This Place, These People: book
The numbers of farms and farmers on the Great Plains are dwindling. But disappearing even faster are the farm places – the houses, barns, and outbuildings that made the rural landscape a place of inhabitation. Nancy Warner’s photographs tell the stories of buildings that were once loved but have now been abandoned. Juxtaposed with the images are voices of Nebraska farm people, lovingly recorded by sociologist David Stark. These plain-spoken recollections tell of a way of life that continues to evolve in the face of wrenching change. As you contemplate these spare, formal photographs, you are invited to listen to the cadences and tough-minded humor of everyday speech in the Great Plains. Stark’s afterword grounds the project in the historical relationship between people and their land. In the tradition of Wright Morris, this combination of words and images is both art and document, evoking memories, emotions, and questions for anyone with rural American roots. David Stark is the Arthur Lehman Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Columbia University, where he directs the Center on Organizational Innovation. Photograph at left: Aloys Store and Transfer, 2007. Gelatin silver print. Clothbound, 10x10 inches, 128 pages 62 duotone reproductions 24 quotations
"This marvelous book offers us a glimpse of the ghost of the Great Plains as it makes a last appearance. We ought to be immensely grateful to Warner and Stark for inviting us to their deeply moving séance." —Ted Kooser, former U.S. Poet Laureate The photographs are available for sale, licensing, or exhibit.
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Columbia University Press (for a 30% discount, use promo code THISTA)
Amazon