Introductions

1. Which was your favorite class so far? And why? Michelangelo is my favorite – The professor and the subject are exceptional. Refreshing to study art.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography? The longest was a whitepaper for a corporate reorganization, and was around 35 -40 pages. It included citings for external data sources.

3. What was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences. My favorite research paper I did was on high school education, and the role of parents in education. After considerable research, including visiting high schools, sitting through classes, interviewing students and teachers it was clear that the more involved parents are in their kids’ school work, and school life, the more interested and successful the kids are in school. Race, economic status, gender, status of parents (single, divorced, working, both in family, etc.) were not major factors.

4. Which books did you read of late - art, fiction, non-fiction, graphic novel? Comments are welcome. Re-read Memoirs of a Geisha

5. Which artist or writer or musician or director really impresses you? And why? One of my favorites is Zvonimir Mihanovic. His work is stunningly beautiful, simple, and unpretentious. He works with light, water, and boats – I could look at his pictures all day – especially in such a dry place as Colorado.

6. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)? I am an avid sailor and have a boat in Seattle, so I’m always anxious to sail. I also love sailing in the Caribbean, particularly “off the beaten path” islands like Bequia.

7. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

8. Please share an event that you found out about through the media, including an on line news or blog that made you more aware of the culture you live in. The most impactful was 9/11 via the television. I usually don’t get my news off of the internet.

9. Which cultural event has really impressed you lately? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons). Or anything I am not even thinking of … Again, tell us why. I went to the Picasso exhibit in Seattle over Christmas. The SAM did a great job of exhibiting in a cohesive fashion – and explaining the background. Wasn’t crazy about the work, and upon doing my own research, subsequently read a quote from Picasso’s confession to Giovanni Papini Nov. 1951….” The less they understood them, the more they admired me. Through amusing myself with all these absurd farces, I became celebrated …But when I am alone, I do not have the effrontery to consider myself an artist at all, not in the grand old meaning of the word: Giotto, Titian, Rembrandt, Goya., they were great painters. I am only a public clown. I have understood my time and have exploited the imbecility, the vanity, the greed of my contemporaries. It is a bitter confession of mine, more painful than it may seem. But at least and at last it does have the merit of being honest.” Finally.

10. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those among the others who are interested know where to go to. Buddha’s concept of mindful speech: To be mindful, speech must be true, timely, useful, and said gently and with compassion.