That word sounds like something out of Harry Potter, doesn’t it? Anyway, we are presenting today the third installment of our series on Tom Cotton. He’s the rising young conservative in Arkansas. At the end of this installment, I mention meeting a man in Texarkana: Don Ruggles, a helicopter pilot. Any relation to Carl? Oh, yes: cousin of some sort.
Carl Ruggles was an American composer who lived from 1876 to 1971. That’s a good long stretch. Here on the Corner, I thought I’d link to a recording of his most famous piece: Sun-treader, a kind of tone poem for orchestra. He was an American original, Carl Ruggles. Brilliant (and cussed — too cussed). Our country is full of these hidden gems, or semi-hidden ones. Every country is, I’m sure.
By the way: Don Ruggles? He strikes me as an American original too (and much less cussed, much nicer). Vietnam-era pilot. I met him at the Miller County Republican Headquarters, where a group of us watched the second presidential debate. A damn interesting country, when you get out and about.