Sunday, August 03, 2003

When I woke up this morning, I had 1,304 fewer hits in my cumulative log than I did when I signed off last night. Not that I’m counting. But what the hell? 5:34:51 PM    comment []   trackback []

Yesterday’s NYT article about the famous authors who toiled for the W.P.A. in the Federal Writers’ Project was a happy coincidence for me, because I’ve been re-reading one of the volumes produced by that program.   These Are Our Lives, published in 1939 by the University of North Carolina Press, tells the stories of people in Depression-era North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. It should be required reading for every think-tank ideologue and utopian “libertarian” who blithely dismisses any positive role for government.   While the Times is interested in the writers, I’m fascinated by the oral history of the subjects, living as I do amidst their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a very different North Carolina. The poverty, racism, and provincialism of  the era -- roughly halfway between the end of the Civil War and the present day -- is striking. But so is the strength, humor, and depth of observation of the people.   All that’s missing from the book is an essay on life in the ‘30s for the Jewish haute bourgeoisie in the Piedmont. Maybe I’ll write that one myself. 10:15:48 AM    comment []   trackback []

News & Record: John Edwards pins hopes on South Carolina primary.   “Iowa and New Hampshire still feel the love from White House hopefuls, but they no longer have the suitors to themselves. The itinerary for Democrat John Edwards is Exhibit A,” says reporter Eric Dyer.   Hey, Senator, there’s this cool new tool called the “Internet” that lets you go national and local all at the same time. Ask Howard Dean about it. 9:13:30 AM    comment []   trackback []