Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma; he was named after Woodrow Wilson, who was president at the time. He would grow up to be one of the nation's most famous folk musicians, but because of his leftist leanings, it took years for Okemah to become proud of him.

He came of age just as the Dust Bowl was reducing Oklahoma and the area to a dry, unproductive and harsh living environment. Like many Oklahomans, he went west to California; he was already a prolific songwriter and played music at every opportunity. He often wrote about labor movements and socialist issues; his most famous song, This Land is Your Land, he considered to be a response to the overplaying of God Bless America during the war years. Having communist tendencies in those years was a problem and he soon had many political enemies. Although he encouraged communism, he never actually joined any Communist parties. Still, his association with communism in general was a problem for his legacy especially after the U.S. turned against communism and came to consider it its mortal enemy.

He was married three times, and had eight children altogether, one of whom, Arlo, is also famous. Musical talent ran in the family. The movie Bound for Glory was made about his life. He died in 1967.

___ 1. What does the passage imply about Okemah?
a. Okemah was a large city.
b. Okemah did not celebrate Woody Guthrie for many years.
c. Okemah was a very pleasant place to live.
d. Okemah was more communist than most places.

___ 2. During the Dust Bowl, what happened in Oklahoma?
a. A lot of people left.
b. It rained a lot.
c. It became productive.
d. Everyone played music.

___ 3. According to the passage, after the war, the U.S.
a. became more communist
b. threw most communists in jail
c. became more and more against communism
d. made the Communist Party illegal.