The Essence of Bozeman

Deconstructing Bozeman - Part Two

Essence – noun
From Latin, esse, to be 

The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character. 

Travel magazine editors ask writers to capture the “essence” of a place. Even well-regarded publications like National Geographic Traveler include the following in their writers’ guidelines, (Emphasis added) “Thank you for your interest in contributing to National Geographic Traveler… a Traveler story must capture a place's essence in a way that inspires readers to follow in the writer's footsteps…” 

What is the essence of any place? Is it possible to write about a place’s essence without sounding trite or cliché? After years of being just another pretty face in the crowd, Bozeman, my home since 2005, is getting noticed and the population has exploded. There's no doubt Bozeman's essence is changing.

Given its rise in popularity as a place to live and visit, magazines and newspapers are eager to write about Bozeman. Travel writing is intended to “sell” a location so it’s not surprising that only the pretty points of Bozeman are featured. But many people are visiting and moving here, often influenced by what they read, so I want to add my voice to the conversation as a 17+ year resident. 

~

Trader Joe's Coming to Bozeman? What's Up with the Gibson's Building?

What's happening with the old Gibson's building at the corner of Main, Babcock, and 23rd?

This is Bozeman: Midtown Three Years Later

It’s been three years since I provided readers with a tour of Midtown Bozeman. (http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2017/09/bozeman-touring-midtown.html) 

While the area hasn’t been transformed, things are progressing with several old places that have been demolished and a few new buildings going up. 

The area still has several ramshackle buildings and empty lots, so you can get a feel for the area as I described it in my original post.

We will see what happens with this area – I’m curious to see what the local conversation is around Midtown. Below is an update. I'll add some commentary one of these day. In the meantime, please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

(This link from March has a good overview of Midtown  happenings.  https://bozemanrealestate.group/blog/midtown-bozeman-development)

~

Writing Prompt - The Rant

The prompt instructed to write the rant twice - once from the point of view of the ranter and then from the point of view of the person/thing being ranted about. If you've lived in Bozeman for a while, you'll be familiar with this rant.

Sunday Morning in Downtown Bozeman - Observations

Bozeman's a pretty trendy place right now and continues to go through change at a startling pace. Lots of complaints about things getting too busy and too expensive. I guess business owners and companies see dollar signs in their eyes when it comes to doing business in Bozeman. Here are two things I noticed on Sunday morning.

Coming Back to Bozeman: The Play

As some of you might remember, I had a play that was included in the 2010 Equinox Theatre One-Act Play Festival. A DVD was produced for the festival and I finally found someone who could help me get my play posted onto YouTube. Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bwJmW17twE

I had always wanted to do another run of the play with updated jokes and references. While I haven't gotten around to it, I did transform the play into a short story about a year. It was a fun writing challenge and I enjoyed tweaking it slightly to include newer local issues, concerns and references. See if you can spot the difference from the original.

http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2017/03/coming-back-to-bozeman-fiction.html

Concluding the Bozeman Development Series

Photos & Five Questions to Consider

Wow! My series of posts on Bozeman development has caused quite a stir. Thanks to re-posting by the Save Bozeman group, my most recent piece (http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2017/09/bozeman-touring-midtown.html) quickly skyrocketed to a top-three spot on my most popular posts list.

My intent was not to take a stance about development. Rather, I aimed to get people to take a realistic look at what’s going on in Bozeman by taking a walk around. While some might think Bozeman is being“ruined” or getting “too fancy,” examples of everything from ramshackle to ordinary are out there. Bozeman is still a lively mountain town retaining a distinct character, and things are far from being ruined.

I’ll conclude my series with a few thoughts to ponder and several photos to enjoy.

This is Bozeman: Touring Midtown

As downtown and the west side of Bozeman continue to develop at an alarming place, development in other parts of the city is slow to flourish. Thus is the case with Bozeman’s latest urban revival area known as Midtown. Talk of revitalization has been in the works for years, but things are progressing slowly. In this post, we'll take a look at plans for Midtown and take a short tour of the district and the surrounding area.

(6.29.2020 - Midtown update
What's gone? What's going up? Click here: https://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2020/06/midtown-update.html)

~

Revisiting Bozeman's Roots & Contemplating Development with an Alley Tour

I first jotted down some notes on this topic in March and delays during a recent flight allowed time to revisit it. Summer is a busy time for building and reminded me the issue of how Bozeman grows is a heated one. I'll post this now rather than waiting to get my thoughts perfect. Feel free to add your thoughts (And photos) to the conversation.

The Bus Lady Astrologer - UPDATED!

I've moved the story along thanks to feedback from friends and my writing class.

The Bus Lady Astrologer (Fiction)

Here is my latest work of fiction. The story was workshopped in my writing class this week. I received thoughtful feedback and now have many ideas on how I'll continue with the story. Your feedback is welcome.

Nature Meets Urban Vibrancy in the Big Apple

 An Evening in New York City

(I started this blog post in November and am just getting around to finishing it up.)

Coming Back to Bozeman (Fiction)

In 2010, my one-act play Coming Back to Bozeman was included in the Equinox Theatre One-Act Play Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed watching two actresses and one director bring my play to life, and I was pleased to see that it was very well-received by the audience. (Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bwJmW17twE)

My latest writing project was to convert the play into a short story. It was a daunting challenge at first, but once I settled into writing the words flowed out of my pen.  A few revisions and tweaks are still needed (Probably a few typos to be fixed), and your feedback is welcome.

Paradise Ruined

Photo #1

Letting Graffiti Tell the Story

As with most posts in this blog, this is a work-in-progress. I plan on posting photos of other works of graffiti as I find them.

  

What follows is a series of photographs depicting the graffiti that is popping up around town. These messages are on the mark when it comes to our feelings and the way we talk about growth.

Writing Exercise - Where Are You Now?

There's a room in Carolyn's new house that is a great nook for relaxation and contemplation.  The old owners converted a garage into this space and Carolyn has it partitioned off from the kitchen and the rest of the house to literally keep the cats away from the dog. It is a quiet oasis for readers, writers and cats. The others have gone out to walk the dog and look at the hobbit houses while I have some down-time to work on this writing exercise and a chill for a bit.

Carolyn's house & our crazy relatives!

The Bar in the Dream - Exploring a Sense of Place

Plonk in Bozeman

Years ago, a neighborhood pub would appear in my dreams. This was a welcoming, comfortable place where my friends and I would gather, a spot we considered "ours." In the dreams, the pub always retained a pleasant, low-key vibe without any rowdiness or drunken shenanigans. Upon waking, the image of the bar along with the feelings it conjured hung over me like a warm robe, and I'd start the day off happy with strong feelings of comfort, connection and friendship.

This is Bozeman - Retelling the Story

A Work-in-Progress

Mike and I walked in the rain to meet Cathy and Don for dinner at a place that screams, "I'm a pizza parlor," while offering gluten-free and sprouted grain crusts.

Rambling Reflections on New Haven

Lately, I've had New Haven on my mind. Discovery of the Elm City Diary Facebook page coupled with a slow and boring week at work was all it took to set me off on a Google search. When I stumbled upon Eva Geertz's blog post in New Haven Review, my curiosity about New Haven turned into full-fledged nostalgia. As I read the post, the names of local institutions, the sights and sounds of the Elm City, its people, its vibe, and whole slew of thoughts, feelings and images came flooding into my mind.

New Haven Green

Reflections on a "Special" Place

We've all heard people talk about a "special place." One may call their grandmother's house, their beloved elementary school, a favorite summer camp, or any number of memorable locations a special place. Non-profit organizations remind supporters that their gift will help protect "this special place." As I think about special places in my life, I hope I can be more descriptive when I talk about and write about them. Yes, they are "special" but they are much more than that.