American LOVE Project_093

Item

Open journal with handwritten text, a black-and-white photo of a young girl, and colored bookmarks.

Title: American LOVE Project_093
Alternative Title: American LOVE Project
Creator: Karen Blessen
Date: 2021-2022
Description: The image shows an open journal with two pages filled with handwritten text, colored markers, and a photograph. The left page has three paragraphs, each beginning with a circled number written in black ink. The text discusses themes of gratitude, unimaginable thoughts, and small tenderness. The right page starts with similar circled numbers and contains both handwritten notes and a black-and-white photograph of a young girl sitting at a desk. Colored bookmarks labeled "MY JOURNALS," "MY UNFINISHED," and "AMBULANCE RIDE" are placed in the top edge of the journal. The overall composition is a blend of personal reflections and artistic elements.
Identifier: 2021_010621 to 2022 060222_The American LOVE Project Journal
Dates Completed: January 6, 2021 - June 2, 2022
Keywords: Insurrection; January 6; US Capitol; Texas freeze; Infrastructure fragility; Political instability; Power outage; Water disruption; Internet loss; Medical services disruption; Mail delay; Dallas weather; Lorraine Lienemann; Cancer; Grief; P. Nut; Sparky; Cat loss; 22-year-old cats; American LOVE Project; 29 Pieces; Violence response; National project; Art installation; Washington DC; Covid resurgence; Online gallery; Student art; Educator art; 24 states; Team collaboration; Project outcome; theamericanloveproject.org; Anne Frank; Diary takeaways; Lessons learned; Studio visit; Darryl Ratcliff; Journal viewing; Strategic shift
Transcription: Left page:

"She shames me about any moments of ingratitude I experience. And inspires me to notice more. Revel in the beauty of nature.
Really look at and appreciate all the beauty.
she pushes us to unimaginable thoughts and images. Butes hauling away innocent friends, family, loved ones, neighbors, imaginings of what is happening to them. And we now - looking back - we know what happened to them. And we know it happens today.
She shows us the best - small tendernesses, a gift of peonies, a cup of yoghurt.
And the fear of the worst brutality and cruelty."

Right page:

"We know we live amongst that today, too.
Her voice is spritely, spunky, curious, energetic, authoritative, even. Smart, observant, a little wicked, impatient sometimes.
She could be critical even of the "greats", such as her commentary on the biography of Franz Liszt.
For a teenager - for anyone- her worldview was expansive, relatable, deep. She was not foolish.
She was creative. She had creative solutions. Running stairs to take her mind off bombing."
Rights: To inquire about usage, please contact Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries.
Is Part Of: American Love Project
Relation: Image Gallery