The findingDulcinea Blog

Getting Acquainted With Blake Harrison of Flocabulary

Remember watching “Sesame Street” and learning the alphabet and some basic math skills? How about “Schoolhouse Rock” and learning the difference between an interjection and a conjunction, or how a bill becomes law? Did you forget how much fun learning could be?

Blake Harrison didn’t forget. Harrison, along with Alex Rappaport, founded Flocabulary, a teaching curriculum that uses educational hip-hop music to teach reading, vocabulary, math, science and social studies. The duo has taken their music on the road, held teaching workshops and created a current events series called The Week in Rap.

FindingEducation, a new tool that helps teachers save and share their favorite Web sites and assignments, spoke with Harrison about his inspiration for Flocabulary, how music enhances education and why teachers are seeing value in this unique approach. Read the full interview with Blake Harrison at findingEducation’s blog, Digital Teachers’ Lounge.

Sweet Sites | Interviews and Talks with People Who Should Be Celebrities

Everywhere you turn, you see or hear about Jon and Kate, Lindsay Lohan, Lindsay Lohan's spray tan product, Jennifer Garner's cute kids, and Posh & Becks' shopping outings. These people are celebrities, technically speaking, but there are many other people out there, living and deceased, who were celebrities in their time, or should have been. We've uncovered a number of sites that host interviews and talks with notable people from many walks of life. Some of these Web sites might be familiar to you, but some may appear to be diamonds in the rough!

TED is probably the most well-known site for inspiring, amusing and cool talks with innovative thinkers and leaders. Learn about emerging technologies, the fashion world, religion, medicine, and much more from the Web site of the TED Prize and annual TED Conference.

The Mike Wallace Interview is a collection of interviews by Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes" conducted between 1957 and 1960 and hosted by the University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Center. This generous site features interviews with pioneering people like Frank Lloyd Wright, Gloria Swanson, Eleanor Roosevelt and Aldous Huxley.

Charlie Rose has recently revamped the Web site for his PBS show and now includes free and lengthy archived and recent interview segments with actors, sports stars, economists, politicians, authors and much more.

The Paris Review "Interviews" section features an archive of interview excerpts with authors dating back to the 1950s. They are in text-only format, but very worthwhile.

Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development

If you're really into lectures, see our previous entry, "5 Must-See Lectures."

Talking with Morgan Taylor

Morgan Taylor makes a living playing music with a cartoon. His creation, Gustafer Yellowgold, is the product of years spent listening to hand-me-down LPs and watching Saturday morning cartoons. But while most adults grow up and grow out of their rock-star dreams or their plans to illustrate comic books, Morgan Taylor has stayed true to his passions—even if Gustafer and his animated pals developed as a happy accident.

Taylor’s music-accompanied cartoon is by no means for children only. In fact, says Taylor, Gustafer’s message is the same for both adults and kids: “Slow down to look at the small, beautiful things.  Don’t take them for granted.” Says Taylor of his creation, “I really write for the adults,” but, by keeping it “simple, funny and colorful,” Gustafer and his pals are made for everyone.

Growing up, “whatever I was doing, I had to have music going at the same time,” Taylor tells me. “And my mom too, she always had the radio on in the mornings when I would be getting ready to go to school.  So I have this ‘comfort food’ relationship with all the ’70s AM, soft-rock stuff.” In 2003, while leafing through the collection of songs he’d written, Taylor realized that a cast of characters had evolved. Taylor explains, “When I went through my back catalog of songs and pulled all the weird ones together, I found that I had an entire cast waiting to be joined.  Gustafer’s biographical song (‘I’m From The Sun’), Slim the Eel (‘Your Eel’), Forrest Applecrumbie, the well-dressed dinosaur (‘Pterodactyl Tuxedo’), the band of bees with a crying leader (‘Mint Green Bee’), Sisson the Worm (‘Tiny Purple Moon’). It was as if it was all scattered around on cassette tapes waiting to be assembled.  A happy accident, really.”

Despite the plots and quirky characters, Taylor was still not aware of just how much he could make of his creation. “The animation part of Gustafer we thought would be a distant eventuality, but it actually happened through an acquaintance right at the onset. We showed him the Gustafer picture books and he explained how easily it could be animated, so we paid him and animator to make the Gustafer drawings ‘move.’” From there, Gustafer became a DVD cartoon. His friends and adventures are narrated by Taylor, who also strums the sound track.

Performances consist of huge, moving images of Gustafer and friends, with live music and narration by Taylor and his band. Visit the “Shows” link on Gustafer Yellowgold’s Web site to find out where Taylor and Gustaffer will be next. 

Isabel Cowles
Senior Writer

Talking with Beate Chelette

Beate Chelette was the youngest photo editor in the history of Germany’s Elle Magazine. At 22 years old, Beate seemed poised for a lifetime of success. But she gave it all up. “I just knew there was a bigger adventure waiting for me,” Beate says. “I was fascinated by the United States, by the fact that there was a whole country that believed that anything was possible,” she continues. “One of the reasons that I left Germany is that the Germans are very conventional and by-the book. You know, you’ve got to work X number of years to gain credibility, then only once you’ve done X, Y and Z can you take the next step.”

Another reason Beate decided to leave Germany was the professional experience her father had: a successful manager at a major company in Munich, Mr. Chelette was fired inexplicably after years of hard work. “He got fired overnight. And I looked at him and I looked at myself and I realized I was on my way to becoming exactly what he was. And I realized that I wanted to be judged, or evaluated by what my work was, but I wanted to find out a way of becoming who I truly was for myself,” says Beate.
But life in the United States was not categorized by immediate success. In fact, Beate faced her most difficult challenges just before her company took off. Despite a well-organized business plan and plenty of creative inspiration, Beate had not been able to find funding for her photo  design company, Beateworks, based in Los Angeles. Beate was running out of money when her father was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and died within weeks. While she was burying him in Germany, her landlord sold the building where she was living in L.A. Facing both funeral costs and eviction, Beate contemplated bankruptcy. But, when Beate returned from Germany, she found a letter from the White House in response to her plea for funding. Within the month, her business found its footing. “The month after I buried my father was the same month that my company got off the ground,” she tells me. “My reward at the end of the day was beyond my wildest imagination.”

When I ask Beate what her advice would be for budding entrepreneurs, she said this: “When you are truly convinced that your idea is right, don’t give up. You just have to find the right way to do it, and sometimes that takes a little bit of time. I’ve found that most people that fail have the right idea, but they give up too early. I always believe that you get the big test, just before you get there. There’s always the final question: how badly do you want it?”

Read the fD Interview with Beate Chellete.

Isabel Cowles
Senior Writer

Talking with Tanna Frederick

Tanna Frederick left Iowa for Hollywood, but she often looks back. Raised in a creative environment where parents encouraged their children to explore their imaginations, Tanna grew up with a strong artistic sense and a lot of confidence on camera. By the ripe age of 6, Tanna was sure she wanted to be a serious actress.

But first, Tanna became a serious student: she graduated from The University of Iowa with honors in both Political Science and Theater Arts. Tanna was valedictorian of her liberal arts graduating class and president of Phi Beta Kappa. Despite her academic success, Tanna was still convinced that Hollywood was where her dreams would be made—though payoff took patience. “It was very shocking to come out here, having two degrees and not even needing to use them at all. And not even being able to use them to get a waitressing job or a bartending job let alone an acting job. It was a really tough road for a good four or five years,” she explains.

Despite constantly hearing, “How old are you? What’s your bust size? What are your measurements? You should color your hair blond,” Tanna says she found her social niche and overcame the limitations of Hollywood’s standards. Meeting playwright and filmmaker Henry Jaglom was an important event for Frederick, as it changed her experience in Hollywood completely: “All of a sudden I was confronted with a filmmaker who doesn’t follow the rules and doesn’t conform and makes amazing, breathtaking, heart-wrenching films,” she explains. “And I felt for the first time really confident in myself and really confident in my work. I thought, ‘if this great director is doing this, then surely I can make a place for myself.’”

Although Jaglom had never seen Tanna act, he was immediately drawn to her ‘quirky’ style and personality. Shortly after they met, Jaglom asked Tanna to star in a stage production of his 1971 film, “A Safe Place.” From there, the relationship blossomed. Tanna has since become the recurrent leading lady in several of Jaglom’s projects, including “Hollywood Dreams” and the upcoming “Irene in Time.”

Tanna’s roots in Iowa are very much part of her success in Los Angeles. “Now that I’ve found my niche of people, I realize how important it was for me to come from a large family and such a strong community. I think because I come from good stock I’ve found good stock,” she says. To pay homage to her home state, Tanna established the Iowa Independent Film Festival in 2007. One of Tanna’s favorite parts of bringing Hollywood to rural Iowa was “seeing Karen Black walking through the cow fields in her Manolo Blahniks.”

Isabel Cowles
Senior Writer

Talking with Stephen Chao

 
Stephen Chao has his mother to thank for his career path: instead of studying ancient Greek and Latin texts, he spends his time watching online videos. Before inventing the Fox reality TV series “Cops” and cofounding the video Web site “Wonder How To,” Chao was all set to accept a full scholarship to Yale to get his PhD in Classics. That is, until his mother insisted he take a break from academia and go work, “At least for a little while.” So, Chao took the first of many quirky jobs: he became a UFO tracker in Bolivia for the National Enquirer. He was also hired to chase Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors, though they were apparently nearly as elusive as unidentified flying objects.

When Chao returned from South America, he found his job prospects stark, and decided to go to Harvard Business School. “I was a pariah,” he explained, “No one would hire me.” After graduating, his prospects improved, and he became a major executive at Fox. His tenure ended with a misinterpreted prank that embarrassed Rupert Murdoch in front of Dick Cheney.

The unusual path that led Chao to where he is today is very much reflected in the type of work he does now. His understanding of the “how to” video as an “anthropological window on the world,” didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me at first. How can instructional clips ranging from “Hacking a Nerf gun for superior firepower” to “Conning people into buying you dinner” really reflect a cultural zeitgeist?

But when I checked out the thousands of videos available on the site and saw the excitement and knowledge of many of my would-be instructors, I understood exactly what Chao was talking about. These clips aren’t just about what you can learn to do. Instead, they’re a reflection of how delighted and enthusiastic people can be about nitpicky details. The “wonder” part of Wonder How To is equally important as the instructional element.

After hearing about all of Chao’s adventures and experiences, and his capacity to appreciate a wide variety of things, (from dead languages to smut magazines to corporate media) it became clear that his latest endeavor is simply an extension of his zeal for the zany. And, by offering Internet users a platform to express their own gusto through clips that range from the extraordinary to the inane, he’s turned his love of online video into a shared adventure. Wonder How To is a trip into the imagination of anyone who cares to contribute: an anthropological experience, indeed.

Read the interview on findingDulcinea.

Isabel Cowles
Writer

Talking with Carole Brody Fleet

When my hour-long interview with “Widows Wear Stilettos” author Carole Brody Fleet ended, I was excited to transcribe all of the juicy details I’d gotten from our discussion. Unfortunately, due to a technological glitch, all I could hear was the sound of my own voice asking questions, intermittently laughing or saying, “uh-huh,” “wow,” “that’s amazing!”

My stomach sank. I would have to ask Carole to do the interview all over again. After listening to my voice on the tape, I managed to recreate the structure of our conversation on paper. I emailed it to Carole with a humble plea: “Please, could you respond to nearly a dozen personal questions … all over again?”

A few days later, she sent me back the questions, complete with the same thoughtful remarks she had offered initially. I felt instantly relieved; the piece would still run on time. In her reply e-mail, Carole assured me she was happy to help.

All I lost was a sound bite. I can only imagine what it would be like to lose a friend, loved one or husband. But if I were to lose my life partner, I would certainly find solace in Carole’s spirit and the project she has created to share her experience and offer help. Her upbeat and accommodating response helped me understand why so many women rely on “Widows Wear Stilettos” as a source of support and encouragement.

Carole generously communicated the essence of her message to me, as I’m sure she does to everyone she encounters—widows especially. Her intention is simple: to keep women who have faced loss from feeling hopeless and purposeless. Not only is she there as a source of support for grieving women, but she’s also created an entire community to encourage women to stay inspired and excited about life, even in the face of tragedy.

Carole Brody Fleet made me promise to keep in touch. I have no doubt that if I showed up at her doorstep, in need of a good meal and a gossip fest, she’d offer me a chicken turnover and some great tips on how to embrace life more fully.

Read the full interview.

Isabel Cowles
Writer

Talking with Ellen Geer

Ellen Geer has a special connection to acting. Not only has Ellen worked in the theater since childhood, her father Will was also an actor, and her daughter Willow continues the family tradition.

Pursuing the family profession wasn’t always easy for the Geers. In 1951, Will Geer was forced to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) to testify about his alleged ties to the Communist Party. 

HUAC ultimately blacklisted Mr. Geer, and the Geer family became homeless, relying on friends for support. Eventually, Will Geer returned to the craft, starring as Grandpa in the 1970s TV series “The Waltons,” and establishing the Theatricum Botanicum, which stages productions outdoors in a garden setting. Today, Ellen Geer continues her father’s work at the Theatrical Botanicum, as well as teaching at UCLA and appearing on the big and small screen.

Talking to Ellen about her own career was an enlightening experience, free of any of the pretense you might expect from a famous Hollywood actor. During the fD interview, Ellen was soft spoken, thoughtful and succinct.

During our conversation, she expressed a deep concern over the fast-paced and increasingly one-dimensional milieu of rising actors. With each incoming class Ellen teaches at the UCLA theater department, she notices that students are less and less versed in general acting talents. She explained, “When we grew up you used to have to know how to sing, dance and play an instrument. Because you wanted to be able to get jobs any way you can. And I’m finding that with the young people it’s just not as varied. You don’t have as many Renaissance actors.”

Despite the changing nature of the profession, Ellen is constantly inspired by the work of her pupils, and frequently employs them to play in the pieces she produces and directs at the Theatricum Botanicum.

One of the things I found most inspiring about talking to Ellen was the profound connection she feels to her family and community through acting. Her commitment to theater is absolute, though she’s had some extraordinary film opportunities: most notably in one of my favorite films, Hal Ashby’s 1971 “Harold and Maude,” in which Geer plays the luminous Sunshine Doré.

Ellen’s work in film and television is only her “bread and butter,” she says, and she prefers to work at her family playhouse. The pieces she produces, directs and acts in at the Theatricum Botanicum ranges from the Greek tragedies to Chekhov to modern day renditions of “Dracula.” And always, Shakespeare in the garden.

Read the interview here.

Isabel Cowles
Writer

Interviewing Neil Chethik, Expert on Men's Issues

FindingDulcinea’s weekly Friday feature offers interviews with intriguing people on the cutting edge of business, the arts, technology and journalism. Each week, we'll give you a preview before the interview is published, with thoughts from the fD interviewer and additional info that didn't make it into the final article.

When I first sat down to talk to Neil Chethik, expert on men’s issues, I had no idea what to expect. “What is an expert on men’s issues?” I wondered. “What exactly are men’s issues? And what could possibly inspire someone to become an expert on them?”

Well, after 30 minutes on the phone with Chethik, I understood. 

Neil Chethik grew up the son of a psychologist with a passion for the pen and current events. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1979, Chethik became a journalist for several daily papers. But it wasn’t until he made friends with a group of his wife’s guy friends in grad school that he began to see the value of men’s psychology, realizing that he “wasn’t an oddball for having some kind of inner life.”

Chethik, who calls himself, “a bit on the entrepreneurial side,” eventually tired of answering to a boss: “I found it very difficult to work for newspapers. Just having to answer to other people, that was a struggle,” he remarks on his years as a journalist.
“Once I got to the place where I was writing the same things over and over again, I decided that, ‘If I’m going to be a writer, I need to start writing the things that I’m passionate about.’”

So, Chethik turned to a column he wrote occasionally on the topic of men’s issues. After researching the available content on the Web, he discovered that very little material was out there to help those struggling with uniquely male issues. Inspired by a newfound ability to connect with his readers via the Web, Chethik used his audience, which spanned 35 U.S. cities, to create a platform of information where men could find advice on fatherhood, grieving, sex, marriage and more.

Chethik currently spends most of his time working as a motivational speaker. After publishing several books, including “VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework and Commitment” and “FatherLoss: How Sons of All Ages Come To Terms With the Deaths of Their Dads,” Chethik has become a frequently requested keynote speaker at conferences and conventions.

Chethik has been happily married for 21 years and offers free advice on how to keep a marriage successful on his Web site. Have a look at his most recent column of advice, “How to Create Love For the Long Run,”
which offers some clever tips for both men and women on how to strengthen a partnership. 

Isabel Cowles
Writer