Briefly

Birmingham’s Sidewalk Film Festival announced the lineup for its 21st year today, and seeing that story reminded me powerfully of 14 years ago when my short film — “We’re the Government — and You’re Not” — was selected for the festival. Sidewalk was the first festival to which I submitted and it was a really big deal to me to have the film accepted here, partly because I knew it would get a big audience and partly because all the local people who worked on it could see it with an audience. The film ended up making it into 20 festivals over the following 18 months or so and it even won a few awards. But nothing was more exciting than that first acceptance and then being able to see it with a huge audience for its first screening. (Even better, they roared with laughter at the right parts.) I really need to make another film. My first film seems amateurish to me now — and I’m confident enough (or arrogant enough) to think I could do something great this time.

Thank you so much to everyone who’s contacted me about the recent deaths of Anne and Dagny. I really appreciate your support, whether I know you or not. You’ve been very kind and thoughtful with your comments. In answer to the most common question, yes, the other cats are starting to get back to normal after a traumatic couple of weeks for them. That’s Molly on the right over the weekend with Merlin in the background. I want to share one email I received Monday from a stranger: “I hate cats, but you made me cry about a cat. I can’t decide whether I hate you for that or if I like it that someone made me feel something new. A friend of mine posted your blog posts about your cat named Dagny passing away. I seriously don’t like cats, so I don’t know why I even clicked. But one thing led to another and I read five posts about your cats. And I was bawling like a baby. I’m sorry you lost the two last week and the ones before that, but I had to tell you that something about your emotions and words about them got to me. Maybe I don’t hate cats after all. You might have messed me up for good, but my girlfriend was happy about it. Sorry for your loss, man.” Thanks, Josh, and thanks to everyone else.

Why are children unhappier today than in the past? And why are today’s teens at least five times as likely to be clinically depressed as teens of 50 years ago? In this sobering article for Psychology Today, a research psychologist argues that children are being deprived of the opportunity to play on their own and take responsibility for themselves. Peter Gray is a professor at Boston College who specializes in the role of play in child development. He blames “coercive schooling” and the rise of additional adult-directed activities for taking away children’s sense of autonomy and self-ownership. Gray says this leads to anxiety and depression. I went through a very traditional system of schooling, but today’s children have even less control of their time than I did. Parents who think they are helping their children by controlling their time and giving them so many well-meaning activities are hurting them instead.