by E.L. Doctorow; picture editor J.C. Suares
In his introduction, novelist Doctorow {Ragtime, Loon Lake) calls this photo book "a pictorial anthem of the United States, from the snapped moments of its self-revealing character." In his brief essays accompanying the 152 pictures, Doctorow extends himself occasionally past the moment, struggling to find eternity at a football game or in a sunset. For the most part, though, Doctorow's contributions splendidly complement the striking color portraits of Americana, the work of 81 photographers, from Sam Abell to Jonathan Wright. The pictures, chosen and beautifully presented by Suares, a designer, are refreshingly new. And Doctorow's words are usually those of one who knows exactly how much he needs to say, how much common ground he can take for granted. Of firemen, he writes, "The loneliness of simple firemen in a complicated world creates strong bonds among them. They crouch in their dismay before irremediable blazes. They mourn structures. They comfort each other." Of children, he writes: "We dress them in the presumptions of the world. They are the bright small face of hope. They are the last belief we have, the belief in making them believe." (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $55)
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