Photography matters; writes Jerry Thompson; because of how it works -- not only as an artistic medium but also as a way of knowing. With this provocative observation; Thompson begins a wide-ranging and lucid meditation on why photography is unique among the picture-making arts. He constructs an argument that moves with natural logic from Thomas Pynchon (and why we read him for his vision and not his command of miscellaneous facts) to Jonathan Swift to Plato to Emily Dickinson (who wrote "Tell all the Truth but tell it slant") to detailed readings of photographs by Eugegrave;ne Atget; Garry Winogrand; Marcia Due; Walker Evans; and Robert Frank. Forcefully and persuasively; he argues for photography as a medium whose business is not constructing fantasies pleasing to the eye or imagination; but describing the world in the toughest and deepest way.
#114053 in eBooks 2005-05-03 2016-02-25File Name: B00EUV5GUE
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Check Out Big MamaBy GKI really enjoyed Big Mama Thornton: The Life and Music. It is about time that Big Mama got more notice. I feel she had one of the greatest voices in American music history; and she does not get near enough attention. There was a lot of interesting information in the book that I was unaware of. It is obvious that it was well-researched; and her performances and recordings were well covered. Personal information about Big Mama seemed a little light on detail; but I got the impression that few people really knew her well ndash; or maybe few are still around? If yoursquo;re a Big Mama fan; I would recommend checking out the book. If yoursquo;re not a Big Mama fan; than I would recommend that you become one because you donrsquo;t know what yoursquo;re missing.8 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Left me wanting moreBy Mark S. CrawfordThis telling of Big Mama Thornton whetted my appetite for more. In the authors defense; it must have been a challenge to find any primary information about her. He states in the Acknowledgement section that sometimes the research was a race against time. With that said; after reading the book I dont feel like I know more about the person. For $35 one would expect a comprehensive telling of her life. Ive read many biographies about musicians and they often get bogged down recounting the details of tours and band personnel; and less about the person.Beyond that; its curious to me what the author does mention in passing; but never expounds on. For example; the question of her sexually was brought up; but the author dismisses any alternative lifestyle as rumors and unsubstantiated. If thats the case; why even mention it at all? A serious car accident is mentioned with no follow-up. Her "sickness" is also referred to well before the final chapter; but no details are given. Were there not some kind of detailed medical records still existing that would shed insight on her illness and ultimately her death? Was there no obituary? In addition; given the decades in which she grew up and became popular; I dont recall reading much about issues related to race.The book has many quotes from interviews with the author. However; to get a sense of how she was viewed as a "commodity" I would have also liked to have read comments from record executives; music publisher; promoters; etc. Similarly; to get a sense of her on a personal level; talking with past friends; family; and acquaintances from Alabama; Oakland; San Francisco; and LA might have painted a more detailed picture.The book has many positive points. There are several pictures that span her life. There is also an informative discography; as well as a time line; and a list of TV appearances; films; DVDs and videos. A book about Big Mama is long overdue; and the author should be praised for completing this project. Curiously; the author is not even from the US; hes from Germany. If it werent for the Europeans appreciation of our indigenous music; there is no telling what stories would be lost to time.For someone whose life was about; and full of; the blues; I didnt development any empathy for her plight. I wanted to feel her pain; I wanted to know why she did the things she did and why she was the way she was. Ive been to her gravesite and its rather sad to see where it is; shared with others; its on one of the perimeters of the cemetery; butted up to a fence next to a busy and noisy local road. Not a very dignified place of rest.5 of 7 people found the following review helpful. List of Big Mamas gigs - thats about allBy Judy DalglieshI was hoping to learn more about Big Mama Thornton; as I am a fan of her. However; this book more or less just reads like a list of when and where she played certain venues. Lacking in any personal information or insight.