Railroad Noir: The American West at the End of the Twentieth Century (Railroads Past and Present) - Hardcover

Niemann, Linda G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0253354463 ISBN 13: 9780253354464

Publisher: Indiana University Press, 2010

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Linda Grant Niemann teaches creative nonfiction at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. She is author of Boomer: Railroad Memoirs and Railroad Voices.

Joel Jensen is a freelance photographer whose work has been featured in various publications.

Review:

I've read many books on railroading and none of them have moved me in the way this book has. The photography is stunning, along the lines of Delano's work of the ’30s and ’40s. (Mitch Markovitz veteran railroader, illustrator)

Niemann's . . . writing style is excellent and it leads the reader to want to read on. . . . She has clearly conveyed her experiences as a railroad worker. (William D. Middleton co-editor of The Encyclopedia of North American Railroads)

About this edition

• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0253354463
• ISBN 13: 9780253354464
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168