Ever since Ken and I finished 1913 Massacre, I’ve been watching and learning about the resurgence of mining around Lake Superior. I’ve done some research, talked to some good people, and made a few informal scouting trips to the Lake Superior region, to see if I might perhaps produce a…
Palikari: A Film About the Ludlow Massacre
When Bob Dylan performed “1913 Massacre” at Carnegie Hall in 1961, he introduced the song as one of “a group of two” that he had learned from Woody Guthrie. The other song was “Ludlow Massacre.” In treating the Calumet and Ludlow stories together, Woody was following the lead of Mother Bloor, who…
Labor Day – Enjoy Responsibly
Have a great Labor Day. And don’t forget what it’s all about.
Les Ross, 1923-2014
Les Ross passed away on Thursday, June 26th, just a month shy of his 91st birthday. Read his obituary here: World War II (Navy) veteran. Accountant. Father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A Detroit Tigers fan. And a wonderful musician. Les played lumberjack style harmonica, a Finnish-Scandinavian style in which the melody…
Can Films Still Make A Difference?
(cross posted from my personal blog): What filmmaker wouldn’t be pleased with a critic like Joan Gibb Engel? Here’s what she writes about 1913 Massacre. We were treated to a complex story, excellently told, replete with black and white stills from the period depicting the miners, the strikers, the town,…
Pete Seeger, 1919-2014
Ken emailed late last night with the news that Pete Seeger had died. I found out this morning. We both feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have spent time with Pete, talking about Woody, their time on the road, “1913 Massacre” and all sorts of musical and historical topics. There…