In this issue, we offer the works of several fine writers who take us on a journey to think about the world we live in. Author and Documentary Filmmaker John de Graaf writes a superb article, Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty, based on the film he is currently making about America’s champion of beauty in public policy. Stewart Udall’s belief was that all Americans had a right to both justice and beauty. He was the first public official to warn of global warming, in the mid-1960s, and sounded the alarm throughout his life. Please watch the 12-minute sample video: Udall Sampler 12min.mov (vimeo.com). This is an important film that is worthy of being nominated for an Academy Award. To learn more, please visit John de Graaf’s web page at: Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty — Filmmakers Collaborative SF or email John directly at jodg@comcast.net.
In Barbara Lloyd McMichael’s monthly column Building Back Better, she probes a piercing question: Can Beauty Save Us? She explores Biden’s initiatives that are intended to repair the environment and restore the balance between public lands and who should have access to them.
She suggests that beauty may end up being the salvation of the world. Annie Searle’s probing article A Divided Country invites us to examine whether the gap is closing or at least shrinking between the polarized political beliefs that threaten to unravel America.
The other day I stumbled upon a beautiful expression of art where I never expected to find it—in the midst of the Wonder Garden in Manzanita, Oregon. I’ve written about the Wonder Garden before because it is right next to the North Tillamook Library. In this issue we offer an update of the Library and the Wonder Garden.
Welcome to our annual issue on beauty! Happy July! –Patricia Vaccarino