Thursday, March 22, 2007

Spring 2007

Spring slips back with a girl face calling always: "Any new songs for me? Any new songs?"
-Carl Sandburg, from Cornhuskers, 1918


April stands to be an exciting month for the Carl Sandburg documentary production as we plan on capturing some provocative and interesting people and events.

First, on April 4th we'll be in New York City to interview Author Paul Berman, editor of American Poets Project edition of "Carl Sandburg: Selected Poems" and capture a unique event at N.Y.U. “Carl Sandburg and His Modernism: Writers, Musicians, and Artists Look Back” including Berman, poets Edward Hirsch, Geoffrey O'Brien, Meghan O'Rourke, and Harvey Shapiro and historian Sean Wilentz, reading and commenting on Sandburg's work. Lukas Foss, recognized as one of America's major modernist composers, will perform a portion of his cantata "Prairie" (inspired by Sandburg) on piano, together with Greenwich Village Singers.

On April 19th and 20th, Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and Bonesteel Films will be bringing internationally known poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko to perform and be interviewed for the film. This exciting performer was influenced strongly by the American poet and met Sandburg and brother-in-law Edward Steichen in Moscow in 1959.

And finally, we'll attend the Sandburg Days Festival in Galesburg Ill. on April 26th-28th to capture noted 'slam poet' Marc Smith's performance of "Sandburg to Smith — Smith to Sandburg" a performance poetry event combining Sandburg and Smith's poetry with a live jazz. While in Galesburg additional research and interviews will be conducted with poet Robin Metz and others.

There will no doubt be some intesting pictures, stories and poems that come out of these events. Stay tuned...