This early cut is my favorite Springsteen album. Springsteen is probably the only national music act I really like because his local roots are clear and continue to offer him musical inspiration.
At the planning history conference this past week/end, there was a screening of a documentary of the same name, focusing on eminent domain in Asbury Park. Think Kelo and you’ve more or less got the New Jersey story; even now there is a pause in both developments because of economic downturn. The 90 minute documentary focuses on the filmmaker’s great aunt, a Greek immigrant whose house is slated for acquisition and demolition. The documentary illustrates the elderly woman, who came to the U.S. as an adult refugee, attempting to navigate the many political, legal, and economic forces allied against her in an attempt to save her house. After Kelo, this looks like a losing battle. The film was emotionally powerful, but could do more to contextualize the process and impact of redevelopment. It featured the song “Tunnel of Love” by Springsteen, but no track from his debut album of the same name. When I asked the filmmaker, she said she couldn’t get rights, but if she got national distribution (it’s a fine cut almost ready to go now) he would write a song for it. A Springsteen song on eminent domain? If I was lukewarm on the film, I’m definitely rooting for it now.
My name is Shannon Heffernan. I’m the online community manager at Vocalo.org, a new radio station and web community based here in Chicago. I was really excited to find your blog. I like that you have a smart academic bent, while still being accessible. I think your work would make great radio material was hoping you might consider posting some of it for us to air.
In case you haven’t already heard about Vocalo, here’s a quick overview. (If you want more of a detailed overview, there are press links at the bottom of this email.) Vocalo.org was started by Chicago Public Radio, WBEZ, a little over six months ago. But don’t be fooled, it’s not at all like your normal public radio. It’s a new kind of radio, integrated with a web community. Users can post content (written, audio, or video) on our website (and really, anything goes). We then air this material on the radio, playing the audio or making audio versions of the written content. Right now we air in Northwest Indiana at 89.5 FM; by the spring we’ll have a new 50,000 watt tower that will allow us to expand to cover all of Chicago. It’s a brand new station making radio in a brand new way, and we hope you’ll get in with us now, on the ground floor.
Think about it: here is your chance to be on the radio! How cool is that?
We welcome content that is already posted on your blog, so it’s very easy to take the work you’ve already done and get it on the air. It’s also a chance to expand your audience and bring readers and listeners back to your own blog. Other bloggers and podcasters who have joined our site have noted its ability to increase their own site traffic. If you create a profile on Vocalo.org and upload content, you can link back to your blog from our site. And you can put your site address at the end of your piece, so every time we play your stuff, we’ll give a shout out to you and your blog’s web address on the air. In addition, we often invite our favorite users to co-host, especially if their posts are relevant to a topic we are covering. Really, the possibilities are endless.
We want to create a new community online, but we also want to enrich existing online communities. We hope that as more bloggers and podcasters join Vocalo.org, it will help you (and journalists) find and reference each other more often, and find bigger audiences more easily. And for bloggers who are already interested in radio, we hope to become a way for you to become proficient in audio production, too.
We really do hope you’ll check us out and consider becoming part of our growing online and on-air community. If you decide you want to record your post (not required) and need some help or just want someone to walk you through the site, don’t hesitate to call me at 312-893-2956.
Best,
Shannon Heffernan
Chicago Sun Times: Public Radio Eyes Net Gains
http://www.suntimes.com/technology/guy/552386,CST-FIN-eCol12.article
Beep: A Radio Revolution, Public Radio Turns the Waves Over To You
http://www.beepcentral.com/story.aspx?story=18568) .
Stop Smiling: WBEZ Does it Again
http://stopsmilingonline.com/wordpress/?p=224