15 November 2005
Tuesday 15 November 2005 22:00-22:30 (Radio 3)
How did the music of America's rural working class become the music of choice for the Republican Party? Susan Hitch uncovers the politics of country music. Plus, Simon Armitage on his dark comedy about Yorkshire village life - Jerusalem.
Programme details
In Night Waves this evening, Susan Hitch is joined by the poet Simon Armitage who'll be talking about his new musical play Jerusalem which opens tonight at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
When the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks announced at a concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2003 that she was ashamed to come from the same state as George Bush the band received a very bad press and their album was instantly dropped by radio stations. A new book Rednecks and Bluenecks looks at the history of the politics of country music which has moved from its origins in Appalachian folk songs to being the music of choice of the Republican right. But what exactly has caused country music to become more conservative? The academic Mike Hammond and journalist Paul Du Noyer will be in the studio to discuss Rednecks and Bluenecks.
And Factotum', a new film about the so-called 'poet laureate of the gutter' Charles Bukowski. Matt Dillon plays Bukowski's alter-ego as he staggers drunk from job to job, bar to bar recovering only to send his short stories and poems to magazines and publishers. The crime novelist Denise Mina will be talking about Factotum and Charles Bukowski with Susan Hitch.
Additional Information:
Jerusalem is at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds until 3 December.
Factotum is now out on general release, Certificate 15.
Rednecks and Bluenecks by Chris Willman is published by New Press.
