"Ghost Bike Chicago: Photographs and Stories"
My name is Dr. Joe Dusek and I’m a published author, amateur photographer and full-time math professor. However, I’m also an avid outdoor exercise enthusiast – primarily running but I do bicycle and several of my close friends are passionate cyclists.
For over a year I’ve noticed the Ghost Bikes and thought it would be fitting to create a photographic essay/book documenting their existence, noting the tragedies and celebrating the victims’ lives. The recent events with Bobby Cann’s death have pushed me to seriously explore the possibility of taking this on as a project.
I’ve reached out to a couple of publishers I’ve worked with in the past and have received positive feedback. Now I’m contacting cycling organizations from around Chicago to gauge if such a project would be welcomed and, if so, hopefully secure their involvement.
Julie Hochstadter suggested I post in this discussion forum to gather opinions. I’d like to hear from anyone willing to share their thoughts on this project, their own ideas, suggestions, questions, etc. Please post them in this forum or, for privacy, feel free to contact me at joe.dusek@yahoo.com or visit me at http://www.facebook.com/joedusekphd to share your comments.
Thanks so much!
/s/ Joe
Views: 552
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe Dusek, Ph.D. on
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I can check this out. Do you know who "runs" the anti-dooring campaign? Can you put me in touch with them?
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on
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It does not seem to me that the goal of the project is either commoditization or monetization. If it was, the OP would not be trying to find recipient of any potential income from the project. In all likelihood the bikes will someday be gone. A book about them could last much longer and tell the stories of the bikes and their people to future generations.
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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Permalink Reply by Juan Primo on
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It's all grassroots and unpaid. Its one of the few pure anonymous acts of humanity you'll ever see.
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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on
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Maybe not the goal, but an unwanted and unavoidable byproduct.
Can the ghost bikes be left out of the equation, and the goal just be to have a book that tells the story of a selected subset of fallen cyclists?
Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:It does not seem to me that the goal of the project is either commoditization or monetization. If it was, the OP would not be trying to find recipient of any potential income from the project. In all likelihood the bikes will someday be gone. A book about them could last much longer and tell the stories of the bikes and their people to future generations.
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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What Juan Primo said.
badwolf said:If there are indeed royalties to be donated, is there some sort of organization that creates and/or maintains these bikes that could benefit from the profits?
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http://www.thechainlink.org/group/look-chicago
Be sure to include a succinct note in your join request explaining your interest.
Joe Dusek, Ph.D. said:I can check this out. Do you know who "runs" the anti-dooring campaign? Can you put me in touch with them?
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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I hadn't thought of it that way, Tony. You're right, someday the bikes will be gone but the book, more importantly the stories it contains, could remain "forever" even if in a library or virtually.
Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:It does not seem to me that the goal of the project is either commoditization or monetization. If it was, the OP would not be trying to find recipient of any potential income from the project. In all likelihood the bikes will someday be gone. A book about them could last much longer and tell the stories of the bikes and their people to future generations.
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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Hi 'badwolf'. I'm learning that's a far more complicated question that I ever thought possible.
There would definitely be money to be donated (assuming people purchase the book) but there doesn't seem to be one, distinct 'entity' that creates and maintains the Ghost Bikes. I want to remind everyone I'm still in the prospectus stage and am learning a lot about this. There are no definite plans other than to use the funds, somehow, for the bikes. Right now I'm just trying to get this project off the ground but otherwise I'm open to suggestions.
badwolf said:If there are indeed royalties to be donated, is there some sort of organization that creates and/or maintains these bikes that could benefit from the profits?
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I like that quote, Juan. If this actually happens I may ask your permission to use it as a quote.
Juan Primo said:It's all grassroots and unpaid. Its one of the few pure anonymous acts of humanity you'll ever see.
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I don't know. The Ghost Bikes are the visible symbol - they memorialize someone's life and serve as a reminder to be f'in careful when opening your car door. Frankly, they've made me more mindful.
h' 1.0 said:Maybe not the goal, but an unwanted and unavoidable byproduct.
Can the ghost bikes be left out of the equation, and the goal just be to have a book that tells the story of a selected subset of fallen cyclists?
Tony Adams 7 mi (dirtbag hipstr) said:It does not seem to me that the goal of the project is either commoditization or monetization. If it was, the OP would not be trying to find recipient of any potential income from the project. In all likelihood the bikes will someday be gone. A book about them could last much longer and tell the stories of the bikes and their people to future generations.
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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Thanks! I'll check out this "Look Chicago!"
h' 1.0 said:http://www.thechainlink.org/group/look-chicago
Be sure to include a succinct note in your join request explaining your interest.
Joe Dusek, Ph.D. said:I can check this out. Do you know who "runs" the anti-dooring campaign? Can you put me in touch with them?
h' 1.0 said:The Chainlink is a for-profit business. Would be very strange to tout that the proceeds are not going for profit and then give the funds to a for-profit corporation.
Not quite sure what Ride of Silence would do with the money. Armbands/posters/jerseys/socks and professional banners? That would change the ride into something I don't think anyone would think it ought to be.
About the only place to channel the money that kind of makes sense might be the current anti-dooring campaign.... they'd probably need a chartered nfp. unmbrella organization to accept the funds so the publisher could write them off.
Overall, I find the commoditization and monetization of Ghost Bikes getting into pretty tasteless territory, regardless of who ends up squabbling over the proceeds.
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