David Bruce Anecdotes
This email includes a canto from my retelling of Dante’s DIVINE COMEDY, which has 100 cantos. INFERNO has 34 cantos; PURGATORY and PARADISE each have 33 cantos.
Anecdotes are usually short humorous stories. Sometimes they are thought-provoking or informative, not amusing.
TRUCE
• During World War I, in 1914, a few days before Christmas, English and German soldiers were fighting between Arras and Neuve Chapelle in Northern France. A wounded elderly British officer lay moaning in No Man’s Land, but since he was out in the open, no one dared to go to help him. Fortunately, during a lull in the fighting, a German soldier waved a white flag and was seen by the British soldiers, and then the German soldier took off his pistol belt and ventured out into No Man’s Land. A British soldier did the same thing, and they met by the wounded British officer and shook hands. They made a quick truce, and the Germans allowed the British to carry away the wounded British officer. Shortly thereafter, another truce was made to allow the dead to be buried. This truce went on even after the dead were buried and lasted until after Christmas. Fritz Speckhan writes that unfortunately “it was too beautiful to last. Shortly after Christmas special orders came from behind that the shooting was to be resumed. Then at once the truce was over, and the war continued many long and bitter years.”
HIDDEN JEWS
• On Christmas Eve of 1943, Albert Szajdholc and his family were hiding in a two-story outbuilding by a Catholic church in Andonno, above the Italian Riviera, trying to stay warm and hoping not to be discovered by anti-Semites. Past midnight, a knock sounded on the door. Mr. Szajdholc opened the door and saw a peasant woman, who gave him a piece of cheese and said, “Buon natale,” which means “Merry Christmas.” Throughout the night, other poor peasants arrived, bringing gifts of food and clothing. The next morning, Mr. Szajdholc met a friend, the barber Giacomo Rossi, and told him what had happened. Mr. Rossi explained that in the church on Christmas Eve, Father Borsotto had spoken about the gifts of the Magi to the Christ child and had said, “Just as our savior couldn’t find any lodging and was born in a manger, alone and rejected, so are Jews today alone and rejected. We have two Jewish families in our midst this Christmas, and they too are alone, hungry, hunted for no reason except being Jews.” Father Borsotto then said that the people in the church could emulate the Magi and bear gifts to the persecuted. The people in the church had listened and brought gifts to Mr. Szajdholc’s family and to the other Jewish family in hiding. Some gifts kept coming after Christmas. Eventually, Mr. Szajdholc and his family had to leave Andonno and stay in the mountains. Usebio and Anna Giordano knew that the Jewish family could not survive at night in the mountains, so they left their barn door unlocked at night so that the Szajdholcs could stay there. The Giordanos also left hot soup for them in the barn at night. The mountains were cold even during the day, and the Szajdholcs stayed in an unheated hut where they were afraid to build a fire — the smoke would reveal their presence. One day, they saw an old woman climbing the mountain to them. She was bringing them hot soup. The Szajdholcs survived the Holocaust.
ARMY NURSES
• During World War II, Army nurses usually made a major effort to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas, even when they were close to a combat zone. An exception sometimes happened with nurses who were POWs — sometimes it was impossible to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. In 1942, Army nurses across the globe celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas. In Arzew, Algeria, nurses decorated a fir tree, using as ornaments stars and candy canes that had been cut out of used plasma containers. They also made 400 pounds of fudge, with the assistance of a kind supply officer. And they sewed 700 Christmas stockings, using red serge that French troops had left behind. In the Philippines, POW nurses were still able to celebrate the holidays. They made boats, dolls, jigsaw puzzles, and toy trains for the children in the POW camp. In Australia, Alice Weinstein was the only Jewish nurse in her unit, so she didn’t celebrate Hanukkah in the traditional way. She remembers, “When Christmas came around, you always went through your things to see what you could give away as a little gift. And the cooks in the outfit didn’t have a lot to work with, but they always put themselves out at the holidays.”
***
FREE eBooks: THE KINDEST PEOPLE WHO DO GOOD DEEDS (Volumes 1 and 2)
https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/3649
FREE eBook: DANTE’S DIVINE COMEDY: A RETELLING IN PROSE
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/238180
SOME SOURCES FOR FREE EBOOKS
https://www.globalgreyebooks.com
http://www.classicallibrary.org/index.htm
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu
And my free books:
David Bruce at Smashwords (PDFs and Other Formats)
https://freeditorial.com/en/books/filter-author/david-bruce
https://davidbruceblog429065578.wordpress.com/
***
Chapter 12: First Ledge — Exempla of Pride (Purgatory)
Like humble oxen submitting to the yoke, Dante and Oderisi walked together until Virgil said to Dante, “We must move faster, so leave him and press forward. On this mountain, each one must press ahead with all the speed that each one is able to use.”
Dante now stood up straight, but his thoughts were still humble. Now Dante and Virgil walked together much more quickly. By spending time on this terrace dedicated to purging the sin of pride, they were becoming lighter of foot.
Virgil said, “Look down. You will see something that you can learn from and that will make your journey up the mountain easier.”
Dante looked down and saw carvings of the kind that might be seen on a tomb to preserve the memory of the person whose body is within. Often, such carvings bring tears to the eyes of a pious person who remembers the dead.
These carvings were similar, but of higher artistic quality. Like the previous carvings that were on the side of the mountain, these carvings on the ledge were intended to teach. Previously, the carvings on the side of the mountain taught examples of humility. Now, these carvings on the ledge taught examples of pride.
First in the works of art, Dante saw the angel who was supposed to be the most beautiful of all, the one who rebelled against God and now resides at the bottom of the Inferno, chewing the worst sinners of all time in his three mouths for all time. This angel is Lucifer. Lucifer was so proud that he rebelled against God.
Then in the works of art Dante saw Briareus, who rebelled against Jupiter, the King of gods and men in ancient times. Just as Lucifer tried to unseat God, so Briareus tried to unseat Jupiter, who killed him with a thunderbolt. Briareus and other giants fought against Jupiter and the gods on Olympus. After the battle, Apollo, Minerva, Mars, and Jupiter looked down at the severed and scattered arms and legs of the giants they had defeated. Briareus is now one of the giants who guard the well that leads to the Final Circle of the Inferno. Briareus was so proud that he rebelled against Jupiter.
And in the works of art Dante saw Nimrod, who thought that he could build a tower that would reach Heaven. To stop the tower from being built, God created many languages instead of the one language that human beings had spoken until that time. Because the workers were now speaking different languages, they were unable to coordinate their actions and so the Tower of Babel was not built. Because of Nimrod’s pride, God changed the speech of human beings, and now human beings no longer share the same language. Nimrod is another of the giants who guard the well that leads to the Final Circle of the Inferno. Nimrod was so proud that he rebelled against God.
And in the works of art Dante saw Niobe, who had seven sons and seven daughters, and so she boasted that she was more worthy of praise than Latona, aka Leto, who had given birth to only one son and only one daughter: the god Apollo and the goddess Diana. Because of Niobe’s pride, Apollo and Diana killed all of Niobe’s children in one day. Because of Niobe’s pride, Apollo and Diana turned her to stone. Even when she was stone, she grieved for the deaths of her children, and tears trickled down her marble cheeks. Niobe was so proud that she thought she was a better mother than the goddess mother of the god Apollo and goddess Diana.
And in the works of art Dante saw King Saul, the first King of the Israelites. Saul disobeyed a command of God, and after losing a battle to the Philistines, he committed suicide on Mount Gilboa by falling on his sword rather than be captured. After Saul died, David cursed Mount Gilboa with drought. Saul was so proud that he disobeyed a commandment that God made to him.
And in the works of art Dante saw Arachne, who challenged Minerva to a weaving contest. Arachne produced a magnificent cloth without fault, but because of Arachne’s pride, Minerva tore up the cloth and turned Arachne into a spider. Arachne was so proud that she challenged the goddess Minerva to a weaving contest.
And in the works of art Dante saw Rehoboam, who arrogantly rejected the advice of wise old men and would not lower the taxes on the tribes of Israel. Rehoboam sent Adoram to collect the exorbitant taxes, the tribes revolted and stoned Adoram to death, and Rehoboam fled, although no one was pursuing him. Rehoboam was so proud that he ignored the advice of wise old men.
And in the works of art Dante saw Alcmeon, who avenged his father, Amphiaraus, a soothsayer who knew that he would die if he took part in a war against Thebes and so hid himself. Polynices, the leader of the forces against Thebes, bribed Eriphyle, the wife of Amphiaraus, with a gold necklace to reveal her husband’s hiding place. Forced to go to war against Thebes, Amphiaraus asked Alcmeon to avenge him, and Alcmeon killed his mother, Eriphyle. Alcmeon was so proud that he killed his own mother.
And in the works of art Dante saw the two sons of Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, who warred against the Israelites, who defeated his superior number of forces with divine aid. Later, when Sennacherib was praying to false gods, his two sons murdered him. The two sons of Sennacherib were so proud that they killed their own father.
And in the works of art Dante saw Tomyris, the Queen of a Scythian people, who avenged the death of her son, whom the Persian Emperor Cyrus had murdered. Her army defeated his army, and he died in the battle. Her thirst for revenge was not satisfied by his death, so she cut off his head and threw it into a container that was filled with human blood, saying as she did so, “Drink your fill.” Tomyris was so proud that her revenge went beyond the bounds of human decency.
And in the works of art Dante saw the Assyrians who had been led by Holofernes, the general of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Holofernes attacked the Israelite city Bethulia, and he mocked the god of the Assyrians. Judith, an Israelite heroine, went to Holofernes’ tent, gaining entrance by pretending that she would tell him information that would help him conquer the Israelites; however, a few days later when Holofernes lay drunk, she cut off his head with a sword and brought the head back to the Israelites. The next day, learning that Holofernes was dead, the Assyrian army fled. The Assyrians were so proud that they warred against the Israelites and mocked the one true God.
And in the works of art Dante saw the city of Troy. Paris, a prince of Troy, stole Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, from Menelaus, her lawful husband, in addition to stealing treasure from him. Because of Paris’ pride, and because the Trojan citizens would not return Helen to Menelaus, Troy fell to an Achaean army led by Agamemnon, Menelaus’ brother. Paris was so proud that he stole the lawfully wedded wife of another man, and the Trojans were so proud that they would not return the wife to her legal husband.
The art that Dante saw on the ledge was much better than the art created by human beings. God had created the art on the ledge. Looking at the art, Dante thought that the depictions of the living people really seemed to be living people and the depictions of the dead people really seemed to be dead people. No eyewitness to the scenes depicted had a better view of the scenes than Dante.
Dante the Poet thought, So be proud, sons of Eve, if you dare. If you are proud, hold your head high so that you never look down and see the evils of the pride you regard so highly. If I were asked for a synonym of “man,” I would give the answer “pride.”
Dante the Pilgrim kept walking, and thinking, until noon. Then Virgil said to him, “Raise your head now. Look, and see. An angel is coming. Show reverence when you look at the angel so that he will help us. Let us not waste time. We will never see this day again when it is over.”
Dante the Pilgrim thought, Often, you tell me not to waste time. You are correct.
The angel, wearing white and with his face shining, came to Dante and Virgil. He first spread his arms, and then he spread his wings. He told them, “Come. The steps you must climb are very close. You will find the climbing much easier from here on.”
Dante the Poet thought, Such an invitation is given to all men and women, but few accept it. All men and women should climb high, but for most a little puff of wind keeps them from climbing higher and makes them fall back down.
The angel led Dante and Virgil to a cleft in the rock, and he brushed his wings against Dante’s brow before telling him that his climb would go well.
Climbing upwards was easier in part because the stone had steps. Previously, they had followed a path through a narrow cleft in the rock.
While Dante and Virgil were climbing those steps, they heard sweetly sung a beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
Dante the Pilgrim thought, Entering a new area of Purgatory is much different from entering a new area of the Inferno. In Purgatory, one hears music; in the Inferno, one hears cries of grief, violently expressed.
Dante felt light as he climbed the steps. The steps made the climbing easier, but they could not be the full explanation for why he was climbing upward so much easier than before.
Dante asked Virgil, “Why do I feel so light now? Why does climbing up the mountain seem so much easier?”
Virgil replied, “The angel has removed one of the P’s from your forehead, and the other P’s are much lighter than they were. By purging the sin of pride, which is the foundation of all of the other sins, you are lighter because the burden of pride has been lifted from you. When all of the other P’s on your forehead have been completely removed like the first P, you will easily climb upward. Your feet will not complain; instead, they will rejoice.”
Dante the Pilgrim, hearing that one of the P’s had been removed from his forehead, used his right hand to explore his forehead. Yes, six P’s — not seven — were on his forehead. He had six more sins to purge.
Virgil watched as Dante touched his forehead, and Virgil smiled.
MARK HELLENBERG
Mark Hellenberg is the undisputed KING of groove and percussion in the world of contra dancing. He is also a well-known public radio host in Athens, OH, as well as an expert on World War 1 and the history of beer, and many other things.
SONGS and ALBUMS:
Below: From the album RUSTY SMITH AND FRIENDS by RUSTY SMITH
I Get the Blues When It Rains (feat. Jorma Kaukonen, Zeke Hutchison, Mark Hellenberg & Terry Douds)
Below: From the album SONGS OF LOVE AND DEBACLE by ALBERT ROUZIE
Mona Lisa (Rock My Soul) [feat. Jim Smailes, John Borchard, Dave Borowski & Mark Hellenberg]
The Ghost Horse (feat. Dave Borowski & Mark Hellenberg)
Slowest Man in the World (feat. John Borchard & Mark Hellenberg)
Below: From the album DANCE-A-RAMA by Samuel Bartlett
Beer-30 (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Rodney Miller, Ben Cooper & Eden MacAdam-Somer)
Supertrad (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Eden MacAdam-Somer)
Mathias’s Waltz (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper, Kristi Guillory & Anya Burgess)
The Nomad (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper, Rodney Miller & Christopher Layer)
Ann Carter’s Tooth (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Eden MacAdam-Somer)
Captain McLane (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Rodney Miller)
Portlandia Waltz (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Rodney Miller)
Dr. Wilson (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Rodney Miller)
Axelrod (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper & Eden MacAdam-Somer)
The Shocking Bluesteins (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper, David Greely & Eden MacAdam-Somer)
Bad Max (feat. Mark Hellenberg, Ben Cooper, Eden MacAdam-Somer & Max Newman)
DANCE-A-RAMA
RUSTY SMITH AND FRIENDS
Mark Hellenberg also plays drums on Caitlin Kraus’ album WHAT RISES
CONCERT
Caitlin Kraus at the 2020 Virtual Nelsonville Music Festival (with Mark Hellenberg on drums)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZJFIal2SyU
FANS OF MARK HELLENBERG
https://www.facebook.com/groups/191917007525334/
YOUTUBE
Caitlin Kraus: “This Body”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW9Kp-P3oio
Notes for “This Body”:
A song for the rights of all: the right to be safe in our bodies, the right to make decisions for our bodies, and the right to be who we are in our bodies. (Lyrics below.) I wrote this song […] out of the need to process my anger at women’s rights being taken away and for what this means for other rights down the line. A never-ending issue it seems, but one we can’t stop fighting for. A big thank you to Tom Riggs for taking footage of my first performance of this song with Mark Hellenberg on drums at The Union in Athens, OH.
Caitlin Kraus: “Gone Beyond”
Caitlin Kraus, Matt Box on bass, and Mark Hellenberg on drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBPdMZoB7vs
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Dead Man”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y16d-52JL-I
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Locket”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj84dLCtzwc
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “On My Knees”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg97-pfc5qs
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Follow Me”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFIXQEYInRg
Mark Hellenberg on Nelsonville Music Festival 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhiIHmlokqM
Mark Hellenberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkWF5sSTgv0
Elixir Contra Carnivale 2012 + Mark Hellenberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ9RI1PMgZg
Appalachian String Band: “Dance All Night With a Beer Bottle in Your Hand”
Bass: Ralph Gordon / Banjo Uke: Mark Hellenberg / Banjo: Adam Hurt / Guitar: Danny Knicely / Fiddle: Chance McCoy / Vocals: Aimee Curl, Chance McCoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHIic_z5ZtI
Catherine MacLellan at 2013 Nelsonville Music Festival
On this episode of “Crossing Boundaries Extra,” WOUB’s Mark Hellenberg talks with Canadian singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan and guitarist Chris Gauthier at the 2013 Nelsonville Music Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDOp4FSGems
J.P. Fraley’s “Sail Away Ladies” on minstrel banjo and baritone uke 🙂
My pal Mark “Pokey” Hellenberg stopped by and I was noodling on my minstrel banjo this evening. I think these two instruments sound pretty together. Here’s JP Fraley’s Sail Away Ladies. (Keep in mind if you’re a clawhammer player eying my hands… this nyl-gut strung banjo has a longer scale length. The tune is in G, but the banjo is essentially tuned in “double G” … that is, string relationships and therefore chord shapes are as if I were playing in double D or double C, to play in the key of G. On a different banjo, I’d just use an open G tuning.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQvGXRloHMA
Ink Spots cover: “I Don’t Want to Set the World On Fire.” Written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus, and Eddie Seiler in 1938
https://www.facebook.com/1416240022/videos/195091693140546/
Pokey crooning “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie.” Written in 1936 by Billy Mayhew and covered by The Ink Spots.
https://www.facebook.com/1416240022/videos/135101019221275/
MATT BOX
MATT BOX plays bass for CAITLIN KRAUS, and he is a member of the band SUPERNOBODY.
CAITLIN KRAUS at the 2020 Virtual Nelsonville Music Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZJFIal2SyU
Caitlin Kraus: “Gone Beyond”
Caitlin Kraus, Matt Box on bass, and Mark Hellenberg on drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBPdMZoB7vs
CAITLIN KRAUS (with Matt Box and Mark Hellenberg): “Down to You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0pAdNOZgn4
CAITLIN KRAUS (with Matt Box and Mark Hellenberg): “All Along”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enLvd_eoXY8
SUPERBODY on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXXtu7PdhCLa5ars8O-fGCg
SUPERBODY: “Sheep”
“Lead track from Supernobody album YOU CAN’T GO BACK. This video was made by Adam Remnant and his video production team at Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH 2019.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaw3n6pfFSc
SUPERBODY: “High-Ku” (lyrics by Matt Box)
Steve Mowrey commented, “Damn fine tune & video. Love it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZocDCy4Yg
SUPERNOBODY: “Spill”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjmqteLVLuM
SUPERNOBODY: “V for Victory: the fall and rise of Connie Startraveler (Director’s Cut)”
“A Space Rock film by Supernobody. Connie Startraveler brings NASA’s golden record #1 back to Earth and is befriended by Citizen Ape. Together, they square off against UFO investigators in order to broadcast the golden record to the human race.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CKJrrGjGUQ
Supernobody (with Matt Box) on Bandcamp
https://supernobody1.bandcamp.com
Supernobody (with Matt Box) on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/420dLADkc1L4GiWCu1kB62
Supernobody (with Matt Box) on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXXtu7PdhCLa5ars8O-fGCg
SUPERNODY ON BANDCAMP
CAITLIN KRAUS
Caitlin Kraus (she/her), LPCC, MT-BC
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Music Therapist – Board Certified
Ohio University Counseling & Psych Services
Follow OU Counseling & Psych Services on Twitter at @OHIO_Counseling
Check out: Togetherall & WellTrack
CAITLIN KRAUS ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/caitlinkrausmusic
CAITLIN KRAUS MUSIC
CAITLIN KRAUS ON INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/caitlinkrausmusic/
CAITLIN KRAUS ON BANDCAMP
https://caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com
CAITLIN KRAUS: GONE BEYOND album
https://caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com/album/gone-beyond
CAITLIN KRAUS: WHAT RISES album
https://caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com/album/what-rises
CAITLIN KRAUS: “Waiting for the World” / “Dead Man” EP
https://caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dead-man-waiting-for-the-world
Hart, Bob: “Caitlin Kraus: Making her own kind of music.” The Athens News. 19 December 2023
“It was a song called ‘Garden’ that did it for me. Perhaps only when a musical artist writes deeply personal lyrics do their words become universal, belying the specifics of their own situation and emotions to touch others on an intimate level. That song and many other good ones are on the CD “Gone Beyond,” by Caitlin Kraus. It’s her second recorded collection (following “What Rises”) and is available through many outlets, including caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com, Spotify and Apple Music.”…
Caitlin Kraus: “Gone Beyond” (Caitlin Kraus performs “Gone Beyond” Aug. 17, 2023, at the Athens (OH) Community Center.) — From the album GONE BEYOND.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4zFYr55b5E
Caitlin Kraus: “Gone Beyond” — From the album GONE BEYOND.
Caitlin Kraus, Matt Box on bass, and Mark Hellenberg on drums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBPdMZoB7vs
Caitlin Kraus: “Make It Clear” (Caitlin Kraus performs “Make It Clear” Aug. 17, 2023, at the Athens (OH) Community Center.) — From the album GONE BEYOND.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1isFj2Oxiu4
Caitlin Kraus: “Strange Other” (Caitlin Kraus performs “Strange Other” Aug. 17, 2023, at the Athens (OH) Community Center.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Wc3pkXIiA
Caitlin Kraus at the 2020 Virtual Nelsonville Music Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZJFIal2SyU
Caitlin Kraus: “Follow Me” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdywiZXm2nc
It is a very special honor to have completed this music video for “Follow Me,” which was directed by the wonderful Adam Remnant who also recorded the song itself back in 2016. We collaborated on the concepts in the video and spent a chilly, beautiful spring day filming it with his talented students (listed below) at the Nelsonville, OH brick kilns, Hocking River, and surrounding neighborhood. For me, the lyrics and music of this song portray real imagery and memories that have grown dream-like with the passing of time, yet still remain formative and foundational. At its core, it is about transformation and being/becoming, but I hope the ambiguity and symbolism of the song and video also lead to your own interpretation and that you can find something resonant within it. Lyrics and digital/CD format available at caitlinkrausmusic.bandcamp.com. Music website at caitlinkrausmusic.com.
A huge and sincere thank you to Adam Remnant for his direction of the video and to the Hocking College students listed in the following credits: AC – Alex Rhinehart & Najayah Shepard; Grips – Alex Rhinehart, Alexis Pariseau, Najayah Shepard, Nate Ruhl, & Richard Valentine; On-set Photographer – Ivan Reardon
“Follow Me” is featured on the full-length 2020 release WHAT RISES and includes myself on vocals/guitar, Adam Remnant on bass/drums/keyboard, and Hannah Simonetti on violin. The song was recorded and mixed by Adam in Athens, OH while the full album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Bernie Nau at Peachfork Studios in Pomeroy, OH (https://peachforkstudios.com/).
Caitlin Kraus: “This Body”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW9Kp-P3oio
Notes for “This Body”:
A song for the rights of all: the right to be safe in our bodies, the right to make decisions for our bodies, and the right to be who we are in our bodies. (Lyrics below.) I wrote this song […] out of the need to process my anger at women’s rights being taken away and for what this means for other rights down the line. A never-ending issue it seems, but one we can’t stop fighting for. A big thank you to Tom Riggs for taking footage of my first performance of this song with Mark Hellenberg on drums at The Union in Athens, OH.
Lyrics for “This Body”:
This body is temporary, but while it’s here / It’s not yours to hold captive in fear / This body is mine, it was never yours / So fuck your laws and gods and guns / I get to say what I put inside / I GET TO CHOOSE, IT IS MY RIGHT / This body is sacred, but only safe / When I’m in charge, you have no claim / This body is proud and wears the crown / Makes the decisions and won’t back down / I get to say what I put inside / I GET TO CHOOSE, IT IS MY RIGHT / And don’t tell me who I can love or about my identity / Don’t use your privilege to subject your patriarchy / I get to say what I put inside / I GET TO CHOOSE, IT IS MY RIGHT
Caitlin Kraus: “What Rises” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoD-LgA6qUg
Caitlin Kraus: “Pink Cloud”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC8sNynVLUo
Caitlyn Kraus: Boogie on the Bricks (10 August 2019) — Athens, Ohio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtxfc4dMprM
Caitlin Kraus: Interview and “Waiting for the World”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPoahBWpuys
Caitlin Kraus: “Follow Me”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9yePPAwOa8
Caitlin Kraus Torres: “Dead Man” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brtzE73ZGsg
Caitlin Kraus: Full Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpk-Wyr1aTw
Caitlin Kraus: “On the Way Down” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNioAruv6SA
Caitlin Kraus: “Synchronicity” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdNN1MD-Og
Caitlin Kraus: “All Along”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfrySyGEnR0
Caitlin Kraus Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4_ulcpWBI0
Caitlyn Kraus: “Dead Man” on SA Live (KSAT-TV) — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mCcPpJymcg
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTQruwqEa_LjrqQBZy2lUww
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8cBT8QZwxhfta7xZBtPJOUspm3GMO7NA
Caitlin Kraus: Ohio University Adjunct Professor of Music Therapy
https://www.ohio.edu/fine-arts/music/ck294906
Caitlin Kraus: Live From Home (Includes at end Bruce Dalzell’s “You Always Make Me Smile”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7kcljjvX-s
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Dead Man” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y16d-52JL-I
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Locket” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj84dLCtzwc
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “On My Knees”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg97-pfc5qs
Caitlin Kraus with Mark Hellenberg: “Follow Me” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFIXQEYInRg
Caitlin Kraus: “Waiting for the World” / “Dead Man”
Caitlin Kraus Torres: “Fill Your Heart” (David Bowie Cover)
Caitlin Kraus: “Waiting for the World” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eBknAqMHlQ
Caitlin Kraus: “Full Bloom” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n37Io7QofGQ
Caitlin Kraus: “Make Love Stay” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOFyvkjHvrk
Caitlin Kraus: “By Dark” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JuJpCqmiY
Caitlin Kraus: “Down to You” — From the album WHAT RISES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0ykF7XPGYk
Interview & Article for WOUB Public Media (8/6/2020): Interview about upcoming performance for the Virtual Nelsonville Music Festival, history as a songwriter and musician, and experiences as a performer during the pandemic.
https://woub.org/2020/08/06/virtual-nelsonville-music-festival-interviews-caitlin-kraus/
Article for WOUB Public Media (10/12/2017): Article about Caitlin’s path as both a songwriter and musician as well as a music therapist.
https://woub.org/2017/10/12/caitlin-kraus-a-twofold-journey/
OVRLD Austin Music First (6/13/2016): “On her new single ‘Waiting for the World,’ Caitlin Kraus’ sweetly shimmering voice rises out of an oceanic musical backing, giving the track a melancholic feel, like a reinterpretation of The Awakening’s bitter conclusion. Kraus’ voice is powerful but not in a bombastic sense, it’s instead devastating in its emotional richness. The well-arranged strings that emerge after the beginning of the song aid in this, making ‘Waiting for the World’ an excellent bit of chamber pop that stands out for the frequently unimaginatively produced singer songwriter tracks Austin is oversaturated with.”
https://ovrld.com/latest-toughs/kodachrome-borzoi-kydd/
Caitlin Kraus: “Golden and Blue”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfbKehHLggk
Caitlin Kraus: “Enough”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkgVzxvaJZs
Caitlin Kraus at the Union
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzx2J44W4k
Suggested Listening ’23: Caitlin Kraus Suggests Good Music to Listen To
Caitlin Kraus is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Board-Certified Music Therapist providing services to students at Ohio University in Athens, OH. When she is not counseling, Caitlin is an active musician and songwriter, performing her music both solo and with a band under her name. She has released two full-length albums from Peachfork Studios: “Gone Beyond” (2023) and “What Rises” (2020). She also sings and plays in the band Drift Mouth. She is the proud companion of two wonderful dogs.
Some of the music choices presented here were not actually released in 2023 as I am usually a time traveler when it comes to music. While it was hard to choose only 10 albums/artists and songs, this is some of the music that I happened to listen to often in 2023 and which personally resonated the most. It is presented in no particular order. I hope you can enjoy it along with me!
Jake Xerxes Fussell – Good & Green Again (2022)
The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field (2022)
Nina Simone – You’ve Got to Learn (Recorded Live at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival; Released in 2023)
Marina Allen – Candlepower (2021)
Drugdealer – Raw Honey (2019)
The Roches – The Roches (1979)
Labi Siffre – Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying (1971)
S.G. Goodman – Teeth Marks (2022)
Esther Rose – Safe To Run (2023)
The GTOs – Permanent Damage (1969)
See below link for Caitlin Kraus’ commentary:
https://woub.org/2023/12/11/suggested-listening-23-caitlin-kraus/
TOM RIGGS: Music to Consider (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/@riggsviews
Tom Riggs is famous for recording local and regional (and national and international) music and posting the videos on YouTube.
SOME BOOKS BY DAVID BRUCE
My FREE eBooks can be downloaded here in various formats, including PDF and ePub:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bruceb
https://freeditorial.com/en/books/filter-author/david-bruce
My EXPENSIVE books (paperbacks and hardcovers, all of which are FREE eBooks at Smashwords) can be purchased here:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/brucebATohioDOTedu
RETELLINGS OF A CLASSIC WORK OF LITERATURE
Arden of Faversham: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Arraignment, or Poetaster: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Case is Altered: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Catiline’s Conspiracy: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Devil is an Ass: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Epicene: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Every Man in His Humor: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Every Man Out of His Humor: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Fountain of Self-Love, or Cynthia’s Revels: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Magnetic Lady, or Humors Reconciled: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The New Inn, or The Light Heart: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Sejanus’ Fall: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s The Staple of News: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s A Tale of a Tub: A Retelling
Ben Jonson’s Volpone, or the Fox: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s Complete Plays: Retellings
Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus: Retellings of the 1604 A-Text and of the 1616 B-Text
Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s The Massacre at Paris: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s The Rich Jew of Malta: A Retelling
Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine, Parts 1 and 2: Retellings
Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Inferno: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Purgatory: A Retelling in Prose
Dante’s Paradise: A Retelling in Prose
The Famous Victories of Henry V: A Retelling
From the Iliad to the Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose of Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica
George Chapman, Ben Jonson, and John Marston’s Eastward Ho! A Retelling
George Peele’s The Arraignment of Paris: A Retelling
George Peele’s The Battle of Alcazar: A Retelling
George’s Peele’s David and Bathsheba, and the Tragedy of Absalom: A Retelling
George Peele’s Edward I: A Retelling
George Peele’s The Old Wives’ Tale: A Retelling
George-a-Greene: A Retelling
The History of King Leir: A Retelling
Homer’s Iliad: A Retelling in Prose
Homer’s Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose
J.W. Gent.’s The Valiant Scot: A Retelling
Jason and the Argonauts: A Retelling in Prose of Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica
John Ford: Eight Plays Translated into Modern English
John Ford’s The Broken Heart: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Fancies, Chaste and Noble: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Lady’s Trial: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Lover’s Melancholy: A Retelling
John Ford’s Love’s Sacrifice: A Retelling
John Ford’s Perkin Warbeck: A Retelling
John Ford’s The Queen: A Retelling
John Ford’s ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Campaspe: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Endymion, The Man in the Moon: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Galatea: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Love’s Metamorphosis: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Midas: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Mother Bombie: A Retelling
John Lyly’s Sappho and Phao: A Retelling
John Lyly’s The Woman in the Moon: A Retelling
John Webster’s The White Devil: A Retelling
King Edward III: A Retelling
Mankind: A Medieval Morality Play (A Retelling)
Margaret Cavendish’s The Unnatural Tragedy: A Retelling
The Merry Devil of Edmonton: A Retelling
The Summoning of Everyman: A Medieval Morality Play (A Retelling)
Robert Greene’s Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay: A Retelling
The Taming of a Shrew: A Retelling
Tarlton’s Jests: A Retelling
Thomas Middleton’s A Chaste Maid in Cheapside: A Retelling
Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women: A Retelling
Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s The Roaring Girl: A Retelling
Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling: A Retelling
The Trojan War and Its Aftermath: Four Ancient Epic Poems
Virgil’s Aeneid: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 5 Late Romances: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 10 Histories: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 11 Tragedies: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 12 Comedies: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 38 Plays: Retellings in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry IV, aka Henry IV, Part 1: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 2 Henry IV, aka Henry IV, Part 2: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 1 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 1: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 2 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 2: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s 3 Henry VI, aka Henry VI, Part 3: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s As You Like It: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Cymbeline: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Henry V: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s King John: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s King Lear: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Othello: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Richard II: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Richard III: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Two Noble Kinsmen: A Retelling in Prose
William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale: A Retelling in Prose
CHILDREN’S BIOGRAPHY
Nadia Comaneci: Perfect Ten
PERSONAL FINANCE BOOK
How to Manage Your Money: A Guide for the Non-Rich
ANECDOTE COLLECTIONS
250 Anecdotes About Opera
250 Anecdotes About Religion
250 Anecdotes About Religion: Volume 2
250 Music Anecdotes
Be a Work of Art: 250 Anecdotes and Stories
The Coolest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in the Arts: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes
The Coolest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes
Create, Then Take a Break: 250 Anecdotes
Don’t Fear the Reaper: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Dance: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 4: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 5: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 6: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Music, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Neighborhoods: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Relationships: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Sports, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Television and Radio: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People in Theater: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes
The Funniest People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
Maximum Cool: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Movies: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Politics and History, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Religion: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People in Sports: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People Who Live Life: 250 Anecdotes
The Most Interesting People Who Live Life, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes
Reality is Fabulous: 250 Anecdotes and Stories
Resist Psychic Death: 250 Anecdotes
Seize the Day: 250 Anecdotes and Stories
Kindest People Series
The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 1
The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volume 2
Free Philosophy for the Masses Series
Philosophy for the Masses: Ethics
Philosophy for the Masses: Metaphysics and More
Philosophy for the Masses: Religion
SOME SOURCES FOR FREE EBOOKS
https://www.globalgreyebooks.com
http://www.classicallibrary.org/index.htm
https://davidbruceblog429065578.wordpress.com/
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu
https://www.feedbooks.com/publicdomain/category/FBFIC000000/sub
GEORGE ORWELL: 1984
You may download it FREE here:
https://www.fadedpage.com/showbook.php?pid=20120511
https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/nineteen-eighty-four-ebook.html
https://freeditorial.com/en/books/1984-by-george-orwell
- RISE ABOVE.
Theater director Tyrone Guthrie advised his actors and crew to do this. The advice means to rise above whatever forces are working against you. All of us have personal problems. No one’s life is perfect. Sometimes, life seems to conspire against us. Rise above all that, and produce the best work you can.
- ASTONISH ME.
Dance impresario Sergei Diaghilev advised his choreographers to do this. The advice means what it says. Do such good work that the person who commissioned the work—and of course the audience—is astonished. (Tyrone Guthrie also used this phrase.)
- DO IT NOW.
As a young man, choreographer George Balanchine nearly died and so he believed in living his life day by day and not holding anything back. He would tell his dancers, “Why are you stingy with yourselves? Why are you holding back? What are you saving for—for another time? There are no other times. There is only now. Right now.” Throughout his career, including before he became world renowned, he worked with what he had, not complaining about wanting a bigger budget or better dancers. One of the pieces of advice Mr. Balanchine gave over and over was this: “Do it now.”
- GO OUT AND GET ONE.
Ruth St. Denis once taught Martha Graham an important lesson when Ms. Graham was just starting to dance. Ms. St. Denis told Ms. Graham, “Show me your dance.” Ms. Graham replied, “I don’t have one,” and Ms. St. Denis advised, “Well, dear, go out and get one.” (Everyone needs an art to practice. Your art need not be dance. Perhaps your art can be writing autobiographical essays. Of course, you may practice more than one art.)
- WORK A LITTLE HARDER.
“I think high self-esteem is overrated. A little low self-esteem is actually quite good—maybe you’re not the best, so you should work a little harder.”—Jay Leno
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