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You Bloom, We Bloom: Interview with John Chambers John Chambers, founder of BloomBars grew up in a small town in New England. The son of an interracial marriage and parents deeply passionate about social activism, he later attended Howard University in Washington, DC, where his interest in media led him into a career in public relations and social marketing. Successful at an early age, and as a Senior Vice President at the global communications and advocacy firm, GMMB, he never imagined slowly giving it all up and investing his life in a nonprofit community arts organization. As we sat down to interview John, we were ... Nov 28, 2011, 94967 reads


 

What Is God?: A Conversation with Jacob Needleman Photo: R. Whittaker I met with Jacob Needleman at his home in Oakland, California. The day before, one of the Bay Area's infrequent thunderstorms had passed through. In its wake, the weather was sunny and warm. On the back deck of Needleman's home where we sat and talked, among the many planters of flowers, herbs and vegetables, hummingbirds and squirrels were a constant presence - along with the sound of the leaf blowers of neighborhood gardeners at work. I wanted to talk with Jacob about his latest book, What Is God?   Richard Whittaker:  I wonder ... Dec 19, 2009, 92667 reads


 

Susan Schaller and the Story of a Contemporary Miracle: Photo: R. Whittaker Are there adults living today who have not learned a language, who cannot even conceive of language? They do exist, although, according to Susan Schaller, there's almost nothing written about them. Perhaps that's because, according to the prevailing views of experts, adults who have not acquired language will never be able to do so.      This was not an area to which I'd given a single thought until my unexpected meeting with a stranger one day in a Berkeley restaurant. It's a nice coincidence that the unlikely ... Apr 23, 2009, 92388 reads


 

A Conversation with Silas Hagerty: Dakota 38 photo: r. whittaker I met Silas, a young man in his twenties from New England, at a servicespace.org retreat. He was a filmmaker, I’d heard. Over the next few days many stories were shared. Silas’ filmmaking was done on a shoestring. He carried his gear in a bag and stayed at friends’ houses when he traveled. I remember Silas telling us about meeting a Native American elder at his home. I wondered how that had happened. The elder talked about a dream he’d had, an important dream, one that he’d tried to ignore. But finally he understood that ... Jul 28, 2012, 85996 reads


 

A Conversation with Tree (Dennis Rubenstein): San Francisco's Free Farm Photo: R. Whittaker It was on a bright Sunday afternoon when I paid my first visit to the Free Farm stand in San Francisco's Mission District where my friend Pancho introduced me to Tree, the Free Farm's founder. As I walked toward Parque Ninos Unidos looking for the stand, I spotted a queue of people along the sidewalk and leading into the park. I knew I'd found the place.      I'd been hearing about Tree from Pancho for over a year. "One of my favorite love warriors," Pancho called him. So I listened, and made a note to ... Apr 16, 2012, 83956 reads


 

A Conversation with Sam Bower: Green Museum I met Sam Bower one afternoon by accident. I'd gone to join a couple of friends at an ongoing experiment in the gift economy [Karma Kitchen] at a restaurant in Berkeley (on Sundays at lunchtime, the restaurant is given over to a volunteer group.) Just a few days earlier, I'd heard about Sam, the founding director of  greenmuseum.org. When I got to the restaurant, a couple of men were standing outside near the door chatting. I stopped for a moment and soon learned that one of them was Sam Bower.      I always love these moments of synchronicity. ... Apr 27, 2009, 79811 reads


 

The Meaning of Proportion: Terrance Galvin Photo: R. Whittaker I met Terrance Galvin at Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s symposium, The Oakland Table, in September 2000. The topic of the first symposium was "space versus place" and addressed questions about the distinction between a sense of place and the merely abstract idea of space. Specifically, how did this distinction play out in urban planning? The two result in very different urbanscapes.      During 1988, Galvin lived and worked in Villa El Salvador, a low-income residential district on the southern outskirts of Lima, a ... Sep 18, 2002, 76859 reads


 

A Conversation with Clayton Bailey: Dr. Gladstone and Psychoceramics I visited Clayton Bailey at his rural home and studio in Port Costa, California not far from the Carquinez Strait Bridge where the Sacramento River meets the San Francisco Bay. Approaching Bailey’s place, among other exotic sights, an aluminum rocket comes into view and several demon dogs standing guard on a high fence that surrounds an outdoor collection of his work spanning decades of inspired fancy. It had been almost twenty years since I’d first had the pleasure of a visit with the artist. Clayton let me in through a gate and as I looked around, it ... Apr 4, 2012, 76320 reads


 

Interview: James George: If Not Now, When? SF, CA 12/24/04 James George is a retired Canadian ambassador with a long-standing record of service concerning environmental issues. A founder of the Threshold Foundation and president of the Sadat Peace Foundation, he led the international mission to Kuwait and the Persian Gulf to assess post-war environmental damage. He is also the author of Asking for the Earth and The Little Green Book On Awakening. I talked with James George and Barbara Wright in San Francisco at Barbara's apartment a few weeks before their marriage. Richard Whittaker:  Let's start with the here ... Dec 24, 2004, 76246 reads


 

Nipun Mehta: A Journey to Service: Photo - R. Whittaker [An edited version of this interview first appeared in Parabola Magazine -- Vol. 34 number 4, Winter 2009, "The Way Ahead"]   Nipun Mehta was born in Ahmedabad, India in 1975. When he was twelve, his family moved to Santa Clara, California in the heart of Silicon Valley.      I met Mehta in 2007.  Having heard several amazing stories about him from Paul Van Slambrouck, retired editor of the Christian Science Monitor, I asked for an introduction. The three of us met one afternoon at a taqueria in Berkeley. In no ... Jun 9, 2009, 75609 reads


 
 

A Man Impossible to Classify photo: r. whittaker One of my first experiences in San Francisco ... Read More 749292 views


The Dumpster       “We can’t use these. They look like ... Read More 161699 views


Cotton and Silk Vorbeck quilt, detail I’m working on the last panel of a pair of ... Read More 14482 views


Say Grace I am deeply delighted to live on a planet that is so big and varied that I can ... Read More 13160 views


An Interview with Betsy Damon I first heard about Betsy Damon from Sam Bower of greenmuseum.org. Water ... Read More 48476 views


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A Man Impossible to Classify photo: r. whittaker One of my first experiences in San Francisco ... Read More 749292 views


Interview with Bill Douglass - Jimbo's Bop City and Other Tales At the time I'd first gotten to know the widely respected ... Read More 371341 views


Greeting the Light It was thanks to artist Walter Gabrielson that I was able to get ... Read More 326222 views


Interview: Gail Needleman Gail Needleman taught music at Holy Names University in Oakland, ... Read More 196716 views


The Dumpster       “We can’t use these. They look like ... Read More 161699 views


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