01.12 | historical hbics - SF's vivian hallinan
Years ago, I came across a podcast that was about the muckracker Vincent Hallinan, who amongst other things sued the Catholic Church to prove there was a god. A supporting actor in his story was his wife, Vivian, who I found to be much MUCH more interesting of a character.
There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise.
– W.E.B. DuBois
✉️ letter #23
Hello everyone! I'm still here in San Francisco. It's been a bit of a low energy week for me. I guess I'm still recovering from all the planning energy I expended getting here plus a month of bizarre scheduling plus - possibly - too much access to binge watchable TV. Whatever the reason may be, it's been hard to get into focus mode and get things done.
So I'm thankful for the chance to re-up something that I'd previously written that's surprisingly fitting for my location.
Years ago, I came across a podcast that was about the muckracker Vincent Hallinan, who amongst other things sued the Catholic Church to prove there was a god. A supporting actor in his story was his wife, Vivian, who I found to be much MUCH more interesting of a character.
A beautiful card shark turned liberal activist real estate tycoon, the little information I could find on her sparked a giant fountain of admiration.
Surprisingly, it became one of the most read articles on my website - her grandkids even contacted me to thank me for writing about their matriarch. They said they were in the midst of writing up a biography of her... I don't know what came of it in the end though.
So while we await news of this possible historical document, I figured I'd migrate my little tribute onto this newsletter website.
Read all about Vivian here:
elaine
🌱 the ethical ideas newsreel
- This is important information for anyone who's in any kind of company big enough to have an HR. Did you know they had a word for "We can't fire you but we'll make life so miserable for you that you'll quit"? It's called "Constructive Discharge," it's technically illegal, and here's how to recognize it and what to do if it's turned towards you.
- Something we could all use more of: museums! ArchDaily has got a rundown of some of the best openings this year around the world, from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin to MVRDV's reflective Art Depot.
- Attenborough's at it again! His new documentary The Green Planet is out now on the BBC. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, get warmed up with this fun little listicle about five fascinating insights into the inner lives of plants.
- A belated RIP to our queen Betty White. "After White’s death on New Year’s Eve at the age of 99, stories have been bubbling up about animal shelters and other organizations honoring the actor by naming some of their four-legged residents after her."
🎵 song of my week
This is going to be a bit of a throwback themed kind of newsletter, because my favorite song of the week is this John Sebastain jam from 1970.
Maybe I like it because it's sort of what I was hoping someone would do for me now. I have been feeling a bit in a funk. And if I was in a musical, this would be a great time for the protagonist or romantic interest or comedic sidekick to swing in through the doorframe, thumb my nose and croon:
I've been waitin' my time, just to talk to you
You been lookin' all down at the mouth, and down at your shoes
Well bay - ee - aby, I come to give you the news
I'll paint rainbows all over your blues
✨enjoying: one final piece of pop culture fun
A friend recently posted a PDF to this 1950s piece called Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, which satirized anthropological papers on "other" cultures by pointing out some of the things that could be considered weird about mid-century America - charm boxes (medicine cabinets) filled to the brim with half-consumed concoctions, the non-stop accumulation of debris, the obsession with the mouth (and teeth).
Anyway, it's a fun read on its own, but more importantly it sparked a trip down memory lane for me by causing me to suddenly remember David McCauley's Motel of the Mysteries, a picture book that has really stuck with me.
In it, an archeologist from the far future explores the ancient American civilization that ended somewhere in the 1980s, after being so inundated in junk mail that it collapsed in on itself.
I can only find bits and pieces of it on the web, but I assure you it's well worth checking out at your local library.
In the meantime, thanks to this article, I've only just found out that David Macaulay also helped illustrate several PBS specials that helped people learn about castles and other historic buildings. These are all fantastic (and someone organized them into a playlist here).
Did you enjoy it?
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