Poetry on Screen: The Day Carl Sandburg Died

The Poetry Foundation presents the Chicago premiere of Bonesteel Films’ feature-length documentary, The Day Carl Sandburg Died. Six years in production, the film presents the fascinating life of American icon Carl Sandburg. Through a remarkable cast of interviewees, rarely seen archival footage, and modern performances, The Day Carl Sandburg Died tells the panoramic story of Sandburg’s life, work, and legacy. The film touches on his contributions to poetry, history, journalism, music, and children’s literature while also delving into the complex social and political events that shaped him and his work. The Day Carl Sandburg Died will air on PBS’ American Masters late in 2012. Following each screening, Chicago poet and slam founder Marc Smith discusses the film—and the poet—with filmmaker Paul Bonesteel.

Slam founder Marc Smith has been featured on CNN, 60 Minutes, and NPR and has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institute, the Queensland Poetry Fest in Australia, and a variety of other venues around the world. Narrator of the Sourcebooks publications Spoken Word Revolution and Spoken Word Revolution Redux, Smith also co-authored Take the Mic and Stage a Slam, and is the author of his own collection of poetry, Crowdpleaser.

Paul Bonesteel has produced and directed ten full-length documentary films and shorts, including The Great American Quilt Revival (2005) and The Mystery of George Masa (2003). His films have been distributed on PBS and screened at numerous international film festivals.