Day in Court: Civil Disobedience Update

Catz and I celebrating our resolution! 

Day in Court: Arrest Update

BOSTON - Oct 5th 2016

Phew! Here I am with one of my trench-mates, Catz. We left the West Roxbury Court House feeling pretty elated and very, very fortunate. She and I, along with a young man, who was underage, had been #182, #183 and #184 to be arrested trying to stop this crazy-bad pipeline. His case was resolved separately. And we had quite a wrangle figuring out what to do about our legal situation following our arrest on August 31th, 2016.  The DA's office was not happy with ResistThePipeline.org  and had upped the ante of consequences. But on this Tuesday, as over 20 fellow protesters were processed at different stages and for various charges, we were lucky. Our charges were reduced to a civil infraction rather like a parking ticket and if (I mean when !) we don't get arrested in the next six months it will be completely dismissed! No record! Huge thanks to the legal team: Mark MacMahon, Joshua Raisler Cohn and court support from Resist! 

We went right back to work to ResistThePipeline.org! After lunch we held up banners with other pipeline fighting-folk at Spectra's offices in Westwood. There Spectra hosted a "safety meeting" with first responders. Can you say vertigo? Wish I could have been inside to witness the spin! Likely to need dramamine. More on that later.  We stood in silent witness across from Spectra's corporate offices, taking care not to trespass by standing in Frugal Fannies parking lot. As we held "Stop Spectra" banners in a blustery wind, our elected officials came and shook each of our hands and thanked us, in full view of the windows of Spectra's regional HQ. We felt they had our backs! One of the officials in the room later described the safety measures he heard at the meeting as "horseshit."

Oct 5th. We are standing across from Spectra, HQ. Our Boston Delegation shook our hands in full view of Spectra's reps.

Below is a press release I wrote for Resist on our Civil Disobedience.

WEST ROXBURY, MA - One crop that has not failed in this summer's record drought was nonviolent resisters of new fossil fuel infrastructure. And? The number of those ready to commit nonviolent civil disobedience, risk arrest to help halt climate change and stop Spectra's corporate bullying in West Roxbury continues to grow. To date, 200 concerned citizens have peacefully but forcefully broken the law to stop Texas-based Spectra's construction of the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline. In the next two weeks alone, over 50 protesters will make court appearances at West Roxbury District Court. Charged variously with Trespass, Disturbing the Peace Reckless Destruction of Property and Disorderly Persons, some defendants will be offered and take plea deals. Others will refuse the "deals" and chose to go to trial. Yet others may chose to defend themselves and make their court appearance a broader statement.

“We tried community meetings, rallies, day time and night time vigils and protests. We marched in the heat of summer and through the snow. TV stations covered us and we talked on radio shows. We knocked on doors, leafletted, wrote letters, gathered thousands of signatures on petitions, sent letters to the media and made multiple visits to politicians. We were completely flummoxed by the fact that our elected officials are powerless to protect us," said Mary Boyle, lending a backstory to the development of civil disobedience in West Roxbury.

Pipeline outside of Spectra's HQ in Westwood.

" Nonviolent civil disobedience seemed like a worthwhile tool to use. Civil disobedience actually stops construction and brings attention to our outrage. Our call to action is not a self-centered, knee-jerk, NIMBY but rather a forward thinking, rational and responsive, 'Not here. Not anywhere!' ” - Mary Boyle, West Roxbury neighbor leader, activist and pipeline opponent.

"Bullying that endangers the public safety of my friends and neighbors, while contributing to climate change during one of the hottest summers on record made civil disobedience an imperative for me. " - Norah Dooley, from Brookline, activist and pipeline opponent.

"Why are we allowing Spectra to build more dirty energy infrastructure when we need to be taking it down and building clean energy infrastructure?” - Hendrix Berry of Jamaica Plain, when asked about her decision to risk arrest.

"This pipeline represents the failure of our government to have an energy policy that does not risk the future of my grandchildren." - Reverend Martha Neibanck of Jamaica Plain, when asked about her decision to risk arrest

When resisters refuse to comply with orders to remove themselves from construction sites they are engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience. When common law is leading to destruction of people and their homes as ‘sacrifice zones’, jeopardizing global food systems, waterways, air quality, and forest vitality, accelerating coastal erosion, permafrost melting, coral reef bleaching, titanic forest fires, and city-engulfing flood rains it is time to "disobey." from Resist the Pipeline's website.

###

BACKGROUND

The West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline, a new “off-ramp” from Spectra’s existing Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) pipeline,  will carry fracked gas from shale deposits in Pennsylvania though New York, CT and Rhode Island. Fracked gas is a fossil fuel whose extraction has caused significant environmental damage and whose main ingredient, methane, is a highly toxic greenhouse gas (over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide for the first 20 years in the atmosphere). Capable of carrying gas at up to 750 psi (pounds per square inch)-- more than twice the pressure of the pipeline that exploded in San Bruno, CA in 2010, killing and injuring many residents and causing widespread property damage--the WRL is a “transmission” pipeline meant for rural or secluded areas.  It is  similar to the pipeline that recently exploded in a rural area some 30 miles east of Pittsburgh, knocking out four other nearby pipelines and seriously injuring a man when his home was destroyed by fire.  The accident is still under investigation, but Spectra says it may cost upwards of  $100 million to repair the damage. By comparison, the West Roxbury Lateral runs through residential neighborhoods, only feet from some homes and near schools, businesses, a nursing home, under a soccer field in Dedham, and across from an active quarry in West Roxbury where regular blasting over the years has caused damage to homes in the area. As with all natural gas pipelines, Spectra won approval for the WRL, with little opportunity for public comment,  from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), whose commissioners have all served as executives in the natural gas industry.  The project has met strong local resistance from both citizens and elected officials, including Mayor Walsh, the Boston City Council, State Representative Coppinger, State Senator Walsh, and Congressman Lynch. Both the City of Boston and Town of Dedham have filed lawsuits against the project, citing numerous flaws in the environmental review and approval process and seeking an overturn of FERC’s approval. Hearings or trials are expected this fall in the D.C. Circuit Court. At the urging of many of their constituents, U.S. Senators Markey and Warren have also voiced some concern to FERC but not strong opposition to the project, a stance that has perplexed and disappointed many residents.. To date, 194 people have been arrested in peaceful civil disobedience against the WRL. They include Michael Butler, the Select Board Chair from Dedham who was the first to be arrested;  Karenna Gore, daughter of former Vice President Al Gore; Tim DeChristopher, well known climate activist; and dozens of local clergy. West Roxbury neighbors and their concerned allies. Meanwhile, other community groups are fighting other gas infrastructure projects still in the planning stage, particularly in eastern Mass. and including Spectra’s  proposed compressor stations in Weymouth. Opponents cite evidence that much of the new gas is actually intended for export, not to meet local needs.

Arrested Developments: Stopped construction. Was arrested. Going to trial.

 In the trench, stopping Spectra.

Arrested Developments: Stopped construction. Was arrested. Going to trial.

On Wednesday, August 31st we halted construction of the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline. For over an hour we enjoyed our small victory. This project jeopardizes the health and safety of local residents and of our neighbors across the globe by ramping up greenhouse emissions and fueling climate change. Residents and local politicians have unsuccessfully fought this project using every legal means for three years. All else has failed, and so it made moral and strategic sense to me to stealthily approach, evade a police detail and jump into an open worksite. I will admit that I was challenged (as in, scared witless?) by the thought of the depth of the trench. I do not like heights and I do not bounce like I used to. Also, I am kinda klutzy so I was elated to have accomplished the first part of my mission without getting hurt or hurting anyone. The second part of my mission is to convince you all, Dear Readers, to fight to halt climate change.

Best "trench-mates" you could ask for: Brendan and Catz.

For over an hour I was in the trenches with now 16 year old, Canton High sophomore, Brendan Matulis and my new friend, Catherine LeBlanc. Brendan's birthday was Sept 1 and he was concerned that, despite his youth, people would understand he was taking action following the dictates of his conscience alone. We all were clear in our purpose and honored to be able to do our part to halt climate change and stop a Texas fossil-fuel corporation from bullying our neighbors! All thanks to the movement of ResistThePipeline.org who were on the street above us, celebrating Mary Boyle's birthday, singing songs, praying and witnessing in solidarity with representatives of the Standing Sioux Tribe's struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline. ( read more about Mary Boyle and the issues at my blog.)

After an hour, Brendan, who as a minor, was handled differently under the law, climbed up a ladder out of the ten foot trench while Catz and I waited to be removed by by Boston firefighters after being "checked" by EMTs. There were at least four dozen EMTs, police officers and firefighters surrounding us. It was an impressive waste of resources and/or a silly display of power. They cajoled, joked, reasoned and fumed at us to leave of our own accord. We declined. Finally, we were extracted by "basket" and whisked away in BPD Transport Wagon. We were charged with Trespass and Disturbing the Peace and spent the day in West Roxbury District 5 jail. With a $40 fee we were released on our own recognizance a little after 4pm. Physically, the worst part was the zip tie handcuffs as I was waiting to be" processed" which included a mug shot, removing my wedding ring for the first time in a decade and being finger-printed on a new-fangled computer system. For over an hour and still restrained, I was all alone and my wrists hurt so I distracted myself singing.  Revels songs and South African freedom songs from my days with Mystic Choral and NoonDayFarm singers came back to me. Dunno how anybody else felt about it, but I enjoyed the echoing acoustics of the cell. Maybe my singing can explain the additional "Disorderly Person" charge?

Six officers ( and there were more) to arrest one old lady. Do I look that dangerous?

The next day we were to be arraigned first thing in the morning. I thought I'd do a little chalking in front of the West Roxbury District Court. I've done it there before and had provided my Memo proving its legality from the Law Office of the City of Boston to a Court Officer just a few weeks ago. (Chalk art is a whole other issue you can read more here.)

Yesterday, as I was chalking -@stop spectra- on the sidewalk, a court officer approached us and asked "If there was a problem." and I said no, I was exercising my 1st Amendment rights and using chalk. She seemed cool with it so I finished up, put my chalks back in the car and we headed to check in with probation.

At the Probation window, in the kind of coincidence you just can't make up, my elder brother's probation officer was the man who checked me in. He was equally surprised to see me. My brother, who is severely mentally ill, was charged with Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault while in his group home a few years back and successfully completed his probation in Lemuel Shattuck Hospital this May. Mr. Frank Omogrobe had been very helpful.  But that is also another story - read more here)

When our case was finally called and we stepped up to the bar and were addressed by Honorable Kathleen E. Coffey, First Justice, West Roxbury Division, who has always struck me as a compassionate and honest woman. It was she who created the Mental Health Court that has helped our brother and many others to stay in the hospital, where they belong and NOT in a jail.  

After, the clerk read our charges, adding Disorderly Conduct to our rap sheet our lawyer approached the bench ( or the bar?) and Judge Coffey led off the proceedings by saying,

Post-arraignment photo behind pre-arraignment chalking at courthouse. 

" It has come to my attention that your clients were drawing on the sidewalk outside this courthouse and I just hope that is was chalk and not paint, etc. etc."  - Judge Coffey

I wanted to reassure the judge right away, exonerate my co-defendant and explain about it being temporary sidewalk chalk. When I tried to speak, our lawyer, quite rightly, shushed me and said that he could not speak to that issue as he knew nothing about it and it was not part of the case before us. 

Attorney Mark McMahon was blindsided. We hadn't told him anything about chalking. McMahon told Judge Coffey that he would not make any statements about any alleged incidents. Her question was a crazy, unexpected curveball. If I had used paint? It was serious. Less then 10 minutes before, in a case before ours, two young men had just been led out of that same courtroom in shackles for tagging with spray paint.

Judge Coffey was insistent and even issued a veiled threat "You could un-complicate this easily and just tell me or?...We could launch a police investigation ?...(pregnant pause) Do you really want to complicate this? Just to find something out that you can easily tell me." But our lawyer, Mark McMahon, stood fast and said neither he nor his clients would make any statements about anything unrelated to the arraignment before  the court, so the judge allowed us to confer and come back in a few.

Wow. That was a shock - just 10 days before, I had gone through the whole song and dance about chalking in Boston with a court officer right in front of W.Roxbury Courthouse  The officer even made a copy of the memo I carry with me.  Atty. McMahon pointed out to me that graffiti is vandalism, when permanent materials or damage is present and if the "destruction of property " is over $250? It is a felony. Jump back!  

We returned to court and told Judge Coffey what she wanted to know. She had toned down a bit and said, " I am not trying to abrogate anyone's 1st amendment rights here, I am just looking for information." Atty. McMahon told her that only one client was involved and that she (I) had assured him it was chalk. Then the Assistant District Attorney offered us a deal.  We could have six months of probation if we accepted a "stay-away" order of keeping 500 yards ( that is 1/4 mile!) away from any Spectra worksite. Atty. McMahon argued strongly against the stay-away. The Judge herself offered a compromise of 100 yards from the specific 10 Grove Street in West Roxbury site - a nexus of protest and work completion. But the DA refused. 

At this point it is really hard to agree to be 500 yards  away from any Spectra worksites which are so are common in the Boston area. And in West Roxbury, it is a 5.1 mile pipeline and they could be working anywhere. 

It just seemed an egregiously wrong condition.  Why should a citizen limit her freedom of motion based on the ubiquitous actions of a Texas based corporation? That is just more bullying as far as I can see.  In the end, neither Catz nor I could take the deal and that means we will be going to trial. Sometime in October. More information as things develop. And,  next week, Karenna Gore, Tim DeChristopher and 4 other West Roxbury Pipeline resisters will be in the same court for their pretrial hearing on Sept. 6.

I would be deeply grateful if you would help spread the word, participate, educate and/or donate at ResistThePipeline.org.  Civil disobedience is, among other things, a kind of low-budget PR. We put ourselves forward to get the word out, not for personal attention. I tell this story to engage and inspire you; to motivate more people to be active. As George Monbiot says, the climate crisis is real and it is already here. We all need to do our part.

Here is a link https://youtu.be/190J51UjJi4 to a great 2 minute video below made when over 100 of us came to Stop Spectra's work in June 2016. Our dear friend Marie-Laure is featured.

"Since August 2015, a residential neighborhood of West Roxbury, MA has become an epicenter of fossil fuel resistance and the fight for a livable climate. Spectra Energy is building a dangerous, high pressure (750 psi) natural gas pipeline across the street from a rock quarry from which seismic waves emanate due to weekly dynamite blasting.   This project jeopardizes the health and safety of local residents and of people across the globe whose lives are already being ravaged by climate change. Residents and local politicians have unsuccessfully fought this project using every legal means for three years. All else has failed, and now we’re shutting this project down in the streets. 

With 175 arrests, this is one of the largest campaigns of sustained nonviolent civil disobedience in the country. We’re building a culture of resistance to the fossil fuel industry that will spread across the region. We’re sending a message to all those involved in the current build-out of new fossil fuel infrastructure: We don’t want it. We don’t need it. Earth can’t take it. Shut it down."


And here again is a video segment on the climate change disaster of leaking methane throughout Boston and the Commonwealth. http://www.wcvb.com/news/tens-of-thousands-of-gas-leaks-across-the-state/41283404

Brilliant flash mob sparks ideas

Brilliant flash mob sparks ideas  

by Norah Dooley

An acquaintance sent me this yesterday and I was enthralled. A flash mob fully realized and then enacted a back story to a very well known painting, Guards of the Night by Rembrandt in 1642. This past April this "flash mob" or guerilla theater event was a project of the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands to advertise with their slogan; "Our Heroes Are Back" that after an absence of one decade, all major pieces in the Rijksmuseum’s collection are back where they belong.

It helps to have the backing of a major multinational corporation when you want to document this intricate a staging. It looks like they had a dozen cameras and at least 2 dozen actors and free range of the mall to plan, rehearse and set props before the performance. When one desires to bring art to the people, a healthy budget makes smooth the way.  Still the really amazing part of the project, in my mind, was to inject a clear story into the staging. A gorgeous tableau would have been very effective but...the story, acted out in real time? Sheer brilliance. Imagine all the viewers talking to each other about the part of the story they actually were witness too.

And I wonder - did this elaborate staging work to get people to come to the actual art in the museum? Seems likely that it did since the prank itself garnered over 3 million views on youtube.

Guards of the Night Rembrandt 1642, Rijksmuseum, Netherlands

The videos show how they took one painting, a Rembrandt from 1642, Guards of the Night (above), and brought to life the characters in it, placed them throughout a busy mall and you can see for yourself how it all fell (literally) out.

Imagine what a group of storytellers with a lots of imagination or the backing of anybody or entity with deep pockets might be able to do? My mind is swimming with fun ideas.

Like Banksy - only 1/100th as talented

Chalk-Le-chat: Like Banksy or Blek Le rat (only 1/100th as talented)

A different kind of chalking

By Norah Dooley

Last month I compared my work to Jenny Holzer and this week I am thinking about Banksy and his predecessor, Blek le Rat, (born Xavier Prou,1952) who was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the “Father of Stencil Graffiti”.  Lest you think I am totally out of my mind -  I

Mon petit signature

shall clarify. I do not believe myself to be in anyway comparable to these world-class artists. I only mention them as examples of the inspiration for my work and to give some point of reference for what I am doing. Deciding I needed a "nome de plume" like my heroes ( my heroine, Jenny Holzer, is simply herself) and knowing that imitation is the sincerest form of mimicry I have, for now, settled on Chalk le Chat.

Cool, right? It is like Blek Le rat, only I am 1/100th as talented or prolific. I am also considering the moniker "Pastore Fata" after Shephard Fairey but he gets into a lot of  trouble so it ma be a bit risky.  Running with the Chalk Le-chat idea allowed me to
designed myself a little signature
( see left ). Mostly, I create really simple chalk drawings about the stories I have just told to surprise and I hope delight the children who stumble upon them. If they mystify and inspire those who have not heard my stories - that is great. The fact that the act is noncommercial and intends a democratic inclusiveness. I sometimes draw with my audience, teaching them how to use simple shapes to draw some of the animals that feature as characters in my stories. And other times I  leave chalk beside or nearby the drawings,  inside a chalk circle of words saying "Express Yourself".

Here  is the wiki entry for "street art"
Street art is art, specifically visual art, developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or the more specific post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art.

Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. ‘Street’ artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them.John Fekner defines street art as "all art on the street that’s not graffiti".

Whereas traditional graffiti artists have primarily used free-hand aerosol paints to produce their works,"street art" encompasses many other media and techniques, including: LED art, mosaic tiling, murals, stencil art, sticker art, "Lock On" street sculptures, street installations, wheatpasting, woodblocking, video projection, and yarn bombing. New media forms of graffiti, such as projection onto large city buildings, are an increasingly popular tool for street artists—and the availability of cheap hardware and software allows street artists to become more competitive with corporate advertisements. Much like open source software, artists are able to create art for the public realm from their personal computers, similarly creating things for free which compete with companies making things for profit.

Traditional graffiti also has increasingly been adopted as a method for advertising; its trajectory has even in some cases led its artists to work on contract as graphic artists for corporations.Nevertheless, street art is a label often adopted by artists who wish to keep their work unaffiliated and strongly political. Street artists are those whose work is still largely done without official approval in public areas. For these reasons street art is sometimes considered "post-graffiti" and sometimes even "neo-graffiti.St reet art can be found around the world and street artists often travel to other countries foreign to them so they can spread their designs.

Children join Chalk le Chat at Honan Librar

The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves. There is a strong current of activism and subversion in urban art. Street art can be a powerful platform for reaching the public, and frequent themes include adbusting, subvertising and other culture jamming, the abolishment of private property and reclaiming the streets. Some street artists use "smart vandalism" as a way to raise awareness of social and political issues.Other street artists simply see urban space as an untapped format for personal artwork, while others may appreciate the challenges and risks that are associated with installing illicit artwork in public places. However the universal theme in most, if not all street art, is that adapting visual artwork into a format which utilizes public space, allows artists who may otherwise feel disenfranchised, to reach a much broader audience than traditional artwork and galleries normally allow. Street art can also be a form of political expression used by the oppressed and people with little resources to create change.

Banksy - © Clipstone Crop

From a blog that follows Banksy:

Banksy’s latest street pieces which appeared in London over the Easter bank holiday reworks an old anarchist slogan coined by Emma Goldman “If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal.” The piece seems to be a reference to a spate of recent arrests in LA of street artists such as Invader and Revok who are involved with the MOCA show. — New Banksy street piece in London references arrests in LA.

Blek le Rat in LA

From the Street Art Blog, post NOV 19, 2011:

Blek recognized the great ability of street art to address the populace in ways other art could not. Through stencils often centered on social observation, Blek involved his viewers in a guerrilla war against complacency and conformity, highlighting the strength of the individual and inspiring a reflection upon the status quo. The guerrilla art we are familiar with now has much to thank Blek le Rat for, a point driven home with impact when looking at the work of notorious British-graffiti artist Banksy, whose style is not only based on that of Blek but whose subject matter (including soldiers, rebels and even rats taking over the streets) is inarguably influenced by Blek as well.

Public Reaction - street art in Brookline

Public Reaction - street art in Brookline

8:09 AM July 22, 2013 after a little bit of rain.

Now that we have had some rain the sidewalk is mostly clear of the chalk. Except where there were leafy brnches or a bench that interfered with the rain showeer, most of the chalk is gone. People have asked me what the reaction was to my project. I have recorded it all faithfully and share it here:

8:08AM July 22, 2013

Reaction #1 6:03AM 
Taxi driver: I see you are decorating my cab stand.
Me: Yes I am beautifying and edifying
(he walks from one end to the other )
Taxi driver: That's  good.  I like what you say.
( A fare gets in his cab and he is gone)
Reaction #2 6:45 AM  
Young Woman: Did you have to get a permit to do this ?
Me: Yes,  I have my permit right here, if you 'd like to see.
Young woman: I wasn't trying to cause trouble - just curious.
Me: No worries. I'm kinda bummed I needed a permit at all.
(she checks her phone, then looks at writing from both sides of bus stop bench)
Young woman: Are you a hippie or a radical?
Me: A radical. Definitely.
Young woman: I thought so.
Me: Kinda cool that you know the difference.
Young woman: There is 30% chance of thunderstorm this afternoon - what are you going to do?
Me: Nothing. Those are the breaks with chalk art!
( The #66 bus comes and she is gone) 
 

Reaction #3 7:49 AM
Thirtysomething woman: Excuse me -  there's a typo.
Me: Sorry?
Thirtysomething woman: : There's a typo*.  You have an apostrophe in its - there shouldn't be.
Me: O dear! I will fix it immediately.  Thank you.
Thirtysomething woman:  It is such a good quote - why spoil it with a mistake.
Me: True. Thanks again.
( The #66 bus comes and she is gone)


And that's the end of public engagement with this art as I was creating it.  This afternoon's rain should be the end of the visual installment. I want to complete the project so I may reapply.

*  Not to be picky but shouldn't we say a "chalko" instead of "typo"? 

Chalking it up to age and...

Chalking it up to age and... love of our civil rights.

Sira meets Julia, 1984

It could all just be chalked up to my age, a love of democracy and an infatuation with civil rights. Our constitutional  rights exist to make our lives, culture and neighborhoods, civil. Gotta love that!  Yet, it was more.  I felt compelled to do my crazy and ill-timed ( for my  schedule) project for many reasons. One was to mark many decades of trying to find an effective way to be an artist and add something to the ongoing struggle for human dignity, justice and peace. Another reason was purely sentimental. My first ever Arts Grant was a teaching project in 1984, where I took a group of kids out on the sidewalks of Central Square Cambridge and taught them some drawing basics as we moved through the neighborhood, creating art in unexpected places. At some point during the 4 week project, WGBH covered our proceedings and the clip of us working in early July, 1984 was aired (or repeated?) on September 8th. This also was the day our 2nd daughter, Julia was born. A maternity ward nurse recognized me and said, "Who would have thought you'd be out drawing on the sidewalk and having a baby the same day?" I was confused but she explained and we sorted it out. Back in the day, we did not have a TV and I was too busy before and right after Julia was born to be able to track down and see that video.

4:15 am Jul 18, 2013

Through the years I have marked my birthday by asking my family to cut me some slack and take care of business so I would have the time to do something nutty like chalk drawing from dawn to dusk. I find the process of chalk drawing delightfully ephemeral, completely impracticable, a bit challenging and totally enjoyable. I am not even very good at  it at this point - so woefully out of shape am I. Not only is squatting difficult but I have not been drawing regularly for over 8 years. When you were never very gifted to begin with (like me) you'll find that your rendering chops fall away like a towel at a pool side. Still, it seemed like it would be too much fun not to at least try.

But in my 60th year, chalking had a new element; First Amendment Rights. A few weeks ago,  I had read about the then pending case of a young man being charged with 13 counts of "disorderly conduct" for chalking the following message "Corbett [Gov of PA] has health care and we should too." [see above] His fines could be as high as $13K and his sentence as long as 13 years. I was amazed. I was incredulous. Mostly, I was deeply affronted by this attack on our civil rights.

5:00 am Jul 18, 2013

A friend showed me several instances of similar cases and this moved me to include a political statement in my artsy-fartsy birthday plans. Here is one of the cases that especially piqued my interest: "A jury Monday acquitted a 40-year-old man of all charges connected with writing protest messages in chalk on the sidewalk outside branches of the Bank of America.  Deliberating for only a few hours, the jury...declared Jeff Olson not guilty on all 13 misdemeanor counts filed by Goldsmith’s office. Olson never denied writing the slogans.
One slogan said, “No thanks, big banks.” Another, “Shame on Bank of America.” And in yet another, the bank was portrayed as an octopus grabbing at cash with its tentacles. “It’s chalk,” Filner told reporters last week in an exasperated tone. “It’s water-soluble chalk. They were political slogans.”But courts have held that graffiti remains illegal even if it can be easily washed off, Goldsmith said. That the Bank of America contacted the city attorney’s office to reportedly urge prosecution has become part of the dispute. 

6:35 am Jul 18, 2013

Really? Corporations telling a DA who to prosecute? Faster than you can say "David and Goliath" I had chalk in hand and a full head of steam. I was pissed. BUT... instead of rushing headlong into this contested arena I decided to check my natural rash impulses and read the Town By-Laws. Finding no explicit rule against chalking on sidewalks,  I found a copy of a Brookline Rec Department flyer that invited citizens to participate in sidewalk chalk art. Then I also dug up a 9 year old article about me drawing in chalk on my birthday.  Thus prepared I called Town Hall the next day to see if drawing in chalk, in Brookline,  required permission. My first encounter was with the Building Department, which seemed like the wrong town agency but in fact, all signage and public space in Coolidge Corner are under the Building Inspector's jurisdiction.  Mike Yanovitch said that as long as my work was not "political or offensive" it should be fine. I bristled and my sub-clinical Tourette's kicked in and I blurted that I was not asking for a critical opinion on my art, just the legal stance of the Town of B on chalking sidewalks. Mr. Yanovitch immediately changed tacks and so did I. Within hours I had sent him an email thanking him and giving him tons of "background" information. And I waited.

6:55 am Jul 18, 2013

After 5 days I wrote again asking if Mr. Y had received my information. He had and said he was fine with the project and, he freely offered, without any prompt from me, that permission is not based  a "content thing" but that I did need to talk to Department of Public Works. So, I journeyed on.

I called Peter Ditto at the DPW. Mr. Ditto said the main issues were about space - I must not block traffic and I must leave a 4' wide for handicap access. I explained that I had taken some pictures of where I wanted to work and would send them. I added that I try to work before rush hour, 5AM - 8AM and likely would need more than one day due to my day job schedule.

7:00 am Jul 18, 2013

Mr. Ditto asked me to send the info I sent to Mr. Yanovitch and add to it locations of the sidewalks I was interested in, which I did in a neat pdf proposal. He said I should check in with the Police Department too. Only too happy to, said I BUT suggested that someone might issue a letter of permission just in case. What if not everyone on the BPD force gets the word of mouth that my actions have been authorized? In the past I have been stopped and challenged by officers of the law and always found it useful to have a document on my person. Mr.Ditto promised he would get back to me.

So, I waited. And waited.  On July 10, I received this email [below]… denying me permission.  This is where my story may have taken a very different turn if not for my fortune to count as a friend and colleague an ace, 1st amendment lawyer.  Enter (stage left) Michael Anderson.

A civilized exchange

Michael Anderson is a prestigious attorney, a wonderful storyteller and a fabulous Shakespearean actor as well. Michael's bio and tagline, which I have typed into many a program note ends with:

8:01 am Jul 18, 2013

"There is no such thing as free speech if you do not use it." It seemed like I was getting no where, fast, so  I wrote to him for advice on finding a pro-bono lawyer. He offered his service, a winning strategy and we hit the sidewalk - um, road, running. In no time Michael had cases, examples of chalk art on Town sidewalks and a very comprehensive letter formulated. When permission was officially denied, my lawyer ( sounds impressive, no? ) sent the letter to the Town Counsel. I believe there was a quick response by phone and after a conference between Michael and Jennifer Dopazo Gilbert, verbal permission was granted. And we waited some more. Finally, on July 15th I received my permit for 4 hours on July 18th of chalking in the areas I requested.

It is a victory. I know. But seriously folks? I thought that the Bill of Rights protected us average citizens who normally cannot afford a consigliere. Did I really need to explain myself so extensively, then lawyer-up and persist just to do a few chalk drawings? Apparently, the answer is yes. But my lingering questions are, should this be? And, if so, what are we going to do about it ?

Rosie takes a snap for me @ 6:55 am Jul 18, 2013

Birthday Art Project - July 18th - dawn

Photo by: Jacqueline Biggs

"Chalking is a spontaneous act of beauty."  - sidewalk artist, Norah Dooley

To celebrate her 60th birthday, on Thursday July 18 from 4-8am, Brookline artist Norah Dooley will execute an  art project in chalk on the sidewalks of Coolidge Corner. She says her work will be " A poor girl's Jenny Holzer."  Holzer is an American conceptual artist who is mostly known for her large-scale public displays of provocative words, mantras and ideas. Dooley's work is much smaller in scale and will feature small colorful mandalas and the sayings of dead and live presidents on the sidewalk. Dooley has executed similar works in the past in Central Square, Cambridge and Athol, MA.

"Like sand paintings, sunsets and other natural ancient forms, the art is meant to be temporary and, like life itself, fleeting" said Dooley.

The Town of Brookline initially refused Dooley permission. But with the help of ace First Amendment lawyer Michael Anderson, Dooley eventually convinced Town officials that she has a right to peaceful expression on the sidewalk. “The Town of Brookline allows commercial newspapers to put large newsracks on the Coolidge Corner sidewalks. If the Boston Herald gets to occupy public space to sell its point of view, then the Town cannot constitutionally prohibit me from expressing mine in washable chalk,” said Dooley. There has been much civil rights litigation over protest chalk drawing in the wake of the Occupy movement, from San Diego (where a jury acquitted a chalk artist of thirteen criminal counts) to Flint, Michigan to Orlando. “I am glad that the Town officials acted responsibly to recognize my free speech rights, rather than requiring us to go to court.”  

Below are the words she chose. They will be bracketed with mandalas - one will have in a circle of words  around it  -  "If you see something, say something." The other mandala will have just one  word : either " racism" or "poverty" or "injustice" or  "violence "

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
Abraham Lincoln

A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

"A society's soul is most  keenly revealed in the way it treats its children."
Nelson Mandela

She says she is not sure about this last one.... "I may just add it as my signature!"

"...if I did not laugh, I should die."
Abraham Lincoln

What is this all about, really? The artist shrugged and said... " I like to add  beauty to disused public spaces and I have a friend who says 'Free speech isn't free if you do not use it.' Two birds with one stone?"

ReadBoston 2013 - storytelling all over the city

by Norah Dooley

This summer I mark my 15th year with the Read Boston Storymobile program. We will tell stories all over the city from July 8-August 16, 2013. Storytellers provide the stories and the Storymobile program provides the books, logistics and oganization, plus? They bring a brand new and free book for every child in attendance. All sites are open to the public.  Here is what a day on the road with Read Boston looks like... Typically we are scheduled in three sites in one of the many Boston Neighborhoods and the sites are accessible to one another by public transport. The van will have dropped off books for the expected audience and when I arrive someone at the facility or venue will have boxes of books ready. Sometimes everyone knows where I will perform and which way the audience will be seated. The outdoor venues can be super challenging with rain, traffic noise, other camp groups and many environmental challenges as well. I wrote the following in 2007 about a day in the Summer of 2000  -

My work sends me to some funky venues. This one was a park along side a highway where the planes are low overhead in their approach to Logan. It was about 90º F. It was also before lunch and maybe after nap. About 20 kids about 3 years old each, walking like somnambulists, holding on to clothesline were brought out to me and we were all led to a huge tree. How primal - how essential ! Me, a tree and a group of children. This is storytelling. This is what it is all about! The disaffected teen staff were sullen and glum. Who could blame them? It was so damn hot, humid and smelly. But when I pointed out that the broken glass mixed in the wet with dew*grass as unsuitable for tender toddler bottoms of my audience they became even unhappier. We moved around the tree and finally to another tree.And I started at last. 

A plane roared overhead. I pushed on. Traffic flowed and growled in the background. I engaged and cavorted. Then a bright and perspicacious little boy noticed a huge dog turd about 18" inches away from my foot. God I wished I had seen that first. "Wow. Look Dog POOP!" 20 little heads were snapped around and riveted in attention on the brown, perfectly formed canine offering by my foot. The teen counselors perked up. This became a moment of intense interest. My audience could not get enough - Then it evolved into group participation... more here

Theresa Lynn and Mayor Menino at the Tadpole Pond

But this not all Read Boston does... At their Facebook page I found:  (6 photos) of

ReadBoston's Anna Adler has been working with parents at Boston Public Schools' Newcomers Assessment and Counseling Center in the Madison Park Education Complex. Participants in this nine hour training have been working hard and having fun. With only one session remaining, they are well on their way to becoming "Early Literacy Parent Leaders".

In February they set up this deal. Throw on your jammies and tuck into a good tale during the Hotel Commonwealth’s pajama party and storytelling event Feb. 22-23. The Bedtime Stories package features professional storytellers and performers from ReadBoston. Meet and get your photo taken with George, and make your own hot chocolate. Pay $20 to attend the event each night, 7-8:30 p.m. Or book the Hotel for Kids package for Feb. 22 or 23 at a starting rate of $229, based on availability, which includes a four-person suite, a kids’ backpack with L.L. Bean slippers, free valet parking, and a morning pancake-making class for kids. Stay the second night for $169. 866-784-4000,Parent Training at BPS Newcomers Assessment and Counseling Center or    www.hotelcommonwealth.com

After Schools in Boston are invited to apply for ReadBoston's After School Reading Initiative. Created in 2000, ReadBoston's After School Reading Initiative has worked with over 90 after school programs throughout the city of Boston promoting reading, literature, and literacy. To accomplish this, ReadBoston works closely with after school directors and staff, coaching staff to lead engaging

Back in the day, the Storymobile was a huge RV with bookshelves

literacy activities. These activities include reading aloud with groups of students, creating independent reading times, and promoting book-related activities. ReadBoston also purchases and develops diverse book collections in after school programs, creating inviting spaces for reading. Both school-based and community-based programs are invited to apply. Organizations may choose to apply for more than one site, but must submit separate applications for each site.

Two years ago I wrote this post on my last day... It is my last day of Read Boston. I will be in Charlestown all day. Yesterday was a great day. I worked in the South End Settlement House in their lovely walled garden, the Tadpole playground on the Boston Common, at a school in Chinatown and then at the zebra gate of Franklin Park Zoo in the evening. Hard to express fully how joyful and satisfying it is to tell stories all day. Biking from place to place, on a gorgeous day, telling stories. My idea of heaven.

Today I wrote this on the way to Charlestown. What I especially enjoy about bicycling to the venues  are the little things I get to see in the city.  A meditation on some black details while riding on the Charles River to work.

black starling bathes in a tiny puddle on asphalt path
what a yellow beak!
kingfisher is a black question mark on top a
round white buoy.
A long shadow behind as I peddle by on a
black bike in early morning sun.

Here is my schedule for  summer  2013:

·         7/15  Roxbury

10:00 AM  HATTIE B. COOPER COMMUNITY CENTER -1891 WASHINGTON STREET

11:15 AM 12TH BAPTIST CHURCH PRESCHOOL
- 160 WARREN STREET  1:15 PM VINE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER- 
339 DUDLEY STREET

·         7/16  South Boston

10:00 AM  LABOURE CENTER
 -275 WEST BROADWAY  11:15 AM TIERNEY LEARNING CENTER
 125 MERCER STREET  * 12:45 PM *  SOUTH BOSTON BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
      -230 WEST 6TH STREET

·         7/17 West Roxbury


10:00 AM  ROCHE CENTER
- 1716 CENTRE STREET

  11:15 AM BILLINGS FIELD
 CENTRE STREET & LAGRANGE STREET

 1:15 PM  OHRENBERGER COMMUNITY CENTER
  175 WEST BOUNDARY ROAD

·         7/23 Dorchester

10:00 AM ROCKWOOD EARLY EDUCATION ACADEMY- 995 BLUE HILL AVENUE
11:15 AM CODMAN SQUARE LIBRARY - 690 WASHINGTON STREET  1:15 PM ELMHURST PARK  31 ELMHURST STREET

·         7/24 Jamaica Plain 

10:00 AM JAMAICA PLAIN HEAD START 315 CENTRE STREET – REAR  11:15 AM HENNIGAN COMMUNITY CENTER - 200 HEATH STREET 1:15 PM  MARCELLA PARK
CORNER OF MARCELLA & HIGHLAND STREET

·         7/25 Boston, South End, Chinatown

10:00 AM TADPOLE PLAYGROUND/ BOSTON COMMON 11:15 AM  ESCUELITA BORIKEN 85 WEST NEWTON STREET 1:15 PM BOSTON CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER 885 WASHINGTON STREET

·         7/26 Roslindale

10:00 AM  FALLON FIELD  ON THE CORNER OF SOUTH WALTER & SOUTH FAIRVIEW ST.    11:15 AM SOUTH SIDE HEAD START 19 CORINTH STREET  1:15 PM ROSLINDALE COMMUNITY CENTER   6 CUMMINGS HIGHWAY

·         7/31 Dorchester

10:00 AM PROJECT HOPE CHILDREN’S CENTER -45 MAGNOLIA STREET 11:15 AM GROVE HALL LIBRARY 41 GENEVA AVENUE  1:15 PM KROC CENTER 650 DUDLEY STREET

·         8/1 Allston

10:00 AM FAIRY TALE CHILDREN’S CENTER 14/20 LINDEN STREET 11:15 AM JACKSON MANN COMMUNITY CENTER 500 CAMBRIDGE STREET 1:15 PM HONAN-ALLSTON LIBRARY  300 NORTH HARVARD STREET

·         8/2  Dorchester

10:00 AM  THE CRISPUS ATTUCKS CHILDREN’S CENTER - 105 CRAWFORD STREET  11:15 AM HOLLAND SCHOOL 85 OLNEY STREET  1:15 PM CLEVELAND COMMUNITY CENTER  11 CHARLES STREET

·         8/14  Dorchester

10:00 AM YAWKEY CENTER 185 COLUMBIA ROAD 11:15 AM GERTRUDE TOWNSEND HEAD START  198 GENEVA AVENUE  1:15 PM BLUE HILL BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
15 TALBOT AVE

It's a 'vision thing'

Lizi Brown, Jannelle Codianni, Josh Whiton and Jackson Gillman at the Semi-finals in JP

I thought I was just helping someone out and getting a some content for our blog...but personally,  Lizi Brown's 'article' couldn't have come at a better time. I was feeling pretty worn out by the grueling work of the past 6 months and her statement was a much needed affirmation.

Disclaimer: This article below was a solicited declaration. I had asked Lizi to write something about her experience ( she wanted a massmouth,inc. T-shirt so I suggested she write something for our blog  this as a barter) and here it is...

    This February a friend treated me to my first evening of massmouth,inc. storytelling at Doyle’s. She knows I listen to The Moth, and wanted to turn me on to what‘s happening locally. When we got there they were asking audience members to consider telling a story on a particular theme. I had one that matched the topic and told it to my friends at the table while we were waiting for things to get going. Though I didn’t think it was worth the mic time, they encouraged me to get up and tell it. I was reluctant because I’m just not a performer. I hadn’t had any time to figure out how to tell it right, and I was also just plain chicken. Even though I knew my experience was interesting, I couldn’t imagine that I could put it out there very well. But the crowd seemed friendly, and I decided to give it a try.

       What followed was a few quick minutes sharing my life in a way that seemed to work surprisingly well. I had decided to ‘just be me’, and stick to the bare bones of a series of life events that it turned out people liked hearing. It was more fun than I can possibly explain, probably largely because I was relaxed and unprepared. I won the audience vote, got some excellent coaching, and went on to the semi finals. At this point I felt way over my head, but the other tellers were supportive and really nice, and we all had a great time that night. Miraculously, I went on to the finals.

       I’m not a performer in any sense, and yet I was able to tell my experience, partly because of the short time limit that made it less scary (how much trouble can you get into in 4 minutes? wait – that could be a future theme...), and partly because the night was so welcoming and fun. Each event required shortening and fine-tuning. As I rewrote the story I learned more about it, and why I was telling it, but I stuck to my original gut feeling to just be me. When I told it the last time I did the best. I was surrounded by great people with wonderful, human stories, and I felt very good about my contribution to the evening. I can’t believe I did it! Participating in these events was very empowering, it helped me find my voice in many ways.
 
       It also feels really good to contribute to the high school storytelling project that benefits from the funds raised at these evenings. They are teaching kids to find creative ways to express what is happening in their lives, incredibly important work. Thank you massmouth.

- Lizi Brown

Thanks, Lizi - this is precisely our vision for story slams  -  a kind of storytelling 'of the people, by the people and for the people'.   Creating experiences like yours are the greater part of what we worked so hard to make happen. Promoting the art of storytelling is the rest of the gig.

Related articles

• April 21st, 2012 10:00AM 1st BostonStorytellingFestival

  ---

• BigMouthOff 2012: stories and appreciations

  ---

• High School Slam - This Saturday!

  ---

• Final Scholarship Slam is a Hit

  ---