OSKALOOSA —
Her screenplay is a reminder of a unique time in local history.
Karen Howland, of Eugene, Ore., originally from Oskaloosa, penned a screenplay titled, “Black Diamond,” inspired by the Buxton mining town in which African-American miners lived and worked alongside whites.
The screenplay, set in 1880, tells the tale of an ex-slave/sharecropper from Virginia named Jacob who is looking for a better life for his family by working in Iowa’s coal mines.
During a visit to Oskaloosa in 1994, Howland said she went to the Oskaloosa Public Library just as she normally would on her visits to her hometown. She came upon information about the history of Buxton at that time and was immediately interested in finding a way to tell a story about the town. She said she began reading everything she could find about the early days of mining in Iowa.
“People lived in peace and harmony,” said Howland. “I thought, ‘Why are we not shouting this from the rooftops?”
Howland wrote the screenplay in 2001 and, since then, she has entered it in numerous writing competitions. She said entering her screenplay in these competitions is a way to get recognition for her work. However, getting a screenplay made into a movie is not always an easy task, Howland said.
“I’m not going to give up on it,” said Howland. “I have a strong passion for it.”
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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com.
Local News
Related Photos
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Karen Howland, screenwriter of “Black Diamond,” sits outside the Oskaloosa Public Library. Howland researched the screenplay at the Oskaloosa Public Library before writing “Black Diamond.” Contributed photo
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