It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
''Way Down Yonder In New Orleans''"
ReplyDeletewell, way down yonder in new orleans in the land of the dreamy scenes
there's a garden of eden, ah-you know what i mean
yeah, creole babies with flashin' eyes softly whisper with tender sighs
and then you stop
oh won't you give your lady fair a little smile
and then you stop
you bet your life you'll linger there a little while
yeah, there is heaven right here on earth with those beautiful queens
yeah, way down yonder in new orleans
whoo
way down yonder in new orleans, whoo, in the land of the dreamy scenes
there's a garden of eden, you know what i mean
well, creole babies with flashin' eyes softly whisper with tender sighs
and then you stop
oh won't you give your lady fair a little smile
and then you stop
you bet your life you'll linger there a little while
yeah, there is heaven right here on earth with those beautiful queens
well, way down yonder in new orleans
yeah whoo
No doubt these photos inspire such lyrics.
Anyone else ever see this movie about Bellocq?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078111/
I'd sure like to see it again.
Years ago, but can't remember any of it. May have to check it out again.
ReplyDelete