American Writers: A Journey Through History is a series produced and broadcast by C-SPAN in 2001 and 2002 that profiled selected American writers and their times. Each program was a two- to three-hour look at the life and times of one or more significant American writer. Episodes were broadcast from locations of importance to the profiled writer(s) and featured interviews with historians and other experts. The series had an overall budget of $4,500,000.[1] The first program aired on March 19, 2001, and focused on William Bradford and the Mayflower Compact.[2]
As is the case with many C-SPAN programs, it aired live and heavily incorporated calls from viewers:
"It's not perfectly packaged and beautifully produced," said Susan Swain, executive vice president of C-Span. "There isn't a narrator who weaves it together. It's a bit unpredictable. I don't know what my guests are going to say."[3]
History of the showedit
Originally, the series was scheduled to air entirely in 2001, and it followed that schedule up to a profile of Will Rogers that aired on September 10, 2001. However, following the 9/11 attacks, C-SPAN management determined that the network needed to focus on events related to the attacks, and the subsequent programs were put on hold until March 2002.[4] When originally planned, the profile of H.L. Mencken of Baltimore was scheduled to follow that of Will Rogers. Instead, C-SPAN producers opted to postpone the Mencken show, and return with one about the Harlem Renaissance, to honor the role of New York City in the 9/11 attacks.[5] The series returned on March 31, 2002, opening with shots of 135th Street in Harlem, and continued through the final profile on July 7, 2002, which was a discussion with Neil Sheehan and David Halberstam at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.[6] The group of programs aired in 2002 were sometimes referred to as American Writers II: The 20th Century.[7]
As a companion volume to the series, Merriam-Webster published the Dictionary of American Writers in 2001, which contained brief entries on a wide variety of writers, many of whom were not profiled in the series.[8]
Selection criteriaedit
The choice of which writers to profile was (by its very nature) subjective, unlike C-SPAN's similar 1999 series American Presidents: Life Portraits, because there were a fixed number of U.S. presidents but not a fixed number of American writers. For instance, Herman Melville was not profiled.[9] There were also criticisms of the manner in which certain authors were presented, such as Ayn Rand.[10]
The stated criteria for selection were the following:
"Writers whose works-–whether fiction or non-fiction, document or book–-chronicled, reflected upon, or influenced the course of our nation's history."
"Works which represent four centuries of American history, from the nation's founding to Vietnam."
"Writers who are essentially American."
"Writers whose works continue to be studied."
"An overall list which offers some demographic, cultural, and political diversity."
"Works which are generally available to the public."[11]
Episodesedit
Programs were organized into eight chronological groups, shown below.
Note: In addition to the interviewees listed, each program featured a variety of other experts, many of whom were employed by or volunteered for the historical sites from which the programs were being broadcast.
^"A man of letters returns to city, courtesy of C-SPAN - Baltimore Sun". Articles.baltimoresun.com. 2002-04-08. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^"Writings of Halberstam and Sheehan - C-SPAN Video Library". C-spanvideo.org. 2002-07-07. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^"'American Writers II' focuses on 20th Century - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2002-03-29. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^Smith, Alexis. "Merriam Webster's Dictionary of American Writers by Websters - Powell's Books". Powells.com. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^Moore, Frazier (2001-03-16). "C-SPAN highlights American writers". Lawrence.com. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^"C-SPAN "American Writers" Program on Ayn Rand a Sham". Aristos.org. 2002-05-12. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
^. americanwriters.org. C-SPAN. Archived from the original on 4 August 2001. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
External linksedit
Official website
February 16, 2024
american, writers, journey, through, history, series, produced, broadcast, span, 2001, 2002, that, profiled, selected, american, writers, their, times, each, program, three, hour, look, life, times, more, significant, american, writer, episodes, were, broadcas. American Writers A Journey Through History is a series produced and broadcast by C SPAN in 2001 and 2002 that profiled selected American writers and their times Each program was a two to three hour look at the life and times of one or more significant American writer Episodes were broadcast from locations of importance to the profiled writer s and featured interviews with historians and other experts The series had an overall budget of 4 500 000 1 The first program aired on March 19 2001 and focused on William Bradford and the Mayflower Compact 2 American Writers A Journey Through HistoryCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo of episodes39ProductionExecutive producerMark FarkasOriginal releaseNetworkC SPANReleaseMarch 19 2001 2001 03 19 July 7 2002 2002 07 07 RelatedAmerican Presidents Life Portraits Contents 1 Style 2 History of the show 3 Selection criteria 4 Episodes 4 1 I Founding to Revolution 1600 1800 4 2 II The Young Nation 1800 1850 4 3 III Slavery amp the Civil War 1850 1865 4 4 IV Rebuilding America amp the Gilded Age 1865 1901 4 5 V Progressive Era amp Reaction 1901 1929 4 6 VI Depression amp War 1929 1945 4 7 VII Early Cold War 1945 1961 4 8 VIII Social Transformation to Vietnam 1961 1975 5 References 6 External linksStyle editAs is the case with many C SPAN programs it aired live and heavily incorporated calls from viewers It s not perfectly packaged and beautifully produced said Susan Swain executive vice president of C Span There isn t a narrator who weaves it together It s a bit unpredictable I don t know what my guests are going to say 3 History of the show editOriginally the series was scheduled to air entirely in 2001 and it followed that schedule up to a profile of Will Rogers that aired on September 10 2001 However following the 9 11 attacks C SPAN management determined that the network needed to focus on events related to the attacks and the subsequent programs were put on hold until March 2002 4 When originally planned the profile of H L Mencken of Baltimore was scheduled to follow that of Will Rogers Instead C SPAN producers opted to postpone the Mencken show and return with one about the Harlem Renaissance to honor the role of New York City in the 9 11 attacks 5 The series returned on March 31 2002 opening with shots of 135th Street in Harlem and continued through the final profile on July 7 2002 which was a discussion with Neil Sheehan and David Halberstam at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 6 The group of programs aired in 2002 were sometimes referred to as American Writers II The 20th Century 7 As a companion volume to the series Merriam Webster published the Dictionary of American Writers in 2001 which contained brief entries on a wide variety of writers many of whom were not profiled in the series 8 Selection criteria editThe choice of which writers to profile was by its very nature subjective unlike C SPAN s similar 1999 series American Presidents Life Portraits because there were a fixed number of U S presidents but not a fixed number of American writers For instance Herman Melville was not profiled 9 There were also criticisms of the manner in which certain authors were presented such as Ayn Rand 10 The stated criteria for selection were the following Writers whose works whether fiction or non fiction document or book chronicled reflected upon or influenced the course of our nation s history Works which represent four centuries of American history from the nation s founding to Vietnam Writers who are essentially American Writers whose works continue to be studied An overall list which offers some demographic cultural and political diversity Works which are generally available to the public 11 Episodes editPrograms were organized into eight chronological groups shown below Note In addition to the interviewees listed each program featured a variety of other experts many of whom were employed by or volunteered for the historical sites from which the programs were being broadcast I Founding to Revolution 1600 1800 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees1 March 19 2001 William Bradford Mayflower Compact Plimoth Plantation Plymouth Massachusetts Peter Gomes2 March 26 2001 Benjamin Franklin Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin American Philosophical Society Philadelphia Pennsylvania H W Brands3 April 2 2001 Thomas Paine Common Sense Thomas Paine Memorial Cottage New Rochelle New York Eric Foner4 April 9 2001 Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence Montpelier Montpelier Station Virginia Pauline Maier Roger WilkinsJames Madison U S ConstitutionII The Young Nation 1800 1850 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees5 April 16 2001 Merriwether Lewis and William Clark Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Fort Clatsop National Memorial Astoria Oregon James P Ronda Rex Ziak6 April 23 2001 James Fenimore Cooper The Last of the Mohicans Fenimore Art Museum Cooperstown New York Alan S Taylor7 April 30 2001 Sojourner Truth Narrative of Sojourner Truth The Merritt House Battle Creek Michigan Nell Irvin Painter8 May 7 2001 Ralph Waldo Emerson Nature Walden Pond Concord Massachusetts Robert D RichardsonHenry David Thoreau Walden9 May 14 2001 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Women s rights movement Declaration of Sentiments Declaration Park Seneca Falls New York Elisabeth Griffith10 May 21 2001 Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace Salem Massachusetts Brenda WineappleIII Slavery amp the Civil War 1850 1865 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees11 May 28 2001 Frederick Douglass and the abolitionist Writers Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Washington D C Edna Greene Medford12 June 4 2001 Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom s Cabin The Harriet Beecher Stowe House Cincinnati Ohio Joan Hedrick13 June 11 2001 Mary Chesnut A Diary From Dixie Mulberry Plantation Camden South Carolina Elisabeth Muhlenfeld14 June 18 2001 Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address Gettysburg Battlefield National Park Gettysburg Pennsylvania Harold HolzerIV Rebuilding America amp the Gilded Age 1865 1901 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees15 June 25 2001 Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum Hannibal Missouri Roy Blount Jr Shelley Fisher Fishkin16 July 2 2001 Willa Cather O Pioneers Willa Cather House Red Cloud Nebraska Richard Norton Smith17 July 10 2001 Black Elk Black Elk Speaks Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Crow Agency Montana Charlotte Black Elk Paul Andrew Hutton18 July 16 2001 Booker T Washington Up From Slavery Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee Alabama David Levering Lewis Edna Greene MedfordW E B Du Bois The Souls of Black Folk W E B Du Bois Library University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts19 July 23 2001 Henry Adams The Education of Henry Adams Adams National Historical Park Quincy Massachusetts Brooks D Simpson20 July 30 2001 Edith Wharton and the Gilded Age Writers The Age of Innocence The Mount Lenox Massachusetts Shari BenstockV Progressive Era amp Reaction 1901 1929 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees21 August 6 2001 Upton Sinclair and the Muckrakers The Jungle Ed Miniat Inc near Union Stock Yards Chicago Illinois Dominic Pacyga Richard Reeves22 August 13 2001 Theodore Roosevelt Winning of the West Theodore Roosevelt National Park Medora North Dakota H W Brands Tweed Roosevelt23 August 20 2001 Theodore Dreiser Sister Carrie Chicago Historical Society Chicago Illinois Thomas Riggio24 September 10 2001 Will Rogers The Cowboy Philosopher on Prohibition Will Rogers Memorial Museum Claremore Oklahoma Steve Granger25 March 31 2002 Langston Hughes Montage of a Dream Deferred Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Harlem New York Ossie Davis Ruby Dee Howard Dodson Jr Arnold Rampersad Cheryl WallZora Neale Huston Their Eyes Were Watching God26 April 7 2002 H L Mencken The American Language H L Mencken House Baltimore Maryland P J O Rourke Marion Elizabeth Rodgers27 April 14 2002 F Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby Summit Avenue St Paul Minnesota Matthew Bruccoli28 April 21 2002 Ernest Hemingway The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway Home amp Museum Key West Florida Susan Beegel Linda Patterson MillerVI Depression amp War 1929 1945 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees29 April 28 2002 John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath National Steinbeck Center Salinas California Thom Steinbeck Louis Owens30 May 5 2002 William Faulkner and the Southern Writers The Sound and the Fury Rowan Oak Oxford Mississippi Shelby Foote Thadious M Davis Donald Kartiganer31 May 12 2002 Ayn Rand The Fountainhead Harmony Gold TheaterSunset Boulevard Hollywood California Jeff Britting Leonard Peikoff32 May 19 2002 Ernie Pyle Here Is Your War Dana Indiana James E TobinVII Early Cold War 1945 1961 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees33 May 26 2002 Whittaker Chambers Witness Cannon House Office Building Washington D C Sam TanenhausWhittaker Chambers Farm Westminster Maryland34 June 2 2002 Walter Lippmann Public Opinion The Metropolitan Club Washington D C Ben Bradlee Ronald Steel35 June 9 2002 Jack Kerouac and the Beat Writers On the Road Jack Kerouac Commemorative Park Lowell Massachusetts Douglas Brinkley David AmramVIII Social Transformation to Vietnam 1961 1975 edit Program Original air datewith link to video Featured writer s Featured work s Featured place s Featured interviewees36 June 16 2002 James Baldwin The Fire Next Time DeWitt Clinton High School Bronx New York Robin D G Kelley37 June 23 2002 Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique Smith College Northampton Massachusetts Susan Ware38 June 13 2002 Russell Kirk The Conservative Mind Russell Kirk Center Mecosta Michigan William F Buckley Jr Wilfred M McClayWilliam F Buckley Jr God and Man at Yale39 July 7 2002 David Halberstam The Best and the Brightest Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington D C David Halberstam Neil SheehanNeil Sheehan A Bright Shining LieReferences edit C Span s literary road trip 2008 11 02 00 00 00 Broadcasting amp Cable Broadcastingcable com Retrieved 2012 01 29 Writings of William Bradford C SPAN Video Library C spanvideo org 2001 03 19 Retrieved 2012 01 29 COVER STORY A Sense of Place Literature on Location New York Times The New York Times 2001 04 22 Retrieved 2012 01 29 C SPAN Restarts American Writers 2002 03 25 00 00 00 Multichannel News Multichannel com Retrieved 2012 01 29 A man of letters returns to city courtesy of C SPAN Baltimore Sun Articles baltimoresun com 2002 04 08 Retrieved 2012 01 29 Writings of Halberstam and Sheehan C SPAN Video Library C spanvideo org 2002 07 07 Retrieved 2012 01 29 American Writers II focuses on 20th Century Chicago Tribune Articles chicagotribune com 2002 03 29 Retrieved 2012 01 29 Smith Alexis Merriam Webster s Dictionary of American Writers by Websters Powell s Books Powells com Retrieved 2012 01 29 Moore Frazier 2001 03 16 C SPAN highlights American writers Lawrence com Retrieved 2012 01 29 C SPAN American Writers Program on Ayn Rand a Sham Aristos org 2002 05 12 Retrieved 2012 01 29 About American Writers americanwriters org C SPAN Archived from the original on 4 August 2001 Retrieved 11 March 2016 External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title American Writers A Journey Through History amp oldid 1173604720, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
