#WaterYear 124
1/10
Today is birthday of 2 great writers of powerful reflections on rivers:
Langston Hughes (1901 - 1967)
Jason Isbell (b. 1979)
A thread on their words on rivers, including "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" (1921) and "River" 99 years later
(photo: Irrawaddy 2016)
1/10
Today is birthday of 2 great writers of powerful reflections on rivers:
Langston Hughes (1901 - 1967)
Jason Isbell (b. 1979)
A thread on their words on rivers, including "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" (1921) and "River" 99 years later
(photo: Irrawaddy 2016)
2/10
Hughes wrote "A Negro Speaks of Rivers" when he was 17 after he crossed the Mississippi while traveling from his home in Cleveland OH to visit his father who was living in Mexico. Published in 1921 in The Crisis, it marks start of his literary career
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Negro…
Hughes wrote "A Negro Speaks of Rivers" when he was 17 after he crossed the Mississippi while traveling from his home in Cleveland OH to visit his father who was living in Mexico. Published in 1921 in The Crisis, it marks start of his literary career
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Negro…
3/10
I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon
I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon
4/10
the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
5/10
99 years later @JasonIsbell wrote "Rivers," a beautiful merging of various strands of American river songs, a confluence of the tributary of somber songs, rivers as crime scenes & disasters, w/ tributary of celebration, of rivers of healing & solace
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
99 years later @JasonIsbell wrote "Rivers," a beautiful merging of various strands of American river songs, a confluence of the tributary of somber songs, rivers as crime scenes & disasters, w/ tributary of celebration, of rivers of healing & solace
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
6/10
The river is my savior
'Cause she used to be a cloud
She's happy just to lay there
When she used to be so proud
And even when she dries up
A thousand years from now
I'll lay myself beside her
And call her name out loud
The river is my savior
'Cause she used to be a cloud
She's happy just to lay there
When she used to be so proud
And even when she dries up
A thousand years from now
I'll lay myself beside her
And call her name out loud
7/10
The river is my savior
She's running to the sea
And to reach her destination
Is to simply cease to be
And running till you're nothing
Sounds a lot like being free
So I'll lay myself inside her
And I'll let her carry me
The river is my savior
She's running to the sea
And to reach her destination
Is to simply cease to be
And running till you're nothing
Sounds a lot like being free
So I'll lay myself inside her
And I'll let her carry me
8/10
Along with "River," Isbell has a number of songs focused on rivers, including TVA, written while he was member of @drivebytruckers. TVA, together w/ another DBT song "Uncle Frank," tells of the complicated relationship between people, rivers & dams
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
Along with "River," Isbell has a number of songs focused on rivers, including TVA, written while he was member of @drivebytruckers. TVA, together w/ another DBT song "Uncle Frank," tells of the complicated relationship between people, rivers & dams
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
9/10
There has been a steady & dramatic decline in use of nature imagery in arts over past 50 yrs, most pronounced w/ decline of nature in song. We need artists who can push back against this trend as one way to keep our society more connected to nature nytimes.com/2021/03/12/opi…
There has been a steady & dramatic decline in use of nature imagery in arts over past 50 yrs, most pronounced w/ decline of nature in song. We need artists who can push back against this trend as one way to keep our society more connected to nature nytimes.com/2021/03/12/opi…
10/10
The words of both Hughes & Isbell are most celebrated for what they say about people, relationships, society & equity.
Their words on nature emerge from that; connecting to nature is crucial for how we connect to each other.
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
The words of both Hughes & Isbell are most celebrated for what they say about people, relationships, society & equity.
Their words on nature emerge from that; connecting to nature is crucial for how we connect to each other.
forbes.com/sites/jeffoppe…
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