My Mother’s Laugh

Where does creativity come from?

One of my drawings from when I was a kid.

For some reason, I’ve always loved seeing women laughing.

Maybe it was my mother’s laugh. Or my Aunt Helen’s snarky comments, or my cousin Kate’s humorous quips. I just always thought women’s views of the world to be so interesting, and if it involved laughing, all the better. I could feel the power of their humor.

My mother loved the writer and humorist Dorothy Parker and would quote her verse to me. Her favorite was: “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” I’ve worn glasses since age 7, and when she would say that to me with a devilish smile, I was never sure what to make of it. It worried me somehow, but knowing that my mother found it funny made it okay. I think it propelled me into being an independant young girl. I grew up to love all of Parker’s work, her verse as well as her short stories.

The origins of the documentary I am producing and directing come from those feelings. It’s called Women Laughing.

I am excited to let you all know that the fundraiser for the film is 67% funded with 18 days to go! We’ve made huge progress, thanks to so many of you wonderful people here at Medium. When we get to the 75% marker, we plan to share with backers of the kickstarter…