Monthly Archives: December 2014

Cartwright Family Memoir(s)

Posted on December 23, 2014 by

Going Up to Shiloh is the name I have given to this set of reflections about the immigrant experiences of my ancestors focusing on their journeys from east to west, north to south, west to east, and south to north. … Continue reading →

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Transient Camps

Posted on December 23, 2014 by

There are two moments in The Grapes of Wrath that I find most arresting. The first one takes place when Ma refuses to turn around and look behind her as the Joad family leaves their homestead located in Cherokee County … Continue reading →

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“Gone to Shiloh”

Posted on December 23, 2014 by

The words are saturated with poignancy. Elton John describes the lyrics of the composition that he and Leon Russell are about to sing as “gorgeous” and I think they are. Each time I listen to this haunting melody with Russell’s … Continue reading →

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Tom Joad and the journey back home

Posted on December 22, 2014 by

The Grapes of Wrath begins with (the son) Tom Joad leaving the Oklahoma state prison in Macalester and heading back to his home located near Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Along the way, he encounters “The Preacher,” with whom he talks about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Prologue: Going Up to Shiloh