I saw Karen Finley in Charleston SC years ago. I had no idea what to expect....I had never heard of her before. The tardy Ms. Finley entered the auditorium from the back, totally naked. I knew then that she was like no other person on earth. She yelled and screamed her stories, her anger , her pain....our pain....to the gods above. Through out the performance she gradually clothed herself until she ended the performance fully dressed. I was dumbfounded, changed...and I fully understood how her nudity was necessary to her art...to her connection with her audience. For years I search for information on this woman, hoping to see another performance....to again experience what I felt that night. Catharsis. I was thrilled when an internet search brought me here, to her memoirs. This book did not disappoint. It gave great insight into the life of this very strange, and gifted woman. Though everyone may not agree with her beliefs and politics, they have to admire her intelligence and strength. One suggestion Ms.Finley, get a website so people like myself can let you know how you've made a difference in their lives.R.Renn

forget what you think you know about karen finley, because unless you've actually been to one of her performances and/or read her essays, you don't know much. okay. so let's forget about the yams, the chocolate, the nudity, the naughty words and all of that. just for the space of this review, humor me. still with me? karen finley is amazing. she is the (unwilling) joan of arc of pop culture as we know it. she dared to deconstruct dysfunction, patriarchal power junkies, AIDS hysteria, sexism, homophobia....okay, you get the idea...and she tackled all these things, and so many more subjects, on a human level, on a confrontational level, with compassion and parody combined, with anger and love combined, espousing politically correct ideas in a very unpolitically correct voice during very PC times. while this book is not a "compilation", per se, it is a kind of experimental autobiography, with big chunks of finley's work interspersed throughout - sort of a show and tell exhibit in a book. it works. it's immensely, addictively readable, and quite user-friendly for such a confrontational artist. the only frustration i had with this work was the ending, which frustrated and disappointed me, though the discouraging ending could easily be yet another performance art prank served finley style.....

Karen Finley's latest book, both a memoir and a collection of her work is a window into the life of one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Karen Finley has always flown in the face of convention creating work that is both political and personal, challenging and difficult, redemptive and healing. As one of the now famous NEA Four she became Jesse Helms' favorite whipping woman in his plot to further toss American back to the 1950s forever

In her book Karen Finley shares pieces from her acclaimed performances and books as well as insights into her life at the time she was working on them and the events that helped shape her work throughout the years. From friends and loved ones dying of AIDS, to her own battles with censorship, the suicide of her father and the many evolutions her work has gone through the reader is priveleged to share intimate details of her life and be even more changed and challenged by her work.

This books is a must have for any artist, activist, thinker, woman, man, whoever. To read it is to confront your own fears, demons, priveleges, biases and secrets.

This book is excellent! Hard to get, but really worth the search. It is part of the Photographers at Work Collection and, though it's brief (50+ pages), it's is a very interesting look at Leibovitz's work. Though you may have seen some of the pics in this book in other collections, you should check the rest. Must have!

Annie Leibovitz's name is as recognizable as her photos. This collection spans two decades filled with her best work mostly from Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, but including some previously unpublished ones. She has the knack to bring out the side of a celebrities personality unexpected, and a way to turn a comic photo on it's side for another uplift of laughter. Some serious, some funny and many sentimental, Annie Leibovitz's photos invoke thought, humor, tenderness and empathy in every frame. A woman from modest beginnings shows the world what she has accomplished so far. It is an impressive feat.

Seeing so many celebrity photographs from the beginning of Ms. Leibovitz's career unveils many of the most effective methods that she uses to create her deep insights into the subject of the portrait. Although you may feel the subtlety of her work viscerally, these comparisons make it easier to appreciate the purposefulness of how the effects are brilliantly captured. If you are like me, this book will enhance your already deep appreciation of her work.

Before going into all the reasons I like this book, let me mention that the book contains tasteful nudity and sexual situations that would probably cause an R rating for a motion picture (or possibly something a bit stronger, like an R plus). Many parents would be uncomfortable with some of their children seeing these images. So judge the appropriateness of this wonderful book for your own family.

First, Ms. Leibovitz is looking for the soul of the person. Who are they at the core? This is captured by establishing a composition that overtly expresses this inner kernel of truth. For Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold, this is captured by mud wrestling. For Muhammad Ali, you see a fully confident, capable man fully comfortable with himself and the world.

Second, she captures the subject's personality with posing and expression within the composition. Whoopi Goldberg's playfulness is captured by a composition that has little bits of her beautiful blackness emerging from a milk bath, with a characteristicly wry, happy smile.

Third, she shows the social mask that the subject uses. Lily Tomlin's face poses behind a television set image. Diane Keaton is shown wandering around with her face averted from the camera to capture her preference for privacy and appearance of shyness. Keith Haring appears wearing nothing but his painted on designs.

Fourth, she connects her subject to another person where that helps to establish part of the person's reality. John Lennon appears in foetal position with Yoko Ono, in that famous image from this book's cover. The Rolling Stones are literally flying through the air at the same time while performing. The Grateful Dead are asleep on each other's shoulders. Interestingly, she is usually able to do this with a humorous, light touch that dispells some of the celebrity power of the person.

Fifth, she lets a little slip in composure or a little blemish show where that adds to the underlying reality. Louis Armstrong looks scared in one classic portrait pose, while totally relaxed and in control in a less formal setting. Mick Jagger's partially healed scar is shown in another image. Jodie Foster puts on an intelligent expression that shows the Yale graduate rather than the young female star.

Sixth, she captures motion in ways that give the kinesthetics of the person and situation wonderfully. For example, a group of prisoners and family members hug at Soledad Prison in California at Christmas in 1971. You see many different relationships in this one image. It's like a microcosm of all humanity.

Here are my favorite images:

John Lennon, New York City, 1970

Louis Armstrong, Queens, New York, 1971

Christmas, 1971, Soledad Prison, California

The Grateful Dead, San Rafael, California, 1971

Ray Charles, San Francisco, 1972

Lily Tomlin, Los Angeles, 1973

Richard Pryor, Los Angeles, 1974

Andy Warhol, New York City, 1976

Tennessee Williams, Key West, Florida, 1974

Ron Kovic, Santa Monica, California, 1973

The Rolling Stones, Philadelphia, 1975

Brian Wilson, Malibu, California, 1976

Muhammad Ali, Chicago, 1978

Robert Penn Warren, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1980

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York City, December 8, 1981

Greg Louganis, Los Angeles, 1984

Bruce Springsteen, Asbury Park, New Jersey, 1987

Whoopi Goldberg, Berkeley, California, 1984

Twyla Tharp, New York City, 1989

Michael Jackson, Los Angeles, 1989

Mikhail Baryshnikov, New York City, 1989

After you have enjoyed the book, I suggest that you make a drawing that does a similar unveiling of someone you know well. You might even consider a self-portrait. Ms. Leibovitz says those are the hardest to do.

Look deeply into those all around you and see the truth . . . as well as the fictions.

No-one captures the human face of celebrity on film like Annie Liebowitz (except for the brilliant Herb Ritts). This softback book is a wonderful chronological history of Annie's work over a 20 year period.

From the playful magic of Whoopi Goldberg in a bath of milk, Bette Midler under a blanket of roses and Sting baked in mud, this book shows the wit and insight of Annie Liebowitz. To lovers of either photography and/or celebrity this book is a must. Reasonably priced at $40 USD it also features the "foetus" shot of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. To students of photography, this book demonstrates her inventiveness and ability to portray the 'human' behind icons and public creations. A book you can leaf through time and time again whilst delighting in Ms Liebowitz's art.

I'd give Leibovitz four stars for the sole reason that she tackled "WOMEN" as a concept.

How does one portray "WOMEN" completely? It's as daunting and impossible as stating that one can portray "ETERNITY" or "LIFE" or "TRUTH" in their fullest senses.

There are those that have argued that Leibovitz's book gives preferential treatment to some subjects, while demeaning or diminishing others. For example, the photos of famous women are often glossy, flattering, and classically "pretty," while the photos of non-famous women are more often stark, harsh, and jolting to the senses.

I do not disagree.

What comes into question, however, is our definition of beauty. Society tells us that Drew Barrymore sprawled on the ground is beautiful. A group of coal-blackened female miners is not. That's society talking, not Annie Leibovitz - and certainly not the individual reader/viewer.

Instead, I choose to think that what Leibovitz was trying to do with "WOMEN" was to challenge these stereotypes and expectations. On every page, she attempts to portray the essence of the women she is photographing. For a Hollywood actress, that may very well mean a glamorous, "pretty" setting. For Helene Grimaud, it's a piano. For Wendy Suzuki, it's a scientific laboratory, and for Lenda Murray, it's a Ms. Olympia costume. Instead of labeling and sorting these images, (as society is often apt to do), Leibovitz presents them one after another in a colossal photographic accomplishment she calls "WOMEN."

No, she doesn't manage to express the concept completely. I doubt if anyone could. But she does manage to challenge, enlighten, and empower her readers/viewers with her portrayal of the diverse women she selected to photograph.

For me, that in itself is beautiful.

I was browsing through a bookstore, waiting for my kids to get done with Boy Scouts, not looking for anything in particular, when I spied "Women" on a shelf near an easy chair. The plain cover of this large book intrigued me so I started to skim through the book. After about a minute, I sat down and spent 45 more minutes going through the book, page by page. I had never heard of the book and only vaguely know the authors from popular culture, but I'm hooked now. As a busy working mother I don't usually have the time to spend enjoying fine art, photography, or coffee table books. I have to say that this is an inspiring piece of work that had me so engaged in some of the photos that I conjured up my own life stories for these women in my mind and thought about what their real life is like, how to meet them, etc. Annie's photographs really spoke to me.

I heartily recommend this book -- it's food for the soul. I only regret that I paid so much for the book that night (I had to give it to my best friend the next day).

er from Amazon and Now His Name is Stuck on My Account

So much for a title.

Annie Leibovitz's book requires no words. Sorry, Susan, I didn't read your text. The best way to enjoy Annie's photos is to set aside your search for a defining message about women. There isn't one. Women are varied creatures just like the rest of humanity and nature.

Don't you just love looking at them? Don't wish you could get a closer look? Don't you wish the interesting one's would stand in just the right light so you could get a better look? Didn't you always think Hillary C. was beautiful, but you didn't know why?

Thank you Annie Leibovitz for taking the interesting women and standing them in a beautiful light and binding them in a huge book so we can stand and stare as long as we want.

Enough said.

Disappointing. Technically very good, but overall lacking in originality. Most of these photographs could have been taken by any newspaper sports photographer.

Clearly, Annie Leibovitz is as talented as they come these days for black-and-white portraits of people who are used to posing (like actresses, actors, singers, and models). What happened when she took on athletes as her subject, looking at the preparations by Americans for the Atlanta games in 1996?

The portraits are usually stunning, as might be expected. Many of the action photographs leave something or much to be desired. But that's part of what makes the book interesting. I came away with a new respect for those terrific sports action photographs that I love so much.

As Ms. Leibovitz says, "Each time I worked with an athlete I had two possibilities: . . . concentrate on the person or . . . on the sport." "Sometimes I was able to do both." And those moments when she did both are sublime!

The motion shots are the difficulty. She nicely states the problem. "If you see it, you've missed it." So you have to shoot with an expectation of what is likely to follow, and keep shooting. I suspect that she did not allow enough time to get enough of all the kinds of shots that sports photographers have led us to expect. "The fixed image . . . has to be just the right slice of time, [to] . . . stand for -- and suggest -- the whole movement."

Her talent as a portrait photographer serves her well. The young women and men take on superhuman auras in stunningly composed frames. By focusing on the preparations for the games rather than the games themselves (which are very commercial now), she harkens back to the original Greek ideal of sport as a way to pursue mental and physical perfection.

If I liked the work so much, why did I grade it down one star? As I mentioned earlier, many of the motion shots were either unexciting or below the standard I am used to seeing. In addition, the pages in this book are too small for the images so many photographs have a fold right through critical details. The design is quite weak in that sense.

Here are my favorite images:

Jon Olsen (p. 17)

Amy Van Dyken (p. 19)

Mark Lenzi (p. 21)

Mihai Bagiu (p. 35)

Dominique Moceanu (p. 37)

Dominique Moceanu and John Roethlisberger (p. 39)

Men's Eight (pp. 54-55)

John Godina (p. 66)

Esther Jones, Gwen Torrence, Carlette Guidry (pp. 80-81)

Gwen Torrence (pp. 88-89)

Julie Foudy (pp. 102-103)

Chanda Rubin (pp. 104-105)

Darrick Health (pp. 132-133)

Becky Dyroen-Lancer, Heather Simmons-Carrasco, and Jill Savery (pp. 134-135)

Kevin Burnham and Morgan Reeser (pp. 174-175)

I suggest that you take up Ms. Leibovitz's challenge yourself, by photographing children practicing sports. Your subjects will be delighted with the attention, and they will be easier to shoot because they don't move as fast as adult athletes.

Shoot first, and review the contact sheets later!

I have gotten several copies of this book, I think these photographs are amazing and deserve an award.

While I love Annie Leibovitz's photographic talents, I was disappointed with this soft-cover magazine. Many of the pictures are in her other better books, and others are uninteresting. Let someone else buy this magazine, and you go to their place a read it once. I'm refunding this book back to Amazon.com.

A wonderful display of some brilliant work