Black and white makes things look depressing.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. I have lived in Vidor for two years now. I grew up in Houston and moved here for work. I won't live here forever. A few more years perhaps. I met Dave anderson three days after Hurricane Rita made a direct hit on Southeast Texas and Soutwest Louisiana. I was standing amongst the debris that was my home when Dave came along and asked to take a few pictures. He did help me move some furniture that was too big for me to handle by myself. The pictures in this book show very dreary looking Vidorians living in poverty. The black and white amplifies this look. There is another side of Vidor that is middle class that doesn't show up in this book. Vidor looks identical to dozens of other east Texas towns. Dave is a good photographer and I commend him on the photographs. They are well done and interesting. I can tell he put a lot of time into the photos. Please don't form a full opinion of Vidor from this one book. Look around the town yourself and get a balanced look.

Rating:


Anderson Accomplishes Delicate Balance

I was very impressed with this incredible book with quiet and poetic images. Photographer Dave Anderson is doing what the best and most important photography today does - addressing social issues in a dignified manner. The resulting portrait of Vidor is a difficult but sweet one that presses into details of quiet beauty that we might never see if we were walking through the same streets. I found the photographs of children endearing and sweet. I have never been through the town in question but but love to visit after seeing Anderson's view of the town. I think the people of Vidor would be complemented by this sweet portrayal of a part of their town that is surely ignored by most.

Rating:


Not the whole story

This is an interesting but skewed view of Vidor. Sure, there is poverty as there is in any town or city in America. There are also people who are well educated and are middle and upper middle class. The town has a reputation because of events that took place a long time ago. The people of the town have tried to overcome this reputation yet the local and national news media want to keep dragging it out and rehashing it. I graduated high school here and still live here, however I also have a college education as do all of my friends. My parents are both college educated as are many others in Vidor. So, while this book may have a certain story to tell, it is certainly not the whole story. The authors of the book could have picked any small town in America and shown similar pictures.

Rating: