Doudna Writing Crawl: Long Dwight Tour
One of the things I discovered as I walked with our group of writing project teachers is
how respectful they are. Our first year, Jim Johnson gave us a tour of Doudna.
I’m not sure if the building was open or in-process, but his too was extensive
and revealing, taking us backstage and showing us art spaces. As an artist
himself, he was able to talk in detail about how equipment was used in each
studio. Dwight, on the other hand, primarily works in the theatres, managing
multiple events. But I'm getting away from my original point. During that first
year, several of the teachers tested the acoustics in the recital hall, singing
on stage without embarrassment. This group is quiet and well mannered, making
their mark only with the hand prints they added to one of the smaller copper
walls—with Dwight’s permission.
I know I should remember what Doudna was like before 2008,
but I’m not so sure. I do remember what the library was like before it was
renovated—whenever that was. Before they opened up the atrium in Booth,
students and faculty browsed books in dark crowded stacks seemingly organized like
mazes. It sometimes took me minutes to find my way out of the low-ceilinged
spaces. My heart rate increased, and I looked around for potential stalkers as
I rushed toward a stairwell. Now I wonder how accessible any of those stacks
were. I suspect a wheelchair bound person would need to order his or her books
in advance, so a librarian could retrieve them.
I only experienced that process on research trips, either
for archival materials about Mary Austen in the University of New Mexico
library or microfiche articles by journalist and novelist Fanny Fern. One of my
favorite parts of my Fanny Fern research journey was discovering how much she
liked and believed in phrenology.
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