[lit-ideas] Re: Turning the tables...
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 21:12:36 -0800
On Feb 5, 2006, at 5:05 PM, Ursula Stange wrote:
David, I see there's a Calgary on your map as well.
Indeed. And for fun, try typing "Calgary, Scotland" into Google.
You'll find how Scottish Calgary, Alberta is.
Ursula
responding to any non-Iraq-Iran bait...
Me too. I know how important foreign policy is, but my mind is on
yesterday evening's reminder of how diverse and interesting U.S.
culture can be. There are nights when poetry doesn't seem to have a
chance in the clamor for attention, and then there are times when much
seems possible.
I was out yesterday evening, among the "folk song army," folk who
believe that a spark in the dark and a very good chorus, or two, will
somehow overcome. I've always felt an agnostic in that crowd, more a
fellow traveler than a believer, but when the Irish fellow took the
stage and plied his patter, gave them all a fair demonstration of the
grip, and then Bruce Phillips (U. Utah Phillips) took over, telling
tales of Butte Montana's mines, how to organize help for the homeless,
why he shot his television, and other pieces of idiosyncrasy and
whimsy, I was briefly transported, reminded again how rich America is
in hopeful currency.
Folk songs, Phillips said, belong to everyone...but the Republicans
have none. I thought back to L.A. when Reagan was first elected.
There was a ball in one of the downtown fancy hotels. People in suits
were singing; they felt the need to celebrate. What did they sing?
"This land is your land, this land is my land..."
Can you imagine?
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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