September 12, 2006
Sweet Flypaper of Life
I found a copy of Sweet Flypaper of Life by photographed by Roy DeCarava and written by Langston Hughes in a used bookstore yesterday for $3. I've always wanted a copy, but have never found one in good shape at a decent price. It's a picture book marrying an imagined story by a woman in Harlem to images...poetic fiction. I couldn't think of many other examples of this kind of collaboration, (Photobook text even when it is written by poets and famous authors is usually simple description, and when photographers do create imagined narratives they usually write the text themselves). Anyway, beautiful and fascinating book. My guess is in this case the words came first and they were illustrated by DeCarava but somehow it would please me more if it were the other way around.
to this site
09/12/06 09:05 PM
Anonymous said...
What a find!
Billie
01/31/07 09:24 AM
patrice said...
indeed, what i find. about 30 some years ago in a drunken stupor i gave my first edition away. who knows who i gave it to. hoping one day to get it back the way you got yours. good for you, my friend.
07/26/07 01:01 AM
Jeff Ladd said...
Just found your blog. Good stuff.
I have my own cheap Sweetflypaper story. About 10 years back I was in a thrift store on 9th avenue in the 50's here in NYC and I found a copy of the paper 1st edition of this book. It was marked 50 cents. When I brought it to the counter to pay, the person behind the counter pointed to a sign that indicated that all books were half price.
As I was hyperventillating outside the store after parting the 25 cents, I opened the book and it was signed by Decarava. It only could have been better if it was signed by Hughes as well.
12/15/07 02:12 PM
soy said...
What a great find. I am taking his photography class and he is a great teacher and influence. I am grateful that he is still teaching.
I bought a hard cover copy on line and paid 108 dollars..
After reading your blog, I want to search all the thrift stores in New York!
01/10/08 07:02 PM
Rod said...
According to the narrative text in the book "Roy De Carava: A Retrospective, the photographs were made first and Hughes added the words later. Great find!
08/02/08 10:15 AM
Julie Stone Cruz said...
I have this same paperback book- bought it for 25 cents at a goodwill outlet where you can buy items by the pound! Now I am listing it on eBay, if anyone is interested... my seller name is stonecruz....feel free to contact me, I am sure the bidding is going high!