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'69 NOVA WAS MISSED ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR UM-ST. LOUIS

by James W. Murphy

The article titled "Speaking his 'Vernacular'" (April 13) forced me to think about missed opportunities.

For those of you who haven't read the article, it is about a junked house trailer that is perched on a stand between Lucas Hall and the Computer Center Building. This artistic work is called "Goddard Nomad V" and was graciously loaned to the UM-St. Louis salvage yard . . . oh, I mean campus, by its creator, Robbie Barber.

But back to my missed opportunities.

Last December I sold a '69 Chevrolet Nova to a salvage yard. This car, which had 280,000 miles on it, had been in our family since it was new and had served us well. But time and weather took its toll, and the Nova was worn out and rusty.

But had I known that such art work as the "Goddard Nomad V" would grace our presence, I would have donated the Nova to UM-St. Louis! This car could have been put on a stand between the student center and the library. There, every UM-St. Louis student and faculty member could have appreciated its artistic value and rust! Maybe "my work" would have provoked people to think about dirty spark plugs!

This work could have been called "UMSL Nova 1." Perhaps, I, too, would have an article written about me and "my vision." I might have been able to get a government grant - maybe even a scholarship.

But ahh, missed opportunities. The Nova is long gone, and I have no creative work to offer just yet. At least I know where to bring my truck when it dies!