Welcome - Some Initial Thoughts

Well, here goes; my first attempt at public blogging.  Well, it’s actually my first public blog realized.  Up front apologies to anyone reading this for whom it turns out to be not worth the time.  But as metaphysicians teach us, no energy is wasted.  So on to topics of Pittsburgh.

My goal here is to put out into the blogosphere topics of concern to those lucky enough to live in Pittsburgh and its surrounds as well as those interested in what happens to this essential American city.

I am not currently fired up about any issue in particular, outside of Big Ben’s lackluster play during the 2012 season.  But since my aim here is not to devolve into discussion of Pittsburgh sports, unless it involves civic development, I’ll leave those thoughts to others with more knowledge of the topic.  As a kind and gentle first blogging, allow me to pay tribute to two individuals who should be recognized as Pittsburgh pillars.

The “Pittsburgh Quarterly” magazine, published and edited by Doug Heuck, is a civic treasure.  Doug’s contribution to the intellectual development of Pittsburgh needs to be acknowledged.  The magazine’s byline reads “where commerce and culture meet” and isn’t that two of the bedrocks of Pittsburgh’s development over the centuries.  Pittsburgh is an agora.  A place where individuals and ideas meet, manifest in the confluence of its three rivers.  As I was taught in urban studies class many years back, there are “natural” cities scattered across the planet.  And only a few in the United States: New York, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and maybe Boston.  Places where a “city” – a nexus of commerce – had to form due to natural, geologic and geographic forces.  Doug is continuing the forward movement of those forces in Pittsburgh. That’s hopefully stimulating others to expand the intellectual crucible placing Pittsburgh in the same commercial and cultural class as America’s other “natural” cities.

Can I nominate Holly Brubach to the pantheon of Pittsburgh saints?  She has written truthfully, poignantly, incisively and always lovingly of her hometown.  The list of Holly’s writings is found on Amazon.com as well as the archives of the New York “Times”, “The New Yorker” magazine, and several fashion journals.  She needs neither introduction nor praise from me.  But a piece she did for “Departures” magazine in the July/August 2012 issue rates a shout out even six months later.   Titled “In a Pittsburgh State of Mind”, simply put, Holly nailed it.  From the glowing photos wonderfully lacking in all the usual Chamber of Commerce shots [although for Pittsburgh we always want more of those to be spread around], to her prose that lightly touched on all that has changed over a couple generations but were mentioned only as a springboard to discuss the magic that is Pittsburgh, Holly showed an insight that makes a reporter an insightful story teller.  “Departures” is unfortunately not a generally available publication.  It’s the in-house pamphlet for conspicuous consumption of those possessing an American Express Platinum card.  [Note to readers: I acquired my issue from a friend.]  But we should all celebrate such a wonderful piece of writing aimed at a target demographic who should know more about Pittsburgh.