Articles that Chris wrote and those about him that others wrote:
- Campin’ Out Cowboy Style So you’ve been riding the range most of the day… or perhaps you’ve been biking or hiking some endless trails in a small section of idyllic wilderness where the amenities of civilization are suitably out of reach. Nature’s pristine beauty is yours to behold, just as it was for the cowpokes and drifters on the ol’ trail in western days of old. What better way to become one with it all, watching constellations or even witnessing a meteor shower.
- Annie Oakley: From History to the Small Screen Annie Oakley, born Phoebe Ann Mosey, is forever immortalized as a symbol of the frontier spirit despite never roaming the frontier or living out west. Her fascinating legend was cemented, thanks not only to her unique skills and fame but to a smaller degree, her frequent portrayals in literature and on stage, film and television. Though many details of her incredible life are unknown, she remains an unrivaled and celebrated historical figure whose curious image in her own time might have proved polarizing or even controversial in ours.
- Pocahontas and the Powhatan Legacy, part 2 If you recall from Part 1, many aspects of Pocahontas’s life continue to be debated and are relegated to innocuous data but her historical importance can’t be overstated. Many modern Powhatans felt her story had never been properly told and thought, in time, they would see the myths and misconceptions surrounding the life of Pocahontas dispelled and resolutely corrected. Instead they got Disney’s 1995 animated Pocahontas feature that represented an idealized version of what had become an already widely accepted myth.
- Pocahontas and the Powhatan Legacy, part 1 In South Jersey, a state park boasts numerous trails winding through woodlands, creeks and marshes, providing an ideal setting for hikers, joggers, animal lovers and bird-watchers. For 25 years it was home to the Powhatan Renape nation, a well-documented tribe from present-day Virginia, some of whose descendants settled in New Jersey in the late 19th Century.
- John Wayne on Lucy The ever popular western movie star, John Wayne--commonly called Duke--enjoyed playing comedy and was always game for some laughs with his friend, Lucille Ball. On two occasions, John Wayne memorably guested on Lucy’s popular TV shows, which you may or may not have seen (we featured one of them on WMD a few months ago). In any case, if you’re a fan of either of these entertainment legends, a look back will undoubtedly provide a few laughs and some enjoyable reminiscences.
- The World of Politics and Westerns Are westerns political? Movies unequivocally have an endless potential to reflect a wide variety of opinions and viewpoints, but particular political philosophies aren’t inherent in the genetic makeup of the western genre, at least not on the surface.
- How the West Was Scored Since 1928, sound has arguably become half of the motion picture experience. One could argue further that the better half of that part was… and still is- music. With a role so inextricably crucial, some might wonder why music is so often underused and mishandled. In any case, western films brought adventurous possibilities to the fore when adult filmgoers flocked to the big screen in the latter half of the 20th Century.
- Gunsmoke: Christopher Robinson's Top Ten Picks The year was 1955. The network was CBS. A TV western adapted from a successful radio drama became one of the best and longest running shows ever. One of the first and grittiest “adult westerns” on the small screen, it remained highly rated among scores of other western shows and twenty seasons later went out as the last of its kind.
- An Interview with "The Virginian" (part 2)
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