Curtis, I think you would enjoy reading "The Last Call" by David Okrent.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Rise-Fall-Prohibition/dp/074327704X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
http://goo.gl/DHvuk
I read it shortly after it was released last spring. It is the basis of Ken
Burns's film. Those who find Burns's film ponderous and polemic should prolly
avoid it. In many ways, after viewing 2 of 3 episodes, I am finding the film a
kinda Cliff notes version of the book. Unless he chooses to revisit the
pre-Prohibition period in the final segment, some of the most interesting
historical aspects go unmentioned.
I'm hoping the Johnny Appleseed story shows up in the final segment. Okrent
explores an interesting deeper significance to the long told story in that the
widespread cultivation of apple orchards as the American frontier expanded
westward provided not only food for subsistence livers <pun unintended>, but
also a cheap, plentiful, readily available material to produce consciousness
changing cider. Hard cider. I grew up on land with a fruit orchard in eastern
Nebraska. Thoughts of a summertime fresh peach pie still brings back euphoric
memories of my youth. I remember my uncles in Missouri producing cider every
year all the way into the 1970's when they kicked the bucket. Hard cider. Very
hard cider. Very strong, but tasty, hard cinder. They had acres and acres of
fruit trees. We in Nebraska only tended maybe 90 trees and a 100 ft grape arbor
as my Dad's hobby. Those old Missouri boys also made cherry wine every year.
Not much to look at but great to drink. They used to age it in used whiskey
barrels they purchased from distilleries in St. Louis. Brown, cloudy, delicious
potent cherry wine. High octane stuff. I digress with this story because these
old boys, in their youth, knew Carry Nation, spoke with her, and personally
witnessed some of her handiwork.
My paternal grandfather, an Irish immigrant, was in the retail alcohol
business. My father was in the retail alcohol business. I sold the stuff for
over 30 years. My father, born at the dawn of the 20th century, grew up near
the Missouri / Kansas / Nebraska border. My mother was raised on the Kansas /
Nebraska border. Stories of Prohibition from both sides of my family were very
common in my youth. Somebody tossing Carry Nation's name in a story was not an
unusual thing.
Thanks for the tip, earlier this year, on the Howlin' Wolf biography. I located
it and read it that very week. Just for yucks, have you ever noticed that the
composers of the song used in the "Soprano's" theme "sampled" a Howlin' Wolf
moan? Once you consciously hear it you can never miss it in future listenings.
Any other Blues bios or histories you wanna recommend would be surely
appreciated and eventually read. I am currently sipping from a couple of modern
spiritual tomes.
"The Tao of Willie: A Guide To The Happiness In Your Heart"
http://goo.gl/MyrPl
It contains the gem "I've outlived my pecker."
"What Would Keith Richards Do?"
http://goo.gl/Javzk
This spiritual guide contains the bromide "If I knew what the other original
sin was, I would do it."
Words to live by. I'd market little rubber wristbands with "WWKRD?", but the
Stones are know as being quite litigious in marketing affairs.
--- In [email protected], "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@...>
wrote:
>
> I am enjoying the documentary. It is a complex story worthy of the time
> spent. For me it seems to be a story of women's empowerment in this country.
> They rose up against a social problem and affected change. Unfortunately
> the solution had unintended consequences and did not solve the problem. But
> that speaks more to the complexity of human nature rather than the
> earnestness of the goal. And I believe some real good did come out of women
> gaining more of a voice which I'll bet lead to more government protection for
> family members. In the 1920s it would be unthinkable to have Health and
> Human services take someone's abused kids away or protect a battered spouse.
>
> The issue was real for women at that time. A large number of men were
> squandering the family's money on booze and there was a lot of family abuse
> with no recourse. The solution seemed simple, get rid of booze. These women
> were so brave. They were going up against business in a way unthinkable
> today. Protesting outside of saloons in Winter they would be invited in from
> the cold, doused with beer and sent outside to freeze! But they didn't back
> down. In today's cynical connection between business and government, their
> success would be unthinkable.
>
> There are so many poignant stories in this documentary. Earnest people
> trying to make positive changes. Unfortunately banning a substance that
> people want is just not gunna turn out well. The parallels to today's drug
> war is important. How can a government be so clear about the impossibility
> of banning alcohol which must be fermented and or distilled then believe that
> it can ban a plant that grows like a weed? And do we have to realize that we
> can't always legislate our way out of human problems caused by our nature?
>
> I'll stop here because I have only seen the first one.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In [email protected], Tom Pall <thomas.pall@> wrote:
> > <snip>
> > > I turned off Ken Burns' Prohibition. His sthick has been
> > > copied so many times, it's no longer novel and exciting.
> > > Plus, his handling of Prohibition is just so polemic.
> > > Don't bother going into the history. Just slant it your
> > > own way.
> >
> > That's what it sounded like to me just watching the trailer.
> > He apparently thinks Prohibition was a ridiculous idea. Did
> > he relate that in any way to the prohibition of marijuana
> > and other potentially highly useful and largely benign
> > psychedelics, or did he ignore that as you say he ignores
> > the history of the temperance movement?
> >
>
