A remarkable experience listening to New York Law School Professor of Law and Director, Institute for Information Law and Policy, Beth Simone Noveck and Cory Ondrejka, CTO at Linden Labs. Prof. Noveck aptly described Ondrejka as the creative boy wonder behind much of Second Life, the internet-based virtual world with 3 million user accounts. I was struck by her sparkling brilliance and ability to tease out strands of legal complexity with the greatest delicacy. I shared with Mr. Ondrejka the concept of Enso 2007---and Around the World in A Single Stroke entered the imagined space of the Metaverse. From bits to atoms, real and virtual spaces and places, suburban, exurban and web worlds, high fidelity avatars, avatars wearing bodies as clothing, the discussion was not bound by concrete reality. Ondrjka referenced the groundbreaking research of Stanford Prof. Jeremy Bailenson (Virtual Human Interaction Lab).

Cory Ondrjka’s comment that “innovation is created from the collision of disparate social networks” resonated with me since I have always envisioned Around the World as a project about juxtaposing worlds, creating unusual pairings, and transcending cultural and temporal boundaries both visible and invisible.

Ondrjka pointed out that much of what is built in Second Life can be created and then made to disappear very quickly as everything is ephemeral in this virtual space. It seems many worlds away from the Floating World but I wondered about the ramifications of a place with so much impermanence.

The crème de la crème of the Santa Barbara winemaking community was invited to a spectacular evening and dinner in honor of Around the World Honoree Jim Clendenen. At his private ranch, the golden light could be seen glowing from his floor to ceiling windows as guests were seated along one grand long teak Indonesian table.

In keeping with the theme of Enso 2007, Jim chose the menu featuring round foods in a concentric presentation. Starting courses included slivers of gourmet pizzas by American Flatbread, the Los Alamos artisan bakery known for their pizzas made in primitive wood-fired earthen ovens. As a finishing touch, owner Clark Staub lavished truffles over each pizza. Next the most tender romaine and baby greens were selected from the garden for a salad accompanied by a single exquisite scallop on a bed of French white beans and tender shrimp. Lamb over butternut squash and a succulent arugula and pesto puree was paired with brussel sprouts caressed with Andrew Murray Enchanté.

Guests included fellow star winemakers including Andrew Murray of Andrew Murray Vineyards and Bryan Babcock of Babcock winery and vineyards, Chuck Carlson of Curtis Winery, Executive Director of the SBVCA (Santa Barbara County Vintners Association) Jim Fiolek, The Hitching Post Owner/Chef Frank Ostini as well as the Au Bon Climat team, Michael Meluskey, ABC/Qupe winemaker and enologist Jim Adelman, Marketing Director Rob Fry and Enrique Rodriguez and members of Clendenen’s family including sister Marcia and niece Marisa.

1995 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, "La Bauge au Dessus," Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, 1995 Santa Ynez Valley Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay, 1996 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches, 1999 Santa Maria Valley Hildegard, and Vita Nova 1994 Reservatum Cabernet Sauvignon were some of the exquisites wines poured.

The culmination of the evening was the performance and interactive presentation of Enso 2007 to Jim where he eloquently spoke about it in parallel to the art of winemaking as a cycle in balance with nature. After tasting the Around the World pinot noir around the world it was an incredible moment to see a glass finally in Jim’s hand for his special toast. The wine in his glass swirled around this circle of remarkable people who had devoted their lives to the ancient art of winemaking. He waxed poetic about the infinite tones of Sumi-e and the infinite complexity of notes in this pinot…even denoting the exact color of cherry notes, “not in the dark and heavy spectrum,” he said but more with the subtlety of Queen Anne and Rainier.

A fragment of an Enso in multi-color rainbow form greeted us as we drove towards the Around the World Encounter for Master Vintner Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat.

I was invited by Professor Elizabeth Bernhardt, Dean, South Row Professor, German Studies, Director, Stanford Language Center to be a special guest of honor for the Stanford Arts Initiative Program. Students must apply to be a part of the program to subscribe to the series of dinners and dialogues with the guests. I was invigorated by the students’ perceptive questions about the arts, the art form of Sumi-e, and the Around the World in a Single Stroke project. A lively discussion took place as I answered questions and we delved into the interconnections encircling us all. At the conclusion of the the dinner, in the spirit of the Around the World project we formed a Stanford Enso!

Revisiting that magical night when I met Albert Murray...I am just now downloading those photos and will have them up soon...
Jazz at Lincoln Center arranged for a special car to take me to Harlem to visit the legendary critic, novelist, biographer Albert Murray. Born in Alabama in 1916 he attended Tuskegee Institute and was a close friend of Romeare Bearden and a collaborater and contemporary of Ralph Ellison, as well as a friend to all the jazz greats from Duke Ellington to Count Basie. He still refers to himself as one of "Duke's boys." Sharing with him Enso 2007 was an extraordinary experience. He wanted to celebrate by bringing out a rare cognac given to him by the great Victor Goines on the occaison of his 90th birthday last May. I read for him a selection of my jazz poetry and he responded, "That's the Blues in your face!!" He added "What is the word in the English language that stands for the most delicate? You're dealing with some delicate stuff there and the delicate is no less powerful than the robust." When I played a blues for him on my flute he paused, touched his ear softly nearly cupping the sound and said, "That sounds like how a flower smells." The ride into Harlem was one I’ll never forget. And the ride away was a reluctant one indeed. As I left Murray was still going strong, "You and I could talk our way across any desert there ever was," he said. We had a fireworks poetry jam session as I would riff poetry, and he would weave his words about any turn of phrase. "Drue your poetry is like sculpture--it doesn't take up space, it enriches space, there's more in the same space, you see? It's full of blinks and oohs and ahs, like diamonds." A high compliment from this man who had coaxed the essence out of so many words.

When Dr. Carson introduced me to Isaiah Washington, Washington, paused looked at me and said "You are sitting on two or three worlds, aren't you?" Dr. Carson asked me to explain my unique creative process for painting a portrait and my research process for painting Dr. King and Washington shook his head and said, "This is intense!" I was touched by Dr. Carson's remarks, "I met Drue when she was just in high school. When I see her I say this is what Stanford students are all about. Someone like this with that talent ---that takes it, develops it, and brings it into the world..."

I was struck by Isaiah Washington's response early in the evening when someone had commented that "all the grace had been lost" from the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. He lifted up his fork, and his silverware gleamed in the light, "Not all of it," he laughed, amiably defending younger generations.

I talked with Dr. Carson about the Enso in terms of peace and Dr. King.

Honored and delighted to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Celebration of Volume VI of the Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Clayborne Carson, eloquent and soulful as always brought the spirit of Dr. King alive and welcomed special guests Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West who flew in just for the event. Later in the evening Dr. Carson held his annual celebratory dinner to thank supporters of Institute and I was inspired to meet Clarence B. Jones, attorney to Dr. King, who was an award recipient this year. He told us, "When Dr. King preaches at you, you know you are being called." Pillars of the MLK Institute Harold and Sara Boyd were at my table and I was moved by Harold's words. "Drue you have accomplished so much in your short life. You are one of the few people who is already building a legacy at such a young age."

The Charlie Trotter galleries are now up. Please stay tuned for the Wynton Marsalis photos coming up shortly. I would like to thank everyone who has sent me positive emails and good wishes from "Around the World." Meanwhile photos, and footage is being sent to me and I continue to post photos, so stay tuned for London, Paris, Gstaad...

I'm overwhelmed by the positive energy and momentum of the Enso which has swept up into its embrace so many new friends. Besides the pleasant notes in my inbox---and you know who you are out there!--I've received lovely calls and comments. This morning I had the pleasure of speaking with the great filmmaker Conrad Barclay who was taking a moment away from a session in New York. He and his team filmed every angle of the Around the World Encounter with Wynton Marsalis. He has poured over the footage and has been editing it into a beautiful reel. When you witness Conrad with a camera in his hands, the quiet sensitivity and depth is palpable. Today he told me--"Drue you have a magic way with words, and an unparalleled eloquence." Thanks Conrad!! Here's a photo from the day of the Encounter at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola when Conrad and his team arrived early in the morning to meticulously set up. The Enso swirled and swung--happily caught in the curve of these jazz-infused lenses.

Please Enjoy the Charlie Trotter Galleries here:

Chef Charlie Trotter Sumi-e Stopover in Chicago
Drue Visits the Trotter Kitchen in Chicago
Chef Charlie Trotter Encounters Drue's Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter Signs Drue's Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter and his team join Drue
Chef Charlie Trotter's Culinary Response to Enso 2007
Chef Charlie Trotter's Legendary Wine Cellars