shelby foote

I was watching a CSPAN channel last night, a call-in interview with the late writer, historian Shelby Foote. In the age of multi-media – books, books on tape, video, movies, internet Googling – I am amazed at how compelling (at least in a personal sense) the knowledge comprised by a single human being can be. On watching the Shelby Foote program I am reminded of Bill Moyer’s interviews with Joseph Campbell, different scholars, different subjects, but the same comprehensive command of subject.

Generally speaking, there is an amazing capacity for the human brain to acquire knowledge as evidenced by these interviews. The facts and insights possessed by scholars are easily accessible through their books and papers, but the cross referencing and the integrated command of a subject that is displayed during a well executed interview harkens back to pre-media oral traditions. It’s as if – not as if – they actually do draw references from the books they have written -but not from the books per se- but from the original source of their writings which is the inner workings of the brain. In Shelby Foote’s case, a brain that is cram full of facts is also a repository of life experiences that just can’t be transcribed. Mr. Foote’s related experiences decorated with the timbre of the voice and a southern drawl, give a layered, multi-dimensional richness to historical facts. I was inspired to hear Shelby Foote say that he visited the battlefields of the Civil War in conjunction with the anniversary dates of those battles, enabling him to understand the lay of the land and also to experience as close as possible, the environments in which these battles took place. I can’t help but think how amazing the workings of the conscious mind are.

I envision Mr. Foote’s brain as a sort of stage in a theater with me sitting in the audience. The stage is set with the scenery and props supplied by his first hand experiences. His recollections and researched facts are drawn from backstage; entering through the wings they give an educational and extremely entertaining performance. When the show is over the scenery and props get stored away and the performers return backstage to await the next production.