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Monthly Archives: August 2014
Boxcar Bertha
A few years ago I read a book by Ben Reitman called Boxcar Bertha: An autobiography (New York 1988: Amok Press). It told the story of “Boxcar” Bertha Thompson, a so-called “sister of the road” who was a hobo back in … Continue reading
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Roseville Blues
It’s about Roseville, California. I got an email from on a mailing list one time that talked about how hard it is to catch a freight train out of there, and it reminded me of a section of Jack London’s … Continue reading
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Letter to Stompin’ Tom
December 16 2006 Dear Stompin’ Tom, I’m not really sure where to begin. I’m twenty-seven, a rambler (still…), and an amateur guitarist. I grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, but the last three years or so I’ve been spending lots of … Continue reading
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Snake’s in the fiddle – Mountain Music
From Sprout Wings and Fly – documentary about old-time fiddler Tommy Jarrell (1983): [Pulls a rattlesnake tail out of his fiddle] “…Well, the old folks used to put them in there to keep the spiderwebs out. When you hung them … Continue reading
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Ryan McCord 