Anacortes High School Broadcast Club Interview
Bret Lunsford (AHS 1981) discusses biography of Harry Smith (AHS 1942)
Last spring I revisited Anacortes High School – my alma mater – for a discussion of Harry Smith’s Pacific Northwest influences. AHS Broadcast Club students recorded the conversation I had with Todd Young (neXt Show), alternating the talking parts with musical respites listening to songs on Harry’s Anthology of American Folk Music.
Speaking to Anacortes students and virtual folkies … it turned out okay if you like in-depth interviews about odd biographies of weird artists. Due to what may be normal fear of critical scrutiny … it took a few months for me to brave watching myself expound on Sounding for Harry Smith, which has been described as “a very unique approach to biography and to Smith's life.” (Brian on goodreads)
I agree that the book is “definitely not very accessible if you have no idea who Harry Smith is,” and “oddly full of the author's voice in some places and academically written in others.” (Corinne on goodreads)
The interview has those same tendencies. Fortunately, for my comfort and the imagined audience’s enjoyment, I brought a number of props from my own collections (78 RPM records, salmon can label art, PNW DIY punk shirts) as both playful escape from serious history and in tribute to Harry’s more profound hobbies.
I hope the program provides homecoming recognition of Harry’s accomplishments here in the place he was rooted and and appreciation of how he grew to become “famous everywhere underground” in creatively magical ways. I share this interview now as my part in conjuring a Pacific Northwest (and beyond) celebration of a Harry Smith centennial year (1923 – 2023).
For a dark and rainy day in Anacortes or elsewhere, here’s the link to the interview on YouTube: