Miles Richardson

Fifteen years since he left this material world. So much has changed. So much has not changed. Sure would love to have a talk and libations with Miles today.

wandering into Miles' office late one afternoon in 1983 to ask a question, he changed my life by introducing me to the study of how architecture could be meaningful. Forever grateful.

Miles still lives in our hearts.

I am surprised I did not sign my name to the comments I made below about the turtle tale, sorry they probably sound a little befuddled to those who don't know what they refer to, also I was distraught at the time. I'd love to flesh it out but I lost all the Anthropology books I owned in New Orleans, not in Katrina, or the flood, but when I became homeless. I was just thinking about Miles today, got an email from someone who knew him a little. Miles had a notion about evolution that we evolved...

I played a song I wrote for a class of Dr. Richardson, and to my amazement he was impressed enough to say he thought Hank would be proud, because it had country sound to it. It had anthropological implications too. We lost Miles one month after I lost my father. Today is World Turtle Day and Miles was fond of teaching us about how Clifford Geertz used the Hindu legend of how turtles held up the world. “There is an Indian story -- at least I heard it as an Indian story -- about an Englishman...

Miles once suggested that we ought to form a band, hit the road, and tour 'til we found Hank Williams. Scholar, mentor, myth-maker, prankster. He will be sorely missed by generations of grateful students.

Without a doubt we are all much richer for having had the priviledge of knowing Miles Richardson. He was always kind, patient and willing to listen to a new and befuddled grad student. I will forever treasure our conversations about East Texas and life in general.