Barry Graham: Illusory Flowers in an Empty Sky

There are few public figures for whom I have as much respect as I have for Kimber Lanning, the Phoenix entrepreneur, musician, activist and arts impresario, founder of Stinkweeds and Modified. Her generosity and community spirit are the stuff of local legend.

Today a man came into Stinkweeds and asked her, “Are you Kimber?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, I just want to thank you. I was in prison for seven years and you are the only one in this whole damn town who took the time to write me back and you sent me some magazines and fliers and stuff. You don’t know how much that meant to me….”

He told her he now lived nearby and has just bought a house.

“It’s a good day,” Lanning remarked. “Here’s to helping people stay sane.”