To reward a performer or performance with a standing ovation seems to has lost it’s weight. Nowadays, the majority of sit-down gigs I attend (mostly at the Royal Festival Hall, mostly Drag City artists) are met with the audience stumbling to their feet at the end of the performance, almost only to demonstrate that they are not sitting down anymore. I prefer it when the final note rings, a last syllable is uttered, and the audience not only throw themselves to their feet in hurried unison, but also do the little fast foot shuffle from Flashdance. These moments are rare, but Dave Eggers was awarded one after delivering one of the most humble and inspiring speeches the TED organisation has ever seen. Spare 25 minutes to watch the following video – you won’t regret it, and it’ll give you something to talk about in the awkward pillow talk after a successful night out at the Moustache Bar.
Eggers, an established writer, has embarked on a scheme called ‘Once Upon a School‘ that essentially fools children into learning and claiming that ‘world peace can be achieved by doing your homework’. By working with them on a strictly 1:1 ratio and dressing his learning centres with shop fronts such as a Pirate Supply Store and a Time Travel 7-Eleven, he and his team of volunteers have spawned similar outlets across America all with a different attitude towards schooling and is achieving fantastic results where ever he sets up shop.
It comes as no surprise then that he has also written the screenplay for the forthcoming Spike Jonze film ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, a film that myself, and almost everyone I talk to, is ‘well stoked’ about. I truly believe, only by seeing the trailer that Jonze and Eggers are about to release a film that provokes genuine nostalgia for a carefree childhood without falling into the oh-so-common ‘not as good as the book’ trap. It will be the next generations Neverending Story, Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal to look back on and help forge bonds between first day university students.
Karen O will be in charge of the soundtrack, whether it’s original compositions or a collection of hand picked songs, I’m still unsure, but she has recorded a song called ‘All Is Love’ that seems not to exist on the internet. In the mean time, enjoy Arcade Fire providing the soundtrack to the trailer.
Tags: Dave Eggers, Karen O, Once Upon a School, TED, Where the Wild Things Are