"Killers Of The Flower Moon" by David Grann, A Reflective Look Back On A Previous Reading

 

"Killers of the Flower Moon" spent a total of 5 weeks on the NY Times Best Sellers List, was a massive financial success, and has recently been turned into a major Hollywood movie.  It tells the story of a long string of murders of Osage Indians in the 1920's in Oklahoma on and around the Osage Reservation.  David Grann, the author, has had a long career as a major writer for several important American magazines including "The New Republic", "The Atlantic Monthly", and "The New York Times Magazine".  He has also published at least five major books most of which have been best sellers.  He is a prolific writer, a highly productive and successful writer, a truly commercial writer.  But, based on this book, which is a wonderful read, he is not now and not likely to ever become a "great writer".  This book is written in a compelling fashion intended to hold the average reader's attention to the very end.  It is well crafted for the commercial market but one should remember that the average American reader is poorly educated with less than a high school education, reads only about 15 minutes a day, and almost never reads a newspaper. Their ability to discriminate between good and lesser quality writing is almost nonexistent. The book will hold your attention and, in my opinion, it is well worth reading because it tells an important historical story about one of our many minority groups in this country, and actually led me to read further about the Osage tribe in fiction.  In addition to being the product of extensive research both in historical documents and interviews with living people, the book is copiously supported with genuine photographs of many of the principal people in the story, both victims and perpetrators.  

During the 1920's and, perhaps, both before and after that decade numerous members of the Osage tribe were murdered in order for their government appointed guardians to assume control of the vast amounts of money tribe members were collecting from the sale of oil drilling rights on the extensive acreage of the reservation.  During that time period, the Osage were collectively and individually among the richest people in America because the reservation land, which the government had assumed was worthless before designating it as the reservation, proved to be the richest oil field in the country at the time.  It became common practice for the Osage to be designated by courts to be incompetent to manage their own money and they were given guardians who were always white and nearly always corrupt.  In the long run, many of those court appointed guardians became the murderers and financial successors to their Osage wards.  The plot of the book is the story from murder to arrest and conviction of what seems to have been only a small percentage of those felonious guardians. The book also leaves little doubt that many more deaths of Osage tribe members were likely also uninvestigated murders.  This book is worth reading and any negative statements I have made about it are indictments of the overall book publishing industry and the average American just as much as they may be directly about the author and his writing style.  I can give him one unreserved commendation in that he is, or his staff are, tremendous researcher(s).   

"Johnny Osage" by Janice Holt Giles, A Wonderful Old Novel

 

Frequently, I read books long after they have fallen from the public view and I have no problem with that.  I also frequently find that one of these books is something I, and every other American reader, should have read long ago.  I have just done that once again having just completed "Johnny Osage" by Janice Holt Giles.  This novel was published by Houghton Miflin in 1960 but it is still a wonderful read today with high quality writing on every page, an interesting and engaging plot, and gives a highly fictional, but historically rooted, examination of the Osage-Cherokee War which took place in what was then the Missouri Territory along the Arkansas River in the 1820's.  I had just recently read "Killers of the Flower Moon" which is about a different period in the history of the Osage tribe.  I had read that book a few weeks ago and never wrote about it on this blog.  I probably also owe my readers a post on that book. 

 

 

Giles was born in Arkansas but lived most of her life in Kentucky in several locations including Frankfort, Louisville, and Knifley in Adair County where she is buried with her husband, Henry Giles.  She has been inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame at the Carnegie Center in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2014.  Because I primarily read Appalachian Literature and Appalachian authors, I had never read her work until this book.  But, I can assure you that, based on this book, I am highly likely to read the rest of her works.  It is an interesting novel for many reasons.  It is set in the early 19th century in the Arkansas River country but Giles also blended much of her knowledge about Kentucky into the book by having more than one character in the book with Kentucky ties. She has a character who was also one of the first women in Kentucky to divorce her husband because he was a member of the Shaker religious sect.  It is also a love story between a pioneer trading post operator, Johnny Fowler, also known as Johnny Osage, who is deeply connected to the Osage tribe, and a missionary woman named Judith who has come with a mission group to the Osage country to try to convert the local Native Americans, both Osage and Cherokee. This inclusion of a missionary group and several characters who are missionaries had to have arisen from the fact that Giles worked several years for missionary groups.  But Johnny Osage is deeply opposed to the predominant religion of his fellow whites and much more aligned with the spiritual beliefs of the Osage which I suspect could be a reflection of some misgivings which led Giles to leave her employment among missionary groups.  While Giles, in the foreword to the book, claims no prejudice against either tribe or open support of the Osage against the Cherokee, the primary villain in the book is a purely fictional character named Scammon or The Blade who is the primary chief of the local Cherokee.  The Blade, in an earlier period before the Osage-Cherokee War, was responsible for a raid against the Osage which resulted in the deaths of several Osage including the previous Osage wife of Johnny Fowler.  Johnny has always been close to the Osage and even fought in previous skirmishes between them and their historical enemies, the Pawnee.  His Osage name is Man Not Afraid Of The Pawnee which arose due to his success in those skirmishes against the Pawnee. 

 

The conflict in the book includes the enmity between the two tribes, Johnny's dislike of organized religion and Judith's deep religious beliefs, and Johnny's animosity toward The Blade based on the death of his previous wife.  Giles did a tremendous job of weaving enough actual history and fictional depictions of several actual historical figures including the governor of the territory and the commander of the fort at Three Forks.  The book builds steadily toward a conclusion which brings all the conflicts to a head simultaneously and it is a fine piece of work.   Find a copy of this fine old novel and read it as soon as you can. 

Elk Night And Hiking At Jenny Wiley State Park, Saturday, September 16, 2023

The flyer for Elk Night at Jenny Wiley State Park, 2023 

On the afternoon of Saturday, September 16, 2023, my wife Candice and I traveled to Jenny Wiley State Park to engage in their annual Elk Night at the lodge restaurant and for me to hike on my favorite trail among those in the park which begins and ends just at the upper end of the lodge parking lot.  We have been there for Elk Night on several occasions and I have written about both Elk Night and Jenny Wiley State Park on other occasions.  One other of my blog posts detailed a previous hike on the Jenny Wiley Trail at the park which follows the ridge across the lake from the lodge.  On another occasion, I reviewed a short biography of Jenny Wiley by Floyd County author Henry P. Scalf who is, perhaps better known for his numerous genealogical works and his career as a reporter for the Floyd County Times in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.  Both Candice and I like the park a lot and it has been a part of my life nearly as long as I can remember.

My hike went well and shortly after I returned to our van to meet Candice we entered the lodge for the feast.  We got there about 3:30pm at a time when the dining room was not crowded which makes life much simpler in most cases.  We found elk roast actually being carved on the serving line, fresh fired catfish, hunter's stew, elk chili, and elk meatloaf.  The first elk roast we got servings from must have been on the line a bit longer than usual and was a bit dry but very nice in flavor and appearance.  But the return trip for seconds was great because a new roast had just arrived on the line and it was hot, juicy, tender, and everything  a good elk roast should be.  The elk meatloaf was great with the traditional Eastern Kentucky topping of ketchup and made from finely ground elk with just the right amount of spiciness.  The elk chili was robust, sufficiently meaty, and well flavored.  We did not try the hunter's stew but probably should have.  The most ordinary part of the entire all you can eat buffet was the salad and vegetable bar which was comprised of the usual suspects, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, etc. with nothing unusual or outstanding added to the bar.  The vegetables were fresh, crisp, clean, etc. but nothing about them was a cut above average at a good restaurant buffet.  

But the best was yet to come!  The flyer above, and more than one other I have seen from state park elk nights, advertised "Assorted Appalachian Deserts".  It has usually been my experience when I see that line in a flyer that the deserts will be some very ordinary, traditional offerings which you might find in any restaurant from Maine to California.  I have lived nearly my entire life in Central and Southern Appalachia and can make an argument, based on my education and publishing history, for being an expert on Appalachian Culture.  I have rarely, if ever, seen deserts in a state park lodge that I would say are "Appalachian Deserts".  I would also not say that the deserts that I saw on this particular evening were "Appalachian Deserts" but they were definitely among the best deserts I have ever eaten in any restaurant I have ever been in among the thirty-one US states I have visited or in which I have lived.  There was a fairly common looking chocolate pie which I did not try.  There was also a deep dish lemon pie with actual lemon slices garnishing the top and a genuine lemon flavor, without any disagreeable sourness, and a meringue which was quite deep, pretty to look at and tasty.  It was an excellent deep dish lemon pie.  But the best dish of the evening was yet to come, something of which I had never heard, and with a primary ingredient which I have eaten in several other presentations all my life.  That desert was Pinto Bean Pie, Yes!, Pinto Bean Pie!  And I don't mean some joke presented under the title Pinto Bean Pie in order to monopolize on the fact that pinto beans have been a part of life in the area of the lodge for the last one hundred years at least.  It was a real pie with a filling comprised of canned (presumably) pinto beans and with a top of crushed nuts of some kind or other. The entire offering was sweet, juicy, incredibly tasty, and clearly comprised in large part of pinto beans. I made a point of complementing the two staff members on the serving line for the entire meal after I finished eating and they told me that a chef in another state park lodge had sent them the recipe for Pinto Bean Pie and they loved it also.  I am attaching a recipe for the desert which I found on the internet but I cannot guarantee that it is the same recipe which was being used at Jenny Wiley.  I can only suggest that if you are interested in trying it that you should find one or two recipes which appeal to you and try them at different times before settling on your favorite.  But I can assure that if you have never had Pinto Bean Pie you should as soon as possible.  I can't wait to see what comes up next year at the Jenny Wiley State Park Lodge Elk Night. 

 

 

Hiking At Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center, September 15, 2023

 

Photo above by Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center/Facebook. 

Last Friday, September 15, 2023, I visited and hiked at Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center just outside Sandy Hook, Kentucky, in Elliott County and not far from Grayson Lake.  I had been there with my wife, Candice because we both had appointments in town that morning.  I have gone to the entrance gate many times when I have been in Sandy Hook but had never found it open before because I was either there after regular business hours or on the weekends.  The road to the center is closed on the weekends when most people hike and after the Cultural Center closes each day during the week. The times when the gate is closed are also nearly identical to the times when many, if not most, people hike.  The entrance is just off Old Rt 7 and 32 Old Laurel Curves Road and in a fairly isolated location out of sight of any other buildings and on a lightly traveled road so I had never chosen to park near the gate and walk around it since my wife Candice is usually with me and in a wheelchair which requires us to choose for me to hike in locations where we can park and she can park, read and feel safe while I hike  during the hour or more I am usually gone.  In defense of the Cultural Center, the director who was present when I was there advised me that there is a process ongoing at this time to hire a part time person to keep the facility open on weekends.  That would be a great improvement.  In the past when I have been in Sandy Hook, I have usually walked at Elliott County Memory Gardens, a cemetery just outside town on Kentucky Route 32 which is an excellent cemetery in which to walk with extensive uphill climbs, good paved roads, and sizeable acreage in order to keep an active walker's attention for an hour or so.  But it is a bit steep in places and some walkers might consider it too much work.  I had hoped for quite some time to find the gate at the Cultural and Heritage Center open so Candice could wait for me in the parking lot while I hiked the trails at the center.  

Photo above by Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center/Facebook.
 

The trails at the center contain several, perhaps eight or nine miles of interconnected trails which are marked as mild to moderate.  I would agree with the designations in general but the first half mile or so of the main trail is perhaps a bit too mild with some elevated wooden walkways and several pit stops built into the walkways with board seats in opposite corners for people to rest.  But beyond the spot where the walkways end, the trails are truly moderate and some people might consider them to be at the top end of that designation and tending toward tough which is fine with me.  I like that kind of hike.  Those trails wind past several rock outcroppings  and rock shelters with frequent tree roots, rocks, mild to moderate uphills, and enough difficulty for the average hiker to break a sweat.  Sadly, I didn't have a camera with me and took no photographs of the trails.  I will try to correct that the next time I go there.  Also, the state operated page to which I provided the link above has no pictures either.  The Cultural Heritage Center does operate a Facebook page which has a limited collection of photographs but they are inadequate to fully describe the nature of the trails.  But like many thousands of other such Facebook pages, it is inadequate to fully describe the options available with too little text and too few photographs.  The location would be better served with a professionally maintained website which may well be too expensive for what might be a limited budget.  

While I was at the center, the cultural heritage building was open and the director was present working to set up for a Craft and Vendor Fair the following day.  The center is also the location of the Elliott County Historical Society which has a designated space for their meetings and library of materials.  There is a good collection of historical and craft objects in the building including one of the finest copper stills I have ever seen and two excellent large benches made from what appears to have been the same log by the same maker.  The facility is well worth visiting on the days when the building is open and hopefully they will  hire that person to keep it open some limited  number of weekend hours.  I assume you can feel free to park near the gate, walk around it and hike the trails in the daylight hours if you feel safe to leave your car in the somewhat isolated spot.  It is a great place for the moderately experienced hiker to visit.  Despite the quite rocky nature of the area, I don't have much fear of poisonous snakes there because it has been my experience that they tend to move away from areas which have extensive foot traffic as this one does. You should go there sometime soon and enjoy the hike. 

A Basic Truth About The Right Wing Radical Repugnican Party

A relative of mine whose politics is very similar to my own recently sent out an e-mail to what is basically a family list about the recent escapade which got Lauren Boebert and her boyfriend thrown out of a public theater.  Shortly thereafter, his sister, who has consistently supported TRAITOR Trump and all of his TREASON and assorted other crimes against America, American Democracy, the entire free world, all our allies, the planet, and the entire human race, responded with a very brief e-mail on the list which said, in its entirety, "I agree with you."  

I responded to her e-mail with this message below which I also realized was perfect content for a blog post.  

"I am really pleased to see that you understand that Boebert is unfit to serve in the US Congress.  But what I am afraid is that you think she is some kind of exception or aberration in the Right Wing Radical Repugnican party.  She is not an exception or an aberration.  She is simply one more example of what they are all across the board from TRAITOR Trump right on down to the lowest level elected official in any part of America.  There are only  two Republicans in the entire country fit to hold any position of public trust at any level.  They are Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and, because they had the intelligence, morals, ethics, and courage to stand up in the halls of congress and hold TRAITOR Trump responsible for his TREASON, they were driven out of the Right Wing Radical Repugnican party.  It is a party, from top to bottom, which is attempting to help the worst TRAITOR in the history of the world escape any punishment for his TREASON and his thousands of other lesser crimes against America, American Democracy, our allies around the world, the human race, and the entire planet.  They are a party of TRAITORS, criminals, liars, cheats, sex offenders, and idiots who will do literally anything to gain and hold onto any level of power they can attain.  Until we hold them all, from TRAITOR Trump down to his lowest co-conspirator, responsible for their crimes, this country, American Democracy, and the entire free world will be in danger." 

That pretty well says everything that needs to be said about both Lauren Boebert and the entire Right Wing Radical Repugnican party.  But what really needs to be said about the situation needs to be said in November 2024.  As a nation, we need to send every member of the Right Wing Radical Repugnican congress including, but by no means limited to Lauren Boebert, back to the slimy rocks they crawled out from under.  

Ruminations On Labor Day 2023

 

Labor Day was created by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894.  He was a Democrat which is just one more proof, if you need any, that if you want something done for the working class in America you must elect Democrat to all offices at all levels.  

This Labor Day in 2023, the United States is very fortunate to have President Biden in office since he has proven over his long and highly successful political career that he is a committed friend of the working class and of organized labor.  

Both for the working class and the country in general, organized labor has done more for the country than any other segment of the populace.  Unions fought for and won the forty hour week, the eight hour day, paid vacations and holidays, sick pay, company provided health and life insurance, ended child labor, unemployment benefits, workers compensation laws, Black Lung Benefits, disability benefits, the Medical and Family Leave Act, and not one of those benefits of organized labor's work was ever a focus of action by the Republican Party.  They were all produced with the cooperation of organized labor and Democratic presidents.  

The bottom line for the working class in America will always be that if workers support unions, Democratic elected officials, and the rights of workers we all win.