Stephen G. Bloom

I read a description of this book on my library site and loved the premise. In 1984, a photographer takes a single picture of almost every resident of his small town, Oxford, Iowa (pop 693, he photographed 670). Twenty years later, he goes back and takes another picture. He found almost everyone, about one-hundred people had died, and another hundred had moved.

For the second round of photos, a friend, author Stephen G. Bloom, interviewed about one-hundred of the residents. They were quite surprised by the candor, and lack of self-consciousness of the residents. I’m astounded by the sense of satisfaction the people have with their lives. Though quite a few express regrets at not having gone to college they all seem to be at peace with whatever this life has given them. I wonder if the small town support system accounts for the connectedness and contentment they exhibit.

I looked through the book, read their stories and felt deeply connected to them. As with Finding Grace: The Face of America’s Homeless, it seems to be the mere action of being noticed and acknowledged is what compels them to open up.

Bloom relates this feeling also, “The more Peter and I listened, the more we realized we’d become confessors to an unheard and invisible America.”

I wonder if the quality of peoples lives can be improved by being acknowledged in some way? This is interesting to me. How you can change situation, people’s outlook, their world view by seeing them, listening to them, acknowledging their existence?… (mais)