Topic

Writing

A collection of 304 issues

The eldest.

My sister Megan, 1970-something. Purgatory ski resort, just north of Durango, CO. This morning, when I liberally applied my new Lush conditioner, the smell reminded me of my sister, Megan. I don’t know what it was. Maybe the chalky orangeness of it. Maybe the woodsy sweetness in it. Whatever

Was Zum Teufel?!

originally uploaded by Neylano. Tues Mar 04 – While most of the nation was riveted on Texas, Ohio, and the woman who sat on a toilet for two years, we were tuned in to something much more interesting: Oslo’s foot. While running yesterday with me, Mies, and our Nike+, the

Why I went to grad school.

“Herein lies the real value of education. Advanced education may or may not make men and women more efficient; but it enriches personality, increases the wealth of the mind, and hence brings happiness.” – William Lyons Phelps When you’re already $39,000 in student loan debt for your undergraduate education

On Mixel and the Vacuum of Enthusiasm.

If I had a Facebook account (which I don’t because I grew tired of Mark Zuckerberg’s shenanigans and deleted it last month), I would download Khoi Vinh’s new Mixel app, just to try it out (but then again, maybe I wouldn’t: forcing users to login via

On loving Frederick, part five.

Me at the inauguration of President Barack Obama; The National Mall, Washington, DC. Photo by William Dixon, January 20, 2009. On July 23, 2011, I recited these design stories at the Boston Globe for my friends at Ink, stories inspired by the work of Frederick Law Olmsted and the impact

Was Zum Teufel?!

Tuesday, Oct 16 – During this week of surprising blood connections between Barack and Cheney and the latter’s sack of lies now being spilled all over Iran, Oslo and Mies are beginning to wonder if we shouldn’t be moving to Canada instead of DC. We hear from our dogwalker

The white box.

"The box is under the seat," I thought as I situated myself between my sisters in the back seat of the Volkswagen. I could not see the box, but I knew it was there. Unseen, like an abandoned thought, but still, its presence was tangible. Its presence was

Square one.

I have no idea what I’m doing. But that’s the fun part. One of the main reasons I took this new teaching gig was because of the opportunity I have to start a design lab. I worked for about 10 years as a visual/interaction designer in industry

Design Studio 108 B.

They say those who can, do and those who can’t, teach. I say that’s bullshit, based on my own experience with designers in the “real” world. Those who should be doing, but don’t. Can’t, actually. Even if they wanted to. On the contrary, the design professors

Native Son. White guilt.

Baltimore haunts me. And I fear it always will. I feel guilty. Guilty for being white. Guilty for taking flight. Guilty for white fright. Guilty for that time I said “nappy little head”. Related: Baltimore City, You’re Breaking My Heart I don’t remember the first time I saw