Live in three countries. Move four times. Evade the pressures of a job for a while. Call on some of the world’s best known arts organizations. Grad school. This had me spellbound.
The time for goodbyes came. The children in the neighborhood turned out to hug our Labrador. Friends dropped by for one last farewell drink on our Harlem roof deck. My last ballet lesson at Steps. (The last class always produces near-perfect pirouettes.) A large batch of titles made its way to print but I wasn’t there to see the copies at the Brooklyn Book Festival. My best friend got a job across the street where we could commute on our bikes and eat lunch together. Except that she started work the day I started school, 1700 miles away.
With twelve days to go, I wanted to call the whole thing off. Where was I barreling off to?
Whose idea was this anyway?
Montreal, Brussels, Chicago, NYC are works in progress. People who don't speak the same language, who worship differently, who have unequal access to services are finding ways to share space. Culture is the glue that binds us. Food is often the first medium to bring us together. Let’s celebrate one another’s heritage and revere the landscapes that offer the bounty.
Ann-Christine Racette, broadcasting live
from NYC, Montreal, and Brussels.
from NYC, Montreal, and Brussels.