Lynda Obst: “We women roaming the plains of the dinosaur era had never heard the term ‘sexual harassment,’ but we were frequently moving errant hands on our thighs back where they belonged, with a small swat or otherwise. H.R. was not a concept we’d even dreamt of; screaming bosses and aggressive flirting were part of the fabric of everyday life. … If you wanted in on the decision-making you had to block out the vile language and the insulting sexism and just keep talking about the part. ‘Don’t get kicked out of the room’ was the rule.”
Tag: 10.21.17
Report: UK Music Teachers Have Never Had It So Bad
Music teachers have never had lower pay or less job security, a new report by the Musicians’ Union (MU) has found. It also stresses job dissatisfaction is on the rise due to a widespread lack of financial support, such as maternity pay and sick pay, and questions the extent to which a career in music teaching “is still viable”.
Connecting Neuroscience With Human Nature
In his new book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, Robert Sapolsky, a neurobiologist at Stanford, endocrinologist and expert on baboons, sets out to ground morality in neurobiology as opposed to the pure reason of Kant’s “categorical imperative”. But unlike Kant (at least for me), Sapolsky is highly readable.
A Legendary Portland Video Store Has Gone Nonprofit – And Won Its Kickstarter Campaign Quickly
In Portland, the video store Movie Madness is a gem: “The labyrinth of aisles arranges some 84,000 films by countries, directors, actors, and genres, which get as specific as Rampaging Teenagers, Childhood Icons Gone Terribly Wrong, and Problems with Rodents.” But the 71-year-old owner wanted to sell, specifically to a nonprofit that runs Portland’s Hollywood Theatre. Then the Kickstarter began.
Norman Rockwell’s Children Sue Berkshire Museum To Stop The Sale Of Their Father’s Art
The plaintiffs argue that the controversial plan – much derided in the art world, but seeming to steamroll ahead – “would violate the statute that established the museum, which requires it to maintain any gifts it receives for ‘the people of Berkshire County and the general public.'” Besides, they say, the museum doesn’t need the money.
Tests Confirm It Wasn’t Cancer That Killed Pablo Neruda
What was it? That’s still unknown – and the tests on a toxin found in his system might take up to a year. But “the experts were ‘100% convinced’ that the death certificate ‘does not reflect the reality of the death.'”
The Chickasaw Nation Takes Representation Into Its Own Hands With Indie Films
With the new film Te Ata, the sovereign nation shows that its film department is Hollywood-ready – or, if history is any guide, better than Hollywood. Actor Gil Birmingham, who is a member of the Comanche Nation and has acted in many movies, including the Twilight series, says, “Hollywood will take its licenses with characters and storylines, but it’s so much more encouraging and inspiring to hear the stories told from a tribe that originated the stories from the beginning.”
A Contest For Poetry Inspired By The (Not Particularly Poetic) Man In The White House
Nick Kristof runs a contest, and here’s part of one response:
“I’ve told myself my voice alone
Won’t make a difference, but that I
Should not interpret that: Don’t try.”
Did Kenneth MacMillan Revolutionize British Ballet Or Ruin It?
“By reputation, Kenneth MacMillan was the dark genius of British ballet – its destroyer, if you listen to some. They think this country’s classical ballet reached its pinnacle under the Apollonian hand of Frederick Ashton, before MacMillan stomped in with his working-class neuroses and rape simulations and took ballet down to the psychological underworld.” Ismene Brown looks at his body of work – especially the little-performed short ballets – in this 25th anniversary year of his death.