Diana Lu on Long Form Love Letters to Local Business
Diana Lu on Long Form Love Letters to Local Business
In my Constellations column for RQ, I have the opportunity to talk about community history by writing longform love letters to anchor businesses and their neighborhoods. Like how the ubiquitous all-American Spam, found in every grocery and corner store, is an economic powerhouse that links to Asian foodways and can be a centerpiece in even "fancy" restaurants. Or how you can take in the international/religious/food/architecture layers of a community at a pivotal intersection in West Philadelphia, and be enriched for it. I like to talk to, and really get to know, the people behind these places, and my column is my neighborhood walking tour through words.
I am a vehement proponent for local businesses and how they employ and serve their local communities, whether in Philadelphia or elsewhere. I’ve worked for several business programs and cultural districts around the country, and there is nothing like organizing and celebrating a sense of place.
I hope that my explorations encourage you, dear reader, to find your own favorite noodle shop, your most beloved bookstores, or that shopkeeper who keeps your spirits up with a kind word and a perfect cup of coffee. We should all be able to slow down and experience a love for our local treasure.