|
Updated: December 2002 EAST SIDE STORIES: Gang Life in East L.A. "East Side Stories is ultimately a profile of a family, whether it is the nuclear family, the gang or the entire Mexican-American population of East Los Angeles. Various gangs are brought together in the book—appropriately, because underneath the rivalries, they are all members of the same community; Rodriguez reminds us this community is also part of our country." —The New York Times Book Review "Rodriguez's photographs are like a slow float down the wide boulevards that L.A. made so famous. Bringing details into focus, Rodriguez's lens is the eye in the passenger seat, not just freezing but assessing the moment." —Los Angeles Times "Rodriguez is keenly aware of how violence entices and repels. Rodriguez also knows how photographs can lie. Pictures worth a thousand words notwithstanding, the photographer's daily journal entries, which are interspersed throughout the book, provide a context essential to understanding his images. One entry reveals his frustration as magazine editors ask for more violence in his pictures, then print only the most horrific. When Life wants to run the photo of the father with his gun-gripping toddler as an image of the American family gone haywire, Rodriguez grapples with his decision, anticipating misinterpretation." —The Village Voice "...an intimate scrapbook of life in those gangs that is by turns horrifying, poignant, and ultimately incomprehensible." —San Jose Mercury News "Everybody swears everything is so damn gangsta these days. Do you really wanna know about some gangsta shit? Not that central, fly, Hollywood shit. Not that gangsta rap shit. Not that Brooklyn Blood talk. The real G-life. All the way live, loco style. Joe Rodriguez is the truth.... East Side Stories vividly illustrates how gang sets are born by deferred immigrant dreams and paychecks that never seem to make their way home. The beauty of Rodriguez's work is the unending desire to show all sides of the story." —Mass Appeal "...the photographs open up an unromanticized, unheroicizied look at life in the 'hood. The authenticity of the mid '90s gang culture on display is refreshing and compelling. The shots take you inside a world rather than leave you a spectator. Beware: this is no glamour and glitz diary but really does 'keep it real.'" —Knowledge "...documents the good, the bad and the oft-times ugly world of gangbanging." —The Source "East Side Stories captures what many only see as news reports and statistics." —Rap Pages "While many images tell of the relentless fear and violence, others reveal the sense of family that binds members for their (all-too-short) lives." —Paper "Whether East LA is close to home or unknown territory, it's difficult not to feel a spiritual connection with the subjects of Joseph Rodriguez's photos—as well as the heart behind the lens." —Urb "A fine addition to the growing literature on gang life..." —Library Journal "Crazy stuff here." —Strength More Press Coverage !! Bonus Broadcast Appearances !! |
|
|