[Lost & Found] When my car was totaled last winter, I soon realized that I was part of pedestrian society. Despite having the occasional insult shouted at me or being stranded on the street on a rainy day, I eventually embraced it. I was getting some much-needed exercise and I came to the conclusion that you see, by far, the most interesting stuff when you slow down a bit.One day, while walking downtown, I came across an object that made me smile to the car-less heavens: a dead fake-moustache. I did a double-take and, indeed, someone had deemed it necessary to dispose of a fake moustace in the most careless way possible. Had the moustache been cursed because of the blatent disregard? Or did the owner simply move on to a new style? These are the sort of questions that flooded my mind.
Davy Rothbart, co-creator of Found Magazine has made a living out of these sort of hidden treasures. The magazine is comprised of items people have found (discarded love notes, unusual receipts, pictures, etc.) and sent to Rothbart, who pastes them together for the publication.
Last night, Rothbart was at the Downtown Library in support of Found's "There Goes the Neighborhood Tour," where he read some of his favorite found-items to a nearly-packed theater. The items ranged from hilarious (a reciept that listed: gun, gun, face-mask, and a pack of the candy, Nerds) to heartbreaking (a letter found tied to the end of a balloon that had been caught in a tree growing in the cemetery; a letter to someone's dead mother).
The level of intimacy of each of these was so intense that it was almost hard to take (like reading a diary), but on a social, humanitarian level. It seems like now that anyoone can put themselves out there (YouTubes, blogs), "private" life is becoming more rehearsed than ever. What Rothbart does may be the ultimate look into humans at their most vulnerable--when they think no one is watching/reading.
That said, Rothbart's brother Peter, a singer/songwriter, then performed "The Booty Don't Stop," a cover of a found, homemade demo tape (one of their favorite finds).
What's the best thing you ever found? (Ryan Bradford)
