135: In Praise of Lewis Erskine @editorsavant

Documentary editor Lewis Erskine died last week at age 64. He was cherished by colleagues as a storyteller and a teacher. His Twitter handle was @editorsavant and his credits include Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Freedom Riders and Jackie Robinson. In the days after his death, Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers spoke to three of Lewis' colleagues. Filmmaker Stanley Nelson describes first meeting Lewis when they worked for WNET public television and how they collaborated for over two decades starting with The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, who was Lewis’ assistant editor on The Black Press, celebrates his legacy as a mentor. Shola Lynch describes how she met Lewis working together on Ken Burns’ Jazz series, then later turned to him for help on her films Chisholm 72: Unbought and Unbossed and Free Angela and All Political Prisoners.Further links referenced in the conversation:Black Documentary CollectiveThe Creative Power of BIPOC Editors panelBIPOC Editors DatabaseMaster Class with Lewis Erskine and City College (2019)Lewis Erskine at Sundance 2017 “Examine Your Privilege"