About LaPorte, Indiana
These are real people. The grace and dignity one sees in their faces should be a source of hope for us all.”
—John Mellencamp
FOUND Magazine editor Jason Bitner has made it a habit of picking up after us, walking down the back alleys of our lives, and accumulating all that we’ve thrown away or mislaid. One afternoon not long ago, after lunch at a small Midwestern diner, he stumbled onto a forgotten archive. In the back of the restaurant were box upon box of studio portraits of the townspeople of LaPorte, Indiana—over 18,000 in total.
Taken over three decades by photographer Frank Pease, the photos marked many important milestones—a sailor in uniform, a graduate in cap and gown, a couple newly engaged—while others simply made modest attempts at posterity. Each in its unique way reveals both a public and private face, a story untold, a secret to reveal. They are brief moments and ones in which people have purposefully posed for the camera. Smiling. Caring. Loving. Pensive. Serious. These are pictures of all of us in a way, reflections in a mirror of the everyday moments and events that define all of our lives. LaPorte, Indiana is a major cultural excavation and an opening into these lives, into this town, and into the heart of our nation.
Congratulations, Deb Wood! Deb was cited in the Step Inside Design "State of Design
2007" issue for her work on LaPorte, Indiana and More Than Words (both books published by the endlessly awesome Princeton Architectural Press). Amongst many accolades, Step’s Michelle Taute writes, "These unlabeled photos may never reveal the truth, but the volume’s design compellingly invites readers to guess at the answers." Deb and PAPress deserve every bit of recognition that they receive — keep up the incredible work!
Click the image below to get the full scoop!
Yesterday, Canada’s National Post ran a beautiful feature on LaPorte, Indiana in their "Issues and Ideas" section. Along with an except from the book, the feature includes LaPorte, Indiana portraits and updates on the subjects’ present whereabouts.
To get a big view of the article, click the image below!
Straight from Prague, crazy art/culture magazine Hype ran a review of LaPorte, Indiana in their latest print issue. If anyone out there wants to take a crack at the Czech, click on the image below. Many thanks to Pavel Turek, who put the piece together for Hype.
In the new edition of Folk Art Magazine (Winter, 2007) editor Tanya Heinrich sat down with Jason Bitner to chat about LaPorte, Indiana. Heinrich is a masterful interviewer not so much for her well-framed and interesting inquiries but for the wide knowledge of folk art that she brings to an interview. And next time you’re in New York City, check out the museum behind Folk Art Magazine, The American Folk Art Museum.
To read Bitner and Heinrich’s conversation, click the image below:
A while back we told you that Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister of Long Haul Productions crafted a great radio story about LaPorte, Indiana. We’re happy to update that their story will be airing nationally on NPR’s Day to Day!
Catch the program the day after Christmas, Tuesday, December 26th. The LaPorte, Indiana story should be about 40 minutes into the program. So, as you’re playing with all of your new toys, don’t forget to have Day to Day playing in the background!
We’re in love with quite a few lit-bloggers, but the gals over at BookSlut are certainly some of the best out there. So, we got excited when we heard that Carrie Jones reviewed LaPorte, Indiana in November non-fiction section! She’s a great reviewer who has a knack for catching the tender moments of a text (check out her BookSlut review archive here), and she did not disappoint with her Laporte, Indiana review. Here’s a taste:
For every unimaginative person who throws away old family photos or who is not captivated by a prom photo blowing in the wind, there are people like Bitner who want to explore the mysteries of our airbrushed pasts and challenge us to make something of the thoughts those documents inspire.
Read the full review here.
We’ve always totally loved the book spine that designer Deb
Wood crafted out of Frank Pease silhouettes. Nine LaPorte
lookers stacked and gazing westward. So we were psyched to see the
LaPorte book used as a prop in the October/November issue of ReadyMade.
Check it there on page 78, illustrating how a book light should illuminate your
favorite reads. Go Deb!
The latest Stop Smiling magazine is their "Ode to the Midwest" issue, and contributing writer Jim Dempsey wrote a glowing review of LaPorte, Indiana in the latest issue. Dempsey concludes his article by saying:
… these moments are more than tender, they represent a psychological place where vulnerability can dance carelessly, where adoration is encouraged and the perfect smile is effortless. LaPorte, Indiana is a true collection of hope, revealing through these Midwestern Americans who we are and who we might be.
Check out the full review below.
Last week, Jesse Thorn interviewed Jason Bitner on his The Sound of Young America radio show on KSFS San Francisco, where they chatted about the LaPorte, Indiana book. Check out the podcast version of the program here!