Using the Open Discussion Space

Some of the most influential artistic and intellectual spaces of the last several centuries have been cafés and street corners. This is in no small part attributable to the fact that when the artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, and statespeople of days past came down from their apartments, lofts, and studios, the corners, bistros, and coffee shops were the places they would bump into one another. It is arguable that today we have lost much of this congeniality, and that an onslaught of depersonalizing technology has shut us in. On the other hand, much of that technology, like the internet, has the power to bring us together in new and creative ways if we use it correctly.

We are a community, and all communities need their street corner meeting places. With that in mind, I propose that we, as writers and artists, philosophers, scientists, and statespeople, adopt this Open Discussion board as our street corner. We have plenty of boards for displaying our work, but this one should play a role in our community as the space where we come together to share ourselves with one another. This is our café, and we ought to be able to use it to relax with one another, share our thoughts, and engage in the kind of idle discussion that makes writers into real people for one another.

Any and all posts are welcome, but respectful exchange is required. Please feel free to relax, and enjoy yourself and your community. Welcome to our street corner!