schizzes and flows

I’m back from Memphis and RSA. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check out Graceland (though if Jeff’s posts are any indication, I guess I missed a golden opportunity to soak up some real rock-n-roll excess…oh well). I did manage, however, to catch some great panels and (re)connect with some old and new friends. Like Jenny, I found Memphis to be less than Veggie friendly, but from what I heard the BBQ’s great if you’re in to that sort of thing. As far as the conference goes, I’ll post some notes and thoughts tomorrow…

I know I’ve been absent from this space for a while, and believe me I’ve acquired a nice case of blogger’s anxiety over that time–the same kind of frustration I used to get when I was (or more accurately, wasn’t) writing creatively. So many distractions, interruptions, and obligations to worry about, and before you know it, no writing for a week and serious case of bitchy writer syndrome. Today’s no exception: I’ve got a stack of new media proposals to read through, papers to read and comment on, two papers of my own to write, a REALLY long draft of a conference paper to revise and cut to 8 pages by next week, and a summer job to find pronto. With my to-do list in hand, I decided to get out of the office and park myself at a secluded table in the student union. Nice and quiet. Great view of the lake (ok–a bit of a distraction…). Overall, work’s going well this morning. I’m beginning to get in the zone. Even managed to read a few blogs and not feel guilty about it.

Then…

Music. Really loud classical (string ensemble) music. More specifically, a really loud string ensemble version of “The Eye of the Tiger” (you know, the montage workout anthem from Rocky III). At first, I thought maybe a student had programmed the jukebox and tweaked the volume controls before retreating gleefully to watch our puzzled/angry expressions. The Old “Eye of the Tiger” String-Ensemble trick, huh? Touché. Eventually (but only because I’m in a bit of a daze here), I realized that what I was hearing wasn’t from the jukebox but was rather coming from outside the Union. A real string ensemble playing “Eye of the Tiger” on the street. With an audience. If they had only played “Tiger,” I might’ve suspected a happening (and a pretty cool one at that). But, it seems they have an entire catalogue of pop standards (an hour’s worth and counting), most recently a Star Wars medley, a full-length version of “Stairway to Heaven,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

And so it goes.

John Leland writing in the New York Times in 2004:

After all, in the biosphere of the terminal, you don’t really need anything—not even the connections that make you human. For those you have your carry-on laptop and cellphone: placeless terminals within a placeless terminal, allowing you to travel the world without leaving the familiar touch of plastic.

Lots to say about a statement like this–and I’m working on a response to this kind of argument for this year’s RSA.

For now though, I’m thinking of Milwaukee’s terminal, Saturday morning, J flying back to Raleigh for 6 weeks to finish the dis and defend. The terminal: one of the only terminals since 2001 (at least as far as I’ve seen) that permits non-travelers to wait with and see off friends, family, lovers, etc. The arrival and departure boards. The molded plastic chairs. CNN on a dozen monitors. Starbucks and the ubiquitous “local” sports bar. Non-place.

But NOT without connection, and certainly NOT without the connections that make us human.