Road Trip

We took a trip downtown this past week to check on some historical sites pertinent to our reading of True Grit. We went to the Clayton House, which is the former home William Clayton, who was the Federal Prosecutor during the time of Judge Parker's reign in Fort Smith. Our friend and former student Jacqulyn West works there. She gave us a most interesting tour of the home and it's a must-see for readers of True Grit. They will be happy to take individuals or small groups or even whole classes (call and make a reservation) on a tour of the house. You should go; it's cool. Coincidentally--or maybe not--Jacqulyn lives in George Maladon's house. He's the hangman mentioned by name in the novel. A real character he was. Jacqulyn will probably be doing a True Grit presentation for us on campus, too. Watch this space for an announcement.

We also toured the Fort Smith National Historical Site, which contains the old courthouse and prison where lots of the first part of the novel takes place. It's cool to go into the courtroom and imagine that great scene from the trial. They will also take individuals, small groups, or whole classes (go on-line and fill out the reservation and fee-waiver form) on the tour. There's lots of cool stuff here. If you go on March 17th at 11am or 2pm they tour the gallows on the anniversary of Cherokee Bill's hanging. Of course, you can tour the gallows any time they're open, too. This is a great place that many of us have probably been to at some point, but it's nice to go back with the True Grit perspective. The pictures of all the old Marshals are incredible. You just look at their faces and you can see how there really could have been a Rooster Cogburn. There is a group that does reenactments of court cases and we're waiting to get a new schedule of those. That would be fun to see. They may have the schedule published on the website by now.

Another place we toured--and I hadn't been to this one--was the Fort Smith Museum of History. This place is way cool and deserving of much attention. They really run the entire gamut of Fort Smith history (quite a story, too) but they do have lots of exhibits about Judge Parker and the gallows and all that. In fact the current special show is about the changing perceptions of the whole Judge Parker time in Fort Smith history. This place is great! They are very heavy into the whole Bass Reeves story right now. This is a very interesting story and emphasizes the diversity of this region. They will take individuals or small groups or even whole classes (call and talk to them first).

These are amazing resources folks! If you're a student or friend of the college and you're reading True Grit you should go and take your friends. If you're a teacher and you're teaching the novel, you should encourage your students to go. Most of these places are free or cheap or will waive or reduce the fees for educational groups, but please be sure to call and talk to them if you're doing anything in a group. And if you go, whoever you are, please be sure to mention the True Grit connection to UAFS.

Reading True Grit is a fabulous way to give ourselves a sense of place, but to really do it right, you need to get out and see some of these places. College should not take place only inside a classroom.

In the meantime, watch this space for news about these special True Grit places and events.

Chapter Seven

Well, I don't want to give too much away if you haven't read the ending of the book but, yes, that is a ball of snakes for today's picture! Snakes WILL ball up like that.

It is a rousing ending to a great book. For sure. I was in mind of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for some reason--the cave, of course, but it's more than that. The dark description, the pace of the action, and the closeness of the narration to Mattie reminded me of the ending of Tom Sawyer. Of course, I'm not the first to make the connection, although Mattie is usually compared to Huck and not Tom. I think she's more akin to Tom, really. She has the same bold naivete, doesn't she? Still, it might make an interesting piece of research to find out what was on Portis' shelf and what he thought of Twain.

I won't reveal too much about the plot in case folks are reading this before they finish, but Tom Chaney underestimates Mattie's grit, as we knew he would, and Rooster gets a chance to show that he's not all talk. And Mattie is put in a most unwieldy position. Will it cost her an arm and leg to get out? Almost!

Great stuff with the bandits--you knew they'd catch up with them, didn't you? These are some great roles for the Coen Brothers to fill. Who would you cast as Lucky Ned Pepper and The Original Greaser Bob? I have to watch the movie now--the old one with John Wayne--to see who played them in that.

One interesting item appears on page 177, where you can see what I think is Mattie's being sort of sucked in by the beginning of the glorification of outlaw culture that you saw in the Depression era. Mattie starts making a distinction between "trash" outlaws and those that were "not so simple" and "not altogether rotten." Hm. Interesting. Also some classic descriptions of how good people go bad. Mattie had never thought of an outlaw having a childhood and how that childhood might contribute to him choosing "the hoot-owl trail" (I'll never tire of that phrase). Is Portis wandering in the area of American Naturalism and Realism? It does read sort of like Crane or Norris, doesn't it? Or is it just me? I think you could make the argument that this is really a book that belongs to that era. It's hard to think of this book, which came out in 1968, as belonging to the same era as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) and Slaughterhouse-Five (1969). This is, of course, why the book is overlooked as a serious piece of fiction. I think it will be appreciated with time. There is certainly much new research that could be written about this book from the perspective of 2010.

Some funny stuff amidst all the action: Mattie starts offering the services of her lawyer to Ned Pepper. Chaney keeps talking about how "nothing is going right for me." No kidding. I'm just glad Mattie's old Dragoon pistol works when she needs it to. As she says, if she was any kind of a gunman, then she'd have a better gun.

I'm kind of surprised that Mattie doubts the "officers," as she sometimes calls Rooster and LaBoeuf. Of course we know they haven't abandoned her. Rooster certainly proves his grit and Mattie's response?: "No grit? Rooster Cogburn? Not much."

Well, there's just so much at the end and I don't want to give it away if you haven't read it. Everybody has grit at the end, even poor little Blackie. I guess Rooster just did what he had to do. Poor Blackie, though, that was the hardest part of the book. And Rooster. What a fitting end. Just like the old west--fading into the sunset.

I just love it when things live up to the hype.

Next: The Movie! I'm just glad I didn't see it before reading the book.-

Chapter Six

Well, this is a picture of the Ft. Gibson Road, a famous part of what's called the Texas Trail. Much of this part of the story today takes place on this road. There are, evidently, several interesting places along the road--Limestone Gap, for instance. We get a real sense of the country riding with Mattie and Rooster and LaBoeuf. The weather kind of surprises me. The snow in particular. It adds lots to the story though. The fog, the snow, the cold.

We see acts of kindness--well, in a gruff sort of way--from Rooster in setting the mule free. Is this the influence of Mattie? She would say so. But it's also indicative, perhaps, that Rooster doesn't like to see anything abused.

The thing that strikes me most about the chapter--and there is much here, of course--is the amount of storytelling they do. This chapter is chock full of action, but there's also lots of talking: Mattie gives us more of her religious opinion, which is the only thing she has more opinions on than . . . well, she has lots of opinions about everything. On page 110, she just comes right out and address the reader as "you" and tells us that the Doctrine of Election was good enough for Paul and Silas and so it's good enough for "you," too, dear reader. Well, ok, Mattie. All through this chapter, which obviously contains lots of action, they tell stories and tell tales. Rooster's are the "stretchiest" of course and he almost gets into with LaBoeuf over Quantrill.

There's lots of conversation going on in this chapter about "bushwacking" and "jayhawking." When LaBoeuf says that Quantrill and his gang were bushwackers, Rooster claims not to know what the term means. In fact, they're pretty much planning to bushwack the outlaws. Rooster, in defending his time with Quantrill, uses the term "jayhawkers" to describe the Union soldiers. It's all the same, folks. Bushwacking and jayhawking are both terms used to describe guerrilla warfare. Interesting.

Great scene crossing the river in the fog, riding miles in the cold and the snow. Does Mattie have the grit for it? You bet. They camp. Good descriptions of the the camp food, corn dodgers in particular. And of course we have lots of fun with the corn dodgers later in the chapter. Details, details, details. The rope loop to keep the snakes away, the pale yellow dawn, stopping to water the horses by the San Bois mountains.

More great language: "I wish he was in hell with his back broke!" Mattie sees Quincy and Moon as "theives" in a cave. Hmm. She stands up to Quincy and won't take any bullying. Grit. She gathers firewood and hauls water in the dark. Grit. It makes Rooster and LaBoeuf care for here. After the shooting the first thing they do is check on her, even before they see if the thieves are dead. Grit is contagious. Mattie and Rooster and even LaBouef start showing their grit.

Great exchange with Rooster and Moon after Quincy is killed. "Don't be looking for Quincy (in heaven)." Moon responds "He never played me false until he killed me." Ha.

Rooster and LaBoeuf take turns standing up to each other for Mattie. Fun. She's won them both over. Grit.

Well, it's hard to believe there's only one chapter left. Must be a doozy. I'll find out tomorrow.

Chapter Five

Well, I don't know why I insist on assigning numbers to the chapters, Portis didn't. Still, I guess it's just a way to identify them.

So Mattie gets up and she's feeling better. I wonder why she's been ill? What does that allow Portis to do? Is it strictly to make us feel more sympathy for Mattie? I don't know; we'll see if it plays any part in the novel later. Mr. Stonehill is sick, too. But it's just a touch of Malaria, no problem. Sheesh. I'm glad we have antibiotics now. Mattie, of course, knows all about malaria and how to treat it. Is there anything she doesn't know? She's so good at filling out Cogburn's "fee sheets" that the court offers her a job doing so--sight unseen. Funny.

Some comments from Portis on gossiping, I think. Mrs. Floyd, who runs the boardinghouse, can't keep her mouth shut about Mattie's business, so LaBouef immediately attaches himself to her. They're on the same mission, after all. All through this chapter the tension grows between LaBouef and Mattie. Slightly sexual at times. That gives us moderns the creeps, of course. Mattie's only 14, after all. Still, these are different times. It allows Portis to play a little with the fact that Mattie's right on the verge of womanhood but still young enough that LaBouef thinks he can "switch" her.

Great stuff with Rooster in this chapter--the scene of him waking up is priceless. I can see him sitting up on his horse at the end of this chapter standing up for Mattie, making LaBouef let up on her. His respect for her is growing. She does, after all, have grit. Character development for him. Mattie will be good for him, of course.

Great action scenes now. Mattie swimming her horse across the river. I've seen the Arkansas river at Fort Smith (today's picture, btw) and I'm doubtful. Any horse people out there? Could you swim a horse across that river? I really enjoyed the passages of Mattie training and getting to know her new horse. More knowledge. Mattie (and Portis) know about everything, don't they?

Interesting little paragraph where Mattie sees her first real Indians. I'll be interested to see if we get any more of that.

I'm starting to wonder how it will turn out, too. I haven't seen the movie either, so I don't know. Will they capture or kill Chaney? Will Rooster change his evil ways--forsake the "hoot-owl trail" under Mattie's tutelage? What will happen with LaBouef? Will he finally, like Rooster, see that Mattie has grit? Will he turn out to have grit too?

I can't wait to find out.

Chapter Four

So today's chapter is primarily an introduction to LaBoeuf, which makes me wonder about Portis's odd chaptering. Why, for instance, does the last chapter provide so many different scenes, while this chapter only has the dinner scene that introduces LaBoeuf? Perhaps it's a daily sort of arrangement. I believe, if I remember correctly, that the last chapter, even though it had several different scenes, basically incorporated one day's activities. Is that right? Yes, I believe it is. It makes for an odd arrangement, though. Some long chapters and some short.

Anyway, today's chapter is primarily an introduction to LaBoeuf, which I have a feeling is going to further support Mattie's regionalism. She is an Arkansan above all, which brings up the other topic of the chapter. Politics. Mattie never tires of the subject.

So in this chapter Mattie steps back into her role as narrator on the first page of the chapter. We can, I believe, accurately date the year that she's narrating from by the events she's talking about. The narrator-Mattie (as opposed to the 14-year-old Mattie of the story) is speaking from 1928, I believe. We should also be able to figure out the exact year the events in the novel are supposed to take place from the Fort Smith politics, but I haven't done that yet. We can be pretty sure that the narrator-Mattie is supposedly telling the story in 1928 because she's talking about the possible election of the democratic candidate for President, Al Smith. She is not afraid of Al Smith "for a minute." Even though he's "wet" (1928 is still Prohibition times) and even though he's a Catholic and Irish. People were still worried about the latter issue in 1960 when John Kennedy ran. What the 1928-narrator-Mattie doesn't tell you is that Smith's running mate was Joseph Robinson from . . . you guessed it: Arkansas. Of course the constant-Arkansan Mattie would support that ticket. That's Al Smith's picture at the top of the post, by the way.

Chapter Three

That's a forty-four forty Colt's revolver in the picture, by the way.

If you want to comment, and I hope you do, don't be afraid to do so. It will ask you to identify yourself but if you're unsure of how to do that just go in anonymous and sign your name to your post. Don't be afraid to comment. Now, on to today's reading (for me, at least).

Wow, this is a great chapter! There is just so much in it! First we have Mattie's opinion of Federalists and Republicans. I'm with you, Mattie, all the way. Then we see her deal-making with the auctioneer (which will be a great role for a good character actor or a cameo in the new movie, by the way). It's a fine piece of writing. Portis was really on his game for this book, that's obvious. I like page 36, where we get three pieces of sage advice from Mattie on one page--don't eat too much, take a nap after you eat, and cover yourself while sleeping. I'll remember that, Mattie. I also like her list of bad people: murderers, robbers, train wreckers, bigamists, and counterfeiters. These are, as she says people who have ridden "the hoot-owl trail" and tasted the fruits of evil. Hilarious.

An interesting passage next: Mattie's brief history of Fort Smith politics (which I assume is mostly accurate) and then her assessment of the publishing industry. It's interesting that she identifies herself here as a writer. How do you make a young teenage girl like Mattie come alive when you're Charles Portis, a young man? Well, you give her the same interests, the same inclinations, and (most probably) the same opinions. Never confuse the narrator with the author, though. Right? Still . . .

Well, then there's the testimony of Rooster Cogburn written out as if it were dialogue in a play. Reminds me of Moby Dick, wherein Melville inserts chapters that are just suddenly in dramatic format. Interesting. It's a whalloping good tale, too, that comes out. Really, really well-written scene. Just too good.

I've notice now that Mattie has several times judged people strictly by looking at them. She looks at Odus Wharton at the end of that scene and imagines that she can see exactly how evil he is. I have a feeling that is going to get her into trouble at some point.

This so far would be a tremendous chapter, but then we also get the first scenes of Mattie with Rooster. In the first, she demonstrates her worth as a cigarette roller while beginning her persuasion. She's thought this through, and we're sure she'll get her way.

Then comes the scene in Rooster's "lair" where they share a meal and "make medicine." Good grief, I hope that the Coen's are true to the book here. This is just a fabulous scene, full of dark atmosphere and colorful language. Rooster doesn't have to buy his whisky, "he confiscates it." He's drinking "double-rectified bust-head from Madison County." I think I've had some of that! The big point of the scene comes at the end, though, when Rooster demonstrates that you can't "serve papers" on a rat. That's what Mattie's looking for.

Ha! Great stuff. A rollicking fine tale, as they say!

The Coen Brothers are still looking for an unknown to play Mattie. Click here for a link to the article.

Chapter Two

Ok, I guess I'm reading a chapter every workday and posting about it. That's the way it seems so far. Hope I can keep it up. I can read faster than that, you know, it's just more fun this way. We'll see.

Chapter Two we're in to Fort Smith. It's interesting that Mattie has so little regard for the town. "Seems like it belongs in Oklahoma," she says. I've thought that. My little joke about the weather here is that nobody told me that Fort Smith is so close to Oklahoma. You know, where "the wind comes sweeping down the plains!" If you know me at all then you know I'm no fan of the weather in Fort Smith. Did Fort Smith have the "nation's most modern waterworks?" There are still lots of houses made of fieldstones, as Mattie points out. Mine is.

I'm liking Mattie lots, of course. She's determined and wise beyond her years. She dresses down the guy on the train that is rude to Yarnell, she's impatient with people, and she's determined to do what needs to be done. She's wise: "People who will not steal big things will often steal little things."

Some description to notice--the man at the table is "a long-backed man with a doorknob head and a mouthful of prominent teeth." Nice. This is the guy who travels about "selling pocket calculators." Is that an abacus or a slide rule? At the boardinghouse they sit around telling "yellow fever jokes." Probably a collection of those somewhere still, huh?

Lots of good language "you squirrelheaded son-of-a-bitch," and "I have never been one to flinch or crawfish when faced with an unpleasant task."

First description of Rooster Cogburn, "a pitiless man, double-tough, and fear don't enter into his thinking. He loves to pull a cork." Wonder which parts of that description makes Mattie want to talk to him?

Biblical allusions: Mattie has "her father's business" to attend to.

At the end she pulls her daddy's slicker over her to keep warm. Aw.

Chapter One and Guerilla Action

I spent a good hour posting flyers about this blog around the campus yesterday. I'm hoping that some more curious students and some more interested faculty will come and read the blog.

If you are just joining us for the first time, you might want to jump back to the archives and read up on what we're doing. Post a response to the blog entries, too. That's the only way we know you're reading. Blogs should be interactive, after all.

I've purposefully saved my reading of the novel for now. I didn't want to read ahead. So I only read chapter one today. As I had been told, language and character are obviously going to be key to the novel's success. Mattie tells the story in her own voice and it's a strong one. I've heard her compared to Twain's Huck Finn, and she really seems that evocative. She's that strong a character already, and this is just chapter one. Portis must have known that he was on to something as soon as he began writing in Mattie's voice.

Coincidentally, I've been reading lots of memoirs because I'm helping a friend write hers, and the book starts out a lot like a true story, like a memoir. So I guess it's "postmodern," too, in that there's a "frame" of the storyteller telling us the story. Of course, my old American Lit professor would just call it Romantic Irony (he didn't believe in postmodernism), and point out that Poe did this all the time--had the narrator speak to the reader, that is.

Interestingly, people who write memoirs often have trouble connecting to their emotions regarding horrible things that have happened to them. They tend to write them very flatly. Mattie starts out a bit like that--like what we would consider an abused personality. She's recounting the tale of her father's death but it's emotionally flat. Except you can feel the anger boiling beneath the surface.

Don't forget that if you're faculty and you want to see the movie or show it to your classes, let me know ahead of time. I only have three copies. I do have some copies of the text, too. Let me know if you want to read along and you need one. Those of you who are in classes that are reading the book already have yours, of course!

Now go and do. And read. And respond to the blog.

Schedule for Film Showing and Lifelong Learning Page

Here's a link to the Center for Lifelong Learning's True Grit page. It shows the times for the April 1st showings of the movie.

Here's the note I just got from Charles Portis in response to a letter I sent to him inviting him to campus. It's obviously typed on an old typewriter on a small sheet of note paper. Here's the entire text:

Dean Hardin
Many thanks for your letter and your kind invitation. It's good to know that a story written so long ago still has a bit of life left in it. However, I'm just not much of a hand for these book gatherings and must respectfully beg off. I do wish you success with it. When you're in Little Rock one of these days give a call and we'll have coffee.

Signed in his hand.

Well, that's the answer we expected. Mr. Portis is notoriously reclusive. Still, you never know. We'll keep corresponding with him--letting him know what we're doing. Who knows? He may get interested later.

True Grit Happenings

Ok, I'm a seriously negligent blogger, but that doesn't mean that there aren't things brewing. Cause there definitely are. We're moving ahead with plans for April 1st, where we'll have two showings of the movie and two panel discussions. Those begin at 9:30. Further details will follow.

In addition, our intrepid Roy Hill is moving ahead on a presentation on the guns used in the novel. They're very important, he says, and indicate lots of subtext and interesting ideas that might be missed if you don't know lots about guns. His presentation will, hopefully, include a demonstration and firing of some of those guns. Needless to say, we'll need some preparation for that.

I've also asked people to figure out and tell us when they'll be reading the novel with with their classes and if they'll be open to having guests during those times.

I'm getting lots of good information, too. Here's a nice link.

Lots more news coming. Watch this space, as they say.