Prophet Singer: The Voice and Vision of Woody Guthrie

Mark Allan Jackson

Jan 2008 · Univ. Press of Mississippi

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Prophet Singer: The Voice and Vision of Woody Guthrie examines the cultural and political significance of lyrics by beloved songwriter and activist Woodrow Wilson Woody Guthrie. The text traces how Guthrie documented the history of America's poor and disadvantaged through lyrics about topics as diverse as the Dust Bowl and the poll tax. Divided into chapters covering specific historical topics such as race relations and lynchings, famous outlaws, the Great Depression, and unions, the book takes an in-depth look at how Guthrie manipulated his lyrics to explore pressing issues and to bring greater political and economic awareness to the common people. Incorporating the best of both historical and literary perspectives, Mark Allan Jackson references primary sources including interviews, recordings, drawings, and writings. He includes a variety of materials from the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, and the Woody Guthrie Archives. Many of these have never before been widely available. The result provides new insights into one of America's most intriguing icons. Prophet Singer offers an analysis of the creative impulse behind and ideals expressed in Guthrie's song lyrics. Details from the artist's personal life as well as his interactions with political and artistic movements from the first half of the twentieth century afford readers the opportunity to understand how Guthrie's deepest beliefs influenced and found voice in the lyrics that are now known and loved by millions. Mark Allan Jackson is currently an assistant professor of English at DePauw University. His articles and reviews have been featured in Popular Music and Society and American Music .

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Mark Allan Jackson is assistant professor of English and folklore at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Over the years, his writing has been published in a variety of journals, such as American Music, Popular Music and Society, the Journal of American Folklore, and the Exquisite Corpse. Two collections of old-time labor music that he compiled and edited have been released as part of the West Virginia University Press Sound Archives, and he is currently working on a book about how the blues comments on the southern penal system.