NE - A Paradise To Live In Or See

[A big welcome to Crooks and Liars readers! Thanks, Mike! - F]

Fixer and Digby done set my ass off (I've got buttons. Push 'em. Stand back. Giggle.). Heh. Even though Californian (Yay!) John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors (and a Chevy man. Yay!) I've never read the novel, but Grapes Of Wrath may be my favorite ever movie. Yes, I know the endings are different, but we could use a Hollywood ending right about now. One that doesn't include the words "post-apocalyptic". Once the Great Diaspora to Nebraska for minimum wage jobs begins, Nebraskans might not see it that way. More like locusts. Trust me, us Californians know about this shit.

Heres a virtual movie of the novelist John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) discussing his reasons for writing his great novelThe Grapes of Wrath in a sound interview recorded in 1952. To my knowledge their is no surviving film recording of John Steinbeck discussing his work......

Thanks to poetryanimations, UK

Here's a Hollywood hype video of Steinbeck's novel being made into film and a description:

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) is an American drama film directed by Academy Award Winner Best Director, John Ford. It was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939), written by John Steinbeck. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson and the executive producer was Darryl F. Zanuck.[1]

The film tells the story of the Joads, an Oklahoma family, who, after losing their farm during the Great Depression in the 1930s, become migrant workers and end up in California. The motion picture details their arduous journey across the United States as they travel to California in search for work and opportunities for the family members.

In 1989, this film was one of the first 25 films to be selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

And a timely fairly recent New York Times review that puts Grapes Of Wrath in a modern perspective:

A. O. Scott reviews John Ford's 1940 film based on John Steinbeck's novel about the Great Depression.

To all you folks heading for Nebraska, just substitute 'Nebraska' for 'California' in the following tune by another champion of the common man. That oughta work. Heh. Note: Arlo's version is 'embedding disabled', but Nancy's is great.

Thanks to chikafaz, UK.

A final note to all those leaving California for The Promised Land in the Midwest: Best of luck. Don't let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out.