Still have your Common Good? Then let’s chat Tuesday 5-8!

Ahhh, Common Goods is drawing to a close.

First of all, thank you for borrowing, chatting, responding, and in general, being a part of this new community.

If you have already returned your Common Good or the item has been redistributed to you, then no need to attend this final event. If not, then read on!


The final Common Goods event is this Tuesday from 5-8pm in Arts West.

Wondering how to return your borrowed item? Well, bring yourself and that item down and we’ll talk ownership.

Can’t wait to see you again!

Common Goods: In the Gallery

You are cordially invited to

COMMON GOODS: in the gallery

at Arts West May 1st, 1pm

Serve as representation of the community and celebrate Borrowing, Sharing, Giving, History and new friends.

~You are welcome to bring your common good~

I have a small gift for all our community members!

Tea Time

Hello Borrowers!

First of all, if you borrowed your good just this past Friday, this does not yet apply to you.

If you borrowed your good earlier than that, then listen up:

You are cordially invited to schedule a short conversation surrounding ownership over tea with me this Monday, April 18 from 2pm to 6pm in the Arts and Letters House.

If you can’t make it, please let me know so we can schedule another time. It should only require about ten to fifteen minutes of your time.

the round-up

Community members and interested parties are curious about how many borrowers have participated and how much of my stuff is out someplace, living a new life. 

So here’s the round-up:

Arts and Letters Permanent Location:

Total Borrowers: Nineteen.  Items Borrowed: Forty-One.

Pop-Up Shops:

Total Borrowers: Thirty-Three. Items Borrowed: Fifty.

Appointments:

Total Borrowers: Two. Items Borrowed: Four.

Read More

Pop-Up: April 15 11-2

Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Spence Pavilion I will be setting my my pop-up shop known as Common Goods-bringing the community to main campus!

If you make it out on Friday, you will find an open economic system with a selection of my personal belongings that are available for borrowing until Reading Day. If you like what you see, you’re welcome to take it with you and I’ll tell you about the item’s history.

All I ask in return is for your story about the item you borrowed - which you can deliver to me in any number of ways - in person, blog, poem video, skywriting, email, text, etc. Later, we’ll sit down for tea and talk ownership.

Hope to see you there!

Samantha DiRosa has borrowed: One scarf, one belt, and one ring. The scarf I bought in Ghana both because it was beautiful and because it was a very strange souvenir for West Africa. I wear it all the time. The belt was purchased at The Good Samaritan and I’ve only worn it a few times, but I think it’s excellent. I love the tiny leather details. The ring was purchased at a market in London. It was made from a copper pipe and a small bit of silver solder. The metalsmith gave me a huge discount because I didn’t have any more money and when I returned to pay him the difference, he refused it. I added some copper enamel details this past fall, my first time trying kiln fired enamels on a 3-D, sculptural form. I hardly ever wear it though because it is just too small or just too big for all my fingers…

Samantha on the belt:

“I borrowed a beautiful belt, but cannot wear it.  Just a tad too long.  So, it sits.  A symbol of the many things I desire, but cannot have.  It’s not mine.  It reminds me of the many things that can’t be mine. “

Samantha on the ring:

“I wear it, it doesn’t fit right, but I wear it anyway, ignoring that fact.  We do that with so many things.  The ring is asking me to listen to that today.”

Samantha on the scarf:

“I had planned to wear it much more, but I’ve maybe only worn it once since.  So many times, we accumulate things out of a desire to want to become something we’re not.  I have many items like that in my closet, that sit… purchased from a vision of what could be, not what simply is.”

Jamaica and Mother Mary

This past summer, Jared Titus’ mom invited Jon and I to Jamaica to be the surprise Jared for his birthday. It was an incredibly fun few days and we were so happy to be there with Jared and his family. One of the nights we were shopping some local goods and I found this bracelet that totally stuck out amidst the sea of island beachy jewelry. It had tons of resin covered images of Mother Mary. I had to buy it for its sheer oddity. When I wear it though I find it sort of itchy.

Elisa Cooper borrowed the bracelet and hand wrote a note to reply. On May 1st, you can come and read it at the opening! She was my very first hand written reply!

Feather Cage: Stamp

I bought a birdcage stamp once from a craft store. At different times, I have been slightly obsessed with the idea and symbol of caging something meant to fly. My friend Cody Greene gave me a feather stamp, and the two made a beautiful pair.

Natalie Butler borrowed them, but as far as I know, she has yet to find an ink pad to use them with!

Marlee and Dave

I read Dave Egger’s collection of short stories “How We are Hungry” in Ghana, and I decided that it contained my two favorite short stories: “Your Mother and I” and one other that I can’t name from memory. “Your Mother and I” is the happiest short story I could  remember and the other hurt me in a very particular way-it was perfectly tragic. I feel in love with these two stories and loaned the book out several times in Ghana. Somehow, it never made it was way home to the United States, so I replaced it with used copy.

Marlee borrowed the book and a stamp. I can’t wait to hear from her!

15 years single

Papa has always been excellent about supporting my interests, so when he gave me a Ukulele when I was small, I must have expressed the desire to learn it. Needless to say, I never did. It hung from a hook in my bedroom, looking lovely, for at least 15 years.

I brought it to school because Jon wanted to learn how to play. He carried it around campus a few times in the fall, but when it got cold, it retired.

Carter Kozak, who I didn’t meet until the Common Goods launch, borrowed the ukulele. How is it? Has anybody seen him with it?