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Elizabeth
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In light of current events, we're going to read these books today. No activities planned. Just reading and fervent prayers.
Amber on the Mountain
The Rag Coat
Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds
When I Was Young in the Mountains
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JennGM
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Yes, it is very, very sad.
Just adding two movies to your list:
How Green Was My Valley based on a real book. Has anyone read it?
October Sky.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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MaryM
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That's sort of how I felt today, too. I remember pretty vividly my own childhood in Idaho when the Sunshine Silver Mine disaster occurred. It really impacts regions and those memories of waiting to hear the fate of the miners at that time lingers. We spent time this morning talking about mining and the gases and why there could be explosions/fires. I realized my younger two have no idea about mining - so we will probably do a mini rabbit trail.
Elizabeth, did you have all the Appalachia books at home already? Your so "prepared." I don't have anything so will need hit the library.
I was thinking of looking at the early use of canaries in coal mines to detect gases.
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Elizabeth
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I did have them all, though I drove myself nuts trying to find The Rag Coat. My kids love West Virginia and one of their favorite people went to school in that town (or a stone's throw away). Maybe that's why we all seemed to really take this to heart...
The books we read really do do a beautiful job capturing the spirit of the people and why they stay...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JennGM
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Thanks for the recommendations. Dh and I are very saddened by the news. It's one profession that hasn't changed much over time, and the risks are still high.
Another related book to find is Coal Camp Girl by Lois Lenski is OOP, but one of her American Regional books about Christiana Wilson in the coal camp of the mountain area of West Virginia.
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guitarnan
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Thanks for all the prayers; I'm not related to any of the victims of the disaster, but I do live in WV. The mine in question is less than two hours' drive from where I live. We've all been in shock; some folks up here have lowered flags to half mast. The last names of some of the victims indicate that they have relatives here in Pendleton County, where I live. We've been out that way (toward the mine) a few times for baseball tournaments and stuff like that...Once again an American tragedy is hitting close to home for my family.
I started my son reading October Sky/Rocket Boys a couple of weeks ago. Sigh.
Please keep these families (and all miners) in your prayers. It's a dangerous profession at the best of times. We so seldom think about folks like them, who brave danger daily. Everyone remembers our public safety friends (police, fire), and with good reason, but there are other dangerous professions out there...they deserve our prayers.
I realize I'm not a native West Virginian, but my husband's uncles worked in a family coal mine in PA; Uncle Ralph died of black lung, so the dangers of mining are definitely familiar themes in our family.
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JennGM
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I was thinking of you, Nancy, when I heard the news.
I was at the library and they still had their Christmas selections out and I picked up Coal Country Christmas. It's about coal country in Pennsylvania, but similar lines. One page shows an empty rocker because Grandpa died of black lung.
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Mary G
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Here's a great movie with a mining connection: Miracle of the Bells -- this is a great movie with (an early) Frank Sinatra as a priest and Fred MacMurry as a disillusioned Hoolywood promo guy. THe link is the woman that dies is from a small WV town, dies young from "black lung", and Fred goes back to bury her.
It's a great video if you can find it!
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Mary G. wrote:
Here's a great movie with a mining connection: Miracle of the Bells -- this is a great movie with (an early) Frank Sinatra as a priest and Fred MacMurry as a disillusioned Hoolywood promo guy. THe link is the woman that dies is from a small WV town, dies young from "black lung", and Fred goes back to bury her.
It's a great video if you can find it! |
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I caught that on TCM one day and really enjoyed it. Sinatra isn't too impressive, but the story line is very good.
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Mary G
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jenngm67 wrote:
Mary G. wrote:
Here's a great movie with a mining connection: Miracle of the Bells -- this is a great movie with (an early) Frank Sinatra as a priest and Fred MacMurry as a disillusioned Hoolywood promo guy. THe link is the woman that dies is from a small WV town, dies young from "black lung", and Fred goes back to bury her.
It's a great video if you can find it! |
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I caught that on TCM one day and really enjoyed it. Sinatra isn't too impressive, but the story line is very good. |
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Sinatra is almost a non-entity in this (which makes it remarkable in itself) and MacMurry actually plays a rough, cynical character. Worth watching for those anomalies! 
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My adoptive grandparents lived in Cornwall (south-west tip of England) when I was a child, where the two main industries were fishing and tin mining. I remember sitting in chapel there (we were Methodists) reading all the memorial plaques to men who had died in mining accidents. Some were horrendous multiple tragedies, which must have had a shattering impact on small rural communities. You can read a bit about Cornish tin mining here. It didn't survive modern economics and the last tin mine closed in 1998. The landscape is still dotted with old engine houses and mine chimneys, with some stunning views. In my teens I spent hours sitting beneath this one on Cape Cornwall, reading, day-dreaming and watching the sea.
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Elizabeth
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How interesting, Kathryn! I don't think I've ever considered mining in a seaside setting...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: Little mining rabbit trail
