"Eric Trules' THE POET AND THE CON is an extraordinary achievement that is both beautiful and useful. Useful, that is, in courses in sociology, American history and culture, philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, drama, and film (among others). Its beauty has to do with its depiction of two lost souls and their efforts to find themselves through calculated acts of truth and goodness. This journey towards reintegration should, in fact, make the film important in any venue that seeks to educate rather than merely to train hearts and minds."

Professor Ronald Gottesman, USC