AGAIN, THE SPIRIT OF BILL * A CONTINUING EXPERIMENT * COFFEE QUOTES *

REMODELED BILL'S
IS NOW OPEN
Yeah! The remodeled Bill's Coffeeshop is now open. Two great features are an expanded kitchen (with plenty of counter space) and restored wooden floors (covered for years by linoleum tile). The coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. If you're not in Iowa City, you can see photos of the renovated coffeeshop on the Facebook page for Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page.

A CONTINUING EXPERIMENT IN THE
"SOCIAL"  PART OF SOCIAL WORK
Wild Bill's Coffeeshop at the University of Iowa is a continuing experiment in the
"social" part of social work. From the beginning, the coffeeshop's
goal has been to bring people together across boundaries which divide
us. The particular mission of Bill's has been to offer a place for
crossing a boundary called "ability." Bob Finch, a longtime friend and
supporter, calls this "abilities awareness."

But there are other boundaries, too, which Bill's tries to cross, including 
those between student and teacher, and between campus and community. It is
an ongoing project, something which continues to unfold.

Ideas for the role of the coffeeshop come both from the unique history
of Bill's and from the history of the social work profession. Hull
House in Chicago had a coffeeshop before 1900. It was one of the very
first projects of the settlement house started by Jane Addams and
Ellen Gates Starr.

From reading the letters and speeches of Jane Addams, I have discovered
that the reasons for the success of the Hull House coffeeshop are quite
similar to those for the success of Bil's (and similar ventures)
today. Back then, people wanted a sense of community, a place where
they felt they belonged. They also wanted an informal place.

Now, in 2010, people who visit Wild Bill's say they come for similar
reasons. Customers say that what they like is the informality of the
coffeeshop and its feeling of community. Ray Oldenberg, who wrote a
book on coffeeshops and cafes, says the best coffeeshops are a "third
place" between home and work. (His book echoes some of the themes of a
study conducted by Hull House researchers more than a century ago.)

Each day, those who come to Wild Bill's take part in an experiment
with the "social" in social work. It can be found in art projects and in
conversations, in office hours and in student meetings. It can also be
found in the music and theater presented in the coffeeshop and in the AA
groups which meet here.

The coffeeshop is an ever-evolving effort in creating a sense of
community. It is a place to experience "belonging moments," in
the words of Jenny Barry, a 2001 MSW grad.

We can take these experiences at Bill's (and Uptown Bill's, and
similar places) and carry them with us wherever we go.
Then we can create new "belonging moments" for others in the
communities where we work and live.

AGAIN, IT'S THE

SPIRIT OF BILL
I made to the grand reopening for Wild Bill's. But getting there was a once in a lifetime experience. I was traveling from Aberdeen to Iowa City, a 600 mile trip.

The weather was unbelievable on the way there: snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain. At one point I thought there must be someone on the roof of the car hurling ice chunks down on the hood. At another point the car was covered with slush, except for the front windows.  And for a time I found it hard to distinguish between the road and the prairie.

It wasn't much better on the way back. In fact, I had to stop for a day in Sioux City because the roads further north were closed due to a blizzard.

Why did I do it? I guess it had something to do with the spirit of Bill.

The truth is that I had pretty much decided not to go. Just about everyone had advised me not to make the trip.

But a chance encounter with my neighbor Laura Marsh changed my mind. "You can make it," she said. "Go."

Now Laura is one of two people from Aberdeen I have taken to Bill's. She had accompanied me on a December trip, which included art museums as well as coffeeshops. So her urging me to go was more than just a casual comment. It was just the push I needed.

I arrived in Iowa City just 30 minutes for the grand reopening. Several people expressed surprised that I had arrived. "We figured you wouldn't be able to come because of the weather," said one. "Laura told me I could make it," I responded.

Later, during the reception, I told a few stories about the coffeeshop from my years as manager. And I mentioned Laura's assurance that I would make it, noting that I recalled her words several times on the trip. "She had to be channeling the spirit of Bill," I concluded.

    -- Tom Gilsenan

ANOTHER CUP OF
COFFEE QUOTES

You can tell when you have crossed the frontier into Germany because of the
badness of the coffee -- Edward VII

It was one of those mornings when a man could face the day only after warming
himself with a mug of thick coffee beaded with steam, a good thick crust of
bread, and a bowl of bean soup -- Richard Gehman

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering
influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to
reproduce -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Customer: Hey, this coffee tastes like mud!
Waiter: It should; it was ground this morning