I read this letter to the editor in the Strib today, thinking it was one of the better-written letters I'd read: wry in humor, incisive in logic. When I came to the name of the sender it didn't surprise me at all. George Rabasa was a former creative director of mine, a published fiction author, and a library advocate. What especially impresses me about this accomplished writer is that English isn't his native language; he was born in Spain.
Here's the letter: Library design needs work It has been expressed that the new central library design is the one Minnesotans deserve because "We're a people who eat hot dish" (Star Tribune, Oct. 2). Would that it were true! Hot dish is good hearty food of warmth and substance. It nourishes the belly and the heart. The proposed design is more like a lunch of field greens with nonfat salad dressing washed down with a nice sparkling water with a twist. Andrew Carnegie specified that his small town and community libraries should give patrons the experience of entering a higher realm, a climb into a place where the spirit and the mind would be lifted. Cesar Pelli's proposed glass boxes seem airy and insubstantial, pretty in a light way, yet ultimately thin and unambitious. A place where knowledge is another disposable acquisition, rather than the means to stretch consciousness to a higher dimension. I hope we consider this design the first step of a work in progress: Please, keep the pot simmering. It's not soup yet. And certainly not hot dish. -- George Rabasa, Minneapolis. Posted by Susan Maricle formerly of Folwell now of Bruno, MN and who is endeavoring to get George to join Mpls. Issues __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
