June, oops, July!!!!

It has been a busy month....lots of changes. The Kansas Hall of Fame was a resounding success. Spending time with these laureates or their representatives is a priceless gift. While it is a celebratory event, the real work comes with sharing the stories of the laureates and maintaining a continuous presence in the state. That's what I am working on now. If you would like to get involved in the Kansas Hall of Fame, do I have a deal for you! Drop me a line!

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One of the highlights of the month of June was visiting Cowboy Culbertson's, American Frontier Adventure, near Easton, Kansas. Heather Newell, trusty camera girl and brains behind Around Kansas, shot some fantastic footage of artists staging scenes with various models. My personal favorite among the models was old friend, Wes Studi. We first met years ago at a gathering hosted by my friend, Carol Ann Turner. It was great to visit and I am looking forward to the episode of Around Kansas that will feature Wes, Cowboy Culbertson, Dick Deshon, and Judy Coder. Rod Beemer took these photos (I look forward to visiting with Rod and taking one of his "Boss Hawg" tours of local Indian Wars sites for another episode).

As legions of fans can attest, Wes is the most intense of actors. He brings an unparalleled passion to his work. When asked if his combat experience in Viet Nam informed certain performances, he responded that he has been fortunate to have a broad range of life experience and all of it informs his acting. "Authentic" was the word of the day whether talking with Wes about his acting or with Cowboy about the experience and images he and others are trying to create at the ranch.

 

 

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August 21 will mark the 150th anniversary of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence, Kansas. Events will be held throughout the month to recall the events of that tragic summer. On August 24, 10 a.m., I will lead a tour of Topeka Cemetery, 10th & California, that will highlight the lives of some of those connected to the raid, including some survivors, who rest in our state's most historic graveyard. The cost is $10 per person and the tour is about 2 hours long. Bring bug spray and wear comfortable shoes. Email me for more info: debbisel@yahoo.com

 

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We are starting to accept donations for the 2nd annual Shawnee County Attic Sale, with proceeds to benefit the Shawnee County Historical Society and the terrific programing we do. At a recent board meeting, we were treated to a reenactment of the Underground Railroad by our own resident teacher, Melinda Abitz, and volunteers George Bernheimer (also a board member), his lovely wife, Diane, Alan Shirrell, and Melinda's daughter who was drafted as well. This is one of the programs that summer camp kids were exposed to this year. With more than 500 kids attending, we took history to a lot of folks!!! So please consider donating furniture, collectibles, coins, militaria--anything of value that be suitable for an "estate sale." Call us at the SCHS and leave a message; we will arrange for pickup. 785-234-6097.

Local artist/gallery owner Jeff Hisey is donating space for our auction/sale.  He is leasing the building at 109 North Kansas Avenue (at the south end of the bridge) and is turning the space into a creative mecca! Visit him on 1st Friday!!!

Gene Barry Passes

For most of us, names like Wyatt Earp, George Custer, and Buffalo Bill first came to us not through history books but through television and movie screens. Certainly that is the case with Bat Masterson.

My first memory of the dashing Western lawman was the dashing Gene Barry (right) who portrayed him on television. Gene Barry has died at the age of 90, after a long and accomplished career and a marriage that lasted 58 years until his wife's death in 2003. A salute to the man that brought Bat Masterson to our living rooms. For more on the real Bat, visit this article by my friend George Laughead: http://www.skyways.org/orgs/fordco/batmasterson.html

Only in the South. . .

My sister shared this news article with me:

BOUTTE, La. – A 44-year-old woman was booked with second-degree battery after allegedly pouring a pot of boiling grits onto her sleeping boyfriend. St. Charles Parish sheriff's deputies said Carolyn Brown caused second-degree burns on the man's face and arms. The man told deputies that he came home from work on Nov. 7, got into an argument with Brown, told her that he was breaking up with her, then went to bed.

The Times-Picayune reported Brown was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Nelson Coleman Correctional Facility.

Well, assault is never a laughing matter but you can rest assured that not since the War (and you know which war I mean), has a Yankee been attacked through the use of grits so this is a headline you will only read in the South. Likewise, the news story out of Charlotte about a daycare provider selling two gallons of moonshine out of her childcare facility is uniquely Southern. In fact, selling moonshine at all is a story you're just not going to read up North, much less doing so out of a daycare center!

By the way, the moonshine jug pictured to the left could be yours for only $97. Visit http://www.euroluxantiques.com/Antique-Barware-Earthenware-Stone-Crock-Moonshine-Jug-P16958.aspx

I'm assuming it's empty.

And while we're shopping, want to buy a red jacket to benefit the Fisher House Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project?

It’s not just any red jacket. It’s the red jacket Sarah Palin wore for the photo of the cover of her new book, Going Rogue.

Palin donated it for auction through radio talk show host Laura Ingraham’s show and Web site. All proceeds will go to benefit the two military charities. It’s getting pricey — as of the afternoon of Dec. 10, the bid had reached $7,500.

Bidding continues through 5 a.m. Eastern Time Dec. 18.

And last but not least on our shopping list today, the DVD of The Only Good Indian, directed by Kevin Willmott and starring Wes Studi, is now available on the website: theonlygoodindian.com. See my blog of a few days ago for a critique of the film. Better yet, just buy it and decide for yourself how good it is.

The Only Good Indian

"The only good Indian is a dead Indian!"

This is generally attributed to Gen. William T. Sherman, or his designee, Gen. Phil Sheridan. It's a powerful title. And, it's a powerful film.

Veteran media person Beth Meyers joined Gary and me at Lawrence's Liberty Hall for the film last night. Any excuse to visit this venue is acceptable, but a Kevin Willmott film is a double delight. (Gary, the musician, lived in the projector room years ago but that's a story for another day, or, perhaps a movie. . . )

The Only Good Indian: The storyline is perfect; the script needed some work; the cinematography is spectacular, though a little inconsistent sometimes; the acting is superb (which, of course, is always a nod to the director as well as the actors); the faces are unforgettable, beginning with Wes Studi.

Studi's face is so interesting, his range of expression so vast, that I dare say his face alone could carry an hour or two of film even if you couldn't understand what he was saying and he had no one else onscreen. That being said, this is not his most powerful performance, but it is a solid, credible performance. He is capable of such intensity, such seduction, and the film does not build to that level.

The other face is that of J. Kenneth Campbell--THE white man. His face, too, is a novel--a long, well-worn, passionate, violent novel. With these two men, Kevin had a goldmine and I'm not sure he ever got all the gold from it. But, the treasure he lays at our feet with this movie is pretty precious.

The third face, is Winter Fox Frank, the boy who escapes from Haskell Indian School. In stark contrast to the two men above, the perfect soft complexion, the unwavering gaze--this young man's face was perfectly cast.

Kevin has a genius for framing a shot and the Kansas backdrop is used to its greatest advantage. There were so many shots that I wanted to keep, images that spoke volumes. In fact, I'll bet there are Kansans that will be taken aback by familiar landmarks or landscapes used in innovative ways.

See this movie, buy this movie, share this movie. It's important, it's artful, it will keep your attention.

Bigger-Than-Life Bowie

Of all the Alamo characters, none intrigues me as much as Jim Bowie. Though born in Kentucky, Jim and his brothers moved to Missouri and then to New Orleans seeking their fortunes. Among his other enterprises, Bowie traded in slaves, buying them from the pirate, Jean Lafite. He wasn't much of a home body. He gambled, brawled, caroused, drank--the kind of man a woman falls for but should never marry. Bowie was already a frontier legend when he saw opportunity for wealth and adventure in Texas. The bigger-than-life Bowie was well-suited to the bigger-than-life Texas. (Bigger-than-life also brings to mind Jason Patric (above) who played Bowie in the 2004 movie, The Alamo. Jason is the grandson of Jackie Gleason, who was probably more like Bowie in his excessive zest for life).

In Lone Star Rising, William C. Davis describes Bowie thusly:

For all his penchant for opportunism and a lenient attitude toward the law, he was also a man of unshakable bravery, one who inspired calm and confidence in dangerous moments, a man with a strong sense of fair play, a sense of humor, a fondness even for Methodist hymns. Most of all, he carried with him an aura that attracted men to him, and that infused them with confidence that in a crisis, Bowie's side would win.

The British historian, Thomas Carlyle, said of Bowie (left), "By Hercules! The man was greater than Caesar.... The Texans ought to build him an altar."

I can't think of him without smiling.

Jim Bowie was about 40 years old when he died at the Alamo.

For an excellent essay on his life, visit http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/

or, Jim Bowie reenactor, Jack Edmondson at http://www.texanalivinghistory.org/edmondsonbio.html

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Southern News

Louisiana--It's almost time for the Jonquil Jubilee in Gibsland, a hamlet in Bienville Parrish. More than a quarter of a million bulbs have been planted in the tiny town that has been named, "The Daffodil Capital of Louisiana." Historic homes in the neighborhood will also be open on March 3. Tom and I were in Gibsland a couple of years ago and can vouch for the loveliness of the community, though we were there for more gruesome reasons. There is a monument several miles south to mark the spot where Bonnie and Clyde were killed as well as a museum in town devoted to their story. In other news, Virginia just apologized for slavery and Vermont is trying to secede.

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Your Assignment

I would pay money just to watch Jason Patric peel potatoes. Tune in to the Western Channel or go to your DVD case and take out Geronimo: An American Legend. Watch it for the tenth time. Marvel at Wes Studi (What a face!!!) in the title role and Patric as Charles Gatewood. We have a friend, Ric Reed, a reenactor and wrangler from Osceola, Missouri, who worked on this movie. Apparently, there was a scene where Ric's character is standing with Robert Duvall's character, Al Sieber. They have just buried someone and Ric and Bob sing "Amazing Grace" over the grave. Sadly, that scene was cut, but it's one we would love to see.


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Twisted History

NASA: The Early Years