The Long Black Veil

     When I heard the Band's version of this on their first album, I thought it was some old song into which they had breathed new life. At least that is the way that it sounded. Years later I learned that the song was consciously written in an older style.

     It is still a great song, and I will post the Band's version on my Google+ Collection. But here is a link to the story behind the song:

     https://americansongwriter.com/2013/02/behind-the-song-long-black-veil/

     Since I finished Robbie Robertson's Testimony today, I feel a few more posts that are Band-flavored.

53 years ago today, the band came to play on Ed Sullivan

     The Beatles debuted on Sullivan's famous Sunday evening television show. The world has not been the same since. They were revolutionary and innovative; Sir Paul and Ringo carry that on today  remember sitting with my parents, who hated the music, and with my brother, who loved it as I did- and do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfj1V8w35gI

Hand in Hand- Poets Respond to Race Anthology

https://www.facebook.com/events/398977450447357/

     I have a poem in here. My friends Al Black and Len Lawson conceived the idea for this timely book. And I will be at the book launch!

Deckle Edge and Local Author Showcase

http://deckleedgesc.org/authors/  

    I am proud and honored to be at this event again. Sunday, 26 February, 3-5 pm at the Richland County Public Library. Directions are on the site above. This will be my second year at the event, and I will take in more of Deckle Edge itself on the weekend. It is good to see friends and make new ones.

    Next year I will have Accents from Blue Deco Publishing along with Places and Times from eLectio Publishing.

On Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Birthday- 4 February 1906

     Recently the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche) has been on my mind lately. About a third of the EKD, the (mostly) Lutheran Church in Germany refused to submit to the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer was martyred mere weeks before the war's end; his name was on a list of prisoners who would not survive the defeat of that evil regime.

     In this short space any attempt to say more does him a disservice. What I will do is to post a poem of his, written in the prison in Tegel, a section of Berlin. I have gone over thta poem with students, and I also post a link to an English translation.

    No matter what the future holds, I hope and pray that we will not need a Confessing Church in the USA.

http://www.deutschelyrik.de/index.php/wer-bin-ich.html

http://nwbartlett.blogspot.com/2012/04/wer-bin-ich-who-am-i-by-dietrich.html

A Literary "Testimony"

    Robbie  Robertson's "Testimony" has taken even more of a literary turn. As Robertson gets to know Bob Dylan better, the Canadian is more and more awed by the poetry of Dylan's lyrics Dylan is very well-read, and in all sorts of subjects. Poet Michael McClure takes the pair to San Francisco's iconic City Lights bookstore. The pictures that include Allen Ginsburg are superb.

     I am not even half way through the book!

 http://ginsbergblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/allen-and-bob-part-2.html

The Day the Music Died - 3 February 1959

     I was in Kindergarten then, but was unaware of the tragedy. By then I knew enough musically to like the Everly Brothers, and know whom my folks liked, or didn't like. but it was later than I learned about Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson. The latter was ill, and Jennings gave up his seat because the bus everyone was to take had no heat.

    Below a few links about "The Day the Music Died":

   https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sites.psu.edu/knnpassionblog/wp-content/uploads/sites/34410/2016/02/The-Day-the-Music-Died1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sites.psu.edu/knnpassionblog/2016/02/04/the-day-the-music-died/&h=350&w=350&tbnid=k2QoXPlkL3RsKM:&vet=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=151&docid=wPcylMTRmket9M&itg=1&usg=__bF6o3TluR27P2ei6Y2_1FJmsfEM=&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjKyq_ihvLRAhUBRiYKHTH6D0oQ_B0IdTAL#h=350&imgrc=k2QoXPlkL3RsKM:&tbnh=151&tbnw=151&vet=1&w=350

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amUbKtIcXPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r4_8pjJPxo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5ecvBaqHBk  The plane was not named "American Pie", but it is a great song.