Matt Hern is one of those annoying writers who, when he has an idea for a book, actually goes ahead and writes it. (Unlike us bloggers, who feel accomplished after a two-paragraph post).
Matt’s latest is Common Ground in a Liquid City. It’s one of those titles that comes equipped with a colon: Essays in Defense of an Urban Future.
Matt’s subject is more narrowly Vancouver, as seen from an East-Side perspective. But not so narrow that he doesn’t deal with some big themes: the city of surprise, the city made by people, the city of a common purpose. And the city seen from other cities – in this case, chapters written in ten other places, from Thessalonika to Las Vegas, that gave him a lens through which to see this place on earth.
Anyway, I’m jealous.
Here’s Matt at the launch of the book last week at Cafe Deux Soleils among his admirers:
I think the suit and tie are meant to be ironic. But you can see Matt himself, and some of the people he interviewed for the book, at some coffeehouse events, the first of which is on January 17 at Rhizome Cafe (Broadway and Kingsway) at 6 pm.
Subject: “All great cities have a certain flavour and vitality. How does a city get that life and vitality? How does Vancouver get some flavour? With David Beers, Michael Geller, Joan Seidl, Marcus Youssef and Matt Hern.”
It is, Matt says, a short reading followed by a discussion with the above guests, supposedly on the above subject. But they’ll talk about whatever they damned well want to, I have no doubt. You’re welcome to join in.
UPDATE: The second coffeehouse is on January 28 at 7 pm – Riddim and Spice (1945 Commercial Drive at 3rd)A great city has to take care of its people. But what does security mean? What is real safety? Who has a right to the city? How might Vancouver be designed so that ‘city air’ really does make people free? With Am Johal, David Eby, Harsha Walia, Lance Berelowitz and Matt Hern.
The third coffeehouse is on January 30th at 7 pm – Riddim and Spice (1945 Commercial Drive at at 3rd) What is a great city? Should Vancouver even be trying to be one? What would a great city look like here? With Frances Bula, Erick Villagomez, Gord Price, Carm Mills, Dustin Rivers and Matt Hern.
The fourth coffeehouse is on January 31th at 1 pm – The Purple Thistle Centre (975 Vernon Drive at Parker)A great city has to be an ecological city. What should urban agriculture look like here? What does ‘food security’ really mean? Can a real city feed itself – should it even try? Does ‘greening’ the city undermine its social vitality? With David Tracey, Conrad Schmidt, Cease Wyss and Matt Hern (Co-sponsored by COPE’s Freedom of Speech Series).
