Talk:Matokie Slaughter

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The following user(s) are actively contributing to this article and may be able to help with questions about verification and sources: Peter G Werner (talk • email) This in no way implies article ownership; all editors are encouraged to contribute.

[edit] Graffiti?

Checking back on this article, I notice that the following sentence was removed by User:Marcus Slaughter (a relative of Matokie?):

She is also known for her freight train graffiti, which she would draw on freight cars that came through her area and would then be seen throughout the country.

This was removed along with all other references to Slaughter as a graffiti artist. When I wrote this, I based this directly on the passage from the Matokie Slaughter page at Allmusic. It states:

Slaughter's most visible artistic achievement, though, may well be the countless mysterious and beautiful drawings she placed for years on the sides of freight cars passing through her region, which have made her somewhat of a godmother to the modern graffiti movement. Her fascinating designs still cross the U.S. from coast to coast, viewed by thousands of people sitting in their cars at railroad crossings, and no doubt wondering what those odd markings mean on the sides of all those box cars.

I believe that Margaret Kilgallen also had referred to Slaughter in several interviews as some kind of "hobo" graffiti artist.

So I'm a bit confused now – was Matokie Slaughter somebody who did freight train graffiti, later inspiring the imitative work of Margaret Kilgallen? (I know that much, if not all, of the 1990s "Matokie Slaughter" freight train graffiti was in fact done by Kilgallen.) Or was all "Matokie Slaughter" graffiti done by Kilgallen, with Kilgallen entirely making up this aspect of Slaughter's life story?

For Wikipedia purposes, I'm inclined to go with what the published sources say, but if somebody has information challenging these sources, I'd like to know about it. Peter G Werner 23:23, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Commentary by Marcus Slaughter

Matokie Slaughter was my grandmother. She was born and raised out in the country and in no way put graffiti on trains. She picked up music at a young age and never looked back. She got married and had 2 kids and moved to a house on a hill in Pulaski, Virginia. Margaret Kilgallen took a liking to her and her music and has put graffiti on many of trains and such in her honor. My brother now lives in her house and we still have her banjo's and fiddles she used to play at fiddlers conventions. My brother has adapted her way of playing the banjo and is an experienced musician in many stringed instruments. She was a wonderful grandmother and i would like to keep her known for what she has done and accomplished and not by what has been rumored. If anyone has any questions feel free to e-mail me at slaughtrboy@yahoo.com. --Marcus Slaughter (talk) 19:36, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

So, for the record then, the information give on Allmusic (see above) was in error? Peter G Werner (talk) 03:55, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes its an error, i can see how it could be turned around when Margaret Kilgallen started drawing her on trains. So hopefully they can change this, would like to know who started this rumor though. --24.155.13.166 (talk) 19:03, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

I think it may have been started by Kilgallen herself – I'll have to look over interviews with her. Peter G Werner (talk) 00:21, 16 February 2008 (UTC)