Essays
Letter from London
I had been hoping to spend the summer looking at art, architecture, and design in London and other places in the EU. And then sharing what connections I could
The Gift of Merijane Block (May 10, 1953 – February 28, 2017)
I knew Merijane Block through the Laguna Writers Workshops organized by Chris Delorenzo. Merijane often wrote about living with cancer, and I wasn’t always comfortable with that. Occasionally, she wrote
Closings
When you spend most of our life in one area, you get attached to familiar retail shops and restaurants, even if you rarely enter them. They are anchors for memory,
Best of Year 2016
Best of 2016 This year was definitely the worst of times. But resistance to the tail end of the hegemonic order may eventually result in beauty. Just hope we live
Look at the Hat
Look at the hat. “Make America Great Again.” It’s no mistake that the letters are white. The real message is “Make America White Again.” Let me revise that. “Make America
The Cameras Are New. The Violence is Not.
I cannot bear to watch the videos of the last few days. More black men murdered by police. Police murdered by a former Army veteran. Today I am so sad
So Much Fog: Notes on SFMOMA’s New Wing
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art brands its new wing as so much fog—just watch the video on its website and listen to Snøhetta’s lead architect, Craig Dykers. This
A Note on Orlando
On Sunday, we woke up to the news from Orlando. We have never been to Orlando. We don’t have a mental picture of it, as we did of Manhattan, Tucson,
It’s Just So Wrong – Part 4
A week for being pissed off. Cowboy Boot Sandals These are so wrong I think somebody should ban them, or at least launch a social media shaming campaign. View
Ernest and Esther Born
This article originally appeared in Architectural Record, May 1, 2016 Charles and Ray Eames may have been the most famous Midcentury Modern design pair in the Americas, but they were not
It’s Just So Wrong – Part 3
Man Buns I am not the first to criticize this unfortunate fashion trend. But I will add my voice to the throngs. Men don’t look good with hair buns. There
Two Cents on a Sunday
As the cliché goes, this post is worth what you paid for it. I share a lot about politics on social media, but don’t write too much about it in
Best of 2015
As the year closes, I try and remember a few of the moments that gave me joy in the last year. Best Meal of the Year The French Laundry
Designer Chatter At The Monterey Design Conference
Note: This piece appeared in The Architect’s Newspaper blog on Wednesday, October 28, 2015. This year’s Monterey Design Conference could have been titled the “Monterey Design Short Video Clip Festival.” For
Reading & Writing Didion
It takes guts to write a biography of Joan Didion, one of the country’s most highly regarded writers, while she is still living. It takes even more guts when she
Political Purchasing Power and the Real Terrorism
The old cliché “follow the money” applies in the recent school shooting tragedies. The numbers are shocking. Very few people in the United States have been killed by terrorists. Thousands
It’s Just So Wrong – Part 2
Hermès and Apple The Apple watch is not elegant. Hermès leather is elegant. Together, they look stupid. Why a maker of high-end handmade saddles would join forces with a manufacturer
Porn Kills Love
Driving down Grand Avenue the other day I saw a billboard that said “Porn Kills Love.” I thought, huh? Was this a new phrase from the people who created “Take
Guns In The ‘Hood
We did not grow up with guns. Or maybe I should say, we didn’t think we grew up with guns. I didn’t consider guns much before Columbine. I didn’t think
It’s Just So Wrong
When you spend a lot of your life looking at design, you end up feeling sick from time to time. It’s a hazard of the job. Someone told me that
I See Connections in the Night Sky Over the Clown Car
Sometimes news stories seem to circle around each other. Or maybe I am just looking to link unrelated stars. Sexual identity and consent have been in the news in all
Atonement by 2042?
Charleston is a beautiful city with its own disturbing history when it comes to slavery. You can almost not see it when you walk from excellent restaurant to tea shop
Sea Ranch Is 50: Kenneth Caldwell Looks At The History And Future Of The Iconic California Site
This article originally appeared in the The Architect’s Newspaper, May 26, 2015 Studio Visit subject Moore Ruble Yudell is the legacy firm of architectural master Charles Moore, who founded the company more than
Architecture for Humanity
“Addressing global humanitarian challenges with architectural solutions.”—Architecture for Humanity website Architecture for Humanity helped reset the discussion on what architecture actually means in contemporary times. Architecture’s priority should not
Going to Church for Charlie
The slaughter of 12 people in or near the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is an attack on the freedom of the press, which is an attack on freedom. It is important that we don’t let it become anti-Islamic fodder for the right wing. It is critical that freedom-loving people stand in solidarity for a free press, for freedom of worship, and for some, freedom from worship.
Best of 2014
Once again it’s time to put up that totally arbitrary list! Best Bow Ties Dap Kitsch This young fellow makes really handsome and reasonably priced bow ties. Found him at