Edison
bookstore
I
am writing to you to express my deep frustration and disappointment with the
imminent closing of Edison Bookstore and my hope to better understand the
future use of the space. Edison has been essential to my education, as it is
one of the only public spaces open to students on weeknights and Sundays. But
it also has sentimental importance, for it was more than a bookstore. It was a
social and cultural hub, providing customers with a place to relax, read,
discuss and, should they feel like it, purchase books and other cultural items.
It was where I met my friends for coffee every week, where I studied on the
weekends, and where I felt at home in Florence. I realize the finality of the
decision to close Edison. But I am pleading that the local administration not
change the designated use of the space from a cultural entity to a purely
commercial activity. We need more businesses in Florence that, like Edison did,
build community.
Madison Adams
From
Seattle,
resident
of Florence
Biking in
Florence
Julie
Butterfield’s article ‘Biking in Florence’ (in TF 170) about the perils
facing a cyclist in the city, is interesting and instructive. An important
element was missing, however, in the accounts of the individual problems
recounted by the bicyclists. If someone is listening with earphones to rock
music and suddenly finds herself in the midst of a difficult situation for
which she did not hear the warning, whose fault is that? If someone thinks that
vehicles and pedestrians going the other way are not sufficiently
accommodating, is this the complaint of somebody going the wrong way in a lane
or street? If somebody finds that putting objects in the basket on the front of
the bike makes the bike unsteady, does she realize this is the reason bikes
have rear carrier racks?
Butterfield’s
article illustrates that blame is not a one-way street in the interaction of
bicyclists with other vehicles and pedestrians.
Bob Nordvall
Pistoia
Florence
piazzas
Florence
is a fabulous city, but, as someone who lives in the centre, I know that it
soon becomes apparent that the city desperately lacks greenery. I believe that
there are certain spaces in Florence that would benefit greatly from herbage,
especially in summer. Of course, I understand the implications of such a step,
such as increasing water usage and interrupting grand views of church facades,
but with some lateral thinking, I believe, these issues could be overcome.
Piazza Santo Spirito is a fine example of how trees improve the ambience.
Imagine turning a corner on a hot day in the centre to find a shady tree with a
bench below. Some of the smaller piazzas would have nothing to lose. Pimp on!
Regards,
Wendy
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