If you have never heard of Humans of New York you need to go to Facebook and look it up immediately. I'm not quite sure how I heard about it but I was instantly addicted and started to follow his FB posts. The premise behind Humans of New York is that a guy goes up to random strangers in New York and asks them a question. He takes a picture of them and writes their stories. Everyone has a story to tell, right? The concept is so easy but the stories and the pictures leave an impression on your heart. Some of the stories will tickle your funny bone, while others will break your heart.
St. Martin's Press
Brandon Stanton says this of his project:
“Humans of New York began as a photography project in 2010. The initial goal was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s inhabitants. Somewhere along the way, I began to interview my subjects in addition to photographing them. And alongside their portraits, I'd include quotes and short stories from their lives.” Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. HONY now has over twenty million followers on social media, and provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York City.
This is the book that I'll be giving away during the "Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop" that will start on August 15th.
I follow them on Facebook and love reading the stories. It's amazing how everyone has a story.
ReplyDeleteI also follow Humans in New York on Facebook and enjoy reading the stories. So many are inspirational.
ReplyDeleteI love HONY and would love to see the photographs in this book.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a neat & fascinating project.
ReplyDeleteI think that the concept behind "Humans of New York," even in its most simple or boiled-down form, is brilliant. Stories, narratives, moments. Humanity, and shared humanity.
ReplyDeleteWhile not living there at present, I spent MANY years living in a very large city-- in several different apartments, in many different parts of the city. I was studying and practicing clinical psychology, but am actually (long story) a writer [at heart]-- creative nonfiction is my jam. As I rode the buses and trains every day, I observed. I watched what people were doing, and wondered various things: e.g., where they were coming from, where they were headed. If they were running late. Recently had an argument/fight with someone they love? Struggling, every day? Facing an impossible decision? ...I considered penning something similar to HONY-- this was before I'd heard of them, or discovered their Instagram account. I might have been inspired, a bit, by the words and stories shared in PostSecret.
I think that Humans of New York does a beautiful job of capturing the joy, the pain, and everything in-between. Thank you so much for featuring it on your blog.