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The Almost-Lost: Woody Guthrie, Steve Kahn and the Columbia River Songs
Concert, Film Screening, First Friday, Talk
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The Almost-Lost: Woody Guthrie, Steve Kahn and the Columbia River Songs

March 7, 2025 6-7pm

The Almost-Lost: Woody Guthrie, Steve Kahn and the Columbia River Songs - Friday, March 7
The Woody Guthrie Center presents this fascinating program with Libby Burke and Bill Murlin on the near-forgotten story of Guthrie’s “Columbia River Songs” and the lost 1949 film “The Columbia.” In 1941, Guthrie wrote 26 songs in 30 days for the Bonneville Power Administration’s planned film on New Deal hydroelectric power, but the project languished for years. Featuring history, film clips and live music, this presentation celebrates one of Guthrie’s most creative periods. Join us March 7 at 6 p.m. for this special presentation.

Details:

Friday, March 7, 6 p.m. CT Woody Guthrie Center 102 E. Reconciliation Way, Tulsa, OK 74103

Tickets:

Free for Woody Guthrie Center members $5 for non-members, available in-person upon arrival

Libby Burke

Libby Burke has been a contract librarian and archivist at the Bonneville Power Administration Library & Visitor Center in Portland for 14 years, where she has curated two widely-distributed collections of BPA’s historical films and Woody Guthrie Employment: A Guide to the documents in the Bonneville Power Administration Archives. Burke provides primary documents, photos and films to researchers and in support of the National Historic Preservation Act. She earned a BA in Cinema Studies and an MLIS from the University of Washington in Seattle, and a Graduate Certificate in Archives from Western Washington University. Prior to BPA, she was the archivist at the Lyman Museum in Hilo, Hawaii.

Bill Murlin

Bill Murlin discovered the Guthrie Columbia River songs while working at the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, where he had a 27-year career in public information and media production.  Those songs and their stories were published in 1987 in a songbook and album titled, Roll On Columbia, Woody Guthrie, The Columbia River Collection, still the single-most authoritative collections of Guthrie’s Northwest songs. Prior to BPA, Murlin was a broadcast journalist with several Portland television and radio stations. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Speech-Radio/Television.

Bonneville Power Administration

Bonneville Power Administration is a federal agency based in Portland, Oregon since 1937. BPA markets and transmits clean, renewable hydroelectric power from the Columbia River System throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and the West.

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