Walking The Line

An insightful and wide-ranging look at one of America’s most popular genres of music, Walking the Line: Country Music Lyricists and American Culture examines how country songwriters engage with their nation’s religion, literature, and politics. Country fans have long encountered the concept of walking the line, from Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” to Waylon Jennings’s “Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line.” Walking the line requires following strict codes, respecting territories, and, sometimes, recognizing that only the slightest boundary separates conflicting allegiances. However, even as the term acknowledges control, it suggests rebellion, the consideration of what lies on the other side of the line, and perhaps the desire to violate that code. For lyricists, the line presents a moment of expression, an opportunity to relate an idea, image, or emotion. These lines represent boundaries of their kind as well, but as the chapters in this volume indicate, some of the more successful country lyricists have tested and expanded the boundaries as they have challenged musical, social, and political conventions, often reevaluating what “country” means in country music. From Jimmie Rodgers’s redefinitions of democracy, to revisions of Southern Christianity by Hank Williams and Willie Nelson, to feminist retellings by Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton to masculine reconstructions by Merle Haggard and Cindy Walker, to Steve Earle’s reworking of American ideologies, this collection examines how country lyricists walk the line. In weighing the influence of the lyricists’ accomplishments, the contributing authors walk the line in turn, exploring iconic country lyrics that have tested and expanded boundaries, challenged musical, social, and political conventions, and reevaluated what “country” means in country music.

Robert Twigger, poet and travel author, was in search of a new way up England when he stumbled across the Great North Line. From Christchurch on the South Coast to Old Sarum to Stonehenge, to Avebury, to Notgrove barrow, to Meon Hill in the midlands, to Thor's Cave, to Arbor Low stone circle, to Mam Tor, to Ilkley in Yorkshire and its three stone circles and the Swastika Stone, to several forts and camps in Northumberland to Lindisfarne (plus about thirty more sites en route). A single dead straight line following 1 degree 50 West up Britain. No other north-south straight line goes through so many ancient sites of such significance. Was it just a suggestive coincidence or were they built intentionally? Twigger walks the line, which takes him through Birmingham, Halifax and Consett as well as Salisbury Plain, the Peak district, and the Yorkshire moors. With a planning schedule that focused more on reading about shamanism and beat poetry than hardening his feet up, he sets off ever hopeful. He wild-camps along the way, living like a homeless bum, with a heart that starts stifled but ends up soaring with the beauty of life. He sleeps in a prehistoric cave, falls into a river, crosses a 'suicide viaduct' and gets told off by a farmer's wife for trespassing; but in this simple life he finds woven gold. He walks with others and he walks alone, ever alert to the incongruities of the edgelands he is journeying through.

The rule of Jesus articulated in Matthew’s Gospel is neither obscure nor archaic. Jesus’ imperatives speak powerfully to the contemporary issues of our day, and do so by illuminating a way of clarity, simplicity, and love. Where populism demands separation, Jesus promotes unity; where institutionalism extols hierarchical power, Jesus encourages humble service; where individualism lauds immediate gratification, Jesus asserts the path of sacrificial love. Indeed, as the Gospel of Matthew lays out, the pathway that Jesus defines is one of awareness, self-knowledge, and personal growth. It is a way of generativity, fruitfulness, and abundance. As we travel with Jesus in intimate conversation, we walk the line in a rhythm that fosters advancement, enjoyment, and soulful acceptance.

Widely known as England’s most picturesque line, the enduring Settle – Carlisle Railway crosses the north Pennines between Yorkshire and Cumbria, traversing stunning scenery from the Dales through the lonely and lofty fells to the limestone pavements of Westmorland, and on into the lush, green Eden Valley. The line was built by the Midland Railway company in the 1870s, to forge an independent route connecting its English network with Scotland. Uniquely for a railway in the UK, the entire infrastructure is a Conservation Area in its own right – comprising viaducts, stations, bridges, tunnels, trackside structures and railway workers’ cottages. By walking all or parts of the route from Settle to Carlisle, you get the chance to get up close to this iconic railway’s magnificent architecture. And in the company of a knowledgeable guide, you’ll also discover centuries’-worth of local history and traditions: Roman remains, medieval castles, the annual Appleby Horse Fair gathering, and much more besides.

FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR NIKKI ROSE Alexis After a steamy one-night stand leaves me with a baby on the way, and no way to find the father, marrying the small-town police chief should ensure the safety and security my baby and I need. But safety is the last thing my abusive new husband offers. When the violence reaches an all-time high, I finally take my daughter and run, determined to make it on my own until a freak accident brings me face to face with the same man I’d shared that heated night with two years before. But we're not safe and we may never be because my ex isn't going to quit until he gets me back. Dom In my line of work, it isn't always safe to be honest about who I am or what I do. One-night stands were the obvious choice. Simple. No complications. But I spent the last two years thinking about the fiery redhead who disappeared like she was nothing more than a dream. Until I pull her and her baby from her crashed car. She's on the run and I want to help but with the Russians out to get me and the agency I work for, being with me could expose her to even more dangers. All I know is that I can't let her go again. I have to protect her. No matter the cost. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Walking the Line is a standalone Romantic Suspense / Mystery novel with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers. Contains sexual situations and violent scenes including domestic violence. Mature readers only. Adults 18+ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Suggested Reading Order The Line Series: Crossing the Line Blurring the Line Drawing the Line Walking the Line

AN UPLIFTING NOVEL WITH ROMANCE, MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE. Walking the Line - Third in the Walking Together Series by T. E. Killian Larry Jackson and Joanne Lewis have both taught at Strawberry High School for eight years. Larry is happy with his carefree life of partying and running around. Joanne's goal in life is to make her daughters safe and happy. He has always been rude to her and she has always tried to avoid him. Suddenly, things are changing for both of them. At his twin brother's wedding, Larry notices how wonderful a person that Joanne really is and wants to get to know her better. But she won't have anything to do with him. Can he quit wild life so he will have a chance with Joanne? Joanne notices how Larry seems to be changing but will he be able to change enough? She doesn't want to expose her daughters to another man like her abusive ex-husband David, who abandoned them once she was confined to a wheelchair after an accident caused by a drunk driver. Larry has new problems when his ex-wife comes back to town claiming her son is his and wanting child support. Joanne has new problems when David sends her a letter saying he's coming back from Alaska to see his girls. Joanne is fearful that David might harm her or the girls. How will she be able to keep them all safe? What should she do? Can Larry prove that the four-year-old boy is not his? Can Larry change his life enough to be able to build a relationship with Joanne? Can Joanne trust Larry? Can Larry prevent David Lewis from hurting Joanne? Can Joanne help Larry change?

In her first book, Walking the Line between God and Satan, Katherine Sharpe explores the fine line between doing what God has called us to do for Him, and being side tracked by the deceptions of Satan.