Journey Through Literary America

by Thomas Hummel, Tamra Dempsey (Photographer)

This 304 page coffee table book takes a look at 26 of America s great authors and the places that inspired them. Unique to this book of literary biography is the element of the photograph. With over 140 photographs throughout, the images add mood and dimension to the writing and they are often shockingly close to what the featured authors described in their own words. Lushly illustrated, and beautifully designed, the book is as much of a pleasure to look at as it is to read.
Rags to riches. Forbidden loves. Supernatural experiences. Narrow escapes. Some of the greatest stories of American literature are the stories of the scribes themselves and of the places that sparked their imaginations. In 2007, writer Thomas Hummel and photographer Tamra Dempsey set out in search of the sources of inspiration for 26 of this country's greatest authors. Two years and twenty thousand miles later, the result is A Journey Through Literary America -- a literary pilgrimage in photography and prose. In the words of one reviewer, "this is a beautiful and necessary book."
Through seven sections, ranging from New England's Early Leafs to The Inner Migration, from America's Main Streets to Twentieth Century Excursions, A Journey Through Literary America examines the facets of the American literary experience by combining captivating biographies, arresting images, hand drawn maps by Sinclair Lewis and William Faulkner, and the words of the authors themselves. Unique in its approach and invigorating in its outlook, this may be the book you never realized you needed.
The featured authors exhibit a range of Sherwood Anderson * Raymond Carver * Willa Cather * James Fenimore Cooper * Rita Dove * Ralph Waldo Emerson * William Faulkner * Richard Ford * Robert Frost * Nathaniel Hawthorne * Ernest Hemingway * Langston Hughes * Washington Irving * Robinson Jeffers * Sinclair Lewis * Herman Melville * Henry Miller * Toni Morrison * Flannery O Connor * E. Annie Proulx * Philip Roth * Wallace Stegner * John Steinbeck * Henry David Thoreau * John Updike * Thomas Wolfe.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2009

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did not read this book in its entirety, cover to cover. It is a coffee table book, so I treated it as such. I perused the beautiful photographs, read captions and quotes, and read more in-depth about authors that interested me. I would consider this lovely book more about Americana than literature. It explores the history of America’s most cherished authors and poets (with mini-bios). It does not inspire with literary images, but highlights the America that engaged writers. There are beautiful images of unspoiled landscapes, writer’s homes, and backwater towns. Some of the most dramatic pictures are those that evoke Frost’s poetry and the ones that portray the serenity of Walden Pond. But my favorites have to be Faulkner’s home and the displays of his literally writing on the walls that still exist.

This is a testament to the country that inspired its writers, whether in colonial New England, the vast prairie, or the west coast. I will definitely refer to this book in the future, as it would be a great companion for when I finally get around to reading many of the American classics referenced and to learn more about the scenery that the authors transferred onto their pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the photographer/co-author.

[Mary Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

200 years of American Literature
5 Nobel Prize Winners
6 National Book Award Winners
15 Pulitzer Prizes Awarded (with one prize declined)
26 of America’s Greatest Authors

A Journey Through Literary America is a 304-page coffee travel book that takes a look at 26 of America’s great authors and the places that inspired them. Unique to this book of literary biography is the element of the photograph. With over 140 photographs throughout, the images add mood and dimension to the writing – and they are often shockingly close to what the featured authors described in their own words. Lushly illustrated, and beautifully designed, the book is as much of a pleasure to look at as it is to read.

[Cody]

I won this book on First-Reads

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snatched this from the incoming new books once I realized Raymond Carver and the places that sparked his imagination --Yakima and Port Angeles, Washington--- were in it. But it was also interesting to read about Phillip Roth's Mendham, NJ, Thoreau's Concord, MA, Rita Dove's Ohio, James Fenimore Cooper's Catskills and Hemingway's Northern Michigan, among others, through their own words as well as biographical and geographical information. This would be a wonderful guidebook to have on hand on a cross country trip to visit these Main Streets and beyond.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book Is Amazing to me What the author and Photographer went thru traveling around the world to write it and get some amazing pictures included in the book. This book Is a must have for family homes, Libraries, and Schools! It takes you around the world and tells you about Authors and there writing day lives. I enjoyed all the History about the authors. I will sometime visit some of these places there beautiful! Well written and Beautiful Photography!!!!