A coffee table book that takes you through time and space - of a centuries-old pseudo-city of American industry that mirrors the larger American society.

IDYLL depicts a broken city that is Paterson - a symbol of urban and social decay in motion - and a poetic re-imagination of the American dream. It is a lyrical interrogation of the American Dream set in Paterson, New Jersey, told through the singular experience of America’s first industrial city and its people. The documentary project began in 2016.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Todd R. Darling photographed Paterson because it was a prototype for industrial cities and represents the myth of America. Inspired by local poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg, Darling wandered the city crafting an allegory about America, delivered through the city of Paterson and her people.