RagTag Header

Welcome to the online home page for Roger Deitz’s “RagTag” column. Roger’s always fluid and fun observations, and downright inspired way with a turn of phrase, have graced the last page of Sing Out! magazine for almost two decades. The first 15 years of his columns have been released as a book (ordering information in the sidebar to the right), and now we’re pleased to be able to share his more recent musings and reminiscences here in digital form.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to receive these columns via RSS or email (again, you’ll find the links for that on the right). To access any of the full essays excerpted below, just click on the title. Enjoy!

RagTag For the People

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Book Value …

Here is a present to the folk music community in honor of Pete Seeger’s Birthday (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014). A PDF version of my book – for free! More “RagTags” than you can shake a stick at – if that’s your idea of a good time.

Roger at the Tribute to Pete workshop at the 2014 Philly Folk Festival.

Here I am, joining in at the Tribute to Pete workshop at the 2014 Philly Folk Festival.

It’s been three years since the publication of 15 Years of RagTag in book form – a collection of essays and columns, originally appearing in Sing Out! between 1995 and 2010, written by Roger Deitz and illustrated by Ed Courrier. While print books remain, and certainly digital books could yet be sold, Ed and I have made the decision to share our collaboration of these 56 columns with our community … and to let it fly on Pete Seeger’s birthday as a nod to the inspiring musician and activist we knew and admired. Art and Commerce. In a world where the line is often blurred, better to be read, than on the remainder table. No pun intended.

This gift is made in tribute to Seeger, and to Sing Out!, founded in 1950 by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson and a host of others. Sing Out!, where editor Mark Moss encouraged me to write these columns, and Ed Courrier to illustrate them.

Enjoy. Thank you for reading! Please share the book link with you friends.
(Copyright holders retain all rights to the work’s ownership.)

To download your copy of the book, click HERE.

15 Years of RagTag by Roger Deitz (with illustrations by Ed Courrier)

15 Years of RagTag by Roger Deitz (with illustrations by Ed Courrier)

— Roger