A few weeks ago, Dan turned me on to Barack Rock, a “movement of musicians and artists creating an ever-expanding catalogue of free, exclusive songs, each with its own individual art, meant to inspire participation and donations for the Obama c
ampaign.” The site made me think of Terry Woolard Jr., who was one of my playwriting students at the Green Street Arts Center. Terry was an extremely talented writer, even at age thirteen, who focused his efforts around the concepts such as liberty, politics and what it’s like to be part of the “citadels” of the North End of Middletown.
Yesterday I read in the Middletown Press that Terry’s father, Terry Woolard Sr., just released a CD with a title track inspired by his son’s writing. Black President debuted on WPKN in Bridgeport, Connecticut and was engineered by David Davis, a Green Street teaching artist and one of my former neighbors at the North End Artist Cooperative (aka MAC650).
You can listen to tracks from Black President, including one featuring Terry Jr., at cdbaby.com.
As I prepare for my cross-country trip (which is now a migration to my new home in San Francisco), I am exploring the connections between my present home in Western Massachusetts and my soon-to-be home. Today I discovered that Williams College theater professor Omar Sangare was awarded “best of the fringe” for his SF performance of True Theater Critic.
Going in the reverse direction, I made one of my favorite literary discoveries in recent memory at City Lights, when I happened to pick up a copy of Magic for Beginners by Northampton writer Kelly Link. You can get a signed copy for only $14 at this website.
Last year, I interviewed some Connecticut authors participating in National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), a movement that started in the Bay Area. At press time, it looked like their website was undergoing some maintenance, but I hope to attend some write-ins where it all started!
That is, after 3,000 miles of American landscape. I’m also seeking out good driving music. Any suggestions?
A listserv post by John Abodeely of Americans for the Arts tapped into a subject that has been on my mind lately. Namely, how to navigate job decisions as part of a dual-career couple. Abodeely linked to a post on GeekDad about a nonprofit arts couple who made the decision to move to Kansas, only to see the wife’s job fall through, leaving the couple with limited options that could satisfy their mortgage obligations. Small towns are more affordable, but big cities (as Richard Florida points out in his latest book) offer the long-term security of suitable employers for both people in a relationship, even when something doesn’t work out as expected.
Navigating a dual-career relationship is particularly challenging for women, who are still more likely to be the trailing spouse. A report by Laurie McNeil and Marc Sher, though it focuses on dual-career physicists, brings up a number of alarming questions about discrimination in a “buyers market” for employers.
Last Sunday’s NY Times included an article highlighting spouse vetting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s director search. It is astounding to read, if only to discover that there are nonprofit arts jobs out there that include perks such as a 12,000-square-foot residence and a decorating budget for a design-inclined spouse. Here’s hoping Robert Reich doesn’t read the Style section.
For those of you making dual-career decisions with fewer perks and more questions, here’s a short article of practical tips, created by staff and faculty at the University of Michigan. The bottom line is that despite the tough decisions (and sometimes the sacrifices), those of us in good relationships are lucky, lucky, lucky to have love in our lives.
Happy hunting!
I no longer read all of the NY Times theater reviews, as I did when I worked at The O’Neill, but Tarrell Alvin McCraney studied at the Yale School of Drama (go Connecticut!) and I have been eagerly anticipating his new play, “Wig Out,” for months. I was excited to see Ben Brantley’s rave review this morning, as it almost guarantees this play will catch fire in regional and college productions around the country.
The Vineyard Theatre, where “Wig Out” is taking place, supports artists in many ways, including the Vineyard Community of Artists. Do any of you blog readers have an advisory committee or “community of artists” you draw on for support ideas and programming? I’d be curious to hear about your ideas and experiences.
