I am honored by Chris Dubble, creator of Go Fishing Now, and Director of Training and Curriculum, Temple University, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He interviewed me about my writing and photography for his excellent website, so I want to pass the link to the article along to my readers, and also encourage you to explore his site. He takes a keenly active interest in fishermen and fisherwomen. I've never before encountered a site like his, and need to take some time, when I get it, to read more in-depth. It impresses me as extremely relevant, because behind every angler is a life. Fishing is not just about the pursuit and the catch, but why we do this and who we are. There's never been a phenomena in all of world history quite like fishing in America, which seemed to peak in the late 1970's and yet, to the contrary of the pessimists, is not only here to stay but remains a thriving community of people who need to "catch that feeling," to quote a Jimi Hendrix album cover, of all figures, and a community who our forefather, Izaak Walton, called a brotherhood.
That's something iBass360 seems to have picked up on, the bass fishing organization I belong to, so many of us calling each other brother, right off the cuff. Many of us otherwise, and many of us with cynical motives, too, would think that's because of the rap music revolution, but on the contrary, what is the rap revolution without a close affinity to the ground, to the soil, and thus to the water? Who would argue against the obvious low-down, ground-level, no doubt gutsy, influence--from where--driving those guttural lyrics?
Never forget that "Good Times," a direct take from the very first rap song, speaks of clams on the half shell, of those hard clams--that is the common name of Mercenaria, mercenaria--which populate the bottoms of bays, typically in mud. I'll tell you why not to forget in a moment.
I have a photo of myself at age 25 I refuse to post, because I vowed to a friend I'm keeping it private, or at least for years to come yet. But I will describe it. Hair to my shoulders curly and kinky, no shirt, deep suntan, very short-cut offs, bare feet. I sat in a blue chair in a fine living room as I looked directly into the camera lens with a most direct, level gaze.
Now. Miles Davis, arguably the most influential jazz musician of the 20th century, produced doo bop, which hit the market in 1989--elevated (jazz) hip-hop. Ann Lebowitz photographed him for the cover. This photo I mention of me my brother Rick shot in 1985. When Ann clicked the shutter--I don't know for a fact, but it's quite possible, and quite likely--she did so after my brother's shot. Miles has no shirt on, exhibits long kinky hair, but he does wear long pants--black and yellow--a cheetah pattern. Bare feet. His posture more and less approximates mine, but he smiles faintly, as if clued into a joke.
Music and me familial, a link to my dad is at the bottom. And he's not only sacred choir music and organ recitals. Under his direction, the American Boychoir performed with Paul McCartney, just one example of what he's told me.
I spent 13 years in a profoundly ironic exile, because certainly not from the Earth--land and water. Merely from formal society as a self-employed bay treader, a clammer who earned money self-employed. I worked my feet in mud, mostly. Sometimes whitish sand, it's true. All the way down, as Hendrix wrote, that great guitarist fond of the word--dig. As a clam digger, I rose all the way to the sun, too. But the point is, there's more to effective influence than the media, and yet, without the media, nobody ever knows. So again, thanks to Chris Dubble.
The link to the interview follows the link to the Wikipedia article on my father:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Litton
http://gofishingnow.com/Articles-Interviews-Reviews/New-Jersey/Interview-with-Writer-and-Fisherman-Bruce-Edward-Litton/
And here's a link to a little more about clam treading: http://littonsfishinglines.blogspot.com/2012/06/adventure-in-underground-economy-when.html
That's something iBass360 seems to have picked up on, the bass fishing organization I belong to, so many of us calling each other brother, right off the cuff. Many of us otherwise, and many of us with cynical motives, too, would think that's because of the rap music revolution, but on the contrary, what is the rap revolution without a close affinity to the ground, to the soil, and thus to the water? Who would argue against the obvious low-down, ground-level, no doubt gutsy, influence--from where--driving those guttural lyrics?
Never forget that "Good Times," a direct take from the very first rap song, speaks of clams on the half shell, of those hard clams--that is the common name of Mercenaria, mercenaria--which populate the bottoms of bays, typically in mud. I'll tell you why not to forget in a moment.
I have a photo of myself at age 25 I refuse to post, because I vowed to a friend I'm keeping it private, or at least for years to come yet. But I will describe it. Hair to my shoulders curly and kinky, no shirt, deep suntan, very short-cut offs, bare feet. I sat in a blue chair in a fine living room as I looked directly into the camera lens with a most direct, level gaze.
Now. Miles Davis, arguably the most influential jazz musician of the 20th century, produced doo bop, which hit the market in 1989--elevated (jazz) hip-hop. Ann Lebowitz photographed him for the cover. This photo I mention of me my brother Rick shot in 1985. When Ann clicked the shutter--I don't know for a fact, but it's quite possible, and quite likely--she did so after my brother's shot. Miles has no shirt on, exhibits long kinky hair, but he does wear long pants--black and yellow--a cheetah pattern. Bare feet. His posture more and less approximates mine, but he smiles faintly, as if clued into a joke.
Music and me familial, a link to my dad is at the bottom. And he's not only sacred choir music and organ recitals. Under his direction, the American Boychoir performed with Paul McCartney, just one example of what he's told me.
I spent 13 years in a profoundly ironic exile, because certainly not from the Earth--land and water. Merely from formal society as a self-employed bay treader, a clammer who earned money self-employed. I worked my feet in mud, mostly. Sometimes whitish sand, it's true. All the way down, as Hendrix wrote, that great guitarist fond of the word--dig. As a clam digger, I rose all the way to the sun, too. But the point is, there's more to effective influence than the media, and yet, without the media, nobody ever knows. So again, thanks to Chris Dubble.
The link to the interview follows the link to the Wikipedia article on my father:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Litton
http://gofishingnow.com/Articles-Interviews-Reviews/New-Jersey/Interview-with-Writer-and-Fisherman-Bruce-Edward-Litton/
And here's a link to a little more about clam treading: http://littonsfishinglines.blogspot.com/2012/06/adventure-in-underground-economy-when.html
Thanks Bruce, I loved our interview and can't wait for the book!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Chris.
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