‘When Earl Went to War’ at The Daily Yonder
Check out this link to The Daily Yonder to view my 2021 short documentary ‘When Earl Went to War”
By Douglas John Imbrogno | thestoryisthething.com | august17.2024
I am pleased to report that The Daily Yonder, America’s largest publication covering rural America, is featuring the documentary “WHEN EARL WENT TO WAR,” about my recently deceased West Virginia neighbor Earl Goodall, who died in July 2024, at age 93. Earl was the subject of my 2021 16-minute documentary, “When Earl Went to War,” about his Korean War service in ‘the Battle of the Hills,’ while also portraying the man’s sweet, down-home character. Bobby Lee Messer shot footage of my Earl interviews, then I crafted the film, including a short, pungent history of “The Forgotten War,” and its devastating impact on Korea, its people, and soldiers who fought it. The film is an homage to an un-ostentatious American life, yet with a left turn to the front lines of one of America’s big wars, whose fault lines are so often manned by the country’s rural population. The documentary was Runner Up for Best Short Documentary and News Story in the 2021 ‘NewsFest: True Stories International Film and Writers Festival.’ CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE OR THIS LINK TO SEE IT.
A Mourning Dove Musical Montage
CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO
The Daily Yonder showcase of my Earl piece came at an opportune time. Every creative person who submits their work to publications, contests and festivals had better brace for slap after slap after slap of rejection. After sequential writing contest and festival rejections in recent weeks of what I felt was good work — but someone thought was inadequate, insufficient or not hip/accomplished/cool enough — I chose to self-soothe yesterday morning and to concoct yet more odd, weird, esoteric, non-commercial, limited-audience work. (So, THERE, you meanie contest/festival arbiters!) Above, is ‘BIRDS ON A WIRE,’ a musical montage and theme and variation on … well, two birds. On a wire. The mourning doves were supplied courtesy of criss-crossing electric wires on my cul-de-sac. The filters show the prowess of my favorite BeFunky.com photo-editing app. SUBSCRIBE TO MY SUBSTACK for more strange artist work: thestoryisthething.substack.com
When New Bands Try Out Old Tunes
CLICK TO HEAR SONG
Many Appalachians know the traditional tune “Shady Grove,” a traditional ‘courting’ tune, thought to have originated in eastern Kentucky around the start of the 20th century. The tune’s Wikipedia page says it was popular “among old-time musicians of the Cumberlands before being widely adopted in the bluegrass repertoire.” Through the years, many stanzas have been added (up to 300, by now) by a range of artists, since it has been covered by everyone from Doc Watson and Jean Ritchie, to Taj Mahal, Camper Van Beethoven, and the Grateful Dead. I’ve been collecting favorite stanzas and you can hear them in this straight-to-cellphone rehearsal recording a few days ago by our new ‘folk chamber music‘ trio, Through the Trees, featuring Jim Probst (lap dulcimer), Rashawn Garnett (violin and viola) and myself (guitar and vocals). Locals can hear us play at the Coal River Coffeehouse Open Mic every Thursday in St. Albans, WV. Further news of gigs and showcases to come to subscribers of this site. PS: The repeating reference to ‘come back with me to Harlan …’ signifies Harlan County, Kentucky.
NATUREGRAM: The Butterfly and Bee
CLICK TO VIEW
May I suggest taking one-minute-and-a-half from fretting about democracy’s survival and whether our species is nearing a tipping point of spectacularly offing itself — to visit briefly with two less destructive species, going busily about their day in Barboursville Park in West Virginia one recent day?
PARTING THOUGHT
‘SUNBURSTING’ | Barboursville Park Trail, Barboursville WV | Look-Up Documentary Project Bureau of theSTORYistheTHING.substack.com | august2024
Even if, bright as a flash of lightning,
Death were to strike you today,
Be prepared to die without sorrow
Or regret, giving up attachment to
What you are leaving behind.
Without ever ceasing to recognize
The authentic view of the real,
Leave this life like the eagle
That soars into the blue sky.’
~ Dilgo Khyentse (1910-1991)
FREE SUBSCRIBE
For updates on new essays, poems, diatribes, photo essays, experimental videos & sorta memoir excerpts, subscribe to this site’s free e-mail newsletter: TheStoryIsTheThing.substack.com
