The Writing Life: September 2007 Archives
I've been digging into the depths of Delta Blues lately. While I like some of the electrified blues that came from Chicago in the 1950's and '60s (what most people think of when they think of "the blues"), the more pure form known as Delta Blues has always drawn me in more than than the blues' later, urbanized, cousin. I've been scouring the ‘net looking for early recordings of the greats of Delta Blues like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson, Leadbelly, and Mississippi Fred McDowell (who was actually from Tennessee). These scratchy, primitive recordings from the 1920's and '30s give a window into that time and a connection to the bluesmen and their world that I know nothing about but am interested in anyway.
I can't identify with that world because I wasn't born in 1900 in the Jim Crow South. I haven't experienced segregation, mistreatment by the white world, and I don't despair for my life and want nothing more than to cross the river Jordan to that home over yonder. I'm drawn to the melancholy of those mumbled, sometimes nonsensical tunes because of their authenticity. Music that is truly authentic is hard to find these days. It's all polished and commercial and devoid of life. Delta Blues is simple, all about the hardships of everyday people, and truly authentic to the human experience.
In my opinion, that's the part writers skip when they craft their own art. Authenticity is almost impossible to manufacture. If you don't seek out authenticity in human nature on your own, outside of your writing, how can you expect to understand and therefore capture it when you sit down to create a world outside of your experience? I think surrounding yourself with authentic forms of artistic expression can infuse you with that intangible part of creating an artistic work that you just can't explain. You can't quantify what makes something honest and transparent and what makes writing feel glossy and plastic-wrapped. You just know it when you see it.
For me, Delta Blues is one thing that connects me to authentic human beings outside my normal circle of acquaintances. For an introduction to what I'm talking about, try subscribing to the Delta Blues Museum's podcast. You'll either know what I'm talking about when you listen to Fred McDowell sing his mournful rendition of "Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Jesus" or you won't. If you do, then you're on your way. If you don't, then you've got some digging to do to find that expression of authenticity that you can relate to so it can make you a better human being and hopefully, a better writer.
