Heroines

Rating:
Summary: A challenging book of outstanding photographic quality!
Review: 'Heroines' is a book that is so much more and so much deeper than most photographic books. The images that are presented in this book are, on the one hand, beautiful, thoughtful images and on the other hand, deeply touching and challenging, because of the subject matter. This book humanizes an element of human nature which we often just refer to as the 'drug problem' or 'the addicts,' this reminds us that these are people just like you and I, who have chosen a darker path. This is an important photographic work which has value far greater than just a nice collection of images. The print quality is excellent and the text is interesting, well writen and thought provoking. Overall a fascinating look into Vancouver'e downtown Eastside Heroin and drug Culture. Money very well spent. Great work Lincoln Clarkes!

Rating:
Summary: Friend of the Family
Review: The book is a telling glimpse into the lives of some of the women of the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.
As a community worker with hard-to-house ex-psychiatric residents in the area, in the 1980s I ran a Women's Group to address the risk of AIDS in relation to prostitution.
The dying wish of a long term dear friend of mine was that I remain in contact with his two daughters. This book available at the Vancouver Public Library--and the excellent video of the same name that aired on TV available at Douglas College that includes an interview with her--give me a means to follow the career of his youngest daughter. I hope to hear from her again soon, and hope she is alright.
Now I'll go ahead and buy the book. If only I could discover whether the video is available for sale to the public.

Rating:
Summary: Astonishing Stuff
Review: These photographs by Lincoln Clarkes in this amazing book will change the way people look at Canada in general and Vancouver in particular. These are friendly and exquisite black and white photographs of drug-addicted women who live and work (usually as prostitutes) in Vancouver's downtown eastside neighborhood, a neighborhood unique in all the world for bearing the majority of an entire nation's overdose deaths, if not drug traffic as well. Clarkes captures the humanity and the artistry, as well as the desperation, of these women ... and of the city, too, which now must look at itself in different way. Heroines really is an epic work of photography and of social documentary.