first came upon the story of Woody Guthrie’s Columbia River songs when visiting the Grand Coulee Dam’s visitor center and hearing an unidentified version of “Roll On, Columbia” full of female harmony and ’80s spirit. The question of how many other versions of the song existed led me on a quest, and soon to the entire song cycle. In 2008, I produced and aired a three-hour radio special on KEXP-FM Seattle about this local history.
The long road from radio special to book involves many people to whom I’m indebted.
Michael Madjic’s documentary Roll On, Columbia from the University of Oregon was the basis of my radio special. I updated the original 2008 broadcast during Guthrie’s centennial in 2012, which caught the ear of my publisher, Gary Luke at Sasquatch Books. He and vice-president and associate publisher (and KEXP fan) Sarah Hanson took a chance on this first-time author and championed the project from the beginning. I’d also like to thank Anna Goldstein for the beautiful design and Em Gale for keeping things straight during the many edits and confusing details.
The book became a reality thanks to the deft hand of my cowriter, Dan Person. His ability to complete my thoughts and theories, flesh out the writing, and assist in the research (the Popular Front!) was essential.
Many people assisted me during my research. First and foremost, the enthusiastic Libby Burke, archivist at the Bonneville Power Administration Library in Portland, Oregon, who was always there to answer my questions (not many know more about this story than Libby). Also the entire BPA Library staff was generous, including Tina L. Kay for her photo archival research.
The Woody Guthrie Center and Archives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hosted me for a week. Archivist Kate Blalack was patient and helpful with this first-time researcher, and Deana McCloud and her staff took me to lunch every day. Anna Canoni of Woody Guthrie Publications kept me sane during many moments of high anxiety.
Jon Kertzer invited me to present this story at his “Woody at 100: The Guthrie Legacy Conference” in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2012 and worked his magic in negotiating the publishing rights for Woody’s Columbia River song manuscripts that appear in this book.
Lynne Brougher and staff at the Bureau of Land Reclamation at the Grand Coulee Dam were helpful with photo requests, as well as David Walsh at the Boise, Idaho, office. Scott Hunter from the Star in Grand Coulee went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me when he really didn’t have to.
I relied on the knowledge and kindness of many others: Jeff Place and Stephanie Smith of Smithsonian Folkways, Todd Harvey of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Nathan Salsburg of the Alan Lomax Archive, and Bob Santelli of the GRAMMY Museum. Also generous were Guy Logsden, Paul Pitzer, Michael Kazan, Bill Nowlin, Mark Loring, Ellen Geer, Barry Ollman, Karen Kahn, and Ed Cray for his book Ramblin’ Man, which we used for much of our source material.
Many thanks and gratitude goes to Bill Murlin, who was a key resource for me from the radio-show beginning. He contributed mightily when I needed the real nitty-gritty in terms of the very confusing matrix of Woody’s Columbia River songs. Joe Seamons also supplied support in the early days of this project as only a true itinerant folksinger/educator can. And thanks to Hobe Kytr, the fisher poet.
I’d also like to acknowledge the many friends and colleagues who did me right when I needed them over the past eighteen months—my KEXP peeps: John Richards, Kevin Cole, Cheryl Waters, Dylan Flesch, Will “Chilly” Myers, and Hans Fluegel. Katie McKenna, Sean Jewell, Robynne Hawthorne, Scott Giampino, Victoria VanBruinesse, Chris Estey, Pat Thomas, Paul and Melissa Vandegrift, Coco Foto, and Gabe Johnson helped me in various ways. A special thanks goes to Drew Christie for being amazing and Jeff Jewell for the very early inspiration.
And a posthumous thanks to Steve Kahn and Elmer Buehler. May you both rest in peace.
“Elecktricity And All” Words and Music by Woody Guthrie. WGP/TRO – © 1963 (copyrights renewed) Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. & Ludlow Music, Inc., New York, NY (administered by Ludlow Music, Inc.)
