The FIRST LOOK [Paperback]

Amelia Davis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0252069250 | ISBN-13: 978-0252069253 | Publication Date: September 14, 2000

Grappling head-on with America's "hidden killer," "The First Look" presents direct statements from breast cancer survivors together with photographs of their post surgery bodies. This powerful volume counters the fear of the unknown by providing concrete information on what breast cancer survival looks and feels like. Amelia Davis's bold photographs equip those facing surgery with real information on what to expect, on reconstructive options, and on lymphedema, a frequent result of mastectomy. This essential book also provides companions-in-arms for newcomers to the battle against cancer. Behind each photograph, behind each story is a woman who triumphed. Their ""battle wounds"" serve as reminders of the resilience of the female spirit and as symbols of survival, perseverance, and strength. A diverse portrait of renewal, regeneration, and most of all reality, "The First Look" presents mothers, grandmothers, wives, and daughters ranging in age from twenty-five to seventy-six. Some have undergone reconstructive surgery or been fitted with prostheses; some have not. All have struggled with cancer's wide-ranging impact on their bodies, their relationships, and their daily lives. "Posing for this book...is sort of like 'coming out,'" a twenty-eight-year-old subject of this book reports. By taking a stand to make breast cancer visible rather than hidden, "The First Look" affirms the human body as an art form, not only as it was created, but also as it is reshaped in the course of a life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

San Francisco-based photographer Davis, whose mother had breast cancer, felt that women who had faced surgery and the loss of their breast should be given a forum to express feelings about the experience and a means for others to see what they themselves saw upon their "first look" at a postmastectomy body. The pride and determination of these women are evident in the postures and body language of each headless figure. The words vary from elegant to simplistic, erudite to crude, while the photos run the gamut as well, from perfectly reconstructed breasts to unbelievable scars and emptiness. Some of these photos are inspiring; others will make you gasp and wail. A fine chapter on reconstruction and a brief discussion of lymphedema by, respectively, a plastic surgeon and a nurse who is the founder of the National Lymphedema Network, round out this slim volume. These portraits are not as artistic as those in Winged Victory: Altered Images (Photographic Gallery of Fine Art Bks., 1996), and the contributions are not as stirring as those in Art.Rage.Us (LJ 7/98), but the photographs in The First Look will have the most impact. No one who sees them will remain unmoved. For all libraries. Bette-Lee Fox, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

As breast cancer continues to be epidemic in America, despite technological advancements, what women most fear is how a breast may look after surgery. Davis' black-and-white photographs, coupled with their subjects' stark personal essays, take major strides toward disarming the dread in that first postsurgery look. Some of the women photographed, who are identified only by first name and age, have had reconstructive surgery, some haven't, and some have lost both breasts. All of these "invisible amputees" speak frankly about their fears and trials, joys and triumphs, sharing the most intimate physical and emotional scars in this long overdue, nonpareil book. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (September 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252069250
• ISBN-13: 978-0252069253
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.