On taking requests, and graciousness

I return periodically to considering whether I may have been a bit inconsistent with my interlocutor of the weekend, who was requesting -- and I have after all solicited requests -- that I give some profile to the "community activists" who make Arlington "a better place to live." (Better than what? one is tempted to ask. The author was on a bus travelling through Newark, NJ once.) Certainly among this lot there must be some vivid characters to be found, if only my guest had been more specific about which activists (or at least which activist groups) have in his opinion made Arlington "better." But even in that boardroom minstrel line that seemed to so grate on him, there are folk who have done more than merely wed the podium. Models for my last cast of characters included a former member of the Fiscal Advisory Commission, a member of the Housing Commission and emeritus of the Community Services Board, and a recipient of the Sun-Gazette Cup for volunteer service to the community. Apparently none of these folk were quite civic enough for my correspondent, whose admonitions were therefore maddeningly vague. I would accept even well-honed hints for future character models, if no one felt quite comfortable naming names.

At any rate, Murder Behind the Scenes will feature a most romantic portrayal of a passionate advocate for the downtrodden. It will even feature the downtrodden. Surely that will mollify some of my readers.