Impressionism, a digital image by Silver Lake photographer Marilyn Kiss
HALT THE DIGITS . . . FOR NOW
Though it's named for a Roman emperor, I find very little that's august--very little that's awe-inspiring, as the dictionary defines the word--about the eighth month of the calendar year.
Everybody's in Provincetown or Edgartown or some other town (everybody, that is, but me and all the other determined stay-at-homes). The start-up of the new season, in the arts and much else, doesn't begin till next month. The weeds growing between the sidewalk panels of slate or concrete are green and vigorous, not yet the husks of fall and winter.
In this intermediary time-space, I'd like to announce that WALKING IS TRANSPORTATION is undergoing one of its episodic changes of focus/identity. Because, I suppose, I am. Yes, again.
AN EMPTY VESSEL,
BUT PROBABLY NOT FOR LONG
In its most recent incarnation, WIT has been very much about Staten Island's north shore. For a while, I was producing a story, even two, a day. As a very wise artist and blogger friend told me last winter, one person working alone can't maintain that frequency for long.
Before that--which is to say, at its founding--WIT was concerned principally with transportation, urbanism and the environment. But that focus proved too narrow. Months went by without a single entry. Until I decided one day that WIT could be anything I wanted, which is what it became. What I wanted, that is: a community newspaper without the paper.
And now it's changing again.
At the moment, WIT is an empty vessel. But I'm pretty sure it'll fill up with content soon enough, becoming more personal, more impressionistic, reflecting the changes in how I spend my time.
For example:
After doing most of my reading from a screen, I have begun, once again, to have a book, a physical book, "going" at all times. I'm planning to spend less time at this worktable and more time looking at art, updating my awareness of contemporary jazz, and learning more about dance.
Where all this leads, I can't say. What will not change is that, like most writers, I process my experience sitting at a keyboard. Whatever I experience will find its way here.
I hope you'll stick around to read (and view images of) the results.--Dan Icolari
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