Whitney talks with Libby Lane, the Rural Assembly’s new Deputy Director. She comes to us from the rural Midwest, from the 16-County region in Western Illinois, sometimes called Forgottonia. She grew up in a town of 3000, fell in love with musical theater and acting, and ultimately made her way to Chicago, where she now lives with her wife and their rescue dog, Roxie. And she’s still a member of her rural community in Rushville and visits often. Whitney and Libby talk about Libby’s desire to honor communities like the one she came from; supporting marginalized voices in rural; and their shared love of musical theater. This might be our first episode to include a singalong. Before joining the Rural Assembly, Libby served as senior marketing manager for Bostrom, an association management firm in Chicago. She has more than 15 years of combined experience in the fields of nonprofit management, marketing, event planning, and user experience. Libby earned her BFA from musical theater, from Millikin University and her MFA in acting from Western Illinois University. For regular listeners of this podcast, you know Libby’s musical theater background is making Whitney all kinds of happy.
Libby Lane (she/her) serves as Deputy Director for the Rural Assembly, overseeing the day-to-day operations of RA. She is focused on developing projects, campaigns and relationships that support sustainable rural development and address the unique challenges facing rural communities. Her work is focused on driving change through innovation and collaboration and exploring ways to uplift the stories of those who call these areas home.
Prior to joining Rural Assembly, Libby served as Senior Marketing Manager for Bostrom. She has 15+ years of combined experience in the fields of non-profit management, marketing, event planning and user experience (UX), working with a global portfolio of clients to showcase their brands and create meaningful connections with their customers through digital channels, content marketing/strategy and, most importantly, human interaction met through vulnerability, empathy, and truth.
Libby earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Millikin University and her MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University. Born and raised in the Forgottonia region of rural west-central Illinois, she now lives in Chicago with her wife and rescue dog Roxie.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Welcome back to Everywhere Radio. I’m your host, Whitney Kimball Coe. And today I’m thrilled to bring you a very special conversation with our new RADD, that is our new Rural Assembly Deputy Director. That’s RADD, for short. The RADD is a brand new position within the Rural Assembly. This person oversees our day-to-day operations. They are our Grand Central Station, the nucleus, the center of activity, helping us connect the dots across staff and projects, across time zones and geographies. Because in the post-pandemic era, our staff, our partners, our relationships, are all scattered so far from the Rural Strategies Headquarters in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
Rural Assembly operations and programs have really expanded over these last years. We’ve grown from a once a year, in-person meeting and occasional advocacy campaigns, to a multifaceted set of activities and online offerings. We’ve moved from one newsletter per week, to three a week. And we’re learning how to be better advocates and smarter, clearer communicators, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural America today. And so we need a RADD. We need someone who is detail-oriented and brings vision and new imagination to this work.
Libby Lane comes to us from the rural Midwest, from the 16-County region in Western Illinois, sometimes called Forgottonia. She grew up in a town of 3000, fell in love with musical theater and acting, and ultimately made her way to Chicago, where she now lives with her wife and their rescue dog, Roxy. And she’s still a member of her rural community in Rushville and visits often. Before becoming our RADD, Libby served as senior marketing manager for Bostrom, an association management firm in Chicago. She has more than 15 years of combined experience in the fields of nonprofit management, marketing, event planning, and user experience. She is Grand Central Station.
Libby earned her BFA from musical theater, from Millikin University and her MFA in acting from Western Illinois University. For regular listeners of this podcast, you know Libby’s musical theater background is making me all kinds of happy.
Welcome to Everywhere Radio. What do you want to sing first?
Libby Lane
Wow. This is the question we’ve been asking ourselves for the past few days. Our slack has been nothing, but what duet should we sing?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I know. I love it.
Libby Lane:
So yeah, it’s awesome.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
We’ve traded all kinds of numbers. This morning, though, I came up with one that’s not truly a duet, but it speaks to the notes of having a duet. So it’s like Chicago, right? And Roxie and Velma singing, I Can’t Do It Alone.
Libby Lane:
Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That song really hit me this morning. And this is the hope that I have for us going forward, Libby, is we’re like Roxie and Velma.
Libby Lane:
We are Roxie and Velma.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
We’re going to take the stage together. It’s so good.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. It feels like it was meant to be. It was written in the stars, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
Down to, right off the bat, just telling you in our first interview. What did I say? I said, “Whitney, I feel like I’ve manifested this role, looking for a way the past couple of years to really get back to my roots and honor communities, like the one that I came from, that I’m still really involved in and connected to, back home in Rushville.” And reading through that job posting on Instagram, I was like, “Oh my gosh. This checks every box for exactly what I’ve been trying to figure out, how to get back to doing this, to making this kind of my next chapter of work for my life,” so here I am. I’m so excited.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
You started down the path, just now, of… I mean, the first question I wanted to ask you, because I do have to establish the rural cred for pretty much everybody who comes on the cast like this.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Right. Or at least articulate the level of allyship that exists. And I love your story. And your continued connection to your hometown is really important in your life. But I wanted you to talk a bit about how you straddle growing up, living in rural, being a farm kid, and staying in relationship with that community, but also living in Chicago and having access to all kinds of opportunities that you’ve had. So just tell us a little bit about that.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. That’s a great question. I always say that I’m a twist-cone of urban and rural. Maybe that’s a nod to [inaudible 00:06:18] twist-cone-
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You’re a dreamsicle.
Libby Lane :
… I am a dreamsicle. But yeah, I mean, born and raised in a tiny little town in West Central Illinois, that I still just love so dearly. But yes, living in Chicago, on the north side of the city, with my wife and our fabulous rescue dog.
But rural has always been… I mean, I feel like if you’re a rural kid, you don’t fully ever leave it, right? It’s always home. It really is. There’s always that thread that pulls me back into those gravel roads and the corn fields and the people and going into the county market when we go home and knowing every single person in there and having them ask about how we’re doing, “How are things up in the big city? So glad to see you home for a little bit.”
And just, honestly, there’s just… Chicago’s awesome. I love it. It’s a great city, vibrant, full of so much culture, so many things to do. And there is nothing heading down to Rushville on I55. And you get out of… You lose the skyscrapers in the background, in your rear-view mirror, starts to get smaller and smaller and smaller. And then, all of a sudden, it’s this…
My wife, Kelly, always laughs at me because we’ll go home for Christmas. And then we might not come back again, until the spring. We hope that we could, but if we can’t, all of a sudden we’ll see the corn. It’s always the corn for me. There’s this real connection, that’s my farm roots, to the corn.
And the minute I see the first corn field, which is about, I don’t know, 40 miles outside of Chicago, it’s like this moment. I really have this magical moment with God, to be honest with you. It’s a really profound moment of connection, back to everything that raised me. The ground, the soil, my family, the generations of farmers that farmed that land in West Central Illinois and still are, actively, today. So it is this, I do straddle both sides. And there’s room for all of it. There’s room for the urban and rural. And even in some of the work that Rural Assembly and the center are doing is figuring out that bridge between both of those worlds.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Trying to articulate, “What are those connections?” Yeah.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Absolutely.
Libby Lane :
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And when I was reading your bio and you mentioned that you’re from this 16-county region, that’s often called Forgottonia.
Libby Lane:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s right.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And that’s the first time I had heard of that.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
But, of course, I Googled it, and there’s-
Libby Lane:
Yeah. There’s a lot.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… all kinds of commentary about it, from political, to social, to cultural.
Libby Lane:
Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And how it’s been used in a stereotypical way, and also in a demeaning way, and then also has been reclaimed.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that-
Libby Lane:
Yeah. 100%. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… and why you include it in your bio.
Libby Lane :
We’re Forgottonians. It is, to me, it’s like a badge of honor.
It started in the 1960s, I think it was… And I can’t remember what his name was. But this group of students, I think, that were studying at Western Illinois were identifying all of these gaps with that area of Illinois, not being funded by the state, feeling left out by state government, and feeling left to our own devices. And highways, and there’s just no money for anything, so they dubbed that 16-county area over there Forgottonia. And to me, that’s just, I mean, I’ve written about it. I’ve written pieces about that. It’s something that, there’s that pride, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
That I think anybody that comes from a small rural community has that, “What is your badge?” Like, “What is your badge of honor and your badge of pride for being from a place that is so resilient and connected to each other?” And it’s just, it’s beautiful to me.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And another piece of your story is, of course, about musical theater and acting. And I just think it shows. Already in the week and a half that we’ve been working together, it’s shown up for me that you aren’t afraid of holding space and being a leader in a space, which is so necessary and beautiful. And I just wonder if you’d tell us me about your connection to musical theater and what that’s meant to you? And also, how it might’ve aligned with some or your growing-up years?
Libby Lane :
It aligned with everything where I come from. Pandora’s Playhouse is our community theater. And that was started by our Schuyler County Arts Council, back in, I think, the ’60s. And so, from the time I could… I mean, it was always clear. I think it was always clear to everybody in my family, I was going to be the one. There’s always got to be one, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Holding the space. Yeah.
Libby Lane :
There’s got to be one holding the space. I mean, my very first musical was Annie Get Your Gun.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh my God.
Libby Lane:
And there’s a whole story, where they said, “We’ll call the girls on Tuesday and all the boys on Wednesday, to let them know.” And I sat by the phone all Tuesday and I didn’t get a call because they cast me as Little Jake, they cast me in the boy role. And so Wednesday came and they called and offered me the role. And I feel like that’s where I got my start.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That’s such a good story.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Oh my gosh. Like I said, our community has a really thriving arts program. Pandora’s Playhouse is still going strong. We have an arts center called The HUB, right up on the square, that Erin Eveland, who’s a good friend of mine, started a few years ago. And it’s blowing up. They bring exhibits in, galleries in, from all over the country. And they have classes and events. And that’s really thriving. So talking about just creating those spaces in community, for folks to come together and to get their culture fix. I think it’s being done really well in my little town, so I’m really proud of that.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay. You mentioned Annie Get Your Gun, but were some of the roles that you’ve really loved playing?
Libby Lane :
Oh my gosh.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
You told me about Miss Lovett, earlier.
Libby Lane :
I was Mrs. Lovett.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
In Sweeney Todd.
Libby Lane:
That was my swan song in grad school, I played Mrs. Lovett at Western. That was my very last hurrah, right before I was graduating with my master’s, which was just so incredible. It was such a fun production. And Sweeney was one of our professors, so I got to sing opposite of him. And so that was great. Gosh. Up in Chicago, I’ve been everything from a cow, to a hen. A lot of work with children’s theater.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
A shout-out to Emerald City Theater Company and Lifeline Theater Company, up here on the North Side. And Pride Films and Plays, I was the original Ethel Merman in the world premier of Leo Schwartz’s The Book of Merman, which is clearly a play on The Book of Mormon.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So good.
Libby Lane :
But is like, “What happens when two Mormon missionaries ring the doorbell at Ethel Merman’s?”
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Ethel Merman’s?
Libby Lane :
So we got to do the cast recording for that. And now that’s being produced all over the country, which is really cool to have been the first one in that role. And I will give a shout-out to Rushville, they got a tour bus. And the local bank, Rushville State Bank, got together this whole tour of people that wanted to come up and see me in it, so they rented this huge charter bus and came all the way up to Chicago and it was sold out. And talk about, again, right? I mean, bridging that link back to community and the love that flows in a small town. You know?
Libby Lane:
And the pride there is real, is real and really… Whew. It’s emotional, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
It’s emotional work. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Yep. That resonates with me in a lot ways-
Libby Lane:
I know that resonates with you.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… in my own community and our own arts center. If you don’t mind, too, I wonder if you would talk a little bit about your identity as being part of the LGBTQ community?
Libby Lane :
Mm-hmm.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And your experience of being rural and part of that community?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And now, you find yourself in Chicago? How does that [inaudible 00:17:50] work and feel?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Of course, there are challenges that come with that.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane:
And I think that’s why some of the work that I’m really excited to do with Rural Assembly is supporting those marginalized voices in rural communities. We just had a conversation about the fact that rural communities, anyway, feel like they, a lot of times, don’t have a voice and get ignored. And then, to be a marginalized person within a community that already is feeling like they’re marginalized is doubly really challenging.
But I have to say, on the whole, my community is just so loving and so supportive. And I’ve actually had folks come up to me and know that I’m a safe person to be able to share their story with. And I’ve had several folks talk to me about their own journeys or journeys that they’re having with a family member who is coming out. That’s so serious to me. That’s so weighted, not in a negative way. But, man, talk about a, “It’s my duty,” I think. I think that’s what has led me back to this work, it’s like, “Can I be a voice? What can I do to have a platform to help, to support, to blow away stereotypes, to bridge, to remind folks that we’re all human?” all of this.
And I do, that is my lens that I come at this with, it’s like I really do try to love, regardless. I try to keep space open for folks. And I think that basing relationships on just love and human connection and truth can do a lot, it can open up a lot of healing.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
In your desire to come back to the rural advocacy space and to be part of The Rural Assembly, I wonder about your impressions of The Rural Assembly and why you felt like this was a space that you could really fit in here, in the way you were just describing?
Libby Lane :
I remember right around the time that I saw that job posting pop up, I jumped back on The Rural Assembly’s website. And you were in the middle of doing this initiative with the love letters to LGBTQ youth in rural communities. And, I mean, I really had a profound moment of emotional overload with that, thinking of my own journey and how hard that is, how hard it is anywhere. How hard it is anywhere. And then, if you find yourself in the midst of a rural place, where you have no advocacy and no support and no place to go. And you don’t know where to turn to. And you don’t know who you can talk to and know that you’re going to be safe, and loved, and championed, and supported, and hugged, that is just so scary. It’s so scary. And so I remember seeing that and just really had that reaction of like, “This is the work.”
Libby Lane :
Like, “This is the work.” You know? Being able to send a love letter to a kid, in a rural community, that is gay and having a hard time coming out and doesn’t know if they’re safe to do that and what those repercussions might be. I think that was that moment, where I’m like, “I have to. I want to be a part of this. How can I be a part of this?”
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Yeah. And I need to give a shout-out to The Rural Youth Catalyst Project for curating, creating and leading that love notes project that is…
Libby Lane :
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… I think it’s something… The plan is to continue doing those and to bridge it into other projects, as well, within the Rural Assembly. And I know your presence, now, is going to help us connect a lot more of those dots. So yeah, Kimberly Phinney and Kathleen Moxon of The Rural Youth Catalyst Project, just really give them a shout-out.
Libby Lane:
So great.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
The one other question I wondered about Rural Assembly and your impressions of it, where do you see it going in the next… Even just the next year? It seems like our lives have been turned upside down, of course, by pandemic and by political, social, and cultural reckonings that have needed to happen. And Rural Assembly is not immune to all the things that are happening out in the world. In fact, we’re trying to respond in really thoughtful, sensitive, and sustainable ways.
Libby Lane :
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And so it makes me excited to think about what could be next for Rural Assembly. But just in broad strokes, I wonder if you have applied your imagination and visioning to what we’re going to do?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Well, as you know, my background is coming from Bostrom.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
Which is an association management company, so we manage all facets of nonprofit associations. And so that’s the world that I’ve come from. And what I think I’m really excited about exploring this whole idea of how we connect more folks to Rural Assembly and what we’re doing, “How do we connect to them? How do they connect to each other, through the work, through this platform, through this organization?” And take that out into the world. “How does that influence?” And, “Where is a place where folks can really come together and have a safe place to land? And a place to come back to and be connected to us, to each other?” And I see that as something that’s just really exciting. I really think about the future and what that could look like. That’s at the top of my list.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And so, now, I’d like to ask you about some really important things. And I have 10 short questions-
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… to just throw at you. And I want you to just respond with whatever it is top of mind.
Libby Lane :
Okay. Let’s do it. I’m ready. I’m ready.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Are ready? Okay. Here we go.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. I’m just going to do it. I’m just going to
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Welcome back to Everywhere Radio. I’m your host, Whitney Kimball Coe. And today I’m thrilled to bring you a very special conversation with our new RADD, that is our new Rural Assembly Deputy Director. That’s RADD, for short. The RADD is a brand new position within the Rural Assembly. This person oversees our day-to-day operations. They are our Grand Central Station, the nucleus, the center of activity, helping us connect the dots across staff and projects, across time zones and geographies. Because in the post-pandemic era, our staff, our partners, our relationships, are all scattered so far from the Rural Strategies Headquarters in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
Rural Assembly operations and programs have really expanded over these last years. We’ve grown from a once a year, in-person meeting and occasional advocacy campaigns, to a multifaceted set of activities and online offerings. We’ve moved from one newsletter per week, to three a week. And we’re learning how to be better advocates and smarter, clearer communicators, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural America today. And so we need a RADD. We need someone who is detail-oriented and brings vision and new imagination to this work.
Libby Lane comes to us from the rural Midwest, from the 16-County region in Western Illinois, sometimes called Forgottonia. She grew up in a town of 3000, fell in love with musical theater and acting, and ultimately made her way to Chicago, where she now lives with her wife and their rescue dog, Roxy. And she’s still a member of her rural community in Rushville and visits often. Before becoming our RADD, Libby served as senior marketing manager for Bostrom, an association management firm in Chicago. She has more than 15 years of combined experience in the fields of nonprofit management, marketing, event planning, and user experience. She is Grand Central Station.
Libby earned her BFA from musical theater, from Millikin University and her MFA in acting from Western Illinois University. For regular listeners of this podcast, you know Libby’s musical theater background is making me all kinds of happy.
Welcome to Everywhere Radio. What do you want to sing first?
Libby Lane
Wow. This is the question we’ve been asking ourselves for the past few days. Our slack has been nothing, but what duet should we sing?
Whitney Kimball Coe
I know. I love it.
Libby Lane
So yeah, it’s awesome.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
We’ve traded all kinds of numbers. This morning, though, I came up with one that’s not truly a duet, but it speaks to the notes of having a duet. So it’s like Chicago, right? And Roxie and Velma singing, I Can’t Do It Alone.
Libby Lane:
Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That song really hit me this morning. And this is the hope that I have for us going forward, Libby, is we’re like Roxie and Velma.
Libby Lane:
We are Roxie and Velma.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
We’re going to take the stage together. It’s so good.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. It feels like it was meant to be. It was written in the stars, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
Down to, right off the bat, just telling you in our first interview. What did I say? I said, “Whitney, I feel like I’ve manifested this role, looking for a way the past couple of years to really get back to my roots and honor communities, like the one that I came from, that I’m still really involved in and connected to, back home in Rushville.” And reading through that job posting on Instagram, I was like, “Oh my gosh. This checks every box for exactly what I’ve been trying to figure out, how to get back to doing this, to making this kind of my next chapter of work for my life,” so here I am. I’m so excited.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
You started down the path, just now, of… I mean, the first question I wanted to ask you, because I do have to establish the rural cred for pretty much everybody who comes on the cast like this.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Right. Or at least articulate the level of allyship that exists. And I love your story. And your continued connection to your hometown is really important in your life. But I wanted you to talk a bit about how you straddle growing up, living in rural, being a farm kid, and staying in relationship with that community, but also living in Chicago and having access to all kinds of opportunities that you’ve had. So just tell us a little bit about that.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. That’s a great question. I always say that I’m a twist-cone of urban and rural. Maybe that’s a nod to [inaudible 00:06:18] twist-cone-
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You’re a dreamsicle.
Libby Lane :
… I am a dreamsicle. But yeah, I mean, born and raised in a tiny little town in West Central Illinois, that I still just love so dearly. But yes, living in Chicago, on the north side of the city, with my wife and our fabulous rescue dog.
But rural has always been… I mean, I feel like if you’re a rural kid, you don’t fully ever leave it, right? It’s always home. It really is. There’s always that thread that pulls me back into those gravel roads and the corn fields and the people and going into the county market when we go home and knowing every single person in there and having them ask about how we’re doing, “How are things up in the big city? So glad to see you home for a little bit.”
And just, honestly, there’s just… Chicago’s awesome. I love it. It’s a great city, vibrant, full of so much culture, so many things to do. And there is nothing heading down to Rushville on I55. And you get out of… You lose the skyscrapers in the background, in your rear-view mirror, starts to get smaller and smaller and smaller. And then, all of a sudden, it’s this…
My wife, Kelly, always laughs at me because we’ll go home for Christmas. And then we might not come back again, until the spring. We hope that we could, but if we can’t, all of a sudden we’ll see the corn. It’s always the corn for me. There’s this real connection, that’s my farm roots, to the corn.
And the minute I see the first corn field, which is about, I don’t know, 40 miles outside of Chicago, it’s like this moment. I really have this magical moment with God, to be honest with you. It’s a really profound moment of connection, back to everything that raised me. The ground, the soil, my family, the generations of farmers that farmed that land in West Central Illinois and still are, actively, today. So it is this, I do straddle both sides. And there’s room for all of it. There’s room for the urban and rural. And even in some of the work that Rural Assembly and the center are doing is figuring out that bridge between both of those worlds.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Trying to articulate, “What are those connections?” Yeah.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Absolutely.
Libby Lane :
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And when I was reading your bio and you mentioned that you’re from this 16-county region, that’s often called Forgottonia.
Libby Lane:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s right.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And that’s the first time I had heard of that.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
But, of course, I Googled it, and there’s-
Libby Lane:
Yeah. There’s a lot.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… all kinds of commentary about it, from political, to social, to cultural.
Libby Lane:
Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And how it’s been used in a stereotypical way, and also in a demeaning way, and then also has been reclaimed.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that-
Libby Lane:
Yeah. 100%. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… and why you include it in your bio.
Libby Lane :
We’re Forgottonians. It is, to me, it’s like a badge of honor.
It started in the 1960s, I think it was… And I can’t remember what his name was. But this group of students, I think, that were studying at Western Illinois were identifying all of these gaps with that area of Illinois, not being funded by the state, feeling left out by state government, and feeling left to our own devices. And highways, and there’s just no money for anything, so they dubbed that 16-county area over there Forgottonia. And to me, that’s just, I mean, I’ve written about it. I’ve written pieces about that. It’s something that, there’s that pride, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
That I think anybody that comes from a small rural community has that, “What is your badge?” Like, “What is your badge of honor and your badge of pride for being from a place that is so resilient and connected to each other?” And it’s just, it’s beautiful to me.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And another piece of your story is, of course, about musical theater and acting. And I just think it shows. Already in the week and a half that we’ve been working together, it’s shown up for me that you aren’t afraid of holding space and being a leader in a space, which is so necessary and beautiful. And I just wonder if you’d tell us me about your connection to musical theater and what that’s meant to you? And also, how it might’ve aligned with some or your growing-up years?
Libby Lane :
It aligned with everything where I come from. Pandora’s Playhouse is our community theater. And that was started by our Schuyler County Arts Council, back in, I think, the ’60s. And so, from the time I could… I mean, it was always clear. I think it was always clear to everybody in my family, I was going to be the one. There’s always got to be one, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Holding the space. Yeah.
Libby Lane :
There’s got to be one holding the space. I mean, my very first musical was Annie Get Your Gun.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh my God.
Libby Lane:
And there’s a whole story, where they said, “We’ll call the girls on Tuesday and all the boys on Wednesday, to let them know.” And I sat by the phone all Tuesday and I didn’t get a call because they cast me as Little Jake, they cast me in the boy role. And so Wednesday came and they called and offered me the role. And I feel like that’s where I got my start.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That’s such a good story.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Oh my gosh. Like I said, our community has a really thriving arts program. Pandora’s Playhouse is still going strong. We have an arts center called The HUB, right up on the square, that Erin Eveland, who’s a good friend of mine, started a few years ago. And it’s blowing up. They bring exhibits in, galleries in, from all over the country. And they have classes and events. And that’s really thriving. So talking about just creating those spaces in community, for folks to come together and to get their culture fix. I think it’s being done really well in my little town, so I’m really proud of that.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay. You mentioned Annie Get Your Gun, but were some of the roles that you’ve really loved playing?
Libby Lane :
Oh my gosh.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
You told me about Miss Lovett, earlier.
Libby Lane :
I was Mrs. Lovett.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
In Sweeney Todd.
Libby Lane:
That was my swan song in grad school, I played Mrs. Lovett at Western. That was my very last hurrah, right before I was graduating with my master’s, which was just so incredible. It was such a fun production. And Sweeney was one of our professors, so I got to sing opposite of him. And so that was great. Gosh. Up in Chicago, I’ve been everything from a cow, to a hen. A lot of work with children’s theater.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
A shout-out to Emerald City Theater Company and Lifeline Theater Company, up here on the North Side. And Pride Films and Plays, I was the original Ethel Merman in the world premier of Leo Schwartz’s The Book of Merman, which is clearly a play on The Book of Mormon.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So good.
Libby Lane :
But is like, “What happens when two Mormon missionaries ring the doorbell at Ethel Merman’s?”
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Ethel Merman’s?
Libby Lane :
So we got to do the cast recording for that. And now that’s being produced all over the country, which is really cool to have been the first one in that role. And I will give a shout-out to Rushville, they got a tour bus. And the local bank, Rushville State Bank, got together this whole tour of people that wanted to come up and see me in it, so they rented this huge charter bus and came all the way up to Chicago and it was sold out. And talk about, again, right? I mean, bridging that link back to community and the love that flows in a small town. You know?
Libby Lane:
And the pride there is real, is real and really… Whew. It’s emotional, right?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
It’s emotional work. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Yep. That resonates with me in a lot ways-
Libby Lane:
I know that resonates with you.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… in my own community and our own arts center. If you don’t mind, too, I wonder if you would talk a little bit about your identity as being part of the LGBTQ community?
Libby Lane :
Mm-hmm.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And your experience of being rural and part of that community?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
And now, you find yourself in Chicago? How does that [inaudible 00:17:50] work and feel?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Of course, there are challenges that come with that.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane:
And I think that’s why some of the work that I’m really excited to do with Rural Assembly is supporting those marginalized voices in rural communities. We just had a conversation about the fact that rural communities, anyway, feel like they, a lot of times, don’t have a voice and get ignored. And then, to be a marginalized person within a community that already is feeling like they’re marginalized is doubly really challenging.
But I have to say, on the whole, my community is just so loving and so supportive. And I’ve actually had folks come up to me and know that I’m a safe person to be able to share their story with. And I’ve had several folks talk to me about their own journeys or journeys that they’re having with a family member who is coming out. That’s so serious to me. That’s so weighted, not in a negative way. But, man, talk about a, “It’s my duty,” I think. I think that’s what has led me back to this work, it’s like, “Can I be a voice? What can I do to have a platform to help, to support, to blow away stereotypes, to bridge, to remind folks that we’re all human?” all of this.
And I do, that is my lens that I come at this with, it’s like I really do try to love, regardless. I try to keep space open for folks. And I think that basing relationships on just love and human connection and truth can do a lot, it can open up a lot of healing.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
In your desire to come back to the rural advocacy space and to be part of The Rural Assembly, I wonder about your impressions of The Rural Assembly and why you felt like this was a space that you could really fit in here, in the way you were just describing?
Libby Lane :
I remember right around the time that I saw that job posting pop up, I jumped back on The Rural Assembly’s website. And you were in the middle of doing this initiative with the love letters to LGBTQ youth in rural communities. And, I mean, I really had a profound moment of emotional overload with that, thinking of my own journey and how hard that is, how hard it is anywhere. How hard it is anywhere. And then, if you find yourself in the midst of a rural place, where you have no advocacy and no support and no place to go. And you don’t know where to turn to. And you don’t know who you can talk to and know that you’re going to be safe, and loved, and championed, and supported, and hugged, that is just so scary. It’s so scary. And so I remember seeing that and just really had that reaction of like, “This is the work.”
Libby Lane :
Like, “This is the work.” You know? Being able to send a love letter to a kid, in a rural community, that is gay and having a hard time coming out and doesn’t know if they’re safe to do that and what those repercussions might be. I think that was that moment, where I’m like, “I have to. I want to be a part of this. How can I be a part of this?”
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. Yeah. And I need to give a shout-out to The Rural Youth Catalyst Project for curating, creating and leading that love notes project that is…
Libby Lane :
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… I think it’s something… The plan is to continue doing those and to bridge it into other projects, as well, within the Rural Assembly. And I know your presence, now, is going to help us connect a lot more of those dots. So yeah, Kimberly Phinney and Kathleen Moxon of The Rural Youth Catalyst Project, just really give them a shout-out.
Libby Lane:
So great.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
The one other question I wondered about Rural Assembly and your impressions of it, where do you see it going in the next… Even just the next year? It seems like our lives have been turned upside down, of course, by pandemic and by political, social, and cultural reckonings that have needed to happen. And Rural Assembly is not immune to all the things that are happening out in the world. In fact, we’re trying to respond in really thoughtful, sensitive, and sustainable ways.
Libby Lane :
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And so it makes me excited to think about what could be next for Rural Assembly. But just in broad strokes, I wonder if you have applied your imagination and visioning to what we’re going to do?
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Well, as you know, my background is coming from Bostrom.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm.
Libby Lane :
Which is an association management company, so we manage all facets of nonprofit associations. And so that’s the world that I’ve come from. And what I think I’m really excited about exploring this whole idea of how we connect more folks to Rural Assembly and what we’re doing, “How do we connect to them? How do they connect to each other, through the work, through this platform, through this organization?” And take that out into the world. “How does that influence?” And, “Where is a place where folks can really come together and have a safe place to land? And a place to come back to and be connected to us, to each other?” And I see that as something that’s just really exciting. I really think about the future and what that could look like. That’s at the top of my list.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And so, now, I’d like to ask you about some really important things. And I have 10 short questions-
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… to just throw at you. And I want you to just respond with whatever it is top of mind.
Libby Lane :
Okay. Let’s do it. I’m ready. I’m ready.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Are ready? Okay. Here we go.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. I’m just going to do it. I’m just going to
Whitney Kimball Coe :
After a week and a half, or so, with us, who is your favorite staff member at Rural Strategy so far?
Libby Lane :
No. Unacceptable. Oh my God.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You can change it at the end, if you want to just start with one.
Libby Lane :
No. I got one.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay.
Libby Lane :
Teresa.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Teresa?
Libby Lane
She is the warm blanket that holds all of us together.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
That, that’s my answer too.
Libby Lane :
I feel like there is some… I love everyone, everybody’s equally incredible, but there is something about Teresa that makes me just want to… I just need a hug. I’m just going build in time to come down to Whitesburg and get a quick hug from her and then go right back home. It’s only 40 minutes, one way.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
She gives great hugs. And she’s also a badass and will kick somebody’s ass for you-
Libby Lane:
Right.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… if you need it.
Libby Lane :
She is… Yeah. The newest member of her fan club. Yeah. For sure.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I think we should all just own this, Teresa is our favorite. Yeah. No. We’ll just say that.
Libby Lane :
I think so. Can we just say that? Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Yep. Number two, you love musical theater, what is your favorite show of all time?
Libby Lane:
Music Man.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Ok
Libby Lane :
I love it, love it, love it, love it. Music Man.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Really?
Libby Lane :
It’s everything.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh. Gosh.
Libby Lane :
I mean, it’s the show where I first understood what musical theater was all about. My grandmother would make me sit in the living room and watch Music Man, every Christmas, while they were cleaning up from dinner, before we could open presents. And it’s a running joke in my family now, but grandmother would always make me go into the front room and watch, she’d put on The Music Man for me because I’d be so anxious to want to open presents right after dinner, but they wanted to get the dishes cleaned and put away. And…
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane:
So I think that was probably, actually, the root of where all this started. Thanks, grandmother.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That is… My grandmother introduced me to The Music Man too.
Libby Lane :
Come on.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And she even directed it a couple of times, at different places where she lived. And I think my mother was Amaryllis in The Music Man.
Libby Lane :
Amaryllith?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Amaryllith.
Libby Lane :
Amaryllith?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
I love the music.
Libby Lane :
Just one more way were like literally soul sisters.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So true.
Libby Lane :
All these threads.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
All right. Next one, what’s your favorite meal? Or what’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Libby Lane :
Whew, man. Okay. I’m going… Oh my gosh. This is so hard. I mean, I’m going like, totally Rushville, homemade noodles, on top of mashed potatoes, with gravy and chicken. A good, old homemade comfortable food.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Sounds really good. Yeah. That’s good.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And number four, what’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit?
Libby Lane :
Hmm? Italy. Kelly and I were just talking about that yesterday. Top of the bucket list.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Libby Lane :
Italy, got to get there.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Is there a reason?
Libby Lane :
Drink all the wine, eat all the pizza.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Libby Lane:
I mean, just… No. All of it.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Just because it’s Italy?
Libby Lane :
Just the wine.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay. Okay.
Libby Lane :
Wine and pasta. Is there any more reason to go?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That’s… You know? Art? No.
Libby Lane :
Enough said. Just the whole thing. And art.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. All the reasons.
Libby Lane:
Just Italy. Just all of Italy.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Number five, what’s the best place you’ve ever visited? What’s a place you’d like to come back to, maybe?
Libby Lane:
We love Puerto Rico, like loving it. We’re both infatuated with Puerto Rico, San Juan. And we’ve been there… I’ve been there, what? Five times now. And Kells and I have gone together, I think three, at least.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Why? What’s the-
Libby Lane:
Oh. Just the people. Oh my gosh.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… Really?
Libby Lane :
It’s just, it’s the most beautiful island, full of the most beautiful people. We always joke, they all just smell so nice. And there’s this sweet, beautiful, loveliness to Puerto Rico.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm?
Libby Lane:
And the people are beautiful. And the ocean. And it’s just this really lovely place to be. You know?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You know? It’s-
Libby Lane :
It feels just magical. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… In the real advocacy space, there’s a lot of opportunity for us to be thinking about and working with and talking to our neighbors in Puerto Rico. You know? Or it’s considered a territory, but they don’t-
Libby Lane:
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… have all the rights and the rules that we enjoy here-
Libby Lane :
Yeah. It’s so true. Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… there’s a lot of overlap.
Libby Lane:
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So anyway, that’s very cool.
Libby Lane:
Yeah. It’s beautiful. Everybody needs to go.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And number six, what is your perfect Saturday?
Libby Lane :
Oh, man. My perfect Saturday is taking a walk, down by the lakefront, with Kell and Roxy. That’s a great place to go on the weekend. Nice walking paths all the way along the lakefront of Lake Michigan. Probably, in the summer, it’s being on our deck. I have a big green thumb, but we have a very small space to do that in, here in the city. So it’s, perfect Saturday’s walk on the lakefront. And then coming back and spending time in my little urban garden out here, all day long, reading, grilling. We love to grill. That’s the perfect Saturday.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
All right. What is one of your earliest, happiest memories?
Libby Lane :
Oh my goodness. think I know. I probably, my mom and I, one of my favorite memories of when I was little was my mom taking me to voice lessons, over in Jacksonville, Illinois, which is about half an hour away from Rushville. And she taught me how to harmonize to Edelweiss, from The Sound of Music.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh my gosh.
Libby Lane :
She taught me what it meant to figure out how to harmonize and understanding the theory behind that. So I think I always come back to that, that’s a real core memory for me.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm?
Libby Lane:
Was being in junior high and really spending that time with my mom, who’s incredibly musical. I mean, she’s the ultimate musician. She plays every instrument and she has perfect pitch. She didn’t give that to me.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I was going to ask you, do you want to try it? We could try it together. Do you remember the harmony.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Want to try?
Libby Lane:
Do you want me to do the harmony or the melody?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I’ll do the melody.
Libby Lane:
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
My mom didn’t teach me the harmony, though.
Libby Lane:
Pick a key.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
(singing)
Libby Lane:
(singing)
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Is it three?
Libby Lane:
(singing)
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Or me? It’s one or the other. Oh. That was so fun.
Libby Lane:
[inaudible] We’re going to tweak it.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Yep.
Libby Lane:
We’re going to tweak it. That was a good start.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
All right. Number nine. All right.
Libby Lane :
I’m curious. Whew.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Finish this sentence.
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
“The world would be a better, kinder, more joyful place, if…”
Libby Lane :
We all came at relationships and each other from a place of love, from a place of hearing each other and listening to each other, before reacting and assuming.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm? Right on. Yeah. Boy, you came up with that one real quick.
Libby Lane:
That’s it.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
That’s it? That’s the answer.
Libby Lane:
Mic drop.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Number 10, my daughter Lucy’s favorite question to ask people, she’s 12, is, if you could have any super power, what would it be?
Libby Lane:
Oh. Man. Ugh. If I could have any super power, what would it be? Hmm? Hmm? I think it would be flight. Is that [inaudible 00:34:56]-
Whitney Kimball Coe:
No. I think that’s totally a super power. That’s amazing.
Libby Lane :
… I mean, I just want to fly. What would it feel like to be able to fly around? You know?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
I mean, I already have the cape, I just need to figure out a way to use it.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yep. Nice. Nice. That would be mine too. Mine too. That’s good. All right. And this is the bonus question that I ask all of our-
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… guests. And it’s so good. I’m excited to hear what your answer to, what are you watching, or listening to, or reading, that is bringing you joy or is challenging in good ways and you want to share it with the rest of us?
Libby Lane :
Hmm? Great questions. I’m reading Sarah Smarsh’s Heartland, which is… I’m hanging on every single word. I feel like she grew up in Kansas and I grew up in West Central Illinois, but, man, are our lives parallel? Down to some of the, even, lines she’s written, I’m like, “This is me. This is my life.” Heartbreaking, and beautiful, and poignant. And I’m just a Sarah Smarsh super-fan. And then, on the other side of Kansas, or closely, is Manhattan, Kansas, with the series Somebody Somewhere, about… What’s… Bridgette Everett plays Sam, who comes back home to small town of Manhattan, Kansas, because her sister has passed away and she… It’s just this really wonderful, beautiful, really nice glimpse into her world and what it means to come… And then, honestly, what we’re talking about, it’s exactly-
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Going back home.
Libby Lane:
… what it means to come back home and how to connect, how to find connections. And her relationship with who becomes her best friend, Joel, just… It’s such a refreshing… The episodes are a half an hour. And it’s just so nice. It’s such a nice break from Succession.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm. It is.
Libby Lane
Which I also love.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
And there’s a place for that. But when you just want that good… Like you’re just watching these friends. It just feels like you’re watching this friendship unfold.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
And it’s just lovely.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Well, Libby, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience today? They’re going to get to know you, over time, as well, but I feel like you’ve offered a lot.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. I feel like I’m just… I am really… I come from a place of transparency. I love people connecting. I love getting to know the community. So I think, more than anything, I’m really excited about getting to know… I mean, in this week I’ve already met so many incredible folks we’ve been on calls with, talking about different plans and programming. And talking about all these people, from all over the country, who are just doing really incredible things. I just am really super psyched to be a part of all this. And I can’t wait to connect with everybody out there and keep working to bring us all together.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm. Me too. I can’t wait to do it with you. Well, thank you.
Libby Lane :
Thank you, Whitney.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
We’ll see you back on Everywhere Radio again, I’m sure.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. That sounds good. Thanks.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
All right.
After a week and a half, or so, with us, who is your favorite staff member at Rural Strategy so far?
Libby Lane :
No. Unacceptable. Oh my God.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You can change it at the end, if you want to just start with one.
Libby Lane :
No. I got one.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay.
Libby Lane :
Teresa.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Teresa?
Libby Lane
She is the warm blanket that holds all of us together.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
That, that’s my answer too.
Libby Lane :
I feel like there is some… I love everyone, everybody’s equally incredible, but there is something about Teresa that makes me just want to… I just need a hug. I’m just going build in time to come down to Whitesburg and get a quick hug from her and then go right back home. It’s only 40 minutes, one way.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
She gives great hugs. And she’s also a badass and will kick somebody’s ass for you-
Libby Lane:
Right.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… if you need it.
Libby Lane :
She is… Yeah. The newest member of her fan club. Yeah. For sure.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I think we should all just own this, Teresa is our favorite. Yeah. No. We’ll just say that.
Libby Lane :
I think so. Can we just say that? Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Yep. Number two, you love musical theater, what is your favorite show of all time?
Libby Lane:
Music Man.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Ok
Libby Lane :
I love it, love it, love it, love it. Music Man.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Really?
Libby Lane :
It’s everything.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh. Gosh.
Libby Lane :
I mean, it’s the show where I first understood what musical theater was all about. My grandmother would make me sit in the living room and watch Music Man, every Christmas, while they were cleaning up from dinner, before we could open presents. And it’s a running joke in my family now, but grandmother would always make me go into the front room and watch, she’d put on The Music Man for me because I’d be so anxious to want to open presents right after dinner, but they wanted to get the dishes cleaned and put away. And…
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane:
So I think that was probably, actually, the root of where all this started. Thanks, grandmother.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That is… My grandmother introduced me to The Music Man too.
Libby Lane :
Come on.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And she even directed it a couple of times, at different places where she lived. And I think my mother was Amaryllis in The Music Man.
Libby Lane :
Amaryllith?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Amaryllith.
Libby Lane :
Amaryllith?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
I love the music.
Libby Lane :
Just one more way were like literally soul sisters.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So true.
Libby Lane :
All these threads.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
All right. Next one, what’s your favorite meal? Or what’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
Libby Lane :
Whew, man. Okay. I’m going… Oh my gosh. This is so hard. I mean, I’m going like, totally Rushville, homemade noodles, on top of mashed potatoes, with gravy and chicken. A good, old homemade comfortable food.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Sounds really good. Yeah. That’s good.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. Yep.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And number four, what’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit?
Libby Lane :
Hmm? Italy. Kelly and I were just talking about that yesterday. Top of the bucket list.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Libby Lane :
Italy, got to get there.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Is there a reason?
Libby Lane :
Drink all the wine, eat all the pizza.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Libby Lane:
I mean, just… No. All of it.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Just because it’s Italy?
Libby Lane :
Just the wine.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay. Okay.
Libby Lane :
Wine and pasta. Is there any more reason to go?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
That’s… You know? Art? No.
Libby Lane :
Enough said. Just the whole thing. And art.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah. All the reasons.
Libby Lane:
Just Italy. Just all of Italy.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Okay.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Number five, what’s the best place you’ve ever visited? What’s a place you’d like to come back to, maybe?
Libby Lane:
We love Puerto Rico, like loving it. We’re both infatuated with Puerto Rico, San Juan. And we’ve been there… I’ve been there, what? Five times now. And Kells and I have gone together, I think three, at least.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Why? What’s the-
Libby Lane:
Oh. Just the people. Oh my gosh.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… Really?
Libby Lane :
It’s just, it’s the most beautiful island, full of the most beautiful people. We always joke, they all just smell so nice. And there’s this sweet, beautiful, loveliness to Puerto Rico.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm?
Libby Lane:
And the people are beautiful. And the ocean. And it’s just this really lovely place to be. You know?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
You know? It’s-
Libby Lane :
It feels just magical. Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… In the real advocacy space, there’s a lot of opportunity for us to be thinking about and working with and talking to our neighbors in Puerto Rico. You know? Or it’s considered a territory, but they don’t-
Libby Lane:
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… have all the rights and the rules that we enjoy here-
Libby Lane :
Yeah. It’s so true. Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
… there’s a lot of overlap.
Libby Lane:
Yes.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
So anyway, that’s very cool.
Libby Lane:
Yeah. It’s beautiful. Everybody needs to go.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
And number six, what is your perfect Saturday?
Libby Lane :
Oh, man. My perfect Saturday is taking a walk, down by the lakefront, with Kell and Roxy. That’s a great place to go on the weekend. Nice walking paths all the way along the lakefront of Lake Michigan. Probably, in the summer, it’s being on our deck. I have a big green thumb, but we have a very small space to do that in, here in the city. So it’s, perfect Saturday’s walk on the lakefront. And then coming back and spending time in my little urban garden out here, all day long, reading, grilling. We love to grill. That’s the perfect Saturday.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
All right. What is one of your earliest, happiest memories?
Libby Lane :
Oh my goodness. think I know. I probably, my mom and I, one of my favorite memories of when I was little was my mom taking me to voice lessons, over in Jacksonville, Illinois, which is about half an hour away from Rushville. And she taught me how to harmonize to Edelweiss, from The Sound of Music.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Oh my gosh.
Libby Lane :
She taught me what it meant to figure out how to harmonize and understanding the theory behind that. So I think I always come back to that, that’s a real core memory for me.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm?
Libby Lane:
Was being in junior high and really spending that time with my mom, who’s incredibly musical. I mean, she’s the ultimate musician. She plays every instrument and she has perfect pitch. She didn’t give that to me.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I was going to ask you, do you want to try it? We could try it together. Do you remember the harmony.
Libby Lane:
Yeah.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Want to try?
Libby Lane:
Do you want me to do the harmony or the melody?
Whitney Kimball Coe:
I’ll do the melody.
Libby Lane:
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
My mom didn’t teach me the harmony, though.
Libby Lane:
Pick a key.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
(singing)
Libby Lane:
(singing)
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Is it three?
Libby Lane:
(singing)
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Or me? It’s one or the other. Oh. That was so fun.
Libby Lane:
[inaudible] We’re going to tweak it.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Yep.
Libby Lane:
We’re going to tweak it. That was a good start.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
All right. Number nine. All right.
Libby Lane :
I’m curious. Whew.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Finish this sentence.
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
“The world would be a better, kinder, more joyful place, if…”
Libby Lane :
We all came at relationships and each other from a place of love, from a place of hearing each other and listening to each other, before reacting and assuming.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Hmm? Right on. Yeah. Boy, you came up with that one real quick.
Libby Lane:
That’s it.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
That’s it? That’s the answer.
Libby Lane:
Mic drop.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Number 10, my daughter Lucy’s favorite question to ask people, she’s 12, is, if you could have any super power, what would it be?
Libby Lane:
Oh. Man. Ugh. If I could have any super power, what would it be? Hmm? Hmm? I think it would be flight. Is that [inaudible 00:34:56]-
Whitney Kimball Coe:
No. I think that’s totally a super power. That’s amazing.
Libby Lane :
… I mean, I just want to fly. What would it feel like to be able to fly around? You know?
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
I mean, I already have the cape, I just need to figure out a way to use it.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yep. Nice. Nice. That would be mine too. Mine too. That’s good. All right. And this is the bonus question that I ask all of our-
Libby Lane :
Okay.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
… guests. And it’s so good. I’m excited to hear what your answer to, what are you watching, or listening to, or reading, that is bringing you joy or is challenging in good ways and you want to share it with the rest of us?
Libby Lane :
Hmm? Great questions. I’m reading Sarah Smarsh’s Heartland, which is… I’m hanging on every single word. I feel like she grew up in Kansas and I grew up in West Central Illinois, but, man, are our lives parallel? Down to some of the, even, lines she’s written, I’m like, “This is me. This is my life.” Heartbreaking, and beautiful, and poignant. And I’m just a Sarah Smarsh super-fan. And then, on the other side of Kansas, or closely, is Manhattan, Kansas, with the series Somebody Somewhere, about… What’s… Bridgette Everett plays Sam, who comes back home to small town of Manhattan, Kansas, because her sister has passed away and she… It’s just this really wonderful, beautiful, really nice glimpse into her world and what it means to come… And then, honestly, what we’re talking about, it’s exactly-
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Going back home.
Libby Lane:
… what it means to come back home and how to connect, how to find connections. And her relationship with who becomes her best friend, Joel, just… It’s such a refreshing… The episodes are a half an hour. And it’s just so nice. It’s such a nice break from Succession.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
Mm-hmm. It is.
Libby Lane
Which I also love.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
And there’s a place for that. But when you just want that good… Like you’re just watching these friends. It just feels like you’re watching this friendship unfold.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Yeah.
Libby Lane :
And it’s just lovely.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Well, Libby, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience today? They’re going to get to know you, over time, as well, but I feel like you’ve offered a lot.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. I feel like I’m just… I am really… I come from a place of transparency. I love people connecting. I love getting to know the community. So I think, more than anything, I’m really excited about getting to know… I mean, in this week I’ve already met so many incredible folks we’ve been on calls with, talking about different plans and programming. And talking about all these people, from all over the country, who are just doing really incredible things. I just am really super psyched to be a part of all this. And I can’t wait to connect with everybody out there and keep working to bring us all together.
Whitney Kimball Coe :
Mm-hmm. Me too. I can’t wait to do it with you. Well, thank you.
Libby Lane :
Thank you, Whitney.
Whitney Kimball Coe:
We’ll see you back on Everywhere Radio again, I’m sure.
Libby Lane :
Yeah. That sounds good. Thanks.
