Lake Street, U.S.A.

Rating:
Summary: complex city
Review: Wing Young Huie has done a beautiful job of showing the people of Minneapolis to themselves and the world. Much of Lake Street in Minneapolis is regarded as a problem area, ripe for urban redevelopment. But to see it that way is to miss out on a million fascinating details -- the headwrap of a young Somali girl, elderly women giving each other manicures, the eighth grade class of the Montessori middle school. It has people seeking attention and people minding their own business. Elegant churches and sad storefronts. Many of the subjects could easily lend themselves to cliche, but the photographer doesn't let it happen. My only quibble is that the text could be more focused and edited -- but he is a photographer, not primarily a writer. A fun book, for fans of this city or any other.