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PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Award may drop name of author tied to sterilization movement
By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) —
The Vermont Board of Li-
braries has recommend-
ed changing the name of
a children's book award
that now honors a promi-
nent Vermont author and
activist accused of once
supporting sterilizing peo-
ple with severe mental
and physical disabilities.
The board said it wants
to remove the late Doro-
thy Canfield Fisher's name
from the award to bet-
ter match contempo-
rary times and connect
with young readers. The
award, which was named
after Fisher in 1957, honors
excellence in children's lit- betterment." Judy Dow
erature. The board's unan-
imous recommendation
to the state librarian last
week came after discus-
sions about Fisher's asso-
ciation with the state's eu-
genics movement, which
had been described as
an attempt to deal with
social and economic
problems through steriliza-
tion and breeding in the
1920s and '30s.
Fisher, who wrote novels,
Robert Redford addresses Weinstein, Me Too at Sundance
By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer
Sundance Institute founder
Robert Redford did not shy
away from addressing the
elephants in the room —
Harvey Weinstein and the
#MeToo — Thursday at
the Sundance Film Festival,
saying that the fallen exec-
utive is not "going to stop
the show." Both the linger-
ing shadow of Weinstein,
who long lorded over the
indie film festival, and the
Me Too movement domi-
nated conversation at the
historically tame opening
day press conference in
Park City, Utah.
"Harvey Weinstein was a
moment in time and we're
going to move past that,"
Redford said. "I don't think
he's going to stop the
show." In recent months,
Weinstein has been ac-
cused of two instances of
assault at Sundance, in-
cluding actress Rose Mc-
Gowan's rape allegation
from 1997. Representatives
Saturday 20 January 2018
nonfiction and short sto- In this Oct. 20, 1942 file photo, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, novelist, was a woman who did a
ries, was on a committee literary critic and humanitarian, sits at her flat-top desk in her lot of good and was par-
of the Vermont Commis- home in Arlington, Vt. ticularly the antithesis of
sion on Country Life, which the eugenics movement,"
was linked to the eugenics Associated Press Lang said Wednesday.
movement. In the 1930s, The name change rec-
some Vermonters of mixed that movement were rac- wise. Hixson's father, John ommendation should not
French Canadian and Na- ists. Dorothy Canfield Fisher Paul Scott, was a genetics be interpreted as an in-
tive American heritage, as was not," Hixson, who has and psychology research- dictment of Fisher, said
well as poor, rural whites, a Ph.D. in sociology and er. "It's just unfortunate Bruce Post, chairman of
were placed on a state- taught at Michigan State that people are looking for the Board of Libraries.
sanctioned list of "mental University, wrote to the someone to attack," Hixson "The Board was aware, to
defectives" and degener- board. "In fact, DCF com- said. varying degrees, of the
ates and sent to state insti- batted racism all her life." Helene Lang, a former lit- Vermont eugenics move-
tutions, such as the Home Hixson, of East Lansing, erature professor at the ment, but it felt that it was
for the Feeble Minded in Michigan, said Fishers' tem- University of Vermont who not the purview of the
Brandon. Some had sur- porary support for "the ster- has portrayed Fisher in liv- Board to involve itself in
gery after Vermont in 1931 ilization of people with se- ing histories, also stood up that larger issue," he said
became one of more than vere mental and physical to protect Fisher's name. by email.
two dozen to pass a law handicaps" stopped in the She said Fisher's service The board also recom-
that allowed for voluntary early 1930s when Fisher's on the committee did not mended to the state li-
sterilizations for "human soon-to-be son-in-law — mean she ever supported brarian that the name of
Hixson's father — and oth- eugenics. "My goal was to the award be reviewed
is a descendant of one ers convinced her other- protect her because she every 15 years or sooner
of the families targeted if appropriate. The state
and a teacher of Native librarian did not return a
American culture. When phone call seeking com-
she raised concerns about ment.
Fisher's association with the Hixson said she under-
movement and her treat- stands the need to con-
ment of Native American nect to the children of
and French Canadian today and what they're
characters in her writing, reading."I have grandchil-
Fisher's 81-year-old grand- dren," she said. "And their
daughter, Vivian Scott Hix- world is so different than
son, balked. the world that we grew
"Many of the leaders of up in."q
Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford speaks during the opening day press conference at here," she said. In response
to assault allegations dur-
the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, in Park City, Utah. ing the festival and height-
ened sensitivity to sexual
Associated Press misconduct, the festival
has taken strides to ensure
for Weinstein have denied those instances happened revelations and conversa- the safety of its guests, in-
cluding instilling a public
all allegations of non-con- at the Sundance Film Fes- tions around sexual mis- code of conduct and a 24-
hour safety hotline in part-
sensual sex. tival," added Keri Putnam, conduct are creating a nership with Utah Attorney
General's office.
"We were sickened to hear the executive director for new awareness. "It's a bit of a ground zero,"
said festival director John
along with everyone else the Sundance Institute. "This isn't a new conversa- Cooper.
Redford also addressed
about Harvey's behavior "They are nothing we were tion for us, but it's a new the Me Too and Time's Up
movements saying that
and even more so to learn aware of at the time." moment and we're not go- he's, "Pretty encouraged
right now."
that at least a couple of Putnam said that recent ing to go backward from "It's bringing forth more op-
portunity for women and
more opportunity for wom-
en in film for their voices to
be heard and have their
own projects," Redford
said. "The role for men right
now is to listen and to let
women's voices be heard
and think about it." The
Sundance Film Festival runs
through Jan. 28.q