Culture and Community in Illumination

Dr. Mehmet Yildiz’s posted a story this morning. He asks for discussion on culture and community in Illumination. As I read his story, my thoughts wander back in time to the late 1960s at Cornell University.

Those were days of turmoil, learning, discovery and rebellion. They were also days that challenged us to learn outside our shell of comfort. I was there as a graduate student in chemistry.

I was a teaching assistant in freshman chemistry. It was a dream job. I loved to explain things to a diverse group of students. My roommate and I had a similar approach to teaching. We would pack the room when we ran review sessions for students preparing for exams.

But it was a time of protest. The anti war movement was growing. Black students on campus were striving for legitimate rights and recognition.

The folk music revival had also begun and I part of the folk music scene. I was not a performer, but loved the music. One local singer/songwriter was Bill Steele. For those of you who follow environmental issues, you may be familiar with his song, “Garbage!” But he wrote another song that is not so well known. It has stuck with me through life.

In particular, when I look at the seedling of this Publication, Illumination, it raised one phrase in the song: “If every body’s got a song, then no one’s got them all.” It comes from the song, “A Thousand Songs.” He sings about the diversity of the folkies, the serendipitous exchanges of ideas, the growth of the music scene for many participants, and the synergy of the movement that grew from all members.

The song was portrays in poetry set to music what it was like for folkies back then. We were a diverse group, gathered by serendipitous choice. Raising voices together in synergy, singing as one group. If anyone wants to listen to the songs, they are here: Thousand Songs; Garbage!

On a sad note, as I was looking for the song, I found a news article that Mr. Steele died in a house fire in 2018 at the age of 86. This brief note is also a tribute to Bill Steele and his poetic topical music.

I look forward to reading a wide diversity of stories in Illumination. After all, if everyone has a story, then no one’s got ’em all. Keep writing.