Margo Ashmore The Power of the Pen. Is it Art?
Written journalism at the local level surmounts many challenges to meet deadline after deadline and deliver to your door. Why, in eras of citizen journalism, user-generated content, and immediate social media, are hyperlocal newspapers not only still around, but valued? Could it be that there is art in the choice of topics, graphic layout, insights, institutional memory? Bring your questions.
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Read Articles by Margo
Aldo Moroni’s last feat, to be carried on by community
Eating our way out of a problem with invasives
Student Writing:
Whereas I found the article interesting (I am on a personal mission to educate as many people as possible about the ravages of garlic mustard), I’m not sure I see art demonstrated in the article. I guess it sort of depends on your definition of art. The writer was creative in bringing in a variety of aspects about invasives—how to find a use for them and designing a cookbook rather than just eradicating them—but it seems like education rather than art. And, in this case, there is no way (I don’t think) that one could ever eat enough garlic mustard to tackle the problem. Now, I understand that things may be different when going after gigantic carp! ? Margit Berg
Barbara, It was an interesting article and I would like to try some of those “weeds” sometime. We need more diversity in our crops and foods for better nutrition and to prevent total wipe out of a monocultural plant caused by a disease. My mom grew up in the woods of Wisconsin and ate greens we never have access to now. Denise Marlowe
Rebut or Support How did Art Change the World
I don’t think this article showed how art changed the world but I think the information the article contained might be words that could change something in the world. Although it’s really too hyperbolic. To me, the art was the screen printing and use of the garlic mustard itself but I don’t think that part of the article had the power to change the world. The article and the art contained within were interesting, informative and creative with a new look at something that has been considered to be a problem. And, in fact, even if foragers, or others who want to use more local produce, decide to consider using garlic mustard in their kitchen the fact that it is so invasive that it has very negative effects on the local native growth would discourage its use because of that.
I’m glad I know more about garlic mustard because I know there’s a lot of it around, but I don’t think I would be inclined to use it or to want to encourage more growth of it simply because of its deleterious effect on other native growth. Which is what I thought before I read the article Aviva Breen