How will the spirit of Jerome evolve?

Dear Jerome residents:

I visited Jerome last summer. Thank you everyone. I felt a reverent love from everyone I met. Climbing the hill from Sedona past a rusting yellow submarine, I felt I was entering Machu Pichu; Great white spirit - Holy Ghost - Chi - Yod He Vav He - Yahweh - was misting through the streets. I write here because I felt that I had found home, and fear that the plight of Richard Johnson (whom I've never heard of before) may be synchronous with that of the town I find most magical, and possibly my own dreams of life in Jerome; A different world dreams are made of.

About me: I teach comparative metaphysics and just about everything else, with an emphasis on exploratory arts and physics that embody transmutative time, culture, geography, and consciousness (narrative spectral energy). This covers sand maps of geographical consciousness to programmable matter, with stops for spirit photos in bellows cameras, lava lamp sculpting, driftwood victrolas, perfumery, music, and every other sensory composition. Proactive nativisation (urban renewal of a native/Amish fashion), mass-transit, and new energy systems are amongst my involvements. Someday I hope to turn my new age antique-retro compilation into a general store. --> More at www.ereiam.com (I'm a software pioneer too)

The spirit of architecture in Jerome: The westward expansion took the diversity of europe to hollywood with stagecoaches and facade fronts. The yellow submarine made the return trip to the land of cliff dwelling kiva observatories. Eccentric mystic mountain pioneers evolvingly built over generations from diverse heritage and handy materials without codes; wood boxes and bottles were the manifestation, not the source. We can't afford recreating labor-material intensive victorians, and the miners survival clapboard cabin of yesteryear would today be a fiberglass box. Light-speed evolution will contrast. The Louvre built each century's wing in the modern style. Half a century from now, a glass pyramid might even seem like one of the historical wings. An artistic architectural evolutionary compromise needs to identify the spirit of Jerome, not mathematical roof formulas.

My understanding of R Johnson’s plans: In a land where platinum moonlit lagoons of seaweed became cacti, and sand paintings of celestial clockworks were inspired in kiva viewings of Cydonia smoke memories, a mining dome, like a great whale perched on a Mt. Ararat stellar gateway might exactly embody the spirit of the general geography. On the other hand, I couldn't argue that a Buckminster dome painted like the partridge family bus would. Certainly nothing but a wood or brick box belongs on Main, if for no other reason than Disney tourist zoning.

My own architecture

I would love a quaint queen anne cottage. My turn of the century favorites include the nautilus art-noveau curves of Victor Horta, the dripped sand castles of Gaudi, Iowa's grotto of the redemption, Crystal palaces, onion-dome gingerbread variants of Greene and Greene bungalows, and the Winchester mystery house. I can envision that built from local ceramics and glass bottles run through a solar kiln to create a sand-painted curvilinear tortoise conch. Jerome seems like the sort of place where a steam-motorcycle or a studebaker truck with a water-hydrogen cracking alternator might roll through the hills, and sweater packing llamas graze in the yards.

On compromise: Jerome could sustain a victorian facade flooded in lavender, blue, and green. A beehive might fit in over the hill. 'Whatever I damn well please' is to some extent the pioneer spirit; so is a sour grape-vine community network. What do I know, though? I grew up in Santa Cruz, Ca., where fluorescent papier maché monsters sat in Queen Anne homegrown yards next to VW busses that frequented nude beaches. I have a viewmaster reel of Jerome with a town sign declaring it the most unique town in America, yet I'm hearing 'move to Guatemala, we have conventions here.' I would have driven past Jerome if it had an acrylic drive-thru KFC, and likewise to property-values.com calculations of roof geometry. Sadly, I get the idea that Richard didn't share beers over the right monopoly games. After 20 years in Jerome, the local spirit must be unconsciously written in his dream home plans. I don't know the man. Perhaps he spits gin and peyote buttons at passers while waving a miners pick standing hip-high in hog pies. Perhaps his home says 'the Greatest Show on Earth', so the design and review board countered with a 'this way to the egress' sign. Perhaps board members on tourist zoned strips are jealous. Jerome is a community. Do folks fold their arms or hold out a hand to forgive and help each other past uncompromising periods? Did the board step in Richard’s shoes and say 'We understand what you're after. Why don't you play around more with these motifs or materials? Nice treatment of the fire and erosion issues, Richard. Maybe we can evolve together and move on to designing the community composting plant and internet library/restrooms kiosk.' The diverse idealism and pragmatism can converge in a way that synergizes the new-age old-west pioneer eccentricity that makes Jerome a mecca. The spirit of a community transcends building codes.

p.s.: If any one knows a nice quaint cottage for rent, work, or has personal comments for me, I'm at kristal_phoenix@msn.com

With Love,

Kristal Rose Phoenix McKinstry

August 17, 2001