The Savannah Plan

Alan Taylor doesn't describe the Oglethorpe plan for Savannah in much detail, as it is worthy of a book in its own right. From the start the British social reformer imagined something different for Georgia that would set it apart from the other colonies. Part of that was comprehensive town plan that remains the predominant feature of Savannah today.

Oglethorpe was probably the first of the transplanted English nobleman to be a product of the Enlightenment, unlike the religious Puritans, the unscrupulous speculators and land barons that came before him. As such, he imagined a colony built more on a strong ethical philosophy rather than religious dogma or speculative interests. Key to this vision was a distinct city plan that encouraged the kind of fraternity he imagined among the new colonists.

The Oglethorpe Plan is simple in concept. Each super block was essentially designed to support itself, looking a bit like a Chinese trigram. Over the nearly three centuries since its inception, each super block has taken on its own unique identity making Savannah one of the most picturesque cities in America. The plan was picked up by other Georgia towns as well.

Like most Utopian dreams, Oglethorpe's vision eventually fell apart, which Taylor describes. Georgia soon became like all the other British southern colonies, heavily reliant on large scale agriculture and slave labor. Oglethorpe was charged for mismanagement and returned to England.

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Dylan in America

Whoever it was in 1969 who named the very first Bob Dylan bootleg album “Great White Wonder” may have had a mischievous streak. There are any number of ways you can interpret the title — most boringly, the cover was blank, like the Beatles’ “White Album” — but I like to see a sly allusion to “Moby-Dick.” In the seven years since the release of his first commercial record, Dylan had become the white whale of 20th-century popular song, a wild, unconquerable and often baffling force of musical nature who drove fans and critics Ahab-mad in their efforts to spear him, lash him to the hull and render him merely comprehensible. --- Bruce Handy, NYTimes ____________________________________________ I figured we can start fresh with Bob Dylan. Couldn't resist this photo of him striking a Woody Guthrie pose. Looks like only yesterday. Here is a link to the comments building up to this reading group.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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Dispatches from Vilnius

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