Tyler Cowen:
1. Popular music: The Everly Brothers, I recommend this song. There is also Loretta Lynn and Dwight Yoakum and Merle Travis, I like this video. In jazz there is Lionel Hampton.
2. Visual artist: Edgar Tolson, that image is not fully safe for work. John James Audobon worked in the state quite a bit.
3. Movie, set in: Goldfinger, though of course immobilizing that stock would not affect the world price of gold very much. And keep in mind the nominal price of gold was pegged back then under Bretton Woods — should we really have expected a lot of goods and services deflation, just because some nutcase set off a bomb? I don’t think so.
4. Monk: Thomas Merton. He was an excellent writer, as a monk I cannot judge.
5. Author: Hmm…I don’t really like either Robert Penn Warren or Hunter S. Thompson. So Thomas Merton wins a second category, try The Seven Storey Mountain.
6. NBA player: The incandescent Rex Chapman, recently arrested for shoplifting. I liked Pervis Ellison too, believe it or not.
7. Movie director: I believe John Carpenter grew up there, he has several excellent films, including The Thing, Starman, Dark Star, and Escape from New York. I don’t actually enjoy the D.W. Griffith movies.
8. Poet and impresario: Muhammad Ali.
For some inexplicable reason Victor Mature was one of my father’s favorite actors. There is also Johnny Depp and George Clooney. Economist Milton Kafoglis passed away not long ago. How about the Kentucky Colonels?
Not surprisingly, the list is a bit highbrow for me. I'd go like this:
1. Popular music: My Morning Jacket, Kentucky Headhunters
2. Visual artist: Stephen Powell, according to his bio he estabalished Centre College's glass program the year I graduated.
3. Movie, set in: Goldfinger is a good one but how about Coal Miner's Daughter? or the Hatfields and McCoys miniseries? Those accents are Kentucky.
4. Monk: Who could quibble with Thomas Merton?
5. Author: Sue Grafton
6. NBA player: Darrell Griffith (I was never a fan of King Rex). I was in high school when UofL, led by “Dr. Dunkenstein,” won their first NCAA championship. The next year they had one of their scrimmages at our high school gym.
7. Movie director: According to Wikipedia John Carpenter was born in Bowling Green and went to WKU. But should this even be a category? I would have made it movie stars and gone with Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen! Duh). Even inflation adjusted, she is the highest grossing action heroine.
8. Poet and impresario: I also can't quibble with Muhammad Ali.
The list was annoying (no mention of KFC, horses or bourbon) until we got to "How about the Kentucky Colonels?" I remember listening to Colonels games on the radio: Louie Dampier, Dan Issel, Wil Jones and Artis Gilmore. And with WKU's Jim McDaniel they had two (2!) 7 footers. I recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Kentucky-Colonels-American-Basketball-Association/dp/1935001825 (Note: I'm not sure about Tyler Cowen's Colonels link).
