EXTRA CRITICUM

The Overnighters: Hope and Shame for America

Just saw Jesse Moss' arresting documentary, The Overnighters in a screening room the size of my livingroom at IFC Center on Sixth Avenue. If there's a movie that captures this moment in American history -- the tearing apart at the seams of our social fabric -- it is The Overnighters. Through the microcosm of the city of Williston, North Dakota, which is undergoing a kind of Frack Rush the likes of which this country hasn't seen since the days of the California Gold Rush the film can be seen as a portrait of America. In case you hadn't heard: The Dakotas are booming thanks to fracking and one of the results is an influx of men seeking work in the oil fields. 

Congratulations Laura Callanan on your new post at the NEA

I'm absolutely over-the-moon with pride and joy at the recent announcement that my dear friend, Laura Callanan, has been appointed Senior Deputy Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. Anyone who follows me on social media knows what an admirer I am of Laura's unique perspective on the role aritsts play in shaping our world. What better time than now to re-share one of my favorite videos of a talk Laura gave entitled, The Surprise Social Entrepreneur. I still find this talk simply astonishing. I'm sure you'll agree.

Here it is for your viewing pleasure: