The Nine Pound Hammer
Tuesday, August 25 2009
by Frank Stasio and Lindsay Thomas
John Claude Bemis grew up in rural eastern North Carolina. There, he heard the stories and songs of American folklore legends like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed. Years later, Bemis became an elementary school teacher, a job that allowed him to reconnect with the tall tales of his childhood. Now, he is the author of a new book, "The Nine Pound Hammer," (Random House/2009) which includes characters of Southern folklore and even continues the tragic story of John Henry, the man who was "born with a hammer in his hand." Bemis and his band of "Ramblers" join host Frank Stasio to talk about how these stories persist in our imagination and to play some tall tale-inspired tunes.
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