I love books that fit the genre: set in the early 20th century, starring young women who find strength in fending for themselves and making it in the big, bad city. (See also: Theodore Dreiser.)

The Job spanned a decade starting in 1905, when Una Golden and her mother moved to New York City from a small Pennsylvania town. Una’s father had just passed away, and after the dust settled, the mother and daughter decided that a big city like New York held more opportunity for a young woman to earn a living (and support her mother).

Such “opportunities” were vastly different than what women expect today. After a quick stint at secretarial school, Una started her career by taking dictation, eventually running small offices. Throughout, her fellow secretaries and stenographers married and left their jobs. The message – and reality – were clear: women had to choose between work or family. Women tended to work only when they had to support themselves in the absence of a father or husband. Una struggled to reconcile her desire for a family with her career aspirations.

As I read, many of the office dynamics were familiar, with hierarchies and break time confidences. But I marveled at just how far we’ve come in a century.

My own company, IBM, recently named a new CEO. As of January 1, Ginni Rometty was named President and CEO - IBM’s ninth CEO in a century.

Ginni Rometty is IBM's new CEO and president

When the news was announced in October, the gender-focused headlines bothered me. Why should it matter that she’s a woman? That our best and brightest, someone who worked her way up through IBM’s ranks since 1981, happens to be a woman? We should applaud the best person getting the job, regardless of gender.

But I know that it is a big deal. As long as Fortune and Forbes keep putting out lists of “Most Influential Women” and we have stand-alone “Women in Technology” receptions at conferences, the divide will persist. (Can you imagine if they had a “Men in Technology” night at a software conference?)

I grew up truly believing I could be anything I wanted to be. It never occurred to me that being a girl limited my career choices. I could be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or even an astronaut, as long as I worked hard. (Funny, “social media strategist” never popped to mind as a career option back in the 80s or 90s.)

But not terribly long ago, that wasn’t really the case. When my mom applied for teaching jobs in the 1970s, she had to include a headshot and answer questions about her marital status and whether she intended to have children.

It’s certainly changed in the century since Una Golden arrived in New York. Even so, I look forward to the day when gender isn’t highlighted as something novel during such announcements.

We’re getting there. Our outgoing CEO, Sam Palmisano, reiterated the point: “Ginni got it because she deserved it. It’s got zero to do with progressive social policies.”

Congratulations, Ginni, and thanks for helping perpetuate the reality that a woman’s place can be in the board room.

The New York Times has an interesting look at women in technology, and specifically, women in IBM. 

I’ve learned a lot about the pawn industry lately. It’s not nearly as seedy as I thought. Pawnshops are actually a much better option for people than the payday loans and cash-for-gold shops that have sprung up like noxious weeds. They’re tightly regulated by both the state and city, and work closely with the police to report their daily intakes. They make their money through loans, and in the end, the customer often gets their item back, to re-pawn later if needed. With cash-for-gold stores, items are quickly melted down, never to be seen again.

But sometimes, reality doesn’t matter nearly as much as perception.

Perceptions run deep. They start in childhood and grow as you’re exposed to the world: to your parents, to television and movies, to friends, to teachers. And those perceptions, once baked in, are very tough to change. When cobbled together, perceptions form images of people, communities, or things.

Elgin knows this. Elgin fights perceptions daily, constantly crafting and re-casting Elgin’s image. In the six years I’ve lived here, my marketer’s heart has marveled at all the effort that goes into crafting and re-casting Elgin’s image.

• We spent $75,000 (!) to redesign our city logo and develop a slogan: “The City in the Suburbs.”
• We have an Image Commission that gives annual “Image Awards” to recognize “image-enhancing efforts from Elgin residents, businesses and civic organizations.”
• We build and rebuild websites to lure companies from abroad, filled with pictures of diverse, happy people who have somehow found an Elgin where it’s always sunny.

Image is on the minds and lips of city officials, not to mention residents who contradict outdated perceptions that continue to tarnish our image decades later.

We spent oodles of money on fancy brick pavers and new streetscaping for downtown. We celebrate ECC as a major regional destination. The city tries to lure golfers to the courses it owns, including one right by the proposed pawnshop. Thousands of out-of-towners come to Larkin High School every year for various sports and other extracurricular activities.

Each person who comes into our town makes or affirms their own perceptions of Elgin. Each presents an opportunity to change their minds, to shake their perceptions of the Elgin of old. For the younger people headed to ECC or Larkin, it’s often a first impression. So we talk about how the entry corridors fuel these perceptions.

And yet, when faced with a pawnshop to open at a major interchange and entry point, we allow it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for letting the market decide what types of businesses can open in a given area. But the city puts pawnshops in a separate category for a reason. Until a year ago, there were none in town. The city created a special type of license for pawnshops, and issued only one, to Windy City Jewelry & Loan. Windy City doesn’t use the word “Pawn” in their signage. They don’t overtly advertise that’s what they do. (Interestingly, the city has no such restrictions on payday loans, cash-for-gold shops or similar businesses. By my count, there are at least 20 such businesses scattered around town, including one already in the Town & Country shopping center.)

Rendering of EZPawn's proposed signage

But this new shop will have “EZPAWN” emblazoned 30 inches high by 198 inches wide, on a bright red background. Depending on how they position the sign, it will be one of the first things people see when they exist Route 20 at McLean, or even as they drive past on 20. That includes people going to Larkin, ECC and the Highlands golf course.

The Zoning Board recognized this and asked the petitioners if they could perhaps not use the word “Pawn” on their sides, and instead use the corporate name, EZ-Corp. But EZPawn is the trade name, so of course they’ll use their name on their signage.

The Board ultimately approved the proposal, which now heads to the City Council for final approval.

Whatever you personally believe about pawnshops, the widely held perception is not good. Thanks to my research, my perceptions have certainly changed. (Plus, Google now serves me lots of ads for pawnshops, payday loans, and bankruptcy attorneys.) But if someone already has less-than-ideal image of Elgin, how will that sign change – or affirm – their perceptions?

Am I off base? What do you think?

View the entire petition and Zoning Board details. Full disclosure: in my capacity as president of the South West Area Neighbors, I did write a letter based on input from the neighborhood, and spoke at the hearing. 

Elgin’s Hemmens Cultural Center, home to the fantastic Elgin Symphony Orchestra, is less than a mile away, in the heart of downtown.

Both attract steady audiences to Elgin, though the casino’s numbers are down significantly in the past couple of years.

In theory, both venues should drive crowds to the growing restaurant and bar population that’s trying to take hold in downtown. But in reality, that doesn’t really happen, particularly with casino patrons who have their pick of dining options within the casino’s confines.

Last week, the City Council decided to pursue a study that will evaluate the feasibility of an entertainment venue that could serve both purposes: hosting the ESO and growing arts community while also serving the Grand Victoria’s need to compete with the new Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. (Thankfully, we’re not paying for this $45,000 with tax dollars. The Grand Victoria’s parent company, HGMI Gaming, will foot the bill.) While a location hasn’t really been determined, some have floated Festival Park, given its location between the casino and downtown, as a logical space.

Mike Danahey’s wonderfully comprehensive Courier News piece covers the biggest issues: Festival Park is the only green space in downtown; the need to be good neighbors to the townhome residents who have struggled with noisy downtown venues (namely the Main Event), and the odd pairing of gambling and arts. This is the part that really piqued my interest.

Elgin talks a lot about becoming a destination for the arts. The ESO has been an institution since 1950, and we have plenty of smaller groups like Elgin Opera, Janus Theatre, Elgin Theatre Company, Elgin Art Showcase, and others I’m surely forgetting. ArtSpace is becoming a (taxpayer-funded) reality that will bring 55 artists to downtown. SpaceTaste Gallery has periodic shows and really unique things to see.

In that sense, the Hemmens has outlived its useful purpose. Built in 1969, it has only 1200 seats, strangely configured. The acoustics aren’t worthy of the ESO – I was blown away when I went to a recent ESO concert at the Prairie Center in Schaumburg. A new facility is overdue, and would offer more flexibility to serve the growing variety of arts needs.

But I still struggle with how one venue can successfully meet the needs of such disparate groups. As Danahey points out, facilities hosting symphony concerts are inherently structurally different than those hosting casino shows that feature rock and pop acts. A single facility might serve the traditional arts (symphony, opera, stage productions), but would not have the bones needed for a more contemporary act, and vice versa.

Facilities aside, lets consider their respective audiences. Do gamblers like opera? Do we care if they do? I don’t see a lot of mingling of audiences. Would most casino goers consider attending an ESO performance?

I think we need to be realistic that such a venue would have to serve two distinct audiences. While that’s not impossible, it takes very careful planning. Understand who your audiences are. Research their respective needs. Admit that there won’t be much overlap. Work with local complementary businesses to cross-promote where it makes sense. While casino patrons may not attend gallery openings, ESO-goers may be interested. I haven’t see that kind of connection to date, and it’s a relatively easy win.

I do think that a facility bridging the tundra between the casino and downtown may help downtown businesses. I love the openness of Festival Park (see my header picture at the top of this blog), but standing at the casino, looking towards downtown, the empty expanse seems endless. And if you do venture north into downtown, the first block of Grove is a ghost town, with far too many vacant storefronts. The new Prairie Rock Grill will anchor this corner, and hopefully bring in traffic that will help encourage other businesses.

What’s your take?

But I fell off the wagon a couple of years ago, and with working at home, it’s gotten ugly. One snooze, two, three, four… suddenly I’m waking up 40 minutes later than planned. I started adjusting my alarm time to account for the inevitable snoozing.

I’ve never been a morning person, but this is ridiculous.

So I decided one of my 2012 resolutions is to stop doing this. Sure, 20 extra minutes of sleep is nice, but I could just set the alarm 20 minutes later and know I’ll get up the first time.

Unfortunately, the first week did not go smoothly. Eleven glorious (glorious!) days off work, coupled with the season’s coldest weather, made Tuesday morning kind of brutal. I woke up with the alarm, but laid in my warm, cozy bed, just listening to the radio for 30 minutes, stretching and trying to figure out my next day off. (Memorial Day, unless I take vacation days.) It didn’t help that one of the first things I heard was the newscaster saying the current windchill was -3 degrees. But I didn’t hit the snooze button.

Wednesday took a different turn. When the alarm went off on another very cold morning, I rolled over to turn down the volume, thinking I’d stay in bed until the news ended (about 4 minutes) and then get up. I didn’t know that the cat was curled up against me, as she often does when it’s really cold. I might have kind of squashed her. She didn’t react well, biting my pajama-clad arm as it reached for the alarm. I recoiled my arm, smacking myself in the face nice and hard. A few seconds later, I tasted blood. A bloody nose is really an excellent motivator to get out of bed, however cold. I can’t really blame the cat, though: I wouldn’t react well if something much, much heavier woke me from a dead sleep by crushing me.

Thursday and Friday morning were uneventful: I woke up, turned down the volume, listened to the news while stretching achy muscles, and then got up.

Hopefully, this means I have quickly conquered the snooze button with just a bit of bloodshed.

Which of your resolutions hasn’t gone quite as planned?

I also got to read a lot. I really miss picking what I read, but between work, heavy academic reading loads, and daily news, there’s just not much time left. So immediately after I finished my fall exams, I dove into the stack of “fun” books on my coffee table. Ironically, I ended up reading more Kindle books than those on dead trees, and I acquired a few new ones, so the coffee table pile has grown. I tried to balance some fun, light books to cleanse my palate from school-assigned reading with non-fiction about topics that captivate me.

Farewell, social life. You were fun. Now, I have 7.75 lbs (or 124.15 oz) of legal opinions to keep me company!

Tonight, during my first Law, Policy and Ethics class, the professor handed us three giant course packets weighing a total of 124.15 oz, or 7.75 lbs. (Yes, I weighed them when I got home.) And that’s just for one class! I’ve bought the two books for the other class, but don’t yet know if we’ll have a complementary course packet.

Honestly, I’m excited for my June graduation and the freedom to read whatever I like. At least I love my classes – and this quarter’s syllabi look interesting.

In the meantime, here’s how I spent the reading portion of my Christmas vacation.

Alice Bliss. Laura Harrington. After a glowing recommendation from Katie Leigh, I had this on my ever-growing list of books to read. Then I found it available on the library books for Kindle list through Gail Borden, so I checked it out.

It’s been ages since I devoured an entire book in a single evening. But I loved this book and inhaled it. It’s the story of what happens when a family’s nucleus and glue is suddenly not there anymore. How do the relationships shift? How do family members have to change to understand each other?

Alice is a 15 year old girl in upstate New York, right on the cusp of growing up. Her father’s National Guard Reserve unit is shipped to Iraq, leaving her family flailing to move forward. Her family has always been split into two alliances: Alice has been a daddy’s girl, while her sister has been closer to their mom. With her dad thousands of miles away, Alice and her mother struggle to “get” each other, so other family members step up, each navigating the situation differently. Alice’s mom (understandably) goes through depression, so Alice has to take care of her little sister and keep the family going.

The characters were so very real and well written, even if some infuriate you – but that’s true of real people and families.

I laughed, I cried, and cried some more, but I would do it all over again. This is fantastically written food for thought.

Shanghai: The Rise & Fall of a Decadent City – After my September visit to Shanghai, I’ve been reading a lot about the city and its history. (My favorite so far was Nien Cheng’s Memoir of her harrowing Cultural Revolution experience, Life and Death in Shanghai – it’s truly gripping and haunting.) Stella Dong’s history recounts Shanghai’s colonial period, from the 1830s through World War II. Fascinating, though I wish she had continued into the post-revolutionary period.

Water for Elephants – I saw the movie on my flight home from Asia, and the Kindle edition was available for free library lending. I’m glad I finally read it – fantastic story of traveling circuses during the early 1930s. While the circus stories and love story intersected nicely, there were several hints about how the country as a whole was grappling with the Depression. Excellent, excellent read.

Veiled Freedom – Jeannette Windle’s novel offers a very interesting look at the challenges of rebuilding Afghanistan, from a missionary’s perspective. Through three intertwining stories, Windle tells the tale of working to rebuild a country with a very turbulent past. Several of the characters are military or former military who have returned as civilian contractors, a very common scenario we usually hear little about. In addition to the rebuilding challenges, Windle injects quite a bit of religion, which surprised me, but it proved thought-provoking. Her main protagonist is a Christian missionary who must tread carefully to offer relief to women without running afoul of local Islam rules and traditions. While the characters don’t discuss this with each other, they do examine how Islam and Christianity view core human challenges like retribution and evil. Examining women’s lives in a heavily patriarchal, fundamentalist society also raised my eyebrows.

The Girl in the Italian Bakery. Kenneth Tingle’s memoir caught my eye on the “read for free” Kindle list The story of Kenny’s rough childhood – from public housing and foodstamps to the complete dissolution of his family – drew me in. Kenny lived in tough old Massachusetts mill towns in the seventies and eighties, and got into a lot of trouble that was described in great detail. Though the ending was abrupt, as were several of the plot lines, it was an entertaining read, with a touch of redemption.

The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves – And Why It Matters. BR Myers.  When Kim Jong Il died just before Christmas, I realized I don’t know all that much about the “hermit kingdom,” beyond a bit of school and some long-lost South Korean classmates. While perusing Amazon, I found this brand-new book that focuses on the internal propaganda that fuel the culture. The premise of the book – which I’m only about halfway through – is that the West’s perception of North Korea as a Stalinist  state or a Confucian patriarchy is wrong.

Propaganda has always intrigued me. I have an old poster of a red fist crashing into Parliament from Béla Kun’s 1919 Communist takeover of Hungary, and one of my most memorable undergrad classes was called “Springtime for Hitler,” dealing with the propaganda movement that brought Hitler to power. While in Shanghai, I tried to make it to the Propaganda Museum during their limited hours, but had to settle for browsing bookstores and drinking in the contemporary posters I saw hanging.

So far, Myers’ book is a fascinating look at why North Korea needs to derive pride from its military – and how that continues the myths of the state’s personality cult. This revised edition was published Dec 20 – just three days after Kim Jong Il’s death – and so far talks just tangentially about the unknown heir-to-be. I’m determined to finish it quickly, somewhere among the 7 lbs of legal cases.

What are you reading? I’m always up for adding more to my list!

My friends just moved in and don’t really know their block yet, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to spread some cheer.

We weren't quite this Dickensian...

I dressed for the cold, swaddling myself in a big scarf, hat and mittens. We assembled song books from internet print-outs and, after letting the trio of adorable little girls bake cookies, set out down the dark block.

We quickly realized several things. First, many houses are truly vacant. I knew this is a problem in the neighborhood, but it becomes more apparent at night.

Next, a lot of people just don’t answer the door. At each house that showed some signs of life, we sent the smallest in our group – a bubbly blond five-year-old – up to ring the bell as we began singing. Most times, even if we clearly saw a tv on or other indications that someone was home, no one ever came to the door, so we’d move on after a verse. Granted, thinking about it, I don’t answer my door if I don’t recognize the knocker, especially after dark.

Third, kids really seemed to enjoy the experience, on both sides. The three kids with us delighted in singing, especially “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which we sang as the finale every time we actually had an audience. And  where people did answer the door, kids would watch with giant grins. At one house, no one answered the door, but a small girl peered at us from the upstairs window, waving and smiling. We sang a couple of songs to her and moved on.

Fourth, some people just don’t appreciate some roving carolers. At one house, a couple had just pulled up in their car… and sat in the car, paralyzed with some type of cheer-fear, until we moved along. And at our very last house – next door to our organizers – the woman opened the door, saw us, and slammed the door rather forcefully in response. Bah, Humbug!

Afterwards, while warming up with hot chocolate and cookies, I was content and merry. Next year,  perhaps we’ll choose a block with some known “friendly” houses.

But not so fast: before we could start prioritizing, Tonya Hudson, Executive Director of DNA, gave us some background and parameters. (Ted Schnell covered the details well in his live-blog on BocaJump.)

Essentially, to flourish, downtown must be full of unique, innovative businesses – unlike what people access on Randall Road – that can draw people as a destination. Meanwhile, we must also build the daytime downtown population to support these businesses. And at this point, we’re not talking about specific brand names.

What can fill these storefronts?

With that in mind, we ranked the 47 categories individually, then tallied our rankings and began discussing our top 10 for each group. All the groups had different lists, but the aggregate showed some commonalities. As we did in the session, let’s look at each for a) existing, complementary businesses; and b) target customers.

1) Ethnic restaurants: A good variety of ethnic restaurants would fit in well with our growing entertainment district. Positioned among the various bars and other restaurants on and near Chicago Street, restaurants can benefit from proximity to entertainment options at the Hemmens, the Elgin Art Showcase, and the casino – if only they can get the word out. Such restaurants could attract foodies and 20-40 year olds with disposable income. What type of restaurant would you want to see? One of my group mates was advocating hard for an Indian place, but I’d also love to see tapas or a good Middle Eastern place to join our existing Villa Verone, Toom Toom Thai and Bangkok House.

2) Pet Store/Supplies/Grooming: This didn’t even make my group’s top 10, but several of the other groups talked about the dearth of such a place in Elgin, especially since the small, “scary” place on McLean closed. And they’re right. If you need anything beyond the basics, you do have to leave town for pet food. This would attract families and other pet-owners. Given talk of pet licenses in Elgin, we could probably determine how many dogs (at least) are in Elgin.

3) Convenience Store: Many mentioned the lack of any true convenience stores in downtown, other than those attached to gas stations, which are kind of shady. And they’re right. There really aren’t places to pop in for a very quick drink or snack, or a gallon of milk. A nicer convenience store could fill this gap, and attract professionals downtown during the day (City Manager Sean Stegall specifically requested a place that carries Hostess Cherry Pies), and residents in the evenings/weekends. Butera’s ok, but it’s hard to access on foot – there’s no real pedestrian access, other than playing Frogger through the parking lot – and they close relatively early.

4) Gift Shop: My group discussed merging a couple of the categories together, including Gift Shop, Card Shop and Stationery Store. I envision something like the Paper Merchant in Geneva, attracting women from teens through their 30s, and perhaps beyond. Positioned near good coffee and Elgin Books, this could create easy browsing and lingering.

5) Electronics: This was barely a blip on my group’s radar, but other groups talked about bringing some kind of Radio Shack-type store to downtown that could supply the electronic odds and ends working professionals need: batteries, cables, maybe print cartridges?

6) Musical Instruments: This would tie in well to ArtSpace, coming next year. Also, it would help attract the teens and artists DNA desires, as they will spend on things like dining and entertainment.

7) Full Service Restaurant: See also, ethnic restaurants (above), but with a focus more on families and after-work professionals. This could be a steakhouse or similar to the existing (and fabulous) Elgin Public House.

8 ) Call Center: A call center would bring more people downtown, increasing the daytime population that helps support all the other businesses.

9) Card Shop: See Gift Shop above.

From there, the conversation devolved as people mentioned some of the categories overlooked. (I don’t have a #10 in my notes, and nor does Ted’s transcript.) Here are all the rest:

Art Gallery
Auto Dealers
Auto SupplyBeauty Supply
Bike Shop
Camera/Photo Shop
Candies/nuts/popcorn Shop
Carpet/Flooring
Child Day Care (private)
Chiropractor
Cigar/Tobacco Shop
Clothing Store
College/University
Comic Books/Collectibles
Costume Shop
Craft/Hobby Shop
Dance Apparel Store
Dance Studio
Doctors Office
Drapery/Blinds
Dry Cleaning
Florist
Grocery Store
Health Club/Gym (Private)
Health Food Store
Hotel/Motel
Movie Theater
Home Furnishings/Decor
Office Furnishings
Party Supply Store
Quick-Service Restaurant
Shoe Store
Sporting Goods Store
Stationery
Tanning Salon
Toy Store
Uniform Supply Store
Wine Shop

What would help draw people to downtown Elgin?

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far – keep them coming!

In the next few days, I’ll have more thoughts about the direction of downtown, including some marketing shifts. In the meantime, add your thoughts below.

I have my own thoughts about this, but I’m curious what others think. Consider attending the session next Wednesday - and leave your thoughts below.

What business or type of business would you like to see? What could attract people to downtown? What “fits” with the existing businesses?

In short, what’s missing?

This is part of my informal “Reverb11: Elgin Edition” series. Check out yesterday’s post on Elgin’s Walkability and leave your comments there, too. 

This past Saturday included the Winter Market and all the other Window Wonderland activities – reindeer, roasting chestnuts, holiday shopping, and more. Last year, it snowed during the festival, making it even more magical. This year, after a rainy morning (perfect for finishing my final exam of the quarter), the clouds parted, and the sun came out. So I walked to downtown, as I often do on Saturdays. I perused the Market, admired the decorated storefronts, returned some library books, got some coffee, and generally enjoyed the day before returning home about 4.

Of course, as soon as I got home. I realized that I had forgotten about the tree-lighting, scheduled for 5 PM. I’m a sucker for Christmas lights, so I headed downtown again, on foot.

Sunday morning, a friend and I had brunch plans at the Elgin Public House, and we walked. The brisk air felt good, given how miserable early December can be. While at brunch, we talked about the walkability of Elgin. I was drawn to my neighborhood by its proximity to nearly everything I need: Metra, a grocery store, library, coffee, etc. It’s a blessing not to need to dig out my sloped driveway immediately after snow hits.

And while Downtown Elgin has come a long way in the five years I’ve lived here, there are still barriers to walking. In northern Illinois, the weather can be a big drawback, of course. I wimp out when the mercury drops below 20, or when there’s too much ice for my YakTrax to safely overcome. The city does a great job clearing their part of the National Street hill, but one of the business owners doesn’t, meaning it becomes a dangerously sloped ice rink. Plus, there are certain safety issues late at night, especially walking through some poorly lit areas. I could never give up my car entirely, but 7 years without a car in Chicago trained me to shop small and walk whenever possible, habits I’m glad I’ve kept.

Downtown Elgin’s WalkScore is about 82, or “very walkable.” The site calculates a score based on proximity to transit, schools, parks and several categories of businesses, including banks, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, groceries and entertainment. The database seems to have holes in it – it’s missing Butera, the Speakeasy, and others – but it’s interesting, nonetheless.

Walkability, from the center of downtown.

By contrast, New York is the “most walkable” big American city, with a score of 85. Chicago has a 73. Naperville a 74, Schaumburg 54. In each case, I input just the city name, and it calculated a score for the city center. In Elgin’s case, it appears to use the YWCA on East Chicago Street as the center point. You’ll get a different score if you put in a more specific address. My house has a score of 60.

What do you think? Is your part of Elgin walkable? What would make it more walkable? What keeps you from walking? What would encourage you?

Yesterday, I got an email from Gwen Bell, who created Reverb10 with Kaileen Elise and Cali Harris. They’ve decided not to host Reverb this year, for reasons I understand, but which make me a bit wistful. The trio encouraged people to start their own version of Reverb11 (or whatever) and share the love.

Immediately, my mind split between two options:

1) Read last year’s prompts and re-write them, or at least for the ones that have something worth writing about.

2) Create something Elgin-centric and see if I can persuade fellow Elginites to participate. Daily might be a stretch, but maybe 5 or 6 prompts throughout the month, getting people to name/discuss their favorite aspects of Elgin? Like, “What’s your favorite Elgin holiday tradition?” or “What’s your favorite made-in-Elgin product?”

Any thoughts? If I launch the Elgin-focused option, does anyone have ideas for prompts? I finish the academic quarter next Tuesday, at which point I can exhale and take advantage of some cognitive surplus for a few weeks.

Regardless, I’m starting to mull over last year’s Dec 1 prompt: Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? Here’s what I said last year.