“Most American readers will harbor a prior, casual familiarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 based on newspaper headlines and events of the times; but for a more in-depth survey of the philosophies, approaches, and concerns of the protests, Portraits from the Revolution: Interviews with the Protestors from Occupy Wall Street, 30 September – 8 October 2011 is the item of choice, offering unprecedented depth and detail on the history and lasting impact of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Rob Couteau conducted a series of interviews with movement leaders; and while one might think the contents of these pieces would have been reported by the media - they were not. It’s also important to note that Portraits from the Revolution remains the only in-depth text interview of participants that is available: so if readers wish to gain more than a casual news report’s insights, Portraits from the Revolution is the item of choice.

Chapters explore not just each individual’s actions, but their backgrounds, reasons for participating in Occupy Wall Street, and their experiences, and offers criticism of media reporting of the movement’s history, intentions, and approaches.

From how participants decided to react to violent antagonism against the Occupy movement to the social and political ramifications of not just Occupy but the elements it opposed, these interviews capture participants from all walks of life, from teens to full-time workers, and turns the newspaper reports into a series of personal vignettes about Occupy’s deeper meaning.

Any who would better understand the events and the meaning behind news reports must turn to Portraits from the Revolution for a clearer vision of the ‘why and how’ of the times.”

– Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review