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More than just debates...
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As we gear up for more debates tonight and tomorrow I wanted to draw your attention to some recent Where We Live episodes.  Monday we aired a "magazine of interesting stories" (to steal from our friend Faith Middleton).  Libby wrote to you about some of her favorite "Websterisms" from our interview with author and crossword puzzle creator Arthur Shulman

Particia Martin dropped by our studios to talk about her new book RenGen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business.  John seemed a little cynical about whether or not we are actually at the cusp of a Renaissance right now. Here's an excerpt from the RenGen website:

"...Why do 65 percent of Americans cite reading as their preferred leisure activity? Why do companies like Google and Microsoft seek to borrow from the intellectual sanctums of museums and libraries for entertainment content? Why do art museums, aquariums, zoos and science centers draw more foot traffic than all the professional sports teams in the U.S. combined, including auto racing? Why do teenagers turn up in record numbers at poetry slams and post original short stories on their blogs? Why have applications to art schools shown aggressive growth over the last decade? Why do millions of people create blogs, facebooks and post personal videos to express themselves? Our concept of mass culture needs an overhaul". 


I'd like to think that I am active in facilitating a new Renaissance - but maybe that is something that we'll only be able to really see after it has happened.  Do you think folks at the brink of the Italian Renaissance knew that something big was about to happen? Or are we so much removed that only now we can see what kind of an impact that Renaissance had.  Regardless - I think Martin makes a great point that when it comes to marketing products to this "RenGen", businesses have to get a bit more creative.


Also...  don't miss our interview with The Needle Drop's Anthony Fantano.  He let us in on some great independent music.  I'm happy that Anthony is taking the time to sift through all these new bands because it's exhausting to me.  He did clue me into some great bands like The Avett Brothers and Mount Eerie... but also some old favorites like David Byrne and Brian Eno.  I have used some of Anthony's suggestions to create a few new "stations" on Pandora - and occasionally they'll throw in a band I didn't know existed... that I love!  Check out The Needle Drop for more!