THROUGH THE LENS: Martha Spencer on Love and Endurance in the Time of Coronavirus
Born in the mountains / Fifty years ago / I traveled the hills and valleys / Through the rain and snow / Seen the lightning flashing / I've heard thunder roll / I've endured, I've endured.
— Ola Belle Reed (Martha Spencer's cousin)
I have written several times about
Bob Dylan Offers History Lessons, a Playlist, and More in 17-Minute ‘Murder Most Foul’
Last night at midnight, Bob Dylan released a new song, “Murder Most Foul.” It is 16 minutes and 57 seconds long, replacing “Highlands” (1997) as his longest studio recording. Centering on the November 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, it is a master’s lesson in American history and
Basia Bulat Ponders Honesty and Self-Deception on the Stirring ‘Are You in Love?’
Love is a Pandora’s box of trouble on the unsettling fifth album from Canada’s Basia Bulat. Not just a source of heartbreak, it can be an illusion that keeps you from seeing clearly, and perhaps a cruel trick played by chemistry. “Are you in love when you’re
50 STATES OF FOLK: The Genre-Hopping Old-Time Fiddle Tradition of Weiser, Idaho
Back in the early days of the Western frontier, community was a matter of life-and-death: It was the work of people in tandem that led to a successful winter, not merely one man’s luck in finding gold or trapping furs.
In the wild ranges of 19th-century Idaho, part of
THE READING ROOM: Loretta Lynn Recounts Support and Sass from Her Friend Patsy Cline
Loretta Lynn says she feels like Patsy Cline is watching over her sometimes, especially when life gets hard or when she feels like she’s ready to give up and lose sight of the many blessings she’s been given in life. In her new memoir, Me & Patsy Kickin’
Watermelon Slim Plays Blues Shaped by Life as a ‘Traveling Man’
Bill Homans looks as rugged as the blues he plays. As his alter ego, Watermelon Slim, Homans honed his rough-and-tumble, bare-bones blues style bouncing around the country in a variety of blue-collar jobs . A Vietnam vet, he recorded an anti-war protest album, Merry Airbrakes, in 1973, learning to play slide