Many of you know that I am a great admirer of the music of Jonathan Richman. He is from Natick, Massachusetts, and the architecture and urbanism of Boston (and beyond) are important themes in his songs. Last night I was at the Bowery Ballroom to see him perform with his drummer, Tommy Larkin. It was a fantastic show. I was standing near the front and was able to hand him a copy of Insuring the City. He immediately recognized the cover image — a postcard of the Pru and the Pike — and expressed his appreciation. The themes of the book resonate with his music: the transition and tension between the “Old World” and the “Modern World.”
Insuring the City 