The National Day of Prayer to take place on Thursday, May 2, 2024
By Steven Brodsky
… This land needs much healing.
2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Some of this column’s readers will be singing praise songs this weekend!
Posted 4-19-24
‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ – 1 Corinthians 15:55
By Steven Brodsky
… This video is embedded here especially for the miracle children who regularly visit the sections of the Entertainment, Culture and More column:
Posted 4-10-24
The darkness that will take place during today’s (April 8, 2024) solar eclipse
By Steven Brodsky
… brings to mind the three hours of daytime darkness that occurred while Jesus was on the cross.
Matthew 27:45 KJV: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
This brief article isn’t dark (keep reading).
John 8:12 KJV: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Some of this column’s readers will be “singing hallelujah” this weekend.
Have a great weekend!
Posted 3-1-24
Need a reminder that the battle has already been won?
By Steven Brodsky
… If you do, you’ve come to the right place.
Psalm 63:4: “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”
Posted 2-19-24
Snow fell today
By Steven Brodsky
… in many areas of the northeastern part of the U.S., and on these shrubs:
Photo by Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
The freshly fallen snow brings to mind Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Posted 2-13-24
Just as we are
By Steven Brodsky
One or more of these three songs and the invitation that underlies them will resonate with a number of Entertainment, Culture and More readers:
Revelation 3:20 KJV: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Posted 1-21-24
‘But the cross says they’re wrong’
By Steven Brodsky
… thankfully.
Posted 12-4-23
‘A Man Called Norman’
By Steven Brodsky
… referenced here three years ago, is a story of kindness and faith.
Consider sharing the above links with others during this holiday season.
Posted 11-27-23
Jelly Roll’s ‘Need A Favor’
By Steven Brodsky
Update: Jelly Roll has won the 2023 CMA Award for New Artist of the Year.
Do yourself a favor, watch this video:
Grace has been defined as unmerited favor.
Posted 8-23-23, Updated 11-10-23
‘Be still’
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Posted 11-10-23
Flowerful Lauren Daigle video
By Steven Brodsky
Update: Lauren Daigle won the 2023 K-LOVE Fan Award in the category of Female Artist of the Year.
… for “Thank God I Do”:
“Thank God I Do” is on Lauren Daigle’s eponymous new album.
Some of you watched Lauren Daigle perform all of the album’s songs in her concert that streamed live on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 on K-LOVE on Demand. A link was posted here.
“Flowerful” is a word. Thought I might be coining a word when I typed the headline.
Posted 4-8-23, Updated 6-6-23
Thrown out of church
By Steven Brodsky
… the character in “The Outlaw’s Prayer”:
I hope that he found a more hospitable place to worship and fellowship.
1 Samuel 16:7 comes to mind: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
Posted 3-30-23
‘Perfectly Loved’
By Steven Brodsky
Update: “Perfectly Loved” Rachel Lampa (featuring TobyMac), won the 2023 K-LOVE Fan Award in the category of Breakout Single of the Year.
I’m thinking that this may be a perfect time to share this video for “Perfectly Loved” with the readers of this column (while listening to the song playing on my radio now):
Posted 2-3-23, Updated 6-6-23
Leonard Cohen and Billy Joe Shaver drew upon the same Bible verse
By Steven Brodsky
… The verse is Isaiah 64:6. As translated in the King James Version, the verse reads: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
I’m writing about Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be Your Will” and Billy Joe Shaver’s “If You Don’t Love Jesus.”
Most people who’ve heard the songs haven’t encountered the verse directly (and most of this column’s readers haven’t heard the Billy Joe Shaver song.)
In the Leonard Cohen song, Isaiah 64:6 is alluded to in the line: “In our rags of light, all dressed to kill.”
In the Billy Joe Shaver song, an allusion to the verse appears as: “Take your rotten rags of righteousness and stuff ’em up your self.”
A beautiful rendition of a song that expresses empathy/caring:
Posted 6-8-21
‘When My Amy Prays,’ Grammy-winning performance by Vince Gill
By Steven Brodsky
The winner in the category of Best Country Solo Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards was Vince Gill with his performance of “When My Amy Prays.” Vince Gill is now the recipient of 22 Grammy Awards.
Vince Gill wrote “When My Amy Prays” about his wife, Amy Grant.
Responding to this Grammy win, Vince Gill said: “No matter where someone is in their career, they just want to be heard. So I am very honored to have been chosen for this Grammy, particularly for this song.”
“When My Amy Prays” is a track on Vince Gill’s album Okie.
Posted 3-15-21
Paul Simon heard Jessy Dixon perform ‘The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling’
By Steven Brodsky
… in Radio City Music Hall in 1972.
That prompted Paul Simon to invite Jessy Dixon to sing with him on Saturday Night Live. The two would go on to tour together in the U.S. and overseas for eight years.
Enjoy this video of Jessy Dixon performing his song “The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling” at The Dome:
Jessy Dixon passed away on September 26, 2011 at age 73.
Many of this column’s readers who were fortunate to have been graced by “mother’s tender love” will recall that special kind of love when listening to Billy Joe Shaver’s “Magnolia Mother’s Love” (the lyrics are autobiographical).
… for us to enjoy on the 46th birthday of Chris Stapleton:
Chris Stapleton was born in Kentucky on April 15, 1978.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Chris Stapleton!
Posted 4-15-24
Enjoy the evening of April 6, 2024
By Steven Brodsky
… an “American Saturday Night”!
Posted 4-6-24
‘When streams are ripe and swelled with rain’
By Steven Brodsky
Photo by Steven Brodsky
… as are many streams in the United States, it can be a hydrological sign that “April, come she will” – soon.
This gentle song, written by Paul Simon, was originally released in 1966:
Posted 3-28-24
Neil Young’s ‘Heart of Gold’ was at the most golden spot, the number one position, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
By Steven Brodsky
… 52 years ago, for the first of three weeks, on March 18, 1972.
Perhaps a heart of gold is harder to find than a heart of stone.
Each of the two characters in the following Southside Johnny song written by Bruce Springsteen are lyricized as having a heart of stone:
Posted 3-18-24
Jelly Roll’s (Jason DeFord’s) opening statement at a Senate committee hearing
By Steven Brodsky
Thank you, Jelly Roll!
Posted 1-12-24
In tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett
By Steven Brodsky
… I’m pleased to share links to a nearly one-hour phone interview that Clay Eals did with Jimmy Buffett on October 26, 2000 for Clay’s book Steve Goodman: Facing the Music.
How meeting Livingston Taylor at a concert affected the career of John Flynn
By Steven Brodsky
John Flynn has been interviewed several times for this column. In a 2011 radio interview, John and I spoke about Livingston. We did so again last year in this interview for this column.
John, where and when did you first meet Livingston Taylor and how old were you at the time?
Gene Shay introduced me to Livingston back in the ’80s. It was prior to one of his appearances at the old Bijou Café in Philadelphia. I was in my early twenties and just starting out. I was a big fan of Livingston’s and I had just appeared on Gene’s radio show on WMMR. I heard Gene mention that he was going to host Livingston’s show, so I asked for an intro. Gene was just too nice to say no.
What was going on in your life?
I was playing some bar gigs, writing songs and mailing demos to Nashville. This was a few years before I got signed to my first publishing deal down there.
Describe what took place. What did Livingston tell you?
To begin with, Livingston was incredibly gracious. As a performer, I really see that now in hindsight, because usually the last thing I want to do before a show is to meet new people and have them sing their songs to me. Actually, I don’t think I’ve met anyone before or since who would have extended themselves in this way to a stranger. But that’s exactly what happened. Gene apparently bragged about me enough to get Livingston to hand me his guitar and sit down directly in front of me. He asked me to play him a song and listened with an almost unnerving, totally focused attention. When I was done he asked if I had any more. I did a second song and he asked for another. I was only too happy to oblige, figuring that if he’d listen to three songs he must be hearing something he liked. When I finished singing, Livingston kind of scrunched up his face and got real thoughtful. There was a long pause. Then he said, “John, there are so many wonderful ways to spend your time in this life. Take a walk, read a good book, spend some time with someone you love. Please do ANY of these things rather than write any more mediocre songs.” The rest was a little bit of a blur. He talked about Cole Porter and Yip Harburg, writers I didn’t really know much about at that point. He really challenged me to study the greats. He spent like ten minutes talking about song structure, and he played me these long-forgotten but really beautiful introductions to popular old standards. – Unknown (at least to me) musical salutations from bygone eras, that had been intended by their composers to set the mood and put the listener in the proper frame of mind to receive the coming song. He even explained that he would be doing relatively few of his own songs in his show that evening because great songs are rare, and a song should be great if you’re gonna sing it. That was the bottom line. If you weren’t going to try to write a great song, then why write one at all?
How did you respond to this at the time?
I guess I was disappointed. But disappointment wasn’t all I took away from the encounter, because Livingston could have easily tossed me a few compliments. He was probably never gonna have to see me again so that would have been the easy thing to do. But I sensed that he respected songs and songwriters too much for that. He chose the harder path and told the truth. He threw down the gauntlet. And, in my way, I accepted the challenge that night. I determined to work much harder at my craft. To really try to write great songs. I’m not saying that’s what I’ve always accomplished. But he got me to aim there. I’ve always been grateful for that.
How did the encounter impact your life?
I’m here forty years later answering questions about music.
Author’s note to readers: Livingston Taylor is a professor at Berklee College of Music.
… many people have experienced that at some point(s) in their lives.
Jackson C. Frank experienced the blues and other painful challenges in extremis.
He was last referenced here in August 2019; too long ago.
Prompted by an admirable cover of the Jackson C. Frank-penned song “Blues Run the Game” that aired yesterday on a public radio station, I’m sharing this link: Blues Run the Game (2001 – Remaster) – YouTube.
Only one official album by Jackson C. Frank was released during Frank’s lifetime. It came out in 1965. That eponymous album was produced by Paul Simon.
Posted 1-23-23
‘And he did not know how well he sang; it just made him whole.’
Familiarity with the song ought to be a prerequisite for reviewing the arts.
This is being posted on Harry Chapin’s birthday.
Harry Chapin was born on December 7, 1942. (He passed away on July 16, 1981 at age 38 as the result of a car accident, while en route to perform a benefit concert.)
If Harry Chapin were alive today, he’d be 80 years old.
I never interviewed Harry Chapin, though I did long-form radio interviews that aired live with two immediate family members of his and with the person who had been Harry Chapin’s best friend.
Had I interviewed Harry Chapin, would certainly have asked him about “Mr. Tanner” and would have thanked him for his humanitarian efforts.
Harry Chapin accomplished much in the short life he had; he made the world “a better place to be” for many people.
This post is dedicated to those who will be in similar parking lots in the coming months, including songwriters and other artists who will be among them.
April Verch is one of the most admired fiddlers worldwide. It’s not only extraordinary fiddle playing that endears her to fans, however. It’s also her stepdancing, singing, music composition and lyric writing, and a unique and wonderful artistic expression that flavors the various traditional fiddle music styles that she performs and records.
April had prodigious talent with the fiddle at an early age. At an even younger age, she demonstrated remarkable ability in stepdancing. Her talent continued to grow and brought her recognition in her native Ottawa Valley, Canada and later on far beyond. In 1997 she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. At the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, her performance with five other fiddlers in a segment that presented Canadian fiddle music was broadcast to millions of viewers. She has performed in many countries, and is a concert and festival favorite. In the greater Philadelphia region, April performed last year at the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival. She received a rousing reception. Last month, April performed at the Lansdowne Folk Club. Some of our readers were in attendance; they thoroughly enjoyed the concert.
April, you were 3 years old when you began stepdancing. At age 6 you started learning to play the fiddle. What was going on in your life and surroundings that contributed to those learning choices?
My parents are both fans of our local (Ottawa Valley) music and dance traditions. I grew up attending square dances, festivals and jamborees with them and listening to my dad’s country band practice. My older sister, Tawnya, was taking stepdancing lessons and I wanted to do everything she did, so I started taking stepdancing lessons at the age of 3. We took lessons from a local teacher, Buster Brown, who taught the style with his wife Pauline 5 days a week in different communities around the Ottawa Valley.
I’ve heard that you wanted to take up the fiddle earlier. Why didn’t you do so?
We were dancing to fiddle music and I was drawn to it, so I decided I wanted to play fiddle, too. I think I also liked the fact that every time there was fiddle music people were happy and having a good time. I believe I decided when I was 3 that I wanted a fiddle, but my parents didn’t really think I knew what I wanted for sure, and they were also worried that I wouldn’t have time and attention to practice both fiddle and dance, so I had to wait until I was 6 for my first fiddle. It was my birthday present. I think I had finally bugged them long enough at that point that they figured it wasn’t something that was going to pass!
You sometimes stepdance and play fiddle concurrently. When did you first start doing this?
When I was competing in Ontario fiddle and stepdancing competitions as a young girl, which we often did, though it was more about the social gathering than the actual “contest,” I saw a woman by the name of Cindy Thompson fiddle and stepdance at the same time. I don’t know exactly how old I was, maybe 9 or 10, and I was blown away. I figured “if she can do it, I can do it!” So I started working on it on my own and gradually taught myself to combine the two.
The opening track on The April Verch Anthology CD is “Canadian Reel Medley: Trip to Windsor, Back Up and Push, Dusty Miller, Woodchoppers Breakdown.” How old were you when this was recorded?
This track starts with an old recording from the late 1980s (I was around 10 years old at the time) and then it melds into a recording of me playing the same tune from a CD entitled Verchuosity which was released on Rounder Records in 2001.
What were the circumstances?
My dad and my sister and I had gone to play on CHIP radio in Fort-Coulonge, Quebec. It was a station we listened to a lot.—They played a lot of old country music and a lot of local artists. One of the hosts at the time was Red Bennett, and we had met him at a few events and he had invited us to come and play live on his show.
What do you recall about the experience?
It was my first live radio experience and I was pretty excited! We played a few tunes and he interviewed us in between.
Please talk about what is to be heard on the track.
The track starts with Red asking me about what we were going to play next and I say something like “some of my favorites, maybe yours too, eh?” I sound like I’m trying to be very grown up but really I just sound like a kid who’s thrilled to be playing on live radio. And then I tear into a tune much too fast, which I think a lot of kids do—tend to play too quickly.… So when it melds into the “current day” version of the same tune, the pace slows considerably to where the tune can groove a bit more!
The anthology CD allowed you to choose from tracks that were on 10 of your previously released recordings. What specific memories arose when you revisited some of the songs selected for inclusion on the CD?
It was amazing to listen back to each recording, because each one reminded me of a different phase of my life and my career. Remembering not just who was in the band or the studio at that time, but what was happening in my life, what my hopes and dreams were for that recording… For me personally, listening back was like seeing snapshots in a photo album.
Please tell us about the current members of your band.
Not a day goes by that I do not feel extremely grateful to have such amazing bandmates. Cody Walters plays bass and clawhammer banjo. He resides in Asheville, NC. And from Boston, MA, Alex Rubin joins us on guitar. Both Cody and Alex also contribute vocals. They are fantastic musicians and really wonderful human beings to hang out with offstage as well. I have tremendous respect for them.
You started full-time touring in 2000. Please tell us about several of your most memorable performance-related experiences.
Performing in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver was definitely a highlight and a huge production. I feel so fortunate to be able to play in so many different parts of the world and also so many different types of venues and events. Each one is different and special in its own way, and the the most memorable experiences for me as a performer come from the connections that we make in sharing our music with an audience. Hearing their stories after the show, seeing their faces and reactions. That’s what means the most. That can happen in a tiny space of a big hall, but it’s what sticks with me always.
How do you occupy your time while traveling to performance venues?
In all honesty, I spend almost all of my time working on the “business” aspect of my career when we are in the van, at the hotel, or between tours. I do have hobbies too, but right now my focus is mostly on doing what I can to keep us touring and doing what we love, and I’m okay with that, even if it’s sometimes a heavy load to keep up with. I feel fortunate to be able to do it.
You perform a variety of traditional fiddle styles. How are some of them similar to one another and how are they different?
A lot of the differences lie in the bowing patterns and ornamentation. Some styles are more articulate while others use longer bows and more notes slurred together. The ornamentation in the left hand also differs from style to style. In the fiddle styles that I play, the thing that ties them all together in my mind is that they are intended for dancing. They have a driving rhythm and how you achieve the dance groove might be different, but that is the ultimate goal for the music.
What formal and informal training and music exposure has been most helpful to you?
I first learned from local fiddlers that taught me “by ear.” Later I studied classical violin as well and learned to read music. Both methods and experiences were invaluable and I am glad to have both. More than anything have passionate, patient and dedicated teachers been my greatest asset.
You attended Berklee College of Music. How did that experience benefit you as a musician?
Attending Berklee really opened up my ears to styles of music I had never been exposed to before and made me realize how vast the possibilities are for my instrument, or any instrument for that matter. It was also great to be surrounded by so many musicians that were passionate about their craft and to learn about the business aspect of the industry. I still refer to some of my music business course books to this day.
Other than the styles of music that you perform and record, which do you most enjoy?
That’s a difficult question for me—I seem to go through phases and love a lot of genres. I don’t know that I would say that there are any that I love that I haven’t tried, because I tend to try most of them when I get really passionate about them. Right now I can’t seem to get enough of old classic country music.
When not on the road on in the studio, what are some of the activities that you most like doing?
I enjoy reading, walking, gardening and crafts. And hanging out with my family and neighbors. I’ve so much to learn from them.
Are you giving thought to your next CD?
I am! We will be recording this fall for a new CD to be released in 2019.
What do you expect might be on it?
I’m leaning towards that old classic country sound and thinking of going more in that direction. You heard it here first!
April Verch’s New Album ‘Once A Day’ Released Today
By Steven Brodsky
Once A Day is retro-wonderful, a masterful romp into the classic country music sound and heart that has largely vanished from today’s mainstream “country” genre. Fans of classic country music of the ’50s and ’60s will love this album. (I am one and I do.)
April Verch had this to say about Once A Day: “In many ways, making this album was not a choice. It was something I felt I had to do. It has been more daunting than any other project I’ve embarked on, because these songs, these artists, the history of this music matters to me on the deepest level. It is a love letter and a thank you letter in one, to the artists, songwriters, musicians, and industry professionals who created, perhaps in some cases without even realizing it, an era of music that speaks to me in a way that no other music does. If someone hears a song on this album and that prompts them to look up and love the original that will be the highest compliment I could receive.”
Information about April Verch’s overseas and U.S. concert tour is available at: www.AprilVerch.com.
W.B. Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.”
Posted 4-23-22
A Conversation With Staś Kmieć
By Steven Brodsky
It’s a challenge to be restrained in praise of the Yiddish-language, Joel Grey-directed, NYTF production of Fiddler onthe Roof—the show is that good. Fiddler, about as perfectly constructed a musical as there ever was, is here masterfully presented—reflecting the care and talent of the creative team, cast, and musicians. Dance in Fiddler is an important element—it entertains, reflects cultures and a time in history, and like everything else in this musical carries forth the story.
Staś Kmieć created the musical staging and choreography for this production. Staś is a world-class dancer and choreographer and an expert in Polish folk dance and culture. He was the perfect choice. Staś has performed and toured in many countries with dance icons such as Nureyev. He’s danced with the Boston Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, has been on the stages of Broadway, and appeared on film and television. He has choreographed musicals, plays, ballet, and opera in the U.S. and abroad. His background with Fiddler includes being on 2 two-year national tours of the musical with Theodore Bikel and 6 subsequent productions for 1,682 performances. Oh, and he’s also directed Fiddler a number of times.
Staś, this Fiddler is most special, in its creation and performance. How did you feel to be chosen as choreographer?
It is indeed a blessing. I have a long relationship with this show, but this was going to be different. With the recommendation of the Jerome Robbins Foundation and the “keeper of the Fiddler flame,” Sammy Dallas Bayes, I had been in the mix for this production since January. When Joel was officially announced as the Director in March, things took flight. The next day I was asked to meet with him and NYTF Artistic Director Zalmen Mlotek, and in the time it took me to ride the subway back to my apartment, I received notification that I was to be engaged for Fidler Afn Dakh [Fiddler’s title in Yiddish].
My title would be “Musical Staging and Choreography” —basically responsible for the stage picture whenever you hear music in a song, dance, scene or scene-to-scene transition. This would include the body language of the actors and how to incorporate the set pieces to effectively evoke a new location or scene. I also contributed and collaborated regarding blocking, group scenes, props, lighting, and costumes.
Due to my knowledge of the work, the culture and the time period being portrayed, I would provide an anchor to the work, but with one foot in tradition, and the other in concept.
As Fiddler should not be considered as a museum piece, I enjoyed the challenge of breathing new life and a fresh perspective into the work. Joel’s concept allowed me to explore, and I relished this opportunity to create.
The story is familiar. What happens within the story is grounded in the word “tradition.” The staging and choreography reflect realism—inspired by and always with a deep respect to the Jerome Robbins original. Some areas are completely new, while others build upon the original. I added layers of traditional dance, custom, shtetl culture, real actions and interactions, as only someone who knows and admires the work can do.
What were the challenges of choreographing this production?
There were many variables to consider. The size of the cast and the stage were the biggest considerations. Although a cast of 26 is considered large, I am accustomed to working with 40, and a minimum of 35. In so many ways I had to be creative with my use of the actors and the approach to the material.
Because Safra Hall is an auditorium and not a traditional theater space, a unit set was designed that was minimalist and representational. The costume design was also representative of a band of actors of today’s Jewish community who are telling the story of the 1905 Anatevka shtetl-village.
Then there was the glorious, beautiful Yiddish language. While this added a new dimension and colored the work in an exciting way, consideration needed to be made that the majority of the audience would not fully understand it. Combined with the set and costume challenges, the story needed to be conveyed visually. Audience members have remarked at how they became so attuned to the gestures, facial expressions and detail of the staging and choreography, that they experienced the musical from a totally different perspective.
Please describe the interaction that you had with Joel Grey. Collaboration and interaction—Joel and I have become the “perfect match!”
The genius of the original production of Fiddler on the Roof came from the collaboration of its creative personnel headed by director-choreographer Jerome Robbins.
Working with Joel since March during pre-production, auditions and rehearsals have been a treat. Through his eyes, I envisioned new ways of illustrating this classic work and was challenged by the prospect of this unique Fiddler.
Our approach to staging a musical is different, but the “yin and yang” of our relationship has proved to be most beneficial. It was a melding of ideas—we were on the “same page” with our thoughts, and, most importantly, trusted each other.
We have tabled discussion of future joint ventures but have hinted about several ideas we would like to pursue.
The tavern scene is spectacular and conveys by dance and other interaction the dynamic of the Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors. There’s presence of threat, some willingness to narrow a gap, and a semblance of communion brought about through dance. The dancing is wonderful, the acting superb. Speak to us about this scene.
“To Life – L’Chaim” (celebrating the marriage arrangement of Tzeitel to Lazar Wolf) matches the boisterous bravado of the Russians with the inner reserve and pride of the Jewish villagers. Two uniquely different styles of dance.
Robbins’ use of show-specific dance was clear and no better illustrated than in the integrated ethnic dance in Fiddler.
Due to my immense background in folk dance and its authentic elements, I was able to infuse and travel beyond the realm of what was previously done. This amounted to more levels (literally and figuratively) of Russian dance and an even stronger dynamic.
What was it like to choreograph the wedding scene?
The wedding of Tzeitel and Motel is a play in itself and I’ve incorporated many traditional Jewish elements. Beginning with the tying on stage of the customary “gartel” and continuing to the ceremony under the chuppah canopy—the bride is circled around the groom three times (traditionally it is seven) and there is breaking of the wine glass. Stanchions separate the genders, there’s a mothers-in-law koylitsh dance with the bride; and seated in chairs, the couple is hoisted into the air before settling down to more separate dances. I’ve included a “Patsch Tants” and “Freylekh Hora,” so there is even a greater element of traditional dance.
The iconic Bottle Dance is included with embellishments, but remains true to its source. Joel’s first question to me was, “How do you balance the bottles?” I told him, “a bottle, a hat and lots of practice!”
One section that has now been authentically clarified is the role of the “badkhen”—the wedding master of ceremonies, deliciously played by Michael Yashinsky. Serving as a wedding jester of sorts, he is supposed to move the wedding company to laughter (at the expense of others, i.e. Lazar Wolf) and to tears. He commands rapid transitions between extremes with concentrated bursts of melancholy or of joy.
I included a “Mitzvah Tants,” and restored the “kale baveynen,” where the “badkhn” attempts to get the bride and others to cry over serious matters before then making them laugh and rejoice. The text was omitted from the Yiddish translation, as it had evolved as an ad-lib and was never documented in the script.
The wedding scene ends Act 1 with a depiction of the disturbing reality of conflict.
Please speak about your experience of working on other scenes in the play.
I enjoy working with actors, who are in movement as their characters, not as dancers.
“The Fiddler” is a symbol of the traditions Tevye is trying to hold onto as his world changes around him. Played by Lauren Jeanne Thomas, the Fiddler is seen only by Tevye and remains within his struggle of conscience. With a proud, playful, mischievous, defiant, mournful and hopeful disposition, I wanted to bring this relationship via staging to the forefront.
Marrying outside of the Jewish faith is a violation of religious beliefs and grounds for disownment. With the “Chavaleh Ballet,” I strived to simply and effectively evoke happier times in Tevye’s dream-like recollection, and then bring the harsh reality into focus, as he is compelled to reject his beloved daughter. The juxtaposition of these two scenes creates a heart-wrenching poignancy.
Which non-dance moments in Fiddler are most poignant to you?
The opening “Tradition” (“Traditsye”) and the Exodus closing (though there is an element of movement involved in both). They are about identity and community—and are based on the communal circle.
Tevye explains that it is the longstanding traditions of their village, culture, and religion that steady and guide the people of Anatevka. Then the inhabitants of the small-town Jewish village community—the Shtetl emerge. They are close-knit townspeople. Theirs is a culture “lost in time,” which only exists in the memories and in the partial and altered behavior of its members now scattered around the world.
A small moment at the end where the Rabbi bows to his son Mendel and they separate—leaving in two separate directions, gets me every time.
Due to the representational nature of our set, the closing moments had to be considered carefully. I decided to end on a final image that represents the legacy and culture that was left behind and the imprint and memory that lingers on.
Sheldon Harnick, the show’s lyricist, remarked that “the ending is perfect, don’t change a thing.”
What did you find to be most unusual about the staging of this play, other than the language?
I would have to say the sparse production elements. Joel brought me into a design meeting before the rest of the production team. I said, “It’s different, and will challenge my views, and I’m ready to meet that challenge.”
Even though we didn’t have an actual house or tailor shop, and not even a doorway, I insisted that the kissing of the entryway mezuzah (containing a miniature parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah) remain. I taped a line as to where the entrances would be, and the actors identify the space as they mime the action.
How did working with the Yiddish-language script affect you?
It was mostly seamless. I know the text so intimately that I understood it, without exactly understanding it.
In preparation for each section to be staged, I would review the script, which appeared in 3 lines—Yiddish, transliterated English, and the show’s original libretto.
There were occasional areas of departure and lines that fell on different beats. The heart and soul of the work remained, and achieved grater relevance in the language of author Sholem Aleichlem’s 1894 classic Tevye the Milkman and other Tales, on which the musical is based.
Which acting moments are among your favorites?
Several come to mind: Steven Skybell in “If I Were a Rich Man” (“Ven Ikh Bin a Rotshild”), Skybell and Mary Illes in “Do You Love Me?” (“Libst Mikh, Sertse?”), the Chava rejection scene, Hodel’s “Far From The Home I Love” (“Vayt Fun Mayn Liber Heym”), and the kitchen scene with Jackie Hoffman as Yente.
When working on “Rich Man,” I told Skybell that we would discover his personal signature movement. It would not be Mostel or Topol, but him. Steven offers an authentic, honest and intrinsically Jewish portrayal and I see much of my grandfather’s persona in his performance.
Topol, who attended a performance early in the run, remarked about “Do You Love Me?”: “That’s how it should be done! So moving, so intimate, so real, so warm.” My sentiments exactly. Joel and I spent a long journey with this song and we are both moved each performance.
What do you think will be your fondest memories connected to this this production years from now?
The experience of working alongside and exchanging ideas with an icon who I grew up with, have admired for years, and who is now my friend. The cast—a special bend of talent, hard work and raw energy. The dedication of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, and the unique, creative process of rediscovering a work that I deeply love. There’s always something new to learn.
Originally Posted 7-23-18, Reposted 4-1-20
A Conversation With Steven Skybell
By Steven Brodsky
To be cast in a major role in a watershed theatrical staging of one of the world’s most popular musicals is about as rare an occurrence as hens’ teeth. It’s happened for Steven Skybell. He’s Tevye in the soon to open National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s Fiddler on the Roof.
This production is an American premiere of a Yiddish translation by Shraga Friedman that’s reported to have not been staged in over half a century. This Fiddler will very likely bring audiences somewhat closer to the heart of Sholem Aleichem and the shtetl life he wrote about. Fiddler, of course, is an adaptation of a number of Aleichem’s stories; Yiddish was his mother tongue.
Joel Grey is directing the show. He’s working with an esteemed cast and creative team. From Fiddler’s original production, the Folksbiene has engaged Sheldon Harnick (Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning lyricist) and the legendary producer/director Hal Prince as consultants. That production was unforgettable. (I was at one of the performances.) So will NYTF’s Fiddler. It’s a shame that it is scheduled for a run of only 8 weeks.
Steven Skybell has performed on Broadway, Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and elsewhere. He’s an OBIE Award recipient. Steven has taught acting at Yale, Harvard, and Fordham. He is on the acting faculty of NYU.
What went through your mind and what emotions did you experience when you first learned that you were cast as Tevye?
There have been times in my life when things seemed destined to happen. When I heard they were doing a Yiddish production of Fiddleron the Roof, I felt that it was something that I wanted to be a part of, and everything seemed to move into place accordingly. So when I found out that I was going to be playing Tevye in this Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof, I was happy beyond belief! I have wanted to be an actor since childhood; there is something about Fiddler on the Roof that holds a special place in a Jewish boy’s dreams. I’ve had the opportunity to be in Fiddler four previous times, beginning as early as age 11, when I held the chuppah in the wedding scene in an amateur production in my hometown of Lubbock, Texas.
The opportunity to be a part of this watershed production with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, is nothing less than a dream come true. It’s an honor and a delight. I am so looking forward to being able to share this amazing story with these memorable characters and melodies, merged with the authentic sound of the language of Sholem Aleichem. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
What aspects of Tevye’s experience and character resonates most strongly to you?
The role of Tevye is an amazing challenge in the world of musical theater. He gets to go through every emotion imaginable in the course of this play. And because he is so fully realized, I think he becomes an everyman for the audience. There are so many aspects of Tevye that I recognize in my own character. Obviously, the chance to play a Jewish person in conversation with his God, struggling to make right decisions concerning his family and his future, resonates very strongly with me. Tevye is a survivor. And while the circumstances of the play seem to overwhelm him, they don’t. I like to think, in my own life, I too am able to withstand and stay positive even in the face of life’s most difficult challenges. It’s that spirit, that life force, that is embodied in Tevye which inspires me and which I’d like to think lives within me as well.
An aspect of Tevye that has become clearer to me in this rehearsal process, is that even though we see him in the midst of what he describes as “a big poverty” and even though he dreams of being “as rich as a Rothschild,” in the course of the evening we see that he is far from being poor and destitute, and that he has been blessed with great richness and riches.
There is obviously a strong tragic vein in this musical, and that’s a challenge and a pleasure to play as an actor, but there’s also great humor and great joy. It’s this merging of “carrying a tear with joy” that makes this role and this musical so special.
What exposure to the Yiddish language did you have prior to accepting this role?
Like many Jewish children of the ’60s and ’70s, I grew up hearing my grandparents speak Yiddish. But sadly, it was only used when they wished to keep their meaning hidden. Later in my life, my brother and I began studying Yiddish together over the phone. We got some grammar books and would go through exercises and drills together over the phone. And then in the summer of 2005 (I believe), I was performing in Chicago, and I contacted the woman who teaches Yiddish at Northwestern University, Khane-Faygl Turtletaub. I went to her home once a week and had private Yiddish lessons. I just loved the language. And I did think that perhaps one day I might be able to find an opportunity to use Yiddish on the stage. When I met with the creative team for this production of Fiddler on the Roof, Zalmen Mlotek asked me why it was that I had learned Yiddish, and I could tell him that I did dream of one day performing with the Folksbiene. Needless to say, it has been an amazing challenge to rehearse in Yiddish, sing in Yiddish, and act in Yiddish. This theater does a great job in helping all the actors feel comfortable in this language.
Describe the challenges that Yiddish is presenting to you as you rehearse and otherwise get ready for the opening of this play.
Some specific challenges about performing in Yiddish include simply trying to memorize a language that is not completely your own. There’s also a difference between which word in English might be stressed and which word in the Yiddish version wants to be stressed, so that is something that has taken some painstaking practice.
Please give us an insider’s vista into Joel Grey’s direction of this play.
This is actually my second time to be directed by Joel Grey. He is, needless to say, an amazing performer. And he has the ability to empathize with the challenges of the actor and he also knows how to best help us, since he’s been on our side of the footlights too. He has such a deep and clear perspective on this play. And it is very refreshing to see that he is urging us all to go deeper than simply trying to recreate the Broadway version. This Yiddish version has its own soul, and Joel Grey is challenging us to dig deep for truth, for humor, and for Jewish soul. He is witty and funny and moving every day in rehearsal. It’s an honor for me to get to work with him, and his boundless energy is an inspiration. I definitely want to be like him when I grow up!
Jerome Robbins helped acquaint the original cast of Fiddler with Orthodox Jewish wedding dancing and other practices by clandestinely taking (with the assistance of a wedding caterer) cast members to Orthodox Jewish weddings. Have you and other cast members found it helpful to do any research to ensure accuracy on stage?
Although I was raised in the Reform movement of Judaism, my siblings and I have all found our way back to a more traditional Judaism over the years. All my siblings are now Orthodox. And over the years I have had the opportunity to observe the more traditional practices in their homes; and I even took part in a Shabbos exchange program through their shul which included spending the Sabbath in an ultra-Orthodox home in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
We also have in our cast, some Orthodox people. And they have been very helpful in filling out moments for us all and answering questions about certain details.
What scenes are you finding to be most enjoyable to rehearse?
The interesting thing about Fiddler on the Roof, is that it is an amazingly constructed piece of theater. It works so well. So truly every scene is a joy to rehearse. There’s nothing that is flawed in this piece. I will say that in rehearsal it has been so amazing to watch the dancers do their stuff. There is some incredible choreography in this musical and already the dancers are performing at such a high level of virtuosity and prowess. It’s a joy to watch.
How old were you when you first got involved in theatre? What stimulated your interest?
There was a children’s theater and a community theater in my hometown of Lubbock, Texas. I began performing there when I was 10 years old and very quickly felt like I had found something that I really wanted to do and loved to do. Since that time performing at the age of 10, I basically have pursued the dream my entire life.
As a high schooler, I spent my summers performing at the Interlochen Arts Academy summer camp in Interlochen, Michigan. That is where I became even more determined to pursue this as a career. I performed in musicals, operettas, and Shakespeare. And it was there that I first played Tevye at the age of 17! From there went on to pursue theater at Yale College and then received my Masters at the Yale School of Drama. I’ve been fortunate to build a career and stay busy on stage, television and film. And while it is not always an easy career, it has remained for me completely fulfilling and rewarding.
Originally posted 6-18-18, Reposted 4-1-20
A Conversation With Jennie Eisenhower
By Steven Brodsky
Performances September 18–October 7, 2018
Erma Bombeck was a national presence despite being a self-proclaimed “ordinary housewife”—in the years when that domestic role was accorded greater value and came with much constraint. As a writer and television personality her reach was enormous. Erma Bombeck’s column, it has been reported, at the apex of its popularity appeared in 900 newspapers. She wrote 15 books; many were bestsellers. She contributed to some of the most widely circulated magazines of her time and was a part of the Good Morning America television program for many years. Humor was a hallmark of Erma Bombeck, and her relatability a bridge to fans who identified with her as she addressed circumstances and travails similar to their own. Bombeck wrote from home—the location where many housewife-readers spent much of their own time. Erma Bombeck (as a character in the play that Jennie Eisenhower is directing at the Bristol Riverside Theatre) says, “The key to my writing is that I’m ordinary.” Her ordinariness, candor, humor, insights, terrific writing, personal initiative, and more, made her extraordinary. The one-woman play Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, Jennie’s Bristol Riverside Theatre directorial debut, will allow audiences to “meet” Erma Bombeck—the woman much of America knew and adored.
About Jennie: she is a renowned screen and stage actress, has won acclaim for her directorial work, and is a two-time Barrymore Award recipient.
Jennie, how familiar were you with Erma Bombeck prior to being asked to direct this one-woman play at Bristol Riverside Theatre? (Erma Bombeck passed away in 1996.)
I knew the name Erma Bombeck and knew that she was a columnist who wrote about motherhood and family. I had no idea until I began to research Bombeck in preparation for At Wit’s End that many of her one-liners were banging around in my subconscious for years without me knowing they were hers!
What do you most appreciate about the script?
I love that it infuses the biographical elements of Bombeck’s life with her humor and that the majority of the script quotes her directly. With 20 years of columns and 15 books there is so much to draw from and I am glad the authors took advantage of that. I laughed out loud several times during my first pass at the script, which is rare for me. Additionally, though Erma was in the height of her fame in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, I feel that the material is still incredibly relevant and compelling today.
How is directing a one-person play different than directing a play with numerous actors?
At Wit’s End is a solo piece that directly addresses the audience. Therefore the audience is a very active second character in the play and a lot of the work that Licia and I are doing won’t come alive until we have people watching. Most of the plays I’ve directed with large casts employ fourth wall realism and don’t actively engage with the audience and as a result feel very different to rehearse.
Licia Watson is portraying Erma Bombeck. What does she bring to the role?
Casting Erma was difficult. I wasn’t looking for an impersonator but I was looking for someone who could capture Bombeck’s unique mixture of earnestness and mischievousness. When Licia walked into the room to audition for us (we did two days of casting in NYC), she was instantly likable. That quality is, I believe, essential to making the show work and something that can’t be forced. Licia is the sort of person who, like Bombeck, I feel I could spend hours chatting with. Hopefully our audiences feel the same way!
What can you tell us about directing Licia in this production?
Licia is a director’s dream. First of all, she arrived on the first day of rehearsal with our 40-page, single-spaced script committed to memory. Because of her diligent preparation we were able to dive right into staging and begin to bring the play to life. Licia is flexible, brings great ideas to the table, and is a great collaborator. She is a wonderful comic technician and lovely person to spend time with. I am so grateful to have her on this project.
What are your favorite theatrical moments in Erma Bombeck:At Wit’s End?
I have two favorites: the first is when Bombeck attempts to impersonate the quintessential ’60s housewife only to nearly vacuum up her child’s hamster. The second is when Bombeck gives really confident and sassy responses to questions during an on-the-road press interview. These are two places where I find the script illustrates Bombeck’s unique personality so well. The juxtaposition of a flustered, can’t-quite-keep-it-all-together housewife and a strong, assertive public speaker—she really was both!—is delightful.
When and why did you decide that you wanted to make acting and directing a career path?
I was very theatrical as a child and loved to sing, act and put on shows for my family, forcing my brother and sister to work as co-stars, lighting technicians—whatever the production demanded! Next, I auditioned for middle and high school musicals and plays. I loved all of that so much I decided to major in theatre at Northwestern University and then pursue theatre for a living. I didn’t pursue work as a director until I had been in the business for about five years. Though as a child I was starring in and directing all of the family shows I created, for some reason it didn’t occur to me that I could be a director professionally. Perhaps it was because I subconsciously internalized the fact that most famous directors (with notable exceptions, of course) were male while I was growing up? Or because none of the shows I was in on campus at Northwestern were directed by women? For whatever reason, directing didn’t seem to be a possibility for me until I had been at it awhile and I became more confident as an artist.
What supported you in that decision and what obstacles were in your way?
I had an incredible opportunity to run a magnet arts high school music theatre program in Florida when I was 27. I needed a change and wanted to get away from my work as a musical theatre performer and get out of New York City. That year in Florida I directed two giant musicals and realized I was not only capable of directing but also passionate about it. When I moved from Philadelphia to Florida about 10 years ago I did so with the intention to direct professionally and have had the opportunity to do so at some wonderful theatres in this region. The Philadelphia theatre scene seems to understand that artists have many facets and isn’t as apt to pigeonhole people into one aspect of the industry like some of the larger markets are. Because of that, I have been able to wear many hats, so I am very grateful to the Philadelphia community and specifically Bristol, the Walnut, The Media Theatre and The Arden (so far!).
What aspects of Erma Bombeck’s celebrated “ordinariness” resonate with your own experience?
Motherhood is the great equalizer. I don’t care if you’re the queen of England, a movie star or a pro tennis player—if you’ve had a baby (and I have!), you’ve been thrown up on, kept up all night, and felt both love and frustration beyond what you ever imagined is possible. We are all ordinary when it comes down to the deep love we feel for our kids and how little control we have over their actions or how the world will mold them. That’s why Bombeck’s humor is so enduring.
What do you most admire about Erma Bombeck’s life work in and outside of her role and responsibilities as a housewife?
It’s ironic that when people bring up Erma, the first thing that comes up is “housewife.” Her brand and the humorous writing that made her famous is all about her role as a housewife, but she was a full-time working mother! I admire so much about her and am awed by her ability to raise three children and accomplish so much while doing so. I am grateful to Bombeck for her tireless work campaigning for the ERA. Her political activism not only made an important contribution to woman’s rights but also allowed her fanbase to witness a feminist who was still comfortable embracing the traditional role of homemaker and mother. I think she sent an important message about feminism to American women: that being a feminist didn’t necessarily mean one should divorce their husband, leave their kids, burn their bra or join a commune. A woman could be a stay-at-home mom and still demand the same respect and the same rights awarded to men.
If you would have had the opportunity to meet Erma Bombeck when you were a teenager, what questions might you have asked her?
I actually really wish I could meet Erma now, being a mother. I am endlessly fascinated by women who are able to manage having children and busy careers and what their secrets are. Also, I only have one child—women that have multiple children and are able to do more than get laundry put away blow my mind. So I would have had a lot of questions to ask Erma about how she did it all. It’s a shame she wasn’t with us longer as I would have loved to have met her.
What experiences in your life shape you the most as a performing artist and director?
I believe all artists are shaped by their life experiences and we inevitably bring parts of ourselves to every project we undertake. Every show I direct or perform in requires me to draw from different experiences I have had. On this particular show I am definitely drawing from my own experiences as a mother and as a feminist—and also as the daughter of an incredible mom (Julie Nixon Eisenhower) who raised three kids, was an impeccable homemaker and was STILL able to write a non-fiction book and become a New York Times bestselling author while we were all under the age of 10! This show is definitely for her.
Ticket information about the Bristol Riverside Theatre’s production of Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End is available at: www.brtstage.org.
Posted Sept. 5, 2018
A Conversation with Playwright Lauren Gunderson
By Steven Brodsky
Lauren Gunderson’s plays are enormously in demand. American Theatre said that she is “the most-produced living playwright in America, who reaches that spot on the strength of six separate titles.” One of those is I and You, scheduled for production at People’s Light from March 29 – April 23, 2017. The script won the 2014 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award. The questions and responses will endeavor to avoid spoiler territory; the play is best enjoyed in the absence of foreknowledge of its denouement.
What stimulated your interest in theatre?
The words came first. I loved crafting ideas through language even from an early age. I remember being so proud of a fifth-grade creative writing assignment where I wrote about a baseball being pitched in a World Series game (I was a big tomboy and loved Braves baseball). It was from the baseball’s perspective. The ball flew through the night air, cutting through the bright sports lights, spinning dizzily and arrested in the leather glove with a splash of wind and a smack on it’s cheek. I thought I was the first person in history to play with perspective like that.
I also loved acting and my mom will still tell the story of me playing Baby Bear in my kindergarten’s production of “The Three Little Bears” in Spanish. So playwriting was a combination of two things I loved and it’s what has kept me writing to this day.
At age 16, you wrote a letter to the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Margaret Edson. Tell us about the letter and the friendship that ensued.
Maggie is an Atlanta writer and teacher. I was overwhelmed with admiration for her play “Wit” when it came out and wrote her a note out of the blue expressing that. Amazingly she wrote me back and invited me over for tea to talk about writing. I couldn’t believe it. I will never forget the power of that gesture to a young writer. The respect and friendship she offered me set me going with confidence and inspiration. We connect every time I get back to Atlanta and I am deeply honored to call her a friend.
Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a vehicle of connection for the two characters in the play. Tell us about your first exposure to that poetry collection and how it affected you.
I remember reading Whitman in high school on a misty fall night in Atlanta sitting on the roof outside my bedroom window. His poetry was so invigorating to me, so rebellious and bold. It was one of the first American literature assignments that felt so charged and scandalous and rule-breaking. But it was also hopeful – even defiantly so. I think his work really affected my sense of what art can do for us. It can surprise, challenge, inspire and energize us to keep being better people and living louder and seeing the goodness and connectedness in all of us. Yawp!
How much fun was it to write about teenagers?
The language is fun, swift, rhythmic. It flows really easily and there is a lot of humor – self-deprecating or sassy. They can withstand emotion better than many adults because they can pivot from one feeling to another. The best part about writing teenagers is that they are at a time in their life where their future adulthood is imminent but inaccessible. They are all hope, idealism, and potential. They can be anything they dream… just not yet. That encourages a kind of grand thinking that is fun to write and also meaningful and nostalgic.
What did you experience in your teenage years in common with either or both of the characters?
I was much more of a nerd like Anthony but way less athletic. I can admit to some of Caroline’s angsty tendencies but I was too much of an optimist to align with her personality.
What are some of the most gratifying comments you’ve received from people who’ve attended “I and You”?
One teenager saw it at a high school matinee and brought her parents and grandparents back with her to see it again! I also love seeing so many young black men on stages across the country in this play. Diversity onstage is deeply important to me and I am proud that this play is a part of that trend towards representation equity in American theatre.
Was the writing process for this script much different than it was for your other plays?
Yes! This play works like a music box – the mechanics must be tight yet fluid to earn the pop at the end. I had to really be conscious of creating honest characters with depth of heart so it’s not just about the surprise. But I definitely knew where it was going before I started writing it. I had to know the ending to craft the story just right.
What locations and conditions do you find conducive to writing plays?
Morning + coffee + quiet.
Tell us about your writing routine.
See above
You were the first playwright to present a Perspectives in Criticism Talk at ATCA’s annual conference. How daunting was carrying out that honor?
It was riveting actually. I was honored to speak to a room full of theatre nerds and everyone was excited to talk about real issues. The first line of my speech was, “Hello my name is Lauren, I am a playwright and you are a room full of critics and this won’t be awkward at all.”
Have reviews of your plays affected your creativity?
No. I have a policy of enjoying the good reviews and ignoring the bad one. Life is too short to feel bad if someone didn’t understand or appreciate your work. So I just think, “onwards!”
Who do you rely upon for constructive criticism of your scripts?
I have some brilliant friends who are writers and I often ask them to read early drafts. But I learn the most from hearing the work in the mouths and bodies of excellent actors. Their ideas and experiences within my work are always the best lessons on its efficacy and authenticity.
Does rewriting tend to be less joyful than composing first drafts?
I love rewriting! It’s like solving a puzzle.
Were there many rewrites of I and You?
There always are. We learned a lot from the first production and continued honing the script after that. A lot of the rewrites were about heightening the tension between the two so it can burst and soften as they really start to connect on a deep, emotional level.
Information about the People’s Light production of I and You is at: www.peopleslight.org.
The 2024 IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC lineup was announced today
By Steven Brodsky
… in this International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) press release:
NASHVILLE (April 24, 2024) – The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and local host PineCone (Piedmont Council of Traditional Music) have announced the lineup for IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. Sierra Ferrell, Steep Canyon Rangers with special guests Chatham County Line, Sierra Hull, Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Danny Paisley, Amythyst Kiah, and Crying Uncle will headline the festival Sept. 27-28, 2024. The live weekend performances will take place at Red Hat Amphitheater and on stages all around downtown Raleigh.
In addition to the Red Hat Amphitheater, there are six more stages at IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. Performers on those stages include:
Balsam Range; Barefoot Movement; Broken Compass; Compton & Newberry; Chris Jones & the Night Drivers; Country Current (US Navy Band); Dewey & Leslie Brown; Earl White String Band; Evans, Smith & May, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen; From China to Appalachia (Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian); Golden Shoals, The Gospel Jubilators; The Gravy Boys; Hank, Pattie & the Current; Henhouse Prowlers; Jacob Jolliff Band; Jake Blount; Jake Leg; Jim Lauderdale; Junior Appalachian Musicians; Kaia Kater; Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands; Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road; New Dangerfield; Nixon; Blevins & Gage; Raised in Raleigh All Star Jam; Sister Sadie; Songs From the Road Band; The Tan & Sober Gentlemen; Tray Wellington Band; Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention 100th Anniversary; Unspoken Tradition; The Williamson Brothers; Wyatt Ellis; and more.
As in years past, events during IBMA World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.
“This is our favorite time of year. I just love seeing everyone coming down to Raleigh with guitars and banjos slung over their shoulders,” says David Brower, festival producer and executive director of PineCone. “In addition to all the bands playing the big stages, there’s also something special for the everyday pickers. We’re dedicating a stage to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers Convention. We’ll have contests for fiddlers, banjo, mandolin and guitar players, plus a great big square dance to cap off the afternoon each day. Lifting up North Carolina’s musical traditions is something we’ve been proud to do with the festival over the last decade.”
For the 12th year, PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. “Since helping bring this festival to Raleigh during the early days of PNC’s local growth story, all of us at PNC have been committed to making this event a success for visitors, residents and local businesses,” says Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “We look forward to this year’s event, the community togetherness it will foster and the economic impact it will create.”
IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC is part of the five-day IBMA World of Bluegrass event, billed “The Most Important Week in Bluegrass,” which also includes the IBMA Business Conference, the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble showcase series and the 35th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, Sept. 24-28.
Tickets and hotel reservations will open for IBMA members May 8 and to the general public May 15. More information is available at the IBMA World of Bluegrass website, www.worldofbluegrass.org.
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IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide. IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, featuring the best of the best in bluegrass today, helps benefit the IBMA Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introduces the music to thousands of new fans every year.
PineCone is the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music. It is a Raleigh-based nonprofit that serves as the official local host and festival producer for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. It was founded in 1984 by a group of friends looking to preserve, present and promote music and dance that’s rooted in the Piedmont. PineCone hosts year-round events that highlight rich and diverse musical traditions that’ve been passed down informally for generations. There’s more about PineCone’s concerts, jam sessions, workshops, camps, youth programs and weekly radio show at pinecone.org.
Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex is home to four pristine venues in Raleigh, North Carolina. Owned and operated by the City of Raleigh, the Raleigh Convention Center, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, and Red Hat Amphitheater are located within a two-block radius in the heart of Downtown Raleigh and welcome approximately one million visitors annually. Nearby, the City of Raleigh-owned Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek welcomes roughly 300,000 people each season.
Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) — As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the economic position of and provides opportunity for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes nearly 16 million visitors annually whose spending tops $2.3 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 21,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $243 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $592 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
The City of Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, home to several colleges and universities, with a vibrant performing arts community. Fueled by an impressive mix of education, ingenuity and collaboration, North Carolina’s capital city has become an internationally recognized leader in life, science and technology innovation.
Posted 4-24-24
Information about Earlier Bird tickets for the 52nd annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival is now online; the Festival will take place on August 30 – September 1, 2024 at the Salem County Fairgrounds in New Jersey
By Steven Brodsky
…The stellar lineup of performers scheduled to appear on the Festival’s main stage and information about Earlier Bird tickets are at: https://delawarevalleybluegrass.org/.
The Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival was founded by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.
Posted 4-5-24
The official music video for the title track of Wyatt Ellis’ debut album has been released
By Steven Brodsky
… Enjoy:
Posted 12-20-23
The 2023 IBMA Gospel Recording of the Year: Larry Sparks’ ‘The Scarlet Red Lines’
Larry Sparks’ recording of “The Scarlet Red Lines” was named as the Gospel Recording of the Year at the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.
Congratulations to Larry Sparks.
Posted 9-29-23, Reposted 12-20-23
Wyatt Ellis releases ‘Get Lost,’ a track from an upcoming album
By Steven Brodsky
… That album will be released on Wyatt Ellis’s Knee-High Records label.
Posted 9-11-23
‘Grassy Cove,’ the debut single of 14-year-old extraordinary mandolinist Wyatt Ellis, was released today; Sierra Hull is featured on the single
By Steven Brodsky
… “Grassy Cove” was written by Sierra Hull and Wyatt Ellis.
The readers of this column will be among the very first people to hear the single.
After you listen to the single and love it, share the love by linking to this post on social media.
From a press release about the single that was issued today, July 7, 2022:
During the darkest days of the pandemic, Ellis was chosen by Hull for a Tennessee Folklife Apprenticeship to study the traditional art of bluegrass mandolin. Working with Hull ignited what his parents have described as a “musical fire” in the young musician. A then-11-year-old Ellis went from playing a few hours a week to playing a few hours a day. Eager to improve under the watchful eye of a true virtuoso, Ellis jokes that he “didn’t put his mandolin down for three days” after finding out about the apprenticeship.
“Grassy Cove” was inspired by the rich musical history and natural beauty of Ellis’ home in East Tennessee. When Ellis was 12-years-old, on the way home from his grandpa’s house, he was driven through the picturesque community of Grassy Cove, TN at dusk. Seeing the fields lit up with sparkling fireflies, he hummed a simple melody. When Ellis got home, he quickly transferred the newborn tune to his mandolin. Fairly new to melody writing and a little unsure of himself, he brought the song to Hull for her opinion. Sierra jumped in with guidance, and along the way, added some very special touches.
“Wyatt came to me with an already existing three-part chord progression and a melody,” explains Hull. My hope was to simply point him toward some inspiration and encourage him to explore the entire instrument outside of first position while still keeping a strong melody as the core of the tune. He drove the train and I was simply along for the ride!”
“Grassy Cove” was recorded in early 2021 with Sierra’s husband, award-winning multi-instrumentalist and fellow East Tennessean, Moses, as producer. It was the young musician’s first experience in a recording studio.
“Being in a recording studio for the first time was a dream come true for me. It was surreal to listen through my headphones to my heroes recording a tune I had written. We were all so excited to be making music together in real life after almost two years of only online collaborations,” Wyatt recalls.
Holding his own with the best of them, Ellis was joined in the studio by a stellar list of who’s who of bluegrass musicians. In addition to the twin mandolin parts covered by Ellis and Hull, also on the track is Deanie Richardson (fiddle), Cory Walker (banjo), Mike Bub (bass), and Justin Moses (guitar).
“It’s really thrilling to see a young musician like Wyatt dive into his music so full-heartedly,” Hull adds. “He’s steeped in bluegrass tradition, but has the love and musical curiosity to keep learning, growing, and expanding.”
ABOUT WYATT ELLIS:
Born in the rich music bed of East Tennessee, Wyatt Ellis has quickly become one of the most-watched young musicians in bluegrass music. A devotee of Bill Monroe, Ellis has been mentored by many iconic musicians, including Sierra Hull, Bobby Osborne, Mike Compton, and others. Ellis has studied with mandolin masters, composed his own original instrumentals, and transitioned from playing alone in his living room to performing seamlessly alongside bluegrass legends and Hall of Famers. In his two short years on the scene, Ellis has become a multi-instrumentalist and has been invited to perform on stage with some of the most iconic musicians of this era, including Billy Strings, Dierks Bentley, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Dailey & Vincent, and Marty Stuart.
“Grassy Cove” will be included on an upcoming album that will be released on the Knee-High Records label.
Posted 7-7-23
‘The Ballad of Jed Clampett’ (with Earl Scruggs playing banjo)
Bill Monroe passed away 26 years ago at age 84 on September 9, 1996.
Posted 9-9-22
Revisiting With Carl Goldstein, Director of the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival and Treasured Pillar of Bluegrass
By Steven Brodsky
Few have done nearly as much for the bluegrass genre and its fans as has Carl. He co-founded the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music in 1971 and has served in a leadership role ever since. Carl has been the director of the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival throughout its history, including when it was known as the Delaware Bluegrass Festival. He is chair of the Brandywine Friends. The Brandywine Friends produces the Festival and a concert series. Carl is an inductee into the WVUD Radio Hall of Fame; he has hosted WVUD’s Fire on theMountain show since it went on the air in 1977. Carl has also significantly contributed to the history, present-day vibrancy, and future of bluegrass music in other ways.
We’re coming upon the 47th Annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, Labor Day weekend. This Festival is one of the nation’s best (and was recognized as the 2016 IBMA Event of the Year). Carl, when did you have confidence that this Festival was going to have longevity and would reach and maintain the highest level of stature?
We had no idea how successful we would be for the first several years, even though we had the greatest possible lineup of bluegrass talent headed by Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. The uniqueness of the concept in the Northeast and weather problems made the first several years tough, but after about year 3 or 4 we started to increase attendance. Of course national attention took a few more years to attain but our progress was steady.
The website of the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival contains a list of performers who have appeared at the Festival:http://delawarevalleybluegrass.org/legacy-of-performers/. Many of the greatest names in the history of bluegrass and country music have been on the Festival’s main stage. Which of the artists might you rank among your personal favorites and what songs of theirs do you most enjoy?
Of course Monroe and Stanley were pioneers of this music. We were incredibly fortunate to have them as our founders and to this day they rank among my favorites. Others would include the Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, Lester Flatt, the Country Gentlemen, Doc Watson, and our local heroes Ted Lundy and Bob Paisley. In recent years, the Seldom Scene, Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, Sister Sadie, and Patty Loveless would be among my favorites, but let me add, this is a very difficult question to answer. There would be many more if space allowed. To pick specific songs would require even more time and space—so let’s just say a huge number of songs from each of their repertoires remain my favorites.
Let’s talk about the upcoming Festival. Artists and festival attendees appreciate the capabilities of the Festival’s stage management. Who is involved and for how many years have they stage managed the Festival? What does the role of stage manager at the Festival entail?
In the early days a very few of us did everything, including MC, stage management, ticket sales and more. More recently Archie Warnock and Howard Parker have adroitly handled stage management. They coordinate all backstage activity, monitor the artists’ performance times and generally get things to run smoothly and on time. Their roles are vital.
Tell us about the stage announcers.
We are very fortunate to have two very fine MCs for our festival. Katy Daley is a legend among bluegrass DJs and personalities. She hosted a longtime radio program on WAMU Bluegrass Country and has written widely on the music. She and her co-host Bill Foster, also of WAMU fame, have a deep knowledge of the artists and present and provide a context to the audience to enhance their enjoyment.
Please touch upon the music and performance lineup of the 47thAnnual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival.
We have always tried to provide variety, with a view to emphasizing traditional bluegrass and showcasing its roots in old-time and related fields like western swing, traditional country, Cajun, etc. This year we feature two of the hottest acts in bluegrass, Hot Rize with Tim O’Brien, and Jerry Douglas’ Earls of Leicester, who recreate the classic sounds of Flatt and Scruggs. We also feature four of the six IBMA nominees for Emerging Artist of the Year: Mile Twelve, Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Sister Sadie, and High Fidelity. For variety we have western swing artists the Quebe Sisters, Dom Flemons (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), Mick Kinney (old-time/ragtime from Georgia), and early 20th century Tin Pan Alley style performers Bill and the Belles. There are a host of other great acts and I encourage your readers to check out our web site where there are not only bios but music clips to enjoy as well.
What do you most enjoy about Festival weekend, given that you attend to your responsibilities as festival director?
In addition to hearing as much great music as time allows my greatest satisfaction is watching our audience appreciate and enjoy our offerings, especially those new and unexpected acts we slip in, including folks who rarely and in most cases have never appeared at a bluegrass festival like last year’s Tuba Skinny—Dixieland from New Orleans, or Asleep at the Wheel, or Patty Loveless.
What are some of your fondest all-time Festival memories?
There are numerous outstanding memories but I think a couple of them would be the Bill Monroe and Doc Watson duet at our first year at the Salem County Fairgrounds, and the infamous year that Hurricane Edouard hit us head-on and yet, pros that they were, bands like Riders in the Sky played on (with comments like, “Hey those lawn chairs blowing past us look just like tumbleweeds!”). It was a financial challenge but a victory of heart and soul for performers and audience alike.
A Conversation With Carl Goldstein, Champion of Bluegrass Music
By Steven Brodsky
Among those who’ve done the most to preserve bluegrass music and further its appreciation is Carl Goldstein. Consistent with the informal yet respectful norm of the bluegrass community, I’m not using the title “The Honorable” before his name; he was a judge in Delaware for 40 years before retiring in 2013. With two others, Carl founded the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music in 1971. He’s provided leadership for the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival since its start in 1972. (The Festival was called the Delaware Bluegrass Festival until it moved to New Jersey in 1990.) Since 1977, Carl has hosted the Fire on the Mountain radio show on WVUD FM. In 2011, he was inducted into the WVUD Hall of Fame.
Carl, what are your official roles at the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music and the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival?
I’m Chair of the BFOTM and Director of the Festival.
How long have you served in these capacities?
Since the organization and Festival’s inception.
How did you get introduced to bluegrass music?
I became interested in folk music during the “folk music scare” of the ’60s although I had listened to country music and blues even before that time. I found the more earthy and honest music of early Appalachian music to be even more to my liking.
When you first got involved in bluegrass music, where did you travel to hear the music and to learn more about it?
I travelled with companions to southwest Virginia, western North Carolina and Tennessee to fiddlers’ conventions and the earliest bluegrass festivals.
What drew you to the music and how did it engage you?
The soulful, powerful and yet down to earth nature of the music drew me in. I started collecting the music and eventually learned to play guitar.
In your early years as a fan of bluegrass music, who were some of your favorite musicians?
The Stanley Brothers/Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, and the Country Gentlemen were among some early favorites.
What were some of your favorite songs?
Too many to single out I’m afraid.
What memories do you have of Sunset Park (the iconic country music venue that was located in Chester County, Pennsylvania)?
I lived only a half hour or so from Sunset Park. I went there many Sundays during the summer months and was lucky enough to hear many of the greats of bluegrass and country music. In addition, each week musicians would jam out in the field.
What caused the Delaware Valley to become a hotbed of bluegrass music?
During the tough economic years of the ’30s many families from the mid south relocated to the area (NE Maryland, Southeastern PA and Delaware) in search of work bringing with them their culture and music. Among these families were the Paisleys, the Lundys, and the Campbells (Ola Belle Reed) and many others.
How were Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe responsible for the first annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival?
Ralph Stanley, whom I had known from years of following his music, came to us on behalf of himself and Bill Monroe in 1971 asking whether our organization would host a festival – the first in the northeast. They were to supply the talent (although we did have some limited input) and we were to supply the venue and publicity. We were delighted to agree. The Festival was set for Labor Day weekend 1972. That first year it was in a KOA campground but moved to a newly constructed music park – Gloryland Park – the second year.
After the third year Bill and Ralph decided to start their own festivals that weekend in their respective home places. From that point on we produced the Festival ourselves and after their festivals ended in a few years we had each of them back nearly every other year.
Did you believe that the first Festival was going to become an annual event?
We had high hopes but that first year was a muddy mess. They (Bill and Ralph) and we persevered.
Please tell us about a few of your most valued memories associated with the Festival.
It was Lester Flatt who stepped up that 4th year at a fee we could afford so we were able to present a fine lineup our first year on our own.
Doc Watson and Bill Monroe did a rare and historic set together in 1990, our first year in New Jersey.
We had some legendary folks perform for us over the years. In addition to nearly all of the great bluegrass musicians, we have presented Merle Travis, Hank Thompson, and a number of special tribute sets and reunions that were very memorable like, for example, Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Stanley.
I should mention that the Brandywine Friends and hence the Bluegrass Festival is run by a Board of Directors of 16 members. They are all interesting, smart and funny human beings. I mention it here because part of the joy of the Festival is doing it with these exceptional folks.
Congratulations on the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival winning the award for 2016 IBMA Event of the Year. What components make the Festival a favorite of musicians and attendees year after year?
I think that because we are nonprofit and all volunteer we have the luxury of presenting a top-notch lineup of talent – top to bottom each year. While our main focus is bluegrass, we have always presented some variety with comparable genres like old-time music, traditional country music, Cajun and French Canadian.
We also include features like a Children’s Stage and a Kids’ Academy where youngsters can gain instruction in every bluegrass instrument during the course of the weekend. We are also known as a great jam festival. Our campground is filled with folks playing day and night.
Please speak about the lineup for the 46th Annual Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival taking place on Labor Day weekend.
Once again we have a great lineup featuring some of the best acts in traditional music – Del McCoury, the Gibson Brothers, and a host of others. We have the perennial favorites: The Grascals, Blue Highway, and IBMA 2016 Male Vocalist of the Year Danny Paisley. All that in addition to relative newcomers like Becky Buller and Flatt Lonesome and powerful old-time music from the Foghorn Stringband and April Verch – not to mention Asleep at the Wheel who I will in a moment.
Are there performers that you are especially looking forward to seeing this year? If so, why?
It’s always a treat for us to surprise our audience with an act that may be unexpected but is fully within our view of traditional music. This year it is Asleep at the Wheel – the legendary Texas Western Swing band. That’s gonna be fun.
What doyou most enjoy about hosting the Fire on the Mountain radio show?
I think it’s the audience. Each week I get calls from interesting and informed people. They have been very loyal over these 40 years and each year those folks lead all programs on the station for our fundraising efforts. They’re just great. Besides, if I weren’t playing that music on the air, I’d be home doing the same thing.
What does the future look like for bluegrass music and the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival?
If you’d asked me that question 15 or so years ago I might not have been as optimistic as I am now. There are a great number of younger folks playing bluegrass and old-time music these days. That in turn bodes well for the festivals.
The single was recorded on March 6, 1959 with Ben E. King as the lead vocalist.
Here comes “There Goes My Baby”:
Posted 4-24-24
‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’
By Steven Brodsky
… to commemorate Dusty Springfield’s birthday:
Dusty Springfield was born 85 years ago on April 16, 1939.
Posted 4-16-24
Many people found it easy to love Minnie Riperton’s recording of ‘Lovin’ You’
By Steven Brodsky
… 49 years ago, when the single for the song arrived at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 5, 1975.
You’ll likely love listening to the recording today.
Posted 4-5-24
Remembering Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) on Solomon Burke’s birthday
By Steven Brodsky
Solomon Burke, Grammy-winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, was born in West Philadelphia. His records and concerts influenced some of the greatest artists in soul, rock, and other genres.
… and read the chapter “The Song of Solomon: A Triptych” in Peter Guralnick’s excellent Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing.
On July 19, 2002, the City of Philadelphia honored Solomon Burke by declaring the day to be Solomon Burke Day.
I had the honor of doing a longform radio interview with Solomon Burke. The interview aired live on May 21, 2010.
Posted 3-21-24
Whether or not the song character in ‘I’m Not in Love’ was in love
By Steven Brodsky
… 49 years after 10cc’s The Original Soundtrack album was released, “I’m Not in Love” (on one of the album’s tracks) continues to be loved by many people.
The Original Soundtrack was released on March 11, 1975.
Posted 3-11-24
Janis Joplin’s album ‘Pearl’ was at the top of the Billboard 200 chart 53 years ago
By Steven Brodsky
… on February 27, 1971; it would go on to be in the number one position on that chart for a total of nine weeks.
The album had been released on January 11, 1971.
Janis Joplin passed away on October 4, 1970 at age 27.
Posted 2-27-24
Fifty-one years ago, Bruce Springsteen performed a concert at Villanova University’s St. Mary’s Hall auditorium
By Steven Brodsky
… That concert took place on January 16, 1973 before an audience of only fifty or fewer people because advertising for the concert could not run in a campus newspaper (because of a newspaper strike) and because The Boss was young in his career.
How young? Springsteen’s debut studio album, Greetings from Asbury Park, was newly released; the album was released on January 5, 1973.
“Spirit in the Night,” a track from Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ:
Posted 1-16-24
There weren’t many attendees at Bob Dylan’s Carnegie Hall debut performance
By Steven Brodsky
… nearly 62 years ago, on Saturday, November 4, 1961. Reportedly, 53 people purchased tickets to see the then 20-year old Dylan perform in a small auditorium that was located in Carnegie Hall. Tickets were priced at $2.00.
Bob Dylan did not perform “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
The song hadn’t been released nor had it been recorded.
Bob Dylan recorded “Blowin’ in the Wind” on July 9, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studios.
The recording was released on the A-side of a single on August 13, 1963 (the B-side is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”); it appears as a track on the album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963.
Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut didn’t draw much of crowd either, as this concert too was performed prior to the release of “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Gene Shay invited Dylan to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to perform the concert. The concert took place on Saturday, May 3, 1963 at the Philadelphia Ethical Society building on Rittenhouse Square. Approximately 45 people were in attendance. Tickets were priced at $1.50.
A few months before Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut, Dylan performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” on a television show:
Gene Shay told me that Dylan’s Philadelphia debut concert almost didn’t take place: the sound system components for the concert were inaccessible.
Gene Shay passed away from COVID-19 on April 17, 2020. He is greatly missed.
Posted 10-4-23
‘Mercy,’ indeed
By Steven Brodsky
… Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ was released 59 years ago.
Released on August 29, 1964:
Posted 8-29-23
There’s a bluebird in many hearts
By Steven Brodsky
… whose presence may be more apparent today, the birthday of Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994).
A recitation of Charles Bukowski’s “Bluebird”:
Miranda Lambert co-wrote and recorded “Bluebird.” The song was penned with some inspiration from the same-named Bukowski poem.
Shel Silverstein’s ‘A Boy Named Sue’ was released by Johnny Cash 54 years ago, on July 26, 1969
By Steven Brodsky
Shel Silverstein, a creative genius, wrote many other songs. He was a children’s book author, a cartoonist, and he was a poet. Read about the life of Shel Silverstein in the book A Boy Named Shel, by Lisa Rogak.
Posted 7-26-23
‘I was glad to get it over with, and I thought that would be the last of it.’
By Steven Brodsky
… said Freddy Fender about recording “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.”
Of course, it wasn’t the last of it: many millions of people would hear and adore the record.
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” was released on February 1, 1975.
It arrived at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 31, 1975 (and would remain on that chart for a total of 21 weeks).
On the 48th anniversary of the record reaching the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, enjoy:
Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerta, in 1937, in a Texas border town. He was the son of migrant workers.
Freddy Fender served in the U.S. Marines for three years.
After his discharge, he achieved recognition as a singer of Spanish translations of rock and roll and other songs.
In 1960, his release of “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” took off in the U.S. This national breakthrough was soon tamped down by a prison sentence. He served nearly three years of a five-year sentence in a very tough Louisiana prison for possessing two marijuana joints.
After his prison release, there was a long period of time working various jobs—with music a part-time endeavor.
While Freddy Fender was at work in a car wash, a record producer heard him singing and recognized his voice. Freddy was handed the producer’s business card. The encounter resulted in Freddy returning to recording.
Janis Ian, born in New Jersey on April 7, 1951, turned 71 years old today.
Happy birthday wishes to Janis Ian.
The song begs the question: What “truths,” dear readers, did you or will you learn at seventeen? There are some “truths” that are best unlearned.
Posted 4-7-23
An extraordinary marketing coup on behalf of a charitable effort
By Steven Brodsky
… occurred 38 years ago, on April 5, 1985, when thousands of radio stations across the globe simultaneously aired the single for “We Are the World.” This helped to ensure that the “We Are the World” single and video releases on behalf of those who had been suffering from a famine in Africa would be tremendously successful.
Posted 4-5-23
Imagination
By Steven Brodsky
… it can run away with us, as it did for the guy in the song that was in the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 52 years ago on April 3, 1971. That song, “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” recorded by The Temptations, would go on to occupy a spot on that chart for a total of 15 weeks.
Imagine watching a great cover performance by the Rolling Stones of “Just My Imagination, (Running Away With Me).”
Even better, just watch this:
Posted 4-3-23
On the 83rd anniversary of Woody Guthrie penning the lyrics to ‘This Land is Your Land’
By Steven Brodsky
Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics to “This Land is Your Land” on February 23, 1940 in a hotel that was located on the northwest corner of 43rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan (Sixth Avenue is now also known as Avenue of the Americas).
He was the ‘Jackie Robinson of television’; on his ‘show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people’; his show debuted nationally on November 5, 1956
By Steven Brodsky
… He was Nat King Cole, the first African American to host a television show on nationwide television. That show was TheNat King Cole Show. Today is the 66th anniversary of the national debut of the Nat King Show on NBC TV.
Nat King Cole ranks among the most acclaimed jazz and pop musicians of all time. Born as Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery Alabama in 1919, he would go on to achieve recording and concert performance success that was nearly unmatched by others of his generation. “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” “The Christmas Song,” are among the nearly 700 songs that he recorded. Well over 100 of Nat King Cole’s records charted. He was a prominent presence on national television shows (he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on six occasions).
The Nat King Cole Show was popular and attracted some of the most sought-after entertainers, but it could not secure a national sponsor (other than a few sponsors for brief periods of time before the show expanded from 15 minutes to a half hour). There were 30 sponsors with cooperative arrangements supporting the show across the country on local stations, but nationwide—not one.
In an essay in the February 1, 1958 issue of Ebony titled “WHY I QUIT MY TV SHOW” by Nat King Cole (as told to Lerone Bennett Jr.), Nat King Cole said, “For 13 months, I was the Jackie Robinson of television… On my show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people.”
… can prime an artist’s creative pump (yes, the proverbial cat that possessed this trait now comes to mind).
Posted 4-23-24
The 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Finals, featuring high school students from across the U.S., to take place on May 1-2, 2024 in Washington, DC; admission to the National Finals is free and open to the public; the Semifinals and Finals will livestream at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud
By Steven Brodsky
From a press release that was issued by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation:
Washington, DC and Chicago, IL April 4, 2024—The 2024 Poetry Out Loud® National Finals will be held in Washington, DC, May 1-2, bringing together high school students from across the nation to the capital for an exciting poetry recitation competition, where one student will win the title of national champion and a $20,000 prize. All 55 state and jurisdictional champions will compete in the national semifinals on Wednesday, May 1. Nine finalists will then proceed to the finals on Thursday, May 2. The semifinals and finals will take place at the Lisner Auditorium at the George Washington University and will be streamed live at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud. Visit PoetryOutLoud.org for the list of the 2024 Poetry Out Loud champions who will take part in the competition.
This year, more than 160,800 students participated in Poetry Out Loud, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation along with state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Since the program began in 2005, it has reached more than 4.4 million students from 20,000 schools.
“We congratulate each of our state and jurisdictional champions on making it to this moment, and we look forward to having them come together in Washington, DC, this spring,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “While Poetry Out Loud is a competition, it is also an opportunity for these students to forge new friendships through shared passion for poetry and performance while building communication and interpersonal skills that will serve them well in the future.”
“I continue to be impressed by Poetry Out Loud participants’ ability to breathe new life and personal significance into their selected poems,” said Michelle T. Boone, president and CEO of the Poetry Foundation. “I’d like to thank all Poetry Out Loud participants for demonstrating the power of poetry and extend a special congratulations to the champions who will be competing in the finals.”
A total of $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded at the National Finals, including $20,000 for the Poetry Out Loud National Champion, and $10,000 and $5,000 for the second- and third-place finalists, respectively. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded for Poetry Out Loud. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals are administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.
National Semifinals—Wednesday, May 1, 2024
The state and jurisdictional champions will compete in one of three National Semifinals between 9 – 8 PM ET at Lisner Auditorium, the George Washington University, 730 21st Street NW, Washington, DC. All three semifinals are free and open to the public—no ticket required.
Each poem recitation will be judged on criteria including physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy. The top three students from each semifinal, nine in total, will move on to the National Finals on May 2.
9 AM ET—Champions from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
1 PM ET—Champions from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
5 PM ET—Champions from Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
National Finals—Thursday, May 2, 2024
The National Finals will take place at 7 PM ET, also at Lisner Auditorium, and will culminate with the announcement of the 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. The National Finals are free and open to the public—no ticket required.
Judges are H-Dirksen L. Bauman, Amber McBride, Lupe Mendez, Mei Ann Teo, and Laura Tohe. The evening will also include a performance by acclaimed Haitian-American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Leyla McCalla.
In addition to the live competition at Lisner Auditorium, both the Semifinals and National Finals can be viewed via a one-time-only live webcast at Arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud.
Closed captioning in English and Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided for both the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals and Finals.
Join the conversation on X (Twitter) and Instagram using #POL24 and #IAmPoetryOutLoud and follow the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation at @PoetryOutLoud, @NEAArts, and @PoetryFound.
The Poetry Out Loud state champions also have the opportunity to compete in the Poetry Ourselves competition by submitting an original work of poetry in one of two categories: either a written poem or a video of a spoken poem. The winner and runner-up in each category will be selected by poet José Olivarez and announced at the May 2 National Finals competition.
About Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud starts in the classroom/school or at the local level with an area organization. Students memorize and recite poems they select from an anthology of more than 1,200 classic and contemporary poems. Winners then may advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.4 million students and 81,000 teachers from 20,000 schools and organizations across the nation have participated in Poetry Out Loud. For more information about Poetry Out Loud and how to participate in the 2024–2025 program, visit PoetryOutLoud.org
Posted 4-5-24
In commemoration of the birthday of Robert Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)
“Birches,” a song by Bill Morrissey, had been referenced in the main section of this column. I believe that Bill Morrissey probably titled the song as a nod to the same-named Robert Frost poem. Bill Morrissey spoke of the impact of Robert Frost’s poetry in an interview: “And then, as I got older, people like Robert Frost really hit me.” Bill Morrissey’s “Birches”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5n5ceAv_Bc&ab_channel=BillMorrissey-Topic. I never had an opportunity to interview Bill Morrissey.
Posted 3-26-24
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John Updike was born on March 18, 1932
By Steven Brodsky
… Enjoy this excellent brief film about John Updike’s roots in Shillington, Pennsylvania:
Reading some of John Updike’s published writing would be a great way to commemorate Updike’s upcoming birthday!
John Updike passed away on January 27, 2009 at age 76.
Posted 3-15-24
In recognition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s birthday tomorrow
By Steven Brodsky
… sharing this recitation with you:
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806.
Read the poem aloud; it’s not difficult to hear its musicality and to see the gorgeous imagery conjured by: “The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.”
Upon seeing the moon on special evenings, people sometimes sing the quoted line from the Noyes poem in the manner that Phil Ochs did on the linked recording, implicitly acknowledging the effectiveness of the poem and the song.
Posted 1-27-23
One can only imagine
By Steven Brodsky
… how great Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel Seeds of Pain, Seeds of Love (the working title) would be if the novel had been completed.
Revisiting this reading by Selby of a few pages from the incomplete manuscript of the novel because the pages and the reading are powerful and not everyone here now watched the reading when a link to it was originally posted, and because the writing exemplifies what can be achieved by someone who never completed formal education beyond the eighth grade and who had some huge personal challenges, and because I hope that the reading will inspire writing by some of you, but be aware that the reading contains a depiction of violence upon a juvenile by a parent and adult language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0wAJ8AFRmQ.
Seamus Heaney was born in Northern Ireland on April 13, 1939. He passed away on August 30, 2013.
Posted 2-2-22
A Conversation With Author Adriana Trigiani
By Steven Brodsky
Adriana Trigiani is a New York Times bestselling author. Her books have been published in thirty-six countries. Among her titles are: The Shoemaker’s Wife, All the Stars in the Heavens, Big Stone Gap, Lucia, Lucia, and the memoir Don’t Sing at theTable. She’s written for television, the stage, and wrote (and directed) the movie Big Stone Gap. Kiss Carlo is Adriana’s seventeenth novel.
You are very much identified with the category of women’s fiction. When you first started book writing, did you envision that your creative output was going to especially appeal to female readers as it has?
I hoped it would, and I crossed my fingers and aimed for it. You see, in my estimation, women need a respite and reprieve in this weary world, a place to go in their imaginations in ways that men do not. We need the lush worlds of fiction and the lessons of novelists to encourage us to examine our own lives and choices, artfully, spiritually, and in solitude- in peace and quiet- subject to reader. So, I’m thrilled to be considered a contributor to the genre called women’s fiction.
What percentage of your readers is female?
Probably most.
Very much enjoyed Kiss Carlo. There’s beauty in the story and its telling—sufficient to satisfy most female and male readers.
Thank you. The central character in Kiss Carlo is Nicky Castone, home from the war, back driving a cab in South Philly, engaged to Peachy DePino, and terrified that he is making all the wrong choices with his life. I began with the intention of writing a novel about how Nicky was mothered by every woman in his life- and it turned out to be a novel about seeking your bliss. Though, I’m sure, as you’re reading, you see the narrative ribbon of maternal pride, control and love through Hortense, Aunt Jo, Mamie and Peachy. It’s all there. And if men choose to pick it up- they’ll find a feast of meaning.
(Have Charles Bukowski’s poem “Bluebird” in mind in pleading the Fifth about whether this interviewer had tears in his eyes upon reading one or two book scenes involving Kiss Carlo character Mrs. Hortense Mooney.) This novel is historical fiction, opening in 1949. South Philadelphia and Roseto, Pennsylvania are major locales. Italian-American life in those communities, as it was in the ‘40s and ‘50s, comes alive in its pages. The book is rich in references, specific and accurate. Adriana, what research did you do?
I am a devoted and thorough reader when I do research- I also seek out folks who were alive during the period which I am living in (imaginatively of course). I find the combination of studying autobiographies of the period, culture, fashion, style, politics and religion of the time are inspiring and helpful. I walk in the steps of the characters, which spiritually gives me something tangible to feel, which leads me to feeling that there is something to do, which in turn makes me feel that I am there,in that world in 1949. For someone who wouldn’t know a Pontiac from a Ford in real life, I become a car nut when I’m writing fiction. I get heavily invested in cars. In terms of fashion, I become obsessed with a particular article of clothing- in Kiss Carlo, it was hats for women and for men. But, once I’ve had my fill of facts and stories and photographs, I put everything aside and let the characters take me into the world of their lives, and it’s as real to me as the one I’m living in at this moment. That’s the magic of writing novels, if there is any pixie dust at all to this process.
I really imbed in the locations of my books. Roseto, Pennsylvania and Roseto Valfortore, Italy are places of origin for my father’s father and my dad, and his family and for me- so I am eager to write about places I know intimately. South Philly is a bouquet of memories- as we had cousins who lived there, and as children, my parents brought us there- so it was a glamorous place to me, exotic. My grandfather’s life resonated in this story, in ways that I can’t even calculate- I did a lot of holding his pipes and inhaling the scents of his Blackjack tobacco, not much left in the pouch, but enough to inspire me to press ahead.
Oh, and I’m thrilled you had a few tears while reading. It’s what I hope will happen- that you are moved emotionally while reading my books- that’s the highest compliment you can pay me.
The work and challenges of a fictional South Philadelphia Shakespeare-producing theater are depicted in Kiss Carlo. I imagine that writing about theater in this novel, had much personal resonance for you given your earlier involvement with theater and your continuing experience as a literary artist. If so, please tell us about it.
Well, I began as a playwright, and imagine I will always be one. The world of the theater is one of my favorites to write about, as I know it intimately, and am at home there. The theater holds two important things for me- its familiarity and its possibility. I am at home in any theater. A blank space is heavenly to me. The possibilities, which come in the process, are endless and surprising. I bring the theater, the discipline of it, to every aspect of my life and work. When I write novels, I am longing to be in the theater, but I use the tools I learned there in the novels- hopefully giving my reader a sense of scope, with lush stage pictures and good dialogue to keep them dazzled by the storytelling. That’s my hope.
Of the characters in Kiss Carlo, which do you most identify with?
All of them.
Why?
I have to understand what motivates every character so each one feels alive, on a journey and indispensable. Each character must be built from the soul outward. I see them and hear them each in their own voice, with their own particularity. Each character has to be completely new, I believe that’s one of the reasons that readers continue to pick up my books. I aim to keep things fresh.
You’ve been publishing a book a year since your first novel was released. Has this routine unfolded organically? If not, what drives it? How do you manage to be so creatively prolific?
I believe there are no limits to the power of the imagination. The hardest aspect is the sitting for hours on end- but I have learned to counter that with physical movement, which helps. I am prolific because I don’t know how much time I have. Fear drives me, Steven. Fear has always driven me, and I imagine, when I get to the end, it will evermore. I am working on not being afraid of dying. Both of my parents were resplendent in the transition from life to death, so I have my work cut out for me!
You are in the midst of a book tour for Kiss Carlo. Do you write while touring?
I write poetry while touring. I work in other forms when I’m on the road. I meet old and new friends and it’s a wonderful mix of visiting the past and living in the present which makes me want to come up with beautiful ways to write about them and the experiences of the road, so I do it in verse. Now, I’m not saying this poetry is any good, but it is writing!
What are optimal writing conditions for you?
Quiet. Solitude. Good tools. Pens. Legal pads. Notebooks. I’m surrounded by books. I have a big table. Bright sunlight. My office. Bliss!
What is your writing schedule like and how disciplined are you in keeping to it?
I’m very disciplined. I let fear dictate my schedule- I keep to my contracts, which I use as my own checks and balance system. I have to work seven days a week. The heft of the hours is during the week- usually a full 8 hour workday. Weekends- lighter but I read and re-read and edit.
What stimulates your creativity?
I want to describe everything to my reader- people, the soup a character eats, the patina of the fabric on the chair upon which she sits, the scent in the air- so life really stimulates my creativity. But so does sleep- and my dreams, and the longing of what never can be, never will be, but must live somewhere, so it winds up in my books because it has to- because it is on fire within my imagination fuels my storytelling, therefore my creativity. When I write, a character can sweep me into a time and place where life is lush, or perhaps awful, but I am there, and that grows my imagination in ways I can’texplain, butdictates my desire to keep at it, to get better, to write more in order to connect more deeply with the reader.
Does the writing process sometimes intrude while you are engaged in social and other non-solitary activities?
Any writer will tell you, you can never turn it off. The work plays like a tune in your head, all day and all night. I can be walking around and something in the moment will trigger an idea, and suddenly, I’m off. My husband recognizes “the signs.” I talk to myself sometimes. I tap my fingers as if it’s Morse Code for later, when I can record an idea on paper. It sounds intrusive, but I’ve been this way all of my life- there’s the world in front of me, and the world inside me- and they co-exist until one takes precedence over the other, but they are always operating in tandem.
Some writers feel that discussing works in progress dissipates creative energy. Do you feel that way?
Sometimes. I don’t talk about works in progress much because when I have, they never end up to be what I’ve shared- and then it becomes, whatever happened to- and that’s just annoying.
What can you tell us about your current writing project?
It’s a big epic about two people who find each other and try to make a life together.
What supports you emotionally in your work as a writer?
I consider my work as a writer a job of service. I’m here to make readers laugh and cry and connect. I’m not interested in writing books that amuse me, but reach her, the person who picks one of my books up and is looking to be transported from this reality to another one. I want her to immerse herself in a story waiting that will hopefully enchant, amuse, delight and lift her out of her responsibilities, grief and disappointments and into a place and time that has nothing to do with this weary world. So, I guess, I am emotionally supported by my reader, who needs me to give her a good book to read.
How satisfying is your writing life?
I am so very blessed and so very, very lucky. I never dread my job- I go to it with all I’ve got, still as eager today as I was the first time I wrote a story when I was 11. I like the process. It’s not easy, but I’m not one for ease, I prefer a challenge. Writing has fed my intellect, grown my imagination and fueled my faith. I have no complaints about it- not one.
Do you have any regrets about being a writer?
The sitting is tough. But, I saw a commercial on TV where there’s a desk that goes up and down and you can stand and write. I might try that gizmo. But I don’t have any regrets about writing other than the sitting.
What are some of the most gratifying things readers have said to you during the Kiss Carlo book tour?
You’ve got me with this question.As much as I take delight in having made you weep a couple times while reading the book, I wish I could share what my readers give me- in terms of their own experiences and points of view and passion for life without weeping myself- but too late. I’m crying. I have a deep loyalty to my readers. They’ve been with me nearly twenty years now, and it’s an abiding relationship in my life- author and reader, that just grows ever deeper with each book. There’s a shorthand and an honesty- when my reader doesn’t like something, she is vocal about it. When she connects and loves something- she can’t wait to tell me. I have found more sisters on the road, more honorary aunts and grandmothers, muses and inspirations, angels and teachers through these books, than I could have ever dreamed of, or imagined. They have given me everything, therefore I owe them everything.
My mother Ida Bonicelli Trigiani was a librarian, and she taught me to revere the written word, to respect authors, and honor the library. After she died, I realized that it was she that had planted this sense of wonder in me, not only about life, but about books and the people that read them. I had several tour stops after her death in August of 2017, two in fact, a few days after her funeral- in libraries. Of course, they offered to cancel the events- but I needed to be with readers in the library- my friends, my girls- it was their strength and wisdom that pulled me through- and like good friends do, we laughed and remembered- they remembered their moms and I talked about mine, and we connected and connected and connected. And God willing and the creek don’t rise, we always will.
A Conversation With Willy Vlautin, Author of ‘Don’t Skip Out on Me’
By Steven Brodsky
Willy Vlautin is an artist of integrity and intensity. Readers of his books and those familiar with his songs from his work with the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines know this. Willy is the author of The Free, Lean on Pete, Northline, The MotelLife, and the just-released Don’t Skip Out on Me. A movie adaptation of Lean on Pete is days away from its theatrical release; it’s aptly named Lean on Pete. I’ve long wanted to see Lean on Pete transformed into a movie. In a 2010 radio interview with Willy, expressed my admiration for the book and told him of my hope that it would one day morph into a movie. That hope has been realized.
My invitation to Willy to do this Entertainment, Culture andMore interview was overdue—mea culpa, dear readers.
The releases of Don’t Skip Out on Me and the movie Lean on Pete arepractically concurrent (and exciting). Willy, how areyoustaying grounded?
Ha, it’s pretty easy to stay grounded because nothing much ever changes with me. I just hide out and work on my novels and songs. Sometimes I do alright at it and other times I don’t. I also have three horses and, man oh man, they keep you humble.
The central character of Don’t Skip Out on Me, Horace Hopper, is a heroic and tragic figure. Abandoned by his parents, he seeks to disidentify from his Paiute and Irish roots. He fabricates a Mexican persona and leaves Nevada ranch life to pursue “greatness” as a professional boxer.Negative self-image and accompanying doubts travel with him on his journey, though he’s buoyed and guided by principles of a self-help book. How did this character come to you?
I’ve always been interested in identity. One of the questions in the book asks, is Horace Native American or Irish? Does he have to be either? What is he? Maybe genetically he’s part Native American and Irish but he has no ethnic community or culture to fall back on, to guide him. He, like so many Americans, is a combination of things. After a few generations the old ethnic culture and identity begin to fade. It can get lonelier and more isolating. When we meet Horace, he’s just a lonely young man who likes heavy metal and is in love with the ideal of Mexican boxers. He was raised to be ashamed of himself and he sees the ideal of the Mexican boxer as a way out. He’s desperate enough to think he can change his identity to become Mexican and desperate enough to believe in a self-published self-help book called THE B.O.A.T –Believe, Overcome, Aspire, Triumph. Building the Champion Inside You.
As to where he came from, well I’m a lot like that kid. I never felt like I fit and I was always looking for a quick fix solution. I was always sure there had to be an easy way to fix myself without having to look inward. Becoming someone else was always such a great dream. And I admired Mexican boxers because they are so damn tough and I ain’t tough. So it all just sorta fell into place.
Where did you acquire knowledge of desert ranching?
I asked around some, read some, and watched from afar quite a bit. I have been in love with the high deserts of the West for most of my life so learning about that segment was a joy. I wrote the first section of the book thinking of Robert Laxalt, the great Basque Nevadan writer. His father was a sheepherder and Robert Laxalt wrote about their experience in THE SWEET PROMISED LAND. So that first section in DON’T SKIP OUT…is for him.
And of the kind of boxing world that Horace entered into?
I’ve followed boxing on and off for years, since I was a kid. I subscribed to The Ring magazine for years and I’ve always read about it even when I’m off going to fights. Plus, it’s hard to be a boxing fan in the NW. Not a lot of fights happening. But when I first came to Portland there was a decent Golden Gloves boxing community. I’d always go to those matches and while there I’d see the great Portland writer Katherine Dunn in the back, always in dark sunglasses and always writing about whichever fight she saw. She was so damn cool. Just the best. As a fan of novels about boxing, I’d always wanted to write one myself and this one’s it.
Isolated ranching work and solitary time of the writing life have similarity. How conscious were you of this when you were writing Don’t Skip Out on Me?
The idea of loneliness and isolation are themes in the book. I think nearly every character deals with loneliness. Some are literally isolated like Victor and Pedro, some are in self-imposed isolation like Mrs. Reese, some are stuck like Mr. Reese, and some are isolated by shame and self-hatred like Horace. I’m not sure I ever thought of it connected to writing but it’s probably in there somewhere although I got to say I never get tired of loneliness of writing. I never mind that part.
Mr. Reese, a sheep rancher, is the kind of person that many people will wish they had in their own upbringings. Was there a prototype for Mr. Reese in your own life?
He’s fictional. I wish I’d known a guy like that. If I had I probably wouldn’t be a haggard wreck of a writer/musician! My idea with him was, can a decent good old man save a failing, dented young man? There’s such a cost for scarring up a kid the way Horace has been scarred up. Even the love of this old couple who want to give Horace all their possessions and their hearts can’t beat Horace’s scars. Even the decency and dedication Mr. Reese shows to Horace might not be enough to save the kid.
When writing, what is the degree to which you emotionally engage with the experiences of your characters?
I always write them for myself, so I’m invested. Writing these stories help get me through. Being around Mr. Reese reminds me to be kind and decent and being around Horace inspires me to try to be my own sorta champion. Here’s this kid who doesn’t self-destruct under his pain but tries to be a champion. He tries the best he can, for who he is, to rise above his situation and the pain he’s in.
What was most challenging about Don’t Skip Out on Me?
The boxing and the ranching were the two hard parts of the book. Later on, it became a struggle to let Horace be Horace. I liked the guy so much that it was hard to let him make some of the decisions he’d eventually make. I knew he’d make them but it was hard to take. In general, all novels are difficult. They always start out easy and then slowly I seem to beat out the easiness and they become a real struggle to finish.
What flowed most easily?
Ha, the same things that were hard, the ranching and the boxing! I loved writing both those things, they’re just hard to get right.
A soundtrack for Don’t Skip Out on Me, by your band Richmond Fontaine, is downloadable for book buyers. Speak to us about the soundtrack.
All my novels start as songs. I’ll write a few tunes about a general idea and sometimes that will get me going on a book. But after that phase I usually stop writing songs set in the world of the book. It was different with DON’T SKIP OUT ON ME. It just felt like music from the very first page. It’s a story dipped in melancholy, and I think because of that the instrumental songs appeared with each chapter. When I got the novel into working shape I gave a copy of the book to each of the guys in RF. We’d quit playing by then but we are all pals and they were nice enough to do it. It was so damn fun. I brought in around 20 pretty rough instrumentals and the guys tricked them out. We rehearsed harder than we had in a while and knocked out the record pretty quick at a great studio here in Portland called Flora. My hope has been that after you’ve read the novel you’ll sometimes listen to the soundtrack and the characters and the world of the novel will come back to you. They will stay alive a bit longer.
Were you present during the filming of Lean on Pete? (Lean onPete is the second movie adaptation of a Willy Vlautin novel.)
They were nice enough to let hang around as much as I wanted. I checked out some of the race scenes and a couple others. I had a friend who was working on the movie too, so all in all it was a good time. But in the end, it’s not my project and I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way so I didn’t stay around too much.
Have you given thought to writing a sequel to any of your novels?
Sometimes I think about writing about Frank Flannigan from THE MOTEL LIFE and maybe I will someday. There are side characters I’d also like to write more about. Earl Hurley from THE MOTEL LIFE and Lonnie Dixon from LEAN ON PETE and DON’T SKIP OUT ON ME. But that’s about it. I will leave Charley Thompson from LEAN ON PETE alone and let him live with his aunt in Laramie forever, and Allison Johnson I just want her to be alright in Reno with Dan Mahony so I won’t mess with her again. Both her and Charley are too beat up and if I continue to write about them they’ll just get more banged up.
What might your next novel be about?
I have a few things I’m working on but I’m just not sure which one will be the right one.
You’ve been author touring Don’t Skip Out on Me. (This Harper Perennial release is Willy’s first hardcover book.) Where has this tour taken you and what have you most enjoyed about it?
I’ve been driving around the West and I love that. I drive myself so I stop wherever I want and explore little towns and take pictures. I listen to music and audiobooks all day. It’s pretty nice and the West is so amazing. I could spend my life driving it and never get bored. And then at night I stop by a bookstore and get to be in a room with people who love books. So it ain’t bad, except bookstores don’t have beer and I end up buying a trunk full of books.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to spray 123,276 acres of Pennsylvania state game lands during spring 2024 to control the spongy moth
By Steven Brodsky
The Pennsylvania Game Commission issued this news release today, April 22, 2024:
GAME COMMISSION ANNOUNCES SPRAYING PLANS
In an effort to protect wildlife habitat, the Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to spray over 123,000 acres of state game lands this spring to control a non-native invasive insect, the spongy moth.
Spraying is planned on 46 different state game lands – 123,276 acres in all – and will begin as soon as leaf-out occurs and spongy moth egg masses hatch, likely in late April and May.
“Those participating in spring gobbler seasons or otherwise enjoying state game lands may encounter aircraft spraying forested areas for spongy moths,” said Paul Weiss, Game Commission Chief Forester. “We recognize some hunters might be temporarily affected by these activities, but disturbances are brief and only temporary, and by protecting these valuable habitats against a destructive, invasive pest, the forests will provide hunters the opportunity to chase gobblers there for generations to come.”
No spraying will be scheduled the mornings of youth turkey season – Saturday, April 27 – or the opening day of spring gobbler season – Saturday, May 4.
Spongy moths previously were known by the common name gypsy moth, but the Entomological Society of America changed the name. More information on spongy moths and the Game Commission’s spraying program, including a map updating the status of spraying is available on an interactive web page at www.pgc.pa.gov.
Most of the blocks of forest to be sprayed can be treated within one day, often within only a few hours.
The insecticide to be used is Mimic 2LV. Its active ingredient is tebufenozide.
This agent generally is considered safe to humans. Most negative side effects happen with repeated, long-term exposure to high concentrations of the product. As with any chemical, it may cause eye or skin irritation if exposed, and it is recommended to wash any affected area if irritation occurs.
The forests to be treated in the coming weeks have building populations of spongy moths that, if left untreated, could cause severe defoliation this summer.
“Many of these areas were hit with a late frost last spring, Weiss said. “This additional stress on the trees makes it especially important to protect them this year.”
This year’s spraying will occur in the following regions: Southcentral, Northcentral, Southeast, Southwest, and Northeast. The Northwest Region has no spraying scheduled this year.
Weiss noted that previous spongy-moth impacts unfortunately led forests on state game lands to transition from mast-producing mixed-oak stands to stands dominated by birch and maple, which are not nearly as beneficial to wildlife.
“Oaks are the main target of spongy moths, and they also provide the best and most reliable wildlife foods,” Weiss said. “Unfortunately, in some areas, we have seen birch and maple replace the oak stands lost to past spongy-moth defoliation. This loss of acorn availability across such a potentially large area can have extremely detrimental impacts on wildlife populations ranging from chipmunks and squirrels all the way up to deer and bears. Even if the oak trees manage to survive damage caused by this defoliation, the reduction of acorn production can linger for years after.”
The Game Commission is aggressively treating this problem to protect the wildlife resources, in the immediate future and long term.
David Gustafson, director of the Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management, noted that, based on the value of state game lands’ oaks for wildlife, the agency simply can’t afford to forgo spraying this year.
“We know that oak forest habitats are tremendously valuable to all wildlife,” Gustafson said. “Everything from squirrels to bears to turkeys will have populations fluctuate based on acorn crops. If acorn production is low, bears will den earlier, weigh less, produce fewer and smaller cubs and get into more nuisance situations. Over-winter survival and reproduction for deer suffers when acorns are sparse. Neo-tropical birds, such as cerulean warblers, occupy habitats dominated by oaks. Wild turkey and ruffed grouse populations also depend on acorns. So the actions we take now help to keep all of that in balance.”
Posted 4-22-24
The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners ‘in a split vote postponed indefinitely final acceptance of the 2024-2033 American Marten Reintroduction and Management Plan, which calls for returning the native furbearer to the state’; the vote took place during the April 13, 2024 Commissioners’ meeting
By Steven Brodsky
From a Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) news release that was issued on April 13, 2024:
MARTEN PLAN POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
The Board of Game Commissioners today in a split vote postponed indefinitely final acceptance of the 2024-2033 American Marten Reintroduction and Management Plan, which calls for returning the native furbearer to the state.
But that might not be as long a delay as it might seem.
The plan outlines a long-term, 10-year strategy to translocate the species back to the state then conduct long-term monitoring to evaluate the reintroduction. It includes strategies on communications, partner engagement, costs and timelines.
The board released the marten plan for public comment in September 2023 then tabled adoption of the plan in January 2024 to collect additional information on habitat and human dimensions related to potential reintroduction.
Today, commissioners universally praised staff in the agency’s Bureau of Wildlife Management, and furbearer biologist Tom Keller in particular, for working to get those answers. Several board members said the resulting outreach efforts have helped erase opposition to marten reintroduction.
But a majority of the board stated such work should continue, to further educate hunters and nonhunters alike and build additional support.
Voting to postpone adoption of the plan were Commissioners Robert Schwalm, Scott Foradora, Allen Di Marco, Stanley Knick, Todd Pride and Dennis Fredericks, who first suggested the idea. Opposing postponement were Commissioners Michael Mitrick, Haley Sankey and Kristen Koppenhafer.
Commissioners said they’ve heard from lots of people about the issue and want to address their concerns before moving forward.
In the meantime, no one should get too hung up on the word “indefinitely,” Fredericks added. The board could revisit marten reintroduction soon, perhaps even before the end of the year.
President Commissioner Scott Foradora agreed this postponement is more a matter of timing than anything.
“I believe in a short amount of time we will have an affirmative decision,” he said.
Concerns over reintroducing martens have mostly been related to the potential impacts of martens on prey species, potential impacts of other predators on martens and the suitability of habitat in areas martens would be released.
Thought of the poem today when this early spring spattering of translucent yellow came into view trailside in a National Park:
Photo by Steven Brodsky
Some of this column’s readers will recall the Emily Dickinson poem the next time that they take notice of nature’s yellow in the great outdoors.
Posted 3-24-24
The 93rd Radnor Hunt Races to take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024; admission tickets and parking passes are available for purchase (admission tickets and parking passes are only sold in advance of the event – they must be purchased by May 8, 2024); all proceeds will benefit the open space and clean water programs of the Brandywine Conservancy
By Steven Brodsky
From the Brandywine Conservancy:
Chadds Ford, PA, February 28, 2024 — Celebrating 93 years of horseracing on the Main Line, the Radnor Hunt Races return on Saturday, May 18, 2024 in Willistown Township, Chester County. Tickets go on sale beginning March 1 for this springtime tradition that draws the best thoroughbred horses, riders and trainers from across the country. All event proceeds benefit the open space and clean water programs of the Brandywine Conservancy—the sole beneficiary of the Races for the last 44 years.
One of the oldest regional steeplechases, the Radnor Hunt Races will feature five thrilling jump races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. Special events throughout the day include the fourth annual Katherine W. Illoway Invitational Sidesaddle Race, the return of the adorable pony races, a spectacular antique carriage parade, and the much-loved parade of foxhounds.
A variety of entertainment packages are available, from regular and tented tailgates and box seat options to the all-inclusive Skip’s Fox’s Den—which offers both individual ticket options and table rentals for groups of 10. Located at the finish line, Skip’s Fox’s Den includes gourmet catering, full beverage service, private restrooms, and the opportunity to network and enjoy the races from the best seat in the house. The Kit’s Club, a family-friendly version of Skip’s Fox’s Den, will also return this year, offering a buffet lunch with a view of the finish line and age-appropriate games and activities—all children must be accompanied by an adult. And new this year, the all-inclusive Hounds Club, located on the hillside overlooking the homestretch and finish line, includes a gourmet buffet and open bar.
Admission to the Radnor Hunt Races is sold in advance and must be purchased by May 8—there are no Race Day sales. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.radnorhuntraces.org or by calling 610.388.8383. The Races will take place rain or shine on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the W. Burling Cocks Racecourse at the Radnor Hunt. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. The five jump races include the Milfern Cup at 1:30 p.m.; the Thompson Memorial Steeplechase at 2:10 p.m.; the Radnor Hunt Cup at 2:50 p.m.; the National Hunt Cup at 3:30 p.m.; and the Henry Collins at 4:10 p.m. Timing subject to change.
Since 1967, the Brandywine Conservancy—the sole beneficiary of the Radnor Hunt Races—has worked to preserve and protect water resources, breathtaking landscapes, history and active farmland in this region. With the help of the Races and many likeminded partners, the Conservancy has protected over 70,200 acres of open space—including the Radnor Hunt racecourse itself and surrounding lands—and continues to improve and safeguard water quality, land protection, outdoor recreation and historic preservation in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. Built on a rich history of horse racing that has been cultivated in this region for nearly 100 years, the Radnor Hunt Races is supported by the legacy of protecting the stunning open spaces that make this region such a beautiful place to call home. For more than 40 years, the Radnor Hunt Races have been “Racing for Open Space” in support of the Brandywine Conservancy—raising over $5.5 million for the organization’s clean water and open space efforts to date.
The 93rd Radnor Hunt Races are generously sponsored by RDS Automotive Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Revivalist Spirits, Black Stallion Estate Winery, dfYOUNG, Fox Rothschild LLP, Lockton Companies, Porsche Main Line, RDS INEOS Grenadier, Apogee Insurance Group, The National Bank of Malvern, Today Media. For more information about corporate sponsorship opportunities, please call 610.388.8308.
About the Brandywine Conservancy:
The Brandywine Conservancy protects water, conserves land, and engages communities. The Conservancy uses a multi-faceted approach to conservation. Staff work with private landowners who wish to see their lands protected forever and provide innovative community planning services to municipalities and other governmental agencies. The Conservancy currently holds more than 510 conservation and agricultural easements and has facilitated the permanent preservation of over 70,200 acres of land. The Conservancy is a program of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
About the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites, and important artists. The Conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come. The Museum of Art presents and collects historic and contemporary works of American art, engaging and exciting visitors of all ages through an array of exhibitions and programs. The Brandywine unites the inspiring experiences of art and nature, enhancing the quality of life in its community and among its diverse audiences.
Posted 3-19-24
‘Inch by inch’
By Steven Brodsky
A petunia plant’s first flower in the spring of 2023 Photo by Steven Brodsky
… and “row by row,” gardeners this spring will be making their gardens grow.
A perennially appealing gardening song:
Posted 3-5-24
A tarantula species was named after Johnny Cash 8 years ago, on February 5, 2016
By Steven Brodsky
… The species is found near Folsom State Prison, the venue where Johnny Cash’s first live album, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, was recorded on January 13, 1968. The album was released on May 6, 1968.
Folsom State Prison is located in Folsom, California.
… to the kind of death that was experienced by the character in Seamus Heaney’s poem “Death of a Naturalist.”
Posted 7-12-22
A Conversation With Katie Fallon, Author of ‘Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird’
By Steven Brodsky
Katie Fallon is a co-founder of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia. She’s worked with many species of raptors and other kinds of birds. Katie’s books include Cerulean Blues (2011) and the recently released Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird. Her essays have appeared in a number of literary journals. She has a lifelong love of nature. I’ve heard that the first word she ever spoke was “bird.”
Your new book gives vultures, particularly turkey vultures, the positive attention these non-predator raptors deserve. What brought about your interest in these maligned birds?
I’ve been fascinated by vultures for at least fifteen years. There was a roost near where I lived in West Virginia; every day I’d drive by this big, old dead tree with ten or so turkey vultures hunched in it. They became a familiar sight, and I looked forward to seeing them. Vultures are big and kind of dramatic, and in flight, there’s nothing more beautiful. In addition, they’re the ultimate recyclers—they turn death into life.
Many people in the U.S. have an aversion to vultures. Speak about this.
I think vultures remind people of their own mortality. It can be a little creepy to think about a large, dark bird waiting to consume your body when you die. In general, I don’t think people in the US are comfortable with thinking of our bodies as food. Vultures remind us that life will continue after we die, and that some life will continue because we die. They remind us of our animal bodies. Which can be unnerving!
In the absence of vultures, we’d have major health issues to contend with. Tell us why.
Vultures clean up our ecosystems by removing animal carcasses that could potentially contaminate soil and water. They can eat animals that have died of anthrax and botulism. In the absence of vultures, mammalian scavengers could increase in number, and many mammalian scavengers such as raccoons, skunks, feral dogs and cats can spread rabies; vultures do not. Several vulture species in India have suffered catastrophic population crashes in the last twenty years, and public health has suffered. India leads the world in human rabies cases, and the number of cases has increased as the number of feral dogs increased in the absence of vultures.
People get close to vultures by attending your presentations that feature non-releasable birds. How are these birds acquired? How are they trained?
The nonprofit I co-founded, the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, keeps eight non-releasable raptors for educational purposes (you need permits from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to do this, of course – the birds aren’t pets or personal property). All of our birds were injured wild birds that cannot return to the wild. We have three vultures. Lew the turkey vulture was hit by a car and suffered an injury to his shoulder that prevents flight. His “girlfriend,” Boris, was shot in the wing, and by the time she reached us the bone had already healed incorrectly. Our black vulture is Maverick, and he was hit by a car, which resulted in a shoulder injury that prevents adequate flight.
Our birds are all trained using positive reinforcement. We avoid negative reinforcement and punishment, and we try to empower the birds to have some control over their environments. We condition behaviors by offering food rewards when the birds perform the behaviors. Vultures (especially our black vulture!) learn quickly, and they are a lot of fun to work with.
What myths and misunderstandings about vultures do these presentations help to dispel?
People are surprised at how clean and charismatic the vultures are – and how beautiful they are up close, despite their featherless heads.
What vulture behaviors do people find to be most interesting?
People often ask if vultures throw up on us; our education vultures usually don’t (unless they get scared). Vultures also expel liquid waste on their legs and feet, probably to clean them as well as to keep cool. This often fascinates people as well.
Which species of vulture are found in Pennsylvania and neighboring states?
We have turkey vultures and black vultures. During the last Ice Age we may have had California condors, too, and possibly some other now-extinct vultures.
What has been learned about migration of these species?
Hawk Mountain has taken the lead on turkey vulture migration research. Dr. Keith Bildstein and his team have placed transmitters and wing tags on turkey vultures all over the Americas. They’ve learned that our eastern turkey vultures are partial migrants—some spend the winters in Florida, some on the New Jersey shore, some in Virginia, and in many places in between. Many western turkey vultures are complete migrants, leaving their breeding ranges in Canada and heading all the way to South America. And still others in the American southwest migrate into Central America and return. It’s fascinating how the different subspecies have different migratory strategies. Dr. Bildstein and his colleagues have ongoing research projects about turkey vulture migration, and are discovering more all the time.
Vultures have spectacular flying ability. What makes this possible?
Turkey vultures are very light – they have almost the same wingspan as a bald eagle but weigh less than half what an eagle weighs. Their wings are long and broad, and are made for soaring.
How high can they fly?
The Ruppell’s vulture holds the record for the highest-flying bird. Unfortunately for that individual, it was hit and killed by a jet flying over Africa at 37,000 feet.
Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird informs readers about lead toxicity in vultures. What is the extent of the problem? How do vultures ingest lead?
Vultures (and eagles, hawks, crows, ravens, and owls) can ingest small pieces of spent lead ammunition in animal carcasses or “gut piles” left by hunters. When someone shoots a white-tailed deer, for example, the deer is usually field-dressed, and many of the organs are left. This can be a delight for vultures and other scavengers! In ecosystems, scavengers often follow the big predators to clean up the leftovers; here, the same thing is happening—a human is the big predator, a gut pile is the leftover, and a vulture or eagle is the scavenger. However, if small lead fragments are still in the gut piles, avian scavengers can inadvertently ingest the lead and become sick. Lead toxicity from spent ammunition is the biggest obstacle in the way of California condor recovery.
The Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia provides rehabilitation for injured birds. What kind of care do vultures receive?
We’ve treated vultures with a wide variety of injuries and ailments—broken bones, head trauma, lead toxicity, soft tissue injuries. Every bird we admit receives an immediate comprehensive examination by an avian veterinarian, and is then treated as necessary with antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatories, fluid therapy, or chelation therapy. They also receive orthopedic surgery if necessary. We do our best to get the birds back out in the wild if possible.
It must be very joyful to enable an injured bird to regain flight ability. Please tell us about a memorable release.
Two and a half years ago we released a female turkey vulture that had been shot with a shotgun—she had three pellets embedded in soft tissue. We had to leave the pellets in her body because removing them would cause damage. Once she was nursed back to health, we released her wearing a transmitter to track her movements. We learned that she travels to northern Georgia in the winters and comes back to West Virginia in the breeding season. We are thrilled that this vulture was able to return to the wild—and thrive!
Vulture watching is growing in popularity. Turkey vultures are very widespread. Where are some of the best places and times to observe them?
In many parts of the southeastern United States, you can see turkey vultures any day of the year in a variety of habitats. In the winter, vultures can be observed roosting together in and near many cities: in Virginia, check out Leesburg, Staunton, Radford, Pulaski, and Charlottesville; in West Virginia, many vultures can be observed migrating in the fall over Hanging Rock Tower in Monroe County and over Harper’s Ferry in the eastern panhandle. During the summer and fall, the overlook at Cooper’s Rock State Forest near Morgantown, WV, is a sure place to see turkey vultures. Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, of course, is an excellent place to watch turkey vultures and birds of prey during migration, especially in September and October.
What stimulated your interest in nature?
I’ve always been an outdoors person. I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, and I had horses as a kid. I spent a great deal of time with my horses, trail riding and competing, and when I got a bit older I often went hiking and camping with friends and family. One of my favorite childhood hiking spots was Ricketts Glen State Park—it’s filled with hemlock trees and many gorgeous waterfalls. It’s definitely worth checking out if you visit northeastern PA.
Was “bird” your first word?
Yes! My parents had bird feeders in their yard when I was a baby (well, they still do) and my mother says she used to hold me in front of the window to show me the birds at the feeder. One day, she said, “Look at the birds! Look at the birds outside.” And I nodded and said, “Bird.” I haven’t stopped talking about them since.
The National Gallery of Art Announces its 2024 Jazz in the Garden Series
By Steven Brodsky
From a National Gallery of Art press release that was issued today, April 8, 2024:
Washington, DC—DC’s favorite summer concert series is back! Our Sculpture Garden turns 25 this summer and comes alive with musical performances. They will include jazz, Afro-Latin fusion, and more. Concerts will run on Fridays from May 31 through August 9, with a break on July 5.
The season kicks off with Grammy-nominated Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas on May 31. Other highlights include a Juneteenth celebration concert with the Muneer Nasser Quintet on June 21, Caribbean steelpan from Josanne Francis on June 28, and contemporary jazz from saxophonist Brent Birckhead on July 26.
To give everyone an equal chance of attending, we’ll once again offer registration through a lottery. The lottery will take place the week before each concert. It will open on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and close Friday at noon. We’ll notify all entrants whether or not they were selected the Monday before each concert. Those who are selected are welcome to register for up to four passes. Registration is required for all ages 2 and above.
A few additional passes will be available at all entrance gates—first-come, first-served—starting at 5:00 p.m. the night of each concert.
New this year: we will offer rain dates to registrants whose concerts are canceled due to weather. If a concert is canceled, we’ll contact those registrants directly.
On concert days, the Sculpture Garden closes from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Gates reopen at 5:00 p.m., and concerts begin at 6:00 p.m.
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is located on the north side of the National Mall. Entrances are at 7th Street NW, 9th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, and 9th Street and Madison Drive NW.
New data indicates that the arts and cultural industries contributed 4.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), $1.1 trillion, to the nation’s economy in 2022 — an all-time high
By Steven Brodsky
From a press release that was issued by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on March 25, 2024:
Washington, DC—New data released today show arts and cultural industries hit an all-time high in 2022, contributing 4.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or $1.1 trillion, to the U.S. economy. However, growth was not sector-wide, with performing arts organizations, non-government museums, and arts-related construction among the arts industries that have yet to reach their pre-pandemic levels of economic value. These findings and more come from the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA), a product of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that tracks the annual economic value of arts and cultural production from 35 industries—including both commercial and nonprofit entities. A national summary report and an accompanying interactive graphic are available on arts.gov, along with state-level estimates.
NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, said, “Research again shows that arts and culture make up a significant portion of our nation’s GDP, contributing to the strength of our national and state economies. While this is evidence of important contributions, there is also evidence of a more complicated story in which dimensions of the cultural sector are still struggling. Alongside economic value, we must also remember that arts and culture improve Americans’ lives and communities in many other tangible ways. We will continue to tap rigorous research and evaluation to tell the story of these enduring contributions.”
Arts and Cultural Industries as an Overall Sector
The overall arts economy grew by 4.8 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars between 2021 and 2022, a rate increase far surpassing that for the entire U.S. economy during the same time period. Since the pre-pandemic year of 2019, arts and cultural industries have surged by 13.6 percent. By contrast, the U.S. economy grew by 5.5 percent over the same period.
Top Arts and Cultural Industries
The top five industries by total value added to the U.S. economy in 2022 were: web publishing and streaming, broadcasting, government services (including public schools), publishing, and motion picture and video industries. The largest arts and cultural industry in the U.S., web publishing and streaming services, grew 40.9 percent in value added to GDP since 2019. Yet, from 2021 to 2022, this industry declined for the first time in recent history (by 1.4 percent).
In terms of percent growth in value added, in 2022, 25 out of 35 arts industries posted amounts exceeding 2019 levels, including agents and managers, sound recording, computer systems design, web publishing and streaming, and interior design services.
Arts and Cultural Industries that Declined in Economic Value
Six arts and cultural industries saw substantial declines—custom architectural woodwork and metalwork manufacturing, arts-related construction, printed goods manufacturing, photography and photo-finishing services, rental and leasing, and theatrical ticket agencies. Each of these industries showed a more than 10 percent decline in its economic value from 2019 through 2022.
Recovery of Performing Arts-Related Industries
The value added by three industries—independent artists, writers, and performers; performing arts presenters; and agents/managers—have all outstripped 2019 levels. (For example, the value added by independent artists, writers, and performers has jumped by 13.5 percent since 2019, with 18.4 percent growth between 2021 and 2022.) Performing arts organizations saw a steep decline in value added between 2020 and 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, however, the industry made a sharp comeback (an increase of 76.5 percent). Despite this rise, the value added by performing arts organizations is still below the pre-pandemic (2019) level. Note: the arts and cultural industries tracked in this account include both commercial and nonprofit entities.
Arts and Cultural Employment
In 2022, total arts and cultural employment recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 5.2 million workers employed to produce arts and cultural goods and services, for $540.9 billion in total compensation. (Note: ACPSA does not count self-employed artists and other cultural workers in its employment figures.) The top arts industries for employment include government services, arts retail, motion picture and video industries, broadcasting, and web publishing and streaming. Most arts industries (30 out of 35) saw gains in employment from 2021 to 2022. Overall, nearly half of all arts industries (17 out of 35) had higher employment levels in 2022 than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Arts and Cultural Imports and Exports
From 2021 through 2022, arts and cultural exports continued to increase; the trade surplus rose from $15.5 billion to $21.0 billion. Top imports in 2022 included jewelry and silverware, audio/visual production services for TV and movies, and other manufactured goods such as glass and china. Top arts export commodities included creative advertising, information services such as audio/visual production for TV and movies, and arts-related software publishing.
State Economic Data on Arts and Cultural Industries
Between 2021 and 2022, every state and the District of Columbia saw growth in value added to their economies from arts and cultural industries, with 21 states showing increases of 10 percent or greater, when not adjusting for inflation. The added economic value from arts and culture surpassed 2019 levels for every state and DC. In terms of employment, although 45 states and DC have seen stable or growing arts and cultural employment from 2021 to 2022, only 20 states have reached or surpassed their 2019 levels.
For information on specific states, BEA has available Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account fact sheets for each state. In addition, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), in partnership with the NEA, has created an interactive dashboard with information on value added to state economies through arts and cultural production, as well as employment and compensation figures for the creative workforce.
Using the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account Data
On April 2, 2024, the NEA will launch a new suite of research-and-data tools as part of its National Arts Statistics and Evidence-based Reporting Center (NASERC). One resource, the Arts Indicators Project, will highlight key developments and trends across four domains, including arts and cultural assets, and will reference the ACPSA along with other data sources. More information will be available in a webinar on April 2, “Monitoring the U.S. Arts Ecosystem” that will explore the importance of public data in the arts. Participants will include NEA Chair Jackson and Vipin Arora, director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, among others. Visit arts.gov for additional details and to register.
The spring 2024 season of the National Gallery of Art’s National Gallery Nights after-hours program has been announced
By Steven Brodsky
From a National Gallery of Art press release that was issued on February 12, 2024:
Washington, DC—We are thrilled to announce the spring 2024 season of our popular National Gallery Nights after-hours program. Events take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of March, April, and May in the East Building.
This season we celebrate “Color Theory” on March 14, “Flowers After Hours” on April 11, and “Art Prom” on May 9. Music, live performances, artmaking, and pop-up talks center around each theme. Our April and May programs feature activities on our 4th Street Plaza, which are open to all without registration.
A lottery for admission registration will be run the week before each of the events in this program. Admission is free.
The Brandywine Museum of Art to present ‘Karl J. Kuerner: The Continuity of Creativity,’ in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Museum acquiring the Kuerner Farm, a National Historic Landmark; the exhibition ‘will examine how Karl J. Kuerner’s artistic commitment to the Farm is reflected in his own work through 19 paintings spanning more than 40 years and created across mediums, including works in watercolor, oil and acrylic’; the exhibition will be on view on view January 27, 2024 – May 19, 2024
By Steven Brodsky
… Wow.
From the Brandywine Museum of Art:
Chadds Ford, PA, January 8, 2024 — In 2024, the Brandywine Museum of Art will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of acquiring Kuerner Farm—a National Historic Landmark that was a revered site of creative inspiration for artist Andrew Wyeth for over seven decades—which was generously donated to the Brandywine by the late Karl Kuerner Jr. and his family. In celebration of this anniversary, the Brandywine is thrilled to present Karl J. Kuerner: The Continuity of Creativity, a special exhibition that will honor the continued artistic legacy of this site. On view January 27 through May 19, 2024, The Continuity of Creativity will examine how Karl J. Kuerner’s artistic commitment to the Farm is reflected in his own work through 19 paintings spanning more than 40 years and created across mediums, including works in watercolor, oil and acrylic.
Featuring an early nineteenth-century farmhouse and an adjacent barn situated on 33 acres of land, Kuerner Farm was home to Karl and Anna Kuerner, who arrived as German immigrant farmers in the 1920s and were the subjects of many masterful studies by Andrew Wyeth throughout their lives. The second generation of Kuerners, led by the philanthropic spirit of Karl Kuerner Jr., ensured the property’s future by facilitating Brandywine’s acquisition of the Farm in 1999. In the years following Wyeth’s work there, the Farm has remained a place of vibrant artistic activity and ongoing creativity due in large part to the work of Karl J. Kuerner (b. 1957), an artist and member of the third generation of Kuerners to farm the land.
Kuerner’s body of work reflects the centrality of the Farm to his artistic practice. His first depictions of it proved to be a pivotal moment for the artist, who felt that Andrew Wyeth’s work there was of singular importance. When Kuerner was eighteen years old, Wyeth encouraged him to explore the Farm in his own work, emphasizing the artistic potential the property held. Kuerner later attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia and was also mentored by artist Carolyn Wyeth, Andrew’s older sister, in the early 1970s, who provided valuable advice and critiques. She arranged for his very first exhibition—a joint show with her at the Chadds Ford Gallery in 1977. Many of Kuerner’s early works, particularly those in oil, reflect Carolyn’s strong influence on his paintings.
Featured works in The Continuity of Creativity include landscapes, still lifes, and portraits that explore many aspects of farm life. From his insider’s point of view, Kuerner reveals the Farm as a site of a personal history to which he is deeply connected. This is augmented in the exhibition with an overview of the family history on the Farm, including many photographs drawn from the Kuerner family archives. Kuerner offers intimate views of the property and heartfelt portraits of the people who worked the land that are both specific to his family and convey a broader sense of immigrant and farm life in the United States.
“The artistic possibilities Andrew Wyeth foresaw at the Kuerner Farm have been born out in Kuerner’s work, as he tirelessly returns to the Farm as a subject, doing the difficult work of seeing the place anew with every painting,” said Amanda Burdan, Senior Curator at the Brandywine and curator of the exhibition. “As this exhibition will reveal, Kuerner has carried on the creative legacy of the Farm, not only through his own paintings, but also through the inspiration of other artists, making it a continued site of artistic intervention still to this day.” In addition to seasonal tours of the property, the Brandywine’s ongoing interpretation of the site includes a variety of public programs offered at the Farm throughout the year, including plein air painting and photography events, along with eight-week-long art classes taught by Kuerner.
“The Kuerner property holds a wonderful history and a bright future with many artistic discoveries still to be made,” said Kuerner. “The Farm witnessed so much over the course of its existence and continues to sustain those who see history and art as intertwined, much as the lives of the Kuerners and the Wyeths on this land. It is a landmark for both land conservation and art. I know my father would be thrilled by how the Farm still thrives as a part of the Brandywine Museum of Art and what the future holds.
Karl J. Kuerner: The Continuity of Creativity will be on view in the Brandywine’s second floor Strawbridge Family Gallery from January 27–May 19, 2024. Accompanying the exhibition, a fully illustrated publication includes an essay by Burdan and an artist statement by Kuerner.
About the Brandywine Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century Mill building with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine River. The Museum is located on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, PA. Current admission rates and hours of operation can be found at www.brandywine.org/hours. Guided tours of the Andrew Wyeth Studio, N.C. Wyeth House & Studio, and the Kuerner Farm—all National Historic Landmarks—are available seasonally (for an additional fee); advance reservations are recommended. For more information, call 610.388.2700 or visit brandywine.org/museum. The Museum is one of the two programs of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
About the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites, and important artists. The Conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come. The Museum of Art presents and collects historic and contemporary works of American art, engaging and exciting visitors of all ages through an array of exhibitions and programs. The Brandywine unites the inspiring experiences of art and nature, enhancing the quality of life in its community and among its diverse audiences.
Posted 1-9-24
A Conversation With Victoria Browning Wyeth
By Steven Brodsky
Victoria Browning Wyeth is the granddaughter of Andrew Wyeth and the niece of Jamie Wyeth. She is the great-granddaughter of N.C. Wyeth. Victoria is widely known for her dynamic gallery talks and lectures on the life and art of Andrew Wyeth. Victoria is a gifted photographer; her photos have been exhibited at a number of museums.
What are some of your fondest memories of your grandmother?
One of my fondest memories of my grandmother were our nicknames for each other. I always called my grandmother by two names: “Betsy” or “Mamma Sheep Turd.” I realize the second name might raise a few eyebrows so let me explain. I grew up in New York City, but would spend every summer in Cushing Maine with my grandparents. As a young girl, and as a grown woman, I have always detested sand, dirt and bugs. When I was about nine or so, my grandparents purchased Allen Island (near Port Clyde, Maine), and, in addition, a very large flock of sheep to help with the lawn “maintenance. Along with the sheep came sheep turds…. EVERYWHERE. So, she called me “City Slicker” and I called her “Mamma Sheep Turd.” When I was in college and we wrote each other letters, the post office at my college would giggle when they handed me a letter because of the return address. I always smile when I think of the looks people gave us when we used these names for each other.
My second fondest memory was when she taught me to put on makeup and put my hair in a French twist. I can still feel her hands in my hair helping me pin it up. When it came to applying makeup she would always say, “Vic… less is more.” To this day I am not much of a makeup person.
Finally, my most recent favorite memory involved cooking for my grandmother (and my uncle Jamie) on Sunday nights. Betsy was the chef in the family – her meals were simply out of this world yummy. Mashed potatoes, cookies, creamed eggs, popovers, etc. You name it and she could make it. After my grandfather died she scaled back her cooking quite a bit. Around six or seven years ago I started cooking Sunday dinners for my family. I wasn’t the best chef at first; I burned fish more than I would like to admit. One of the things that still brings a smile to my face was watching her gobble up every last morsel. She would look at Jamie and me and say, “mmmmm this is good.”
Betsy handled much of the business affairs of her husband Andrew. What prepared her for this?
She always had such a powerful business sense. I’m not quite sure where this came from, but she handled Andy’s business affairs with such grace and intelligence. She was quite the inspiration.
Please describe how Betsy furthered the career of Andrew?
My grandmother helped further his career by supporting him in numerous ways. The most important was through her love: she loved him with all of her heart. She would always tell him what she thought of his newest painting – if he needed to simplify something, if the color was too intense, etc. She was also very instrumental in titling many of his paintings.
What was the extent of Betsy’s involvement in titling the paintings of her husband?
She had a huge role in the titles. Take the painting Wind from the Sea. When my grandparents were discussing the piece Betsy said, “It looks like a wind is coming in from the sea.” Andy replied, “That’s it!! Wind from the Sea.” Her vocabulary was most impressive. For example, she would do the New York Times crossword puzzles in ink. This gave her an incredible bank of words to choose from when she helped to title the work.
Her ability to title wasn’t limited to paintings: when I was in graduate school and writing long research papers, I would call her and tell her my paper topic. She would then call me back with a title. For example, I wrote a paper on shell shock in British troops during World War I. She came up with the title “Over the Top.”
Were you able to observe Andrew while he was painting? If you were, did he discuss what he was working on?
Andy HATED having people watch him paint. He felt that having you watch him paint was an invasion. The only times I watched him paint were: (1) outside my window in the summer. He would work on watercolors or drawings outside my parent’s house in Cushing, Maine. He didn’t know I was looking, but I was. I couldn’t help myself. This is when I was a young girl (under 13). (2) When I would accidentally walk into the house when he was working on something. I would apologize and he would smile and say, “Hi darlin’. I’m just finishing up.” (3) When I posed. This was my favorite because we got to discuss everything. I would barrage him with all sorts of questions about his work, his life, his friends, etc. The last time I posed (back in 2005) I was giving lectures at the Brandywine River Museum. It was so cool because I would incorporate what we talked about into my gallery talk that day.
How sensitive was Andrew to what critics wrote about him?
He couldn’t have cared less what the critics thought.
Which paintings of his do you believe he remained most attached to?
He was almost always most attached to the painting that he was working on.
To your knowledge, were there times in Andrew’s life when he was without artistic inspiration? If there were, how did he reacquire inspiration?
To the best of my knowledge this never happened. Even when he was in the hospital (for a hip replacement) he drew his hospital room and the view out the window. He was inspired by everything and everyone.
Of the photos that you took of Andrew Wyeth, is there one that especially evokes cherished memories? Can you share those memories with us?
The one I took of him painting outside my window in Cushing, Maine. He was painting me and we would start working very early in the morning – 6:45 a.m. I overslept one morning and rushed downstairs. As I looked out of the living room window, I found him sitting out there with his watercolor pad on his lap, tissues everywhere (to blot the paper) and his watercolor box by his side. Whenever I get sad and miss him, this is what I think of and it always makes me smile.
You’ve given many pro bono talks. Which of those talks have been most gratifying to you? Please tell us why.
My favorite talks, pro bono and paid, have been the ones I have done at the state and local prisons. I feel that those who are incarcerated should be exposed to art as much as possible. Since they can’t go to a museum, I bring a museum to them. For example, this past January I lectured on the work of my grandfather to the gentlemen at the Maine State Prison in Maine. I went on January 16th – which is a very special day for me – the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. It was a beautiful snowy day and I packed my car up with a bunch of my uncle’s and grandfather’s watercolors and drawings and headed to the prison. I thought it would be fun to create a pop-up gallery in the prison and even more interesting to bring one of my grandfather’s models with me. It was a very special day for all of us. I will never forget looking at the reactions on the guys faces as they looked at the art.
The Brandywine River Museum of Art is currently closed to the public (as are other museums) because of the COVID-19 crisis. Is there a painting in the Museum’s collection by Andrew Wyeth that, at this moment, you are especially looking forward to seeing when the doors reopen?
I love seeing my grandmother’s portrait – Maga’s Daughter. I’m very excited to go visit her and say hi.
A 2018 Entertainment, Culture and More interview with Captain Arbin of the Ocean City Beach Patrol is posted below.
Posted 1-7-23
A Conversation with Captain Melbourne ‘Butch’ Arbin III of the Ocean City Beach Patrol (Ocean City, MD)
By Steven Brodsky
It’s an awesome pairing: 10 miles of award-winning beach and the renowned, heritage-rich Ocean City Beach Patrol. Since its start in1930, the OCBP has kept millions of visitors safe. At the helm is Captain Arbin. This is his 46th year with the OCBP. He became captain in 1997.
There’s an abundance of appreciation for Captain Arbin and the men and women of the OCBP. Subsequent to a radio interview I did with Captain Arbin in 2011, I received an outpouring of comments from listeners praising the work and presence of Captain Arbin and the Patrol. Life is precious. Captain Arbin and the more than 225 lifeguards under his command protect it and enforce ordinances on a nationally top-ranked beach, enabling an outstanding shore experience for Ocean City’s visitors.
What prompted your decision to sign on as a lifeguard?
I was on vacation with my family in 1972 and met one of the guards. Crew Chief Mark McCleskey was stationed at 43rd Street and aftertalking to him during that week, I thought what a great job this would be and he encouraged me to try out. My father also worked with a man in Baltimore whose son, Greg Pittman, was on the Patrol. I went back to Parkville and my mother signed me up for a senior lifesaving class at Woodcroft pool. The next summer when I was 15 (no age requirement back then) I tried out, but being a runner (I ran track at U of M in college) I was not as fast as the competitive swimmers and they only needed a few guards so I was not hired. I went back to Baltimore and got a job at the Cromwell Bridge Road Holiday Inn as a pool lifeguard. However, when I returned to OC that same summer on the family vacation, I checked in with Captain Craig and since they now had an opening he asked one of his lieutenants to give me the test. It was during the beginnings of a Nor’easter and based on my never quit attitude, I was hired. I was on a stand the next day and had my first rescue at the inlet. My family returned to Baltimore and I remained in OC on my own at 15. My mom tells me she cried the entire way home. It was many years later that Mark McCleskey would reappear back in my life when his son Parker joined the Junior Beach Patrol.
Another interesting turn of events was that my high school track coach and mentor, Don Wann, who had also graduated from Parkville High School, attended University of Maryland on a track scholarship and returned as a physical education teacher to Parkville (I followed the same path), would retire, move to Ocean City and work for me on the patrol.
Do many recruits join the OCBP for similar reasons?
Yes, most (90 percent) are recruited by current or past members of the Patrol. Many tell me that they have been coming to OC their entire lives and always looked up to the guards and wanted to be Ocean City lifeguards. We call them surf rescue technicians or SRTs.
What qualification testing is done for potential recruits?
Because of the unique demands of the job, the Beach Patrol does not require or recognize certification of past experience with other agencies. All individuals seeking employment with the Ocean City Beach Patrol must successfully complete all aspects of a 10-phase pre-employment physical skills evaluation and pass an English language verbal comprehension/proficiency test. They must successfully complete: a 500m swim (off-site) or a 400m ocean swim in 10 minutes or less, a series of simulated rescues with and without the aid of a rescue buoy, a deep-water physical skill evaluation of holds and releases, a victim transport training session and victim removal test, a buoy preparation training session and mock buoy-runs, a rescue medley of 150m run and a 100m swim through the surf and 150m return run (on-site). Each applicant must complete a candidate questionnaire and actively participate in an informational interview with beach patrol staff. The final step is an interview with the beach patrol captain after receiving a recommendation from the interview committee to be given an appointment to the Surf Rescue Academy.
How long into your involvement with the OCBP did you come to realize that you and the beach patrol could develop a decades-long relationship?
As I was in high school, I needed to decide what I wanted to do in life. After considering police work, joining the Marines or college, the Marine recruiter who had gotten close to me said, “If you go to college and don’t like it we will still take you, so give college a try.” (Captain Arbin attended college and afterwards entered the teaching profession. – S.B.) I knew being an educator would allow me to have summers off….I now warn recruits that if they don’t want to be teachers they probably should not get involved with the Patrol.
How have the training and work responsibilities of the OCBP’s surf rescue technicians evolved over the years of your involvement?
The basic job has not changed much at all: watch for people in trouble, run as fast as you can to that area, swim out with a buoy (flotation device), make contact and keep them calm, return them back to safety, run back to the stand and be prepared to do it all again. However, the training and organization have changed tremendously. When I started I tested on day one and was on a stand the next. Now we have 8 days at the Surf Rescue Academy where all training and certifications take place, followed by 3 weeks of on the stand supervised probation. We also have advanced certification as well as a leadership development program. There is also a very objective supervision and evaluation program to assure that all of our employees are progressing as expected.
What does the training at OCBP’s Surf Rescue Academy entail and what goes into the probation period that follows graduation?
As we do not require any certifications or prior experience to work as a surf rescue technician, we include everything needed to be successful in the 65 hours at our Surf Rescue Academy, over 8 days. During these 8 days there is a combination of physical training/skills, classroom instruction and on the job training with an experienced supervisor. Following the 8 days, the PSRT (probation SRT) is assigned to a crew for “supervised probation on a stand. Each week, for the 3 weeks of “supervised probation,” the crew chief will provide written feedback to each PSRT in the crew. This will include an evaluation of how they are doing on various aspects of the job, a recommendation on areas for improvement and a goal that has been written by the PSRT. This information is then passed to the next supervisor to assure that the PSRT is making adequate progress towards the goal of being removed from probation and becoming an SRT 1. (This includes a pay increase.)
Those seeking to return to the patrol have to recertify every year. Tell us about this.
There are two aspects to veteran recertification. First is requalification. All returning SRTs must requalify on both the timed 400 meter run followed immediately by the 500 meter run. They must meet the same requirements as a candidate trying out for the first time and I personally time every requalification and will not allow even a 1 second failure to continue guarding.
Second aspect is recertification/retraining. All certifications are updated which include first aid, CPR, AED, critical skills in search and recovery, sand collapse, management of spinal injuries as well as other topics determined to be emphasized that season.
This is done in a single day and is scheduled in groups of 18-20 while still maintaining full coverage of the beach.
Teamwork and personal responsibility are essential for OCBP’s surf rescue technicians. Please speak to this.
Candidates are told during testing that they are being judged on teamwork and encouragement of each other. We work in crews which are like smaller family units (20 crews) with 7-8 members. They are expected to do what is right even if they think no one is watching (integrity) and to always uphold our high standards. Each is the backup for the SRT next to him or her.
The SRTs interact with all sorts of people. How does the patrol help them to develop the necessary communication skills?
We start working on this during the testing and we train and practice this during SRA and we include this on the PSRT evaluations. We actually have them practice presenting to each other during SRA. Once placed in a crew, the crew chief will have them assist during safety seminars and give them feedback. If they are going to work with any of our youth programs they are required to attend a specialized training and certification.
What physical training is required of SRTs during the patrol season?
All SRTs are required to complete their crew’s designed workout for the day, alternating running and swimming workouts. We also have competitions throughout the season (local, regional and national). We also have competitions specific to women and youth. By using competition to motivate our staff, they work out on their own (without pay), yet it benefits the Patrol.
This helps the SRTs to remain alert and focused while on the stand, yes?
Working out does keep you alert. We also give many tricks and tips to help stay alert on the very slow days (cold and rainy). We have a policy that anytime a Beach Patrol mobile unit passes behind the stand that SRT must stand to acknowledge that he or she saw the vehicle. If the SRT fails to stand then we can do a closer check. The most critical skill that an SRT has is the scan (looking north and south and then all around).
What else is incorporated into the work day to ensure that SRTs are at their best?
They are expected to get off the stand several times and do ordinance checks from the stands to their north and south. They also are seen by both the crew chief and area supervisor several times each day. They have other tasks that they must do each day: semaphore, working out, filling out the chalkboard on the back of the stand, moving the stand and building a sand pile.
In August 2015, the patrol had a very busy two days rescuing people from rip currents. Tell us about this.
Perfect storm…tides, surf, wind, weather, crowds. We had a tropical depression in the Atlantic Basin which caused larger than normal waves. We had some wind (helps waves to build in size), a midday outgoing tide, and we had large crowds all wanting to be in the ocean.
With all this water coming across the sandbar being trapped in the “trough” it must make its way back out, which is the mechanism for a rip current.
In OC, MD 95 percent of our rescues are rip current related.
Once we start seeing this trend, we will pull everyone out of the ocean, have the SRTs call the beach patrons on their beach over to the stand, and give a “safety talk.” This does two things. It educates the people and also stops all the action and allows us to reset.
What is a typical number of rescues for the patrol in a beach season?
We say 2,000–4,000. However, if we have little tropical activity we are at the low end; if it is a busy tropical season we are near the higher number. Because of our increased efforts at public education, we are seeing a more informed public which has reduced the number of rescues while on duty, but even more important is there are many fewer deaths while we are off-duty.
Parent distraction is a safety issue. Please speak to this as a reminder for parents to keep their eyes on their kids while near any body of water.
People are relaxed on vacation and things are more flexible. What we see quite often is that each adult thought another one was watching and the child has wandered away before the adults realized it. Although we have lost individuals from 1 year old to 90 years old, most are 4–10. What parents don’t realize is that to children all umbrellas look alike and once they are past the “berm” (high spot before the beach slopes to the ocean), they can’t see where they just came from. Also, add in that the current will move people along the beach and that they may exit the water far from where they entered. Once children realize they are lost they start the walk of fear, usually walking with the wind to their backs. We have located children as young as 4 years old many miles from the family. Children should be introduced to the SRT on their beach so they know that the lifeguard is a safe person and they should go to them if they can’t find their family.
Each SRT is trained in dealing with lost or found individuals. A lost individual is the person a family member reports as missing and a found individual is when we have the person who is missing. A very important part is keeping parents calm and with one of the SRTs, otherwise we locate the child and now have missing parents. The SRT will get very basic information from the parent (name of child, age, color of bathing suit) and send this up and down the beach using semaphore (the flag language used to communicate between stands). Most children are located within 5–10 minutes once we have been alerted. In addition to semaphore, the information is radioed to the 911 center.
We locate between 1,000–2,000 missing individuals each season, with a 100 percent success rate. Dads lose more children than moms.
What causes most spinal injuries in beach areas?
The three major causes are diving into shallow water, body surfing, and body boarding. We always say feet first, as a reminder to check the water depth with your feet not your head. Another very dangerous time is during “shore break” activity. Shore break is when the waves continue to build in size and strength and only break once they arrive onto the beach rather than breaking over a sandbar into a deep trough. The person who is riding that wave is thrown headfirst onto the beach. We call this going over the falls…wet sand is no more forgiving than concrete. If hit wrong it can cause a serious neck or back injury or even death. When riding a body board, you need to remain on the rear half and if you are getting ready to go over the falls you can go off the back of the board and prevent being slammed.
How do the SRTs deal with possible spinal injuries?
Because of the unique nature of a spinal injury in the surf zone the method used in a pool or lake (backboard before removal) will not work and has the potential to make the injury worse.
By working with emergency doctors, we have modified a technique developed in Hawaii. Our method has been continually refined over many years and uses the SRTs to act as a human backboard to remove the injured person from the surf while maintaining stabilization on the head, neck and back until we can lay the person down away from the moving water. Once in this position, we maintain stabilization until a paramedic does an assessment and determines what is the appropriate treatment.
We know from feedback from past patients as well as medical professionals that our technique not only works but has successfully allowed people whose injuries were life threatening to not only live but to walk again.
We not only train and practice for our personnel but we have shared this technique with many other lifesaving organizations. Several years ago, we trained workers at the National Aquarium in emergency response that would be needed should employees be injured while working with large mammals. The training was conducted in one of the National Aquarium’s large tanks.
Most people aren’t aware that the OCBP is involved with marine mammal rescues. Please tell us about this.
Because of our presence on the beach it is highly likely that a stranding of a marine mammal may occur during our on-duty hours. For this reason, each of our staff have a first responder overview of what to do as well as what not to do if a stranding occurs in his or her area of the beach.
One of the requirements to be certified for a supervisory position, is that each person must complete the full marine mammal rescue training. This assures that during a response we have a more highly trained individual on the scene who can assist the National Aquarium with determining the best course of action for the particular stranding. This advanced training is taught by staff from the National Aquarium and includes a manual and an end of course exam.
What events during your service with the OCBP have been the most gratifying?
…meeting my wife Penny in Ocean City, my son Michael working for the patrol, and watching the SRTs during a serious situation all knowing their parts and doing exactly as expected.
Although it is not an official part of our mission, we change lives and I get to see individuals grow and do great things.
I was invited to see one of our past crew chiefs, Matt Maciarello, be robed as the youngest Circuit Court judge in Maryland.
One of our guys came to us as a high school dropout and was very close to being terminated. But with the discipline of the Patrol, returned to college and received a PhD in physiology. He is now a professor at Miami University.
What events have been the saddest?
The preventable loss of life. Each year for 3 years in a row, a parent died while attempting to rescue a child that the parent had allowed to go swimming while guards were not on-duty. In one case, the father and one of his daughters drowned while another was saved with CPR over an hour and a half after lifeguards had gone home for the day.
In another case, the mom gave in and allowed her 2 sons to swim just 20 minutes before we came on-duty. When they started to yell for help she did what any mother would have—she went in the ocean to help. She drowned.
In the 3rd case, a family was on the inlet beach when the two oldest sons were pulled away from the beach in a rip current. The father went to help but drowned in the attempt. The 2 boys were picked up by a passing boat and survived. All of this occurred while the wife and mom sat on the beach with an infant in her arms and a 2-year-old crying for her attention as she watched what was happening. Once she realized what had happened she just collapsed into my arms sobbing.
What do SRTs find most challenging about their work?
Uncooperative adults who try to hide things from the SRTs. The SRTs have a lot to do, including not only watching the 1,000s of people on their beach but also enforcing ordinances and laws. Yet, grown adults will play games of trying not to abide by the laws and this causes the SRTs to spend too much time trying to get these adults to do what they are supposed to do.
Another issue is staying alert on days when no one is on the beach. It is a very long day if there is nothing to do or look at.
What do SRTs most enjoy about their time on and off-duty in Ocean City, MD?
The fellowship of the other members of the crew and Patrol. For many of our people these become lifelong relationships.
They also enjoy working out and playing sports.
You work year-round. (Captain Arbin has another job outside of patrol season.) Do you ever vacation and can you enjoy a beach in a “civilian” mode when off-duty?
A very sore subject with my wife of 38 years. We never went on a honeymoon and have only taken one family vacation to the Bahamas. However, we do go on a work and witness mission trip each year.
I can enjoy the beach…but I always have a heightened level of awareness when on the beach, unless I am napping in the warm sun!!!
If you had it to do all over again, would you hesitate for a moment to submit an SRT application to the OCBP?
Not for half a second….It has been an incredible 46 years and it has shaped, to a large extent, the man I have become.
Attention fans of the music of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, and Susanna Clark: ‘Without Getting Killed Or Caught: A Documentary By Tamara Saviano & Paul Whitfield’ is available for on-demand streaming
By Steven Brodsky
… This 95-minute documentary is touching, revealing, and superbly produced.
Two Entertainment Culture and More interviews with Tamara Saviano are reposted below.
Posted 2-23-22
Revisiting With Tamara Saviano, Author of ‘Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark’
By Steven Brodsky
The desire to connect with the essence, life history, and contributions of Guy Clark continues to intensify since his passing on May 17, 2016. Guy Clark was the hub of a world of artistic activity for some of America’s most revered and substantive songwriters and performers. For them and many of his other fans, he set an elevated standard of what uncompromising artistic expression is all about. Tamara Saviano’s book Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life andMusic of Guy Clark is essential reading—for those seeking to further their knowledge and understanding of Guy and his life’s work.
In common with others experiencing the intensification, I watched two documentaries on DVD that contain Guy Clark footage: Heartworn Highways (released in 1976) and Heartworn Highways Revisited (released in 2017). The video captures of the younger and older Guy prompt me to reflect that we are all desperados waiting for a train. Life isn’t standing still.
It’s been a while since our last interview with Tamara Saviano. (The prior interview is currently accessible on this page. Scroll down to read it.) In preparation for this revisit with Tamara read Without Getting Killed or Caught again, taking the time to really savor the chapters—an indulgence with a reward of experiencing this excellent biography in a deeper and more affecting way. Without Getting Killed or Caught: TheLife and Music of Guy Clark answers many questions you may have about a major songwriting force—a man whose songs and spirit continue to touch the lives of fans and master songwriters alike, despite the train’s departure with an incredibly talented and creatively-giving passenger.
Tamara, it was enriching and thought-provoking to dwell among the pages of your book. Thank you for writing this biography and for reconnecting with our readers. What memories associated with the writing and research of this book tend to be the most potent and reoccurring to you?
The time I spent with Guy at his house. For the last 4 or 5 years of his life, I was over at his place several days a week. Guy was eager for me to finish the book and told me repeatedly that he wasn’t going to be around when the book was published so we needed to work while we could. I wanted to procrastinate but he didn’t let me get away with it. The memories of sitting with him at the kitchen table are powerful and I’m grateful to have them.
What are your most joyous memories associated with Guy?
Oh, so many. Sitting at the kitchen table, listening to him try to learn to play his mandola, talking with him about the books we were reading, driving around Texas with him. There are also things that still make me giggle. Guy loved those little bottles of 5-hour Energy drinks and sent me to the store to buy them for him constantly. Every time one of those bottles catches my eye at the grocery it makes me laugh.
What gave Guy the most satisfaction in life?
Writing songs, playing songs, and listening to other songwriters.
What were the most difficult decisions about what to include and exclude in the book?
As the years went by and I got deeper and deeper into Guy’s world, what interested me the most was his childhood, his influence as a songwriter, his recording career, and the relationship between Guy, Susanna and Townes. I decided to stick with those topics. I hope my book won’t be the last on Guy and perhaps another author can tell other stories.
The song “The High Price of Inspiration,” co-written by Guy, lyricizes that getting high was a costly muse. Did Guy ever open up to you and to himself about the reasons behind his use of drugs and alcohol?
Oh yes, we talked about it all the time. I am not a drinker or drug user. I have a little wine with dinner when I go out with friends but I don’t drink at home and actually have a bit of a phobia about drugs. Guy could not wrap his head around that and sometimes tried to peer pressure me into partying with him. I did it once and that was enough. One day we were talking about drugs as muse and I told Guy I thought that was a weak excuse and that I believed he could write great songs without being high. Guy said, “Maybe, but why would I even want to try?” He enjoyed getting high. After he finished chemotherapy he lost his taste for alcohol and it pissed him off until the very end.
Some songwriters from Guy’s world have cleaned up. They continue to write outstanding songs. Could Guy have imagined that he could have done the same?
He didn’t have the desire to clean up. He enjoyed getting high.
Your book contains this journal entry by Susanna: “Guy Clark has an uneasy relationship with the truth. He will never be able to tell me the truth. He’ll never be shiny to me.” Do you know what she meant by this?
The relationship between Guy and Susanna was up and down although there is no doubt they loved each other very much. Guy was a stoic West Texas hard-ass (although he was a real softie by the end of his life) and he rarely showed Susanna his vulnerable side. Susanna craved a closer and intimate connection and I don’t know that she ever got that from Guy. That’s where Townes came in. The documentary we are producing focuses on that relationship between the three of them.
Are there areas of inquiry that you wish you had explored more fully with Guy and others interviewed for the book?
No. I’m getting deeper into that relationship triangle in the film and frankly I’ll be glad when we’re finished. I’ve been living in Guy Clark world for two decades and I’m ready to move on.
Susanna Clark is quoted in the book as having said that Townes was “the yardstick” of songwriting quality for Guy. How did Townes and Guy impact each other’s songwriting?
I don’t know if Guy impacted Townes but Guy always said that Townes was his favorite songwriter and inspired him. Even a few months before his death Guy repeated that. He said that he did not want to write like Townes or be like Townes but he aspired to write songs that would touch people the way Townes’s songs touched him.
Guy, for a number of songwriters, was the ultimate collaborator. Why did he and Townes not co-write (to completion) any songs?
Guy said they tried to write a song together once and it was “a fucking disaster.” My opinion is that Guy was a serious, serious songwriter. He sat down and wrote songs and treated it as a serious pursuit to find the right combination of words and phrasing. Townes sort of caught songs from the universe as they flew by.
Of songwriters Guy never worked with, are there a few that you think would have been especially good co-writing matchups?
I would have loved Guy to write with Ron Sexsmith. I don’t think they ever met but that would have pleased me. Guy always joked that Kristofferson said he was going to come over to write and Guy said he was still waiting. Because I know both Guy and Kris well I would have loved to see them write together but I’m not sure it would have worked out. They are different from each other in many ways.
You grew increasingly close to Guy while writing WithoutGetting Killed or Caught. How did this affect you personally and as Guy’s biographer?
There came a point that I had to admit to myself and my publisher that I was personally involved to the point where it would affect the manuscript. That is why Part 3 of the book is memoir. I could write straight biography up to the point where Guy and I met but after that there was no way to write objectively. I was thrilled when my publisher agreed that we could shape the manuscript to be two parts biography and one part memoir.
Subsequent to Guy’s passing on May 17, 2016, which of Guy’s songs do you listen to the most?
Because I’m writing, producing and directing a documentary on Guy, I’m still immersed in his catalog. I think it will be more interesting to see what I’m listening to a few years from now after I’ve stepped out of Guy world for a bit. Having said that, “Dublin Blues,” “She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “My Favorite Picture of You” are pretty constant around here.
You co-produced the double-disc This One’s for Him: A Tribute toGuy Clark. It won Album at the Year at the 2012 Americana Music Awards and was also a Grammy nominee. What are some of your favorite recollections regarding your work on ThisOne’s for Him, the artists involvement with it, and Guy’s response to the project and the subsequent acclaim for the double-CD that ensued after its release?
Wow, making that album was so much fun and it brings me joy to think back on it. The most fun part was that I was working with Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp and Jen Gunderman throughout the entire record. Shawn and I were co-producers and he was the leader of the house band. Verlon played guitar in the house band and Jen played keyboard and accordion. Having three of my dearest friends on the journey is the sweetest thing. Secondly, all of the artists were happy to be there to celebrate Guy and it was a ball to work with all of them. Last, it was fun to share the recordings with Guy as we finished them. To see the happy look on his face and hear him say “Wow, that is FAR-OUT” made me happy. Guy’s favorite track on the record is Terri Hendrix’s version of “The Dark.” He listened to that piece a lot when he was in the nursing home at the end of his life.
What feedback about the book has been most gratifying to you?
I’m happy that people seem to like it but I’m most grateful that I don’t have to write it again. It was the most difficult and gratifying work of my life.
Without Getting Killed or Caught is published by Texas A&M University Press: www.tamupress.com.
Posted August 15, 2018, Reposted 2-23-22
Tamara Saviano, Author of ‘Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark’
By Steven Brodsky
Congratulations on your new book, Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark. It was years in the making. What surprised you most about the journey of getting the book written?
The biggest surprise to me is that I actually finished it. I didn’t believe I would until the day I turned it in to the publisher. If I hadn’t told so many people I was writing this book, I would have quit. It was a massive undertaking and I felt overwhelmed during the writing process.
You first heard a Guy Clark album, Old No. 1, when you were fourteen. How did that listening experience affect you?
It started my love affair with Texas songwriters and of Texas in general. I grew up in Wisconsin, in an industrial town where my family and most of my friends’ parents worked at factories. Guy made Texas sound romantic to me. “She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” immediately became the theme song for my teenage angst. “She ain’t goin’ nowhere, she’s just leavin’.” Man. That’s what I wanted to do. Just leave.
Was exposure to Guy Clark’s records a factor in your choosing music journalism, production, and publicity as your profession?
Maybe. I loved music from an early age and I believe that music overall had a big hand in it. When I was a kid I wanted to write for Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and Playboy.
Guy Clark supported the biography. He did not want a hagiography. You did not write one. Tell us about his support.
No one was more surprised than me that Guy agreed to my terms. I asked him to cooperate fully and introduce me to all his family, friends and colleagues and ask them to cooperate without Guy having approval on the final manuscript. When we started, I didn’t believe he’d give me anything but our first interview he told me about his girlfriend Bunny’s suicide and how he then married Bunny’s sister Susanna. He was not afraid to talk about the hard stuff and we talked about it over and over and over again.
Did Guy indicate discomfort about any of your research?
No. He was surprised at some of the things I discovered but seemed happy when I brought him new treasures that I found at his family’s home in Rockport or from research libraries.
You wrote: “Guy Clark was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve. He was taught from a young age to be stoic; to observe the West Texas credo,‘stand up and be a man.’ He learned one should put up a strong façade no matter what he is feeling inside.” Was this reflected in his responses to your interview questions?
No, and that was the most surprising thing about working on the book. Guy and I had intimate conversations. At first it threw me because that was not the Guy I knew. We started working on the book after he was diagnosed with lymphoma and I believe he was feeling mortal. He told me it was time to set the record straight.
You included some very tender diary entries of Susanna Clark, Guy’s wife. Tell us about those.
Guy handed me a box of Susanna’s journals after she died. I asked him if he had read them and he said no. I asked if he was sure he wanted me to have them and use them. He said: “Yes. I’m not out to rewrite the truth, Tamara.”
Was Guy jealous of Susanna’s love for Townes Van Zandt?
He may have been jealous at times but for the most part I believe he just accepted it as part of Susanna’s and Townes’s personalities and he loved them both. They annoyed him sometimes and he didn’t understand their collective sensitivities but he loved both of them more than he loved anyone else.
Were you always comfortable being privy to highly personal information about Guy, Susanna, and Townes?
No, I was often uncomfortable. I tried to comprehend it but never got to that place. I think about my own marriage and how tight my husband and I are…no one else is getting into our marriage, you know? Yet, Guy confessed that Townes took some of the pressure off of him to have to be the husband Susanna wanted. Guy’s stoicism was difficult for Susanna. And, of course, they all drank and took many drugs. I’m sure that shit didn’t make things any easier.
How difficult was it for you to decide what is appropriate to include in the book?
Difficult. A reviewer already called me out for not explicitly saying whether or not Townes and Susanna were involved sexually. I decided that the story is compelling enough without sensationalizing it. People can read between the lines. In the end, I just remembered that it was my book and my story to tell in the way I wanted to tell it. And I knew I was doing it with Guy’s full consent and that’s what mattered most to me.
Susannna famously served as muse for some Guy Clark songs. For those not familiar with Guy’s music, speak about one or two of those songs and how they came about.
Susanna was a muse for Guy, Townes and many others including Rodney Crowell and Steve Earle. I came to the conclusion that half the writers in Nashville and Austin were in love with Susanna. Guy wrote about her often, the most recent being “My Favorite Picture of You,” the title track to his last album, which won a Grammy. Guy’s co-writer Gordy Sampson came to Guy’s house with the title and the minute Guy heard the title he turned around and pulled a Polaroid picture of Susanna from the wall and they wrote about that picture.
An early song Guy wrote about Susanna is “Coat From the Cold.” Guy stopped singing that song long ago because he said it was paternalistic and he couldn’t believe he actually wrote it. “The lady beside me is the one I have chosen to walk through my life like a coat from the cold.” Guy said: “What the fuck was I thinking? Like Susanna didn’t have any choice in the matter.”
A photo of a strikingly beautiful Susanna taken around 1957 appears in the book, courtesy of Guy. If the lyrics of “My Favorite Picture of You” are fully true to life, this photo wasn’t Guy’s favorite of Susanna. What photos (whether of Susanna or others) in the book are most significant to you?
I love the photo of Susanna in the yellow turtleneck and the debutante black and white photo the best. I think it’s because I’ve sort of romanticized the young Susanna. I try to imagine what she would have done had she not gotten involved with Guy and Townes. In some ways, I think they ruined her. Not that it wasn’t her choice, it was, but, she may have reached greater heights personally and professionally without them. Even with them, she was a successful songwriter and painter but I do believe Susanna’s love for these two men held her back. She jumped into a relationship with Guy when she was grieving her sister’s suicide. Maybe with a little time and distance before doing that, she would have made different choices. Of course, we’ll never know and that’s just me romanticizing what might have been.
Guy had the highest regard for quality of artistic expression. What instilled this in him?
His young life in Rockport, Texas was the start of it. Guy and his family read poetry around the kitchen table after dinner. He participated in poetry invitationals, read monologues, wrote essays and fell in love with the written word as a young man. As he matured he read beat poets and literature and dictionaries and thesauruses. Seriously, Guy would pick up the Dictionary of American Slang and just start reading from page one. When he went to Houston and met Townes Van Zandt and Mickey Newbury, that inspired him to start writing songs and his quest to write, read and hear quality literature and songs stayed with him until the day he died. Guy is famous for saying to young songwriters “Do you want to be an artist or do you want to be a star?” He didn’t think there was anything wrong with wanting to be a star but it’s a different approach. Artists are not willing to compromise in the way stars have to compromise with their material and their images.
Guy was very helpful to other songwriters. Cite an example of this that appears in your book.
Lyle Lovett is probably the most famous example. Someone slipped Guy a demo tape of Lyle’s and Guy copied that tape and handed it out to everyone he knew in Nashville. And he had never met Lyle. He thought it was that good and that someone needed to pay attention and give Lyle a publishing and record deal. And that’s exactly what happened. Guy gave Tony Brown at MCA the tape and Tony signed Lyle.
What song written or co-written by Guy, was Guy most proud of?
Guy’s favorite song he ever wrote was “She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.” He said it just came out easily and he loves the message of it.
Of his songs covered by others, which were his favorites?
Slim Pickens’s spoken word version of “Desperados Waiting for a Train” was Guy’s favorite cover of one of his songs. He also loved Terri Hendrix’s cover of “The Dark.” Those are two that stuck with him.
Which song most meaningfully reflects the person you came to know as a result of writing Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark?
“Stuff That Works.” It fits Guy perfectly.
