On the 75th anniversary of the New Deal a new documentary, Soul of a People, a major television documentary, focuses on one of the most controversial public assistance programs in our country’s history: the Federal Writers’ Project under the Works Progress Administration. In Chicago, the Illinois branch of the Project attracted young writers Nelson Algren, Richard Wright, Jack Conroy, Saul Bellow, Margaret Walker, and Louis “Studs” Terkel. Two historians and a literary scholar engage in a discussion with the audience about the historical and literary significance of the Writers’ Project after screening the documentary.

Panelists:
James R. Grossman, The Newberry Library
Scott Nelson, William and Mary College
Bill Savage, Northwestern University

Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story is a major documentary television program produced by Spark Media, Washington, D.C. and broadcast on the Smithsonian Channel HD