Old Joe the Coyote @ Rocky Mountain NP
I first connected with the video storytelling of Ken Burns with The Civil War. He combined a sweeping narrative with compelling music and attention to detail, telling the story of devastating conflict that appealed to both newcomers to the story and those who know it well.
Other documentaries followed, including Jazz, Not For Ourselves Alone: the Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, The West, Lewis and Clark, Thomas Jefferson, and of course Baseball.
In Baseball, Ken Burns revealed to the nation the hidden Kansas City gem that was Buck O’Neil. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about Buck — the stories he told, his love for the game, and his love for anyone he would meet, especially those in need. Burns took Buck’s stories and his love, and channeled it into his film.
And now — tomorrow night — Ken Burns is back with The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.
I absolutely love national parks. Maybe it comes from a year I spent living in southern Wyoming, and on my day off I’d often go down to Rocky Mountain National Park. I saw the park on winter days when it felt like I had the place to myself, and on summer days when I seemed to share it with the entire population of Colorado.
So next week, I get to see the story of these parks I love told by an incredible storyteller. I’m sure I’ll hear about John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Civilian Conservation Corps. I’m sure there will be wonderful music to go with the images. But the thing that has me most excited is knowing that there will be some seemingly minor character whose love for the subject at hand will blow me away.
Every national park I’ve ever been to has had some ranger, some local historian, some native of the area who, if I’ve got the time to listen, they’ve got a great story to tell. I have no doubt that Burns has found a couple of these folks, and I can’t wait to hear their stories.
Now if I could just get out of that meeting next Wednesday night . . .
And who knows: maybe Burns can touch the hearts of some conservatives who look at the parks as resources to be exploited, and convince them that they are really treasures to be cherished. Anyone for a new CCC?
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Hi Peterr, and THANK YOU.
Amen. Some such folks insist they do care. Thanks to Ken Burns, it’ll be a little harder for them to pay lip-service and nothing more.
Meanwhile, we watch and we work toward hopefully better days.
Yes indeed John Muir will be featured in this new series. I just heard an interesting fact about Muir. He apparently came to the US from Europe. When he was living in Europe as a child he was made to learn the entire Old Testament and most of the New Testament.
When he got to the US he rebelled. His way of rebelling was to walk in open, beautiful places.
I agree national parks was our best idea. Too bad they are so crowded.
I’m really looking forward to this one, too. (The Civil War is a masterpiece.)
I do have one regret tho, I wish they’d chosen a different narrator, someone new, instead of the overused Peter Coyote.
OH and yes, meeting Buck O’Neil was a real treat.
Just a short weigh in for the opposition. Not a Ken Burns fan. What little I could bear to watch of Civil War I found to be a boring, unimaginative complilation of photos accompanied by sappy music.
OK. I’ll leave now and let the lovefest resume.
Our country has some incredibly beautiful National Parks. We have our permit to go down the Grand Canyon in our rubber boats in 2011. I’m so looking forward to it, Lava Falls notwithstanding.
I’ll be watching Mr. Burns’ new program.
I hope the film is worthy of the subject. I loved the Civil War documentary but wasn’t so into Baseball. His repeated attempts to draw a parallel between Jackie Robinson’s battle for integration and Curt Flood’s fight for free agency were really tone deaf. Just because you can dissolve from one to the other doesn’t mean you have to.
The documentarian model Burns uses is awful. Stills and talking heads interspersed with sentimental and simple-minded hogwash. His dominance over public tv is an abomination.
Heh. A commenter after my own heart.
Now I really am leaving as the next audiobook disc has been loaded on my ipod.
Hmmm, you skipped “The War”. . .wonder why?
I’ve been to a lot of the Parks, Zion is my favorite — otherworldly.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is incredible.
Am looking forward to the National Parks. We are very lucky to have so many beautiful areas in our country and we really need to take special care of them. We don’t need any more roads through them or snowmobiles tearing them up.
OT I was reading a couple of pieces at Salon. Sirota has a post on Obama’s support for incumbents. Mike Madden has a not so good one on the public option.
America’s national parks on film
The darkest dark (for reals) I’ve ever experienced was on the tour at Mammoth Cave. You’re quite a ways underground, you gather in one of the chambers and the rangers are explaining a lot of the history. Then they turn out the lights (with warnings). Total darkness.
Have to agree with you there.I came to reject (not so much dislike) his civil war documentary for the same resons i came to reject Bruce Catton’s writing on the civil war;it is ridiculously sentimental and emotionalist. They ignore what must be the most important point of any such history, that the country was reconciled on the basis of white supremacy. Burns basically adopts cattons tone and his theme of a “familly fight”. We are so fortunate, they claim, that the US didnt descend into nearly permanent sectarian violence, and kissed and made up instead. Except we “made up” on the unserstanding that white supremacy, de-facto slavery would be the law on the land. Not quite so sentimental and inspiring.
Because I didn’t see it. Simple as that, and thanks for asking.
Cool, I recommend it. There were some issues because he neglected to include African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans and when he added them it was in a disjointed manner but it’s still very interesting.
I wonder how many teabaggers visit these socialist sites known as the National Parks? :)
I love the national parks and will always cherish my trip to the Grand Canyon, but they are so crowded. When I want to enjoy this country I head to the national forests and better yet, the Wilderness areas. When I want to leave civilization behind for a few days I backpack into the Gila Wilderness where I’m usually the only person I see! :)
However without the national park system, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc. would be playgrounds with big signs saying “Rich People Only.”
It IS very dark down there — and very big.