the humanites festival was this week/end and true, my syndrome with it every year is that in spite of the dizzying abundance of programming, few programs fill me with urgency to attend. like the big stars this year were salman rushdie and stuart dybek. eh. but i did go to a lecture yesterday by the author/architect witold rybzinski about palladio. ryb started out with some "acknowledging that i'm in chicago, a not so insignificant place as architecture goes" comments. something about how he has never been the biggest fan of 1960's and 70's architecture, but to look at what's come since makes all of our mies buildings seem "chummy." from his books, i like his long view back into history, and hearing him hold back the lecture he probably gives to his students at upenn and give the gloss with slides for the general audience made me want to be his student briefly, but i think my 20th century streak might bring us to loggerheads. i would like to hear his take on habitat 67, in his hometown of montreal, a chum i'd like to meet- i understand they give tours- someday in person.