This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie (2002)

excellent bio of Woody Guthrie his life and times ( )

Richie’s Picks: THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME: THE LIFE AND SONGS OF WOODY GUTHRIE by Elizabeth Partridge, Viking, 2002, 224p., ISBN: 978-0-670-03535-9

“Jesus Christ was a man that traveled through the land
A hard-working man and brave
He said to the rich ‘Give your goods to the poor.’
So they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.”
-- Woody Guthrie

“After more than a year in Los Angeles, the freedom of being on the road again was incredible. But when Woody stopped over in a squalid migrant camp, his light, open feelings quickly plummeted. Some people had been living in the camps for several years now, barely scratching out a subsistence living. They were desperate and angry.
“In nearby orchards, growers hired armed guards to protect the ripe fruit while the migrant children’s bellies swelled with hunger. When the migrants tried to scavenge leftover crops from piles on the ground, some growers poured kerosene over them, tossed on a match, and burnt them until they were charred and inedible.”

I find it tough to be polite in talking about Woody Guthrie’s quest for economic justice in America. Let’s face it: Those growers, who guarded and burned leftover crops in the thirties so that hungry people couldn’t eat them, were probably all in church come the next Sunday morning, professing to be followers of Jesus Christ. It’s tough to be polite when the rich pay a fraction today in taxes of what they did seventy years ago when Guthrie was singing about Jesus. It’s tough when the rich are still trying every which way to ensure that poor kids die in America rather than be guaranteed affordable healthcare by the government.

And if you thought Mr. Bojangles was a talented tap dancer, you should check out the news articles this past weekend, quoting right-wing Oklahoma politicians as they gingerly claim some connection to the American hero, whose hundredth birthday was being celebrated down there at WoodyFest.

“’I saw how the poor folks lived, and then saw how the rich folks lived, and the poor folks down and out and cold and hungry, and the rich ones out drinking good whiskey and celebrating and wasting handfuls of money at gambling and women, and I got to thinking about what Jesus said, and what if He was to walk into New York City and preach like He used to. They’d lock Him back in jail as sure as you’re reading this.’”

Yes, it’s difficult to be polite when you know darn well what so many so-called Christians would say of Woody and his politics, had he been out there today with his guitar.

Having, a decade ago, been part of the Best Books for Young Adults committee that voted THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME as one of the Top Ten BBYA selections for that year, I’m telling you that you need to immediately pull this book out of the stacks and display it in honor of Woody’s centennial. And if you don’t have a copy, I’m telling you that you should get a copy because it is an amazing tale of American history that is as relevant and as engaging a read as it was a decade ago:

“On April 14, 1935, a huge dust storm blew up. ‘A whole bunch of us was standing just outside of town, said Woody. ‘We watched the dust storm come up like the red sea closing in on the Israel children. It got so black, when that thing hit we all run into the house.’
“Fourteen or fifteen people shoved into Woody and Mary’s tiny living room, slamming the door shut behind them. The wind smashed against the house, throwing dirt and pebbles against the thin walls, forcing dust in around the loose-fitting windows and doors, and between the cracks in the wall. Dust hissed against the windows, darkening the room. Quickly, people threw wet rags over their mouths to breathe.
“Outside, cows and pigs and chickens were dying, smothered by the dust being forced up into their nostrils. The relentless winds blew dust into the house until Woody and his neighbors couldn’t even see each other. Someone switched on the overhead light bulb, but it just made a dim red glow like a cigarette. They sat in the dark, coughing and spitting out mud.
“The fear in the room was thick as the dust. Maybe the winds would never stop blowing. Maybe they were all going to die. Many were ardent Christians and figured this was the end. God was finally wreaking his vengeance. Their voices muffled by the damp rags, people said to one another in the dark room, ‘So long, it’s been good to know you.’
“Hours later the winds finally stopped blowing. Woody and Mary forced the door open and saw Pampa was a sea of dust, rippling out forever like the ocean.”

Thanks to the disease that ravaged his mother, and some terrible accidents, Woody Guthrie had some unimaginably horrific childhood experiences. That Woody would similarly succumb to Huntington’s disease is one of the reasons that THIS LAND IS MADE FOR YOU AND ME is such a tragic tale.

But this is also a tale of hope as Woody who, in death as well as he did in life, continues to inspire our fight to provide opportunity and safety nets for all Americans. That an adolescent is turned onto this book is an opportunity for that child to develop an understanding for those who are struggling, empathy for the weakest among us, and an understanding of what Woody was talking about when he sang that this land was made for you and me.

Richie Partington
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/ http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/faculty/partingtonr/partingtonr.php ( )

Sometimes the best stories are of sad stories. This is the case with This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie. There would be interest for this book for today's children, ones that are interested in playing the guitar, understanding folk music, and interested in the American history during the depression and World War II era. I do strongly believe that children knowing about Woody Guthrie would help them understand the struggles of many during the Depression and Dust Bowl era. This book does go into great detail of the living and working conditions of the many people during this time, the harsh reality of struggling. Not sure if Guthrie's experiences would widen children's views of today on their own but it would bring to light the dark demons that often poses gifted artists. I do believe the author did not hold anything back in her writing, during the book one must deal with Guthrie's childhood which is not pleasant, his running around with women, the notion of him being married having children and leaving them for another journey cross county only to find a different love and all over again and again, his trouble with alcohol and addiction is brought to light, his battle with Huntington's Disease, his hobo-ness, also aspects of Communisim get mentioned. This book does not portray Guthrie in a grand beckon of light, I do believe the book tells the honest story of Guthrie's mad journey through life. The author in the end of the book provides well documented list of resources from the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives to an extensive list of a bibliography. The book is filled with primary documents, drawings, letters from Guthrie. The author does a great job in touching both Guthrie's genius side and his destructive side. I believe the author did a great job in writing an easy to follow, heart wrenching, interesting story about a true American. There were a lot of things that I learned from reading this book. I had seen the movie Bound For Glory but this book by far was more informative and interested. There is a great deal of material not suitable for younger children; of cigarettes, alcohol, family fighting, womanizing, etc... But I believe by providing the reader with these accounts gives for a better story.
Grades 6 and up. ( )

This Land Was Made For You and Me is a spectacular book that details the life of Woody Guthrie, and American legend. The book tells of many parts of Guthrie's life, beginning as a child and continues through his death. Not only does it tell about Woody, but it also tells about his music and why he wrote the music he did. There are wonderful, authentic pictures from his life that add the effect of the book.
I wasn't very excited about reading this book, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I have read different things about Woody Guthrie, but this book tells a more extensive story than any I've ever read. I think seeing the pictures from his life made the book come to life. I also enjoyed all of the lyrics to his music, and the index in the back of the book that correlates with it.
I think it is important for us to teach about Woody Guthrie in the classroom. He is one of the people who have made America what it is. He had a true love for his country and the people that lived in it. His stories and songs make up a huge part of pop culture from the Depression and the Dust Bowl, which is a very important time period in our country. ( )

Elizabeth Partridge’s This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie is a fascinating look into the life and times of one of America’s most important folksingers. This Land Was Made for You and Me is part textbook, part multimedia experience, and part easy-to-read biography. Partridge has drawn upon a variety of sources for her book, most notably Guthrie’s autobiography (the incredible Bound for Glory) and the photographs of Depression era photographers (like Dorothea Lange). The combination of anecdotal evidence about Guthrie’s life with archival photos and song lyrics makes for a thoroughly-engaging read – and one that is challenging, but not overwhelming, for upper-elementary students.

As Partridge points out very clearly in her book, Guthrie’s life oftentimes seemed like an unending series of tragedies, starting with his mother’s mental illness and culminating in his debilitating illness of Huntington’s Chorea at the end of his life. However, Partridge also reminds her readers of Guthrie’s impact and legacy (even if her conclusion feels a bit rushed). Despite the temptation to gloss over the painful parts of Guthrie’s life (such as the death of family members and his downward spiral later in life), Partridge tackles these subjects head-on with a balanced, but honest portrayal of Guthrie.

The most intriguing aspect of the book was, to me, the origin of Woody’s “This Land is Your Land:” the song was actually written as a bitter response to Irving Berlin’s jingoistic “God Bless America,” which was prominently played by radio stations at the time. According to Partridge, Woody heard Berlin’s song and was so frustrated by Berlin’s blind patriotism that he decided to tell the “truth” about America (as he saw it). The result: the first draft of “This Land is Your Land,” which criticized private property and ends with the speaker standing in a welfare line. Young readers (and adult readers, as well) will most likely be shocked by the fact that such a well-known, celebrated, and seemingly-hopeful folk song began as a bitter statement about the Great Depression. An interesting side-note: Partridge includes a photo of the original, handwritten lyrics to the song… which was originally titled, “God Blessed America For Me.”

Although Woody Guthrie died broke, broken, and half-forgotten, he has gained a level of notoriety and fame in the years after his passing. Elizabeth Partridge’s book will hopefully introduce Woody Guthrie to a new generation of listeners, children who will learn more about the man who wrote “This Land is Your Land” – a song that kids will probably continue to sing in school for decades to come.

Citation:
Partridge, Elizabeth. This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie. New York: Viking, 2002. Print. ( )