what a fun article about one of our most beloved communities . . .
36 HOURS In Lawrence, Kan.
By SETH SHERWOOD
February 25, 2005
It sounds like a setup: "So Bob Dole, William S. Burroughs and Wilt Chamberlain walk into a bar." These three former Lawrence residents probably didn't share too many Boulevard Pale Ales in the noisy collegiate pubs along Massachusetts Street. Separately, however, each represents a key element of this laid-back university town's vibe. Senator Dole, a former University of Kansas student and namesake of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, embodies the Great Plains values and civic engagement that date back to the town's origins before the Civil War. Mr. Burroughs, the Beat Generation writer and a presence in Lawrence the last 16 years of his life, is the uncontested symbol of its bohemian and creative set. And Mr. Chamberlain, a product of the university's legendary basketball program, remains among the most towering figures in a sport that has obsessed and defined Lawrence for a century. Add the lovely campus, many funky shops and a top-notch regional music scene, and Lawrence, a leafy city of about 80,000, seems to bulge beyond its borders.