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Phil Oliver's avatar

The correspondent who appreciates "your version of Americana" catches my attention, as I'm about to teach a course called "Americana: Streams of American Experience "and it occurs to me that your work has indeed contributed importantly to the generic life and lore of the nation. Your late-life turn to an explicit embrace of "cheerfulness" could be seen as a natural extension of your perennial celebration of "small" experiences as intrinsically value-laden. Small-town life can be constricting and narrowing, and it makes sense that you've looked back on all that now from an urban perch. But small and meaningful experiences are everywhere.

And: a lot of the music we've lately learned to call "Americana" had a fine platform on your show. So thanks for that too.

For anyone who may be interested, the reading list for my course includes Doug Anderson's "Philosophy Americana: Making Philosophy at Home in American Culture"; John McDermott's, "Streams of Experience: Reflections on the History and Philosophy of American Culture"; Carlin Romano's "America the Philosophical"; and John Kaag,'s "American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation"

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Suzanne Herzstam's avatar

Thanks! I’m up here on Whidbey Island and just saw a truck go by called “Back Breakers” —We break our backs so you don’t have to.” (Junk movers)

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