Customer Reviews

Holding Out and Hanging on: Surviving Hurricane Katrina

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The devastation and aftermath of hurricane Katrina brought to light a truly American vulnerability as being one of the worst disasters of our time. But as they years have begun to pass, the plight of the survivors, once so prominent on the evening news and in the speeches of politicians, has faded back into obscurity and neglect. Baton Rouge photographer Thomas Neff seeks to restore public awareness of the continuing necessity for attention to rebuilding the lives and communities that were so badly damaged by compiling his black-and-white photographs, combined with forty-five days of interviews with the people affected by the hurricane in "Holding Out And Hanging On: Surviving Hurricane Kartrina". Showcasing some remarkable people living and trying to rebuild under exceptionally difficult circumstances, as well as photographically documenting the extend of the damages still awaiting the promised attention and resources from state and federal agencies, "Holding Out And Hanging On" is a clarion testament to the enduring human spirit as representative individual stories are told. Simply stated, every community library in the country should have a copy of "Holding Out And Hanging On" in their collections so that the politicians and the people will remember what happened, what was done, and what remains to be done.

The drive down from Chicago to the French Quarter in the canteen left me feeling heavy hearted & speechless. The vast area that hurricane Katrina hit left behind a sea of wasteland like nothing I'd ever seen before. Some areas were completely wiped out where others were only battered, yet the people I met along the way while serving with the Salvation Army in the French Quarter were such a blessing. It was one afternoon in the French Quarter that I met Mr. Neff--I was on my way back from delivering supplies and checking on some of the neighbors. By this time the media was swarming the streets looking for new sensational stories for the headlines. I must say that I did meet a few that tried to report more uplifting personal stories of survival but the majority did not--they were insensitive and disrespectful to the residents. Mr. Neff had a sincere interest in the people he met & photographed, and you can see it in his subjects' eyes: their transparency and trust. Mr. Neff's body of work gives the reader a glimpse into his subjects' lives during this most difficult time. Thank you for recording what words cannot fully express.

Thomas Neff is a remarkable photographer and this book sharing the real impact of Katrina on people's lives is powerful, timeless, truthful in an inside and honest way that no casual viewer could comprehend. Neff's vision is sophisticated but pure, trained but revealing in its simplicity, visually poetic with the abhorrent facts of life that have been so cruel to so many. If that weren't enough, there are the essential, heroic and stunningly conveying essays which accompany each image. The photographs share so much comprehensive visual information that one needn't ask for more, but by conveying a much broader and richer context for each image through writing and story telling, a nearly complete cultural mosaic is spun, surrounding the milestone and epic event so unique in US History. This book will stand through time as a classic conveyance of important information about an event that we all know about, but certainly haven't had, until this book provided us with it, an insider's view of the real nitty-gritty that is life, both cruel and beautiful. Way to go, Thomas Neff. Such a brilliant work which we should all feel grateful to comprehend.

Armed with a thorough history of the medium and a flawless technique that has played out over a distinguished career, Mr. Neff has produced a timeless and distinct look into a photographic story untold by the weekend warriors of popular media. The photographs in Holding Out and Hanging On are an extended conversation, empathetic moments that live far beyond the click of the shutter and into a tragedy that has long been forgotten by it's neighbors and countrymen. The photographs are the eye and the heart of a man who is compassionate, realistic, courageous beyond belief and a model for who we should strive to be. As the portraits separate themselves from the time of exposure, the complex clarity and humanity of Neff's photographs are further revealed as a critically important document of the people who lived though Hurricane Katrina as well as an informative and poetic addition to the canon of concerned photography.

Mr. Neff has been my friend and mentor for over ten years now and I could not be more proud to own this necessary book of socially and historically necessary photography that is flawless in it's execution and communion with the spirit and people of New Orleans.

Bradly Dever Treadaway
Faculty Member, The International Center of Photography
New York, NY

Neff has produced a magnificent book here of portraits of Katrina victims. These are the REAL people and stories from Katrina!

Of all the Katrina books, this is one of my favorites. I also have been photographing post Katrina New Orleans since October 2005 and this is one of the few books by other photographers that I have purchased. The book is done with sensitivity and insight into this once in a lifetime event. I strongly recommend.

The author printed stories of real people. We were able to see how they lived from day-to-day. The author's perspective was different from that of the television. Blessings to you!