Railroad Noir
Author | : Linda G. Niemann |
Publisher | : Indiana University Press |
Total Pages | : 168 |
Release | : 2010-05-11 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780253001542 |
ISBN-13 | : 0253001544 |
Rating | : 4/5 (42 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Culled from the 20 years she spent traveling the American West as a freight brakeman and conductor, Linda Grant Niemann's Railroad Noir delves into the darker side of railroading. The 1990s were a time of crisis for workers caught in the breakup of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Niemann's tales of exhaustion, alcoholism, homelessness, and corporate blundering present a revelatory account of railroading life. Photographer Joel Jensen realizes Niemann's vision of the working West with images of cowboy bars, blue motels, and railroaders working in electrical storms, white-outs, and desert heat waves. The result is an honest, gritty, and striking collaboration.