Documentaries
978-1-926455-56-3 | 168 Pages April, 2016 Biography & Memoir, History, Poetry, PoliticsAbout this book
Taking its inspiration from director Werner Herzog’s concept of “ecstatic truth” and recalling D.W. Griffith’s silent film classic "Intolerance", poet/historian Walter Hildebrandt’s ambitious new book of poems is a searing denunciation of the exploitation of the poor and powerless at the hands of the wealthy. In forceful, unadorned language, Hildebrandt draws a clear line from historical outrages such as the Dakota Wars of the nineteenth century and the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike to injustices in present-day England, Cuba, and Canada. Documentaries urges readers to confront stories that are hiding in plain sight, but which are in danger of being lost when their truth goes unspoken.
• NeWest Press Audio interview with General Manager Matt Bowes
Reviews
“Hildebrandt’s docu-poems are a breath of fresh air, the products of a tough-minded, boots-on-the-ground engagement with history.”
“From tales out of the heart of London to the story of Edmonton’s Papaschase, Documentaries is a Grand Tour in poetic form, pursuing and recounting the narrative of displacement around the globe.”
"Ultimately Documentaries offers hope and the assurance that the human spirit shall overcome."