The WPA

A coupla weeks ago I stumbled upon a documentary about a guy who was hired as part of the WPA to go around the country and take pictures of people during the Great Depression...his name escapes me now which makes me look, regrettably, like an idiot.

I also just read America Eats!: On the Road with the WPA - the Fish Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chitlin Feasts That Define Real American Food

America Eats! originated as a 1935 WPA project that sent out-of-work writers (mostly unknowns, but also some soon-to-be famous names like Eudora Welty and Ralph Ellison) to chronicle America's regional cuisine, focusing on the group-dining dynamic of church suppers, harvest festivals, state fairs, political rallies, lodge suppers, and any gathering where food took center stage--"In a nation inhabited by strangers, sharing a meal lessened the loneliness of wandering across unfamiliar landscapes."

I also remember during our annual trips to Skyline Drive we would be reminded of how such national parks were built by the WPA, but who pays attention to that stuff when you're 9? Certainly not moi.

But as for the WPA itself, imagine that. In times of severe economic downturn, it was the GOVERNMENT that actually reached out and created opportunities for millions of people (even GASP!!! ARTISTS!! oh, no!!!!) who needed it the most. And, just to be kooky, they made it so that many of the results are still enjoyed/taken for granted by us today (see this summary of its achievements.)

Now, I know the variables of our current economic fracas are different. But quite a contrast when you think about who the government is helping out this time around, no?