John Clayton's Blog

The Westlit discussion I mentioned the other day has certainly gone some different directions -- funny how chatty academics get just before school starts.

One direction was “Star Trek.” Is that a good model for a multicultural, exploring-rather-than-conquering narrative?

Another was “Indian Country.” Why do current American soldiers use that phrase to refer to Afghanistan and Iraq, when they were far too young to see any cowboy movies? And is the phrase racist?

The back-and-forth on these topics made me decide that, smart as they all may be, the Westlit subscribers are never going to star in one of these new multicultural movies about a committee that overcomes incredible obstacles. Such movies would at least require consensus!

But I was particularly fascinated by comments from historian Michael Welsh, who argued that many characters in American stories were developed from Arthurian legend. He writes, “It seems that the link between virtue, manliness, and good deeds is hard to overlook when creating myths about one's nation (or oneself).”

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If stories are how we define our culture to ourselves, then what sorts of stories should Americans, and especially Westerners, be telling these days? That question is occupying the western literature aficionados on the Westlit listserv these days.

The Western story, particularly, has always been of the white male exploring and triumphing in strange lands. The basic themes bear surprising resemblance to classic myths from around the world. In the last 15 years, historians have pointed out how unfair that is to women, Indians, and other ethnic minorities. But the problem is: how do you tell a grand mythic story about multiculturalism?

It’s like making a movie about a committee. Moviegoers want to see bold individual action, not slow movement toward consensus. And even committees -- I know from working on them -- don’t work when you consciously try to include various interest groups. They work when people happen to have skills that mesh together -- skills that may or may not be related to their ethnic or social background.

I believe the answer is to keep the "grand narrative" form, while encouraging (though not forcing) it to apply to nontraditional heroes. It’s one of my ambitions for my forthcoming book "The Cowboy Girl."

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Stories of formerly-rural areas whose development crowds out long-time businesses and traditions are plentiful throughout the West. For some reason this summer Arizona is publishing a lot of them.

Here's a story about what to do when you can’t make money farming. I’m not sure how mini-golf, a roller coaster, and "a Honey Bee Adventure ride that resembles Disneyland's Dumbo rides" qualify as recreation "with a farm theme." But hey, these folks have found a way to make a living while apparently preserving some small bit of open space, and I can’t fault that.

I do have to note the irony, however, that they could become the new home for the staged reenactments of fantasy Hollywood gunfights of "Rawhide Western Town" (see yesterday’s post). Can we assume that abandoning your agricultural folkways in order to entertain rich, clueless tourists counts as acting like you’re in the West?

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The owner of an Arizona entity called Rawhide Western Town has gotten some sympathetic coverage (warning -- the link expires tomorrow) recently of a big problem he has: he sold the 148 acres under his tourist attraction for $46 million. So now (poor guy) he has to find a new place to "re-create the Wild West experience." But it turns out that most places convenient to tourists are fairly well overrun with development.

It’s prompted some tough words, such as the title of this post, from some supporters of the Old West lifestyle.

But what those supporters never fully explain -- and hey, I don’t do either one, so maybe I just don’t know -- is why staged reenactments of Hollywood shootouts are more authentically "Western" than golf.

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As reported here yesterday, writers everywhere are talking about the new novel "by" Pamela Anderson. One quoted her interview with Entertainment Weekly:

EW: You co-wrote "Star" with a ghostwriter. I've never heard of a ghostwriter on a novel.
Anderson: Well, there are things I didn't really know about, like a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Another noted her recollection that Atria suggested she try a roman a clef.

"And I'm like, 'Who's that?'"

And in an exclusive to this blog, Wyoming writer Bill Croke offers this:

I remember the NY "Post" item from a couple of weeks ago, as I am a regular reader of that fine monument to journalistic excellence. No Jayson Blairs there. No Stephen Glass's, Mike Barnicles. Besides, Rupert Murdoch sends me a check once in awhile.

Pam was on Letterman last night chatting up belle lettres. Dave mentioned Hemingway and Pam, well, looked a bit lost. I guess nobody prepped her. Otherwise, she was quite lucid. More so than, say, Norman Mailer on one of his good nights.

In the future I think we'll applaud Pam for reviving our rather moribund national literature. I think Porn Studies are already popular on campus, and her book --or books-- might lend them some respectability. Hugh Hefner also has a new book. This may be a trend. I also think that considering our Nobel laureates as of late, Pam might garner the Prize in a few years if she continues to turn out books of equal quality. Either her or Jimmy Carter. I fear the likes of Mailer and Updike are so, so 20th Century.

It's too bad Pam doesn't have a ranch around Bozeman or Livingston somewhere. If she did she might be tempted to set her next one under the Big Sky. This would be boon to Corby Skinner. We wouldn't have to worry about Pam not selling out the Alberta Bair for the High Plains Book Fest. Such a book may also enliven the intellectual atmosphere at FREE. [FREE staffers] John and Pete could put on seminars that explored the erotic possibilities of environmental entrepreneurship. They could invite Pam to give some sort of presentation, though I don't think that after it concludes anybody will be interested in Lynn Scarlett's latest slide show about cleaning up landfills in Sweden. Pam would be the star, of course. John would sidle up to her at cocktail time and ask: "Would you please honor Ramona and I by sitting at our table at dinner?" Maybe Pam would be prepped for FREE. The Badens and Pam and others could engage in stimulating conversation about Adam Smith's foot fetish. Maybe it turns out Hayek was a crossdresser. Or John Maynard Keynes liked to be spanked by Edith Sitwell.

The possibilities of a regional western literary renaissance are limitless. Stegner, McGuane, Kittredge? Give us Pam.

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No doubt all writers could learn something from novelist Pamela Anderson.

But the "porn name" does make for a great party game. Full disclosure: mine would be "Buffy Conant."

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When it comes to integrity in musicians, you have to admire Robert Cray. He’s been playing his brand of music -- at the junction of blues, rock, and funk -- for over 20 years, regardless of sales or critics or fads. You can instantly recognize a Robert Cray song, for both his unique voice and his unique guitar work, even as you see him growing year to year.

Saturday night’s show in front of a tiny though enthusiastic crowd in Red Lodge demonstrated his power. He started off with a rollicking “Our Last Time” that took advantage of every potential that the 1992 studio version missed. Then he just kept playing. The show was electrifying, one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Cray may never recapture his chart-topping days of the late 1980s. But on the other hand you’ll never hear him do a disco album. He just keeps playing gigs, recording albums, honing his craft. Something there for any writer or artist to learn from.

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