state wars: famous folk from Colorado

I’ve resisted joining in the #statewars, only because I just moved back to Colorado last month after almost five years away. It’s not my home state and I only lived here for…four and a half years before, and people move in and out of here all the time, so you see why I was hesitant to act all proud and “warlike”. But I do love this land and am lucky enough to live right below a 14,000’ mountain. There are a few hot springs not far away, and in spring the mountain men come downslope with the bears.

(steam from a hot spring, early morning)

As for famous people that hail from Colorado, I didn’t know any offhand except for Ken Kesey, author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, and I only knew that because I watched a documentary on him and his merry band of tricksters. (He was born in La Junta, a town on the other side of the mountains I live on).

(still a great book)

Turns out a lot of actors are from Colorado, including:

• Roseanne Barr
• Tim Allen (Home Improvement)
• Amy Adams (“the office” and a bunch of movies)
• Lon Chaney, silent film hero of the 1920s and 30—he was born in Colorado Springs
• Jon Heder, title character in “Napoleon Dynamite” (he’s from Fort Collins, where I used to live. And it used to be a charming little town, now it has exploded with industry and development).
• Hattie McDaniel, who played Butterfly McQueen in “Gone with the Wind”
• Sheryl Lee (Laura on “Twin Peaks”, one of my all time favorite shows. I saw her speak at an environmental gathering in Fort Collins)
• Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of “South Park” (set in little Fairplay, CO)

ticka ticka dee ticka dee dee...

Other famous Coloradoans:
• about fifty-five astronauts
• Jack Dempsey, the professional boxer they called "the Manassa Mauler"
• Jack Murphy, sportswriter
• Ruth Handler, a businesswoman and inventor. She created Barbie and became the president of Mattel

fun fact: the original Barbie was based on a real live German prostitute

And a bunch of bands and musicians you may know:

• John Denver, an adopted Coloradoan (I just learned to play "Starwood in Aspen" on the piano, so pretty)
• Flobots (they’re wonderful, do check them out)
• DeVotchKa
• Big Head Todd and the Monsters
• The Lumineers
• The Samples
• OneRepublic
• India.Arie

Other than that, Colorado is just a bunch of potheads, liberals, gun nuts, ranchers, and ski bums. Or is it?