I Love Comments From Seattle

On the 6th day of the new year of 2009 I blogged about Fort Worth Bad Design vs. Good Design Elsewhere. I'd previously verbalized how appalled I am by downtown Fort Worth's new Omni Convention Center Hotel. When I wrote the "Fort Worth Bad Design" blog, I'd just read a real good article in the Seattle P-I about new buildings in the Seattle zone and it crossed my mind that maybe one of the reasons Fort Worth seems to fall victim to so many architectural oddities is because there is no erudite, cogent critic in the local media, that being media like the Star-Telegram.

So, this morning I got a comment from the writer of the above referenced architecture review, in the Seattle P-I, Lawrence "Larry" Cheek. He's been a Texan before, so he knows whereof he speaks regarding Fort Worth, the Star-Telegram and Texas.

Below is Mr. Cheek's comment....

Durango, I'm the author of the architecture review in the Seattle P-I that you recently cited. Thanks for your comments. It would take just two ingredients for an "article of this quality," as you called it, to appear in the Startlegram. One is a Fort Worth resident with a bit of insight, understanding of architecture and urban design issues, and a passion for the subject. Okay, plus some ability to write clearly. Second, one editor--just one--with some ambition and ability to imagine that the paper could be something other than what it always has been.

All that's needed is to bring these two together. Someone needs to start the process. That's how I began writing architecture criticism almost 30 years ago, at the Tucson Citizen.

BTW, I started my career at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. We didn't write much about Nietszche there, either. But there were plenty of people there, then and I'm sure now, who could carry on an intelligent discourse about psychology and civilization. It's a mistake for newspapers (and bloggers) to misunderestimate their readers and pander to the lowest common denominator.

Anyway, thanks for the compliments. You have an interesting blog; keep it up. This may be the future of journalism.

Yikes! If I'm the future of journalism, God helps us all!