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11 Works 335 Members 4 Reviews

About the Author

David King Dunaway has Written about American Culture for Publications Ranging From the New York Times To The Virginia Quarterly. He Is The Author Of Nine Volumes Of History And Biography, Including How Can I Keep From Singing?, A Biography Of American Folk Singer Pete Seeger, Which Won The show more American Society Of Composers, Authors, And Publishers' Deems Taylor Award For Excellence In Writing About American Music. Dunaway Is Currently A Professor At The University Or New Mexico, Distinguished Professor Of Broadcasting At San Francisco State University, And A Dj For Kunm-Fm Radio In Albuquerque. show less

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initially begun as a radio project, this set of essays and selected passages is meant to highlight the diversity of Southwest literature, as it highlights the diversity of the Southwest people. It's a fair representation of the best writing about the the arid landscape and those who populate it. Interestingly, since it was published in 1995, UNM Press would probably fear too much of a backlash to publish this book in today's market, because it features several white people writing from perspectives and about cultures not their own. I suspect they could learn a lesson about focusing on good, empathetic writing regardless of personal ethnicity by attending to the text of their own book in evaluating new authors who submit work to them.

4 bones!!!!
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blackdogbooks | 1 other review | Jul 30, 2023 |
short stories, tony hillerman, barbara kingsolver, southwest
 
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ELMORRONM | 1 other review | Mar 1, 2019 |
I am an admitted *folkie* so I was eager to read this bio of Pete Seeger, one of the original folkies of the last century. But beyond his longevity (he died in 2014 at the age of 94), and some of his songs that formed the soundtrack of my teenage years (Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I Had a Hammer, his adaptation of the biblical verse to Turn, Turn, Turn, and We Shall Overcome, to name just a few) - beyond this, I knew relatively little about his actual life.

I knew he was an activist for many social issues (anti-war, civil rights, environment, etc,), but I learned so much more from this book. I learned probably more than I wanted to know about the McCarthy era and the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee). He was subpoenaed to testify before them in 1955 and when he refused to answer their questions about his beliefs and affiliations (which violated his First Amendment rights) , he was sentenced to 10 consecutive one-year terms in jail for contempt, which were later overturned. It seems to me, reading this book, that it was insane that such a thing could happen. Seriously, were they really so afraid of Seeger? I knew that anything associated with *Communists* during those post-war years was considered anti-American, but to be able to prosecute and blacklist so many people without any proof seems paranoid to the extreme. He was harassed by the FBI and CIA, who kept files on him for years. Yet, all he wanted to do was sing. The freedom to sing and freedom of speech was his ultimate goal. It seems ludicrous that this was so threatening.

Seeger also seemed to be a man of contradictions, in some ways. He wanted to live his life as a simple man, supporting the underdog. He built his own home, a log cabin, with his own hands, grew his own food. Yet, despite the detractors and the (political) problems that followed him wherever he went, he actually did make money, and he travelled extensively, both alone and with his family. He was not comfortable with the contradiction of having money and often did not want to even know how much he was being paid for his concerts. His wife,Toshi, was his lifelong manager and organizer, so that actually worked to his advantage. He was a man who always marched to his own drummer, followed his own ideals and values, yet he sometimes seemed idealistic to the point of naivete in his belief that a song could change the world.

Seeger most certainly did leave his mark on the music world and the tradition of folk music. This biography was extremely well-researched and well-written. It was first published in 1981, and I believe there has been a more updated version published since.

The end of the book explains the title, taken from an old ballad (I passed the book back to its original owner yesterday so no longer have it in front of me to check the details). But the only version of that song I have ever heard is from the Wonderful World album by the amazing late Eva Cassidy and it's her voice I hear when I read that title.
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2 vote
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jessibud2 | Feb 2, 2016 |
Lots of interesting entries especially from small / underground presses. Includes music from the women's movement, early labor movements, communists and some things from conservation / environmental groups.
 
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aulsmith | Jan 29, 2015 |

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