Earl Goodall, my neighbor, friend, and an amiable human being, passed on at age 93 on July 5, 2024. Earl was the subject of my 2021 16-minute documentary, "When Earl Went to War", about his Korean War service, while also portraying the man's sweet, down-home character. Here's a look back at the kind of guy who never gets lifted up into the spotlight. But he has stories and adventures worth telling.
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PROSE-POEM: ‘Lost Girl Elegy’
He digs into his wallet. Hands over a $20 bill. God bless you, she says. But where's the god for lost girls in a squalling storm? She turns to go back into the Taco Bell. He shuts off his car. Gets out. Do you have a phone? No. She says. Anyone at all to call?
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5 QUESTIONS: Susan Werner on going long, Texas tuneage, and the art of the song
For folks who know the upper echelons of songwriting, 'No Depression' magazine once awarded Susan Werner some high praise indeed: “When it comes to crafting a song, Ms. Werner’s only peers are Jimmy Webb and Paul Simon.” Study up on her songcraft in our '5 Questions' with her in advance of an April 6, 2024 show in Charleston. W.Va.
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QUOTABLES: Luminous skies, mucky alleys & chiaroscuro evenings
Photographs from around the neighborhood, allied with some quotations worth quoting and notations that may or may not align, but it's all good.
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A RECORD RUN: After a legendary half-century, Budget Tapes & Records to close shop
Budget Tapes & Record will close Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Kanawha City, W.Va., after a half-century in operation. Here are two personal takes on the role this long-running establishment played in the life and times of West Virginia as an alternative, hippified haven for generations of folks.
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Saying Goodbye to Bill | In 3 Parts
Bill Hart, a dear traveling companion through this vale and holler of light and darkness, passed from this mysterious world on Friday evening, on Feb. 9, 2024. Here are some thoughts and images about a notable human being, artist, and world-class craftsman. And, to be sure, a genuinely offbeat, unconventional, and bohemian soul.
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One night, out strolling in the cool, high air of Appalachia
Take a break from worrying about the fate of the Republic, beyond the locked gates of a forested park where the pine trees offer fine company and conversation and the view from on high poses some good questions.
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Missing Horses and Killer Skillets
As Bill and I scan the hills for Major the Horse, he tells a cast-iron tale on why you should never cross a pissed-off, kitchen-armed hillbilly woman. | A reprint from TheHartoftheMatter
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It’s a Black-and-White Thing
Here are some snapshots, hipshots and night shots, from wandering the highways, byways, and lifeways of the world through which my iPhone moves, in the small towns, small cities and hills of West Virginia.
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‘HOUSE IN THE CLOUDS’ launches with a pretty classy shindig
I date dating myself using the word ‘shindig.' Yet the Oxford English Dictionary defines the word as: ‘A large, lively party, especially one celebrating something.” That well describes the buzzy premiere of “HOUSE IN THE CLOUDS: The Artistic Life of Robert Singleton” on Sept. 17, 2023, in West Virginia’s capital city of Charleston, W.Va.
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A Report from the Crowdfunding Frontlines
Help support independent artistry, guerilla filmmaking, and soulful storytelling, as we wind down the crowdfunding campaign for "HOUSE IN THE CLOUDS: The Artistic Life of Robert Singleton"
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THE INTERVIEW: Ann Magnuson on the art of “suRURALism” and coming to ground in West Virginia
You need several categories — performer, musician, actress, artist, etc. — to sum up the swath Ann Magnuson has cut through the cultural scene since leaving her hometown of Charleston WV. And there’s a reason she comes back so often.
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BEST/SHOT: Lights, Losers, Lovers, Lillies & Leaves
A sampling of a 'Best/Shot,' photograph from the multiple spires of West Virginia's capital all seen at once, to Autumn leaves, lily pads, and some thoughtful graffiti.
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POETRY/PERFORMED: Two Versions of “BOOM BOOM” by Crystal Good
Here are two versions of Crystal Good reading/performing her iconic poem "BOOM BOOM," which reflects on strip-mining mountains and women who strip off their clothes for money.
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PICTURE/SHOW: A West Virginia Walkabout from Elkins to Lost River
If you could use a West Virginia roadtrip, here's a vicarious one, traversing from Elkins to Lost River. You'll cover lots of ground. From August Heritage Center jamming at Davis & Elkins College, to the soothing solitude of Kimsey Run Lake in Lost River.
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ONE/PHOTO: What the thistle tells
'the ants quickly took to the milk thistle this year. her bloom doesn’t last long. maybe two days. they seem to be in sync with this knowing, almost as if there is a pulse they can feel when she begins her bloom.'
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VIDEO: “WATER/CLOUD/WIND/LEAF: A Hoeft Marsh Melody”
Hoeft Marsh in Greenbottom WV is where I go when I want to get off the timeline of the world's news. Here's a short, lyrical visit there. It's a little fishy, at the end.
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PICTURE/SHOW: Traces of Faces in West Virginia Places
Here are shots of West Virginia folk who passed within range of my phone the last six months, when I wasn't using it to order a pizza.
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WATCH LIST: Here are some things to look at, West Virginia-wise
Check out this version of variations on "Country Roads" by the Kanawha Valley Community Band which channels Aaron Copeland; plus a video of a crazy fitness guy sledding around Charleston WV; and more.
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‘HEY JOE’: Harmonically urging Joe to take climate action
In late 2021, a harmonic convergence of West Virginians came together on the statewide music video "Hey Joe," urging Joe Manchin to take decisive action on the climate crisis.
