Czech Texans

There are plenty of descendants of Czech-speaking pioneers still in Texas. Anyone who has ever driven I-35 between the Metroplex and Austin knows to stop for kolaches in West. Lots of Czech folks still live in the La Grange area as well.

The old timers who still speak the Czech language often use an Anglicized syntax and lots of English loan words. An interesting example in the video to which I have provided a link is the use of the morpheme "ovat" to turn the word "pick" (as in pick cotton) into a Czech verb. Written, it would most likely be "pikovat." Czech often uses "ovat" for foreign verbs, but I like this example because a European Czech speaker probably would not know what it means. The video is completely in Czech but a minute or two might prove interesting to folks wanting a glimpse into a wonderful Texas culture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htdfzTpPQ6U  

Fort Worth: Main Street

For a number of years, I lived abroad and traveled often. Now that I am back home in Fort Worth, I still have the urge to explore. However, the approach I have taken is different. Rather than go farther, I go deeper. For example, I might go downtown to see if I can see the bullet holes shot in the metal knight known as "Saint George" on the Knights of Pythias building on Main Street. In the old days, the cowboys would "celebrate" and then ride down Main Street discharging their firearms.

The famous gunfight between "Longhair" Jim Courtwright and Luke Short actually occurred in front of the White Elephant on Main Street in the space now occupied by Earth Bones. The gunfight did not occur at the establishment on Exchange in the Fort Worth Stockyards as people sometimes believe.

Below is perhaps the most famous photograph ever taken in Fort Worth, a portrait of the Wild Bunch. It was taken in John Swartz's photo studio at 705 Main Street in 1900. Richard Selcer's Hell's Half Acre is a great resource for those interested in learning more about the Wild Bunch's connection to Fort Worth and Cowtown in general.



  

Doc Watson

Doc Watson was one of our country's greatest interpreters of folk music. He understood the evolution of American song and through his finger picking could show how an older song influenced the development of a newer one. Here is Doc Watson's interpretation of "Sitting on Top of the World," which was written by the Mississippi Sheiks.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1q4Eb34mwM

German Texana

German Texana, which was published by Eakin Press in 1980, was written by Gilbert Jordan. Jordan, like J. Frank Dobie (and yours truly), graduated from Southwestern University, the oldest university in Texas. Jordan's book includes the folk songs, proverbs, and anecdotes of the German communities in the Texas Hill Country. The songs, proverbs, and such appear in the original German, though an English translation appears with each piece. The book is a gold mine for anyone interested in understanding life on the Texas frontier as seen through the eyes of European settlers. It is also good for those interested in the soon-to-be-extinct Texas variety of German. I scored my copy at Booked Up in Archer City, not far from the last picture show.   

Diamonds and Gasoline

The Turnpike Troubadours have written a song using a brilliant metaphor. Diamonds are solid and forged by incredible heat and pressure. The diamond here is sedentary. Gasoline, on the other hand, consists of molecules of carbon and hydrogen situated in chains. It is fluid and suggests motion. Diamonds and gasoline, though both carbon-based, represent two very different choices in this song.

These Oklahoma musicians write wise, thoughtful songs, and "Diamonds and Gasoline" is a case of simple delivery coupled with intellectual depth. 

The link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdp_k2nXAP4

Lucinda's Song

Here is a link to Lucinda Williams' "Drunken Angel," which is about Blaze Foley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cckroKLPsqg

Blaze Foley

Lately I have been listening to the music of Blaze Foley. Lucinda Williams' "Drunken Angel" was written about Blaze. He was a good friend of Townes Van Zandt and a great songwriter. Here is a link to "Clay Pigeons," a Blaze Foley song that was covered by John Prine.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_2CUj3y6Y

By No Means

Here's a link to Radek Michalko's Fonografik studio in northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic. The songs "Shine" and "Byzantium" can be heard here. I wrote the lyrics to "Shine" on a park bench in the Czech Republic. I wrote "Byzantium" outside my cabin in Yellowstone National Park on a good buddy's 12 string.

 http://fonografik.cz/portfolio/audio/2003/09/by-no-means

Brownsville: Brilliant Book

I recently read Brownsville by Oscar Casares. Casares won the Dobie-Paisano Fellowship a few years back. This collection of short stories is pitch perfect. From a linguistic point of view, it is incredible how he distinguishes one character from another. For example, one character in a story will speak only in English, another only in Spanish, and yet a third will code switch. Casares' work is vibrant, humane, and humorous. This is a writer to watch.

Let's sing the praises of our Dallas-area musical heritage

Here is the link to a Dallas Morning News piece I wrote about DFW music. It was published in August 2013.

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20130816-lets-sing-the-praises-of-our-dallas-area-musical-heritage.ece