Talk:Utah Phillips

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[edit] Army, War

The Korean War ended in 1953, if he entered the Army in 1956 he was 3 years too late.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.170.220.40 (talk) 21:43, 20 July 2004

He turned 18 in May 1953, FWIW.
--Jerzy•t 19:04, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Probably means he served in Korea, not in the war. RickK 21:44, Jul 20, 2004 (UTC)

Here's some exact words, in (the transcript of?) a January 2004 interview:
Amy Goodman::
... In 1956, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War, an experience he would later refer to as the turning point of his life....
Goodman::
... War has always seemed to play a major role in defining our times and affected your work, as well. You went to Korea?
Phillips:
Yes, I joined the Army. Like old—as a string fellow said, some people learn things the hard way, but at least then you never forget it. I joined the Army and then got pipelined for Korea. I was there after Panmunjan, you know, after the treaty, right after the treaty there, the truce. Life amid the ruins—I mean, it was absolute life amid the ruins....
I note he didn't correct her abt 1956, but implicitly does abt "served in the Korean War", which contradicts '56, but it's hard to square '56 and "right after the [armistice]".
(He continues on this topic in some detail, worth reading.)
(BTW, his cryptic, or cryptically rendered, remark
Like old—as a string fellow said, some people...
caught my attention, and whatever "string fellow" may mean, another interview has
Ammon told me, 'Some people learn things the hard way and you're one of them.' I've never forgotten it.
It was Ammon Hennacy who wrote "Joe Hill" and other songs, so perhaps he preferred, in this context, to refer to "old Ammon Hennacy" as just a generic fellow string player.)
--Jerzy•t 20:59, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Long Memory

"He has recorded songs and stories with Rosalie Sorrels on a CD called The Long Memory (1996), originally a college project from Montana." The album was a college project? Utah Phillips attended school in Montana, or Rosalie Sorrels, or both? The songs are from Montana? Hyacinth 01:36, 12 Aug 2004 (UTC)

The Long Memory project was commissioned by a Montana college. Utah and Rosalie are a few years from student age. Also, Utah has repeated said that he was changed by his experiences in the Korean War, *and* that he joined the Army in 1956. Being a storyteller, he must be using his license to stretch the truth.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Dashford (talk • contribs) 21:12, 27 October 2005

[edit] Catholic Worker

There's been a minor revert war on adding the Category:Catholic Workers. This information needs to be documented in the article, and be a "defining", not merely incidental or trivial, aspect of Phillips' life for it to meet WP:CAT. I don't see that at this point, so the category should be left off until and unless there is adequate documentation to show that Phillips is a CW and that it is a "defining" part of his life/identity. --Lquilter (talk) 03:21, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

That he was (and is) very much in sympathy with the aims and work of the Catholic Worker movement, I am certain; I have no knowledge that he ever was a part of the movement himself, and highly doubt it. +ILike2BeAnonymous (talk) 07:04, 25 February 2008 (UTC)
He helped start Joe Hill House, a Catholic Worker operation. Pustelnik (talk) 16:03, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
Utah worked there. He didn't found it. Kingturtle (talk) 16:06, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
Read the interview, olywip, by Fast Rattler, added to references, or the Z! Yes! magazine interview. Pustelnik (talk) 16:15, :29, 1 March & 19:18, 25 May, 2008 (UTC)
What aspect of this do they support?
--Jerzy•t 18:51, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
For ""defining", not merely incidental or trivial aspect" directly quoting Utah Phillips, as recorded by Fast Rattler: "That changed my whole world-view, those people who live in voluntary poverty and practice the works of mercy. Wherever I've traveled...I work with the Catholic Worker Movement. I wrote a lot of songs in the Joe Hill House that are a direct result" By the way, the Joe Hill House closed the year Utah left, and one of the first persons he visited when he left Utah for New York City was Dorothy Day. And in the 2005 Yes interview, the first 3 people he identified as his "heroes" are Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin and Ammon Hennacy, all Catholic Workers. You couls argue that Utah and Ammon were not Catholic, but that certainly does not rule you out as a Catholic Worker. It is an anarchist movement, so it does not have membership cards!Pustelnik (talk) 00:16, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Utah Carl

R.I.P. "I think our friend Utah has a home beyond the sky." [1] It is interesting that the Wobblie singer Harry McClintock sang a song called "Utah Carl". I am aware that U.U. Phillips is said to have picked his name due to T. Tyler Texas Tyler, but I thought the coincidence was odd. Pustelnik (talk) 19:10, :11, & :26, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Folk Process

I'm also fond of Rosalie Sorrels's "Rock Salt and Nails", and lapped it up when she said on TV, around midnite and around 1971 (looks like that couldn't have been on Austin City Limits as it thot), that "if you want your song folk processed" you should turn it over to UUP the GVotGSW. Don't see how to use that in WP, but just, there it is as a lead for research.
--Jerzy•t 21:10, 1 June 2008 (UTC)