The trailer for Kevin Costner’s forthcoming theatrical two-parter Horizon: An American Saga just dropped. Holy smokes. It’s an epic alright….
“It’s a really beautiful story; it’s a hard story,” Costner told Variety. “It really involves a lot of women, to be honest. There are a lot of men in it, too, but the women are really strong in ‘Horizon.’ It’s just them trying to get by every day in a world that was impossibly tough. They were often [dragged] out to these places because that’s where the men wanted to go; women were following their men. They didn’t ask to be in these territories that were unsettled and dangerous, and life wasn’t easy. I’ve chosen to make sure that was really obvious, that that wasn’t easy, and how vulnerable people were.”
Crom!
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I have another record nearly finished. Writing and recording has been my passion for a long time. I bought a @tascam_official 4 track cassette recorder at a garage sale when I was in high school (late 90s) and started trying to produce my first recordings. In the early 2000s I got an entry level software by @cubase.pro called Cakewalk to start learning how to record digitally.I never had any formal training in music, I am completely self taught. The school of HARD knocks. But I’ve also had the privilege to observe a lot of legends in action. It was sort of on the job training. Creating this Hawken Horse music has been so fulfilling. Its art. And creating art is what an artist was created to do. Many of you can relate. Whether you can do it as a living or as a hobby, it just feels right. There’s no release date yet but it’s coming. I have to live with it for a little while to make sure I’m satisfied.
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Frontier Partisans patron Chas Clifton noted on Southern Rockies Nature Blog that Colorado is now planning to reintroduce wolverines. Which, naturally, requires a moment…
Chas wryly notes:
At least wolverines won’t be as “sexy” as wolves. There probably will not be any wolverine-viewing bus tours. You won’t hear people bragging on their wolverine X dogs, since they are mustelids (like weasels), not canids. Probably won’t see Governor Polis holding a photo op either.
We had a wolverine sighting about 10 miles to the west of us. Critter was crossing Highway 20 just east of Santiam Pass in the Cascades.
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I am working on a venture into the timbers of Fennario for the podcast, and this is thematic…
Conductor and composer Eimear Noone is a beautiful, badass Irishwoman. Robert E. Howard would approve.
Anyhoo… here’s the caper:
When I conceived of The Ranger Project (Spirited For That Work) I thought I’d include a section on the Ranger as a cultural archetype, specifically the Ranger as a fantasy trope. That’s almost entirely a Tolkien thing. As the project has evolved, that section just doesn’t fit. And, it turns out, I’m not as keen to go down that sidetrail as I thought I would be. For one thing, it’s heavily trodden; there are lore-masters all over the interwebs who have done deep work on every aspect of Aragorn, the Dunedain and the Ithilien Rangers. I don’t have the depth of knowledge to match their work, so what’s the point?
More significantly, I recognize that, for better or worse, my sensibilities lend themselves to a, shall we say, grittier and pulpier land of Fennario. I think you know this.
The trail I’ve chosen to follow intersects nicely with the recent run of Tales of the Rangers podcasts. I’m going to explore the life and legend of Texas Ranger Big Foot Wallace, who was Robert E. Howard’s favorite frontiersman, and connect Wallace to REH’s most famous creation — Conan of Cimmeria — and his best story, Beyond the Black River. I’ve written on all of this before on the pages, but the podcast will be a fresh take, and go into greater depth.
A prime resource for this will be AJ Sowell’s Texas Indian Fighters, with a big tip o’ the hat to Lane Batot, who sent me a family heirloom copy of that lore-packed tome.
I think this is gonna be a lot of fun…
Matthew says
I look forward to the podcast on Wallace. Though I would still like say a short podcast on Tolkien’s rangers.
Paul McNamee says
We have the wolverine’s smaller cousin, the fisher (fisher cat.) They are a bit more shy than some of the other creatures but they are coming into the suburbs now. I’ve caught one on my trail cam twice over the past two years.
They also make a helluva noise, which neighbors had heard. But I’ve read they can be confused for crazy fox sounds. So, the video evidence is good.
JimC says
Your trail cam project has been quite fruitful.
Brian H. says
Spot on with the B.F. Wallace/Howard/Conan connection being enough of an archetype and avoiding LOTR nerdiness. Which I confess to being guilty of far too often myself. But the real blood of history is different. No doubt that Tolkien saw his share but the books are novels,
JimC says
Thx Brian.
Stanley says
So when do we get to read/hear these yarns of Fenario?
This hit home for me from your post on Fenario, “I got hopelessly tangled in the rope of inhibition when deviating from the record for narrative purposes.” — I struggle every time I work with historical events and either modify the details or have my characters play a role in the achievement. At some level I do feel that I’m discounting the contribution of the historical figures, the unnamed men in the thick of it whose blood, sweat, and raw courage made things happen as they did. On the other hand, I know some will read the tale and desire to know more about the historical facts because they gained a desire to learn about it through my words and characters–and that inspires me to keep going.
JimC says
You have a really cool thing going. The non-fiction project is rolling pretty good right now, so I am focusing there. But I’m still poking at the fantastical. Hence the podcast plan.
Jean says
I’m looking forward to Horizon. Thanks for the heads-up.
lane batot says
“Bigfoot” Wallace was part of my Texan(paternal) family lore growing up(and largely because of what was recorded in Sowell’s book!), so you can understand my OUTRAGE at having him portrayed by an actor with zero similar characteristics(although I like this actor just fine in other roles!) in the Larry McMurtry tale of the New Mexican “Death March”(also filmed for TV after the deserved success of the ORIGINAL “Lonesome Dove”!) and having Wallace EXECUTED by a Mexican firing squad, which was complete fiction and balderdash! That was my hugest Pet Peeve with McMurtry–taking REAL historical characters, then writing completely fictional tales about them(when their real lives were better than anything that could be made up!), even to the point of killing them off(incorrectly!) in his tales(as he did with Judge Roy Bean, too, damn him!). It made it hard for me to stomach McMurtry’s books(other than the original “Lonesome Dove”…..)The REAL Bigfoot Wallace was far more an interesting and tough a character than McMurtry’s weak portrayal!!
Matthew says
I sorta have the impression that the only McMurty you need to read is Lonesome Dove. It’s the only I have read and really is brilliant, but a lot of people don’t seem to care for his other books.
lane batot says
Yes, that’s my opinion too. The original “Lonesome Dove”(both book and TV epic) were head and shoulders better than the sequels. I did end up reading them all(and watching the TV mini-series, too), but it was like they were written by someone totally different from the original! Mediocre AND inaccurate!