2020 Vision
Why I Wrote 2020 Vision I wrote the song “2020 Vision” in December, a few weeks after the election. I wanted to propel listeners into the future—the next presidential election-- and show how Trump voters, especially working class people who believed his promises in 2016, now saw that his policies have betrayed their trust and worsened their already tenuous situation. I used the analogy of not being able to see clearly without eyeglasses. When we have the proper prescription our vision can be corrected and become 20-20. My fear is that Trump will betray his voters. My hope ... [Read More]
Swing Left Party on March 4th at 4pm in Los Angeles
To Friends Appalled by the Trump Presidency I'm hosting a Swing Left organizing event on Saturday, March 04, 2017 at 4:00 PM at my home in Los Angeles. Have you heard about Swing Left? Swing Left is an online network that helps people find their closest Swing District (Congressional districts in the US that elected Republicans by slim margins in 2016) and connects them with progressive candidates and campaigns that can move the district into the Democratic column. Our goal is simple: to flip the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections and put a check on the Trump ... [Read More]
The Battle for Coal: Miners and the Politics of Nationalization in France, 1940–1950
The Battle for Coal: Miners and the Politics of Nationalization in France, 1940–1950 Author: Darryl Holter Northern Illinois University Press, Publication Date: June 1992 - Business & Economics - 264 pages As World War II came to a close, economic recovery in France hinged on coal. With nearly 90 percent of French energy dependent on coal and imported coal unavailable, France, traditionally the world's largest importer, was forced to rely on its own troubled coal-mining industry. The Battle for Coal is the first full study to address the history and politics of coal production in post-World War II France. Holter ... [Read More]
Los Angeles Corral of Westerners
Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA. Social Hour: 5:00 PM Dinner: 6:00 PM Our Speaker: Darryl Holter His Subject: This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie in Los Angeles, 1937-1941 Woody Guthrie was, and still is, one of the most beloved of all American singers and songwriters. Guthrie’s very productive years in Los Angeles at the end of the Great Depression forever changed his music, his politics, and greatly expanded his audience. Guthrie performed his own songs on his popular, KFVD Los Angeles, live radio show. They made him first a local, then a national, celebrity. With his lyrics about unemployment, homelessness, and inequality, ... [Read More]
Darryl Holter 2020 Vision: A New Song for a New Year
2020 Vision: A New Song for a New Year A new song by Darryl Holter: Among Democrats there is a lot of scrambling around to see what to do next. I think the most important thing to do is to prepare working class voters who voted for Trump to understand that his policies are going to hurt them. But this will be difficult because Trump will try to shift the blame to others. For example, not many people know that once the Republicans repeal Obamacare, which will happen in a couple of weeks, (even if they delay “replacing” until after the ... [Read More]
Darryl Holter Reviews The Book 26 Songs in 30 Days
Darryl Holter Reviews 26 Songs in 30 Days: Woody Guthrie’s Columbia River Songs and the Planned Promised Land in the Pacific Northwest. for Woody Guthrie Annual The Woody Guthrie Annual is an open-access peer-reviewed journal containing the most up-to-date scholarship on Woody Guthrie, his work and his cultural and political significance. The journal is published once a year, between June and December. In addition to peer-reviewed scholarly articles, The Woody Guthrie Annual contains book and record reviews, news, and notices of relevant events. The journal is comprehensively indexed and archived in the appropriate online repositories. For more information on the ... [Read More]
Darryl Holter Book Review Woody Guthrie Annual
Darryl Holter Book Review Woody Guthrie Annual Managing Editor: Will Kaufman, University of Central Lancashire The Woody Guthrie Annual is an open-access peer-reviewed journal containing the most up-to-date scholarship on Woody Guthrie, his work and his cultural and political significance. The journal is published once a year, between June and December. In addition to peer-reviewed scholarly articles, The Woody Guthrie Annual contains book and record reviews, news, and notices of relevant events. The journal is comprehensively indexed and archived in the appropriate online repositories. For more information on the life and legacy of Woody Guthrie, please visit www.WoodyGuthrie.org Darryl Holter ... [Read More]
Julia Holter Premieres New Film Soundtrack
Julia Holter Premieres New Film Soundtrack, LA Times Review by Randall Roberts, LA Times Nov 10 2016 Over the last five years the Los Angeles composer and avant-pop singer Julia Holter has moved from issuing vinyl-only compositions based on ancient Greek plays and musique concrete-inspired mixtapes to becoming an interdisciplinary force composing concept albums and music for dance, performance pieces and parties. For her next act, the young artist has scored the music for the new boxing film, “Bleed for This,” the true story of pugilist Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza. Holter’s hardly an obvious choice for such a project; ... [Read More]
Remembering Tom Hayden
I was saddened to learn this morning about the death of Tom Hayden. I read a lot of his writings in the late 60s and early 70s, especially the very important political document of the times, The Port Huron Statement. I talked to Tom once in an airport when he was working on Jerry Brown’s campaign for President. Later I wrote him to ask about his LA-based group, Campaign for Economic Democracy, and he wrote back and answered my questions. About ten years ago I was asked to give a lecture on “Students in the Sixties” for a history course ... [Read More]
Southern Cal Indie Book Sellers Association
The Southern Cal Indie Book Sellers Association (SCIBA) Fall 2016 Trade Show is having its annual trade show today and tomorrow in North Hollywood. Darryl Holter will be doing a presentation on Woody Guthrie tonight at 6 pm. Darryl and William Deverell's book, Woody Guthrie L.A. 1937 to 1941, was nominated for this year's non-fiction award and the winners will be announced on Saturday. www.scibabooks.org
Darryl Holter grew up playing the guitar and singing country and rock and roll songs in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His current brand of Americana music draws from country, blues and folk traditions and often tells stories about people, places and events.