Sliding Doors July 26, 2007

Fortune Cookie at Lunch: “You are heading in the right direction”
Number of times people said to me, “That’s a good question”=7
Number of intense political conversations with DC cabbies= 2

Being back in DC brings back all kinds of emotions, memories and former ambitions. This is the place that challenged my political idealism and forced me to find new career ambitions. I was 23 then, full of energy and trying to walk in shoes that were not mine. Interning at the White House for the summer was my dream and the key to a bright future in political management, or so I thought. Ironically, that same summer, I had turned down an internship with a CBS documentary unit. I left the White House that summer with a new plan, heading to graduate school and embracing an unknown future. It hurts a little to walk around here and see the interns (and staffers) jockeying for position. I am just glad to leave the sweater set and pearls behind. It feels a little bit like that Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Door (1998) where I get to see my life in a parallel universe, if I had only made a different decision. I think my fortune cookie was right.

Its amazing what you can find in the Library of Congress. I am almost more distracted by watching the amazement on the faces of the library’s patrons as they open their boxes of recalled material. Yesterday, I spent the day in the music division where I somehow caused a ruckus by asking if I could copy material. There were phone calls and desk-side conferences…..and suddenly the head of acquisitions was at my rare book table. With an almost Gestapo-like approach she started going through the files on my desk inquiring about what exactly I was looking at and what I wanted to copy. I wanted to say, “Simmer down, lady. It was just a question.” But I smiled and nicely explained what I was doing.

I am learning a lot about the particulars of researching archives for documentary films. Its exciting but what a logistical headache! I like this work, I just don’t like the bureaucratic red tape associated with obtaining and copying materials. Yikes! Its enough to scare someone away or at least force someone to write a big money grant to pay for a professional to cut through the red tape. On the other hand, it is so intriguing to learn more about Burl Ives and the man who made folk music popular (yet before this project, I never heard of him). But there are tons of material to make a great documentary, if only we could clear the copywrite permissions….

The Summer of the Archive July 16, 2007

A few weeks ago, the chair of my department asked me to come into his office, the Dean wanted my input on a project. In the last few years the dean and others in the arts community have started the Embarrass Valley Film Festival. Each festival is centered around a particular artist who grew up or went to school in the local area. Last year the festival featured Burl Ives, a musician and actor of many political contradictions. Since then, the dean had secured quite a bit of money to produce a documentary trailer for a historical, PBS-like documentary on Burl Ives, in the efforts to raise more money for a larger project. The dean then asks/inquires, “…and we need your help.” Coincidently, no one in the room (besides me) had ever been a part of a documentary production process.

Now, I am no dummy, so I know that when the Dean asks for your help, there is not a lot of choice in the matter. My first question was…”Who is Burl Ives? Why do a documentary on this cat?” Now, this was an interesting moment for me because I have never been part of a project where I was hired for my skills and not driven by passion for the topic. This was…maybe…a luxury I had not fully been conscious of before this moment.

To make things trickier, all the money needs to be encumbered (i.e. needs to be spent) by the end of July. Which means, I am headin’ to Washington DC to spend some special time at the library of congress. Its kind of exciting, after spending time at archives in New York, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago…I feel like I am wrapping up the summer at the mother of all archives. The size and scope of the LOC is a bit intimidating but I feel like I am about to walk into Willy Wonka’s candy store. Its almost worth the guilt generated from the writing I am not getting done while I am traveling.

I am also hoping to do some work on the activist documentary book while I am in DC. The city is home to the Center for Social Media and a few other organizations I am interested in interviewing. Again, more discovery, less writing…the pressure of producing really sucks.

Vacation Therapy July 15, 2007

Back from Hawaii and brother’s wedding was beautiful….

It was very hard to leave the amazing beaches and perfect weather…

Got to spend a lot of time with special honey….

Now I have to go back to work….and that’s a bummer….