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I have always believed that borderlands — of ecosystems, of civilizations, of art — foster creativity and innovation. Having finished the first chapter of Bernard Bailyn’s short — 150 page — To Begin the World Anew, I am struck by the similarity of this belief with Bailyn’s description of the creative tension between provincialism and sophistication that formed the the fertile soil from which grew the revolutionary ideas of American political thought.

Particularly intriguing is the sense that this creativity arose out of the colonists’ uneasyness with having one foot planted in the Old World and one in the New:

For many — the ablest, best informed, and most ambitious — the result was a degree of rootlessness, of alienation either from the higher sources of culture or from the familiar local environment

Quite a contrast with the current state of affairs. The United States is now comfortably established as the predominant world power. Popular culture takes its lead from the United States. Students from across the world seek out a U.S. education. Wealth and class discrepancies at home have never been greater. Narrow specialization rules the day. Culturally, we are no longer living on — nor stimulated by — the frontier.

Which leads to the inevitable questions: Where is the frontier today? Where can fertile circumstances such as those existing in pre-revolutionary America be found today?

Last week, I started a 4-week rotation at the VA hospital that doubles my daily commute time. The silver lining? I get to rediscover the joys of Morning Edition, which I never realize I miss until I return to listening to it.

Last Friday, I was struck by a remarkable piece on Lillian Ross, a writer for The New Yorker since World War II. A quietly refreshing example of how simple insightful observation combined with mastery of written language retains its power in an era of vlogs and youtube and soundbytes.

And you thought electric cars were underpowered enviro-geek gear?

HA! Tesla Motors begs to differ. Zero to 60 in 4 seconds. 250 mile range. Styling designed by Lotus.

Yummy.

Wired ran an article about the genesis of this silicon valley automaker in August.

Start saving your pennies, though — it’s base price is $92,000. But at only 1-2 cents/mile, it may pay off…eventually.

I discovered an interesting short, Oregon, on ifilm today. It’s a twist on a common dystopian theme, is 11 min long, and has tremendous production values. It was directed in 2000 by Rafael Fernandez, who has no other entries on IMDB. Wonder what the story is with this guy…what’s his background and what has he done since?

A nuanced ensemble piece with across-the-board stellar acting, Little Children, directed by Todd Field, is the best film I’ve seen in the theater this year.

(Nevermind that it’s the only film that I can remember seeing in a theater this year — the combined result of Netflix, a toddler at home, and a spouse with a limited cinematic palate. But that’s another story.)

Seriously, this is a tremendously gripping, emotionally complex film. As brocksilvey puts it in his review on IMDB,

Can there be such a thing as a feel-good movie about marital infidelity and suburban ennui? If so, then I believe this haunting, powerful and superb new movie from Todd Field may be it.

Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley especially give outstanding performances, but the stength of the acting throughout the cast is a testiment, I think, to Field’s understanding of human nature and his skill in guiding the actors towards these performances.

Pardon me while I swing over to Netflix to add his first film, In the Bedroom, to my queue.