by David Isay
First published 2000
The Bowery once sheltered nearly one hundred thousand men nightly in its flophouses during America's skid row heyday. Now fewer than a thousand residents remain in the handful of surviving buildings, paying five to ten dollars for tiny rooms. Documentarians David Isay and Stacy Abramson capture this disappearing world through interviews with long-term residents, while photographer Harvey Wang documents their physical surroundings. The men represent diverse backgrounds, and their varied stories reveal the many paths that can lead to life's bottom in America, even during good economic times. The authors draw inspiration from Joseph Mitchell's honest portrayals of these same neighborhoods, presenting their subjects with warmth and acceptance. The book combines resident voices with photographs to create a record of a world that will vanish within years. These personal accounts demonstrate the resilience and complexity of people typically overlooked by society.
Genres: american, sociology, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, resilience
Setting: America, Bowery, New York
Period: 21st Century
176 pages · Hardcover · Random House