Illinois Authors

Atria Books, New York : 2005.

Gordon Parks, acclaimed photographer, filmmaker, composer, and author of fiction and nonfiction, participated in, was witness to, and documented many of the major events in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries. He was first and foremost a celebrated photojournalist and fine art photographer whose work, collected and exhibited worldwide, is emblematic of American culture. Here, he reaches into the corridors of his memory and recounts the people and events that shaped him: from growing up poor on the Kansas prairie to withstanding the winters of Minnesota to living on the edge of starvation in Harlem during the Depression. He more than survived the challenges and crises of his life; he thrived and became one of the most celebrated and diversely talented figures in American culture.--From publisher description.

Atria Books, New York : 2005.

A collection of photographs and poems conveys the author's personality as a Renaissance American and consider his meditations and emotions pertaining to such topics as the war in Iraq and the tsunami tragedy.

Little, Brown, Boston : ©1996.

Features Gordon Park's most innovative and artistically dynamic works to date--evocative images of objects found in nature arranged in imaginary landscapes painted by the artist himself--alongside his most recent poems, including a moving homage to the Oklahoma City bombing.

Bulfinch Press, in association with the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Boston : 1998, ©1997.

An illustrated autobiography of photographer Gordon Parks, featuring three hundred photographs, including his work for "Vogue" and "Life" magazines; discussing his life; and providing essays and anecdotes about his images.

Harlem Moon, New York : 2005.

"Alone after his mother's death, homeless in a Minnesota winter, young Gordon Parks struggled to stay in school, working at menial jobs and riding streetcars all night to escape the cold. Refusing to succumb to despair, he instead transformed his anger at poverty and racism into a creative force and went on to break down one barrier after another. He was the first black photographer at Vogue and Life, and the first black screenwriter and director in Hollywood, at the helm of such projects as Shaft. And his novel, The Learning Tree, has sold more than a quarter of a million copies." "Spanning the major events of five decades, Voices in the Mirror takes readers from Minnesota and Washington, D.C., to the glamour of Paris and the ghettos of Rio and Harlem. Parks's intimate portrayals of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini; of the Muslim and African American icons Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, and Muhammad Ali; of the young militants of the civil rights and black power movements; and of the tragic experiences of the less famous, like the Brazilian youngster Flavio, combine to form an unforgettable story." "Gordon Parks's life is a metaphor for the courageous vision and extraordinary resilience of the African American community, while also serving as a testament to the spirit and generosity that are its hallmarks."--Jacket.