Director Paul Bonesteel presenting the film at the Black Earth Film Festival, Galesburg Ill.
With three screening last week, we continue to share The Day Carl Sandburg Died, this time in Sandburg's hometown of Galesburg Illinois. First at the Black Earth Film Festival and then the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urban. In the audience were some folks who had known Sandburg, and others who have studied his life and work for years and younger students who were learning about Sandburg for the first time which made these screenings and Q&A a lot of fun. A frequent conversation is about the how Sandburg's work and his messages are so needed today. Back south, we screened the film at Wofford College in Spartanburg SC, much thanks to Sandburg scholar and classical guitarist Jhon Akers, who has supported the film since we began.
Presenting the film at the Black Earth Film Festival, Galesburg Ill.
While I was there I got to visit with poet/historian Robin Metz and talk about the film, it's six year journey and projects to come. I stopped by the Sandburg State Historic Site and paid my respect to Remembrance Rock, the place where Carl and Paula's ashes were places.
Paying respects to Carl and Paula Sandburg's resting place, Galesburg Ill.
Remembrance Rock
Along the pathway surrounding the rock are quotes of Sandburg's and one that I had not seen before struck me as particularly fitting; It said "After the sunsets on the prairie there are only the stars. The stars stand alone." Indeed the prairie can be a lonely place but as Sandburg said in The People, Yes, its "a shovel of stars for keeps"... and I'm thankful for the people that helped make this film and helped to make the screenings possible. I was surrounded by friends in remembering Sandburg at all these screenings.
Screening at University of Illinois Library, September 2011
Next the film will screen at Aperture Theater, Winston Salem, NC October 2rd 2011
Next stop, the film goes back to Winston Salem where it premiered in April and a special screening at Aperture Cinema on October 2nd. Penelope Niven and I will both be in attendance.
The Day Carl Sandburg Died
It is with excitement we announce the culmination of our film festival and special screenings of The Day Carl Sandburg Died with two presentations of the film at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago on the anniversary of Carl Sandburg's birthday on Friday, January 6th at 7:00 pm and and Saturday January 7th, 2012 at 3:00 pm. These screenings help celebrate the centennial celebration of Poetry Magazine, the publication that rocketed Carl Sandburg to the forefront of American poetry in 1914. Both screenings are free and open to the public but seating is limited. The film's director, Paul Bonesteel will be present for both screenings along with Chicago poet Marc Kelly Smith, who appears in the film for a post screening discussion. 
