subtext

This is a piece I created for Franklin High School here in Seattle.  It's called 'Key Grove' and references ideas about the role of imagination in education based on Ben Franklin's famous experiment with a kite, a key and lightning.  That's one, fairly-obvious layer of meaning.  

There's others...

Such as the idea of critical 'key groves' or stands of trees that have significant environmental and metaphoric meaning--holding an ecosystem together or creating a sense of place. In this case, there's a corresponding grove of native trees (big leaf maples, dogwoods, etc.) on the other side of the plaza. 

Beyond these layers and others is a deeper personal meaning that motivated me to create this project in the first place. Yet it's the one meaning I couldn't really talk about until the piece was complete--as I didn't trust my client to not freak out before we were done. 

At the dedication, I revealed the true underlying meaning that this piece held for me.  Though the subtext is as plain as day--quite literally about 'keys'--the specific lock that they were attempting to open was less apparent. 

In 1983 my cousin, Linda Evans, a former Weather Underground member, was arrested along with numerous other ex-Panther and WU activists as part of a government sweep against a group that had been defined as 'enemies of the state'. She and her compatriots were brought in under 'conspiracy' charges but due to lack of evidence, were sentenced under various felonies. Though she was originally taken in for 'harboring a fugitive' (nursing a friend who had been injured in a shootout with police during a botched Brinks robbery) she was indicted for carrying an unlicensed weapon over state lines. 

At her arraignment, Linda offered a critique of imperialism as her defense, refusing to renounce any of her prior activities which included a fair amount of organizing and legal work on behalf of prisoners. Taking umbrage, the judge's sentence was merciless: 5 years per bullet (9 bullets = 9 keys) contained in her gun for a total of 45 years in a federal penitentiary. The judge happened to be the same one who tried and sentenced Oliver North for his role in Iran-Contra. We all know what harsh time he got for that.

So the year this piece was dedicated is 1990 and Linda--my childhood babysitter and hippy folk guitar singing cousin--has been in for seven without any options for release due to Reagan-era parole board appointees who want to make sure all these folks rot behind bars for the rest of their lives. She's busy making the best of a terrible situation, working on a masters degree in political science, practicing acupressure & eastern medicine on fellow inmates, working as a translator for Latino inmates, creating an herb garden, organizing AIDS awareness workshops and playing in the prison jazz ensemble. In short, being a model prison citizen.

For the next decade I was involved in an extended effort both here and in Europe to get Linda and everyone ensnared in the conspiracy rap freed. There were letter-writing campaigns, meetings with public officials and fundraisers to cover legal costs which all came to a head nearly a decade later in December 2000. Linda was included on the list of pardons handed out as Clinton left office.

Upon release, Linda became involved with an organization dedicated to prisoners with families who are trying to adjust to life on the outside. She is now executive director and a respected member of the Bay Area activist community.