Remembering a guitar virtuoso

+ Dilbert's demise US Edition - Today's top story: Doc Watson at 100: The virtuoso guitarist brought Appalachian music to a worldwide audience and influenced generations of musicians [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 March 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Generations of fans of bluegrass and country music have recognized the singular talent and influence of the late Doc Watson, born a century ago. As former President Jimmy Carter alluded to during a White House performance by the blind guitarist in 1980, many Americans were unaware of the national treasure then in their midst. While Watson was one of the most talented and technically accomplished guitarists of the 20th century, what set him apart was a constellation of attributes: his guitar playing; his powerful, distinctive voice; his folksy storytelling; his authentic sense of being one of the people; and his mix of traditional Appalachian music and other American genres. Ted Olson of East Tennessee State University identified the last of these attributes, which Watson dubbed “traditional plus,” as [central to Watson’s approach to music](. “Whether playing fiddle tunes on his guitar at lightning speed with a flatpick or singing traditional and contemporary songs to fingerstyle accompaniment, he was a daring improviser,” he wrote. This week we also liked articles about [nonwhite Republican politicians](, [insulin prices]( and 19th-century temperance activist [Frances Willard](. Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor Doc Watson was the finest guitar picker of his time. Paul Natkin/Archive Photos via Getty Images [Doc Watson at 100: The virtuoso guitarist brought Appalachian music to a worldwide audience and influenced generations of musicians]( Ted Olson, East Tennessee State University Doc Watson’s popularity and influence came from his virtuosic guitar playing, powerful voice, broad musical taste, folksy storytelling and lack of pretense. Frances Willard stands behind her mother, at left, and Anna B. Gordon, who worked as a secretary and lived in the Willard household. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images [How Frances Willard shaped feminism by leading the 19th-century temperance movement]( Christopher H. Evans, Boston University A historian highlights the role of Frances Willard, who helped found the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, one of the major social movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. Diabetes management is becoming more affordable in the U.S. after years of price hikes. Matt Harbicht/Getty Images for Tandem Diabetes Care [Eli Lilly is cutting insulin prices and capping copays at $35 – 5 questions answered]( Dana Goldman, University of Southern California; Karen Van Nuys, University of Southern California The drugmaker’s move responded to the growing competition that has shaken up the insulin market in recent years. - [Republicans are trying to build a multiracial right – will it work?]( Joseph Lowndes, University of Oregon; Daniel Martinez HoSang, Yale Divinity School Will the GOP continue to stoke white grievance, or pursue a multiracial strategy that can expand its reach? Recent trends suggest that it can do both at once. - [The cautionary tale of ‘Dilbert’]( Chris Lamb, Indiana University Cartoonists throughout the nation’s history have been jailed, beaten, sued and censored. But Scott Adams’ work is being rejected for what he expressed off the page. - [Should we bring back the dodo? 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