Thursday, August 18, 2011

Frank to Kent on August 10 & 12

Kent's email was so rich and there were so many thoughtful ideas that I had to punt and take time to think about what he had said. He was pulling me off my argument but I felt there was wisdom in his point of view and I want to hear what he was saying above the din of my own agenda.

August 10:

Hi Kent, thanks for all your thoughts. You have given e me lot to think about. I certainly want to 'hear' you above the noisy ramblings of my own brain. What you write is intriguing and worth thinking about. So I will be mulling on this especially while on vacation at our cottage in Canada.

Tonight is the 16MM film festival, the final screenings of my film students at the School of Visual Arts. In 9 short weeks they must learn how to use an ancient Bolex camera and shoot and edit a film. We, along with the guests, focus on what we like about the films, or debate the idea put forward. No critics allowed. There are always surprises and usually a very good film or two.

Then I thought of a question to ask him that would bring us back to my thesis and help me understand why he rejected the Metropolis Organism thesis.

August 12:

Hi Kent,

While meditating on your last email, I though of a couple of questions more inline with your first email.

If a city was an organism, what would that mean to you?

And, when you say that you wind up seeing the idea of a city as an organism as a metaphor, not a real organism, I assume that you see humans, though being an organism and composed of organisms or organic elements, somehow biologically transcending ordinary organic status, and therefor not able to be part of a larger organism. I'll repeat this convoluted question in some different ways if it is confusing: do humans somehow transcend biology? Am I getting at why you reject the idea that a city is a biological organism?

By the way, one of my film students, a brave 19 year old woman from Germany, did a fabulous film for the class. When I post it I'll send you a link.


1 comment:

TamilNadu Cities said...

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