Walker Evans: Photographer of America
Grade 5–9—This is a well-written and insightful look at the professional and personal life of a 20th-century photographer. Although Evans originally wanted to be a writer, he had photos printed in small magazines and in some galleries while still in his 20s. Nau recounts his friendships with Hart Crane and James Agee, among others, which led to other assignments. Eventually, Evans went to work forFortunemagazine where he spent 20 years. The America that he documented was often that of ordinary people and disappearing architecture. Rich in details and unstaged, his works offer candid glimpses of our society, from Coney Island in the 1920s to Southern tenant farmers in the 1930s, and, later, to small towns and signs in the '70s. Excellent examples of the various periods appear throughout. The text succeeds in portraying his determination to photograph what mattered to him rather than what conventional wisdom might have dictated. Although the focus is on his professional life, mention is made of his marriages and bouts with alcoholism. This slim volume provides a thoughtful depiction of a complex man whose artistry with a camera immortalized many aspects of American society.—Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.