All the ghosts, some old, some new

[sovay]

History, what do you mean that Folkways Records was founded by the son of Sholem Asch who, as one last trick after the scandals of Jewish lesbians and Christian novels, wrote a version of the Nativity recorded for his son's record label by Pete Seeger? What kind of concatenation is that to drop on an unsuspecting person? And is there a reason no artist is credited with the pen-and-ink illustrations depicting the story in 1963 even as the prose sticks to its historical setting, which are maddening me with their sketch-expressive familiarity, although perhaps only because my grandmother had that kind of loose, scribbly, ink-washed line? Ben Shahn at least had the decency to sign his album art. The Claibornes' "Listen, Mr. Bilbo" could have had the luck to lose its relevance since 1946. History, the other kind of convergence was more fun. Listen while I tell you that the foreigners you hate are the very same people made America great.

Comments

[mrissa]

That's. Huh. Well. Goodness, History, you were sure getting up to a lot there, weren't you.

[lauradi7dw]

Have another tangential connection. I worked for Rounder records for a long time. In the early days when it was a summer job for me one of the tasks was to spend a week or two in DC selling records in a tent at the Smithsonian Folklife festival on the Mall. In 1974 and/or 1975 I met Moe Asch at least once, maybe twice. I remember his face and voice, but don't remember which singer people in the group were discussing, although it might have been a blues singer (it wasn't just Moe and me, I was hanging around with other folks from Rounder). I remember being told in passing that he was a regular church-goer.

[sabotabby]

How...odd.

[asakiyume]

Those illustrations are gorgeous; I'll read the text accompanying them next.

I hadn't heard "Listen Mr. Bilbo" before, but very good, Pete Seeger, very good.

[swan_tower]

that kind of loose, scribbly, ink-washed line

My immediate thought was Quentin Blake, but having taken a look, it's not quite like him.

[gwynnega]

Wow, history.

I had never heard "Mr. Bilbo" before. I wish it didn't sound as if it had been written last week.

[sami]

Maybe the illustrations were by Moses Asch? All the copyright notes for the cover otherwise appear to attribute it to him.

History likes its little jokes.