File 029221
Email Exchange Regarding Poetry in America Project Funding Proposal (File 029221)
Email correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Elisa New, Harvard professor, discussing a $500,000 funding proposal for a Poetry in America documentary project featuring interviews with Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, and other notable figures.
Summary
Elisa New proposes a $500,000 donation to Poetry in America, an initiative at Harvard's EdLabs, to fund post-production and distribution of a documentary series on American poetry from 1914-1945. The project would feature interviews with Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, Peter Gallison, Walter Isaacson, and numerous other cultural figures, with production at museums and historic locations. New details how the funding would support HarvardX's online course with higher production values while also providing quality footage to WGBH for a three-episode television series. The proposal positions the donation as supporting Harvard's Teaching and Learning campaign priority.
From: jeffrey E. [jeeyacation@gmail.com]Sent: 10/27/2014 3:53:38 PMTo: Lisa NeSubject: Re: writing up proposalImportance: HighI think the proposal for 500k is optimistic but can't hurt. .On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 9:48 AM, Lisa New <_________Dear Jeffrey,> wrote:Larry has told me that you and a friend would like to contribute to my project (hallelujah and thank you amillion times, Jeffrey) and that I ought to write up a proposal asking for 500,000. This is wonderful. If thiscomes to pass, the best way for that money to come, I think, is as a gift to Poetry in America, an initiative atEdLabs at Harvard University. This will give me discretion over its disbursement to HarvardX and WGBH,but this will be absolutely be a Harvard gift that will count as Campaign success and from which Harvard willtake some (but not as much)overhead. . So far the best finance people I've met are at EdLabs and they arehappy to manage these funds for me. There are other ways to give me this money that leave Harvard out, butmy understanding is that your friend would like this to be a Harvard gift.Here's a draft of what I'd like to do with that money.I'd like 500,000 to do post-production and distribution of a whole historical period of American poetry (1914-1945 is what I'm thinking—Modernism) and including three episodes of tv.The raw materials for that period include interviews with Bill Clinton (including footage not yet used byWGBH), Peter Gallison, Walter Isaacson, Lena Dunham, Woody Allen (whose lawyers didn't like our releasea while ago, but we're hoping will soften over time), Harrison Ford (still a maybe), Robert Polito, Sarah Kay,Al Filreis, Rafael Campo, Susan Howe, kids from Nantucket High School, kids from Brookline HighSchool, Alfre Woodard, Jane Pickering, Jay Parini, Ray Dalio, Leon Wieseltier, Richard Dawkins and others;and footage shot in Harlem, Greenwich Village, midtown, Chicago, London (if I have the money to hire acrew there; don't now ), at museums including the Fogg, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Frost's house inRipton Vermont and more.This allows the donor to give to a big Harvard Campaign priority, Teaching and Learning , by supportingPoetry in America, allowing me to produce the crucial segment of the online course with the highest (TVquality) production values and so also supplying higher quality video to WGBH as a way also to cut theircosts.Currently, HarvardX skimps (on lighting, for instance--see the Bill Clinton interview) and while WGBH ladlesmoney raised by others into everything. I have been pounding away at my friends at WGBH and I know thatWGBH producer will work with HarvardX if they can give him footage of the right quality. . That is, we'll useHarvardX as the backlot for WGBH so as to squeeze three episodes out for 250.This proposal does not include experiments in schools or the curricular development into courses for teachersthat you've seen in other (million dollar ) proposals. But the courses for teachers can't happen before thefootage is developed, and these courses will have as their centerpiece the WGBH episodes, and so this fundingwill make all the rest possible.I can polish this narrative and or edit it, if there are things you think I have wrong.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 029221And I can attach a draft budget based on real Harvard numbers (what my Harvard video editor, producer,media manager cost) as well as a draft WGBH budget I'll now go an negotiate with them. Or we can do that ata second stage.Let me know what you think? And when are we reading Whitman together. Why don't we set a date for Febwhen Poetry in America 3: Whitman is running online and we could screen a little video and then have adiscussion around your table with you and some friends?LisaElisa NewPowell M. Cabot Professor of American LiteratureHarvard University148 Barker Center12 Quincy StreetCambridge, MA02138please noteThe information contained in this communication isconfidential, may be attorney-client privileged, mayconstitute inside information, and is intended only forthe use of the addressee. It is the property ofJEEUnauthorized use, disclosure or copying of thiscommunication or any part thereof is strictly prohibitedand may be unlawful. If you have received thiscommunication in error, please notify us immediately byreturn e-mail or by e-mail to jeevacation@gmail.com, anddestroy this communication and all copies thereof,including all attachments. copyright -all rights reservedHOUSE OVERSIGHT 029222