Soul of a People: Writing America's Story

Patricia Clarkson narrates this Smithsonian Channel account of one of the New Deal's most curious and controversial undertakings, the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which employed thousands of scribes—including John Cheever, Saul Bellow, Richard Wright, and Zora Neale Hurston—who journeyed throughout America interviewing ordinary people for a series of state travel and history guides. Based on David A. Taylor's book, Soul of a People: The WPA Writers' Project Uncovers Depression America, the documentary describes the mammoth effort to produce a volume for each of the 48 states at the time (plus the Alaska territory and Puerto Rico). Filmmaker Andrea Kalin intersperses archival footage with interviews of authors (including project employee Studs Terkel, in one of his last appearances), poets, and historians, who describe how the undertaking slowly coalesced despite assorted challenges, including varying levels of participant interest and expertise (not only in research and writing, but also in such basics as typing skills) and pressure to omit mention of topics such as slavery. Another roadblock came in the form of a congressional investigating committee that depicted the organization as a breeding ground for communism and a goldbricker's paradise. By the time the FWP quietly expired in 1943, the solidly researched guides (which are still available in schools and libraries), were published and widely praised. An engaging and inspiring presentation of a complex historical episode, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)