Author Archives: Spur Local

Imagination and Fantasy

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The qualities that make for excellence in children’s literature can be summed up in a single word: imagination. And imagination as it relates to the child is, to my mind, synonymous with fantasy. Contrary to most of the propaganda in books for the young, childhood is only partly a time of innocence. It is, in my opinion, a time of seriousness, bewilderment, and a good deal of suffering. It’s also possibly the best of all times. Imagination for the child is the miraculous, freewheeling device he uses to course his way through the problems of every day….It’s through fantasy that children achieve catharsis.

– Maurice Sendak, American children’s book author and illustrator and Caldecott Award recipient, who was born this day in 1928. Throughout his career as an artist and writer, Sendak changed the popular perception of children’s literature and pushed boundaries in confronting topics like imagination, grief, loneliness, and just plain growing up. The author of “In the Night Kitchen” and “Where The Wild Things Are,” among many other treasured works, Sendak was also an instrumental board member in the early days of Sesame Street. In addition to writing and illustrating, Sendak was interested in theater and performance; he was a prolific set designer and adapted some of his works for the stage. Sendak’s memory will always live on through his timeless classics of children’s literature, which embrace the wonderment of childhood. Happy Birthday Mr. Sendak!

In The News…

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Fixing the IRS (The Chronicle of Philanthropy) In the wake of this month’s IRS tax-exemption scandals, The Chronicle of Philanthropy is posting a series on online article discussing different aspects of the controversy. Today’s article focuses on providing more money for enforcement; Monday’s considered the rules on political intervention: “The IRS should shift from the complex, multifactor, open-ended ‘facts and circumstances’ test currently used to interpret political activity to a well-defined, objective standard. The current test is hard for the agency to apply and was highly vulnerable to challenge long before the recent debacle.”

DC To Push Free Condom Program on TV (Washington Examiner) In a new initiative to popularize the District’s free condom distribution program, the DC government has created television ads to air on channels with a younger demographic – VH1, Bravo, ESPN, and others – to appeal to and reach more viewers. While the D.C. Department of Health has been pushing this initiative on public transport and newspapers for some time, this will mark the first time television has been used as an advertising channel. Through this public health program, the District has lowered its STD infection rate drastically, including its HIV infection rate by 24%. As the popularity and awareness of the program rises, the prevalence of STDs and unwanted pregnancies should continue to fall.

7 Proposals to Overhaul DC Public Schools (Washington Post) D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) plans to propose 7 bills on Tuesday that would completely transform the District’s public education system. These bills include new allocation of funding to principals directly to design their own budgets, a new focus on accountability for school faculty and closer review by the superintendent, as well as innovation in creating a new form of charter and magnet schools. The proposals also focus on parent support and engagement, the use of a lottery program for children to assign schools fairly, and the creation of 5-year plans from the principal of each school in an attempt to use DC space and facilities to the fullest. If they pass, these proposals could change schooling significantly for families throughout the District.

No Imperfection in Budded Mountain

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No imperfection in budded mountain,
Valleys breathe, heaven and earth move together,
daisies push inches of yellow air, vegetables tremble,
green atoms shimmer in grassy mandalas,
sheep speckle the mountainside, revolving their jaws with empty eyes,
horses dance in the warm rain

– Allen Ginsberg, acclaimed Pulitzer-winning poet, would have turned 87 today. Throughout his time as one of the leading poets of the Beat Generation, Ginsberg tirelessly crusaded for peace and equal rights, from his nonviolent protests against the Vietnam War to his eloquent defenses of both LGBTQ rights and the freedom of speech. He was a practicing Buddhist and dedicated his life to educating and freeing the victims of imperialism worldwide. A controversial but extraordinary figure, we honor his contribution to human rights today.

Do More 24

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by Madeline Josef, Catalogue Intern

Giving. We do it every day; some of us give our time, some of us give our money (and some do both!). Some pick larger multi-focused or international organizations, others pick smaller charities with a more local scope. At the Catalogue, we are especially supportive of these local giving efforts. “Give Where You Live,” our guiding mantra, kind of sums this idea up; we are proud to partner with local charities so that giving has a real and marked effect on different DC communities. Part of this partnership includes working with the United Way, and we are excited to be a community sponsor of their current campaign, Do More 24!

Do More 24 is an effort by the United Way of the National Capital Area to encourage giving to a huge array of local charities in one single day. The UWNCA has created a searchable platform to match up potential donors with charities that appeal to their interests and passions, organized into different areas of impact (education, health, arts and culture, etc.). Each registered charity can create their own page with descriptions, links, videos, and a wish list of what different amounts of monetary gifts could tangibly give to their organization. The donation portal is now open, and charities can update their pages with real-time donation counts.

While the focus on Do More 24 is on how much charities can give in one day, donors can give right now, continuing until 10 days after the actual event on June 6th. The idea of the “one day” concept is to illustrate the positive influence we have on others in our community and how together in one day we can create real, local change. Do More 24 will show the power of our collective giving, using philanthropy to bring people together and show even the minimum donation of $10 makes a difference.

At the Catalogue, we are proud to announce that many of our charities, current and alums, are participating in Do More 24, which is only a week away! Carpenter’s Shelter, a Catalogue nonprofit from 2009-2010 and recent runner-up, has a detailed and interactive page on the Do More 24 website explaining their goals and mission. The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, another member of the Catalogue family, also has a fascinating page full of information about their organization- and they have already raised over $150 dollars! Joy of Motion Dance Center, another 2009-2010 charity, has a great page and unique mission: to use the joy of dance to appeal to the youngest and oldest members of our community (as well as everyone in between) with their specially-tailored programs. Again, these are just a few of our nonprofits who are participating- be sure to check out the pages of Five Talents, Rachael’s Women Center, Shelter House, and the pages of our NEW CLASS of amazing nonprofits 2013-2014, including Reach, Inc, and the DC Diaper Bank, among many others!

On the day of giving itself – June 6, one week from today – there will also be a multitude of fundraising events, many from Catalogue-vetted charities. Stop by the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts on U Street to complete work on their Healing Retreat Nook. Safe Shores will be hosting a happy hour with free refreshments and live jazz at 1776. Turning the Page will be throwing a wine and cheese-filled artwork exhibition at GWU, and Encore will have a free performance at froyo haven Tutti Frutti in Arlington. Hospice Caring will also be hosting a day-long “Coffee for a Cause” event, featuring free java and live music, at the Music Cafe in Damascus. Go to any of these events to support your local charities and to see in real time the power of group giving.

Together, we can make a difference, even in just one day; every dollar counts. Don’t forget, June 6th will be a great day to give where you live!

In the News…

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This week’s news articles have a specific focus on education funding, initiatives, and events right here in the District. Education is really important to us here in the Catalogue, so be sure to browse our participating nonprofits who focus on improving education daily for kids throughout the greater Washington area!

National Spelling Bee kicks off with a new twist – vocabulary tests (Washington Post) Tomorrow begins the 86th Annual National Spelling Bee, which is taking place right here in Washington, DC, in National Harbor. This event promotes literacy and the power of words through rounds of intensely competitive play. In this event, televised on ESPN, the winner, who could be anywhere from 8 to 14 years old, will walk away with a bevy of prizes, including a cool $30,000. This year, the competition is so strong that an additional ‘definition’ section has been added to online preliminary examinations, where spellers are asked to not just spell the word but to explain its meaning.

DC City Council Approves FY2014 Budget (Washington Examiner, Washington Post, DC Fair Budget Coalition) Last week’s new budget approval by the DC City Council left many pleasantly surprised by the speedy (in the political world) results. Under new Chairman of the Council Mendelson, Mayor Gray’s “One City Fund” became the “Innovation Fund”, but still allocated $15 million for competitive non-profit grants. While the City Council has received some criticism for its budget allocation (for example, of the record-high budget growth of 6% from last year, only 1% of the growth was added to the Education budget), new public transportation and affordable transportation funding are certainly a step in the right direction.

Strawberries and Salad greens Day is TODAY (District of Columbia website) Today, local public school students will receive a very special treat at lunch: local salad greens and fresh strawberries from farms right around the DC-VA-MD area. In this relatively new initiative, the DC Education Committee seeks to educate both about nutrition and about the importance of eating locally. Through this interactive and tasty event, young students all over the District will get a great education in healthy and local food choices.

Whereby The Great Human Family Can Live in Peace

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In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

– Julia Ward Howe, American writer, activist, suffragist, pacifist and abolitionist, was born this day in New York City, 1819, 194 years ago. In addition to penning to words to the famous Civil War anthem “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Howe dedicated her life after the Civil War to the causes of abolition, equality, and pacifism. She was one of the originators of the concept of Mother’s Day, which in her mind would be a day of congress across all nations for all women who have suffered from the fighting of their husbands and sons, advocating for a stop to violence. Howe’s truth is still marching on.

Dreams of Yesterday

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Living in dreams of yesterday, we find ourselves still dreaming of impossible future conquests.

–Charles Lindbergh, who 86 years ago today began the world’s first transatlantic flight in 1927. For this historic exploit, Lindbergh was awarded the Medal of Honor and remains an American hero for all generations for pushing boundaries and fearlessly exploring the unknown.

The Nature of Truth

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A poem is an approach towards a truth. But poems can be funny, witty, quirky and sly. They can be mischievous, tricksterish. Their truths don’t sound like the truths of the courtroom or the inquest. Does this, then, show us something about the nature of truth? Can we say there are many truths, or, rather, many aspects of Truth? That truth itself is a shape-shifter?

– Scottish poet, Kathleen Jamie, born today in 1962. The author of poems exploring gender, nature and life, Jamie has received numerous awards including the Forward Prize, the Somerset Maugham Award, and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize.

 

Along the Paths of Echo

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Along the paths of echo backwards.
There the words lie in the chest of their old meanings.
But, sad, so foreign. What is it they are saying, those lips.
They speak of different connections and conditions.
As you listen to them speaking
they form a thing that is also changed by them
spell in a language even farther removed
in still another of the chests
inside the mount of the seven chests
thousands and thousands of years before Babylon.

– Poem by Swedish poet, Harry Martinson, born today in 1904. Martinson was awarded a joint Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 “for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos.”

Unhindered Expression

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Put it this way: Jazz is a good barometer of freedom…In its beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of freedom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.

– American jazz musician, Duke Ellington, born today in 1899 in Washington, D.C. Playing over 20,000 performances worldwide, Ellington made an indelible mark on jazz history and transcended racial boundaries to share his music.