On Photography BYSUSANS ONTAG
Copyright On Photography Copyright©1973 by Susan Sontag Published by arrangement with Farrar, Straus & Giroux Cover art and eForeword to the electronic edition copyright© 2005 by RosettaBooks, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or repro- duced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address[email protected] First electronic edition published 2005 by RosettaBooks LLC, New York. ISBN 0-7953-2699-8On Photographyii
Contents eForeword (A one pager by SS, May 1977) In Plato’s Cave America, Seen Through Photographs, Darkly Melancholy Objects The Heroism of Vision Photographic Evangels The Image-World A Brief Anthology of Quotations (Homage to W.B.) About this TitleOn Photographyiii
eForeword One of the most highly regarded books of its kind,On Photography first appeared in 1977 and is described by its author as “a progress of essays about the meaning and career of photographs.” It begins with the famous “In Plato’s Cave” essay, then offers five other prose meditations on this topic, and concludes with a fascinating and far-reaching “Brief Anthology of Quotations.” “A brilliant analysis of the profound changes photographic images have made in our way of looking at the world and at ourselves over the last 140 years.”—Washington Post Book World “Every page ofOn Photographyraises important and exciting questions about its subject and raises them in the best way.”—The New York Times Book Review “On Photographyis to my mind the most original and illuminating study of the subject.”—Calvin Trillin,The New Yorker . Susan Sontag was born in New York City on January 16, 1933. She received her B.A. from the College of the University of Chicago and did graduate work in philosophy, literature, and theology at Harvard University and Saint Anne’s College, Oxford. A human rights activist for more than two decades, Ms. Sontag served from 1987 to 1989 as president of the American Center of PEN, the international writers’ organization dedicated to freedom of expression and the advancement of literature, from whichOn Photographyv
platform she led a number of campaigns on behalf of persecuted and imprisoned writers. Among Ms. Sontag’s many honors are the 2003 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the 2003 Prince of Asturias Prize, the 2001 Jerusalem Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award forOn Photography(1978). RosettaBooks is the leading publisher dedicated exclusively to electronic editions of great works of fiction and non-fiction that reflect our world. RosettaBooks is a committed e-publisher, maximizing the resources of the Web in opening a fresh dimension in the reading experience. In this electronic reading environment, each RosettaBook will enhance the experience through The RosettaBooks Connection. This gateway instantly delivers to the reader the opportunity to learn more about the
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