Johnny Cash's Ojai Sojourn with Mark Lewis

The film "Walk the Line" won Oscars for both its leads, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, as it chronicled a dark period in the Man in Black's life. The film doesn't mention Ojai by name, but he lived five years in the Ojai Valley, high above Casitas Springs. I spend an hour talking with the superb writer Mark Lewis about Cash's many Ojai stories, starting fires in the Sespe, drinking at the Inn, getting drunk with Sheb Woolley of "Purple People Eater" fame.  Meanwhile, we unravel another strange strand of Ojai lore; about how Cash left the Ojai Valley to make the famous "Live at Folsom Prison" album in one of his comebacks that led to another wave of fame for the singer-songwriter. Unlike Cash, Earl Green was an authentic outlaw and murderer, who killed a man with a baseball bat in Ojai. Earl Green narrowly escaped death row and ended up becoming the Folsom prison DJ, where he reached out through prison minister Rev. Floyd Gressett, who, in another small-world turn, knew Johnny Cash as one of his parishioners at his Ventura church. And so Cash's comeback monster success took place, selling 3 million records and returning him to the spotlight.  Earl Green's granddaughter knew nothing about her grandfather until she stumbled upon Mark's story about Cash in the Ojai Valley Museum, and was able to learn about his colorful past, rounding out the story. Mark also talks about his taking over from Ilona Saari as the chair of the Ojai Art Center's Literary Branch. We bemoan the social distancing era, and how critical Ojai's sense of community is in our gathering. We also talk about how Eve Babitz makes the case that Los Angeles gives away nothing to New York in the sense of cultural achievement, in which she puts forth the Ojai Music Festival as "Exhibit A." We do not talk about Jackie Robinson, Ed Ruscha or Russian slap fighting.