http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/ en Copyright 2010 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:04:16 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Last week senior graphic designer Lynne Boyer and I took a couple of hours to shoot Nashville landmarks for a Lena Anthony-penned travel story for American Spirit, the magazine Hammock publishes for the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since the May floods, city leaders and volunteers have been doing their best to entice visitors to Nashville and try to recover economically. We thought the DAR magazine would be a fitting place to promote the city's restoration--and spotlight the history that few outside the region know.

With Lynne, a native Nashvillian, in the driver's seat, I jumped out and grabbed shots all around downtown, including at the State Capitol, Ryman Auditorium (Mother Church of Country Music), Fort Nashborough and historic City Cemetery. Caveat: I'm not a great photographer, but I'm building off a class I took a local art college and trying to improve! Check out some of the photos on my flickr page (still in process). ]]> Last week senior graphic designer Lynne Boyer and I took a couple of hours to shoot Nashville landmarks for a Lena Anthony-penned travel story for American Spirit, the magazine Hammock publishes for the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since the... Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/11/american_spirits_nashville_fie_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/11/american_spirits_nashville_fie_1.php Outside the office November 18, 2010 11:04 AM 201011181104 widespread flooding in Nashville, Tenn., many of us got our hands dirty on volunteer projects to rebuild our city. Six months after the flood, many families in our area are still putting their homes and lives back together. Though the nation's attention quickly receded with the floodwaters, the economic burdens are far reaching and many people still need assistance. Hands on Nashville and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee provide numerous ways to pitch in and get our community over these final hurdles.

Not only have lives been lost and homes wrecked, but Middle Tennessee's natural resources have also taken a beating. This fall, as I've paddled down several of the area's beautiful rivers (weekends have included a clean-up day on Swan Creek, a canoe camping trip down the Buffalo River and day paddles down the Harpeth River and on Center Hill Lake), I've witnessed the damaging effects of the flood--hundreds of downed trees, damaged banks and watersheds, piles of debris--on these ecosystems that we all depend upon. You can help clean up and preserve these natural resources. Find out more by joining the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association or volunteering at one of the many clean-water events sponsored by the Cumberland River Compact and the Harpeth River Watershed Association.]]> Water--or the overabundance of it--has been on my mind a lot this year. After the unprecedented rains of May 1 and 2 caused widespread flooding in Nashville, Tenn., many of us got our hands dirty on volunteer projects to rebuild... Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/11/flooddamaged_watersheds_still_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/11/flooddamaged_watersheds_still_1.php Outdoors Outside the office November 1, 2010 5:55 PM 201011011755 The Nashville community came together in remarkable ways after the devastating Nashville Flood. The tech community, in particular, worked cooperatively over the course of one week to build and add content to an online tool called Donate Nashville. Launched on Saturday, May 8, the Craigslist-like tool helps fill in the gaps as Nashville began to recover and rebuild from the flood. The site is simple in concept and encourages people to list their own needs as well as resources, starting with simple prompts, like "I Need: Help, Stuff, Housing" and "I Have: Time, Stuff, Money." Need some assistance to move furniture out of a flood-damaged home? Have a trunk full of nonperishable goods? Can you give up your Saturday morning to work on a home demolition? Just enter in your specific needs for supplies or assistance, or offer your material donations or volunteer service. The site is intended to outlast the flood and be available for future disaster relief. Read this post by the editors of Nashvillest for more information on how the tool works. (As part of the content team, I would love any feedback on how to make the site even more dynamic and useful.) It's all part of an even bigger movement called We Are Nashville, which continues to build this cooperative spirit and help Nashvillians find creative ways to help their neighbors.]]> The Nashville community came together in remarkable ways after the devastating Nashville flood. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/10/we_are_nashville_content_colla.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/10/we_are_nashville_content_colla.php Outside the office October 26, 2010 10:31 AM 201010261031 Oscars are like my Super Bowl. Ok, yes, I am totally addicted to lists of must-see movies, I geek out on Oscar-related trivia and I've even had parties where I served food items related to the nominees. (There Will Be Blood pudding, anyone?)

Some of my favorite moments from this year's list: Carey Mulligan blowing off her A-levels to go to Paris in "An Education." Meryl Streep enjoying French feasts with her husband in "Julie & Julia." All those beautiful balloons rising in "Up." So many of Jeremy Renner's powerful scenes in "The Hurt Locker" that explore its theme: War is a drug. An under-the-influence Jeff Bridges singing in the bowling alley in "Crazy Heart." The smooth George Clooney in every scene of "Up in the Air" (ok, I'm prejudiced. His female co-stars were pretty great, too). My film-loving pals are throwing out their predictions over on Team Hammock. What's your pick?]]> As a friend aptly put it, the Oscars are like my Super Bowl. Game on! Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/03/my_super_bowl.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/03/my_super_bowl.php Film March 5, 2010 11:34 AM 201003051134 It might not be all that significant unless you know me or my friend Beth, but I love all the stories that this snapshot tells, all the small symbols it captures of an enduring friendship: *A connection made in graduate school. Some strong bonds are made when you survive English T.A. boot camp together. *Two English nerds who get a rush out of writing and editing and smart communication and (okay, let's be honest) geeking out on grammar and punctuation. *A kitchen table, where the best work and the greatest conversations are sparked. *A friend who labors nonstop to spread humanitarian relief across the Caribbean, and especially now to Haiti. *An afternoon we both spent working on Nazarenes Help Haiti, a Web site where tons of content -- from news to video to photos to links -- on earthquake relief can be found. *An iPod remote, 'cause how could you cope without the perfect mix? *An artist's lovely painting of a cup of coffee, the goodness that fuels us on long nights and prods us awake on early mornings. *A vase of flowers, a gift of beauty amid too many reminders of pain and rubble. *A baby's jacket, a symbol of new, giggling, sweet life.]]> What do you get when two English nerds meet two Macs over one kitchen table? No joke, you get some pretty good stories. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/02/i_love_all_the_stories_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/02/i_love_all_the_stories_1.php Haiti February 24, 2010 2:25 PM 201002241425 My attention today, as with many around the world, is on Haiti and its earthquake victims. I spent some time last night with friends looking through photos of our trip there in March. Here's my shot of the Haiti Presidential Palace. Though just a building, its destruction is emblematic of the enormity of a crisis in which thousands are feared dead and many more thousands face real dangers moving forward. Below is what it looks like today.

I realize that attention will soon (not too soon!) turn to other crises of a 24-hour news cycle. But I hope that some people will remain focused on Haiti tomorrow, and the next day and the days to come. Haitians lived on literal precipices of life before this earthquake, and I can barely imagine what those needs will be now. There are many relief groups already doing great work there (as Rex points to on his blog), but I have to give a personal plug to a faith-based organization called Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and its Caribbean Emergency Fund. Giving to the Caribbean Disaster Response fund enables people on the ground to provide immediate basic necessities such as food and water and, eventually, continue in the reconstruction process of homes and lives. Corruption is a serious problem in Haiti, but I can vouch that if you donate to this group, your funds will be used immediately as well as wisely and with integrity.]]> My attention, as with many around the world, is on Haiti and its earthquake victims. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/01/yele_haiti_today_and_tomorrow.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2010/01/yele_haiti_today_and_tomorrow.php Haiti January 13, 2010 12:42 PM 201001131242 photo scavenger hunt. The rules were simple: Interpret the nine items on the list in any creative or literal way that we wanted, and have fun! What Jamie found:

]]> Several members of the Hammock crew dusted off our cameras in August to have some fun with a photo scavenger hunt. The rules were simple: Interpret the nine items on the list in any creative or literal way that we wanted, and have fun! Summer Huggins http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/09/photo_scavenger_hunt_jamie_rob.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/09/photo_scavenger_hunt_jamie_rob.php Outside the office September 3, 2009 8:36 AM 20090903 836 Summer was wonderful in so many ways (kayaking! filmmaking! travels out West!), but I can't wait for fall. One reason? Megan Morris and I are taking a photography class at a nearby art school in a couple of weeks. I even have new school supplies! Yep, this shiny new (used) camera is taunting me with all its buttons that I don't yet know how to use. I expect the class to help me unlock the potential of the camera, and I hope it gets me just a tiny bit closer to the photographic talents of Hammock friends like the other wonderful Summer I know. Ready to shoot some autumn leaves—bring 'em on!]]> Fall 2009's lineup includes a photography class for two Hammockites. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/08/a_new_lens_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/08/a_new_lens_1.php August 31, 2009 2:16 PM 200908311416 Quiet on the Set! Cameras rolling. Scene 1, Take 1. Action! If you're an avid movie fan like me, you might harbor a secret desire to utter those lines on an actual film set. I got to be just that lucky recently as part of a team competing in the 48 Hour Film Project, a nationwide contest challenging amateur filmmakers across the country to write, film, edit and complete a short (five- to seven-minute) movie. All of it--from concept to execution--has to take place within 48 hours. Each team is randomly assigned a genre, ranging from buddy pic to horror flick, and all teams have certain elements (a character, line of dialogue and prop) that are required in the final film. Friends in the illustrious (and award-winning) team Fighting With Forks invited me to be a part of the Nashville competition July 17-19. I didn't even ask what they wanted me to do, that's how fast I said yes. The 48 hours we spent getting to know each other and working hard to tell a compelling story were intense but great fun. Our two days together roughly went like this: Around 6 p.m. on Friday, the entire team gathered to hear our chosen genre (fantasy) and the required elements chosen randomly for our city's competition (an actor named Charles or Charlene Little, a still camera as a prop and the line of dialogue, "I'm trying to decide.") We spend a few hours brainstorming possible storylines, ranging from the ridiculous (foreshadowing!!) to the sublime.

Around 10 p.m., the four writers got down to business, magically churning out a script by the wee hours of the morning (around 3:30--ouch). Here's the story they concocted: "A man has an epiphany where he thinks that he's Death. He goes to a therapist to hash out his recent revelation, telling stories from his youth and recent events. He lives with his goth girlfriend, Charlene Little, who is an actress/photographer also obsessed with death. In the end, after sharing several fantastical stories about people and animals dying in his presence, he realizes that his therapist, too, has keeled over."

The director of photography and his production assistant took the script and drew storyboards until the sun came up to prepare for the next day's filming. The entire team was due on set at 7 a.m., and everyone (director, DOP, actors, lighting director, cameraman, audio guy, boom mic operator, et. al) spent the entire day--until 11 p.m.--filming. We ate lunch and dinner standing up, with one hand on a slice of pizza while the other hand jotted down notes, set up the next scene or put on makeup. While we filmed, three prodigiously talented musicians wrote original music to go with the script, ending up with an entire album's worth of songs. Next, our editor took the miles of raw materials and, along with the director, DOP and a writer, spent hours upon hours shaping the film. (Sleep is for sissies had to be their motto.) The film's title--"Now You're Being Ridiculous"--didn't come until sometime mid-afternoon. By 6 p.m. (an hour early!), the finished product was dropped off. Satisfied with the ridiculous story told, all the players slept happily ever after. Postscript: We won best overall film! Watch it here.]]> You have 48 hours to tell a story in film. Ready, set, action! Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/07/storytelling_in_48_hours.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/07/storytelling_in_48_hours.php Film July 30, 2009 2:48 PM 200907301448 American Spirit, with its focus on the early American period, regularly features the Founding Fathers (and Mothers) on our pages. And it’s not surprise that editing this magazine for the DAR has really fed into my history geekiness. So, when friends invited me on a long weekend tour of three presidents’ homes in the Charlottesville, Va., area, I pretty much jumped at the nerd-cation* chance. Our first stop was James Madison’s Montpelier, which recently unveiled the stunning results of a four-year restoration. American Spirit featured the ambitious project in a July/August 2005 article. We focused on the meticulous way the Montpelier Foundation chose to restore the home of the Father of the Constitution. Not long after Madison died in 1836, his wife, Dolley, sold the home, and it went through extensive changes by multiple owners before finally passing into the hands of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Instead of freezing the home as it was when first acquired, the National Trust decided to strip away two centuries of renovations and preserve the house as close as possible to the way it was when Madison retired from the White House.

It’s one thing to read about the restoration, but it’s another thing to see the impressive results of this project for myself. Montpelier’s Classical portico and its imposing columns have been restored to Madison’s day. And get this: The ink stains are still visible on the floor in the study where he wrote the Constitution! Guides describe finding a fragment of a letter with Madison’s handwriting in a rat’s nest and uncover other details found in the process of peeling back the home’s many layers.

Beyond the archaeological finds, the home’s setting is idyllic, offering a gorgeous vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We finished off the day in Charlottesville's historic downtown at night, where we added our screeds to the free speech wall and drove by the Thomas Jefferson-designed rotunda at the University of Virginia, which he founded in 1819.

The next morning we visited Jefferson's masterpiece of design: Monticello. The almost-too-efficient tour guide whisked us through the house rather quickly, but we still managed to check out some of his one-of-a-kind inventions, from a copying machine to a compass/weather vane contraption to a wine dumbwaiter. Since American Spirit detailed Thomas Jefferson’s penchant for gardening in our “Gardening the Founding Fathers' Way” story (March/April 2006), I was eager to see his carefully arranged rows of vegetables and learn more about his experimental crops. Jefferson’s 5,000 acres of orchards, vineyards, fields and gardens were worked by hundreds of enslaved and some free workers, and the Plantation Community Tour explained the daily life of some of those slaves. We squeezed in a quick visit to James Monroe’s Ash Lawn–Highland where the fifth president lived from 1799 to 1823. It’s now operated by the College of William and Mary, Monroe’s alma mater. (Stay tuned for American Spirit’s upcoming story on this historic college.) The home is packed with 18th- and 19th-century furnishings, some from Napoleon’s France, where Monroe served as ambassador. Most know a little about the Monroe Doctrine and that his presidency was called the “era of good feelings,” but I was surprised to discover what a well-regarded politician (oxymoron?) he was during his lifetime.

Back in D.C. on Memorial Day, we waved hello to No. 44 at the White House and swung by a few monuments on the National Mall, including the Vietnam Women's Memorial, where we were inspired by military nurse’s speech about her service in Vietnam, Iraq and now Germany. The weekend ended with a four-hour tour (yes, and I could have stayed longer) of the interactive Newseum, a must-see museum for current event junkies and newshounds in the shadow of the Capitol. Next on my to-do list: Learn more about Dolley Madison. What a fab first First Lady! *nerdcation. Pronunciation: /nərd ˈkā-shən /. Function: noun. Date: 2009: A journey offering great potential for expanding one’s vocabulary, Trivial Pursuit ability and storehouse of random knowledge and/or cocktail conversation. ]]> You think you know a lot about the Founding Fathers and Mothers, then you go and visit them at home ... Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/06/_its_no_surprise_that.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/06/_its_no_surprise_that.php Charlottesville, VA June 9, 2009 4:00 PM 200906091600 Nashville Clean Water Project. One of the supporters of the well-organized event was the Cumberland River Compact, an educational nonprofit that promotes the water quality of the Cumberland River watershed. We dodged the thunderstorms and managed to pick up a ton of the usual trash—glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans, Styrofoam containers—and a few unusual (and disgusting) items—a tent, camp chairs, wheels, camouflage underwear (I KNOW). Recycling champion and green blogger Barbara Mathieson posted a video of the event here. On Sunday, I competed in my first triathlon, the Lost Loon, benefitting the Harpeth River Watershed Association, another great nonprofit devoted to preserving and restoring one of our area’s beautiful waterways. It feels cool to say I’m a triathlete, but that moniker is a little bit misleading. It was the lowest stress team triathlon you can imagine: 9-mile bike ride, 2-mile canoe race, 4-mile trail run, and I just participated in the bike and run portions of the race. Because of the deluge of rain we’ve been having, Lone Hunter State Park’s Couchville Lake rose to meet us: In portions of the trail, we ended up wading in water up to our shins. But once you’re that wet, it just gets more fun. One of the best parts about the race was crossing the finish line: Race organizer extraordinaire Willy Stern required all finishers to squeeze a loon stuffed animal that was hidden in a tree. Join Willy and friends--and me!--for the seventh annual event next year! P.S. What am I like when I DO have a boat and a paddle? Not too smooth, lemme tell you. Late last fall, friends and I paddled down Swan Creek, a winding and gorgeous creek not too far from Nashvillle. Things started off grand ... until my canoe partner and I got caught in a strainer and sank our lil boat. Luckily we were rescued by the kind experts at the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association (TSRA). I'm hopeful that by enrolling in one of TSRA’s future paddling classes, I can keep future waterlogging to a minimum.]]> Jamie's waterlogged weekend. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/05/finding_my_inner_loon_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/05/finding_my_inner_loon_1.php On the Road May 7, 2009 10:49 AM 200905071049 I first heard about the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill near Lexington when American Spirit featured Kentucky in its travel section a few years ago. With the Shakers as the cover story of our May/June issue, I decided it was time to pay a visit to America’s largest restored Shaker community for a firsthand look at a utopian way of life. The Shakers lived by the saying, “Hands to work, hearts to God.” But as one of Pleasant Hill's costumed guides remarked, their motto also could have been: “Work smarter, not harder.” Many of the artifacts on display in the living history museum (made up of 34 restored buildings in the middle of 3,000 acres of farmland) were labor-saving devices, which the Shakers did not patent, freely sharing with the world. (Although their claims to be inventors of the clothespin and circular saw are unlikely, their dumbwaiters and flat brooms and kitchen gadgets were models of efficiency.) Even some Shaker barns were built on slopes so that hay could be pitched downward instead of upward. Smart choice if you’ve ever shoveled out a barn!

The goods they sold to the “outside world,” from packaged seeds to classic furniture, were known for their reliability and craftsmanship. However … even though there’s evidence that their formula for house paint lasted more than 100 years, I’m not sure I’d like the idea of pulverized brick mixed with animal blood slathered on my walls.

Pleasant Hill does a great job bringing the Shakers’ principles to vivid life. I was mesmerized by craftspeople demonstrating Shaker techniques, from woodworking to spinning and weaving to broom making. (Tip: always hang your broom so the bristles don’t get bent.) And the village farm, with its heirloom vegetables and historic animal breeds, offered a hands-on look at the importance of agriculture to the Shakers. Actually, the farm might have been my favorite part of the community: I loved that Percheron horses are still used to till the gardens, English sheep are still shorn for their wool and Dominique chickens provide the eggs served at the Inn’s dining room. (Ok, it made me laugh, but I didn't exactly love that one of the wily goats grabbed and ate half my map.) Pay the Shaker community a visit if you’re ever up in bluegrass country. And be a pal and bring me back some homemade corn sticks and Shaker lemon pie.]]> After featuring the Shakers in American Spirit's May/June issue, I decided it was time to pay a visit to America's largest restored Shaker community for a firsthand look at a utopian way of life. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/bringing_the_shakers_back_to_l.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/bringing_the_shakers_back_to_l.php Shakers09 April 24, 2009 3:50 PM 200904241550 When Editorial Director Jamie Roberts isn't jet-setting around the globe, she can be found working on her organization skills and planning her next fabulous trip to some distant land. I snuck in on her today to ask a few questions about how a typical day goes for her. What do you reach for when you need an afternoon pick-me-up? I walk around the office stealing food from people. Sometimes I ask nicely. What communications medium helps you the most during the day? Yelling like I live in a barn. No, just kidding, I like the IM. And the email. And the InterWebs. Still, when I need to solve a bigger problem or figure out a challenge, few methods are better than picking up the phone or sitting down for a face-to-face. What is the last thing you do before you leave the office every evening? Four times out of five, I harass Ben to help me with a last-minute design project. He loves me. How do you divide your time each day between projects? Do you set aside specific hours to work on certain things, or do you just play it by ear and see what needs the most attention? I usually start my day with a neat little plan to work on certain projects, but a lot of time those plans get waylaid and I have to go to where the hot projects are. I aspire to be as organized as Barbara or Lena or Summer or Natalie or Julia or Lisa ... wait ... am I the MOST unorganized person around this place??? If you could pack everyone in the office up and take us to work (and play) in your favorite travel destination, what would it be? Why? The people in this office are ridiculously talented and hard-working and creative. I think a team of us could make a huge difference on some important projects going on in Haiti. Then I'd take us all to Paris, London or Greece for a party. We also really know how to throw a party.]]> When Editorial Director Jamie Roberts isn't jet-setting around the globe, she can be found working on her organization skills and planning her next fabulous trip to some distant land. I snuck in on her today to ask a few questions about how a typical day goes for her. Summer Huggins http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/a_day_in_the_life_of_jamie_rob.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/a_day_in_the_life_of_jamie_rob.php Working April 14, 2009 2:39 PM 200904141439 Here we are after cleaning out mud from a school in the Gonaives area struck by September 2008's devastating hurricanes. After initial shyness, several of the village kids helped out in a big way and taught us a few things about swinging shovels.

We re-roofed a house damaged in those same storms. (And yes, believe it or not, there are shots of me successfully using a power saw without harming myself or others. In a skirt, no less.)

We met adorable children, who laughed at our bungling attempts to speak Creole. And while entertaining said children (one day, they numbered 300!) with tons of balloons, bubbles and soccer balls, we, by necessity, learned how to speak their language a little bit better.

Yes, we witnessed some great needs in Haiti. But we came away with memories of a lot more beauty than we ever expected. To learn more about the work of the Haiti Water Project, one of the efforts we witnessed making a big difference in the everyday lives of people, take a minute to watch this video. ]]> Jamie has a lot of stories from her recent trip to Haiti. She only makes you sit through a few photos. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/a_glimpse_of_haiti_1.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/04/a_glimpse_of_haiti_1.php Haiti April 14, 2009 2:30 PM 200904141430 Bill, Lena, Emily or Megan Pacella. Otherwise, please e-mail me, and I'll answer all messages when I return. Thanks and have a great week!]]> My grandfather was quite the superstitious type, and he never liked to set foot out of his house on Friday the 13th. I wonder what he would think of me today as I set out on a weeklong vacation to Haiti. Jamie Roberts http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/03/march_1623_schedule.php http://www.hammock.com/people/jamieroberts/2009/03/march_1623_schedule.php Schedule March 13, 2009 2:02 PM 200903131402