Utah Phillips: A note from Aurora Fox

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

A note from Aurora Fox

Hi Everyone !
Thanks so much for helping to make this "healing blanket" for Utah Phillips!

I finished it last night and today we drove up to Nevada City (with
some friends) and gave the blanket toUtah. He was in good spirits,
talkative (as always) but seemed frail and easily tired. We stayed
quite awhile --he told stories, and Larry and Ray Bierl played and
sang a few songs. Utah also talked about some old songs and even sang
us a few. We all had a good time! and he loved the blanket and
admired it....

thanks are due to all the knitters:
Ceci Marker
Ceci's friend Laura (please pass this e-mail on to her Mike)
Kate Brislin
Kerry Parker
Debra Kalmon
Sharon Noel
Susan Weiss
Katie Hambly
Lisa Hubbell
Irene Herrmann
Marnie Potter

Many hugs to you all!
Aurora

2 comments:

Anonymous said...: Dear people who receive this,
I want to thank you for this presentation of Utah Philips.
I had never heard of him before. Silly me. The sad part is that I do, or am attempting to do, similar as he...(Except I'm the only one who hears my tales, songs or poetry). And here I wasn't aware of one of the most important figures in this craft. Then to learn through his obituary, that through all the hard work, the struggle, the pain, the achievement, it always comes down to a song...And folk wages are to be expected when living in such a fringe world of human expression. In anticipation that I too might be drawn up into, caught by the fringe, then integrated within the greater fabric of life,that I might claim and play a purposeful role.
I blog, therefore I am.
Thank you!; May 25, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Anonymous said...: I was sad to see the link on expectingrain.com about Mr. Phillips. What a treasure. Before my wife passed away, when she would cook something new, I'd always say, "It's good" and she would say, "Is it good or is it good THOUGH." After that, whenever I would hear him, I would think of her. And I still will.; May 25, 2008 at 9:20 PM

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The Two Bums

This is a poem from George Milburn's book, The Hobo's Hornbook. You can also find it in a lot of old I. W. W. pamphlets and literature. It sums up a great deal of what I feel. It talks about the bum on the rod and the burn on the plush, which is just a simple way of saying that the kind of system we live in now demands that there be a poor people, demands that there be people out of work so that there will always be people willing to work for any wage.
Sure, a lot of railroad burns are parasites, but, like the poem says, they're just fleas who get an occasional bite, and you look at what those parasites at the top are chewing off. I know that there's a lot of talk these days about the welfare Cadillac; middle class people talking about those welfare gobblers down on the bottom who are afraid to do an honest day's work, and they're all driving big Cadillacs. And you hear over and over again, "Nobody ought to get something for nothing. " I've got to agree. You've got to work to eat.
I look at a factory. I see that everybody associated with that factory puts something in and they take something out. The workers put in their sweat and their skill, and they take out wages. The salesmen put in their skill and ability, and they take out commissions. The managers and foremen and people in the offices put in theirs, and take out salaries. But there's one group of people who take out more than they put in, and that more is called profit. I can't think of any other way to define it. That's a bunch of people who are getting something they didn't work for, and it's a whole lot.
If we're really concerned about people getting just what they earn, if we're really concerned about people not getting something that they didn't put in time and sweat for, let's start with the major offenders, and get rid of them. Then we'll gradually work our way down to the petty chiselers. It just makes sense.

The bum on the rod is hunted down
As the enemy of mankind;
The other is driven around to his club
And feted, wined and dined.

And they who curse the bum on the rods
As the essence of all that is bad
Will greet the other with a winning smile
And extend him the hand so glad.

The bum on the rods is a social flea
Who gets an occasional bite;
The bum on the plush is a social leech,
Blood-sucking day and night.

The bum on the rods is a load so light
That his weight we scarcely feel,
But it takes the labor of dozens of men
To furnish the other a meal.

As long as you sanction the bum on the plush,
The other will always be there,
But rid yourself of the bum on the plush
And the other will disappear.

Then make an intelligent, organized kick,
Get rid of the weights that crush;
Don't worry about the bum on the rods,
Get rid of the bum on the plush!

Internet Archive

I have started to develop an internet archive on my web page. It will be a collection of pictures, concert flyers and posters, concert audio and video, in short everything that I have collected during the last few years of traveling with dad. My hope is that it may one day become a central place for the world wide community to have access to an ever growing archive of Utah Phillips. I would like to encourage folks to add to the archive as well. You can either send things via e-mail ( friendsofutah@yahoo.com) or to my home address. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank You
Duncan Phillips
1392 e. 5935 s.
SLC, UT. 84121