Monthly Archive for November, 2008

When I was working at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, I would sometimes sit in on lunch seminars or gatherings of the research fellows in which Lewis Hyde was a participant. While most of the fellows at Berkman had a background in the law, Hyde’s academic resumé consisted of a tenured teaching position — in English — at Kenyon College in Ohio. That, and that he wrote a book about the “erotic life of property,” and that he was a poet, were all that I knew about Lewis Hyde’s scholarship.

And I suspect the same was true of many of Berkman’s other researchers, because they always seemed astonished when, after someone would make an astute point about some aspect of the cultural commons, or what have you, Hyde would pipe in to say something like, “I actually explored that issue in a chapter of the book I published in 1975,” or, “that’s what I’ve been working on with the blah de blah foundation for the last ten years.” They’d throw vexed looks that exclaimed, “Who is this guy? And was he actually thinking about these things back when I was in pre-school?”

This week’s New York Times Magazine features a profile of Lewis Hyde penned by Daniel B. Smith and titled, “What is Art For?“. It sheds a lot of light for me on what Lewis Hyde is all about and the fascinating, methodical journey he has been pursuing for much of his life.

His first major quest was to explore how the fundamental nature of man to be creative and sharing clashed with market-driven societies, and how artists can survive, and perhaps thrive, under such strictures. His continued work often dealt with ways to encourage and reward creativity in modern America. And his current great project is aimed at expanding society’s understanding of the commons and its centrality in both creativity and progress. To do so, he weaves in the ideas and opinions of, among others, great American founding thinkers like Jefferson and Franklin, who well understood the need for a vibrant shared commons of ideas and thought to encourage innovation.

Is is this “capacious” cultural commons that Lewis Hyde strives to open to all of us, and it is, I think, a noble quest. And the methodical and deliberate way in which he goes about it is a marked — and welcomed — change from our modern politics as well as from the thinking of traditional scholars in this field, which is often strongly couched in the language of the law, sometimes to its detriment.

When I was at Berkman, I interacted every day, often in very mundane ways, with thinkers and explorers of great wisdom and great curiosity. It is interesting to occasionally check in on some of them, and a little disappointing to realize that I might have missed some neat opportunities to learn from these folks. Something to keep in mind for future jobs and circumstances.

I happily talk politics, or religion, or any other sensitive topic. I will listen, rebut, pose questions or offer counter-examples, but I rarely give a direct opinion, even in this blog. I find that generally people have opinions of their own, and I am more comfortable offering challenges and exploring fuzzy lines than embarking on direct confrontations. If I’m asked, I’ll openly give my opinion, but people do not generally think to ask. But since you’re here, I’ll just assume you’ve asked. Because I have something I want to say.

Barack Hussein Obama, perhaps the most improbable candidate in recent memory, was elected our 44th president. His election is powerful and symbolic and gives me profound joy. An energetic, articulate, deeply thoughtful person, Obama has created a movement of the dispossessed. So many Americans, young and old, rich and poor, of all ethnicities and backgrounds, have felt for a long time that America has faltered in its great mission. The America I speak of is not the gritty reality, but the dream, the vision, the beacon of hope that has in the past shined out across our vast world and touched its far corners. I would never call America perfect: our country is deeply flawed. We have time and again throughout history demonstrated remarkably poor judgement. But we have also had moments of astounding greatness.

The promise of America, the prestige of America, the image of America, and the reality of America, all were tarnished under President George W. Bush. Barack Obama offers a new message of hope and possibility. His generic mantra of change is easy to disparage, but his oratorical style, his abiding faith in America, his ability to bring people together in common purpose, these things should not be underestimated. Read the profiles and character studies: Obama can never stop analyzing his own flaws, is ever driven to do better. He is not a messianic leader, but a pragmatist. I believe his message of change is real, and is exactly what America needs at this time and this place.

More than that, Obama is an amazing organizer and manager. He may have little experience in government, but the way he handled his campaign speak volumes about what he can achieve in Washington. From broad strokes to small details like the beautiful logo, the Obama campaign is a case study in doing everything right.

How can one predict the success or failure of a president, two months before he even enters office? I know I can’t. But I am filled with hope for a brighter future. For the first time in eight years, optimism has taken hold. It is an outlook that has been absent from my life for too long, and I am happy to have it close by again.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

How can you listen to this speech and not be inspired?