rivka | Holy fucking shit.

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Holy fucking shit.

Dr. Wald,

My name is [Name]. I am a producer with Journey Films (www.journeyfilms.com). Our company has been retained by the Templeton Foundation to film the Forgiving Conference and some of its participants for a future public television documentary on the subject of forgiving.

We are seeking an opportunity to interview you on camera about the psychosocial correlates of forgiveness in persons living with HIV/AIDS. [Note: That's the name of the talk I'm giving at the conference.]

We have a separate room at the Westin Hotel where the conference is being held. It will be prepared with camera and lighting equipment. This would be a 30-minute interview conducted in a relaxed style. You will have the opportunity within the interview to strike any "sound bite" you do not want us to use.

[Then there's enough contact information to choke a whale, suggesting that he really does want to talk to me.]

We feel that this subject has great potential for broad public interest and that your participation in an interview will help to shape that interest.

Sincerely,

[Name]
Journey Films

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Cool. You have so much street cred already.

Is it gauche to say, "As a PhD and a consultant for the Dean campaign, I find...."

Sounds good. The Templeton Foundation is set up to find ways to harmonize religion and science.

Yep. They funded our grant, in which we're studying how forgiveness affects mental health, health behavior, and physical health in people with HIV. They seem to be very concerned about getting qualified scientists to do sound research, as opposed to getting them to validate the Foundation's pre-existing beliefs.

Go you! that's terrific!

coming this fall to a theatre near you...

:P

Seriously, this sounds cool. Hope it goes well.

Wa ha ha!

La!

Looks good from here! How do you feel about this?

You're going to do it, right?

I mean, besides being one of those things that will look *great* on your CV, it's a wonderful opportunity to talk about something important to you and to the greater community.

You rock.

I suppose I would put this on my CV, huh. Under "presentations?"

Whee! Are you gonna do it?

-J

Yes! I just met with Lydia, and then with the Institute's Director of Public Affairs, and now I have an appointment to be interviewed on Friday at 1:45.

What the heck am I going to wear?

There's that navy suit you look so good in. Since you're representing the Institute, you might want to seek advice from the Public Affairs folk.

Congratulations! This is a really nifty thing to happen to you; I know you'll do great.

Something red, or rust. Unless you have an objection to wowing them with your sexiness. :-)

-J

Hee! That's a good idea, actually, because I'm planning to wear my one-and-only suit on Saturday when I give my actual talk. But I have a nice rust-colored blouse, with just enough stretch to the fabric to give it a really smooth, tailored fit. I'll wear that, and black slacks.

Or maybe I should save the rust-colored blouse for Monday, and wow you with my sexiness.

I wouldn't object to that in the slightest. :-)

-J

Holy wah. Go you! :D

Whee! Are you gonna do it?

-J

You mind if I live vicariously through you? It sounds like your life is way more exciting than mine!

Is there, like, any chance I could get a transcript of the interview, or one of your talks, maybe sometime? I have no idea how much of a talk I'd understand, but I'd love to know more about what you do.

Um, if that's ok.

Um.

Hee! Don't worry - there's usually nothing researchers like more than talking about their work. It's very flattering to my ego to be asked.

I don't know if a transcript of the interview will be available, and I'm not actually using an actual text for my talk, I'm just speaking from slides - but I will post something to my journal about the project and our findings, if people are interested.

People are definitely interested. And there's always lj-cut for those who aren't...

(w00t!)

That is amazing and wonderful and huzzah for doing the interview. I'm curious about your results and your talk.

Congratulations! I hope you are luckier with the cutting room floor than I was when interviewed on my views about the last strike at Dalhousie by the local TV station, which cut my thirty seconds of well-reasoned commentary to a fatuous five-second off-the-cuff remark... I felt like Pernicious the Musquodoboit Harbour Farm Cat did after sitting, quite briefly, on the burner of my stove -- he no longer sits on hot burners, but I have noted that he avoids cold ones, too -- which is why I am not advising you not to be interviewed... Best wishes!

I was interviewed by the local Fox News station at one of the Dean Meetups. The reporter spoke to me for 3-4 minutes and used, as you say, a completely inane five-second clip that made me sound like an idiot. But this is different, I hope, because it's a documentary film company rather than the local news. I think they'll be looking for something beyond the sound-bite level. I hope.

I would be inclined to be just a tad sceptical about this, on the basis of my own experience! It's surprising how sound-bitey even an apparently serious documentary can become. (And what they won't tell you beforehand, like the interview I did that got chopped up and interspersed in snippets between dramatised extracts from My Secret Life, famous Victorian pornographic memoir.)
However, I hope it works out.

Oh WOW! Is there nothing more flattering than being taken seriously? Good for you!!

Between this and the work for the Dean campaign, you could have inroads to public heath policy careers (if you want such). Heck, letting myself dream a bit, I think you'd look awfully fetching in the Surgeon General's uniform. ;-)

BTW one public speaking tip: I'd recommend against using "Holy Fucking Shit" on camera. It might diminish your aura of professional credibility.

Woohoo!

Yay!

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