Showing posts with label Homer Hickam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homer Hickam. Show all posts
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Grin After The Chilean Rescue From Homer Hickam
If ya'll aren't familiar with Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys, which became the movie October Sky, OS invites you to enjoy a wonderful treat.
He is amongst the best of the very best to emerge from the South (this best of places) in the past hundred years.
A wry story from his hometown paper in Hunstville, Alabama.
It appears his dad, a mine foreman back in his childhood home in West Virginia, had experimented with a rescue device similar (much cruder, but effective) than the fabulous piece of engineering that helped rescued Los Treinta y Tres yesterday.
Great ideas are immortal. Let's all hug an engineer today, ya'll.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Homer Hickam Shares Wisdom From Coalwood, West Virginia: We Are Not Afraid
Homer Hickam is a wonderful author, whose subject is the American culture and spirit. If you have read Rocket Boys, you know his story. If you have ever seen the movie October Skies, you've seen the Hollywood version.
Homer's story is an inspiration, and continues to this day.
Today, he shared his remarks upon receiving the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award, in which he repeats his core message: We Are Not Afraid.
He goes on to share what he learned from his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, who taught him to not be afraid.
We are proud of who we are.
We stand up for what we believe.
We keep our family together.
We trust in God but rely on ourselves.
His remarks may be found here, and come highly recommended. He closes with the story of Reverend Richard, a local clergyman. Only a heart of stone could be unmoved by his words.
Have a blessed Fourth of July, wherever you are. It is such a blessing to belong to this wonderful country, and to be a Southerner to boot.
Rocket Boys
October Sky
Homer's story is an inspiration, and continues to this day.
Today, he shared his remarks upon receiving the Audie Murphy Patriotism Award, in which he repeats his core message: We Are Not Afraid.
He goes on to share what he learned from his hometown of Coalwood, West Virginia, who taught him to not be afraid.
We are proud of who we are.
We stand up for what we believe.
We keep our family together.
We trust in God but rely on ourselves.
His remarks may be found here, and come highly recommended. He closes with the story of Reverend Richard, a local clergyman. Only a heart of stone could be unmoved by his words.
Have a blessed Fourth of July, wherever you are. It is such a blessing to belong to this wonderful country, and to be a Southerner to boot.
Rocket Boys
October Sky
Sunday, April 11, 2010
This Week's Best Turn Of Phrase: Homer Hickam--'Another Company Town'
Homer Hickam grew up in a hard-scrabble coal mining West Virginia town, from which he emerged by winning the National Science Fair as a lad. He went on to a career at NASA, and from there to his present career as an author.
His wonderful autobiographical account, Rocket Boys, was a favorite in our house as we raised the kids. Who can't love this story of inspiration, hard work, and success? It was the basis of the wonderful movie October Sky, highly recommended for every family.
In the wake of the recent tragedy in West Virginia, the media has turned to him for words of wisdom, and he doesn't tell them what they wish to hear.
After I'm finished with my description of people and place as they actually are, the disappointment is almost palpable. That's because most of the interviewers already have an idea of what life is like in a coal company town, or at least, they think they do. This is because of another company town, namely Hollywood. Over the years, the movies set in coal country have pretty well established how most Americans and the media view coal miners and their communities. "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Matewan" and, yes, "October Sky," all telling stories of an era decades ago, are the films most of the interviewers have seen. Some of them even cite "How Green Was My Valley" as their reference, never mind that it was set in Wales a century ago.
Rather than the little towns in the hills I describe with their snowy white churches, interviewers want to hear how awful these places are, how gritty, ugly and dirty. They also want to hear how downtrodden, bitter and wretched coal miners are. I hate to disappoint them, but they just aren't like that any more, and thank goodness they're not.
The truth is, without the American coal miner and his willingness to work in his profession, we'd all be sunk. Coal provides well over 50% of our country's electrical production and it also keeps the average price per kilowatt-hour cheap. In other words, coal is the backbone of our economy. When we turn on a light, use a computer, watch television or do anything using electricity, we should all thank the coal miners. We should also as a nation take it as our sacred duty to keep them safe, and that means supporting the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
A big ol' Hat Tip to Mr. Hickam for that great turn of phrase: ...another company town, namely Hollywood. Five words that cut to the quick of our popular media industries.
So...
Why is it this country decided to look to movie-makers to shape their views about culture, politics, economy? Those flickering images on the screen are just that. Same goes for the record industry. OS, having been involved in the production of records for a number of years, can testify that they are manufactured works of fiction, and their creators are generally people you would wish to keep away from your children.
We need not let them bully us, about anything. Company towns fold up and die when people stop buying the stuff they ship out.
His wonderful autobiographical account, Rocket Boys, was a favorite in our house as we raised the kids. Who can't love this story of inspiration, hard work, and success? It was the basis of the wonderful movie October Sky, highly recommended for every family.
In the wake of the recent tragedy in West Virginia, the media has turned to him for words of wisdom, and he doesn't tell them what they wish to hear.
After I'm finished with my description of people and place as they actually are, the disappointment is almost palpable. That's because most of the interviewers already have an idea of what life is like in a coal company town, or at least, they think they do. This is because of another company town, namely Hollywood. Over the years, the movies set in coal country have pretty well established how most Americans and the media view coal miners and their communities. "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Matewan" and, yes, "October Sky," all telling stories of an era decades ago, are the films most of the interviewers have seen. Some of them even cite "How Green Was My Valley" as their reference, never mind that it was set in Wales a century ago.
Rather than the little towns in the hills I describe with their snowy white churches, interviewers want to hear how awful these places are, how gritty, ugly and dirty. They also want to hear how downtrodden, bitter and wretched coal miners are. I hate to disappoint them, but they just aren't like that any more, and thank goodness they're not.
The truth is, without the American coal miner and his willingness to work in his profession, we'd all be sunk. Coal provides well over 50% of our country's electrical production and it also keeps the average price per kilowatt-hour cheap. In other words, coal is the backbone of our economy. When we turn on a light, use a computer, watch television or do anything using electricity, we should all thank the coal miners. We should also as a nation take it as our sacred duty to keep them safe, and that means supporting the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
A big ol' Hat Tip to Mr. Hickam for that great turn of phrase: ...another company town, namely Hollywood. Five words that cut to the quick of our popular media industries.
So...
Why is it this country decided to look to movie-makers to shape their views about culture, politics, economy? Those flickering images on the screen are just that. Same goes for the record industry. OS, having been involved in the production of records for a number of years, can testify that they are manufactured works of fiction, and their creators are generally people you would wish to keep away from your children.
We need not let them bully us, about anything. Company towns fold up and die when people stop buying the stuff they ship out.
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