Think You Know America Review

Isobel tells the story skilfully, using prose and poetry

The Midland Fringe Festival seems to have a knack for finding special people who want to tell stories in unique ways. I have a front-row seat at the Lych Gate, and Isobel White is about to begin her performance. It is the last one of the day, and I don’t know what to expect, yet again.

America seem to always be in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment, and I wondered what Isobel would be talking about, the good, the bad, or the ugly? Well, it turned out to be everything, as we were taken on a journey across the states, through the eyes of a traveller, featuring many iconic people and moments, a tapestry of art, music, culture and drama.

Isobel tells the story skilfully, using prose and poetry to paint a picture of a land of people, art, and discovery born from divisive action and difficult times. There was a feel of Jack Kerouac to some of this, the living diary of a traveller with an informed mind. And there were moments this felt like a journey through jazz, blues and soul music, filled with hints to references of art and culture smattered throughout the story, which sit like earworms in your mind, waiting to be solved. Track 29 got me early, but they just continued to flow, as you would expect on any train journey, from Rosa Parks to Bourbon Street to the moon landing. Thankfully, Isobel's book is available to solve all the 'it's on the tip of my tongue’ moments.

I loved this. The American people have a special place in my heart, and it was great to be reminded by Isobel of the USA, or USONIA, that was before the USA that is currently.