Monthly Conversations

Interviews with Social Artists, Uncommon Heroes

May 19, 2013

From the Editor

Richard Whittaker

Welcome to newsletter issue #27. These widely different stories have one thing in common. In each, the protagonist is following his or her own deep promptings. Joseph Campbell's catch-phrase 'follow your bliss' entered the lexicon long ago. But following a deep calling is not always bliss. [more]

More Features

• John Upton: A Life In Photography
• Tim Sessler, Autumn Brookmire: Have (Video) Camera, Will Travel
• Varsha: Malaria's Lessons

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Jane Wodening: Doors of Perception

What is a place? As Jane Wodening relates, 'That's hard to answer.' A place is so much more than just an area you can measure. As she relates, 'When I see one, and I see its welcome, I like to go and sit in it awhile. A place might be very small or cover acres and acres. It's full of people -- I mean, critters and plants and water and air and dirt and light -- living their lives and raising their children and being affected by the sun or the shade. There's so much in each place that you can't possibly stop talking about it if you want to get it all.' In writing about what she sees, she opens our eyes ...

Barbara Ganzkow: Flying Tiger

'In 1978, when I became a commercial pilot there were seven women with Flying Tigers. I think there were eight with American, ten with United.about 40 women in the United States flying for the major carriers. At that time, there were over 100,000 commercial pilots active in the U.S. So everywhere you went they knew who you were. You really had to be cool. You know? So that just kept you on your toes.' Barbara was a flight attendant who had a new thought on one flight while watching the pilots: 'I think I can do that.' And she did ...