Local Film to Air on PBSs American Masters
by Alexis Tomrell
The Day Carl Sandburg Died, directed by Paul Bonesteel, a Flat Rock native, will air on PBS’s critically acclaimed “American Masters” series September 24 at 10 p.m. Seven years in the making, it explores the forgotten, yet influential life of the writer Carl Sandburg. Although a literary staple in North Carolina due to his estate at Connemara, his work currently exists under the radar.
Paul interviews iconic, fading faces like Pete Seeger, the late Norman Corwin, Studs Terkel, musician Dan Zanes of Dan Zanes and friends, slam poetry founder Marc Smith, Helga Sandburg Crile, Geoffrey O’Brien, and more. Also interviewed is foremost Sandburg biographer and Winston-Salem native, Penelope Niven. Music was supplied by cellist Zoe Keating.
Each interview tracks Sandburg’s story from life on the Illinois prairie to his socialist leanings on the industrial front and eventually to the halls of Congress and the Ed Sullivan Show. Despite being one of the most successful writers of the 20th century, his work suffered a rapid decline after his death in 1967.
The Day Carl Sandburg Died unearths his forgotten legacy — exploring his achievements in biography, poetry, folk music, journalism, and children’s literature.
