It provides a countermeasure against the cartoonish Yankee v. Rebel/good v. evil propaganda about the Civil War when you learn that J.P Morgan during that time made his first fortune by cheating the Union Army. At least, it did for me. That said, it didn't hurt the North's side that Britain and Europe chose not to support the confederacy for purely economic reasons, which also provides a broader perspective.
OMG I just started reading this now, and was stopped in my tracks on reaching the first mention of “the Church of Christ.” I was raised CofC too, in Michigan, daughter of Southern transplants. It did more to shape me for good and for bad than practically anything else in my life.
I will read the rest and react to it, but felt the need to send this now.
This is such an important work, and it resonated massively with how I was brought up. It also squared so many seeming contradictions I encountered.
In a time when so many bills are coming due and we have to choose who we want to become, this shines so much light upon the narratives proffered that served to weave slender bridges across chasms of uncomfortable truths…as well as offer new perspective on lies perpetuated to control both people and the long arc of a noble fantasy that never quite rang true. All the while, genuinely good people were in the midst, but pigeonholed away.
Thank you for an incredibly nuanced exploration of a complex history and the way you make everything relatable. You have a mind the size of a galaxy, a heart and character to match, and an ineffable gift for making it all so personal and approachable.
Hank will cherish this, and all of us are lucky to have you.
Bravo! This ain't no Mary Poppins "sugar makes the medicine go down" shit. It's gonna piss people off. But I hope that they will remember that anger is a sign you have run into something you need to work on.
“I hope Neil Young will remember a southern man don't need him around anyhow…”
It provides a countermeasure against the cartoonish Yankee v. Rebel/good v. evil propaganda about the Civil War when you learn that J.P Morgan during that time made his first fortune by cheating the Union Army. At least, it did for me. That said, it didn't hurt the North's side that Britain and Europe chose not to support the confederacy for purely economic reasons, which also provides a broader perspective.
OMG I just started reading this now, and was stopped in my tracks on reaching the first mention of “the Church of Christ.” I was raised CofC too, in Michigan, daughter of Southern transplants. It did more to shape me for good and for bad than practically anything else in my life.
I will read the rest and react to it, but felt the need to send this now.
This is such an important work, and it resonated massively with how I was brought up. It also squared so many seeming contradictions I encountered.
In a time when so many bills are coming due and we have to choose who we want to become, this shines so much light upon the narratives proffered that served to weave slender bridges across chasms of uncomfortable truths…as well as offer new perspective on lies perpetuated to control both people and the long arc of a noble fantasy that never quite rang true. All the while, genuinely good people were in the midst, but pigeonholed away.
Thank you for an incredibly nuanced exploration of a complex history and the way you make everything relatable. You have a mind the size of a galaxy, a heart and character to match, and an ineffable gift for making it all so personal and approachable.
Hank will cherish this, and all of us are lucky to have you.
Thanks for that. Very eye-opening for a guy thet grew up in the small town West from a middle-class back ground. Thanks for...
1) A new vision of Southern history from a different viewpoint than we are taught. (Marx and all)
2) Hank III sounds more like Hank I which is really sweet. No he didn't piss me off.
3) Your introspection and commitment to your causes is commendable.
I knew a few southerners through work (college educated) and I always found them warm, genuine, smart and refreshingly independent minded.
It is a true shame about the desire to separate us seems stronger that wnat should bring us together.
Bravo! This ain't no Mary Poppins "sugar makes the medicine go down" shit. It's gonna piss people off. But I hope that they will remember that anger is a sign you have run into something you need to work on.
“Sweatin and swearin all day long
shouting Get up there oxens,
keep movin along…
Load ‘er boys, cause it looks like rain
we got to get rollin’ that ol’ log train…”
I wasn’t there, but I care 💔