www.bookcityroanoke.comNEXTEVENT:Dinnerat16WestMonday,DEC.11–6-8PM

BOOKCITY★RoanokeNotesforDarWilliams’WhatIFoundinaThousandTowns

POSITIVEPROXIMITY:Livinginclosequartersdoesn’thavetomeanconflictandlossofprivacy.Acommunitycanuseproximitytoitsadvantagetointegratethetalentsandskillsofresidents.WehaveitinRoanokeandcanstrengthenit.

“First:thereareSPACES,indoorsandout,thatnaturallymaximizethenumberofgoodinteractionsinatown.Generallythesespaceshavesomeindividualcharacterwhilestillbeingopenenoughtoaccommodatethedesiresandinterestsofgoodcitizens.”“Second,therearePROJECTSthatbuildatown’sIDENTITY—socially,culturally,and/orhistorically—helpingthembecome…themselves.Theseprojectsbringouttheadvantagesofproximitybyattractingthepassionsandskillsetsofpeoplewhoarelike-mindedinsomewaysbutverydifferentinothers,cross-pollinatingabilitiesandpersonalities.Citizenstendtoseepasttheirpartisanshipandbiaseswhenthey’retryingtoaccomplishsomethingtheycan’tdoalone…”“Third…TRANSLATIONisalloftheactsofcommunicationthatopenupatowntoitselfandtheworld…theabilityofaplacetoincorporateeverywillingcitizen’scontributions,andinsodoing,findwaystomakelifemoreinteresting,welcometheoutsideworld,andprovidestabilityforthosewhoneedsupport.”

CHAPTEREIGHT:ConsciousBridgers✭ Positiveproximityisbuiltthroughcollectiveeffort,yettherearesomewhowecanlearn

from…ConsciousBridgers–“lovetomakeconnectionseverywheretheygo.Theyweavetogetherdisparatefibersofatowns’sidentity,openchannelsofcommunication…”(p.213).Theysay,“We’vegotaproblemtotackle.”

✭ “Consciousbridgersarealwaysonthelookoutfornewalliancesandconnections.”(216)They“experienceeachprojectasalearningopportunityinwhichtheythemselvescanthrive.”(228).Theyareinterestedinfollowing[themoralarc]asfarasitgoes,findingopportunitiesforthewholecommunitytogainmoreaccesstounderstanding,tohealing;andinboththelongandshortterm,tojustice.”(228)

✭ “Bridgingsocialcapitalinterweavesthestrengthsandweaknessesofdifferentdemographicssothatpositiveproximitycanbeexperiencedmorewidelyandconfidently.”(216)

✭ “Gainesboro,Florida,istheexamplecommunity.JennyLeeBaxley,dancetherapist.WhenIvisitedher,Igotafullrundownonallofthepeoplesheintroducedmeto:whattheydidforaliving,theirhobbies,howtheyrelatedwiththecommunity,whattheywereworkingon,andanythingtheymighthaveincommonwithme.”“Gainesvilleexperiencesitselfasatownofmanyviewpoints.”TheArtsinMedicineprogramattheUniversityofFloridahasdeveloped“amutuallycuriousbridgebetweentwodisciplines.”(218)

✭ DoctorandMusicianChuckLevy:“I’mnotthesmartestguyIknow,I’mnotthepersonwhoreadsthemost,I’mnotthepersonwhohasallthedetails,”hesaid.“IdoseemtoactivelyliketoconnectthedifferentpartsofstuffthatIseewithotherparts.”(223)

✭ Celebrating(andenjoying)movingfromcollectivelynotknowingtoknowing…insteadofbeingscaredofnotknowingsomethingpublicly.(228)