HerlandVoice-1999-02-v17-no02_ocr.pdf
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February, 1999
DUSTBOWL
LULLABYE
Peggy Johnson's song "Dustbowl Lullabye" has been
chosen as the "title cut" for the upcoming Herland CD
Project. The recording process is in full swing, with 13 songs
started and several of them completed or near completion.
Peggy's song was chosen not only because it has an Oklahoma air to it, but also because ittells a story of one woman's
positive experience in our community.
Dr. Jan Rosenberg has graciously contributed several of
her own acoustic guitar tunes, two of which will most likely
be used on the project. Her studies of traditional folk songs
gives her creations a familiar feel with an original twist.
Julia Robinson recorded a song for the project before she
moved to Nashville. The song is called "Fool That I Am" and
was written by her friend Diane. Louise Goldberg arranged
the song and plays keyboards; Elyse Angelo plays the drums.
Darenda Boswell, backed by local musicians including
Terry Hoersch and Dana.Jo Cox, recorded a song composed
by a local songwriter. the song may have an official title, but
is always referred to simply as 'The Angel Song".
Freefall (Louise Goldberg, Ginger McGovern, Rhonda
Smith and Tamara Smith), are in the process of finishing their
contribution, "Jazz Dancer." The song was written by Donna
of the group Still on the Hill from Fayetteville, Arkansas.
This cut will feature Rhonda on the concertina (aka "squeeze
box") and Tamara on penny whistle.
Donna D's song "Love You Always" was the first song
started in the studio, but unfortunately, the original version is
lost forever. The new, improved version, with Donna singing
and playing guitar, Elyse on drums, Louise programming the
MIDI tracks and backing vocals by Kristall Bright and Nancy
Nesser promises to be even better than the now "lost classic."
Nancy Scott has contributed her song "Poco", which will
be recorded with Mary Reynolds covering vocals and guitars.
Nancy Scott and Louise Goldberg have recorded the backing
vocals. The song will be completed after Mary is relocated to
this red dirt country in February.
Before she headed to Vermont last spring, Wende Allyn
recorded an acoustic version of her song "Carry On." Her
buddy John Greenberg does the lead guitar and Mary Reynolds
and Nancy Nesser cover backing vocals.
Volume 17 Number 2
On her way from Vermont to California last fall, Wende
added backing vocals to Wanda Dorrance's songs, "A
Man's World." This song will most likely bethe spunkiest
number on the disk. With driving rhythm guitar by Donna
D, drums by Elyse and Wanda's brand of Tex-Mex country
blues lead guitar, your toes will be tapping to this one.
In late January, Cuchla recorded her song, local favorite
"Backdoor to Heaven." Joining her in the studio are Elyse
on drums, Kristal} on bass and backing vocals, Wanda takes
the lead guitar and Nancy helps out with the backups.
In addition to all her work with other musicians on this
project, Louise is also contributing an original piano piece,
"A Love Gone By." Her Yamaha grand piano was on loan
to Mayflower Congregational Church last October, so we
took advantage of the excellent acoustics in their sanctuary
and recorded her piano work there.
The last song to be finished will most likely be an
arrangement of the traditional song "The Water is Wide."
This song has been recorded by literally hundreds of recording artists so the challenge will be in shedding new light on
this old favorite.
The projected release date for the project is the fall
retreat. There are still a limited number of sponsorships
available for the project. A sponsor contributes $50 in
exchange for an autographed copy of the CD when it is
released, free admission to any shows or concerts that benefit
the CD, and free admission to the release party.
[J
•Valentine's
D,A"\l'R
2-4p.m.,
Sunday, Feb. 14
~
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.ping pong & card
tournaments •. .J
• • prizes and • ,
• • refreshments
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Suggested donation of Mo
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call Jeri at ?Ss-4916 for more information.
Herland Sister Resources
2312 N.W. 39, OKC, OK 73112
STACEY EARLE -
SIMPLE GEARLE
by Ji// Gamer
A funny thing happened at the Gillian Welch/David Rawlings
concert last month. I actually liked the opening act a whole lot
better! Stacey Earle, the sister of the very talented Steve Earle, has
the family genes for great musical talent. Let me just say that I
think Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are probably two of the
most talented people in the business today. However, listening to
them in concert sounded exactly like listening to their CDs in my
living room. In other words, they were too polished and not
spontaneous enough. But, maybe I only thought that because they
had the misfortune of following Stacey Earle.
Stacey was accompanied by her husband Mark Stuart who
played guitar and sang wonderful harmonies on nearly all her
songs (and does on her CD as well). Stacey writes all her own
songs and my first impression of her was a soft-spoken, clean cut
girl who would probably sing some perfectly nice pop songs but
nothing very memorable. Boy was I wrong! Stacey has such a way
with words and develops some great characters in all her songs.
And she can get down! I was totally impressed.
Stacey'smusiciscountry-flavoredfolkwithatwang. Earle's
voice is sweet in the way of Nanci Griffith, but she's got a way of
writing that makes you think she's seen the world in ways that you
wouldn't expect. One of my favorite songs on the CD is a song
about domestic violence. The song consists of the abusive man
justifying his actions in all the usual ways; "where would you be
if it weren't for me, you'll never leave, now look what you made
me do, etc., while she plots a way to leave. "No time to waste, I
must save my strength, keep my head on straight, just long
enough to think." My favorite iine is, "And if you see someone
that you never knew, well that's where I'd be if it weren't for
Juba
by Letta Neely
Herland's
Lending Library
RATING:999
Letta Neely's Juba is
definitely worth checking
out of the lending library.
Neely's collection of
poetry is a fierce and potent cry for an awareness
of society's dark side. Her writing is provocative
and spares the reader nothing.
Neely's raw use of language breathes life into
her work. Ranging in themes from sex and violence to disease and death, Juba is an honest and
gripping analysis of the cruel aspects of life.
Rating
System
9 poor 99 fair 999 good 9999 very goo<l
99999 excellent
Page 2 Her/and Voice February, 1999
you." This is one of the best songs I've heard in a long time. But
the CD is full of them. "Wedding Night" is another one of my
favorites about a young girl's wedding. "Daddy paid a fortune for
my white wedding gown, seems a little silly when it's only his
tradition now, back down deep in my suitcase got a black silk
gown, let's get the ceremony rollin', I'm ready for my wedding
night." "Cried My Heart Out" is one of the most rockin' songs on
the CD and it's the toughness after the pain theme that's always
satisfying to hear. The title song, "Simple Gearle," is probably
my least favorite song on the CD, but overall it's a solid CD and
certainly more interesting than most of the music out on the
market. I'm really impressed by her work and look forward to
listening to this CD a lot more. As she said in an article I read
about her, "I call my record Simple Gearle, but it's still a thinker.
Even the little ditties-if you listen deeply, there's a trick to 'em.
At this point in my life, I need to do something I'm gonna feel
really good about when I leave this earth." She certainly deserves
to feel good about this debut CD and I hope some of you reading
this will take the chance on tl1is CD and hunt it down because it's
worth it!
The CD was released on Stacey's label, Gearle Records, but
her brother Steve's label, E-Squared is distributing it. That may
mean you can find it in record stores around Oklahoma. If not,
you can order it through Stacey's website at www.staceyearle.com.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Kate Campbell - Visions of Plenty
This is another CD I'm very impressed with. I bought
Campbell's first CD, Songs.from the Levee, saw her live at the
Blue Door, and she was great by the way, but I didn't love her
album enough to ever get her second one, Moonpie Dreams.
Fortunately, my girlfriend showed up one day with this CD and
I haven't stopped listening to it since.
Kate Campbell is definitely from the south, and she paints a
bittersweet picture ofit. Her descriptions oftl1e terrain (and the
food, as she describes in the song "Funeral Food;" "we sure eat
good when someone dies") make me long to be there, but she
doesn't shy away from the south's painful past either. "Bus 109"
and "Crazy in Alabama" deal with busing and segregation,
"Visions of Plenty" paints a picture of economic disparity, and
"Deep Tang" laments the environmental damage caused by the
steel mills. "Jesus and Tomatoes" is an absolutely wonderful
song about the commercialization of religion. Her tomato bed has
an image of God and she writes, "Folks came from miles around,
They laid their money down, To see that ripe phenomenon, It even
made the evening news, And had a website too." "Sing Me Out"
is a gospel-tinged song dealing with grief. And "A Perfect
World" is an absolutely beautiful song celebrating love in the
midst of a crazy world. "Rebels rage and lions roar, Everyday it's
a brand new war, Lines are crossed and bombs are hurled, But in
your arms it's a perfect world."
I have to pay a special nod to "Crazy in Alabama." This is
one of those songs that even if all the other songs on this CD were
bad, which of course they're not, this one song would make the
CD worth buying. With Emmylou Harris providing gorgeous
background vocals, Campbell sings about segregation in the
south from the view of a little girl. I swear it makes me cry every
single time I hear it. The words, "We watched the marchers
passing by, Felt the rumble heard the roar, They all held hands
they sang and wept, And freedom rang in every step, Cause the
train of change, Was marching through my home town, We had
the choice to climb on board, Or get run down" makes me feel the
power, the pain, and the hope, and I can envision this little girl
watching it all from her window. It 's truly a great song. It gives
me goosebumps and I love music that can do that!
Campbell has some good musicians backing her up on this
one, including Emmylou Harris, Anthony Crawford, Bo Ramsey,
and Spooner Oldham. I highly recommend it! D
DATES TO REMEMBER
Saturday, Feb 6 - Freefall performs a benefit concert for the
legal and educational funds of the American Association of
University Women. 7:30 PM at Mayflower Congregational
Church 3901 NW 63rd Street, OKC. Ticket price: $10.00.
Saturday, Feb 6 - Allison and Lori at Diveristy at 9pm. 524PERK
Saturday, Feb 13 - Darenda and Kirsti Pollard perform a
special Valentine's concert at Diversity. This includes a catered
dinner. Reservations are required by Feb 9. There is a "no food"
option if you come in after 9pm. Cost is $25 per person for
dinner or $10 for the no food option. 524-PERK
Friday, Feb 19 - Marca Cassity returns from Boulder, CO for
a 9 pm show at Diversity. Come hear her new original material.
Friday, Feb 26 - Diversity sponsors their monthly Open Mic
(pay or play). Call 524-PERK for more info and times.
Sunday, March 7 - Celebrate International Women's Daywith
Herland. Details in the March Voice.
April 30- May 2 - Herland Spring Retreat at Roman Nose State
Park -- more details in upcoming issues of the Voice .
The Voice Is published
by: Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312 N. W.
39th, Oklahoma City, OK
73112.
The Voice is offered as an
open forum for community discourse. Articles
reflect the opinions of the
author and not necessarHy those of Herland Sister
Resources. Unsolicited
articles and letters to the
editor are welcomed and
must be signed by the
writer with full name and
address. Upon request,
letters or articles may be
printed under a pseudonym or anonymously.
Subscriptions to The
Voice are free upon request although a donation
is requested to meet publication and distribution
costs.
B1auo Bns
The Herl and lending library has a wide variety of materials
which include ethnic/cultural subjects; and if reading to honor
African-American History Month, a few titles may be of interest. For history, the library has Black Women in White America
(1972), Negro in the Making of America (1969), and Black
Women and the Peace Movement (1983). More politicallyfocused titles are Black Rage (1968); Skin Deep: Women
Writing on Color, Culture, andldentity(l994);BlackAmerica:
Accommodation and Confrontation in the 20th. Centwy(l 969);
andBlackMachoandtheMythoftheSuperwoman(1979). For
personal stories, the library has two books on Angela Davis and
one on Audre Lorde on our Biography/Autobiography shelves.
One reference book that might be consulted for more titles is
Black Lesbians: An AnnotatedBibliography (1981 ). Ofcourse,
the library has some fiction titles and some poetry, as well,
written by African-Americans. Herland also occasionally receives magazines and newsletters specifically addressing African-Americans; these are out on the racks/tables or filed when
another issue arrives.
If a specific title is needed, leave a message for the library
clerk or visit the library and browse anytime the bookstore is
open on the weekends.
LOOKING FOR LOVE?
Intelligent, attractive, medium-sized, neutered male
dog needs new home. Found stray. Great
personality. Likes sticks, walks, and petting. Must
relocate due to grumpy old dogs . Contact Kay at
521-8176 .
Eight Bullets:
Rebecca Wight, became the unfortunate victims of a bru-
One Womans
Story of Surviving
Anti-Gay Violence
tal shooting attack which left her seriously injured and
took the life of her lover.
Brenner shares her horrific account of this crime and
its aftermath. Her chilling story delves into the harsh reality of blind hatred and its profound and pennanant re-
by Claudia Brenner
with Hannah Ashley
sults.
Hcrland's Bookstore
discovery and recovery are enlightening and offer hope
$12.95
to others scarred by hatred.
Brenner's brave and emotional journey through pain,
,,,_, . RATING:99999
Eight Bullets: One Women's Story of Surviving Anti-
Gay Violeru:e is more than a book about hatred and vioAnti-gay violence bas become a heated topic in
lence. It is an inspirational story of survival, strength and .
the months following the beating death of Matthew
pride which will definitely produce a range of emotions.
Shepard. Shepard's death was not the first to send
A box of Kleenex may come in handy fur this one.
shock waves across the nation's gay and lesbian
community.
In May 1988, Chmdia Brenner and her lover,
Berland Voice Februaiv. 1999 Pae:e 3
Herland Sister Resources
2312 N.W. 39
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
NonProfit Org.
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Oklahoma City, OK
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HERLAND IS OPEN EVERY SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY FROM
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"FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS"
1 P.M.
TO
5 P. M.
COME
IN TO BUY A BOOK OR TO CHECK OUT A BOOK
(OR BOOKS) FROM THE LENDING LIBRARY OR JUST
TO HANG OUT FOR A WHILEI
405-528-1018
FAX 405-528-1035
Peggy C. Johnson
REBECCA R. COHN, Ph.D.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Attorney At Law
Associated with
Parr, Friend and Johnson
321-2148
2200 Classen Blvd., Suite 650
Oklahoma City, OK 73106-5609
\i\~s tr c _
f:OREst meas.UR€S.
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Norman. OK 73069
Individual - Couples
Family Therapy, Retreats
THE LAW OFFICE OF SANDY INGRAHAM
@ TURTLE CREEK
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ct1a\als ~ alona • jc.Ocl"'i
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