With extensive biographical text and images, The World from My Front Porch is a book about Larry Towell's home, its history and the world seen from its viewpoint. It is both a rage against injustice and the romantic expression of an ideal worth fighting for. Central, is Towell's photo-essay about the Arcadian family life of the farm that he sharecrops in Ontario, photographed over a period of 20 years. The book also features the personal story of Towell's family and farm, illustrated with archival photographs and historical artifacts, and, in the last section, the story of Towell's journeys beyond his front porch—(cut) as photographer, poet and storyteller, into the lives and struggles of people dispossessed by conflict. This section is illustrated with songs, testimonies, tear sheets and artifacts collected from war zones.
Customer reviews:
“I expected Towell's photos to be compelling, and they don't disappoint. I lament that there weren't more, but there are a handful of pictures that demand you revisit them. What I didn't expect was to find the narrative so compelling. Reading about the history of the home and land really drew me in, and background provided a wonderful context for the place Towell calls home.”
“As a documentary photographer this book not only gives you an insight into one of America's great photographers, it gives you an insight into his life and ethos as a human being.”
Published by Chris Boot
in association with the Archive of Modern Conflict 2008
