The Sept. 24 update:
The new 90-minute documentary American Masters The Day Carl Sandburg Died, premiering nationally Monday, September 24 at 10 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings) to commemorate the 45th anniversary of his death, provides a dynamic examination of Sandburg’s life, work and controversial legacy from a modern perspective. The film will be available on DVD September 25 through PBS Distribution.
Congratulations to Paul Bonesteel, whose years of labor are finally paying off with the PBS American Masters program set to air his documentary, The Day Carl Sandburg Died, in September. Note here from loyal reader Alexis:
Hi Jason,
Just wanted to introduce myself: I’m Paul’s assistant and internal media contact for The Day Carl Sandburg Died. Paul forwarded your correspondence about the DVD preview, and I thought I’d follow up with the newest national news on our documentary.
The film is now officially set to air Sept. 24 at 10 p.m. on the PBS ‘American Masters’ program. This project is years in the making as you know, so we’re really excited and want to get as many minds tuned to our local craft, and the far-reaching one(s) of Sandburg as possible.We are working with Natasha Padilla, a publicist at PBS/WNET, who is putting together a comprehensive press package in the coming days.
Paul will be on the media trail within the next few months, appearing on The Bob Edwards Show and possible large scale radio and television spots, sure to give Asheville and Flat Rock the spotlight.Thanks, Jason!
Kindly,Alexis
More from the documentary website:
The Day Carl Sandburg Died is a dynamic exploration into the life and work of the iconic American, Carl Sandburg. From an impoverished youth on the prairie of Illinois to the halls of Congress and the Ed Sullivan Show, it was a tale of perseverance and success. During his lifetime he was revered, becoming one of the most successful writers of the 20th century. But when he died in 1967, his legacy suffered an unusual an inexplicably fast decline. His work was disparaged and his remarkable life all but forgotten.
But if Sandburg was forgotten, he is now being remembered and rediscovered by writers, artists, scholars, performers, taking a new look at the complex and truly unparalleled life of Carl Sandburg. Sandburg’s radical free verse poetry, best known in Chicago Poems, changed 20th century poetry. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner was also a biographer, a journalist, children’s storyteller, folk song collector, novelist, and autobiographer. He was a captivating performer, entertaining audiences on stage, radio and television enjoying the kind of fame, fortune and recognition that is rarely, if ever, afforded a poet.
The Day Carl Sandburg Died revisits the impressive range of his work through modern-day celebrities, scholars, artists, family and friends. A strong, succinct biographic thread connects his life story to his most significant works and how his life, in turn, influenced events. Abundant archival film clips and television appearances re-introduce the iconic Sandburg with all his nuances.