Portraits of Earth Justice: Americans Who Tell the Truth

by Robert Shetterly, 128 pages, 8½x11¼, hardcover. In 2002 Robert Shetterly started painting portraits in response to the impending war in Iraq. Channeling his anger into something positive, he chose as his subjects important figures, both living and dead, who speak truth to power. In each painting a quote from the subject is scratched into the canvas. What he originally intended as a series of 50 has now grown to more than 265 portraits, 50 of which are included in this book. There are five Mainers in this collection (including Russell Libby and Rachel Carson) along with other familiar figures like Wendell Berry, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and my personal hero Steven Donziger. All are accompanied by concise biographies and framed by essays about earth justice. By using art to illuminate the ongoing struggle to realize America’s ideals, Shetterly’s work has led to an ongoing mission of teaching empowerment and citizenship throughout the country. Shetterly says he can’t help but fall in love with each subject he paints. By surrounding himself with people he admires, he has realized his initial goal. The reader, similarly, may feel uplifted by spending some time with these profiles of courage. -NK