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• Friday, November 18, 2005 08:11 PM

  more self-indulgence from the author

  Well, I'm encouraged by all the feedback. I think. And over time it tends to even out somewhat. For the guy who thought I was disrespecting engineers: What other people said. It's not that engineers aren't creative; it's just that they (and doctors and lawyers) are sufficiently different from artists that Florida's "creative class" becomes this huge, amorphous, basically meaningless entity.

  Thanks to DocAmazing and other ex-Missioners for having my back as to the $550 rent in 1984. And yes, Doc, the real story is indeed the Latinos and other working-class folks who got pushed elsewhere, a particularly cruel tale in the overpriced Bay Area. At least Chicago remains a big, sprawling city with some non-maxed-out neighborhoods.

  Hey, destino, if your g-g-grandmother was from Clare and named Hehir or O'Hehir, we're almost certainly related. My great-grandfather, William Hehir, was born in Clare before moving to Mayo as a cop. And your point about the yearning for community is well taken. I think the answer is yes, it can be found, but it's not all that easy. As a married, ex-boho parent myself, finding a community of like-minded people has been a struggle, but it's beginning to come together.

  To those of you who suspect the bohemian thing is overrated, and see the agent of neighborhood change as strict economics, or proximity to public transit. I don't know, I'm sure those are elements. But your real quarrel is with Richard Lloyd, not with me, and his book makes a strong argument otherwise.

  If you hate personal essays in book-review form, hey, what can I say? Guilty as charged. We live in a wonderful consumer society, and wherever you live the New York Times is there every Sunday with perfectly boring, connect-the-dots book reviews. Have fun.

  As for the dude who thinks I'm making it all up, there's no point in responding to that kind of thing. If he actually wanted to know what the hell Bono and Jane Wiedlin were doing in my scummy apartment, he'd have asked the question differently. Then again, if he thinks Cole Valley -- which is *very pretty,* don't get me wrong -- was an incredibly happening spot in 1984, we just have different ideas about lots of things.

  —Andrew O'Hehir Read Andrew O'Hehir's other letters
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