Tag Archives: Steve Allen

I recently posted about a piece High Country News did on Michael Kelsey, noting his infamy and influence in the canyoneering world. While Kelsey has his fans and critics, I have never heard a soul utter a negative word about Steve Allen, generally revered as one of the Great Ones in the sport. I’ve never met Allen, nor run across any interviews or commentaries from him, until this interview/opinion/promotional piece produced by Fox Searchlight, related to the “127 Hours” hoopla. It’s short, but I really enjoy Allen’s presence in the video; he is warm, personable, open, and humble, certainly the kind of guy I would enjoy visiting a canyon with. It’s interesting that Fox produced this piece as a promotional tool, because Allen really does a great job of reducing the “Hollywood” drama of the story and emphasizing the very human drama that anyone can relate to, the drama of being alone with one’s thoughts for a prolonged period of time. What sort of change would happen inside of you if you were not only alone with your thoughts for five days, but also facing mortality, interacting with silence, and connecting with raw nature? I imagine a giant Rolodex of … Continue reading →