For those of you spending your midnight hours (and some of you are) 
working on answers to the 40+ questions -- here is an example of an 
inspiration and model that I look at for the preservationeer interviews.

This is an indication of what I am aiming at in the short term. The long 
term is to build on this to a wider representation, and that is why 
there are so many questions. It is not meant as punishment.

Philip Levine *http://tinyurl.com/dlkxwb* I truly admire Levine's poetic 
work and as a poet I am highly sympathetic to his comments. If we think 
in terms of our histo presto projects we may all be a bit sympathetic. 
And for those who need a reminder, two of my poems at Night Train 
<http://tinyurl.com/c8xupm>.

As to the interview project... it seems to have some fairly incredible 
legs and I have been having a time keeping up with a sudden flood of 
truly inspiring communications. I am very excited to see what comes back 
at me... and a bit intimidated that it may be a flood. But as usual I 
will laugh all the way to the end.

I see this interview project as having a very timely importance as with 
the economic situation where there are a whole lot of people suddenly 
stuck, struggling, feeling like it is their fault, re-examining their 
decisions that got them to where they are in their lives, and not quite 
sure what to do with themselves. I come along and ask questions that 
they have never been asked. I feel the unique people I see in this 
preservation industry need to see each other and to see that they are 
not alone in the best hope of their spirit and dreams.

For one example, and I have been fielding many: I had a very 
heartbreaking talk with a young architect on Monday that David and I 
like and who hires us sometimes as a consultant. We are always grateful 
for that. He and his architect wife/partner are trying to get their 
histo presto business going and they have a young child. Last year they 
very optimistically moved out of their 2 room Greenwich Village 
apartment and bought a loft and put in drafting stations and book 
shelves and were full of all kinds of hope. He recently had to let go 
all of the young people that he had hired on. It got heavier and I will 
spare the details. All I could tell him was that he can come out any 
time and we will walk along the Atlantic. Or next time he hits bottom to 
call me and I will come in to the City and sit around and talk with him 
about boats or whatever. He likes sail boats. His employees that he let 
go have also been reaching out to me if I have anything for them. There 
is nothing I can say but hold on. I feel that we need a project like 
this to come along and make us feel not so lost and alone.

Best,
Ken

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