I

I’m working on a two-minute plank. Turned 40 this year and decided to put time and energy into my physical aptitude.  

What's your favorite piece of art made by a woman?

"Ward 81" by Mary Ellen Mark. It’s a stellar collection. I don’t even want to say too much about it. But if you can get your hands on a copy—it’s a proper gift. Mark was on set shooting behind the scenes of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest' for a story which was shot at a working mental institution. While there she discovers a woman’s-only ward. That’s all I’m gonna say and I’ve already said too much.

II

I’m only just recovering from the chaos of home-schooling.  Our entire industry shutting down was one thing, but it was the small daily humiliations of being unable to do my 9 year old’s maths that nearly pushed me over the edge.  
 
The combination of remote working and locked-down family life has been kind of fascinating—you have to live your life on several fronts at the same time… with multiple realities all colliding in one tiny home office.  I recently found myself presenting on a zoom to 17 executives on mute because I also had a wailing child under my desk.  I had to surreptitiously feed him chocolate every time I needed to switch off the mute button and speak…
 
As the sunshine has come out in London there are brighter days ahead.  Having worked in theatre for almost 20 years, I now find myself on a fast train to directing my first feature film.  It’s a punchy, modern, eccentric adaptation of one of my favourite novels, featuring one of my favourite heroines, starring one of my favourite actors, and I cannot wait to start shooting in 8 weeks’ time.

What was the last thing that really inspired you?

I recently rewatched 'Beau Travail' by Claire Denis, having been blown away by her more recent 'High Life.'  The power, beauty and brutality of 'Beau Travail,' set almost entirely outside, really cut through the domestic mundanity of lockdown.  

III

Besides doing what I can to make sure the theater industry makes the many structural changes we need to make, I've been spending my time writing the Met commission of the opera called 'Grounded' about a female fighter pilot who later became a drone pilot. When I played the aria for the director for the first time, it hit me: it was the first time that I had written an aria for a woman that wasn't about love. It's about her need to be in the sky and above the clouds and in the blue. It was a huge moment for me. It wasn't about being seen by a father or a lover—it was about this need to push for expansion. And that felt a little sad, that the first time was only happening now, but it was also pretty moving.

What's your favorite piece of art made by a woman?

This is my answer to both what's inspiring me and my favorite art made by a woman: the book "I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness" by Austin Channing Brown. It's written from such a place of clarity and rage and vision. It's hard to put into words, especially because the term "essential reading" makes welts form on my skin, but this book hits the center of everything right now. She's led by this undeniable faith and questions everything. But it's written in a way that captures the imagination. 

Who's your favorite heroine of fiction?
Harriet the Spy. Full sentence.

Who's your favorite heroine of history?
Fannie Lou Hamer. When I think about what that woman did... The grit and the dirt and the blood—I feel it in my ribs. What one woman did. And the way she suffered and what she wouldn't tolerate.

IV

I spend my time hanging out with my kids, trying unsuccessfully to teach our puppy that she is not the Alpha in our relationship, playing the guitar, painting, taking long walks to photograph new areas, and writing letters to my friends.  And I’ve also kept up a steady stream of work; from editing my feature; to running writer’s rooms; to delving into pre-production for our upcoming shows.   

What's your favorite piece of art made by a woman?

I love Virginia’ Woolf’s “The Waves” for its bold, iconoclastic style; the purity of its expression of internal selves; and its lovely use of language. 

V

Like a lot of filmmakers, 2020 felt like a year of development. I effectively became a full-time screenwriter and joined a Zoom writing group. I’ve also rediscovered my love for boxing.

What was the last thing that really inspired you?

It happens fairly often! But in the last few weeks I saw two beautiful films—'Minari' and 'Another Round'—both of which inspired me to try and write more joy in my own work.

What's your favorite piece of art made by a woman?

"The House of the Spirits" by Isabel Allende and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison both had a big impact on me growing up and I can see how they’ve shaped the way I tell stories.

Who's your favorite heroine of fiction?

Not quite a literary choice, but I was such a huge fan of 'Xena: Warrior Princess' as a kid. I loved how multifaceted she was, equally masculine and feminine, unwavering and vulnerable, serious and silly, etc.

VI

I recently watched 'The Social Dilemma' on Netflix and discovered the extraordinary work being done at The Center for Humane Technology. Founded by Silicon Valley veterans concerned with the harm being done to humanity by tech platforms that prioritize our attention over our well-being, CHT is advocating for policy change and supporting technologists who can make change on the ground. "Your Undivided Attention" podcast is a phenomenal way to learn more—like the fact that the pull-down-to-refresh function on your phone’s email program was inspired by Vegas slot machines. No wonder I can’t put the damn thing down.  

What's your favorite piece of art made by a woman?

It’s hard to pick a single favorite, but also difficult to top "The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna," a novel by Juliet Grames. Loosely inspired by the life of the author’s grandmother, the story follows a fiercely independent Calabrian woman whose refusal to play the role society demands of her becomes the defining struggle of her life. The experience of following Stella across the 20th century, an ocean, and multiple near-death experiences is simultaneously gut-wrenching and hilarious. I have never felt so viscerally connected to a generation of women upon whose shoulders I’m standing.