Richard Saul Wurman on Books, Conferences, and Concepts at Newport’s Redwood Library

Richard Saul Wurman with balky microphone

“I am ignorant.”

After this startling announcement, Richard Saul Wurman, founder of both the Ted and TedMed conferences, and author of 82 books, added that it is the curiosity born of not knowing that has impelled his search for understanding, exploring, connecting and creating.

To a packed, standing room only audience at Newport’s august Redwood Library, Mr. Wurman expounded, explained, joked and threatened (one woman who continually asked irrelevant and rather annoying questions) his attentive audience, ranging across topics from medicine, the standardizing of mapping of major cities (comparative cartography), and his upcoming TedMed conference in Coronado California, which will feature Ozzy and Sharon Osborne (somehow involved in a full genomic sequencing segment), Dr. Deepak Chopra, Anthony Robbins, Dr. Dean Ornish, magician David Blaine and Dr, Mehmet Oz (by satellite). His envisioned upcoming projects include 19-20-21, and www.www, any “w” standing for “War, weather, wealth, world, work……” for 2012, said Wurman.

Mr. Wurman with Kimberly Skeen Jones

The founder of TED, the conference that is an acronym for technology, entertainment, and design, which he sold in 1984, explained how he spends his days (playing solitaire and watching TV), how he comes up with innovative ideas for change and illumination by basically standing conventional, limited thinking on its head. He explores and thinks constantly about new modalities and “a better version of what doesn’t work.”

Mr. Wurman’s singular passion in life is making information understandable. His thinking has been influenced by dynamic of jokes: “they are funny because the punch line is unexpected.” He cited the deadpan comic Steven Wright, and Emo Phillips as favorites.

Holly Bannister, Ruth Orthwein & Shelley

Graham were enthralled

For a recent article in The New York Times quoting him as calling Newport “a wasteland,” he apologized to the audience, saying that the remark was inclusive, when he meant if to be exclusive -- to certain anti-Semitic sectors of the community.

An architect by training, Mr. Wurman worked with Louis Kahn, has authored the aforementioned 82 books born of his research, and now designates himself an “information architect.”

(Newport Seen's editor felt inexplicably like standing on her head thoughout the presentation, to match Mr. Wurman's skeptical, elliptical and questioning mind.)

Seen at the event were architect Paul Weber and Bonnie Weber, friends of Mr. Wurman Kimberly Skeen-Jones and Dyer Jones, artist Max Skeen, Guillaume de Ramel, Douglas and Mary Riggs, Bill and Elizabeth Leatherman, and Ruth Orthwein.

Mr. Wurman closed with a a joke: "As Steven Wright said, every place is walking distance if you have enough time.”

For information on Mr. Wurman’s projects, go to www.wurman.com