Showing results by author "Alabama Astronaut" in All Categories

Abe Partridge – folk artist, documentarian, and song-catcher – travels with a portable handheld recorder seeking out artists on the backroads of America. A.A.R.T. features undocumented music: folk artists performing heartfelt songs for Abe's recorder. Plus, as he gently leads the conversation, Abe reveals perspectives from the groups and communities often hidden from the glare of the mainstream.

Cody Coots is a fourth-generation serpent handler. By age 6, he handles mock serpents with his sister, Trina, in the church, using leather belts for props. Cody secretly yearns for a normal childhood. He likes to ride his bike, play drums, and watch WWE wrestling with his father, Jamie. (Jamie is the world's most famous serpent-handling preacher.) A terrible act of violence befalls 8-year-old Cody, shocking the serpent handling community. A preacher pleads guilty to charges of deviant sexual abuse, but it's too late: Cody's innocence is shattered. Anger boils inside him, so he turns his wrath ...