Blues Unlimited #110 - All About Trains
From Steve c/o Ernest Franz | Part of the Blues Unlimited series | 01:58:59
Trains have figured largely in Blues lyrics over the decades, symbolizing freedom, mobility, a free ride to a better place, or the poignant end of a relationship. On this episode of Blues Unlimited, it's all about trains.
Classic Blues about locomotives, freight trains, train stations, hoboing, and all points in between from Tampa Red, Sleepy John Estes, the Rev. A.W. Nix, John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Muddy Waters, Papa Lightfoot, Dr. Ross, and many, many more.
Boxcar Poet
From Adam Allington | 05:33
93-year-old Clive Haswell is a poet who spent his youth riding the rails and playing poker
- Playing
- Boxcar Poet
- From
- Adam Allington
Clive Haswell was born in Empire, Michigan in 1913. He says that he was born 50 years too late, that the lifestyle he wanted to lead was already on its way out as he was growing up.
As a young man Clive crossed "the LAKE", his beloved Lake Michigan and spent a good part of the 1930's riding the rails and playing back-alley poker. Over the years he met quite a few characters and saw parts of the country that will stick with him forever.
Having a gift for verse since he was a child it wasn't until his later years that, at the coaxing of a "lady friend", he began writing his poems down. Once he started he couldn't stop. By mining the rich content of his past Clive penned some 5000 poems filling up over 40 handwritten books of poetry.
This feature was produced for Interlochen Public Radio for National Poetry Month.