"The Oxford Project" by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom

One of the coolest books I have read in a while, “The Oxford Project”, won an Alex Award (Best Adult Books for Young Adult Readers). It is powerful, unique and thought-provoking.
In 1984, Peter Feldstein set out on a mission. He wanted to photograph each and every member of the town of Oxford, Iowa. A Midwest township of some 600 souls, he had them stand in his Main Street studio sans makeup or posing and simply snapped an image. It would be remarkable enough to have achieved this feat – except for one thing. Twenty years later, he came back and did it all over again. This time he brought noted editor Stephen Bloom with him, and the town’s residents (now standing in front of a plain cinder block wall) related short descriptions of themselves as they were photographed.
The result isn’t just stunning, it is breath-taking. Like a less-dark version of the “Post Secret” books, this beautifully assembled coffee-table book gives readers a tremendous insight into the humanity that makes up this country. Elements you would expect (they like meat, guns, and many of the participants do not have college educations) and ones you would not (there are Buddhists, gays and lots of Democrats) help to shatter the idea that “rural” America can be either dismissed or defined. The simple photos are produced with care, and the concise biographies are like haikus, painting pictures of the complexity and depth of life at all levels. Laugh out loud moments mix with resonating sadness to create a rich and powerful tapestry. I was so moved by this book, in fact, that it took more than a month to read it. I had to take in only a few pages at a time and digest them before moving on … and then I found myself flipping back and forth to discover the amazing connections in this community. I have had a difficult time getting kids to pick it up, but in the last few weeks I noticed many of them doing what I had done initially – glancing at the book, flipping through the pages, then being transfixed by an image or story. Take some time to explore this world that is, truly, our own.