Author: stuart

Dannebrog

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John thrilled me, as did so many of the people that I met in Dannebrog. I don’t know what ailment John has suffered, but signs of surgery to his throat and an inability to speak were apparent. What I treasure about John, though, was his face-wrinkling, leg extending laughter as the men in the Danish Baker bantered and boasted. After we talked for a while and I had given some insight around my travels into conversations, John got up to leave. A hand like an anvil weighed on my shoulder while his other hand thrust an affirming thumb up gesture. His face lit up with earnest appreciation as he shook my hand. In many ways John reminded me of my father, who died five years ago of throat cancer. Perhaps my affection for the men of Dannebrog is because their earnestness, humility, humor and sense of community is exactly what my father would have relished about this place. It could also be because of people like Tom Schroeder, the owner of the Danish Baker. Alone …

A word on process

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When I conceived the approach to a couple of 830 mile long conversations, I had anticipated setting up a table, a couple of chairs and a canopy in a public space in the towns that I visited and then inviting people to talk with me. It was always apparent, though, that the context of each engagement, the vagaries of the weather and the circumstances of the moment would influence this approach. So it has proven. In Omaha, my set up was outside Millard branch library with the planned arrangement. As I moved into rural Nebraska, however, the heat of the day, the locational footfall or paths people took in their daily lives, and timing all affected the set up of the conversation space. In Pender, the public park was entirely empty, but the pool was full of children. Pender’s Main Street was also quiet and would stay that way until the pizza place and bars got busier in the evening. In Wayne, I was able to set up on Main Street outside a popular retail …

Lukas and Mark

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The young professional and entrepreneurial spirit in Wayne, Nebraska has a couple of standouts in Lukas and Mark, who own both Rustic Treasures and The Coffee Shoppe adjacent to it on Main Street. Although Lukas could count on both hands the number of similar entrepreneurs, he observed that their slice of Main Street is a vibrant retail hub. I observed in turn that Lukas is vibrant. His enthusiasm is uncontainable and he’s a chatterbox, but a smart, insightful and entertaining one. Mark is the calm and unflappable one, according to Lukas. The success of their business, Rustic Treasures, can be seen in the numbers, in a year growing staff from a couple to six full-time and four part-time and increasing revenues threefold. But it isn’t just their success that caught my attention, it is that they are a paradigm of the entrepreneurial ethos that every community should be seeking and nurturing. Lukas, for example, told me that he cleans the street of trash every morning along their entire block. They use social media not only …

It’s because you waved

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“It’s because you waved,” said Luke.  In his early twenties and studying intercultural studies in Omaha, Luke was the first person to stop and engage in conversation with me as part of this project, a couple of 830 mile long conversations. He stopped because of that wave and my welcome. It is premature to begin filtering for commonalities, though I can say that the people I engaged with, whether at Millard branch library in Omaha, West Point, Pender and Wayne, demonstrated a curiosity and willingness to interact. For his part, Luke had moved when he was 13 to Spain with his family (his Dad did missionary work and was a military contractor). Luke lived in Europe for 5 years. It remains to be seen if broad exposure to different cultures is a theme arising out of this project, but it is impossible not to want to explore that thought as I go. It is at this time worth noting, perhaps, my own capacity to be curious and to engage. The point building up to the …

Glacier Creek Preserve

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Given how calming and serene Glacier Creek Preserve is, it required a deliberate effort to recall it is just outside the city of Omaha. Soon to span the entire Glacier Creek watershed, this ecologically and geologically diverse preserve focuses research, education and a pure pleasure on our historic, natural heritage – the Tallgrass Prairie. The passion of Barbi Hayes and Tom Bragg in establishing and growing this preserve is evident and I was grateful for a tour in Barbi’s company. The preserve features a barn like no other. Formerly on Barbi’s farm a few miles away, it was moved to the preserve and fitted out as a high-tech field lab, office, research and education center. Yet the vision for the preserve is not limited to the sciences. Barbi anticipates art and other cultural interactions with and within the environment, such as an installation by Jacob Mosher and choreographed dance performances that embrace a synergy with the natural landscape. Barbi’s multidisciplinary perspective encourages the full potential of this place, bringing it and us more fully to …

This is the stuff of poetry

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“Here’s to the unseen, the rooted, that unopened envelope yet to discover.” – from “Earth” by Twyla M. Hansen, Nebraska State Poet The Nebraska State Poet, Twyla Hansen, posted an encouragement on Facebook for people to pause and chat awhile with me during my travels through conversation. I gratefully noted that support, but then came across this observation in her post: “Folks, this is the stuff of poetry!” In some sense, I have resisted the description of the project as poetic, perhaps because poetry is rarely perceived as a compelling spur to interest and curiosity. Yet I felt a surge of warmth when I read Hansen’s exuberant recognition. a couple of 830 mile long conversations hardly compares to, say, Homer’s Odyssey, but at a personal level for me and the Nebraskans that become a part of this adventure, I hope we imbue it with something of the romantic, pure and profound essence that we find in Hansen’s poetry.

Omaha World-Herald Story

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The talented Casey Logan recently wrote a marvelous article about the project in the Omaha World-Herald. Casey is an attendee at many Squishtalks events, including a turn as the mystery presenter at the third Arthaus12 where he provoked conversation around the “art of truth.” I was thrilled that Casey’s interest in conversation and a good story led him to pen the piece, which you can read here.

Interview with Michael Lyon, KIOS FM

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I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Michael Lyon, Local Anchor – Morning Edition, on our NPR affiliate, KIOS FM, as part of its events calendar programming. This was the first collaboration of several with Michael as KIOS shall be following a couple of 830 mile long conversations as it progresses. Tune to KIOS 91.5 FM and journey with me. In the meantime, listen to Tuesday’s interview below.

Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley

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In my teens I read Of Mice and Men, which led me to Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row. It was in Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, though, that the seed of my interest in America took root. Some thirty years later that compulsion has matured. Now, I intend to venture onto the American byways crossing Nebraska, into its communities and into conversational engagement with its people, my statewide neighbors.