Portraits from the Desert: Bill Wright's Big Bend

Book Description

The Big Bend is one of the last places left in America that's a long way from anywhere. Maybe that's why it draws such an eclectic range of people. Certainly it was Big Bend's unexplored remoteness that drew Bill Wright and three high school friends on an Easter break in 1950. Since that earliest visit, he has returned to Big Bend again and again, finding sustenance in its spare, desert landscapes and in friendships with the people who have found a home there. In this book, Wright combines deeply observed photographs with a beautifully written text to offer an intimate portrait of the people and the land of the Big Bend. Covering an almost-fifty-year span, his words and images capture both the timeless quality of the region and the changes that have followed in the wake of increasing tourism and human settlement. The heart of the book is Wright's portraits of the people who have added unique chapters to the Big Bend story. From artist Donald Judd, who found the perfect setting for his work in Marfa, to Terlingua and Lajitas residents who gladly forego urban amenities to the Mexican villagers who have offered him hospitality, Wright explores why so many people have developed an almost mythic attachment to the Big Bend.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect portrait of the Big Bend.......2007-08-28

I have visited the Big Bend more than two dozen times over more than that many years and have never found a book that captured the land and the people as well as this one by Bill Wright. I remember years ago searching for something like this. I could only find a photo book of the canyons back then but this is a book with much greater depth and it did not stop at just the geological. Wright does a top notch job of introducing the wild characters who inhabit the spaces between mountain and desert; the ones who live on the sand road that goes back behind the mesa. You won't regreat adding this book to your home library.

A Superb Read.......2007-07-05

I live in the greater Big Bend area; and, was surprised to discover my newest neighbors were Bill and Alice Wright. Bill's reputation is that of a great photographer; but, it will become immediately apparent to you when you read this book, that Bill is a great story teller. You will not soon lay this book down, nor forget the colorful stories revealed in his experiences of the Big Bend area.

West Texas as it really is.......2004-01-05

Photographer and writer Bill Wright comes from the West Texas town of Abilene: roughly eight hours drive at a steady seventy from his beloved Big Bend National Park. In Texas that, along with the fact that he's been visiting the park since childhood, pretty much makes him a local.

Texas has a considerable modern history, quite apart from it's more ancient nomadic inhabitants, and Wright maintains a consciousness of this in his travels through these southern borderlands of the USA. Passport controls do indeed exist at the border bridges into Mexico, along with stern warnings that it is illegal for Texans to carry guns into the neighbouring country, but the border patrols continue for nearly sixty miles across the desert into the USA with major checkpoints ocurring at the towns of Marfa and Marathon. The area South of these checkpoints, where Wright's portraits were made, are known as The Badlands and have been for the past 150 years.

Put simply Wright has an abundance of curiosity, the essential requirement of the documentary photographer; and a considerable degree of patience in the fact that he only really began making this book after a lifetime of visits. Be he visiting with the photographer Etta Koch, writing about "Crazy" Angie, who apparently isn't and operates the theatre at Terlingua Ghost Town, or photographing the rancher Buck Newsome, the white hat line on whose forehead clearly explaining how his life has been spent, Wright, while mentioning the people he was with and the details of the trip, never puts himself over the people or places he introduces to his readers. The border in West Texas might be described as permeable, with several unguarded but regularly used fords exisiting along the river. One such ford exists at a place called Lajitas, today a resort town bought lock stock and barrel by a billionaire and now boasting "the world's only international golf course", but Bill Wright digs deeper under the surface harking back to the time when the ford was an important crossing on the trail from Mexico city to the Spanish province of Nueva Viscaya. He remarks upon the "politically constructed" nature of the border between the States and their Southern neighbour, and the fact that locals continue to move freely across the Rio Grande even to this day. In an aside his thoughts wander to the realisation that where in the past Texas Rangers patrolled these areas, to keep international cattle rustling to a minimum, today the trade is reversed and the border patrols and enforcement agencies are more concerned with preventing the importation of illegal drugs. But for the local populace life continues much the same and Spanish remains the predominant language.

In many ways the story as a whole is about Wright and his experiences, but more about the manner in which the place molded him over the years than any form of personal recollection. For Texas is very much about the land. He has been absolutely true to his subjects and in this book he presents that very rare sort of travelogue that will be enjoyed by visitors, people who only ever visit far flung lands from the comfort of their own living rooms, and especially the residents of the Big Bend itself; who will understand.

A book rarity, superb photographs joined to a stylish text........1998-11-07

This fine book will give the reader a good look and feel for the Big Bend of Texas.

Awesome place, beautiful book................1998-10-31

Although I am a native Texan, I have never visited Big Bend. Through the author's experiences with the people he met along the way, Big Bend has become more than the awesome pictures. I'm planning a trip. Bill Wright is a wonderful writer as well as photographer - I hope there are more books to come. Sounds as if he has travelled the world.

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The Traveler's Reading Guide. Ready Made Reading Lists For The Armchair Traveler.
Maggie Simony
Manufacturer: Facts On File Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUMJ88

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The Traveler's Reading Guide: Ready-Made Reading Lists for the Armchair Traveler
Maggie Simony
Manufacturer: Facts on File
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 081601244X

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Lots of fun

The Traveler's Reading Guide: Ready-Made Reading Lists for the Armchair Traveler
Maggy Simony
Manufacturer: Checkmark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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France Today: A New and Revised Edition of "France in the 1980s"

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ASIN: 0816026572

Customer Reviews:

Lots of fun.......2001-03-07

I have used the earlier edition (1983) of this book for years - not only as a source for places I plan to visit, but as a handy reference when inquiring friends ask for suggestions before embarking on trips or when asking for ideas for pleasure reading. The(1993)later edition is equally valuable. Although the listings are by necessity subjective and limited, the editor has done a great job of selecting titles that are educational, historic, and just plain fun. Her fiction selections include the better-known mystery titles of many countries, which is a delight for those of us who enjoy getting to know a country through less erudite and more so-called "low-brow" means. This book could easily become a necessary and much-used addition to the libraries of most book lovers.

Book Description

The thing was that me and Rise were blood brothers, but sometimes I really didn't know him. . . .

As Jesse fills his sketchbook with drawings and portraits of Rise, he tries to make sense of the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and loss in a neighborhood plagued by drive-bys, vicious gangs, and abusive cops.

Customer Reviews:

Autobiograpy of my dead brother.......2007-03-15

The book Autobiography of My Dead Brother, by Walter Dean Myers, tells the interesting and moving tale of one boy's struggle to live and learn in the harsh city he lives in. The story takes place in a small city called Amsterdam, where poverty stricken families live in small apartments across town. Amsterdam is full of shootings, drug abuse, and violence; Jesse works on writing and illustrating the story of his best friend Rise. From childhood to teenage years, his illustrations and stories capture the essence of life in the ghetto. But as Rise fades away from his friends and gets into trouble with gangs and drug dealing, the story turns for the worse.
When Jesse asks Rise about his new life he responds: "This is about real life, not about no dreams and stories. Real life, man. You can close your eyes and think about what you want to happen and what you want to see. But when you open your eyes, it's still the same old streets and the same old hurts."
I really enjoyed this book. I found it depressing, but meaningful. I learned more about how lucky we are not to take things for granted in our lives and society. If I could change one thing about this story, I would make it shorter because parts of it can be dull. I'd also change the ending which leaves the reader wondering what's next. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dramatic fiction and is a fan of Walter Dean Myer's first-person writing style I'd also recommend reading some of his other books such as Slam and Fallen Angels.

To Rise and Fall.......2007-01-08

In Autobiography of My Dead Brother, Walter Dean Myers tells a unique tale of a friendship made and lost. When Jesse and Rise get into hot water, Rise is shot and Jess is forced to deal with the loss of his best friend. He soon finds many things out about himself he never knew.
I certainly beleive that this book is a great read for anyone and it could teach everyone something about life. jesse is an example of how to overcome a struggle and young people could lear a lot from him and his strength. I really enjoyed this book and honestly believe i became a more powerful person because of it.

An important teen read with beautiful black and white illustrations.......2006-01-25

Teenager Jesse is writing the autobiography of his childhood friend and "blood brother" Rise, in a series of sketches, portraits, and comic strips from their times together. Rise is a little older than Jesse and is starting to be pulled in by the allure of the protection of gangs and the easy money of drugs. His biographer, Jesse, is confused by the change in his friend, and by Rise's attempts to turn the local boys' club into a street gang at war with neighborhood rivals. Given the title of the novel, one can only guess what the outcome of Rise's foray into drugs, guns, crime, and the power struggle is going to be.

Narrator Jesse provides the reader with an honest (and many times perplexed) insider look at the allure of street gangs. As his world spins out of control, he is torn by a love for the blood brother Rise used to be and his parents' urging that he cut all ties with his friends and the boys' club. Unforgettable, with fresh and realistic characters.

The comic of Spodi Roti and Wise was brilliant........2006-01-22

This was an enthralling read. I liked the depth of this book and it painted a realistic portrait of poverty and gang life. The best part of this book was the incorporation of the comics and illustrations into the plot. The comic of Spodi Roti and Wise was brilliant. I also liked how most of the main characters in this book were not gang members or looking to be involved in gangs but simply wanted to survive long enough to explore their talents in music and artistry. It's nice to have a book about poverty and class that doesn't stereotype but gives a more realistic and in-depth picture.

An in-your-face tale of growing up and getting by in the inner-city.......2005-10-21

To pick up a book written by Walter Dean Myers is to expect nothing less than literary greatness. Among his many accolades, MONSTER was the first winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, a National Book Award Finalist, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book. He has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults and has penned over 70 award-winning books intended for a wide age range of readers, from picture books to teen novels. His son, Christopher Myers, is a Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor recipient, and has illustrated a number of breathtaking books for young readers, including his solo effort entitled BLACK CAT.

In AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER, it is therefore not surprising that the father and son team has once again created a true-to-life story that is profoundly moving and one that boldly addresses many of the prevailing conflicts confronting urban youth today.

As in many of Dean Myers's other books, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER opens with a bang. Fifteen-year-old Jesse and his friends C.J. and seventeen-year-old Rise are attending a funeral of one of their own from their Harlem neighborhood who was recently gunned down in a drive-by shooting. Understandably, the mood in the church is quite somber and the three boys are faced once again with the reality of living --- and dying --- in the 'hood. After the funeral, the boys separate from their parents and go to the park to hang out. In a rare moment of clarity, Rise says what's on all of their minds: "You know, it's hard when somebody gets wasted. Bobby G was good people and everything, but that's why you have to make your life special every day. You never know when your time is up."

As the novel progresses, the idea of living each day to its fullest weighs differently on each of the boys. Jesse, the artist of the bunch (and the book's narrator), seems to be the most vulnerable of the group. His sensitive and boyish character lends a restive beauty to the story's telling as his urge to "fit in" ebbs and flows along with his struggle to determine what's "right" over what's "cool." C.J. is more stand-offish and prefers to spend most of his time away from the fray in church, playing the organ and expressing himself through his music. Rise is clearly the most brazen of the three, both verbally and physically, and tests his destiny daily by taunting rival neighborhood gangs, dealing coke on the street, and flaunting his carefree attitude by wearing flashy jewelry, driving fancy cars, and sporting a colorful (i.e. profane) vocabulary. When viewed side-by-side, the lives and philosophies of these three boys are the backbone of the story and create a convincing snapshot of what it feels like to be a teenager in Harlem.

Overall, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER is exactly what it sounds like: an in-your-face tale of growing up --- and getting by --- in the inner-city. In Walter Dean Myers's capable hands, this book powerfully addresses issues of race and class, life and death, with a rigor and strength many readers won't find in other contemporary offerings. Young boys especially will relate to Jesse's voice and will of course find solace in Christopher Myers's commanding renderings.

--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling

Autobiography of My Dead Brother, Performed by J.D. Jackson

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Autobiography of My Dead Brother, Performed by J.D. Jackson
Walter Dean Myers
Manufacturer: recorded books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1419384767

Product Description

From Booklist Gr. 8-11. Funerals for young black men, both murdered in drive-by shootings, begin and end Myers' sobering story about contemporary Harlem teens. Fifteen-year-old Jessie has always seen slightly older Rise as a hero, and the boys made a blood-brother bond as children. Then Rise pulls away, starts dealing drugs and "fronting cool," and Jessie struggles to find his old friend beneath the new persona. His search leads him to art, which is his great talent, and he begins to create a biography of Rise in pictures. Frequent and striking black-and-white illustrations, done by Christopher Myers, depict pivotal moments from the boys' youth; there are also comics-style panels, in which a bird-boy character asks how best to live and communicate truthfully. The plot, which drifts a bit, isn't the focus here. What will affect readers most is Jessie's sharp, sometimes poetic first-person voice and the spirited, rhythmic dialogue of other vivid characters, who ask piercing questions about how to survive the violence and hopelessness rooted through a neighborhood's generations. Gillian Engberg

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Autobiography of My Dead Brother
Walter Dean Myers
Manufacturer: Bt Bound
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Autobiography of my dead brother
Walter Dean Myers
Manufacturer: HarperTempest/Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LHBXP8

Book Description

The best-selling text emphasizes the relationships of humans to other living things. Human Biology remains user friendly; relevancy and pedagogy are among its strengths. Human Biology is suitable for use in one-semester biology courses that emphasize human physiology and the role that humans play in the biosphere.The application of biological principles to practical human concerns is now widely accepted as a suitable approach to the study of biology because it fulfills a great need. Human beings are frequently called upon to make decisions about their bodies and their environment. Wise decisions require adequate knowledge.In this edition, as in previous editions, each chapter presents the topic clearly, simply, and distinctly so that students will feel capable of achieving an adult level of understanding. Detailed, high-level scientific data and terminology are not included because Dr. Mader believes that true knowledge consists of working concepts rather than technical facility. Students and instructors alike will find the text stimulating and a pleasure to read and study, especially since the illustration program is outstanding and there are many spectacular four-color illustrations that integrate art with micrographs.

Human Biology With Esp Cd-Rom and Student Study Guide

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Human Biology With Esp Cd-Rom and Student Study Guide
UNKNOWN
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGJ14G

Book Description

This volume provides an overview of sulfur-coordinated transition metal complexes. It explores how studies of transition metal sulfur sites facilitate understanding of enzymatic and industrial catalytic systems, and it reviews recent research on synthetic analogs to nitrogenase and other transition metal sulfur enzymes relevant to industrial desulfurication. The volume examines synthesis, X-ray structures, and reactivity of transition metal sulfur complexes.

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Essential themes in the biochemical cycling of mercury are the relative importance of anthropogenic versus natural sources, transformation and migration processes at the local, regional and global scale, global emission inventories of different mercury sources (both point and diffuse) of both natural and anthropogenic origin. In this regard, Siberia, with its vast territory and variety of natural zones, is of special interest in the global mercury cycle and in terms of the influence of geographical zones on source and sink terms in regional budgets. Siberia contains large areas of mercuriferous belts; natural deposits that emit mercury into the atmosphere and water. Siberian gold has been mined with the use of mercury since the early 1800s. But there, too, huge forest zones and vast areas of tundra and wetland (bogs) can act as efficient sinks for atmospheric mercury.
Audience: Environmental scientists, legislators, politicians and the interested citizen wishing to gain a clear picture of the biogeochemical cycling of mercury.

Book Description

Roping a buffalo, running off cattle rustlers, sitting out a winter storm in a cave-adventures like these were all part of everyday life for the cowboy. They're depicted here in stories that have stood the test of time, by writers whose words are just as funny and wise today as they were one hundred years ago.
Covering all corners of the great Western expanse-from Montana to Mexico, California to the Mississippi-the stories in this collection represent not just the Anglo male perspective but also that of the blacks, Mexicans, and women who made their lives on the range. It features works by Owen Wister, Theodore Roosevelt, Frederic Remington, Isabella L. Bird, Nat Love, Bill Nye, Charlie Siringo, Zane Grey, Andy Adams, Mark Twain, E. Mulford, O. Henry (creator of the Cisco Kid), and many others, including some surprises by little-known authors.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable Cowboy Stories - both fiction and biography.......2006-05-04

Michael McCoy has compiled an enjoyable collection of eighteen cowboy tales written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I had expected Classic Cowboy Stories to be entirely fictional short stories. However, many entries are chapters taken from novels, biographies, and travel writings. McCoy was careful in his choices; these selections function quite effectively as independent stories. There is no sense of fragmentation or incompleteness.

Several authors were familiar like Owen Wister, Theodore Roosevelt, Frederic Remington, Zane Grey, and O. Henry, but most were new to me, including William MacLeod Raine, Clarence Mulford, Isabella Bird, F. R. Buckley, B. M. Bowers, Frank Benton, Bill Nye, Stewart Edward White, Eugene Rhodes, and Emerson Hough. For those that are counting, there are only fifteen authors; Owen Wister, Zane Grey, and O. Henry each had two selections.

I quite enjoyed these varied stories and I now make a few predictions. First, at some point I will return to this collection and read these stories again. Second, I will track down and read the sources of several of the biographical selections, particularly Theodore Roosevelt's Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail (1888), Isabella L. Bird's A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879), and Frederick Remington's Pony Tracks (1895). And third, I will once again read those two classic westerns, Owen Wister's The Virginian and Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage.

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