Watch Me Roam

Replica of Clinton Oval Office

I have always wanted to visit the South because of the hospitality, soul food, charming southern drawl, smiling hat -tippers—everything America used to be, back in the good ‘ole days when everybody was employed, pollution was manageable, cancer was rare, and people were not yet hardened by the effects of massive personal debt and widespread urbanization. Surely, my idyllic portrayal of the south has to be rooted in some truth, even though it’s been developed entirely through representations in pop culture. With time, I’ll be able to gauge whether the south is all it’s cracked up to be.

Arkansas is the first state on my dirty south itinerary. Specifically, the college town of Fayetteville, where Bill and Hillary Clinton owned a house, now transformed into a boring museum. Similar to other college towns, there was plenty of cultural diversity, lots of bars and quaint cafes, a farmer’s market, and of course, a giant university. One of my favorite experiences was The Night Kite Revival tour featuring poetry slam champions who have recited their sharply written prose on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and The Tonight Show, among other venues. I cannot believe I lucked out by being in town for this witty, potent, intelligent demonstration of the spoken word to the tune of live music.

Persian knives from the Knife Gallery of the Historic Arkansas Museum

Seriously, it was awesome. Check out Anis Mojgani, who’s actually Iranian-American. I liked all the performers, but the sound came out best on his recording. And this cool folksy musician, Timmy Straw, had the most delicately raspy voice I’ve ever heard. (I apologize for the audio and visual quality—it’s a Droid.)

I also reunited with my long-lost friend from studying abroad in Iran! Such a coincidence, especially considering she’s from Oregon. This is merely another example of how small the world actually is, versus what we imagine it to be. And how close people actually are to each other.

In the days surrounding Halloween, I stayed with family friends in Mountain View, a suburban town in Baxter County consisting predominantly of retirees and doctors. There’s also a new, state-of-the-art public library that I enjoyed burning audio books in.

My final stop was Little Rock, a bustling young urban city with a culture that strongly supports local musicians, local artists, local producers of goods, local agriculture, and local historical sites. There are so many free museums available, including the Old State Capitol Museum, where you should try to score a tour with Luke, a native Little Rocker whose eyes light up when guiding you through the history of the political formation of Arkansas.

There were also lots of clothes on display from all of the governors’ first ladies. Hillary Clinton’s wardrobe was the frumpiest of all. I think maybe her stylist was a blind gorilla with a peg-leg.

Another interesting site was the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, a museum devoted to the historical significance of Clinton’s two terms in office. In order for a president to have a library, all the information within it must be factually correct and thorough. Therefore, if you don’t want a particular scandal to be forever memorialized, then you forfeit the privilege of a museum. Clinton’s impeachment trial had its own discreet exhibit, nestled between more noteworthy exhibits. The impeachment section was euphemistically called, “Struggle for Power.”

Little Rock Central High School

Little Rock is also the birthplace of a major historical event involving the desegregation of schools through forced integration of black students in white schools, following a Supreme Court ruling that “separate educational facilities were inherently unequal.” Unfortunately, the ruling did not specify a time period in which to complete integration. Nine black students tried to enter Little Rock Central High School on September 4, 1957, and were met with venomous harassment by a mob of angry white people. The black students were blocked from entering the school by the Arkansas National Guard, ordered in place by Governor Orval Faubus, in direct disobedience of the Supreme Court ruling. In response, President Eisenhower federalizes the Arkansas National Guard and, on September 25, deploys 1,200 soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock to escort the students into the school. Ultimately, this was a test of how big of an a** you must be to force the president’s hand.

There are daily tours of the high school, while class is in session, as well as a museum across the street that centers on civil rights movements in the U.S. involving blacks, Hispanics, Japanese, and others.

Despite all the culture and history in Arkansas, there still was an element of closeness and community I felt was missing. Everyone seems a temporary resident, there to complete a phase in their lives, and then move on. Also, there was not much observable ethnic diversity, and even though it seemed the people were so educated on the civil rights movement and sensitive to contemporary race relations, there was not much mixing of blacks and whites. That was depressing.

Heifer Village, the headquarters of Heifer International (yes, that is a moat)

While in Arkansas, you might want to canoe down the Buffalo National River, the first national river in the U.S., or visit Hobbs State Park and sign up for an educational boat cruise through Beaver Lake. If construction of environmentally sustainable buildings tickles your fancy, you should definitely check out the guided tour of Heifer International, headquartered in Little Rock. The entire complex is one amazingly resourceful bastion of conservation and harmony with nature. Heifer International is a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing relief and sustainable development to poor regions across the globe.

Aside from Heifer International, my next ultimate favorite stop in Arkansas was at the Ozark Medieval Fortress, which warrants its very own post (coming soon).

Arkansas Photo Album:

(or go directly to album)