Caption: PRX default Piece image
PRX default Piece image 

The Maypole at Merrymount

Series: A Sense of Place
From: Helen Borten
Length: 00:29:06

A long-forgotten conflict between the Pilgrim Fathers and a freethinking fur trader resonates with today's moral concerns. Read the full description.
Playing
The Maypole at Merrymount
From
Helen Borten

Default-piece-image-1 In their own words, Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony and adventurer Thomas Morton tell the story of a clash that destroyed one man and symbolized fateful differences that determined our attitudes toward Native Americans and the ultimate course of the nation. This long-forgotten conflict between the Pilgrim Fathers and a freethinking fur trader resonates with today's moral concerns. Marvelous voices, the men's own vivid narrative and evocative music make this footnote to history as fresh as tomorrow. One :15 promo (click "listen" page, promo labeled "Segment 2") One :30 promo (click "listen" page, promo labeled "Segment 3")

The Maypole at Merrymount | 00:29:06

Privacy
To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

Also in the A Sense of Place series

Caption: Me in Montana

Fly Fishing in Montana (00:30:01)
From: Helen Borten

An ancient pastime explored in the lives, lore and literature of anglers.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

House of the Lord (00:29:33)
From: Helen Borten

The history of a black church on an antebellum plantation and how it was saved from destruction.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

The Children of Logan (00:28:58)
From: Helen Borten

The producer returns to her Philadelphia home and finds hope amid the ruins. The life and death of an inner city neighborhood.
Piece image

Vietnamese Homecoming Part Two (00:29:01)
From: Helen Borten

Conflict breaks out between the Vietnamese and Cajun shrimpers and the fate of both hangs in the balance.
Piece image

Vietnamese Homecoming Part One (00:29:07)
From: Helen Borten

Fishermen and their families escape from Vietnam to a new home in Louisiana and struggle to earn a living along the Gulf Coast.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Summer Camp (00:29:03)
From: Helen Borten

From the mouths of kids and the memories of grownups comes a rambunctious portrait of a peculiarly American institution.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Sunset Hall (00:28:57)
From: Helen Borten

Leftist causes continue to invigorate residents of a Los Angeles retirement home for radicals.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Lost in America (00:28:59)
From: Helen Borten

Drug addicts, a prostitute and a blind woman recount their journeys through homelessness to a new life.
Piece image

Broadway Memories (00:29:35)
From: Helen Borten

From a riot in 1849 to today’s regulars at Barrymore’s Bar, how a street became the universal symbol of live theater.
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Nightfall in Chester County (00:29:29)
From: Helen Borten

In Pennsylvania farmland that was the first stop on the Underground Railroad, a strike by Mexican mushroom pickers polarizes a Quaker community.

Piece Description

In their own words, Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony and adventurer Thomas Morton tell the story of a clash that destroyed one man and symbolized fateful differences that determined our attitudes toward Native Americans and the ultimate course of the nation. This long-forgotten conflict between the Pilgrim Fathers and a freethinking fur trader resonates with today's moral concerns. Marvelous voices, the men's own vivid narrative and evocative music make this footnote to history as fresh as tomorrow. One :15 promo (click "listen" page, promo labeled "Segment 2") One :30 promo (click "listen" page, promo labeled "Segment 3")

1 Comment Atom Feed

Caption: PRX default User image

Jonathan Goldstein

Posted on January 16, 2004 at 08:20 AM | Permalink

Review of The Maypole at Merrymount

Maypole brings alive, through music, rich sound, critical commentary and dramatic readings, a time that is usually only made known to us through history textbooks. Maypole takes you to the land where Thomas Morton lived and, through production, makes it feel immediate and timely. It does this while carefully respecting the atmosphere of the time, through its music and thoughtful narration. There are little images and facts contained through out that bring to life the world of the pioneers. For instance, did you know that dandyish pioneers like Thomas Morton wore slashed sleeves so that you could see the high quality of their undergarments beneath? Who would have thought that the pioneers had a pre-envisioned the ubiquity of the peeping silk thong? New research is presented, old texts are re-examined and a story is told that conveys the excitement and change of the period, and for that I felt thankful while listening. It’s a gift when something so educational can be made entertaining, too. It has a bit of the tone of an educational film, but if you’re looking for splash, there’s always Finding Nemo at the local Cineplex.

I can see this playing any time when people can sit and concentrate. I don’t know if it’s drive time. It might be more suited to the evenings and weekends. It requires your attention, but being schooled usually does.

Sign up for PRX

Log in

Piece Statistics

Actions

Topics

Formats

Tones

Of 8 purchasers of this piece...