Watermark

A once-in-a-century storm coupled with a structurally fraught mountain lake in the rough steel and coal country of western Pennsylvania sets the stage for the Johnstown Flood of 1889. WATERMARK is a lyric documentary of personae both real and imagined. Voices of the unidentified flood victims, those “coffined” without a name, are drawn from the hand-scripted morgue book listing their features, clothing, and artifacts. Voices of other figures from the disaster, such as Clara Barton and railway engineer John Hess, also flesh out the larger narrative. In this collection of historically authentic and lyrically compelling poems, a chorus of voices—scullery maid, carpenter, drifter, telegrapher—brings the story of “The Great Flood” to life.