Sunday, May 23, 2021

Little boxes of suburbia

They're made of ticky tacky
London, ON
May 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram


Malvina Reynolds got it so right when she penned the classic lyrics for Little Boxes:
“Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes all the same.”
I remember studying this in high school, and how this was one of the first works of literature that truly imprinted itself on my young and impressionable brain.

Suddenly, I found myself walking around our neighborhood, critically observing the architectural landscape, looking for the similarities, trying to understand the socioeconomic factors driving their creation and evolution.

As a lesson in the power of words, it became a crucial part of my development as a writer. It was the first time I remember not only asking the why-type questions, but also taking my first halting steps toward getting my own answers and making them part of my own narrative.

Funny how it all works.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #pete #seeger #song #music #random #urban #suburban #neighborhood #architecture #design #architecturephotography #houses #realestate #building #street #streetphotography #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:
Shadows of lives lived, December 2012
Little boxes, August 2008
Gothic, July 2007

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