People

Brush with Hollywood

A PhD student from the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies found herself giving Sam Mendes a critical review of his new film Revolutionary Road after attending a private press screening in New York.

Kate Charlton-Jones, who is researching Richard Yates, the author of Revolutionary Road, visited the US to go to Boston University Library where letters and handwritten drafts belonging to the author are held.

Kate Charlton-Jones attended a private screeting of Revolutionary Road

During her trip she was introduced to one of Richard Yates’ three daughters, Monica Yates Shapiro, who invited her to the screening, and after-show dinner at 21 Club.

After socialising with numerous film reviewers, Kate sat with Yates’ daughters and old friends at dinner before finding herself next to Kate Winslet in the outside smoking area.

Kate explained: ‘I started, of course, by telling her how brilliant she was in the film, which she was. She took my arm and looked thrilled so I said “we have three things in common: we are both called Kate, we are both English and my husband is in love with us both.” She dropped her roll-up and exploded with laughter.’

It was shortly after that Kate met Sam Mendes: ‘I asked whether he wanted to hear my one criticism of the film and he said yes. I told him that at the end the camera should have pulled back from Richard Easton’s face and shown Kathy Bates’ jaw going up and down but no sound coming out; the point being that he’s switched off his hearing aid and, to quote Yates, is basking “in a thunderous sea of silence.”‘

Kate started researching Richard Yates three years ago. Although he is now finding fame thanks to the Golden Globe nominated film, he has been largely overlooked by the critical elite. Kate added: ‘Despite a vocal and devoted troupe of followers, many of them hugely influential authors such as Tennessee Williams and JD Salinger, Yates was unable to sell more than 12,000 copies of any of his work.’

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Comedy appearance for Prem

Professor Prem Sikka of the School of Entrepreneurship and Business made his comedy debut earlier this month when he took to the stage with comedian Mark Thomas.

Professor Sikka was a guest at Mark’s It’s the Economy, Stupid! show at the Etcetera Theatre in London.

In the satirical show, which continues until the 23 March and features different guests each night, Mark addresses the current economic crisis.

Mark Thomas with Professor Sikka when he visited Colchester in January

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Essex: This Luminous Coast

The personal account of an enlightening journey across 500 miles of the coast of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk is the topic of this year’s Burrows Lecture.

Professor Jules Pretty will talk about his most recent book, This Luminous Coast, at the 2009 Burrows Lecture

Established in 1966 and open to the public, the 2009 Burrows Lecture will be given by Professor Jules Pretty from the Department of Biological Sciences. He will discuss his most recent book, The Luminous Coast, which explores the importance of the relationship between people and nature and how the ever-changing world casts a shadow over memory, place and identity. Walking 400 miles on foot and 100 miles by boat around East Anglia, Jules will talk of his adventures in the region’s different coastal habitats and communities.

Professor Pretty explains: ‘I wanted to find the undiscovered in the nearby, taking advantage of the beautiful coast of East Anglia and the experiences of freedom associated with them. This allowed me to consider the consequences of the modern world on these coasts and their uncertain future, hoping to show others that changes need to be made.’

‘Essex: This Luminous Coast’, will be held in the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall at 7pm on Wednesday 18th March. Admission is free but tickets are required and can be ordered on telephone: 01206 872807 or e-mail: events@essex.ac.uk. For more information, please visit: www.essex.ac.uk/burrows.

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Also in the printed February edition of Wyvern:

• Oscar glory
• On trial
• New Health and Safety Manager