Bob Wilkinson sent me a preview of his new film about Brandt Russo called “Adopt-a-Jesus.” It truly opened a door in to the world that has been making headlines ever since The Great Recession began - the life of America’s homeless. I recalled that Mr. Russo made a stop in Charleston recently, and I guess that is when Bob decided he was worth making a film about. The film is very well made, with great interviews, editing and most interesting in some ways, the music which was credited at the beginning. It was definitely NOT the usual rock and roll nostalgia used in films these days.

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The Reuther Family were some of the first inductees in to the West Virginia Hall of Fame along with Mother Jones. Now Sasha Reuther, a relative of one of the three brothers, is finising this feature documentary, “Brothers on the Line.” If you wish to donate to help them finish the film, see below. I hope to present the WV premiere in May at The SCM-WVLHA Labor Film Night program -if the film is available by then.

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On Saturday, November 14th, The South Charleston Museum and Interpretive Center will be presenting a program with native son Tom Kuhn, (T.C.), author of a series of books about the first Americans. Titles include Voices Upon the Wind, The Stone Breakers, his most recent book, and others. He is a retired archeologist He is an expert on the people who build the mounds of West Virginia and will be giving a demonstration at the Interpretive Center. Read the rest of this entry »

Would you “Adopt-a-Jesus”?Controversial documentary touring the U.S. and Canada
The film focuses on Brandt Russo, a young minister from Louisiana who quit his job, sold all his earthly goods and dedicated his life to helping the homeless and ministering to the poor. Russo travels the country in a bus powered by cooking oil and emblazoned with the slogan, “Can’t Ignore the Poor.” He gathers food, advocates for the homeless and hungry, and often irritates local church authorities and law enforcement in his efforts to follow the path of the apostles. Read the rest of this entry »

The West Virginia Labor History Association has been promoting awareness of the working lives of all West Virginians for more than  a quarter century. Co-founder, president emeritus Dr. Fred Barkey and others have been very active, publishing, presenting programs, and inducting famous West Virginians in its Labor Hall of Honor. Plaques with the names of the inductees are located inside the Labor Building on Leon Sullivan Way in downtown Charleston. WVLHA is looking for a permenant home for its Labor Hall of Honor and its folk art collection made by the working people of the state. Below is a press release written by president Gordon Simmons about the two inductees this year, Davitt McAteer and Grover E. Marion, once a very active member of WVLHA. The ceremony should be exciting for anyone who cares about WV laboring people. Jack Spadaro will introduce and receive the award since Mr. McAteer is interim president of Wheeling-Jesuit University and has an alumni event on Dec. 5th. Teamster leader Ken Hall will introduce Grover E. Marion. Details below.

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John Lilly is the editor of Goldenseal, a very nice person, winner of national Hank Williams awards, and composer of music for several of WV’s recent finest films. - Steve PS I write an annual list of “new films on WV and Appalachia” for his fall issue of Goldenseal.( He was one of the first people I talked to about “the importance of Appalachian music.”

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Kathy Bisbee checking out a few websites at my home recently

Kathy Bisbee was born in Maine, grew up there, but has plenty of West Virginia roots including her mother and all of her maternal relatives. I have known her mother, an avid photographer and retired Maine teacher, for many years. Read the rest of this entry »

“White Lightnin’,” a Brit fictionalized version of Dancing Outlaw Jesco White’s life, is finally coming to US screens and TVs. Screen Daily announced that US rights have been acquired and that the film will be shown in US movie theaters and as a video-on-demand. It is one of two new Jesco films. 

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FestivALL had the premiere, along with the WVIFF, last June of a new feature film, “Still Bill,”  about WV-born and raised musician Bill Withers, once a famous popular musician who gave it all up to stay home and raise his family and work at a regular job. He was in the first group of people inducted into the WV Music Hall of Fame in its first class in 2007. ( I for one had no idea that the man who wrote “Lean on Me,” and many other popular tunes was from WV.) I have never seen a more inspiring film about a musician, showing how he had to overcome incredible handicaps, including growing up in a WV coal camp, stuttering until he was 28, and finally walking away from a music industry that wanted to turn him into something other than what he is.

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Russ Barbour, 2009 WV Filmmaker of the Year,  and Chip Hitchcock worked for several years documenting the life of one of our state’s most extraordinary citizens, Ken Hechler. The result was the 120 minute film, “Ken Hecher- In Pursuit of Justice.” ( I assisted in research on the film and programmed the Kanawha Valley premiere on Ken’s 94th birthday, September 20th, 2008, for The South Charleston Museum.) After months of hard work by Chip, Russ, and who knows how many others, the entire archive created was sent to the Special Collections section of the Marshall University Morrow Library.

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