The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Pride is an update and release of Fred McDarrah's seminal pictorial collection from 1994, which was released around the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This edition will be released around the 50th anniversary and includes a new forward by Pulitzer winner Hilton Als.
Due out 7th May 2019 from OR books, it'll be 240 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
It's been interesting to me to see the dichotomy between how much change has occurred in the last 50 years while not -seeming- to move forward quickly enough or comprehensively enough while living through it. These pictures provide a window into a vanished lifetime. These photos were taken pre-AIDS and there's a vanished exuberance in a lot of the pictures; everyone's more cautious (and smarter) now.
The pictures are accompanied by commentary and prose by iconic writers/poets, including Jill Johnston, Allen Ginsberg, and Hilton Als, as mentioned earlier.
This edition was re-titled from the original Gay Pride to be more inclusive. The photos are annotated well, but there's no index or cross referencing to speak of. For readers willing to put in some effort and dig a bit, there's an impressive amount of history to be mined. As someone who was a small child of politically active parents at the time, I can remember pride and peace marches aplenty. What I didn't know at the time was the human pain of which the political movements were born. In the modern American conservative political climate, I sincerely hope we're not headed back to those vanished days of brutality.
This would make a valuable support text for classroom modules for a number of history, culture, and gender studies subjects. There's mature content in the book, including sex and violence.
Four stars. Important work.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Pride is an update and release of Fred McDarrah's seminal pictorial collection from 1994, which was released around the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This edition will be released around the 50th anniversary and includes a new forward by Pulitzer winner Hilton Als.
Due out 7th May 2019 from OR books, it'll be 240 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
It's been interesting to me to see the dichotomy between how much change has occurred in the last 50 years while not -seeming- to move forward quickly enough or comprehensively enough while living through it. These pictures provide a window into a vanished lifetime. These photos were taken pre-AIDS and there's a vanished exuberance in a lot of the pictures; everyone's more cautious (and smarter) now.
The pictures are accompanied by commentary and prose by iconic writers/poets, including Jill Johnston, Allen Ginsberg, and Hilton Als, as mentioned earlier.
This edition was re-titled from the original Gay Pride to be more inclusive. The photos are annotated well, but there's no index or cross referencing to speak of. For readers willing to put in some effort and dig a bit, there's an impressive amount of history to be mined. As someone who was a small child of politically active parents at the time, I can remember pride and peace marches aplenty. What I didn't know at the time was the human pain of which the political movements were born. In the modern American conservative political climate, I sincerely hope we're not headed back to those vanished days of brutality.
This would make a valuable support text for classroom modules for a number of history, culture, and gender studies subjects. There's mature content in the book, including sex and violence.
Four stars. Important work.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
claudia_is_reading's review
4.0
A new edition of a classic book about the gay community, this is a great document, filled with great photographies, anecdotes and little bits of info.
The author is the first staff photographer and first picture editor of the iconic Village Voice, and that should be enough to tell you how good it is.
A must-read for anyone interested in the LGTB history.
The author is the first staff photographer and first picture editor of the iconic Village Voice, and that should be enough to tell you how good it is.
A must-read for anyone interested in the LGTB history.
briannareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book was short and sweet! Such a great collection of pictures with short descriptions and quotes that give you a deeper look into what was happening in New York City in the months and years after Stonewall. It also introduced me to a wide range of LGBT New Yorkers that I hadn't heard about before!
This book was short and sweet! Such a great collection of pictures with short descriptions and quotes that give you a deeper look into what was happening in New York City in the months and years after Stonewall. It also introduced me to a wide range of LGBT New Yorkers that I hadn't heard about before!
chelton's review
4.0
On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. This was not an uncommon occurrence, as most bars catering to the LGBTQ+ community were raided regularly during the 1960s. However, this night was remarkable for the reaction— bar patrons, fed up with constant harassment, fought back. What immediately followed was six days of protests and continued confrontations with police. Now, it’s marked as the beginning of an organized effort for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.
Fred W. McDarrah, staff photographer for the Village Voice, was on the scene that night. Though his broad series of works have become iconic, these particular photos sparked a close association with the LGBTQ+ rights movement in New York City. He continued to photograph and document the community through the 1990s. Originally published in 1994, this collection of photographs has been revised and expanded to coincide with the 2019 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
As a collection of McDarrah’s work, this book works brilliantly. McDarrah has a way of snapping shots that feels organic. They’re natural, unobtrusive, and a little dangerous. It’s almost as if the pages aren’t handled carefully, the action in each picture might be disrupted. His photos feel as though they are windows, the figures playing out their scenes just beyond the page.
From a historical context, there are a few issues. The Trans community does have some representation, though named Trans individuals are mostly limited to a few spreads of Marsha P. Johnson. Considering the sheer volume of Trans activists promoting LGBTQ+ rights, this seems off.
As well, the introduction to this updated reissue mentions that the original title Gay Pride was switched to just Pride in order to be more inclusive. There are a series of small essays and quotations peppered throughout the book, and some of this space is given to Jim Fouratt. While Fouratt has been a gay activist, he’s also promoted many anti-Trans comments. It’s not that his work should be struck from history, but his prominence here is unfortunate.
There is also no material beyond the mid-1990s, but that solidly keeps this book as just a piece of the story. A pictorial history of any movement should not be an absolute history. The incredible photography should, and does, stand on its own, but it also require supplemental materials to be complete.
However, when viewed with a limited scope, as McDarrah’s front row seat to a piece of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, this book clicks.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpress.com/
Fred W. McDarrah, staff photographer for the Village Voice, was on the scene that night. Though his broad series of works have become iconic, these particular photos sparked a close association with the LGBTQ+ rights movement in New York City. He continued to photograph and document the community through the 1990s. Originally published in 1994, this collection of photographs has been revised and expanded to coincide with the 2019 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
As a collection of McDarrah’s work, this book works brilliantly. McDarrah has a way of snapping shots that feels organic. They’re natural, unobtrusive, and a little dangerous. It’s almost as if the pages aren’t handled carefully, the action in each picture might be disrupted. His photos feel as though they are windows, the figures playing out their scenes just beyond the page.
From a historical context, there are a few issues. The Trans community does have some representation, though named Trans individuals are mostly limited to a few spreads of Marsha P. Johnson. Considering the sheer volume of Trans activists promoting LGBTQ+ rights, this seems off.
As well, the introduction to this updated reissue mentions that the original title Gay Pride was switched to just Pride in order to be more inclusive. There are a series of small essays and quotations peppered throughout the book, and some of this space is given to Jim Fouratt. While Fouratt has been a gay activist, he’s also promoted many anti-Trans comments. It’s not that his work should be struck from history, but his prominence here is unfortunate.
There is also no material beyond the mid-1990s, but that solidly keeps this book as just a piece of the story. A pictorial history of any movement should not be an absolute history. The incredible photography should, and does, stand on its own, but it also require supplemental materials to be complete.
However, when viewed with a limited scope, as McDarrah’s front row seat to a piece of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, this book clicks.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpress.com/
claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
A new edition of a classic book about the gay community, this is a great document, filled with great photographies, anecdotes and little bits of info.
The author is the first staff photographer and first picture editor of the iconic Village Voice, and that should be enough to tell you how good it is.
A must-read for anyone interested in the LGTB history.
The author is the first staff photographer and first picture editor of the iconic Village Voice, and that should be enough to tell you how good it is.
A must-read for anyone interested in the LGTB history.
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