Did you get a chance to read our interviews with advertising art director (and our graphic designer!) Allison Bhatta and New York City realtor Melissa Leifer?
- One of my favorite events of the year happened earlier this week: this year's MacArthur Foundation Fellows aka "Genius Grant" recipients were announced. This year's Fellows include a graphic novelist, a geobiologist, a composer, a journalist, and a theater artist. Each one receives $625,000 over five years with no strings attached. Some people use the money for research or to fund programs; others use it as income that allows them to continue their work. I love learning about the fascinating work that Fellows do, which I am rarely familiar with beforehand. In 2014, the program's director, Cecelia Conrad offered some insight into the selection process and
- What kind of school did you go to in 6th grade? Was it a middle school? A junior high? A K-12? I went to a pre-K-8th grade school, and we weren't in the "junior high" part of the building until 7th grade. New research shows that letting us be the "top dogs" a little longer translated to less bullying and a greater sense of belonging. I can't say that was the easiest time of my life, but it could have been far, far worse.
- Playwrights Look Back on Their Teenage Work- complete with excerpts!
- Fall TV is starting up, and I've been on the lookout for new shows . I normally lean towards comedies, but when I saw the ads for "Pitch" over the summer, I was intrigued. The show is about Ginny Baker, the first female major league baseball player, and premiered this week. You can watch it on Hulu or online. Based on the pilot, the characters seems to be more than caricatures and the show feels pretty feminist- even the sexism Ginny faces feels pretty spot-on. I think my favorite thing about the show is that while there are voices of skepticism about Ginny Baker's promotion to the major leagues, the show is very clear that she's talented, hard-working, and driven.
Opportunities for women to play professional sports are pretty limited, but sports can still be part of your life if you want them to. Next week, we'll be talking to two women who were dedicated athletes growing up. One figured out how to translate that passion for sports into a career- with lots of recreational leagues outside of work. The other devotes her time outside of her job to playing and coaching. We can't wait to share them with you!
