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Ross Barnard's avatar

This might get Jen watching Westerns…

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Jen's avatar

Maybe…

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Tass Schmidt's avatar

Loved this Paul. Entices me to take a look.

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Robert Gamlen's avatar

Beautiful. A Resonant piece about resonance in & about The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. My morning pot of Darjeeling went cold as I revelled in resonance. Thank you.

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Paul Byrnes's avatar

Oh no, not the Darjeeling!

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Susan Plunket's avatar

Paul, I love this piece. Reading it gave me so much pleasure -- following your mind around, through the detail, seeing through your eyes. And. "Low-down outlaw scum" is my new favorite description of the U.S. Gangster in Chief.

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Paul Byrnes's avatar

Thanks Susan - lovely to hear from you, and to know you enjoyed this piece. I just subscribed to your stack. Mary about to post something about our recent African trip. Elephants galore. Hope you are well. XX

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Michael Guenon's avatar

My childhood was informed, shaped, and indoctrinated by Ford/Wayne westerns, not to mention the plethora of TV ones to the point where I was desperately clinging to the myths through the Sixties and adolescence. Fortunately I finally outgrew it to the moment I found myself showing The Searchers in an AP U.S. History (after the exam in May) and using Richard Slotkin’s critique in his book Gunfighter Nation. I still like Westerns, albeit viewing with a critical eye. My sons, now middle-aged, and I rank highly Tombstone as a mix of myth and realism. Loved your analysis of Liberty Valence and Ford’s aching subversion of his own sentiment.

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