In Saving the World’s Women, New York Times writers Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn report on extreme acts of violence and repression against women and girls in developing countries such a Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. One such story told of young girls attacked with acid in an attempt to prevent them from attending school. Both…
Read Moreone big swell table from several smaller ones
Westerby Gard is an inn and restaurant on a beautiful centuries-old estate near Inkoo, 45 minutes southwest from Helsinki. Its traditional, rustic style reflects the Swedish influence on Finland. I was taken with their glossy painted tables, cleverly configured to make a huge dining table, or rectangular tables of any length – no tablecloth necessary. It’s…
Read Morehow-to: verbena tea for whatever life brings
If there was ever a tea for an improvised life, it is verbena. Although it suits many purposes and moods, it is especially good for emergencies, when the shit is hitting the fan. When a friend calls in anguish or needing support from some trauma, I make verbena tea, or throw some dried verbena in a plastic…
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copy this: “moderne” patchwork tablecloth
Patchwork was created as a way to make use of scraps of fabric by frugal people who couldn’t afford to waste anything. Though it’s an age-old technique, there’s no rule that it has to look that way. This patchwork tablecloth, a for-sale prop at Rogue’s Gallery in Portland, Maine, is made from stitched-together heavyweight vintage linen grain…
Read Morereg e. cathey’s goodbye love song to manna hatta and its improvisational spirit
Before Reg E. Cathey left Manhattan for London’s West End where he will star in the Shawshank Redemption, he wrote this goodbye love song to Manhattan. It reveals a completely-other view of Manna Hatta (the Indian name) and promises to change the way you view the city. Click here to listen to Reggie read it…
Read Morereg e. cathey on the spirit of improv
Reg E. Cathey is a wonderful actor who has been in The Wire, and a million tv shows and films. He recently played Red in the Shawshank Redemption in Dublin, and is on his way to London’s West End to star in it there. He’s been reading ‘theimprovisedlife’ since its launch in early July and…
Read Morelove your work 2
11 questions to ask before buying something
On BoingBoing recently, Mark Frauenfelder wrote a terrific overview of Cheap:The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel, who asks “What are we really buying when we insist on getting stuff as cheaply as possible?” The answers are a revelation and worth reading; they range from low-quality food supply and deserted town centers to…
Read Morechalkboard volkswagon
Chalkboard paint is one of the best inventions to come down the line in some time, due in large part to it’s improvisation-inspiring nature. There seems to be no end in sight to the uses people are devising for it. A current favorite: this ’70’s Volkswagon painted with chalkboard paint that I stumbled on on Flickr.
Read Moretapio wirkkala: materials as opportunities
This quote by Tapio Wirkkala is high on a wall in the Design Museum in Helsinki. (Wirkkala was one of Finland’s most esteemed and prolific designers; perhaps his most recognized design is the Finlandia Vodka bottle that looks like ice.) In two sentences, he captures the central operating principles of creating just about anything: the “chance” and diversion from…
Read Moreback! from Finland
On the Finnair flight home from Finland, I glanced out the window to discover this incredible vision: a vast expanse of snow and glacier falling into the sea. The route home took us across the Arctic Circle and the coast of Greenland. That gives you an idea of how far North the amazing city of…
Read Moregone (to finland)
In any creative endeavor, downtime is essential; breaking the routine, wandering, dreaming are a different kind of fuel than DOING. So I’m gonna follow my own advice and take some time off to recharge: no posting on the blog, or any other official writing, for a week. I’m going to Finland, to look for Alvar…
Read Morerecipe: mamma lucia’s insalata di pomodoro (for when tomatoes are like gold)
This summer, the field tomatoes that are the season’s perfect pleasure will be rare and expensive, due to the terrible blight that is causing enormous losses on farms across the Northeast. My advice, for the tomatoes you are lucky enough to find, is that they are best savored with little adornment – just enough to…
Read MoreGOOD’s video contest: enter your world-changing idea
GOOD is at once magazine, website, blog, video series, community, and events devoted to exploring what good is and what it can be. A collaboration of individuals, business and non-profits, they invite everyone to become of a member of the GOOD community: “Please join us in defining what comes next.” (The subscription price for their magazine…
Read Morethe 7 vices of highly creative people
D.A. Blyler wrote the Seven Vices of Highly Creative People in reaction to the grumbling he was hearing about people working in offices where Stephen Covey’s bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People had been implemented. Personally, I’ve found Covey’s book to be strangely unreadable, and relate much more to Blyler’s recommendation for sex, cocktails, and gastronomy – specifically…
Read Morean alien robot’s cookbook
Ruth Fankushen Kunkel wrote An Alien Robot’s Cookbook for her boys who were picky eaters; she needed to find a way to engage them in eating and making wonderful food. It begins: “Due to a random mechanical error, I traveled to Earth without warning…I finally crash-landed…
Read Morerethinking a dish rack
Dish racks and kitchen storage systems are among the most disappointing offerings in stores; it’s hard to find one that really functions well and looks great. The design group Studio Matière has designed a kitchen storage system built of pine splints in an irregular, ladder-like grid that can hang from a tree branch, or be…
Read Moreon tomatoes and improvising
“I guess you win some and you lose some”, my friend Keith Stewart wrote in an email. “Last year was a winner. This year, I think, will not be.” Like many farmers in the Northeast, Keith’s tomatoes have been hit hard by late blight, the same spore-born disease that caused the Irish Potato famine in the…
Read Morea tin of inspiration: pimenton de la vera (with recipe)
When I opened the little tin of Pimenton de la Vera, the aroma of sun-dried peppers, smoked-over-smoldering-oak-fires hit me full in the face. The pungent, vividly-colored spice from Andalucia that is the essential flavor in chorizo, triggered all sorts of associations and “what if’s”: “What if I sprinkled some on warm smashed hard-boiled eggs, or…
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