NT-4107

Color Bars - a dark bar imbedded in color bars for MTR NYC

Slate: Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Grant for program by announcer.

The writer, Grace Paley, middle aged woman, out in the garden digging with a garden hoe. The words "Middle Age" overlays Paley as she reflects back on how life was laid out for her generation, to get married, have a house, and children.

Paley continues to work in the garden and talks about the plan seemed to be what people did, but she kept writing. . As she talks, her book cover "The Little Disturbances of Man" is shown as well as copies of the books she has written including, "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute"'. CU Grace Paley in large letters on her book cover.

B&W photo stills - anti-war protester, Paley herself, walking past a police barricade holding a sign: "I counsel draft refusal"; protesters hold up a giant banner "Wars will cease When Men Refuse to Fight".

various shots of random folk at the protest rally - an older guy with his long white hair blowing in the wind, a young man with long hair holding a sign, a woman photographer. CU's of Paley speaking into the mic to the crowd. The crowd applauds her as she states the real criminals are the government.

Five or six Women seated casually in a room on comfortable chairs and sofas talk about the topic of being considered "an older woman". They discuss the times when age struck them as being "OLD". The women collectively agree that they are not concerned about "age".

An African American woman states she has talked with women who get "panicky" or upset once they're 40 or approaching it.

CU bare feet walking on a tredmill.

The same woman speaks with the group of women about how women have to come to terms with the physical deterioration that sets in (as women age).

Around the room, the various women talk about aging as a woman. One lady talks about finding getting older easier because she "had never been conventionally attractive"...I've never had sex appeal so i've never had the "narcissistic blow that women who really get the prizes that our society gives for being attractive that way...the social power that comes with it..." Photo stills of the woman as a younger woman.

Cut to writer, Grace Paley, in her kitchen cooking, stirring up a pot of sauce. She talks with an unseen interviewer about always having been a typist, it being the only way she could make a living.

The women in the group continue their discussion about age discrimination particularly for women. The African American woman feels lucky as she's not in any of the groups such as the Arts that age discrimination is an issue however she felt the discrimination in graduate school. She state universities are not prepared for women going back to school after raising a family.

Another woman states when she was a girl the goal was to "snag a man fast" and get married at age 19, therefore, the women didn't have the tools to go back to work with. They talk about the difficulty of going back to school and starting all over again after so many years. They discuss the time limits put on everything women do including having children after age 40.

The issue of Menopause is brought up briefly - they talk about the issues they ask, "am i still sexy", "will i be less sexy". Grace Paley states that there's nothing to it, but a great pleasure! The end of your period! and just uncomfortable hot flashes.

The topic of the one - to - one relationship between a woman and a man (not sex0 but relating is brought up. Live footage of a woman in the kitchen woith a man who is preparing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bananas.

One of the women, an actress, states she would like a relationship very much and would like to live with a man to have someone to "debrief" to. Another states she is at the moment not in a relationship with a man, but feels even though she used to be prettier she feels more attractive now than she ever has.
Still photos of both women.

CU a woman painting on a canvas in her studio. She is heard discussing that she doesn't feel her life with men is over, but that men are no longer the center of her life. Paley, out in her garden, talks about life from 50 to 70, states she believes that even though you have the upper hand in certain thing, there's less and less life and its foolish to pretend that's not so.

Fade out

Beverly Grant and the Human Condition perform a song, "Inez Garcia" in the studio. Inez Grant was a woman convicted for murdering the man who raped her.

Photo still of a framed picture of a group of police officers, 'x' marks are seen on the chests of several of the officers and above them the word "LAYOFF" is written. With narration by unseen Stephanie Sautner.

Sautner states: Hiring procedures for women were different than for men - a quota system was used, and the no more than 300 women could be on the force at any one time. The civil service exams to enter the police department were separate for men and women. The men's exam were given every year, the women's every five or six. Men could be appointed as police trainees at age 18, women had to wait until they were 21 for any appointment at all depriving them of three years seniority.

Grant and the Human Condition perform "Feel Good" in the studio
Show credits roll over performance.

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