In her introductory comments, Nora Guthrie expresses satisfaction with the growing interest in the serious study of Woody Guthrie by academics and artists. She noted how her stories, while not always factually accurate, are nonetheless good stories!
Conference and Events Highlights
Gian Mario Anselmi, president of the Instituto Gramsci Emilia-Romagna listens as Angelo Guglielmi spoke of “immensities,” pointing out that the goal of the conference is to “recuperate the models of our reality.”
During the opening panel session, the audience was able to hear Guthrie biographer Ed Cray (University of Southern California, Los Angeles) speak of the Depression years in Los Angeles, and the three traits of Woody's music: optimism, patriotism, and a sense of humor.
Music critic Dave Marsh, reflected on the important role of the Popular Front, reminding everyone that “like Tom Joad, Woody's always going to be there in the dark.”
Franco Fabbri (University of Turino) presented an analysis of Guthrie's “prototypicalism,” as evidenced on the Internet, and then proceeded to demonstrate the structural musical basis of his argument.
Sandro Portelli (Università la Sapienza, Rome) followed with a wonderful exploration of Guthrie's children's songs, and the socio-political lessons they contain—made expressively poignant through personal experiences with his own son.
The second day morning sessions included Oklahoman folklorist and historian Guy Logsdon, who painted a contextual and historical picture of Woody's early years in Okemah.
American literary scholar Mark Alan Jackson (DePauw University, Indiana) continued with a discussion of Guthrie's revolutionary use of Christianity and politics, developed and nurtured during his Oklahoma period, as a form of Social Gospel.
Massimo Neri (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia) presented an economics-based model of analysis of Taylorism/Fordism, as it applies to the idea of the “worker” and labor issues, which are of course contemporary global issues. As such, Neri positions Guthrie as the “minstrel of the crisis of post-Taylorism/Fordism.”
Art historian and curator of Palazzo Magnani Reggio Emilia, Sandro Parmiggiani offered wonderful insights into Woody Guthrie's artwork. He comparatively notes the inventive creativity of Guthrie and his ability to achieve a “spontaneous level of discovery by doing.”
The focus of the afternoon sessions was on music. Jorge Arévalo Mateus, curator of the Woody Guthrie Foundation (Wesleyan University, Connecticut), presented a hybrid multimedia presentation that dialogically considers Guthrie's relevance and significance across cultural and national boundaries in the 21 st century world.
Frank London (Klezmatics composer, trumpeter and bandleader) spoke about Guthrie's Brooklyn , Jewish connections, highlighting through audio excerpts the compositional process of setting Woody's words to music.
Musician and singer-songwriter Maurizio Bettelli shared readings from his new publication, Le Canzoni di Woody Guthrie (Feltrinelli, 2007), drawing further attention to the translation of Guthrie song texts into Italian.
Wrapping up the music panel sessions were Umberto Fiori and Tommasso Leddi, otherwise known as Stormy Six, who performed Guthrie songs including a haunting version of “Pastures of Plenty.”
Nora Guthrie and Lisa Gutkin (Klezmatics violinist and singer) join in with Stormy Six on “This Land is Your Land.”
The final day of the Bologna events shifted to the Sala Scorcese at the Cinema Lumière (Cineteca Bologna), where six films and documentaries about Woody Guthrie were screened.
After a long day of Guthrie film-viewing, conference participants gathered for a group shot—and celebration, Italian style!
Proceeding to Milan, Nora, Michael Kleff and Jorge prepared for the program at la Feltrinelli Libri e Musica , sponsored by the Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli . Speakers included Alessandro Carrera, Franco Minganti, and Maurizio Bettelli, who also signed copies of his book!
We then traveled to Reggio Emilia to meet with Sandro Parmiggiani at the Pallazo Magnani, where we viewed the current exhibition.
Nora Guthrie and Sandro Parmiggiani bridging cultures.
After long, winding roads through the Apennine mountains, though Tuscany 's incomparable landscapes, then driving along the coastline Autostrada , we finally arrived in Rome , where we were scheduled to participate in a program at Circolo Gianni Bosio entitled “Woody Guthrie e la Musica Populare Americana.” Organized by Sandro Portelli, the event was planned as a sort of musical tribute to Woody Guthrie, including legendary Italian folk musicians Giovanna Marini and Mariano de Simone, The Sesssion Voices, and Dario Toccaceli.
Nora Guthrie and Sandro Portelli
It turned out to be a high-spirited affair, with lively musical performances and group singing of Guthrie songs.
Session Voices
Giovanna Marini
Nora then taught Giovanna and the audience “My Peace,” which was exuberantly sung by everyone.
This was followed by “This Land,” and then Leadbelly's “Goodnight Irene,” which marked the end of the event.
Afterwards, Nora met with and signed autographs for a truly appreciative and warm audience.
As representatives of the Woody Guthrie Archive, Nora Guthrie and Jorge Arévalo Mateus are proud to have participated in the well-planned and coordinated events held throughout northern Italy and Rome. The success of the conference and programs attest to the growing and qualitative value of “Guthrieology” discourses and scholarship. We are grateful to all who worked, participated, and attended the events. Woody Guthrie and his songs, stories, pictures are reaching further and further out to communities and people everywhere. There is something wonderful about the level of interaction and sharing of cultural and intellectual traditions that we all experienced in Italy. Moreover, engaging with Woody's music and ideas will continue to present new opportunities for dialogue and understanding.
- Jorge Arévalo Mateus
