The Legacy of John Trudell and a Special Valentine E-Book Give-away

by

Howdy!

Welcome, welcome to Valentine’s Day Tuesday! Just to remind you, today I’ll be giving away eight (8) different e-books to eight (8) different bloggers.

This give-away was announced earlier this month, and here’s the post:

Valentine’s Day Give-Away.  Come to my blog (Karen Kay) February 14th, and enter the drawing for a chance to win one of these e-books.  Eight e-books (one each from the books listed here) will be given away on my blog on that date, February 14th.

Hope to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to read over our Give-away Guidelines to the right of this page and check out our rules and then, in order to be a part of the drawing all you have to do is comment on this post and you are automatically entered into the drawing.

Onward…

Tomorrow is the birthday of John Trudell.  And, in case you are not familiar with his work, John Trudell was a Lakota broadcaster in the early 1970’s.  He was a member of the American Indian Movement in the 1970’s and was their spokesperson.  After the tragic loss of his wife, his mother-in-law and all of his children, who perished in a fire while John was away, John took several years to mourn their loss and it was at this time he began to write poetry.  John went on to write some of the most beautiful poems I’ve read.  He also became a philosopher and toured and spoke to many groups of people about his ideas of life.  Around this time, one of his friends approached him and said he could set his poems to music.  John then went on to record his poems which were then set to American Indian music, as well as Rock ‘n Roll.

He was involved in many different protests during these years and was also in the film, Dreamkeeper.  (I believe he was the coyote in one of the legends told in the movie.)  He was also in the film, Thunderheart, a movie starring Val Kilmer.  There is also a documentary of his life available for purchase at Amazon, entitled Trudell.

On this special Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post a few beautiful lines John wrote to his wife in the poem, YOU WERE.  This poem was set to music and one can view it on YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3qarkF-bfI

“You were here, but not long enough.

“Pretty woman in my mind,

“that laughter in my soul,

“those memories in my heart…”

John Trudell

John is no longer with us, having passed in 2015.  But John’s poems, his views of life and his philosophy have brought inspiration and enlightenment to many people and I would like to honor his life in this blog today.

Well, that’s all for today.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the blog.  And, may I wish you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

 

“

“

 

Website |  + posts

KAREN KAY aka GEN BAILEY is the multi-published author of American Indian Historical Romances. She has written for such prestigious publishers as AVON/HarperCollins, Berkley/Penguin/Putnam and Samhain Publishing. KAREN KAY’S great grandmother was Choctaw Indian and Kay is honored to be able to write about the American Indian Culture.
Please refer to https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules for all contest rules.

40 thoughts on “The Legacy of John Trudell and a Special Valentine E-Book Give-away”

  7. John’s You Were poem was heartbreakingly beautiful. I actually teared up, for both the sadness that caused it and the depth of love he had for his wife. Thank you for sharing his story and work and for reminding us how powerful love is and how it endures. Happy Valentine’s Day! ??

  12. Hi Karen,
    I wanted to say thank you for your blog posts and all the knowledge you share. I know It’s not the easiest to find.
    Thank you and happy Valentine’s day!

  13. Happy Valentines Day! Happy early/late Birthday! Thank you for the chance to win one of your books! Have a great day!

  16. Hi Karen –
    I loved your blog and the interesting article on John Trudell. It is sad how tragedy can prompt many of us to write poetry. I always write when I am very happy or very sad.
    Peggy Red Feather

    • Hi Kathleen,

      It was only a few years ago now that I discovered his poems and his songs, as well as philosophy of life. He was then and I think still is an inspiration. Nice to see you here today.

  18. Hi Peggy,
    Thank you for your insights and your post. Yes, John truly writes from his heart in this poem and reminded me how important it is to ensure the ones you love most know how greatly one loves them. : )

  23. Sometimes tragic things can lead to beautiful things. ‘Tis a gift to be able to express feelings in a way that can reach others.

  24. Happy Valentine’s Day, Karen. I hope you and your husband had an enjoyable ne.
    How tragic that Mr. Trudell lost his whole family in such a terrible way. The poem you shared is simple, but in its simplicity it expresses the depth of his loss. To be able to recover from such a loss and accomplish what he did is a wonder. Thank you for the post and the giveaway.

Comments are closed.