THE SOUL OF A MAN

The guitar growls, moans, weeps. A bass riff surrenders to a squeal of pain. . .

American Faces, FOLKIESThe AtticOctober 2, 2018Blues, Music, Folk musicComment

LANGSTON HUGHES -- "LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN"

How Langston Hughes touched bottom during the Depression and wrote an American anthem.

BOOK-ISH, DEMOCRACYThe AtticOctober 1, 2018American dream, Lit, People of Color Comments

BACK TO "HARLAN COUNTY, USA"

Coal miners distrusted Barbara Kopple until she hunkered down with them -- for three years -- and came home with a living, breathing masterpiece.

THE CHICKEN WHO SAVED BASEBALL

Baseball was a fading relic. Then a Chaplinesque college kid put on a chicken suit.

Humor, WITSThe AtticSeptember 14, 2018San Diego Chicken, Baseball, Ted Giannoulas, San Diego Padres Comments

IN THE ORCHARD OF DOLORES HUERTA

Single mother of seven, Dolores Huerta left her teaching job and went into the fields. The United Farm Workers was born.

REBELSThe AtticSeptember 4, 2018History, Women, 1960s, People of Color Comment

THE MYTH OF THE MILL GIRLS

History’s Mill Girls were models of labor. Until they went on strike and sowed the seeds of the Labor movement.

REBELSThe AtticAugust 30, 2018Mill girls, Lowell, Textile history, Labor Comment

CAMPING WITH JOHN AND TEDDY

When the president and the naturalist camped in Yosemite, America got greener.

FLYING THE WRONG/RIGHT WAY

Took off for L.A. Landed in Ireland. Was “Wrong Way” Corrigan confused or just clever?

DREAMERSThe AtticJuly 10, 2018Wrong Way Corrigan, Airplane travel, Adventure Comment

SILENT SENTINELS

Women had marched, picketed protested for 70 years. Then the Silent Sentinels were jailed, tortured, force fed. And you’re too busy to vote? (As seen in “Iron Jawed Angels.”)

VICTORIA FOR PRESIDENT -- IN 1872

"They cannot roll back the rising tide of reform. The world moves."

WHY WE LAUGH, OR DO WE?

"In America, there are two kinds of travel -- first class and travel with children."

-- Meet Robert Benchley.

Humor, Arts &, WITSThe AtticMay 2, 2018Humor, American Originals, Lit Comments

THE MAD POTTER OF BILOXI

"Would y'all like to see my Daddy's pottery?" The garage door opened to reveal reds, blues, yellows, and genius.

ART-ISHThe AtticApril 10, 2018George Ohr, Pottery, Art Pottery Comments

MARGARET MEAD AND HUMANITY'S COMING OF AGE

How one woman changed the way people look at people.

Women, HEROESThe AtticMarch 20, 2018Women, Margaret Mead, anthropology, franz boas, samoa Comment

THE FLAGS OF JASPER JOHNS

Turning the grand old flag into art took genius.

ART-ISHThe AtticMarch 5, 2018Pop art, American flag, 1950s, Modern art, American Originals Comment

LINCOLN IN MOURNING

A new novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, probes the president's deep sorrow. But how did his son's death change the president and the Civil War?

UNITED WE SPEAK... AMERICAN

You say "youse." I say "you guys." You say "pop." I say "soda." Let's call ourselves American.

SPEAKING AMERICANThe AtticFebruary 22, 2018American dialect, American speech Comments