Delta Symposium XVIII: Roots and Generations
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas
The 2012 Delta Symposium will take place on April 18-21, 2012. Most of the activities will be held in the Reng Student Center's "Mockingbird Room" in the Carl R. Reng Student Union on the ASU campus. There is no registration fee, and the event is open to the public.
This interdisciplinary conference is sponsored by the Department of English and Philosophy, and the theme of "Roots and Generations" will be presented through a variety of presentations, including musical performances, panel sessions, poetry readings, concerts, keynote address, and the Roots Music Festival.
Highlights of the symposium include screenings of the new films "We Juke Up In Here: Mississippi's Juke Joint Culture at the Crossroads" by Roger Stolle, Jeff Konkel, and Damien Blaylock, and a separate screening of "Americana Women: Roots Musicians/Women's Tales and Tunes" that will include a talk on this documentary by its creator Dyann Arthur. This year's event includes musical performances coupled with lectures. Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman will perform fiddle and banjo tunes to show connections between roots music and contemporary forms of musical expression, and John Kimsey will perform his musical showcase "Twisted Roots: Delta Roots Music and Jazz Connections."
This year's symposium features two keynote addresses and a poetry reading. Jay Gitlin of Yale University will present a history of French heritage within Southern culture, and Alan and Karen Jabbour will make a multimedia presentation on the research they completed when writing their new book Decoration Day in the Mountains: Traditions of Cemetery Decorations in the Southern Appalachians.
The acclaimed poet, Tony Tost, will give an evening reading at 7:30 on Thursday night in the Cache River Room at the Reng Student Union.
The musical performances begin on Friday night at 7:30 in the ASU Reng Student Center's auditorium. Mississippi Delta bluesman L. C. Ulmer will perform his country blues to close out the events held on campus. On Saturday, April 21st, the symposium activities will move to downtown Jonesboro with the "Roots Music Festival" to be held at CWL Park at the intersection of Culberhouse and Cherry Streets. The event begins at noon with a musical showcase of local talent. Featured performers during the free music festival include Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band, David Lynn Jones and Friends, and blues rocker Jimbo Mathus & Tri-State Coalition. Blues, bluegrass, old-time, and other folk musicians are invited to come early for an informal jam session and song circle that begins at 11:00 am. Directioni to the park can be found using search engine directions by entering "City Water and Light Park Jonesboro."
Schedule of Events
(Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public and will be held in ASU's Student Union, Mockingbird Room)
Wednesday, April 18
12:00 - 1:00
"We Juke Up in Here: Mississippi's Juke Joint
Culture at the Crossroads." Screening of documentary film
produced by Roger Stolle, Jeff Konkell, and Damien Blaylock.
(Mockingbird Room)
1:15 - 3:15
"The Interplay Between Individual and Community in Heritage Studies."
Panel Session:
Richard Hartness (Arkansas State University): "Autoethnography: A Virtually Untapped Resource for Heritage Studies"
Anita Reddig (Arkansas Sate University): "Myra Rodes Trotter: A Lady in the Antebellum South"
Emmett Powers (Arkansas State University): "Colonel Raymond C. Morris, U. S. Army: Exploring Self-Identity through Mediating Structures"
Charles Baclawski (Arkansas State University): "The Influence of the Economy of Neighborliness on Communities"
Moderated by Gregory Hansen
(Mockingbird Room)
3:30 - 5:00
"Documentary Research and Roots Music"
Film Screening
Dyann Arthur (MusicBox Project, Mill Creek, Washington): "Americana Women: Roots Musicians/Women's Tales and Tunes"
Moderated by Mary Donaghy
(Mockingbird Room)
7:30 - 9:00 Blues and Roots Music Showcase Performances
The Arts @ 311
311 South Church Street, Jonesboro
Thursday, April 19
9:30 - 10:45
"Overall's Wanderings: Delta Roots and Jazz Connections"
Forum Presentation by Mike Overall (Jonesboro)
Moderated by E. Ron Horton
(Mockingbird Room)
11:00 - 12:00
"Twisted Roots: Music, Politics, and the American Dream Blues"
Performance and Presentation
John Kimsey (School for New Learning/DePaul, Chicago)
Introduced by E. Ron Horton
(Mockingbird Room)
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 2:00
Keynote Speaker
Jay Gitlin (Yale University): Dixie: Revisiting or Reconsidering the French Heritage in Southern Culture"
Introduced by Clyde A. Milner, II
(Mockingbird Room)
2:15 - 4:00
"Roots Music and Popular Imagery in the Blues"
Colin Beineke (Arkansas State University): "'Don't You Know Who I Am?': Stagger Lee in Underground Media"
Alan Brown (University of West Alabama): Blues Resurrection: Junior Kimbrough and the Blues Documentary Deep Blues"
Mitsutoshi Inaba (Eugene, Oregon): "The Death of Sonny Boy Williamson I"
Moderated by Richard Burns
(Mockingbird Room)
4:15 - 5:30
Musical Performance/Presentation
"Fiddle and Banjo Tunes in Traditional Culture: From Old-Time Roots to Modern Branches"
Alan Jabbour and Ken Perlman
Introduced by Michael Luster
(Mockingbird Room)
7:30-9:00
Poetry Reading
Tony Tost
Introduced by Carol O'Connor
(Cache River Room, Reng Student Union)
Friday, April 20
8:00 - 10:15
"Remembering Our Roots"
Panel Session/Forum on African-American Cultural Conservation
Lillie Fears (Arkansas State University)
Steve Johnson (Johnson Studios, Helena)
Tamela Lewis (Preservation of African American Cemeteries)
LaSaundra Williams (Arkansas Humanities Council, Little Rock)
Mable Bynum (Lakeview Association of Alumni & Friends, Inc.)
George Bingham (Eliza Miller All-School Reunion, Helena)
Moderated by Brady Banta
(Mockingbird Room)
10:30 - 11:30
Keynote Address
Alan Jabbour and Karen Jabbour: "Decoration Day in the Mountains"
(Mockingbird Room)
11:30 - 12:30 Lunch
12:30 - 12:50
Book-Talk and Signing
Thom Vernon
(Mockingbird Room)
1:00 - 3:00
"Arkansas Traditions through Time and Across Generations"
Beth Bright (Arkansas State University): "'And the Merry Love the Fiddle': Human Connections through Music and Performance"
Katherine Dillion (Harding University): Like Father Like Son: The Live Band Tradition of a Delta Family"
Susan E. Probasco (University of Arkansas): "Speer House: A Haunting in Clay County"
Michael Rounds (Arkansas State University): "Gospel Music and Young Adult Audiences"
Moderated by Paul Nunis
(Mockingbird Room)
BREAK
3:30 - 5:30
"Roots Culture and Media"
Arkansas State University Panel
Shan Lin: "Propaganda's Use of Fear and Anger to Build Public Support"
Megan Gosa: "Johnson Publishing Company's Transition"
Wayne Narey: "More Government, Please: The Federal Theatre Project and Creativity"
Mark Randall: "Rockabilly and the Vaden Record Label"
Moderated by Michael Doyle
(Mockingbird Room)
Writing Workshop
(Concurrent session - registration required)
Guest writer, Thom Vernon
(Pine Tree Room)
7:30 - 9:00
Evening Concert
Legendary Mississippi Bluesman L. C. Ulmer
Introduced by Richard Burns
(Student Union Auditorium)
Saturday, April 21
10:00 - 10:45
Film Screening
"Americana Women: Roots Musicians/Women's Tales and Tunes"
Dyann Arthur (Music Box Project, Mill Creek, Washington)
Meet the filmmaker at the Jonesboro Public Library
10:45 - 12:15
Architectural Walking Tour of Jonesboro's West End
Sponsored by the Northeast Arkansas AIA
Led by Jonesboro Design Professionals
Libii Fairhead (Brackett and Krennerich)
Jim Little (Little and Assocoates)
John Mixon (Stuck Associates)
Meet at the Jonsboro Public Library
12:00 - 5:00
"Roots Music Festival"
Master of Ceremonies, Michael Luster (Arkansas Folklife Program)
Blues Contest
Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band
David Lynn Jones
Jimbo Mathus & Tri-State Coalition
(City Water and Light Park, Jonesboro)
Delta Symposium XVIII is made possible by funding from the Arkansas Arts Council, KASU 91.9 FM, the Department of English and Philosophy, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Arkansas State University.
