december 2008

as 2008 draws to a close, we have been musing on the functions of a public space such as loka.

sure, we pride ourselves on our fresh daily offerings of organic baked goods, seasonal food items made from scratch, and organic teas and coffee drinks.

and we’re excited about our december events, including explorations on the subject of beauty led by pierre delattre, the launch of a 2009 poetry and photography calendar by dora mcquaid and lenny foster, an exhibition of little-seen visual art by national endowment for the arts poetry fellow john brandi, cutting-edge music-listening opportunities spun by dj oliver knight, and the wonderful annual lighting of ledoux street.

but we like to think we’re more than just a food and art space. there’s a deep human impulse to gather and be with other humans. people want to be able to communicate face to face and in real time. (we saw a tremendous outpouring of this the snowy morning after the election, when people gravitated to the warmth of loka to share their thoughts, emotions, and energies about the momentous events of the previous evening.)

we find it odd that there’s a total absence of words to describe our need for our bodies to be with other bodies and to be seen by the other. what word(s) would you use, borrow, or invent to describe this phenomenon, this primal need we have as human beings?

we’d love to open up discussion about this. really, when you come into loka, what are you here for?