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John Henry Legend
Radio Documentary
The Plan
Fifteen years later, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, I came back to Talcott to produce "a portrait of the John Henry legend and the remote community that lives in its shadow."
It was a great idea, I thought, to do an audio portrait of the social and economic conditions that gave rise to this classic story of human against forces more powerful.
It was a great idea on paper, anyway. I began to worry about the logistics: how can a stranger from California descend on this secluded community to gather intimate details of its residents' lives? Is it even possible for an outsider to come away with an accurate portrayal?
I had another reservation. I'd come to the uneasy realization that one way to describe what I do as a radio producer is that I take things from people. I come into the lives of those I've never met, spend a few hours asking a bunch of questions, then walk away with their most personal stories on a tape in my pocket. So when I began work on "Steel Drivin' Man," I wanted a different experience: to find the real story without making people feel "taken" ... and without compromising my journalistic or artistic integrity.
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Copyright © 1999–2005, Ginna Allison. All rights reserved.
Contact: ginna @ wormlips [dot] com.