several times, and she was very genteel, warm, and elegant. But also very down to earth, very smart, and very practical.

I wish we could all take a moment to remember a time in this country, before the culture wars, when art really had a place in the national discussion. One of the things that attracted me (perhaps wrongly, but whatever) to Wesley Clark back in 2004 was his (very sincere) attempt to put the arts back in the national discussion. Part of his platform was to bring back individual artist's grants to the NEA (part of the wreckage of the Gingrich revolution), and I remember him giving an eloquent talk about how we shouldn't neglect what he called "the soul" of our nation.

Joan Mondale understood that soul, and dedicated her life to supporting the arts and American artists. And she was an accomplished potter in her own right.

She'll certainly be missed. Warm and elegant lady, indeed.