Woody's Road

The father of American folk music, Woody Guthrie influenced generations of Americans with his witty journalism and landmark songs. Woody's Road brings together letters to family, photos, drawings, and lyrics to reveal Guthrie's budding personality as he grew from a young boy into a man of remarkable strength and character, becoming America's most publicly political songwriter and the legendary musician who influenced Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco and so many others. The book shows how his commitment to social equality never wavered, as shown famously by the slogan 'this machine kills fascists' emblazoned on his guitar. Jo Guthrie and Guy Lodgson uncover the intensely intelligent and articulate man behind the folksy wit.

Commended for Oklahoma Book Award (Design/Illustration) 2013

“There's no one who knew, loved or communicated with my father for longer, no one in this world knew him better throughout the entire range of his life than his little sister, and my aunt, Mary Jo.... In large part her kindness, humor and genuine Oklahoma sensibilities have made her brother more accessible to friends and neighbors in his own backyard. It is difficult as noted elsewhere to be a prophet in your own country. But with a little sister like my Aunt Mary Jo, it was not impossible for my father to become just that.”

"I and so many of my musician friends are indebted to Woody for his lifelong commitment to social change and to the common man. These letters that Mary Jo has saved provide a new and open window to Woody’s early years and to the love he had for his family. It’s a rare and fascinating collection!"
—Graham Nash, Artist

"Many of the documents included will appeal to fans and researchers. The letters Guthrie wrote to his family after the death of his child and letters about his success in the music business bring insight into Guthrie's personality and relationships... recommended for readers interested in the iconic musician."
—Library Journal

Related Woody Guthrie News

Bound for Local Glory at Last: Woody Guthrie Gets a Belated Honor in Oklahoma

Woody Guthrie Centennial

Mary Jo Guthrie Edgmon, Woody’s sister, hosts the internationally acclaimed Woody Fest. Guy Logsdon has written about Woody Guthrie in The Smithsonian and the liner notes for many of Woody Guthrie’s recordings. He is the author of several books, including The Whorehouse Bells Were Ringing and Other Songs Cowboys Sing.

The father of American folk music, Woody Guthrie influencedgenerations of musicians and fans with his witty journalism andlandmark songs, such as "This Land Is Your Land." Much has been written about Guthrie, yet nothing communicates who hewas so well as the ideas that he set to paper with his own hand. Thisnew biography is accompanied by a significant Guthrie family collectionof rare Woody creations, many of which have never been seen before bythe public. These letters to family, photos, drawings, and lyrics revealWoody's budding personality as he grew from a young boy into aman of remarkable strength and character, becoming America's mostpublicly visible political activist and the legendary musician whoinfluenced Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Ani Di Franco,and so many others. Few people realize that Woody's sister, Mary Jo GuthrieEdgmon, is alive and well to this day. She and Guthrie authority GuyLogsdon shed light on Woody's early life and what formed hisremarkably strong personality, as seen in his many poignant andimpassioned letters, such as those reporting the death of his daughterin a New York fire. The considerable influence on Woody'spersonality of his father Charlie Guthrie can now be traced in privateletters and testimonials as Woody moves from his Texas years to roamingthe USA, to military service, and to New York, where his nationalcareer bloomed as he became an accomplished spokesman. Beyond the plain folksy wit of Woody the journalist and performer, wediscover here the intensely intelligent and articulate man whosebrilliance for the written word was perhaps overshadowed by hisartistry in drawings, paintings, and musical performance.

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