Saturday, June 11, 2005
"Into the West"
By The Erudite Redneck
High-aimin' Spielberg mini-series starts this weekend on TNT. Here's the Web site for "Into the West."
Here are a bunch of reviews, most of which, as usual, seem negative.
My own thoughts, after the first episode, on last night, tonight and tomorrow night):
Great scenery. Good-at-times-real-good videography. Sweeping storyline (from 1820s to 1890s over the coming summer of weekly installments). Archetypical, not very personal, characters. Respectful, fair consideration of both whites and natives. Careful attention to detail.
Caution: This is a rich story if you bring some familiarity with Western history to it. It's still a good 'un even if you don't.
But you might wonder why young Wheeler seems to worship Jedediah Smith. And you'd wonder why his native counterpart hitched those pins to his pecs and stood in the sun until he passed out with all his friends and kin just standin' around watching. The show suggests but does not say that Smith was a rare pious Christian among mountain men, and it does not adequately explain the Lakota Sun Dance.
But, the chief value of "Into the West" is this: Some people who don't know jack about this area of American History will come away with some knowledge and information, and some empathy, they didn't have before.
Now, for my own contributions to Western history today:
I aim to write a short biography of Samuel A. Worcester, geared toward an Oklahoma audience, for the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, to be published in 2007, Oklahoma's centennial year, by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Dr. ER and Bird are fixin' to head to a baby shower. I am surrounded by books, a sheaf from the vertical files at the historical society, a short stack of appropriate doctoral dissertations -- all augmented by the knowledge in my noggin I have amassed the past several years.
The Western Channel is fixin' to be on for inspirational background sounds.
The carrot at the end of my stick today? A steak. Beefsteak. Flesh of the bovine.
I've been beef-free for eight whole days -- amazing fer a fella who grew up with cowcritters just over the back fence, kept handy fer regular eatin' purposes.
But I have to write my way to it. Wish me luck!
END
High-aimin' Spielberg mini-series starts this weekend on TNT. Here's the Web site for "Into the West."
Here are a bunch of reviews, most of which, as usual, seem negative.
My own thoughts, after the first episode, on last night, tonight and tomorrow night):
Great scenery. Good-at-times-real-good videography. Sweeping storyline (from 1820s to 1890s over the coming summer of weekly installments). Archetypical, not very personal, characters. Respectful, fair consideration of both whites and natives. Careful attention to detail.
Caution: This is a rich story if you bring some familiarity with Western history to it. It's still a good 'un even if you don't.
But you might wonder why young Wheeler seems to worship Jedediah Smith. And you'd wonder why his native counterpart hitched those pins to his pecs and stood in the sun until he passed out with all his friends and kin just standin' around watching. The show suggests but does not say that Smith was a rare pious Christian among mountain men, and it does not adequately explain the Lakota Sun Dance.
But, the chief value of "Into the West" is this: Some people who don't know jack about this area of American History will come away with some knowledge and information, and some empathy, they didn't have before.
Now, for my own contributions to Western history today:
I aim to write a short biography of Samuel A. Worcester, geared toward an Oklahoma audience, for the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, to be published in 2007, Oklahoma's centennial year, by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Dr. ER and Bird are fixin' to head to a baby shower. I am surrounded by books, a sheaf from the vertical files at the historical society, a short stack of appropriate doctoral dissertations -- all augmented by the knowledge in my noggin I have amassed the past several years.
The Western Channel is fixin' to be on for inspirational background sounds.
The carrot at the end of my stick today? A steak. Beefsteak. Flesh of the bovine.
I've been beef-free for eight whole days -- amazing fer a fella who grew up with cowcritters just over the back fence, kept handy fer regular eatin' purposes.
But I have to write my way to it. Wish me luck!
END
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Woo hoo! I didn't get the article done, but it is "in hand." The coolest thing I noticed is that I know the material well enough to write it, then go back and add the footnotes and citations. I don't think that's ever happened before. Major cool. Now, to get that sirloin in the broiler!
What I mean is, I can write it, then go back and FIND the sources for the notes and citations. They're all here in the floor at me feet. Just gotta get the exact page numbers.
Way to go, ER. I am something of an old west buff myself. One of my recent ancestors gained some noteriety in Tombstone, AZ back in the day. You may have heard his name before: Billy Clanton? My great grandmother was a Clanton.
Cool. The whole reason I started work on a master's in history (finishdd in December) was I found the whole Erudite Redneck family tree in Judge Parker's criminal court files from Fort Smith, Ark. And I don't mean the Rednecks worked there!
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