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The Board Score: An Interview with
Peter Block
Rhapsody
Volume V issue 4
June 2004
By Larry Thomas
City of Residence: Cincinnati
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
LT: Do you have a “real job”?
PB: No, I type and talk. I used to
consult, but now I am more interested in ideas than taking on projects.
The ideas center on what it would take to reconcile the woundedness of
our community. Most of my work has been involved with the suffering
growing out of abuse of power.
LT: What brought you to the WGUC
board?
PB: I have always been committed to
public broadcasting. It is our last best hope for a reasoned and honest
public conversation. It is an answer to a culture captured by
materialism and dominated by its belief in self-interest. Stations like
WGUC are founded by generosity and hold a profound respect for their
listeners.
LT: What do you most appreciate
about WGUC?
PB: Its production values and
respect for the education and enjoyment of the listener. The
willingness to be out front with new technology. The deep commitment of
the staff. The seed of its interest in caring about the neighborhood.
LT: What do you like best about
living in Cincinnati?
PB: Cincinnati is one of the most
beautiful cities in America. It has a vitality and gritty toughness
that is a welcome relief from the sophistication from the more popular
“lifestyle” cities. Plus it has low self-esteem, which I find
comforting.
LT: What do you do in your spare
time?
PB: I love art, kids, movies, great
hotel rooms, food that is unhealthy.
LT: Where would you like to travel
that you have never been?
PB: I have traveled too much, but
if forced to answer the question – the French countryside; Cape Town,
South Africa; and a small, quiet town in western Kansas.
LT: What kind of music, other than
classical, do you prefer?
PB: I am a fan of Randy Newman,
Springsteen, Robert Johnson and Nina Simone. I regret that I only heard
her in person once. It was life changing.
LT: Favorite restaurant?
PB: Kaldi’s is number one. It has
the best atmosphere, owner, a homelike warmth, and good soup. Jean
Hobert for investing his money and talent in Cincinnati. Slim’s in
Northside and Mayuro in Clifton, whose owner is embarrassingly friendly.
LT: Favorite movie?
PB: “The Man Who Would Be King;”
“Gandhi;” “ The Negotiator.” For theatre, ETC’s production of “The
Women of Lockerbie” is a play to die for.
LT: Read any good books lately?
PB: “The Last Temptation of Christ”
by Kazantzakis; Ivan Wich’s “Medical Nemesis;” “Getting Even” by Woody
Allen; “All That is Solid Melts Into Air” by Marshall Berman. Anything
by John LeCarre or Dick Francis is at the top of my list.
LT: Who/what makes you laugh?
PB: Steven Wright’s take on the
absurdity of life. Seinfeld. Trickle-down economics. The belief that
better leaders and more legislation will make anything better. The
belief that the Dow Jones average is a measure of well-being.
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