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It's that time of year--all the kids are back in school--but not like this! This is the one-room schoolhouse in Wymore, Nebraska, another historic building that is taken care of by the Great Plains Welsh Heritage volunteers. Here they are hosting a 4th grade class for some old time 3Rs and games!

This is also where Welsh lessons are generally held during the Welsh Heritage Weekend, every other October. If you are planning a visit to Wymore any time, ask to see the schoolhouse, too!

Thanks to Elaine for this photo! Visit the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Centre page on Facebook and "Like" us, please! Lots more info there, too.

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REVIEW

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This is a book that works on many different levels. With a full complement of credible and well developed characters it is a useful contribution to the social history of late 19th century industrial Pennsylvania. There is no shortage of drama. The account of the pitched battle between the strikers and Pinkertons which is central to this tale does full justice to the tragedy and horror of the actual historical events.

For anyone who is not acquainted with this dark and violent chapter in the history of American labour relations the brief introductory remarks and accompanying links in the interview below should provide an invaluable introduction.

On a personal level Darkness Visible is the story of a Welsh immigrant worker who loses and recovers his faith, a process in which the appalling developments unfolding around him play no small part . But perhaps more interestingly it has been written by a fourth generation descendant of one of the casualties of the conflict ( for more details see the interview below ). This provides the author with a unique historical perspective and her devotion to recounting these events is evident both from her painstaking and meticulous background research and from the sympathetic and artful manner in which she develops the narrative.

This is an important book about an important event. If you read only one work of historical fiction this year, it should probably be 'Darkness Visible'.

INTERVIEW

AmeriCymru: What inspired you to write Darkness Visible?

Trilby: My parents and I were all born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, and both sets of grandparents lived and worked there most of their lives. During my childhood, everyone in town-- and probably most people in the Pittsburgh area-- had heard about the 1892 strike.

I grew up listening to stories from my father, whose grandfather was killed in the Homestead Works of Carnegie Steel in the immediate aftermath of the strike. As I did research to corroborate his stories and learn more details about the strike, I found many terrible and fascinating stories from contemporaries and eyewitnesses. I wrote this book as an imaginative recreation of those events in a work of historical fiction.

The Homestead works from across the river

AmeriCymru: Tell us a little about the 1892 strike. How significant an event is it in American labor history?

Trilby: The 1892 Homestead Strike is a very significant event in American history. The strike was chosen as one of the events featured in the 2006 PBS-TV series, "Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America." The violence surrounding the confrontation between workers and company is an infamous chapter in labor history. Henry Clay Frick , running the company while Carnegie was off in Scotland, locked out the workers at the end of June 1892. On July 6th, the conflict came to a head when Frick sent in 300 Pinkerton guards to secure the way for replacement workers. They were met by 3,000 armed strikers and townspeople and a 10-hour running gun battle ensued. In the end, the strikers won, but inevitably lost the war a week later when Frick convinced the governor to send in the Pennsylvania Militia. In this way, Frick and Carnegie busted unions in the steel industry for nearly 40 years.

AmeriCymru: You have a personal connection with these events. Can you tell us more?

Trilby: As I said, my great-grandfather was killed in the Works after the strike. He was an unemployed German immigrant with a wife and 11 children to support. After the battle, the Carnegie Company desperately needed skilled "fireman" to fire up the industrial boilers that ran the mill, and he answered the call. He was killed by union saboteurs who set a boiler to explode while he was working on it. Fictional versions of him, my grandfather, and other family members appear as minor characters in the book.

AmeriCymru: Was there a strong Welsh involvement in the strike movement?

Trilby: Yes. Many of the members of the union, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers , were Welsh. At that time Wales led the world in the technology of steel production, and the Carnegie Company actively recruited engineers, chemists, and skilled workers from Wales.

AmeriCymru: What was the subsequent history of the Homestead Works?

Trilby: In 1901 Carnegie sold the company to J.P. Morgan of US Steel. In 1937, anticipating the need for steel in the war that loomed on the horizon, US Steel took over the whole lower part of Homestead below the railroad tracks, expanding the Works into that area. In its heyday, the Homestead Works produced nearly one-third of the finished steel in the United States, a behemoth operation spreading for five miles along the bank of the Monongahela River. In 1983, US Steel, weary of foreign competition and disputes with workers, shut down the Works for good. In its place sits the Waterfront Shopping Complex, a large mixed-use commercial area of stores, apartments, and office buildings.

AmeriCymru: Where can people go to purchase Darkness Visible?

Trilby: Darkness Visible is available for sale via Paypal on its website,  and on Amazon.com , you can get either the paperback or Kindle versions. If you go to Homestead, the book is available in the shop of Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area in the Bost Building.

AmeriCymru: What's next?

Trilby: I'm kicking around two ideas: 1. a sequel taking place in the Depression, following the children of Emlyn Phillips and/or 2. a collaboration with my daughter Ceridwen--a mystery/satire involving ghosthunting and preservation politics in present-day Minnesota.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for readers and members of Americymru?

Trilby: A number of people have gotten confused about my connection with the Welsh characters in the book. Actually, there is none. I am the descendent of scabs, immigrants from another country--as are so many of the present residents of the Steel Valley. However, I decided to use the information and contacts I had acquired in my search for relatives of my Welsh grandmother (a search that was not successful) in developing the characters of the skilled worker and unionist's family in the story.

WEST COAST EISTEDDFOD 2012 - MULTNOMAH ARTS CENTER, SAT OCTOBER 13TH - BUY TICKETS HERE

Live in or near Portland Oregon? Click the links above to reserve your tickets for this years West Coast Eisteddfod at the Multnomah Arts Center on Saturday October 13th.

Live concert featuring Chris Chandler, John Good's Tramor, Sexbomb also music from Halley Weaver and book signings by Jen Delyth

Live competitions in Poetry and Short Story Telling ( no registration fee ) cash prizes ( email americymru@gmail.com if you wish to compete )

Dont live near Portland? Never fear you can still compete for cash prizes in our online Eisteddfod ( poetry and Short story ) see links below. Officila deadline for submissions is September 15th but we may ask the judges for a one week extension. Watch this space!

FEATURED GROUPS ( CLICK POETRY OR SHORT STORY TO ENTER YOUR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2012 WEST COAST ONLINE EISTEDDFOD )

On the 13 th September 2012 , Big Pit in Blaenafon will host a memorial concert in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in coal mining accidents. The concert comes two days before the first anniversary of the Gleision Colliery tragedy .

This concert will be held at Pit Bottom , 300 ft underground . An upright piano will be placed into the cage to make the descent into the mine. Several dignitaries and special guests including the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones will be attending the concert.

Performing will be Daniel and Laura Curtis who are considered as one of the foremost ambassadors for the preservation of the music of Ivor Novello and T he Great American Songbook . Welsh writer and actor Boyd Clack will also be writing a new poem to mark the event as well as joining Daniel and Laura in song. The BBC One Show will be covering the concert for inclusion as a VT in a future programme.

Daniel Curtis said I have wanted to do a concert at Big Pit for a long time. I contacted the museum with my fingers crossed that they wouldnt think I was crazy! Luckily it wasnt the craziest request they had ever received. Its great that we are making this happen. My great grandfather died in Senghenydd Colliery and I really wanted to hold a concert to pay tribute to pay my respects and raise awareness for those who have died in mines . Singing was an important part of mining history with many miners being members of their local Male Voice Choir. The number of people who lost their lives through the years is one the biggest tragedies running through the history of Wales and Britain .

Peter Walker, Keeper and Mine Manager added: We are only too happy to work with Daniel and Laura Curtis on this concert, as we feel passionately that any effort to keep the memories of this most important industry alive is vitally important . We have had many weird and wonderful events underground, and we look forward to sharing the excitement of this unusual concert.

Stage and screen legend Jo na than Pryce has supported the concert by saying: Coal mining is ingrained in our history and has to been one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs that anybody could do. My father worked in two mines in the Holywell area including the Bettisfield Colliery, but my mother rescued him from the mines when they married and both became shopkeepers. It is very important that we remember those who have lost their lives working in mines, but also those who have died from diseases like pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of dust. Due to my theatre commitments with King Lear, I am unable to attend the memorial concert at Big Pit, Blaenafon but I would like to add my support to the concert and wish Dan and Laura Curtis all the very best. Taking a piano underground is certainly unique idea and will, without doubt, create a very special and poignant atmosphere. Jonathan Pryce CBE .

The piano has kindly been donated by Pianos Cymru who are an award winning piano dealership in the NorthWest Wales area and have recently opened another branch in Chester called Jones Pianos . They have been established since 1970 and offer an extensive range of pianos. They have twice won the prestigious Kawai Dealer of The Year Award which is a National Recognition Award to the Piano Dealer that has served the piano world best thorough the UK that year. They have supplied and maintained pianos for major Music Festivals across the UK , and worked for International stars that have included Jose Carreras, Jamie Cullum, Bryn Terfel, Michae l Ball and Dame Shirley Bassey. www.pianoscymru.com

Reposted by request:

St. Davids Society Gathering of the Clans afternoon celebrating our Columbus Day holiday in memory of Poultney native of Welsh heritage, George Jones (Co-founder, the New York Times newspaper). This is a charity event for United Baptist Churchs historic building upkeep.

Free Will offering. All are welcome.

Sunday, October 7th
Yankee Pot Roast Dinner * (12:30 p.m.)
(pre-paid pre-registration is required*)

Many of you probably realise by now that the majority of writers I feature on this blog are mutual Twitter Followers. In other words we follow each other on Twitter. For aspiring authors one of the best pieces of adviceI can give you is get on Twitter. It is a unique platform for getting your voice out there. By now you all now my feelings about Google+ and Facebook. Whoever eventually dominates the social mediauniverse Twitter will still bean essentialingredient for success.

Word of mouth is by far the most effective and powerful means of letting others know about your book or blog. Follow authors and readers within your niche and if they like what they see or hear they will spread the word and once the 'tipping point' is reached your book or blog becomes viral.

I recently 'discovered' a simple free app that has the potential to accelerate this 'word of mouth' process. It's called Pay With A Tweet and like most great ideas is based on a simple concept. At the moment this app is only compatible with Facebook and Twitter. Once Google+ begins to provide similar apps the potential will increase exponentially. For now, I am going to focus on its use with Twitter.

Why not let the creators of this app explain the concept in their own words:

Sell your products for the price of a tweet.

In today's world the value of people talking about your product is sometimes higher than the money you would get for it. Pay with a Tweet is the first social payment system, where people pay with the value of their social network.

Its simple, every time somebody pays with a tweet, he or she tells all their friends about the product. Boom.

All you have to do is download a Pay With A Tweet button by filling out a simple form.

This
'alternative Carmarthen' is a town riddled with secrets, vice and betrayal, but
no secret escapes the attention of Carmarthen Intelligence; its brave agents
display constant vigilance in the fight to keep Carmarthen and the rest of Wales
free from its enemies.

While the townspeople go about their business,
beneath its very centre lies Carmarthen Intelligence HQ, where our heroes, along
with their colleagues at the Welsh Bureau of Investigation in Swansea, take up
arms against a sinister cabal.

Could there be a traitor among
them?
Why does Myddfai have a sheriff?
Does Betti Williams make the best
breakfast this side of Llangollen?

I am really looking foward to discovering this secret Camarthen.

Gaynoralso has another
book available from Lulu hot off the press - 'A Meeting Of Dragons'

Click the image to go to Gaynor's page on Lulu.
Good luck Gaynor we need all the Welsh authors we can get.

AmeriCymru at Wordstock - Event Floorplan

AmeriCymru at Wordstock ( stall 302 ) Please click image above to enlarge.

WORDSTOCK

The venue: Oregon Convention Center

http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOregon_Convention_Center_Dusk_1_%28edit%29.jpg"> Photo from Wikimedia Commons

I dont know whether it's a Celtic character trait or just a personal foible but trainwrecks and disaster areas always hold me spellbound. So when I took the decision to migrate to the United States more than a decade ago I pondered my top ten "to visit" list. One of the locations near the top of that list was Mt St Helens. I got lucky there, it's only 40 miles north of Portland alongside I5 and I have visited many times over the last decade. Another location near the top of the list was Centralia P.A.. For anyone unfamiliar with the town and its incredible history there is a wealth of information below. This year on the way back from NAFOW in Scranton our return flight was booked from Harrisburg airport. Centralia is about 60 miles north of Harrisburg just off Highway 81.

As the pictures below clearly demonstrate Centralia is a ghost town. An underground fire has been burning in the anthracite seam below the town since 1962 and efforts to put it out were abandoned decades ago. Experts disagree on how long the subterranean conflagration will continue to rage but some estimates give it another 1000 years. Nearly 3000 people lived in Centralia in its heyday. According to the 2010 census there are now 10.

( You will need to click on the individual photos below to view the commentaries and it should be noted in passing that no visit to this fascinating corner of PA is complete without a visit to the Ashland Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train )

For a brief introduction to the town and its history there is always the Wikipedia but the most authoritative account is undoubtedly The Day The Earth Caved In by Joan Quigley first published in 2007. In the prologue we learn that:-

"By 1980, Centralia boasted more than twenty-five hundred residents, most of whom had emigrated from Ireland, Wales, Germany and to an increasing extent from southern and eastern Europe."

Pictured below is the damage caused to Route 61 by the underground fire and an aerial panorama of the rerouted highway after attempts to maintain the old road were abandoned in 1993.

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Here is a short video documentary about the fire, its aftermath and its effect on local residents:-

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In an attempt to secure original content displayed on the AC site we are hoping to limit downloads to signed in members only. This will obviously have the additional benefit of encouraging people to sign in I have just added the code and SJ is about to conduct tests. I'm hoping he will post here soon to tell us that all went spiffingly well ( or not as the case may be ).

It was a great weekend and we have all sorts of material and reports to upload. But first, decompression. I am not the world's keenest traveller and although the journey went smoothly I am postponing any further activities till tomorrow morning.

Special thanks though, to new AmeriCymru member Michael Hill whose help with the AC stall in the marketplace was invaluable and also hugely entertaining. I'm hoping he's not going to come on here and post any details about my unique and cutting edge marketplace cash management system.

Delboy

Diolch