Bobby's Book
Published on 30. October 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-60980-448-0 (ISBN)
Description
"Bobby Powers is a real life character out of a Nelson Algren or Hubert Selby novel, only he somehow survived and figured out since the only way left to go was up, he might as well try it."--Barry Gifford
>Through the words and reflections of the former drug addict and petty criminal, this book relates the long, agonizing journey from youthful urban violence and despair to the life of a committed and generous professional. Beginning in a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood in the mid 1950s where alcohol abuse and poverty were rampant, Bobby Powers went from being an illiterate gang leader and notorious drug dealer to a destroyed individual who had lost everything, including family members, close friends, and himself, all presented in his own words and in grim detail in this book. At a critical turning point in his life, recognizing the threat of his behaviors to survival, he entered detox and embarked on the arduous path to recovery and self-understanding. This process involved not only acknowledging and coming to terms with the injuries he had inflicted on his children and others, but also asking for their forgiveness. Having achieved a new way of life as a responsible and caring adult, Bobby Powers is today, at 69, a nationally respected drug addiction counselor who has aided a wide spectrum of people, including former gang members. His story represents a brutal and inspiring lesson in human frailty, degradation, and transformation.
>Through the words and reflections of the former drug addict and petty criminal, this book relates the long, agonizing journey from youthful urban violence and despair to the life of a committed and generous professional. Beginning in a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood in the mid 1950s where alcohol abuse and poverty were rampant, Bobby Powers went from being an illiterate gang leader and notorious drug dealer to a destroyed individual who had lost everything, including family members, close friends, and himself, all presented in his own words and in grim detail in this book. At a critical turning point in his life, recognizing the threat of his behaviors to survival, he entered detox and embarked on the arduous path to recovery and self-understanding. This process involved not only acknowledging and coming to terms with the injuries he had inflicted on his children and others, but also asking for their forgiveness. Having achieved a new way of life as a responsible and caring adult, Bobby Powers is today, at 69, a nationally respected drug addiction counselor who has aided a wide spectrum of people, including former gang members. His story represents a brutal and inspiring lesson in human frailty, degradation, and transformation.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
16 PAGES OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
307 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60980-448-0 (9781609804480)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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EMILY HAAS DAVIDSON was born and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. After graduating from Bard College with a degree in history, she studied acting in London and performed with the Arena Theater in Washington, DC. In 1967 she married Bruce Davidson and traded life on the stage to work as a photographer's collaborator. BOB POWERS was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942. One of eight siblings in an impoverished household where alcohol abuse prevailed, he eventually joined a street gang called "the Jokers," which was photographed by Bruce Davidson in 1959. He spent much of his life struggling with addiction before recovering with the help of Narcotics Anonymous and finally becoming a drug counselor. Powers is retired and lives in Brooklyn. BRUCE DAVIDSON was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1933. After attending Rochester Institute of Technology and Yale University, he completed military service in 1957 and began working as a photographer for Life Magazine. In 1958, he became a member of Magnum Agency. He has had solo exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art, The Smithsonian Museum of American Art, The Walker Art Center, The International Center of Photography, The Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, The Aperture Foundation, and The Foundation Cartier-Bresson in Paris. Davidson has received numerous grants and awards including two grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship, The Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Photography in 2004, and the Gold Medal Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Arts Club in 2007. He lives in New York City.