As part of its celebration of the country's sesquicentennial, the NewSouth Bookstore in Montgomery, Ala., is featuring an America 250 Wish Tree. "We borrowed the idea from Yoko Ono, who in 1996 created an art installation by that name in Brooklyn, N.Y.," noted Suzanne La Rosa, the bookstore's co-founder and president. "For our project, we've been asking visitors to the NewSouth Bookstore to write their wishes for our nation on a tag which we then hang with twine from the tree on our bookstore's side patio.
"Our Wish Tree has taken life with the inscriptions, gently waving in the wind and symbolizing the hopes of the people of our nation--all our people--for the future of our country. It seems a fitting way to celebrate our significant American history. Certainly, the diversity of contributions and expression has been remarkable. And with several hundred tags now collected and hung (we will continue to collect tags through July 4), the effect is even more compelling than we expected.
"I am personally moved to describe it. I'm also tickled to mention that some people, upon seeing the tree with signage--positioned in a planter directly under the canopy of the tree--then step into the store to inquire about the project. Imagine that!"