EVA's annual leadership crisis

Laura Putre writes in Chicago Journal about the imminent demise of the East Village Association. By now this story is as seasonal as asparagus recipes in the food section. But this spring's death of EVA may not be greatly exaggerated. The current president has failed the volunteer leader's first job, scoping out a successor.

EVA navigated the contentious landmarking debate by avoiding the issue, and as preservation activists drifted away no one took their place in the leadership. I offered less controversial help to attract a new branch library, but was rebuffed. Meetings had scant agendas, and even the restaurant outings popular with new members are discontinued. What's left?

The only place to read Putre's assessment is on the Web: The print edition mistakenly replated sister publication Austin Voice on the jump page.

Job description fits editors too

CareerBuilder job posting: "Candidates must demonstrate creativity and flexibility while possessing strong coaching, motivational, planning, communication and follow-through skills, with the ability to lift 30-50 pounds."

Writers have connections

Ralph Ellison wrote about Duke Ellington. Truman Capote wrote about George Gershwin. Authors provide the ties in a "Six Degrees of Separation" game on the PBS American Masters Web site.

Not all connections are so direct. The blacklist binds Dashiell Hammett and Stanislavsky method actors. Connecting the non-authors is more of a stretch. Here's the path from Willie Nelson to Robert Capa:

1. Willie Nelson covered Joni Mitchell's song Both Sides Now.
   
   
2. Joni Mitchell performed on Quincy Jones' 1986 book/recording, Children First.
   
   
3. Quincy Jones composed the music for The Wiz (1978), starring Lena Horne.
   
   
4. Lena Horne entertained troops during World War II.
   
   
5. Robert Capa was a war photographer during World War II.
   
   

Busy signal

Brenda said I seemed calm when my father called with bad news from the doctor. She would be a basket case, she said.

Still, the phone probably did not deserve getting sworn at and slammed repeatedly when I couldn't get a dial tone out to him the next day.

This would be the perfect time to organize my brothers and sisters so we all drop in every few weeks for some quiet time with Dad. But I did not, and everyone else decided independently to descend on him for President's Day.

My sister-in-law quizzed me about my jazz interests after borrowing the Ken Burns PBS documentary, and I realized how much I've inherited Dad's jazz interests--Dixieland, Duke Ellington, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, even Coltrane. I don't hear my father's voice in my brothers as much as his hesitation, a hint of his wariness at crowds and hubbub. Somehow he has survived despite us.