Pophistory: music, movies, history, and life.
One of my favorite CDs of the last few years is the double album Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (2014) by Lucinda Williams. The album revealed that Williams is still at her peak eleven studio albums into a long career and still producing her best work. So, we are excited that Williams will … Continue reading “Lucinda Williams Explores “Just the Working Life””
Music can address societal issues in different ways. Sometimes a song will tackle a big issue head on. But more often than not, issues are addressed through personal stories or observations. One important societal issue that occasionally appears in popular song is the problem that so many of our fellow humans live without a home. … Continue reading “Songs About Homelessness”
On November 4, 1879, William Penn Adair Rogers was born on a ranch in Cherokee Indian territory. His birthplace was near what is now Oologah, Oklahoma. The family called the young boy by the name “Will,” and he would grow up to be beloved by the country as Will Rogers. In 1898, the young man … Continue reading “The Cowboy Philosopher Will Rogers”
On August 23, 1927, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in the electric chair. The execution of the Italian-born anarchists drew worldwide protests from people who believed the two men were innocent of the murder charges against them. Many today still debate whether or not the two were guilty of the crime, but most … Continue reading “The Execution of Sacco and Vanzetti: Two Good Arms”
John Steinbeck‘s novel The Grapes of Wrath was published on April 14, 1939. The book, which recounts the struggles of the tenant farmers Joad family moving from Oklahoma to California, went on to win the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. It also helped Steinbeck win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Steinbeck’s … Continue reading “Anniversary of “The Grapes of Wrath””