Due to its ability to freeze a moment in time; the photo is a uniquely powerful device for ordering and understanding the world. But when an image depicts complex; ambiguous; or controversial events--terrorist attacks; wars; political assassinations--its ability to influence perception can prove deeply unsettling. Are we really seeing the world "as it is" or is the image a fabrication or projection? How do a photos content and form shape a viewers impressions? What do such images contribute to historical memory? About to Die focuses on one emotionally charged category of news photograph--depictions of individuals who are facing imminent death--as a prism for addressing such vital questions. Tracking events as wide-ranging as the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake; the Holocaust; the Vietnam War; and 9/11; Barbie Zelizer demonstrates that modes of journalistic depiction and the power of the image are immense cultural forces that are still far from understood. Through a survey of a century of photojournalism; including close analysis of over sixty photos; About to Die provides a framework and vocabulary for understanding the news imagery that so profoundly shapes our view of the world.
#1014196 in eBooks 2004-08-01 2004-08-01File Name: B0046XQH7M
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Insiders View of JazzBy Fellow TravelerIve been reading Hentoff for over half a century and he never disappoints. In reading him here. one has the feeling of being at his side and following him around to the many smoke-filled. darkened night spots as he made the rounds of various jazz joints over the years. Hentoff shares his own views and stories of some of jazzs biggest names and what they themselves said about their music. Recommended.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Nat Hentoffs Personal Exploration of the Nature of Jazz and the Lives of Jazz GreatsBy karlojazzIn his introduction to Jazz Is. noted jazz critic and long-time jazz fan Nat Hentoff states his purpose: "This book is a selective tribute and guide to the jazz life. the players. and the music. It is not a chronological or comprehensive history. but rather a personal exploration through variegated seminal figures of the nature of the music (and how it keeps changing). And it is about the nature of those who make the music -- temperaments as disparate as those of Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. It tells too of the political economy of jazz. its internationalization. the continuing surprises of its further frontiers."Hentoff concentrates on a number of major figures in jazz and blends his own memories of attending concerts or nightclubs and also listening to recordings with recollections of encounters or interviews with some of these musicians or their peers. Separate chapters are devoted to the following musicians: Duke Ellington. Billie Holiday. Louis Armstrong. Teddy Wilson. Gerry Mulligan. Miles Davis. Charles Mingus. Charlie Parker. John Coltrane. Cecil Taylor. and Gato Barbieri. Another chapter near the end of the book focuses on what the author calls the political economy of jazz.Although the chapters on musicians lives and legacies make up the majority of this book. Hentoff adds to its interest by interspersing between chapters a brief collection of quotations from noted jazz musicians and critics regarding the definition of jazz. Hentoff provides no commentary on these various quotes but merely lets them stand apart from the rest of the text seemingly as a means of provoking readers thoughts.Anyone who has encountered Mr. Hentoffs perceptions of jazz through some of the liner notes written by him over the past few decades will recognize in this book a person with a genuine love for the music and an appreciation for its artists that borders on reverence and awe. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to learn about the way jazz has mattered in modern life in America.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great look into the personal lives of many jazz legendsBy Andrew HudsonA great look into the personal lives of many jazz legends. Nat Hentoff describes "ground zero" for many jazz events. as jazz was happening.
