone–it’s one of the only places you can spend time without having to spend money–and a learning space that includes books and technology.  You can connect with local history via the library’s Tumblr or connect with readers via Bookspace.  Or you can get to know the librarian at your local branch.  He or she will be happy to tell you how they support the community.

Here are some cool stuff I’ve seen and done at the Hennepin County Library recently:

• Twice Told Tales – a family program about American legends brought to life by a local theater company
• Nalah and the Pink Tiger – an interactive puppet show for kids a local puppeteer
• Celebrate Minnesota Libraries – this event launched a library related book and featured local children’s writers speaking about their connection to libraries growing up
• Wonderland Week – a week-long Alice in Wonderland celebration featured events for kids, families, and adults.

These events were more than fun things to do on a weekend afternoon.  They were opportunities to get to know my community.  We have writers, artists, and scholars in our area, and one of the main venues for them is the library–at least that’s how I usually find out about them and their work.

The library isn’t just about books.  It’s about us.

Tomorrow: Education & Libraries

All week long: National Library Week

On the last day of spring break…

I’m typing next to my living room windows.  It is sunny outside, and there is a steady stream of bike and pedestrian traffic providing me with a soundtrack of conversational snippets as people pass.  It has been spring for weeks, but on a day like today, it feels like spring.

My five-year-old has already brought out her bicycle and played at the park today, and we’ve indulged her whims perhaps more than usual because she has only just returned from a week’s stay at her grandparents’.  A week is a long time to be away from your little one.  Although, I swear she doesn’t seem as little today as she did a week ago when my parents drove away with her.  Did she grow so much in six days?  She did lose another tooth while she was gone.  Perhaps that’s the difference I’m sensing.

I had big plans for those six days, and I only crossed about half of the items off my to-do list.  I always have such big dreams for my kid-free days, like the freedom of not having a little one trailing after me wherever I go (or arranging for her to follow someone else around for a while) will make anything possible.  In the end, though, it’s the little things that make me that happiest.  For example, I spent one evening lounging around reading while my husband was at band practice.  I was able to finish a whole book in an evening.  That used to be a common practice for me, but these days it’s pretty rare.

It wasn’t all small stuff this time though.  There were a couple of big events I was very happy I was able to attend.  The first was Sigur Ros at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and I do not feel like I am over-hyping the event by saying that it would be on my top ten concerts in 2013 list, if I were to make one.  It was my second time seeing them live, and it was just as amazing as it was back in 2005 at the State Theatre–though I will say that the theater seating was more comfortable than the general admission floor at the Roy Wilkins even if it does make me feel every bit of my age to admit that.  There are some photos and thoughts on the show here, and video a friend took from the show here for those that are interested.  Photos and video can’t really do justice to the experience though.  I wholeheartedly recommend seeing Sigur Ros live if you can.

The second big event for my kid-free week was a chance to give back to my community.  Mikey Max Heals the World is an annual birthday charity event that features local music and supports local causes.  This year the lineup featured some of my friends’ bands, and the charities were organizations I was very happy to support.  My personal highlight was Fort Wilson Riot, who have been featured on this blog several times before.  It had been way too long since I had seen them live.  They have been touring an awful lot in the past year.  Great for them, not so great for me.  In any case, they played a great set of their indie-pop awesomeness.

I have yet to hear the final total of money raised for the charities, but there was a great turnout.  It is one show that I don’t mind when the audience gets a bit crowded.  I’ll endure a bit of crowding for the knowledge that we’re all there supporting organizations like the Neighborhood Involvement Program (provides health services for the uninsured), Perspectives (supports at-risk families trying to break the cycle of poverty), and the Chicago Avenue Project (a theater mentoring program).

Life gets back to normal tomorrow.  Fewer nights out, more time at the park.  That’s okay too.  There’s plenty of time to read while my girl bikes circles around me.  Maybe I’ll get through this book club pick yet…

 

I might not make it out to all the shows that some of my childless (childfree?) friends do, but I can’t help but think it’s a good life.  :)

Weekend Picks: April 5th & 6th

It has been a while since I’ve posted Weekend Picks on the blog, but I can’t resist promoting a couple of cool events I’ve been excited about for a while.

• Mikey Max Heals the World at Cause Spirits and Sound on Friday, April 5th.  Mikey Max is a friend of mine, and this is the third year that he has turned his birthday into a charity event.  This year all proceeds go to benefit the Neighborhood Involvement Program, Perspectives, and the Chicago Avenue Project.  The line up includes some local favorites and friends of mine.  It’s going to be a great show, and it’s supporting great organizations.  
• Icehouse Kids Concert Series with the Bunny Clogs on Saturday, April 6th.  I have been wishing some venue would do a regular event like this for a while.  It should be tons of fun for families looking for some musical entertainment on a Saturday morning.

 

 

Friday Find: Yellow Fever

I grew up going to a lot of community theater.  My mom loves theater, and she made sure we went to whatever community production we could find in our small suburb.  Very occasionally we even went into the city for a real show at the Chicago Auditorium.  All the shows we saw were fun, but the few professional shows we saw were really quite extraordinary.

I am embarrassed to note that it had been years since I’ve seen anything outside of children’s theater until this week.  A friend recommended a show at the Guthrie, and we jumped at the opportunity to do something new.

“Yellow Fever“ turned out to be a great show for non-theater people like us. It took on serious topics without taking itself too seriously.

It is a comic mystery set in 1970′s Vancouver that explores the racism of the era and the lasting effects of Japanese interment camps during World War II.

Here are a few reviews of note:

• Play off the Page recommends it “for the laughs, the mystery, the colorful characters, and the parts that make you think.”
• The CityPages review was mixed, but it notes that it is a mix of humor and more important issues.
• How Was the Show recommended the show saying “The trick with this play is to capture the era capturing another era, playing to an audience of another era – without flat-out stereotypes marking the path.  This production does this deftly; we get the laughs – and we get the point.”

The show runs through March 24th, and I recommend it.

I have to admit that part of my enjoyment came from revisiting a part of my childhood that always felt magical.  And knowing how excited my mom would be when I told her all about it.  :)

March Book Pick: The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

When an ARC of Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel found its way to my desk at work, I almost passed it on without reading it.  When you work in children’s books, you get really picky about the general adult books you read because your reading time is a precious work-related commodity.  For most people, the name Elizabeth Strout (and the fact that it is attached to the words “Pulitzer Prize winner”) is probably enough to make the book a priority, but I am not most readers.

The extra push that put The Burgess Boys in my “to read” pile?  As usual for my reading choices it involved a local connection.  Like Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Olive Kitteridge, The Burgess Boys is set in small-town Maine.  Maine and Minnesota both have a large population of Somali refugees, and that sometimes results in some cultural misunderstandings–like the recent incident at Washburn High School in Minneapolis.

The incident that begins The Burgess Boys is only part of the story in the book.  It is a family story about relationships and motivations.  It was occasionally heavy handed in the don’t-assume-too-much-about-people theme, but not so much that it detracted from the intimate story of people trying to make sense of the world in which they live.

Highly recommended.

As a side note for those who know or work with teens, Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian addresses some of the same issues (Maine, Somali immigrants, tolerance) for a young adult audience.  Also recommended.

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Check out last month’s book pick: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  A portion of purchases made from these links may benefit this blog.  Thanks for your support!

Friday Find: Pratfalls of Parenting

“We make cool stuff. We make people too. How has that affected you?  Along the way we try to stay creative types at the end of the day.” –The Pratfalls of Parenting theme song

I recently discovered the Pratfalls of Parenting podcast about life as a parent in the arts, and I’ve become a bit obsessed with the show.  I am far from being a working artist myself–that isn’t even on my map really–but that doesn’t matter.  The sense of camaraderie in the casual conversations between the artists in the podcast extends to the listener, and turns people whose names I see on advertisements for gallery shows or theater performances into real people whose struggles are not far off from mine.

All the interviews that I’ve listened to so far seem to circle back to the idea that you have to be you to be a good parent.  You might be able to put parts of you in the background at times, like when your kids are quite young, but you have to keep making things or whatever it is you are into.  For me that means writing and making zines.  For my husband, it means making music.  We’ve made these things priorities in our house, and it’s nice to know that there are other families out there who are making the same kinds of priorities we are.

But I don’t think you have to be some sort of artist to know the tension between keeping your pre-parent self alive and being a good parent, and I don’t think you have to be an artist to appreciate the Pratfalls of Parenting podcast.  For one thing, it’s a fascinating angle on the Twin Cities arts scene.  I’ve discovered so many artists and arts organizations in the few weeks I’ve been listening.  :)

Here are some of the highlights I’ve found so far:

• Seniz Lennes (improvisor/actor/photographer) talks about parenting as part of her creative practice and the way that her work as an improvisor informs her parenting.  She blogs about this at Yes And Parenting.
• Carolyn Swiszcz (painter/video maker) references children’s books as a great inspiration, and she mentions several illustrators in particular that she likes.  While I’m on the subject of books, I’ll also point out that Susannah Schouweiler mentions that having free reign of the library as a kid influenced her decision to become a writer and William Alexander (children’s book author) talks about writing, the book industry, and all sorts of other things kidlitgeeks like me love hearing about.
• Jena Young  (comic/theater producer) brings up the topic of humor in that what is funny to kids is often not the same as what is funny to adults.  I wonder what she and host Levi Weinhagen (of all-ages theater company Comedy Suitcase) would think of my assessment of Kid Humor in picture books. ;)

I highly recommend the podcast to parents of all sorts, but especially to those who make stuff and make that a priority.

Friday Find: Glam Doll Donuts

I have fond memories of bakeries and donut shops from my childhood, and I tried to share my donut-related memories with my family while we waited in line at Glam Doll Donuts this week.  But my 5 year-old was more interested in the sweets in the display case than in my old stories of being her age and hanging out in the back room of the bakery where my mom worked at the time.  Once our donuts had been consumed, she just wanted to explore the shop’s unique decor.  The photo booth was a great source of curiosity, and the stage-like steps leading to the back door were screaming “put on a show” to anyone under age 6 or so.

You don’t have to be a kid to let Glam Doll capture your imagination.  It’s retro and stylish, and the idea that you can drink coffee and eat sweets into the wee hours is a good one.  It’s well worth checking out.  I know I’ll be back.  There is a donut with bacon on top that I have yet to try… :)