Life on the fringe, harlan hubbard tells how he came to settle down in this narrow, rocky valley beside the ohio river in trimble county. Harlan hubbard was kentuckys thoreau, and his journals are intimate records of a life lived in harmony with nature. Harlan hubbard historical records and family trees myheritage. Even wendell berry chronicled their lives in his book, harlan hubbard. My father wanted to read the harlan hubbard book, payne hollow, primarily because he owns property just across the ohio river on the indiana side, and the hubbards way of life has become local legend. Harlan and his wife, anna, lived in payne hollow, and spent their time living from the land and with the land. Harlan hubbard was born on january 4th, 1900, in bellevue, kentucky, by several years the youngest of frank and rose ann hubbard s three sons. The lives of anna and harlan hubbard is a morgan atkinson documentary narrated by wendell berry and adapted from berrys writings on the hubbards. Wonder considers the hubbards astonishing life of freedom and what it says to americans today. Life on the fringe of society by harlan hubbard, 9780917788666, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The following column was published in the august 1997 friends of the hubbards newsletter. Theirs is a story of a harlan hubbard understood early on that there was a price to be paid for a rapidly mechanizing society, both to the environment and in. Any search for going back to nature should include this video of kentuckys extraordinary hubbards and their handmade riverboat adventures.
Payne hollow journal by harlan hubbard, paperback barnes. Anna and harlan hubbard documentary morgan atkinson. Their thoughts will be complemented by excerpts from wendell berrys book on their lives. Hubbard himself died two years later at the age of 88. The third and climactic volume of his journals, payne hollow journal, contains entries from the years he and his wife, anna, lived at their payne hollow home along the ohio river s kentucky shore. In a house they built by hand, sustained by food they raised or caught, aided by no electricity or modern convenience, the hubbards, met the world on their own terms and found deep meaning.
It was there that the hubbards lived lives that have been described by whom. At the beginning of this volume harlan hubbard writes, when we are away from payne hollow, that place does not seem real or possible. Roundabout entertainment guide preserving payne hollow. Anna and harlan hubbard, refusing to adopt the industrial positioning provided, built a simple home at payne hollow and documented their basic relationship of need to fulfillment within the carefully.
Harlan hubbard continues his life story from shantyboat. There they mastered the arts of country life, building their own stone and timber house in 1952 and raising their own food. In payne hollow, you will read of 30 plus years of living by his own methods and means. November 2005 in his 1974 book titled, payne hollow. Harlan hubbard historical records and family trees. Anna and harlan hubbard lived life as few people in modern times have and in doing so accomplished at least two things that are very rarecontentment and freedom. The third and climactic volume of his journals, payne hollow journal, contains entries from the years he and his wife, anna, lived at their payne hollow home along the ohio rivers kentucky shore.
They built their home, tended their garden, fished the river, and lived their lives there. Will oldham will be the voice of harlan and katie blackerby that of anna. Payne hollow tells part of their story, their way of life and interaction with the small community nearby. Hidden away behind a historical home is a small detached studio with an amazing story. For more than fifty years the artist, writer, and homesteader described daily activities and recorded keen observations as he sought to live simply and authentically. Hubbard and thoreau this page contains images of harlan hubbard s paintings in private collections. Harlan hubbard removed himself from 20th century industrial society to live a simple selfsufficient life on a shantyboat down the ohio and mississippi rivers and later in a home in payne hollow, kentucky, overlooking the ohio river. Hubbard cited author henry david thoreau as an influence and settled a new home along the ohio river in trimble county, kentucky, where he wrote simple living at. My father wanted to read the harlan hubbard book, payne hollow, primarily because he owns property just across the ohio river on the indiana side, and the hubbard s way of life has become local legend. His paintings are a revealing counterpart to the two books he authored, shantyboat and payne hollow, and the four volumes of his journals that were published afterwards.
Life on the fringe, harlan hubbard tells how he came to settle down in this nonfiction. The third and climactic volume of his journals, payne hollow journal contains entries from 1951 to harlan hubbard was kentuckys thoreau, and his journals are intimate records of a life lived in harmony with nature. Harlan hubbard studio gains national historic status. He seldom reads for pleasure, but couldnt put this little book down, and it has already been passed among several family members, including me. Don walliss season by season arrangement of the payne hollow entries reflects the seasonal changes in harlan and his life as well as in the natural world around him. Wendell berry celebrated his life in a lecture series and a book, harlan hubbard. An intimate and inspiring testament by kentuckys own thoreau, hubbard s journals record a life lived in harmony with nature. The story of harlan and anna hubbard, who started as shantyboaters on the ohio and mississippi rivers, and ultimately found a place onshore to settle. Harlan hubbard timeline harlan hubbard archive research. He was trying to decide how to end his book as he speculated about what might be said of him and his home years after he was. The third and climactic volume, payne hollow journal, contains entries from the years he and his wife, anna, lived at their payne hollow home along the ohio rivers kentucky shore. Harlan hubbard timeline this page contains images of harlan hubbard s paintings in private collections.
The life and landscape of the river is explored deeply in his art. Life on the fringe, harlan hubbard tells how he came to settle. Wendell berry is also the author of tobacco harvest. Harlan hubbard stands in 1974 under the sign for payne hollow where the hubbards built their home along the ohio river in trimble county, kentucky. Theirs is a story of a harlan hubbard understood early on that there was a price to be paid for a rapidly mechanizing society, both to the environment and in terms of personal freedom and fulfillment. Sidney thomas, the wife of the late bill thomas, owns the home and the surrounding property. Life on the fringe of society provides an account of a selfmade alternative lifestyle in early 1950s america. Anna and harlan hubbard, refusing to adopt the industrial positioning provided, built a simple home at payne hollow and documented.
Oct 07, 2016 harlan hubbard s studio which was recently put on the national register of historic places. The third and climactic volume of his journals, payne hollow. Aug 29, 2016 hubbard cited author henry david thoreau as an influence and settled a new home along the ohio river in trimble county, kentucky, where he wrote simple living at payne hollow. Life on the fringe of society view some of his art in the book, woodcuts of harlan hubbard. Includes 20 color plates of hubbard s own paintings, along with several photographs of anna and harlan hubbard. This is a wonderful book about life outside of normal hustle and bustle of modern life. Harlan and anna hubbard removed themselves from 20th century industrial society to live a simple selfsufficient life on a shantyboat down the ohio and mississippi rivers and later in a home in payne hollow, kentucky, overlooking the ohio river. Secret honey hole discovered in harlan hubbard studio. In 1951, harlan and anna built a simple home at payne hollow on the shore of the ohio river in trimble county, kentucky.
Life on the fringe of society provides an account of a selfmade alternative lifestyle in early 1950s payne hollow, ky. August 1997 i am honored to have been asked in 1980 by harlan hubbard to help with the work of the hubbards home and land here at. Much of the narrative for wonder will come from the hubbards journals. Author wendell berry was a close friend of hubbard s who wrote and lectured on the hubbards lives. She became concerned when she saw a swarm of bees going into the detached studio at the back of her property.
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