One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana [Hardcover]

C. D. Wright (Author), Deborah Luster (Author, Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Her photographs are lustrous and beautiful by themselves, but the addition of the poem makes the book doubly wonderful. -- New York Times, Book Review Desk, December 7, 2003, by Andy Grundberg

Her work is moving without ever seeming sentimental. -- Village Voice, Best Photo books of 2003, January 12th, 2004, by Vince Aletti

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Twin Palms Publishers (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931885257
• ISBN-13: 978-1931885256
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 11.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not just a good book, but a moral statement..., March 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana (Hardcover)

...about autonomy and (against) our incarceration-drunk nation. The long poem, or sets of poems, is, or are, superb (and closely related to Wright's last book-length poem, Deepstep Come Shining); the prisoners themselves decided how they wished to appear for their photographs, and had an exceptional amount of control over the visual results, making the visual part of the book a moving claim on their behalf, rather than (as often in "documentary" photography) just a descriptive claim "about" them. This is a monument and a triumph.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Big Self, March 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana (Hardcover)

On March 2, 2004, I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Luster. I bought the book so she could sign it. Seeing her explain this book to a Louisiana University was amazing. These photographs are breath taking, and I was lucky enough to participate in a demo on how she prints her photographs. Not everyone gets this opportunity, but I think everyone should take a close look at One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, March 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana (Hardcover)

A beautiful book in every way. Stunning photographs, brilliant poem/essay, exquisite design, important perspective. Ignore irrelevant comparisons. This is a wonderful book few others could match in any century.