We must celebrate Oklahoma every chance we get. I hope that you have been watching Ken Burn’s national parks special on PBS.
One of the spokespersons is a gentleman who had served as park superintendent at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur from 1998-2001. I had the privilege of hearing him speak at Pauls Valley Rotary years ago.
Gerard Baker, currently serving as the superintendent at Mt. Rushmore “is Mandan and Hidatsa and (his) Park Service experience includes tenure at the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana and the Knife River Indian Villages in North Dakota…” was eloquent and soft spoken when he talked about his time at the Custer Battlefield and in his (then) new role just a few miles to our south.
It is good seeing a familiar and friendly face on this much anticipated photographic and history special. From the second episode: Learning how the great naturalist John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt met on the future of our national park development by campfire under a tree is a story for the ages.
And now, “the envelope please.” Nope, it is not the Oscars, but television’s Emmy Awards.
The delightful Kristin Chenoweth from Oklahoma recently won a statuette for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Olive Snook in “Pushing Daisies.” She made light in her acceptance speech of the fact that the series had been canceled and she was more or less, “looking for work.” Visit her Web site to catch her enjoyment of the big win. Oklahoma is doing well.
I had quoted a column from Garrison Keillor last week and I was sad to learn that he recently suffered a stroke.
What a magnificent talent. My thoughts and prayers go out to him for a speedy recovery and continued good health.
The Pauls Valley Panther marching band, “The Pride of the Valley”, traveled to its first 2009-2010 competition season on Sept. 26 and made it to the finals. Well done everyone and keep up the great work.
Live from the Highlands: I was reminded that during the period from 1995-2000 I suffered through another, albeit shorter, theatrical dry spell.
In 1996 I directed a melodrama on the old passenger loading platform at the Pauls Valley train depot. Watching those actors, with true melodramatic posing, freeze their actions every time a train passed still makes me laugh.
Jumping ahead to 2000: In honor of the millennium I directed a staged reading of the first Kaufman and Hart play, their classic 1930 hit, Once In A Lifetime. The comedy centered on the advent of talking movies. That art form changed our world forever; now what would be its counterpart over the next thousand years?
Visit a national park, and Wacker Park, in our town.
Arts & History
And, the Emmy Award goes to …
- Arts & History
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‘Anonymous’ decent fiction, though pretentious
The art of the lie is one thing humanity has never let fall into disuse and it has many uses from trying to hide something to creating a good old fashioned conspiracy theory when we don’t want to accept the facts.
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Maysville history comes to life one act at a time
Ever since the dawn of classroom based learning, teachers and administrators have struggled to find ways to engage their pupils in each semester’s curriculum.
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‘The Iron Lady’ an emotional ride through adversity
As someone who has easily dedicated a lifetime’s worth of television hours nerding out to stuff like the History Channel, it is no wonder why I always eventually cave to biographical movies on some of the most famous/infamous people to make something of their humanity.
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‘J. Edgar’ a win for DiCaprio, flat elsewhere
History can often favor the victorious and ignore a lot of wrongs, but sometimes the most vile cannot completely wash away the grime.
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Team recycles for fashion
Art in some ways can always involve taking an otherwise cast aside object and giving it new use, but for three Pauls Valley business owners, it’s also a chance encourage environmental responsibility in others.
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‘Hugo’ a beautiful exposition of art in film
Though I tend to feel slightly squeamish when it comes to movies which go overboard in the artsy department, there is a way to incorporate a refined feeling without boring the heck out of everyone.
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‘The Conspirator’ perfect commentary on blind justice
In this episode of Oklahoma Ezra and the Temple of Film we dig up yet another movie lost to the box office ages, one with a fascinating premise, but lousy attendance.
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Missoula prepares for audition rush Feb. 20
Every community has traditions which carry with them a guaranteed level of excitement and one synonymous with Pauls Valley for the past 15 years has been Missoula Children’s Theater.
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‘Moneyball’ cash in the bank for best actor
Maybe it’s because math was always a special kind of hell for me throughout the education process, but any sort of award attached to a movie where it is the major dynamic seems like a cruel joke.
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‘The Grey’ follows typical blah early year trend
As a relatively balanced movie fan, I tend to be open to the possibility of any time of the year having the chance to win over audiences, though there remains reasons why most of the awesome of the box office begins around summer.
- More Arts & History Headlines
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Secret Service Boss: 'I Apologize'
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Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Egyptians Vote in Historic Presidential Election
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
